I like free apps. Who doesn’t? If you’re looking for something to help you at work or school, you’ve come to the right place. All of these different sites can help your productivity and expand your thinking. In fact, I use them all the time. Because they are free, they are perfect for everyone! Most of them have a premium version, but those aren’t necessary to enjoy their benefits. Check them out!
Free Apps
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Medium –
Because of Medium, I now know how to hack a car. The best way to describe it is Yahoo for Blogs. It’s like a news site but where writers and businesses all form a union under a single umbrella. It’s a good site with good articles on working, creative work, sports, culture, basically anything. I spent a good amount of time customizing it to pull up items that I’d like to read. Ever since that, a daily digest gets read before I go to work. It keeps me on top of what’s going on in technology.
Grammarly –
Grammarly is great for checking emails and essays that need excellence. Have an important email to send? A cover letter that needs tweaking? An important article? Grammarly is a great app to use to help you with all that. It’s not always perfect, but it’s a great addition to any writer’s toolkit.
Evernote + Scannable –
I’m often signing off on more pieces of paper than I can keep track. I need extra help. Evernote is good for anybody who gets paper receipts they need to hold on to but eventually lose in the mess of paperwork. Or, in your pocket. I use Scannable, a sister app of Evernote, to quickly scan a document with my iPhone camera. It automatically saves it to my Evernote account and allows me to send it off to whoever needs it. It’s worth having for anyone that needs to track receipts or efficiently work among paper and digital environments. Therefore, everyone.
Otranscribe –
Ever have to take notes for a meeting, but missed some details? Have a cell phone with a microphone? Do you transcribe your notes but hate going back and forth between word and QuickTime? If you ever needed some help with note taking, Otranscribe can help. Just upload your recorded file to the website. You may have to convert the file, which can be tricky (Sound recordings from iPhones are m4a files and therefore need saving). After that’s done, you can transcribe while listening to the audio on the web page. It’s a great tool for journalists and board secretaries.
Anki –
For me, Anki decks are a must-have. At their essence, they are nothing but digital flashcards. But, they are so much more. They use a system of spaced repetition to help you learn more efficiently. You can make your deck, or you can pick from pre-made decks that users have created for anyone. Want to know how to pass the LSATs? Or all the elements on the periodic table? Or 700 kanji symbols? There’s a good chance that anything you think of will be available on Ankiweb’s shared decks’ page.
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Hootsuite –
I used the paid version of Hootsuite but find the free version to be all I need to keep track of my Twitter lists. Apps within Hootsuite allow you to link RSS feeds to your account. Follow all of your favorite Twitter users and break them up into different lists. See what everyone’s up to in real time.
VSCO –
Makes your photos look beautiful and has a line in the app that lets you take the perfectly angled selfie you need. If you have an iPhone, it can give you more control over your camera. It can focus your photos or angle them correctly to get the right show. Shutter speed control is also available.
WordReference –
Comes in handy for translating and conjugating anything in a foreign language because it includes all of these features in an easy to navigate website. And, there’s a forum you can sign up for that can help answer translation issues that come up.
Codeacademy –
Includes simple projects to learn how to code. Will you learn everything about coding here? Not really. But, it’s an excellent introduction to getting your feet wet.
Khan Academy –
Math is fun at Khan Academy. Aligned with educational standards in the US and New York, Khan Academy is the best free tool for learning math and sciences. It ranges from Kindergarten to College level calculus in math and various sciences. By creating an account, you can keep track of your progress and gain badges based on how far you’ve progressed.