The dog days of summer are fading, and so is your tan. It is time to pull on the business suit and refocus at work. But don’t worry, you don’t have to go it alone. The following iPhone apps will help bring out the self-motivation that is hidden somewhere inside you, as well as increase your productivity. So take a few minutes to load up, and start thinking about how you are going to spend that end-of-the-year bonus (if your employer happens to offer you one).
If you are like 99 percent of the rest of the population, you probably rely heavily on Google to run your life, including email, shared calendars, Gchat, etc. The free Google Mobile app neatly organizes all those applications on your phone.
For the forgetful folks among us, there is the free Remember the Milk app. It allows users to create tidy to-do lists, and then orders them in terms of priority and proximity. Even better, the apps sends electronic reminders via email, SMS and instant messenger.
Have you ever found yourself scrambling for a scrap of paper and a pen? Fret not, the Mental Note app ($2.99) works just as well. Use your figure to write or draw, and add graphics or photographs with ease. And if you can’t be bother to write, try dictating your thoughts and ideas with the free Dragon Dictation app. It converts recording into text, which can then be saved and emailed.
Coordinating meetings with colleagues and clients can be tricky, even more so if individuals are working remotely or are on the road. But with the free Cisco WebEx Meeting Center app, you can conduct meetings right on your phone. Share documents and applications while chatting with integrated audio.
Once a place for pictures of your Saturday night bar hopping, social networking sites are becoming increasingly important professional networking and marketing tools. The free ZiiBii app saves you the trouble of accessing multiple accounts individually, and instead combines Facebook, Flickr, Twitter etc. all in one.
Finally, operating at high speed for an extended period of time is likely to wear out even the most dedicated workers (think JetBlue flight attendant). But with the job market the way it is, you want to avoid the ranks of the unemployed. So prevent burnout by properly managing stress with the Stress Fighter app (99 cents). Take a picture of the person you are fantasizing about strangling, and attach it to a 3D body. Now chose your weapon – baseball bat, staple – and beat them to a bloody pulp. At the very least, it will make you laugh, and laughter relieves stress.
