There's an app for that

The last few apps I used on Tuesday evening.

I have a confession to make: I'm addicted to my smartphone. It's the first thing I pick up in the morning and the last thing I check before I fall asleep.

At last check, I had 61 apps on my phone, including the ones that came pre-installed. Here are some of my faves! Just for reference, I have a Motorola Droid (first gen) and all of my apps were free. 

Connecting

• Gmail/Email. Since the Droid has a Google operating system, Gmail is the default email application. The other email app supports multiple accounts from various servers, and I use that one for my work account and Hotmail account.
• Twitter for Android. I like the official app for my personal Twitter account.
• Facebook. I'm not nearly as active on Facebook as I am on Twitter, but I check Facebook often just to keep up on what's happening and see pics of my friends' kids (yes, I actually like when people post those).
• Messaging. More of a function than an app, I prefer text to phone calls (or really short emails).

Productivity

• Toggl. This time-tracking tool is a great way to keep track of how much time you spend on projects (useful for billing or as reference). It also syncs to the web-based site.
• Astrid Tasks. Keep your to-do list on hand, add deadlines and reminders, and mark them off as you go. I use this more for blog ideas or to-dos that need alarm reminders.
• Evernote. Like Pinterest before Pinterest. You can add photos, audio, text notes, and webpages and tag them into different categories. Plus it syncs with the desktop app.
• Hootsuite. I use Hootsuite to keep an eye on multiple Twitter accounts for work. I wish the mobile app had better Facebook Page support (the web-based one is great).

Organization

• Calendar. This syncs automatically with my Google Calendar and the calendar tied to my work email account (in Outlook).
• Key Ring. One of my favorite apps ever--it keeps track of all my membership accounts, like Safeway, Ulta, Southwest, Sephora... I noticed recently there are exclusive deals on here, too...good to know!
• Diet & Food Tracker (Spark People). From time to time, I like to track what I'm eating just to make sure I'm not over-doing it. I've been using the Spark People website for years, and the mobile food tracker is just as good as the one online.

Reference

• Dictionary.com. Handy. Just handy.
• News and Weather. Pulls from Google News, with the same categories.
• Weather Channel. I program all my favorite places so I can see the weather in So Cal or Miami at a glance.
• Shopper. Great for reading specific product reviews (just scan the barcode) or checking prices elsewhere.
• Gas Buddy. Much less planning needed to use this mobile app compared to the website. Wish I'd had this sooner.

Fun and games

• Yelp. The filters on the mobile app are much more limited than the website, but definitely a handy tool when you're traveling to a new city.
• Fandango. Check out movie reviews and playing times.
• Words With Friends. No explanation needed.

One of the things I like about the Droid is that I can place shortcuts to web bookmarks on my home screens, which in some cases works just as well as having a dedicated app, thanks to some great mobile websites. My favorite bookmarked sites are Google Reader, Google Docs, and ESPN News. I also use my phone camera a fair amount (most of my weekly link photos are cell phone pics).

I put out some feelers a while back on my Facebook page about your favorite apps. Here are some of the responses:

Realtor.com and Urban Dictionary - Amy B.

The Onstar My Link app, FB and my bank's app. You can take pictures of checks to deposit them! - Kathleen M.

What are your favorite smartphone apps for work or for fun?


*This is not an advertisement for the Droid or Android operating systems. It's just the only smartphone system I know.