Love Is In The Air: Top 5 Apps We Adore

Trello

Though my overall affection for technology runs deep, it's rare that I say with certainty I cannot go one day without an app. That is, of course, until I was introduced to Trello.

ICYMI, Trello is a robust project management tool to help you stay on task, no matter how scatterbrained you may be. With powerful platform integrations from big names like Google and Pipedrive, Trello allows you to stay organized across all of your technology.

At Service Direct, we use Trello as our main source for project management. From keeping track of our engineering product implementations, to managing each of our amazing blog posts you read each week, Trello keeps us on our A game.

Use Trello for free with limited features, or upgrade to Trello for Business for as little as $9.99 per user, per month:

https://trello.com/pricing

 

Slack

In business, communication is key. But with busy day-to-day responsibilities, there often isn't enough time to walk by someone's desk each time you need a quick chat. Or maybe your office is one of the increasing number of workplaces to utilize remote workers. Whichever the case, an easy to use messaging app like Slack can help you save time and still communicate effectively.

One of my favorite features of Slack is its ability to create custom channels to focus on a specific topic or department. For us, it's a great way to quiet down the chatter and focus our conversations around department specific topics. But don't worry, we still have fun in our "offbeat" channel and make use (sometimes overuse) of the awesome gif integrations through the "/giphy" command.

You can use slack with limited features for free, while paid plans start as low as $8 a month:

https://servicedirect.slack.com/plans

TextExpander

If you're like me, you find yourself typing the same thing over and over each day. Whether it's a quick update in a Trello card, or an identification number you add to all of your communication, this redundancy not only becomes quite cumbersome, but wastes valuable time.

I discovered TextExpander a few years ago and have found a way to integrate it into nearly every job I've had since. Put simply, TextExpander is an advanced shortcut creation app. More than simply using the keyboard shortcut feature built into your computer's OS, TextExpander allows you to customize formatting, choose items from a list, or even share your snippets with your entire organization.

You can learn more about TextExpander and its pricing here:

https://textexpander.com/pricing/

 

TimingApp

How productive are you? Recently, I found myself asking this and discovered TimingApp through the recommendation of a former colleague. I'm always skeptical of these apps because in my experience, they take more time than it's worth to set up and maintain. However, TimingApp only took me about 2 minutes to configure and another ten to learn.

What I love most about this app is its ability to learn habits over time. By giving it just a little bit of feedback, it learns which websites and apps are considered "productive" so you don't have to always update that information. Plus, in the event you forget to start tracking, it allows to you manually add it time.

TimingApp is available for Mac OS X and starts at $29 annually:

https://timingapp.com/pricing

 

1Password

Cyber security is now on the minds of every tech user from the most novice user to those in the industry. As its name suggests, 1Password is a password saving app that requires only one password to access. With encryption as its main goal, 1Password makes sure that any password or other private information you store is encrypted not once, but threetimes for maximum security.

While many users love 1Password's ability to sync passwords across many devices, my favorite feature is its ability to create randomized, highly secure passwords for you. You can specify character limit and type to help you create a hard-to-crack password that will meet some of the strictest requirements.

1Password subscriptions start at $2.99 a month:

https://1password.com/sign-up/