This morning I enjoyed a business meeting at the Sheraton Grand in Downtown Sacramento that was largely focused on technology. This was a California Association of Realtors YPN meeting . It was nice to see a few Realtor friends, connect with some new faces, and be resourced with new Android phone apps I was not previously aware of. Check these out and let me know what you think.
Evernote: This app allows you to “create text notes, snap photos, and record audio.” It might be useful for snapping a quick photo of a business card and keeping it stored on file, a reminder to call someone, or maybe an audio note to not forget to pick up the pasta from the store on the way home.
Calendar Pad: I should have had this app already, but I never came across it. Calendar Pad is great because it syncs with my Google calendar, so I can very easily run my schedule no matter if I’m on my PC or Droid. Very nice.
COL Reminder: This app is great for remembering certain important details, whether a parking time, telephone call to make, appointment, etc… While the speaker at C.A.R. YPN was talking early this morning, I downloaded this app from the Android market and then put it into use to help me remember that my two-hour parking was going to expire at 9am. I like that I can make this app work for me by sending me a reminder anytime I want – a few minutes, an hour, or a few days from now.
Gist: I’m interested to test drive this app to see if it’ll work out for me. As explained on the app website, “You can now see complete business profiles for your contacts including updates from social networks like Facebook and Twitter, mentions in the news, and email correspondence across inboxes.” I’m not sold that this app will really fit my style, but what I do like is that if I want to keep up with what just a few friends or clients are doing on social media, I can make that happen with Gist. When you first join a social network, it’s easy to keep up, but then when you get a few hundred friends on Facebook and Twitter, it’s not too hard to lose track of certain people because they get lost in the haystack so speak. You can see a video for details.
What phone apps do you use for business and life? Have you come across any new really useful (or fun) apps lately?
Google Maps: Hands down, this is one of the most useful tools for me while I’m on the road. I have leaned on this app many times for GPS location, directions, and finding different routes to navigate.
Google Voice: It’s still amazing to me that I can talk into my phone and find search results based on what I say. This helps me find what I need and drive more “hands free”. I’ve used this tool to find phone numbers, addresses, and other needed information while on the road.
Voice Recorder: This is a great little app. I can record a digital note to myself and store it on my phone or email it. I can even send audio notes to a client if need be.
Translator: It’s great to be able to find certain words if I need to use them during an inspection. I speak basic Spanish and I’m always saying things like: “Hola, como estas? Me llamo Ryan” or “Tienes perros en su yarda?” But sometimes I might need a certain word translated to help communication flow even better. The one big downfall with any translation tool though is you could end up saying something insulting if the tool doesn’t work right (hasn’t happened to me yet).
Camera: I don’t know that my camera is technically considered an app, but it has saved me countless times when my handheld ran out of batteries. It’s also handy to email photos to clients during inspections if there are certain issues they should be aware of.
TwitterRide: This is the best Android app for Twitter and it’s handy to 
Facebook for Android: Honestly, I’m not too impressed with the Android’s Facebook apps, but this one has been mostly okay for me. Once I needed to get a Listing Agent’s phone number while at a property, but the only problem was that I did not know the agent’s name. I put up a quick “help me” status on Facebook and then 
Others: There are some other apps I use from time to time like the flashlight and bubble level, but the ones I use most frequently are listed above. And of course the Star Wars light saber has been a strong defense when dealing with unexpected squatters in REO properties.