So the day before yesterday I posted the Hardware edition of Get Geeky. And then I got busy. With lost passwords for kid computers (argh!) With making baked risotto for kid inbetween meal snacks. With making chicken curry for dinner. With writing posts for JustB. With scouting new contributors for JustB. With social media work. With lots of things really. I don’t know HOW I do it. Lol!
But I’m here now. Phew. With a cup of tea, and the telly on and the heater cosying me up. And I want to tell you about the software and programs and tools I use to make things easier, work and blogging wise. Let’s go!
1. Dropbox: I back up some of my photos here. I share files with family and friends. I file stuff here. I use Dropbox AND my external hard drive to keep things OFF my computer’s hard drive, safe and sound. Dropbox is free (for a certain amount of storage) and then you can invite other people to gain extra storage or alternatively purchase extra storage. Dropbox is a great online storage facility. Your virtual hard drive, so to speak!
2. Evernote: I used to use this a lot more, before I got a Mac. It’s a great program that you can install on your computer, phone or tablet. You can ‘clip’ things from the internet, organise stuff and plan things with Evernote too. Now I just tend to use the ’email this page’ option in Safari and I email stuff to myself with a meaningful title (for filing purposes!) I find that I am in and out of my email all the time, so this is a good way to keep the stuff I like neatly at hand and easy to access.
3. awesomeNote: I just started using this (and gifted it to my sister too!) You can find it in the App store. Download it to your phone and you have a syncable calendar (sync with Google or iCal), a really easy to navigate group of folders/notes, a memo pad and even more. It’s super good to have all those things in one simple to use app. I need to play with it a bit more, but at the moment I’ve got cute colour coded folders in there titled ‘Mike’s Blog Ideas’, ‘JustB To-Dos’, ‘Pip Life!’ ‘Shopping!’ and ‘General To-Dos!’ You can make your folders and notes look super cute in this app. I think you will like it too.
4. Timely: Do you use Twitter? I use Twitter a lot for JustB as well as for this blog. I use Timely when I want to schedule tweets. Timely analyses your Twitter account and will Tweet the things you schedule at the optimum time for your Twitter followers. Snazzy! Timely has a bookmarklet which sits in your browser toolbar, too. You can hit the button when you want to share a web page to Twitter and it’ll do it with ease. Super useful.
5. Hootsuite: This is a great thing to install, because you can view all your social media networks on one screen. It means you’ll never forget to reply or miss a comment, which is important if you want to have good social media manners.
6. Instagram: You know about Instagram, right?! I use it fairly frequently, although I’m a bit security conscious (i.e: Hello burglars! Here I am in Wonthaggi! Let yourself in to my empty home now!) I tend to Instagram stuff after the event! Just taking photos with my regular phone camera and then uploading them to Instagram when it suits me.
7. iBooks: I read books on my phone. In the bath. OMG. I’m reading ‘This Is How’ by Augusten Burroughs at the moment (bought via Amazon.) I love that book. I promise not to drop my phone in the bath.
8. Miscellaneous photo apps: I wrote a whole post about that on JustB : see it here. I love photo/video apps!
9. iMovie: iMovie is really easy to use. I take short videos on my phone with the Super8 app and then edit them in iMovie.
10. iView: Okay. This is not really worky. But I do need to watch stuff for work, so I think it’s okay to include it, right!
11. Google Reader: I left Google Reader for a while, but I need to keep up to date with tons of blogs for work, so I am using it again. I use it with the NEXT button so that I can see everyone’s blogs full page and lovely (instead of in that ugly reader pane!) More about the NEXT button here. You can find it under GOODIES on your Google Reader page and you totally need it if you use Google Reader!
12. Sonos: I have a Sonos wireless speaker which is linked to my phone and computer. I can listen to iTunes (or any regular old music library), Spotify, Rdio… lots of different music sources via this. Cam bought it for me and I love it.
13. Boxee: This is my media box. You know I love it. It’s networked with my computer, so I can play/view files on my (cheap, large) TV wirelessly from my hard drive, but it’s also loaded with other media sources, so I am never stuck for viewing/listening.
14. Pinterest Mobile: I love this little app. It’s super good for when you are waiting in queues or bored in the car. Pin anywhere! Wooh!
15. Facebook Mobile: I don’t use this a lot. I find it a bit annoying and simple. But I use it sometimes.
16. Audible: Okay. I am sneaking this one in for Ari. He listens to books via Audible every night when he’s going to sleep. Aw. All the kids used to listen to audio books at bedtime on cassette when they were growing up. We’ve moved to digital because the tapes kept squibbing out.
17. Rdio: I really like Rdio. It’s a music streaming service, a bit like Spotify. It seems to have all the content I search for. You might like it too.
18. Tweetdeck: I DO use this, but I’m not a huge fan. I find it hard to follow conversations on Tweetdeck, but I do like watching the columns scroll… It works well for viewing, but not so much for chatting, I find.
19. iTunes: I am really NOT a fan of iTunes. But you have to use it if you have an iDevice, pretty much. I find it cumbersome and slow. It’s not really in line with the easy efficiency of most Mac things, is it?
20. Google Documents: I LOVE Google documents. Max and I share his school work on Google Docs. I share stuff with colleagues on Google Docs. I make dorky spreadsheets and edit my calendars on Google Docs. It’s super useful and available to everyone for free. Like. (If you don’t own Microsoft Office this is a great alternative!)
21. Photoshop CS6: I use this every day. EVERY single day! I couldn’t afford to buy it outright, so I subscribe for a monthly fee via the Adobe site. I’ll tell you more about this next week, in case you want to start using Photoshop too.
22. Microsoft Office: Because it’s useful, right?!
Phew. I think that’s it for the basics. Those are the things I use a lot or at least weekly. There are so many useful productivity tools to choose from, right? I bet you’ve got some great ones too? Leave your faves in the comments below, if you would like to share!
xx Pip
I would totally recommend BLOGGER! It's super easy to use and it's worked beautifully for me for six years! xx
NEXT is BEST!!! xx
Oh thank you! I am so glad you are reading! xx
Oh I love this. I am off to find all these right now!!! Thanks for taking the time to share a list with us, Renae. x
COME back Navi-X. Sob. I miss it so much too!
The NEXT button is the best, isn't it? I hate Google Reader's usual view, so NEXT is best! xx
You are totally welcome! I hope it helps! x
I have not heard of that one, so thanks for sharing! x
I have OFFICE for Mac. Because I used to use a PC, I went with what I knew… which was Office! x
Aw. Thanks Lizzie! I think it's good to share this stuff and make life easier, don't you? xxx
iTunes. I want to kill it. But I need it. Doh. xx
Aw thanks! And I KNOW. I am BAD reading on the iPhone! I am going to get a Kindle, I think! Good idea. And YES, I will write a podcast post soon. ALSO a good idea. You are FULL of good ideas! x
Have you used it yet?! Do you like? xx
Rdio and Spotify are similar. I'm learning all about Spotify at the moment, so I will let you know when I have some tips to share! x
Hah! I guess 22 is a LOT! You are so right. I think I probably left out a few, too! x
Oh that's a good tip. Thank for sharing! (One good thing about the subscription is that you can login remotely from any of your computers, which I like!) xxx
You are welcome! Let me know if any prove useful to you, too! xx
The NEXT button has changed my blogreading life!! Thank you.
hello! I have a simple question. I want to start blogging – which site will be the best for me? I've just started one on wordpress but im not sure about it. I'd like one which is iphone friendly and easy for people to comment on even if they arent signed up with a blog. is this possible? thanks all 🙂
I have been your follower for a very long time………..and this submission is the best. Thank you for all the information you have given us………it is really very useful.
Nice list!
I think everyone shold use awesome note! I've had it for three years and still think its one of the best for lists, journaling, ideas etc.
HQ is a great project planning app
UniqBoard for jotting things down
PlannerPro is good for time management
Pocket Weather for the BOM
Apps gone free lists all the apps free at the moment! I've got so many good ones for free lately.
It would take me all night to rave about my camera apps so I won't!
I use tweet bot for twitter oh and tune in radio for free radio from all over the world!
I keep meaning to blog about this stuff!
That NEXT button! my gosh I never knew. THANK YOU! Boxee- I LOVE but Navi-X is down 🙁 . I use Audible a lot, at work and at home whilst I sew, I read my books when I hop into bed at night because there's nothing like turning a paper page. Thanks Pip. Loved these two posts. Happy days.
I've been thinking about ways to keep myself organised and this is such a useful guide. Thank you!
I've been using the app TrackMyTask to stay on top of To-Do lists I create in Evernote. It's a very handy iPhone App. The developers site is http://www.scoredev.com.au
OMG! Wow! I have been trying to scan editable text (from my old printer) to my Mac all week with no luck. I have been trying to highlight scanned text in Preview but it doesn't work – if I had Microsoft Office I think I could do this… Then you reminded me of Google Docs and BINGO, we have liftoff! Thanks a bunch Pip x
ps. do you use the Mac office (Pages) or do you have Microsoft Office for Mac? I have the Mac version and am thinking i should've gone with Microsoft Office for Mac… what do you think? which do you prefer?
Amazing! I have learnt so much from your last few posts and I thought I was techno savvy! You explain so well. Thank you.
I feel exactly the same about iTunes. Such a hard thing to navigate around when the rest of their products are ridiculously easy. Each time I use iTunes there is much yelling at the computer (and it's not it's fault) and whinging about how horrid it is.
Thanks for the list. It's tops!
You have pipped Macman in the Green Guide, who is my fave for all Mac stuff and stuff in general pertaining to making technology work for you (not vice versa!). I have loved these posts, sooooo informative and real.
Oh my reading books on iPhone? Noooooo, ipad or kindle please, you'll need glasses!
I am a podcast lover, it makes me walk twice as far with my dog…maybe you could do a suggestion list?
I have been waiting for someone to tell me they use audible. I am downloading it now.
I love the sound of Rdio but when I tried to use Spotify I just got confused!! Is it the same?
Also I've read your post about Boxee before…I think I'll go back & read it again because I'm starting to think I'm fed up with TV the way I have it now..
I love that this list is 22 points long but still just 'the basics'. Blogging is a lot harder than most people think it is.
We've been thinking about the Photoshop monthly subscription as well… but then last week we noticed you can get the full version from America just half of the price including shipping! We bought it straight away and it arrived in just a few days!!
My head is spinning ! There is so much I had no idea about thanks for all the tips !