The three greatest apps ever made in the history of man

Every once in awhile you stumble across a utility that makes you utter the phrase “Sweet mother of Moses! This application is fucking insane!“. Well today, I’ve got three for you! The following apps are so awesome, their absence in your life should be considered a crime against humanity.

Note: I may be late to the game here. If you’re already using them, I tip my hat to you. If you haven’t heard of them, prepare for a new world of excellence.

Oh, and the best part? They’re all FREE AND they’ll all work on Android, Blackberry, and the iPhone.

SugarSync

We’ll start off with the app that inspired this post.

What it does

As you might extrapolate from the name, it um.. syncs stuff. I tried to type an explanation, but it really ended up making no sense.

Here’s a diagram…..

To get up and running

1) Go HERE to sign up for the entry level 2 GB acct.
2) Go to the Downloads page. There are two components you’ll need. The program that runs on your computer, and the app for your mobile device. Install them.
3) On your computer(s), select which folder you want to share with your other devices.

Welcome to your new life

Note: Your phone (or comp without Illustrator installed) obviously can’t read the file. You can still email it, delete it, copy it, etc. Anything except open it. Sweet!

1) Put the wrong version of a work file on your memory stick before you ran out of the house? No prob, just log into your account at work via a browser and download it.

2) A friend razzing you at a party about “never emailing that picture”? Too bad the file is at home on your computer. Oh wait a minute! Whip out your iphone and bring up “desktop computer”. Navigate to your picture folder and hit email.

3) Take a lot of pictures on your phone? Sure you do. Ever copy them to your home computer? I bet you don’t. It won’t be a problem anymore, so I’m glad you never wasted time getting into that habit.

Qik

This app is best described as “turns your phone into a streaming webcam”. There’s not much else to say about it. Pull your iPhone/’Berry/Android phone out and start filming. The video will be streamed in real-time up to your “youtube” style Qik account. You can also share it straight to FaceBook and Twitter. You have the option to make a video private and share with a select few, or you can make it public and share it with all.

To get up and running

Go here to sign up for an account. Then, go to the respective app store for your phone and download the mobile software.

Welcome to your new life

There are also some other helpful uses….

Google voice

Gvoice integrates a whole new level of awesome into not only cellphone, but your regular phone as well.

To get up and running

Go here to request an invite.
Wait a week until you get your info
Go here to sign up and put all the settings in.
Download the app for your phone.

Multiple Phones

One of the strongest features is that you’re not limited to one phone. If someone calls your GV#, it can ring as many lines as you want. When the number is dialed, both your cell number and house number will ring. Whichever you pick up first obviously takes the call. You can even switch between lines mid call.

Allow me to illustrate…

You can also do some neat GPS tricks

Welcome to your new life

1) You can’t find your phone/dropped it on the floor. Until you find or fix it, route all calls to your house number.
2) Spending a weekend visiting family in an area with horrible cell coverage? No worries, just route to both cell and their house. If the cell has reception you’ll get the call, otherwise, your “back up”, the house phone will get it.
3) Use the number for emergency only. Your kids have a problem, they call and it rings both parents and grand parents phones. Increase the chances of them getting help faster.
4) You’re on a work call and just ran in the house door. Cell battery is about to die, but you can’t find the charger. Pick up the home phone and switch the call to it. You’ll close the deal!

Multiple People

For some reason I always hate giving out my phone number for a one or two use purpose. Hotels, signing up for something, Chinese food, freelance work, etc. Gvoice gives you robust control over individual numbers.

Another illustration……

Welcome to your new life

Have a client that literally went insane halfway through a project? I have! Although I pulled out, the client kept calling and emailing me for advice as if nothing ever happened. Filter on gmail + Filter on Gvoice = Person no longer exists

Multiple Voicemail Greetings

Gvoice isn’t only about complex call routing and avoiding insane clients though, it can be fun!

Final pict-o-gram……..

Welcome to your new life

Your wacky message will brighten their day!

I hope you use and love these apps. They’ve made my life easier, and I think they can do the same for you. I have a few more I’ll be adding to the list at some point in the future. Until then…