Smart phones have led to smart ways to do business, or, in some cases, to avoid it. Whether it’s an app for organizing your day, killing a few minutes before a meeting, or stargazing, there’s no doubt that our phones have given us an abundance of utility and entertainment. According to Michael Patzer, co-founder and lead developer of Orange Group Apps, 65 percent of all app downloads are games (such as Angry Birds and Draw Something), but there are plenty of innovative and applicable apps out there. Here, local businessmen and women share their go-to apps.
AroundMe
Larry May, President of Keller Schroeder & Associates
This map app takes the traditional Google mapping feature and adds a topical layer. “It allows me to search for coffee shops, gas stations, and restaurants,” says May. “It’s efficient and easy.”
Lose It!
Melanie Fairchild, Community and Education Wellness Coordinator at The Women’s Hospital
Lose It! allows you to set daily calorie-consumption goals and track your food intake from a vast list of pre-loaded nutritional information. Synced with Fitbit, this app becomes an all-in-one dieter’s dream.
Pandora
Chad Klenck, Owner of Neema Landscaping
Pandora is any music lover’s best friend. Not only does it help you discover new bands similar to your taste, it allows you to customize your digital radio station based on artists you already enjoy. “It makes the day go by just a little faster,” Klenck says.
Lego Instructions
Ingrid Stratman, Executive Director at Rudolph, Fine, Porter & Johnson, LLP
While Stratman’s favorite app is Pandora, her kids enjoy the Lego Instructions app, which provides instructions on how to build hundreds of Lego masterpieces. “Kids lose the instructions,” Stratman says. But will they lose an iPad?
Star Walk
Michael Patzer, Co-founder and Lead Developer of Orange Group Apps
Star Walk is an augmented reality app that utilizes the gyroscope accelerator in the iPhone’s camera to virtualize the stars and constellations. You can touch the star to get its name, point the phone at the ground to see the stars in another hemisphere, and track satellites.
Apps of Note: Yelp! — Find restaurants, grocery stores, and local businesses near you. Shows prices, reviews, and how to get there. Path — An exclusive, intimate social networking app that caps your friends at 150, the recommended anthropological amount of maintainable relationships. Notes — An iPhone default. Keep track of your life with this simple and versatile app.
