Useful Apps and Resources: Part 1 

Every week on my newsletter and subsequently on the podcast, I share a useful app or resource that I think my readers and listeners might find interesting. Not all of them are for everyone (I did get an unsubscribe the week I shared the knitting counter app :-)). Here is my first roundup…

Mobile Devices

This trip away reminds me yet again of how powerful a smartphone can be when you need to get stuff done on go. 

In fact, on my todo list I use tags that allow me to filter my tasks to show just those that I can complete on my iPhone, amongst other tags. That way when I’m out and about I don’t get distracted with those that I can only do on my laptop or at my desk. 

I am a little spoilt now though with my iPad providing an even bigger screen to allow me to get stuff done. So I’ve honed my tagging system again to enable me to distinguish between iPhone, iPad and laptop tasks.

A reminder that being flexible when you create systems is key. Dogmatically sticking to the way you’ve always done something is not the most productive way to work. 

If you haven’t already downloaded my report ‘5 productivity apps’ you can here.

Rev

This week my recommendation is Rev and specifically their iPhone app.

I was able to record my ‘outro’ to this week’s podcast whilst reclining on my caravan sofa! Rev are actually mainly a transcription company who I used to use to transcribe my podcasts. They charge $1 a minute and provide a really quick service.

I recorded a video today where I need to also provide a text version so, once I’d recorded it, I sent my audio off to be transcribed so I can edit it into the written version and I’ve already had it back. They are really good.

The Rev app is great too. Funny that I’ve had it on my phone for a while but never actually used it until this week! It records good audio and with the press of an icon will send it off to be transcribed if necessary. But you don’t have to use the transcription bit of it; it operates as a voice recorder in any event.

Missinglettr

This is a tool to enable you to easily build a campaign to share your blog posts regularly over a year. It was recommended by Sharon Gaskin on podcast #53 and I’m finding it really useful.

Once it knows the RSS feed from your blog, whenever you post anything it automatically generates a campaign for you to tweak and publish. 

It pulls images and quotes from your post and then you can add further images manually. Then you have to go through each of the potential posts to confirm you’re happy with them before setting the campaign live. 

I’ve only started using it in the last few months and only on Twitter and my Facebook page and LinkedIn company page and MissingLettr‘s generated something like 800 clickthroughs so far. 

Not too shabby! 

Sanebox

I received a lovely testimonial this week from a VIP Day client. One of the tools she talked about that I shared with her that has really helped her is Sanebox

It’s a tool that automatically sorts your email into folders to enable you to only focus on the urgent emails and leave the less important stuff to deal with a bit later.

I think it’s possibly one of the tools that I almost couldn’t live without (thought let’s not get too dramatic on this!). I talked about it in this article on my website. 

And you may be interested in the deal that they regularly promote called the Remote Work Bundle, and it’s basically a roundup of 18 premium productivity services that are deeply discounted. Participating services this at the moment include Asana, Focus@Will, TextExpander, Twist, and more.

Haiku Deck

On the topic of creating online courses, this tool has been invaluable in creating the slides.  

I bought into it originally when it was launched and then hardly used it, so I’m really glad to have really tried it out now.

If you ever have to make presentation slides then this tool is for you.

You easily create slides with wording / concepts on them and then, with the click of a button, find a suitable full slide image to enhance the message.
The images are beautiful and bountiful and make for brilliant looking slides. One of the best bits of the functionality is that the platform works just as well on mobile devices too. I’ve done some of the slides on my iPhone!

If you use presentations in meetings via a mobile device these Haiku decks work brilliantly and you can download them to our computer as editable PowerPoint presentations.

And if you have slides already prepared in PowerPoint with just wording on them, you can upload them to Haiku Deck to add the images automatically.
So, a brilliant tool in my view!

Wavve

If you make audio / podcast then this may be a tool for you. 

Wavve allows you to quickly and easily create a short audio clip, either by uploading existing audio or by recording fresh audio straight into the tool. 

I’m using it to put the soundbite that I use to start a podcast (chopped out from my guest interview) on my social media profiles. Particularly good for Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Evernote

I have used Evernote for years now and I couldn’t live without it!

It’s basically an online stack of notebooks, so always with me and available to take notes and refer back to saved information. And it has definitely reduced the clutter in my home and office! 

If I ever need to take a note of something, do some planning, draft a blog or save a photo or scan of some important information, I do it in Evernote. 

All my meeting notes are captured and searchable. You can even do that by scanning handwritten notes if that’s your preference.

Last year I became a certified Evernote Consultant, which opened my eyes to all the possibilities of using Evernote within businesses too. 

You can find out more here about Getting Started with Evernote and if audio is more your thing, here’s a podcast I did on the subject. Let me know if you need any help in getting Evernote working for you.

Pocket

I spoke at The Trainers Training Company recently about productivity, wellbeing and my 5 Fundamentals and the tool I mentioned that got the most interest, I think, was Pocket. 

It’s an app that you can have on your mobile, tablet and desktop to allow you to save articles that you find online, to be read offline.

If you are one of those people who opens tabs on your computer intending to read the content on them later but you never get round to it, give Pocket a try. You can add the browser extension into your browser and use it to add the article to your Pocket account until later. 

You can then read the articles at your leisure. I find it particularly useful when researching to do a search in my Pocket account for related articles. For example this morning, in advance of speaking at the event, I searched for ‘workplace’, ‘office’ and ‘future work’.

You can share articles directly from Pocket to your social media profiles. I also have my Pocket account connected to my Buffer account via Zapier, providing an element of automation (part of my ‘Systemise’ fundamental).


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