10 apps you can’t live without
With tens of thousands of apps available for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Nokia, it is easy to fill your device with tools for pretty much any function. Some will be used often; others will go completely untouched. But there is also a small group of apps that not only get used the most, but that you instinctively reach for no matter where you. The apps you simply could not live without.
For finding your way around
Google Maps (All platforms)
Not exactly a hidden gem, but if you’re not using Google Maps for Mobile then you’re missing out. Not only does it deliver the best pick-up-and-go routing for basic navigation but it is developed at such a great rate that every new version is almost a completely new app to the last.
The most recent new addition is for biking directions on Android, to go with the full turn-by-turn navigation. Across all versions you get location sharing, Wikipedia layers, Street View, live traffic and, of course, a powerful local search engine.
For making notes
3banana Notes (iPhone, Android)
Whether you want to add a reminder to a photo, or jot down an idea worthy of the next series of Dragon’s Den, you phone is a perfect notetaking device. The best apps go beyond being a mere digital Post It pad. There are two things that make 3banana a better bet than other established favourites like Evernote.
One is its integration into other apps, making it a breeze to grab info from web page, for example. The other is its use of hashtags for organising notes. A process that will be familiar to Twitter users, you simply append a keyword with a # symbol, and can then view all tagged posts together.
For dealing with calls
HulloMail (All platforms)
If, like us, you leave you phone on vibrate all the time, you probably miss more calls than you answer. It makes voicemail essential, and it’s a pretty sorry story: long-winded to navigate and very limited in function, barely changed since mobile phones were first invented. HulloMail is infinitely better.
Voicemails are diverted through the service, and accessed in MP3 format in your email, or even through a dedicated app on some devices. You can reply to them, keep them forever, or forward them on to others, as well as many more advanced functions, while still accessing the usual voicemail services like custom greetings.
HulloMail is seamlessly integrated into your phone service, uses your regular mobile number, as is completely free to use on any network. Truly indispensible.
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