There's no shortage of impressive
applications—some of them free—for Apple's popular family of mobile devices,
and many of them are perfect for the home office worker or entrepreneur. Here
are our favorite business-related mobile apps for the month. (Unless otherwise
indicated, see the Apple App Store to purchase these apps.)
Car Butler
iPad/iPod touch/iPhone
Fancy Auto Car Butler is a free app that
provides a ton of handy info, based on your location. Use it to mark your car's
location when parking far from your destination; check traffic; find nearby gas
stations; calculate your commute time; check the weather; and document that
fender bender. If you need something while in (but not driving) your car, check
Car Butler: It may well have exactly what you need.
List n Do
iPad/iPod touch/iPhone
For many people, the paper to-do list has
long since given way to a digital one. If you're planning to join the digital
to-do list club, check out List n Do ($2.99), which offers several ways to
manage your tasks. The app uses your iPhone's built-in alarm to alert you to
Deadlines for time-sensitive tasks and has
support for synchronizing with other popular to-do services, including the
well-known Toodledo.com and Google Tasks. Try the free List n Do Lite app to
see if you're ready to take
Magnifying Glass with Light
iPod touch/iPhone
This free app comes in handy when you find
yourself in a dimly lit restaurant, squinting at tiny print on your menu. Point
your iPhone's camera at the text, move the on-screen slider, and you'll have
large, easy-to-read text in no time. The text probably won't fit onto your
screen (now that you've magnified it), but you can read easily by moving the
iPhone over your menu. The app can also make use of the LED (light-emitting
diode) in your iPhone 4 or 4S to illuminate the text. (The iPhone 3G supports
the app but doesn't have an LED.)
Yellow Pages
iPad/iPod touch/iPhone
With Yellow Pages, finding contact info for
local businesses is a snap—well, a tap. Actually, a voice command will do the
trick. That's right; Tap the Microphone button and you can speak your keyword.
Within seconds, you'll see locations near you (on a map and in a list). From
there, you can easily get contact information and (if you have a supported
navigation app installed) turn-by-turn directions. The app also offers
reservation options for some restaurants and movie show times.
WorkSnug
iPad/iPod touch/iPhone
Noteworthy App of the Month
Augmented reality applications (which
overlay live images of your surroundings with helpful information) are just
catching on. WorkSnug (free) is a good example of the sorts of uses for
augmented reality; Point your phone in front of you, and WorkSnug will provide
information about workspaces nearby. They may be co-working locations, or they
may be simply good places to sit and get work done. (They may also be
businesses helpful to workers, such as printers and shipping services.)
