Note / Productivity Apps

Disclaimer: I chose these apps / software families because they are able to be used on pretty much every device. I did not review or compare Apple's "Notes" due to the fact that it cannot be used on Android and has a sub par experience on Windows computers and mobile devices.

Evernote 

https://www.evernote.com 

I've used Evernote for 5 years. They have a family of apps that integrate so users can take notes, save pictures or audio, copy information from the Web (using a browser extension), draw or hand write notes (using the Penultimate app), and scan and then save documents (using the Scannable app). They also had a food and recipe app that they discontinued. This software family for a while was a favorite of tech users especially heavy users of "Productivity software". Recently they made changes limiting uploads to 60 megabytes per month, which is pretty low as storage goes, and they recently raised prices on premium plans. The paid versions of Evernote now cost $34.99, $69.99 and $120 per year, based on the amount of storage a user requires. Downloading notes is not difficult but the formats you have to choose from are not friendly (proprietary EXM or HTML) it would be better to copy and paste but that is time consuming. There are some nice word processing features on the web / desktop version that are not available in the app. Users can share their notes, collaborate (even chat with people in real time), make tags, create separate notebooks, insert items from Google Drive, save audio or photos, make audio notes, attach files, and create shortcuts. Evernote also integrates with IFTTT (If This Then That) and has helpful widgets for iOS messaging, iPhone, and Apple Watch.  I chose these apps / software families because they are able to be used on pretty much every device. I did not review or compare Apple's "Notes" due to the fact that it cannot be used on Android and has a subpar experience on Windows computers and mobile devices.

Google Keep 

https://keep.google.com 

Google Keep allows users to take and save pictures and record audio notes. What you save counts towards each Google account's allotment of data which is 17GB (this is for all of your Google Services, to learn more about items that count and those that don't read this: ) There is no monthly restrictions on file sizes. Users can add collaborators, share notes, change the color of a note which also changes the background color, make a copy, create reminders, pin a note so that it remains at the top of the list, create check boxes, and create labels. There is an archive feature for notes you are not using but want to store long-term storage. Some of the downsides I have read is that there is no undo button for mistakes, no revision control, and there is no easy way to download notes. I had trouble finding my notes in Google Drive, it should be easier in my opinion. There is not a way to do handwritten notes in Google Keep. Like Evernote there is a browser extension. 

OneNote 

https://onedrive.live.com 

Microsoft has their own productivity app that comes built into Windows 10. It is extremely handy when using a Surface product because when you click the stylus the OneNote app opens up. OneNote is available on any device with apps or a web browser. OneNote allows users 5GB of OneDrive storage (previously 30GB, there are some grandfathered users) but if you are an Office 365 user it is unlimited. Similar to other productivity apps it allows users to share, collaborate, make handwritten notes, save audio or photos, add file attachments, and has a browser extension to save web information. The online interface is very similar to other Microsoft Office products like Word. OneNote features that are not present in the other productivity offerings are: version control, changes by author, adding in tables, Office integration, and inserting symbols. I personally would have liked if OneNote allowed handwriting / document markup with your finger on PC, Mac, iOS, and Android like they do on Windows mobile devices.  

  

Ratings:  

  

Features: OneNote  

  

User Interface: Evernote  

  

Storage: Google Keep  

  

There are things to like about each of the productivity products. I guess I would suggest each user use the one that offers what they value most: features, interface, or storage. I'd also say that if a someone uses an Android they would probably prefer Google Keep, if Windows Mobile then OneNote, and if Apple then Evernote The pictures that accompany each review give you a glimpse at the 3D Touch features, user interface and workflow, and browser extensions for each, to help make your decision.

Keyboard Apps

There are so many keyboard apps / alternate keyboards for Android and iPhone now. It seems like each week I hear about another one. I decided to test drive a few different keyboards. Below I give you screen shots, what they do well, what their weaknesses are, etc. After using all of these I may be using Word Flow the most in the future.

Fleksy (Free) Amazon, Android, and iOS – Very customizable, I especially like that you can switch keyboard fonts and the size of the keyboard. It has a minimal keyboard option if you want to use gestures for spacing and other options. Multiple free themes to choose from. Great auto correction, good suggestive text, and it’s easy to switch to emoji or toggle settings. It has Giph functions and extensions to make for easy launching of sharing. It has hot keys to remember often used words, usernames, emoji, etc. Has a one hand mode for easier typing with your right or left hand. Weaknesses it takes some time to figure out how to use it because it has some special gestures and hidden features that show up on long press. There are several useful extensions but users are only allowed to choose three. The biggest disappointment was the absence of swipe or glide typing which I use a lot. https://fleksy.com/

G Board (Free) iOS [Android system keyboard] – Made by Google this keyboard’s search and suggestion skills are the strongest of any keyboard. As I understand it, the reason that it is only available for Apple products is that the keyboard is available in the most recent version of the Android operating system. It learns how you type and suggests words extremely well. It can suggest emoji for words that you type or you can search for an emoji (instead of hunting for that sushi emoji you were looking for). It can search Google for you my just tapping the Google ‘G’ on the keyboard. It has good swipe / glide typing. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gboard-search.-gifs.-emojis/id1091700242?mt=8

GIPHY Keys (Free) iOS only – A keyboard focused on Giphs and emoji. You can search for them multiple ways or use the magic eight ball to get a random giph. There are also some interesting word art choices for users. Weaknesses: there isn’t auto correct, customization, or swipe / glide type  https://giphy.com/gifkeyboard

SwiftKey (Free) Android and iOS – One of the best, if not THE BEST, at auto correct and word suggestion. It can automatically switch between languages which is good for bilingual (or multilingual) users. I like it because it remembers frequently entered information and it’s the best at mimicking the way I type. The keyboard’s swipe functionality is one of the best. Weakness, not very customizable and if you want colors other than black or white, it costs extra. No giph or easy emoji functions although it does remember your most used emoji.n https://swiftkey.com/en

Word Flow (Free) iOS only – I have heard a lot of great things about this keyboard and it did not disappoint. Users can customize the background a lot, more than any other keyboard tested, you can use one of several backgrounds or upload your own photo to make a keyboard. {In the pictures below you will see two custom keyboards I created} Word suggestion and auto correct are good but probably gets better the more you use it. Easy to switch between functions and has different gesture controls. One-handed mode is really cool.  Well designed and easy to use swipe ability. Weaknesses, word suggestion was not very good and users can not choose different fonts or size keyboards. No giph or emoji look-up / extra functions.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/word-flow-keyboard-english/id1077864246?mt=8

Calendar Apps

People are busier than ever, families and couples have to stay on the same page with so many activities going on. I present four of the best calendar apps that can help you stay on schedule.

Did I miss your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

Business Calendar 2 (Free. Pro: $4.99. Android only) Great selection of colors. Year, month, week, day task panes that have a cool slider. Five easy to use widgets to stay informed about your upcoming events. Syncs with Outlook and Google calendar. Heat map shows when you're busiest and when you might have free time to schedule something. Pro version gives weather, connects to your contacts, schedules missed calls automatically, light and dark themes, multiple fonts, and much more. I liked that you can customize the colors, assign each day of the week a different color, and do all kinds of cool customizations.
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appgenix.bizcal&hl=en


Cal - Google / Calendar Exchange (Free. Android and iOS) Brought to you by Any.do the company responsible for a very popular task productivity app. This calendar has a very nice daily agenda. Suggests people in your contacts and social media you might invite to events. Integrated map for directions or to suggest a nearby place for your meeting. Attach notes to events. Big bright buttons, nice background images, easy to read landscape mode, beautiful at a month view, and a very slick interface that's easy to use. I found it to figure out certain tasks and impossible to add multiple calendars but I will say it is very readable with big fonts and bright colors.
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anydo.cal&hl=en
App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cal-shared-calendar-daily/id648287824?mt=8

Boxer Calendar (Free. Android only) Runner-up for a webby award for productivity. The app does day, month, year views. Users have 20 colors to choose from for events. Incorporates material design which means it is more intuitive and user friendly. Users can easily send their availability. Date picker makes navigation easier and the seven day agenda allows a nice chronological run-down of the week to come. Syncs with all calendar programs including Outlook and Google. Nice Boxer widget shows the days events at a glance. If users have the Boxer e-mail app it will find events and meeting in your e-mails to automatically add to your calendar. I found it very intuitive and easy to add multiple calendars.
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.boxer.calendar&hl=en

Sunrise (Free. iOS and Android) Currently owed by Microsoft this calendar app is the one that I use on my iPhone and I usually recommend. You can add multiple calendars easily, add widgets on both OS systems, invite event attendees, add location, set reminders, make notes, it will automatically add events from your e-mail, easily edit events, horizontal and vertical views, daily or monthly view, sync all types of calendars, and it has a clean intuitive interface.
App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sunrise-calendar-outlook-app/id599114150?mt=8
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=am.sunrise.android.calendar&hl=en

Photo Apps

Camera / Photo Editing
 
VSCOcam (Free. iOS and Android) This camera, photo editing, and photo sharing app packs a lot of features into a very easy to use user interface. The camera gives you a lot of control with  manual focus, shutter speed, white balance, and exposure settings. The photo editing gives all of the basic editing tools and an extensive filter library that includes many that are premium features that range in price. The user has control over the degree to which the filter is applied. Once users are finished with editing photos they can be saved and shared via social media of choice including VSCO's own photo sharing site.

Snapseed (Free. iOS, Android) Considered one of the essential  photo editing app Google's Snapseed gives users almost every tool they could want (it lacks curve editing controls). Some of the tools that are on Snapseed but lacking in other apps include: brushes, spot repair, and focal point editing (selective). Filters have multiple controls so that users have a high degree of control. The user interface utilizes gesture controls which is handy as it keeps the screen from being cluttered but it less intuitive.

I found a helpful website that will teach you how to get the most out of Snapseed: http://iphonephotographyschool.com/snapseed-tutorial/

Faded (Free. iOS only) One of the newer photo apps allows users to take take and edit photos. It has 34 included filters and 36 premium filters each giving users control over how much the filter is applied. I found that switching between filters gave me a blank screen but if you move the slider at the bottom the photo will appear. Two of the unique features available with Faded is the availability of 18 frames users can apply and the ability to overlap two photos. All of the premium filters and effects can be unlocked for $4.99.

Although it has a very user friendly interface the website gives some basic instruction and shows some photos to inspire users: http://madewithfaded.com/

Darkroom (Free. iOS only) A photo editing app that has straight forward easy to use tools and twelve filters. Unfortunately it does not give control of applying those filters but switches over to traditional photo editing tools so users can make manual corrections. There are a myriad of aspect controls including the 1:1 square that makes using in Instagram easier. Curves control is 2.99 extra. Made to be quick and easy it doesn't have all the tools of some other apps but is what most people want.

Photo Storage

One Drive (Free. iOS, Android, Windows) 8GB of free space if you enable automatic backup, more space if you get referrals, and Microsoft Office documents don't count toward your storage total.

Flickr (Free. iOS and Android) The app has camera and editing features that are good not great; where it shines is the 1TB (1000 GB) of free storage space. Users can also share their photos with other Flickr users or use a website plugin to share their photos easily on a personal website.

Photo Sharing

Instagram (Free. iOS, Android, Windows) A photo sharing social media platform that allows users to add filters, tag photos, add hashtags, like, comment, and follow contributors.

Storehouse (Free. iOS only) Users can group photos together and add comments to create a narrative that tells a story then share it with others.

500px (Free. iOS, Android, and Windows) A photo sharing platform for hobbyist and professionals that want to show off their best work, get inspired, and maybe get critiqued. Photos can be seen in all their glory because it allows for larger file sizes.

There were two apps that I actually did not get a chance to look at personally because they cost money but they look amazing.

Pro Camera ($5. iOS only) Giving you all the controls of a nice digital camera:  http://www.procamera-app.com/en/

Enlight ($3.99 iOS only) Here is a very thorough review that makes it look amazing.

http://iphonephotographyschool.com/enlight-app-overview/