1. Pocket
Given the spotty mobile internet available in Bangladesh, having Pocket on your smartphone is a life saver. The pocket is basically a service that saves compressed versions of web pages onto your smartphone or tablet for offline viewing. This app is ideal for catching up on news or other topics of interest while stuck in traffic without having to use up your mobile data. Better yet, with the Google Chrome extension on the desktop, you can save web pages directly from your PC or Mac which you later view on your mobile device or on your computer.
2. Google Keep
Every day we have to keep track of numerous tasks which often gets daunting when you have too much work piled up. The Google Keep app is one of the most versatile free task-keeping applications around. Like many other Google apps and services, Keep is available on mobile as well as on PC and Mac thereby making it extremely convenient. Keep lets you make to-do lists, jot down notes or even create reminders based on time or your location!
3. Swiftkey
Generally speaking, productivity involves A LOT of typing and for the past 5 years Swiftkey has stayed above the competition as the best keyboard application on Android (it was also recently introduced to iOS where it too is the top contender). Swiftkey initially gained fame for its incredible text prediction algorithms which allowed it to literally learn how you type. This includes learning words from different languages, learning how you speak to particular people and even learning your use of emoji. Truth be told, I have had entire conversations take place using nothing but Swiftkey’s word predictions. To top it all off, Swiftkey also boasts an incredible swipe or gesture typing system and a great keyboard theme store.
4. Google Inbox
Not all email clients are made the same. While many will swear Gmail has been the best email client for a VERY long time, the folks at the Gmail team designed an email app in late 2014 that was built specifically for productivity – Inbox by Gmail. The app is available on Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox and Safari. There is a slight learning curve to Inbox but once you get used to it, you will fly through the often difficult to organize tasks in your email inbox. The app allows you to “pin” tasks so that you can easily mark important email and even features a handy toggle that allows you to see only the pinned tasks. Categorization of emails is key to the Inbox experience and so is the ability to mark emails as “done” which essentially takes the email out of your main inbox view, thus giving a better idea of what tasks are pending.
5. Brain Focus Productivity Timer
This application is especially helpful if you have trouble staying focused on an activity for prolonged time periods and is great for students in particular. The app utilizes the Pomodoro method (you work for say 25 minutes uninterrupted then take a 5 minute break) and has a simple to use layout, removing unnecessary distractions. It is a great asset that is bound to help you get work done and promotes productivity by “rewarding” you with fulfilling breaks. There are numerous apps on the app store offering the same functionality so it is merely a matter of choosing which one you like the most (you could try Pomodoro Keeper on iOS).
