My favorite apps for my iPhone and laptop or desktop

When I read other blogs, sometimes I avoid long posts. Please don’t skip this post just because it’s long. There are a lot of helpful apps in here and even one could make your life a little easier or make you more productive. So, read on. I’m breaking up the list into two sections: My MUST HAVES and OTHERS – Most of these apps are free or have a free version. The one that I use the most is the most expensive (I’m sorry!)

MUST HAVES on every computer in the house:

Crashplan (individual or family plan unlimited backup) or SuperDuper which gives you an exact duplicate of your hard drive – the best thing to have in case of a hard drive crash (or both because I’m a little obsessed with backing up)- essential, essential, ESSENTIAL. I cannot stress this enough. How can it be that some people still don’t back up their computers? With all the vital information that is stored on our computers. To say nothing of all the fabulous family photos! I am begging you here and now to download Crashplan and/or SuperDuper and become obsessed and back up your computer. Right now. I once had a crash – total crash – hard drive wiped clean – and SuperDuper literally saved my life.

1Password: Speaking of saving my life, 1Password has probably saved me hundreds of hours of trying to remember my password or having to reset it and then waiting for the confirmation email to officially reset it. This is my favorite app and unfortunately, the most expensive. (It is free on the iPhone, though.) It stores all your passwords and syncs all your passwords across all your devices. p.s. 1Password is listed by Apple as a Mac App Store best of 2014, and a MacLife Editors Choice. It is loved and used by millions. 1Password -Simple, convenient security. It could change your life.

Buy 1Password – Password Manager and Secure Wallet – AgileBits Inc. on the App Store

Also available for Android on Google Play

Evernote – Totally free! I use this everyday! I clip things from the computer or add photos or lists – actually anything you need to store and have access to on every computer, everywhere and on my iPhone. New York Times Top 10 Must-Have App, App Hall of Fame, Apple Design Awards and many other awards.

OTHERS – I use these everyday, but they are not as essential as the two above:

Alfred – is considered a productivity app. It is an application launcher and can be modified to do many things. There is a free version and a “power pack” which is approx. $25.

Totalfinder – I use Totalfinder because it allows you to have two finder windows open next to each other allowing you to move things from your desktop to a file or a file to your desktop. It’s basically Finder with tabs.Some people have a hard time getting to their desktop because they have too many applications open or they just have too much on their desktop. Totalfinder makes it a lot easier to deal with.

TotalFinder

MUST HAVES for the iPhone:

1Password. Yes, you can have 1Password for the iPhone (and it’s free) – it syncs with your 1Password on your laptop or desktop so you always have your passwords with you.

Drafts 4 – Quickly Capture Notes, Share Anywhere! – Agile Tortoise is the easiest note taker for the iPhone. I’ve experimented with a few and this one is the most user friendly – it automatically launches with a new note when opened. Also, you can send your note to just about any other application such as Dropbox, Facebook, Evernote, Twitter, etc. It also makes it very easy to send an email to yourself – which I do all the time.

Evernote – same as on your laptop or desktop. Incredibly convenient.

Evernote for your iPhone.

OTHERS

Numerical- not only is this a beautiful calculator but it keeps a history of your calculations. I think it is definitely superior to the calculator that comes with the iPhone.

Timers – It’s actually called More Timers, so it can be hard to find. I love this app because you can name your timer. If you have 5 things you’re cooking on Thanksgiving and they all finish at different times, you need an app like this. You can start an unlimited number of timers and name them so you know which one is going off and what it’s for!

Yahoo News Digest – Yahoo This is the current news of the day – comes out twice a day and I like the simple, condensed format.

Calvetica Calendar – Mysterious Trousers, LLC This is an alternative to the calendar app on the iPhone – all you have to do is sign in with iCloud and it imports all your calendars. I love the layout and find it more efficient to use.

Buy Calvetica on the iTunes App Store

Images courtesy of iTunes App store and Mac App store