As part of my Out of Office Series, I am searching for a great calendar app, one that can replace my trusty Dayplanner (yes, one of those). I often find myself out of the office, getting  calls and needing to coordinate schedules, or setting up a task for a later date, or about 1,000 other things. A good calendar is the base for a proper time management plan, and a great calendar makes it easier to follow the plan.
As a break in this series, I won’t be reviewing multiple apps, instead just highlighting the one I have already found.

Business Calendar meets all of my needs, is easy to use, and has some really nice features; let’s check it out.

Some of the features of business calendar are as follows:

• Log-in: This app connects with your Google account, syncing to your Google Calendar. This is great, as you can then access your calendar from phone, tablet, or computer. You can connect multiple Gmail accounts to this app, allowing for different events to be set to different accounts. So your personal events can be run through your personal Gmail account, and your business run through your business Gmail: then just a quick toggle view allows you to see all your calendar events or just specific ones linked to an account. You can also make a local calendar in place of setting a separate account, or in addition to. This level of customization allows for strong organization and time management.
• Homepage widget: This app offers a highly customized homepage widget, you can set it to Month, Week, Day, Agenda or Tasks only view. You can then set the color theme, the colors of the background/labels/titles/times/buttons, adjust font sizes, the transparency and even the visibility of different functions. This allows for you to have a widget that looks great on your homepage.
• Events: Events are easily added from the homepage widget. You can color code from 11 different colors, to group events together visibly. Events can be location set, so if you have to travel it will allow for distance/time accounting. Reminders, repeating events, location tagging, attendees, and event description are all easily filled in. If you find yourself often making similar events, you can make preloaded templates, that will autofill much of this information for you.
• Location tagging: This feature of an event needed it’s own section. If you set a location to an event, Business Calendar will use your current location to alert you when it is time to leave for an event.
• Tasks: This app syncs with Business tasks, and posts the tasks to your calendar. You can add tasks from the calendar, you can complete them off the calendar.

I do have a few wishes for what Business Calendar could do, but none of these are shortcomings, just things I wish a calendar app offered:

• Picture uploading: I would like the ability to upload a picture to an event.
• Document tagging: The ability to tag a document to an event, like the PowerPoint to the event reminder.
• Direct dial: The ability to add a phone number to an event and just clicking it would connect the call.
• Email events: When you create events and add the email addresses of attendees, it will auto-email the event details to them as well.

This app is in no way shorted by not having these extra features, in fact I would have been shocked to find them all.

Business Calendar Homepage

Business Calendar: Google Play

Business Calendar Pro: Google Play

Business Calendar 2: Google Play

*UPDATE* Business Calendar has released an update called Business Calendar 2: there are extra features, updated functions, and additional features. Please check out their website for a detailed list of the new features.

So, I have talked about some of the apps I use, now it seems like time to talk about how I use them and how they help my productivity and time management.

At first glance it may seem like I am using redundant apps, but each has different strengths and weaknesses, so I use them each differently. This works to speed up my productivity and better manage my time management, it may not work for you, if not then just grab the best app to help you.

OneNote: I use this as my notebook, I plan and prep my meetings, store my meeting notes, record my meetings, share my projects with coworkers, and am slowly going paperless with quick notes.

Google Keep: I use this to store my photos. If I am doing an audit and find something wrong or a great example, I photograph it and run it through Skitch to make notes, highlight area, post arrows, whatever is needed later for my post-audit presentation.

Evernote: I use this as my catchall. I kick an email over here if I need to save it for later review, I screen grab articles for later or to research for presentations, and for just about anything else I need to make sure I remember.

Using each as a different function, allows me to keep them clean and organized.

Business Calendar(Business Calendar 2 now): I use Business Calendar 2 pro, since it links up to Google account and calendar. It keeps all my meetings, presentations, and tasks in one easy convenient place. The level of customization makes my calendar easily viewed, and the homescreen widget allows me to easily see my upcoming commitments.

Business Tasks: I love this app, it is easy to use, it allows for quick task adding, it has great subtask organization, and is all around just a powerhouse task list manager. This app syncs to my Google account and tasks as just an extra benefit. The fact that it posts on my calendar allows for me to see my tasks and complete them quickly.

Having my calendar sync with my task list makes for a quick simple view. With a highly customizable calendar, you can not just keep your work commitments organized, but also easily track your personal commitments, like Dr visits or important family functions. Life is easier and more productive with some organization. This quick access allows for great time management, and an organized calendar is the base of a proper plan.

Mailbox: I use Mailbox for my Gmail account, it allows me to easily swipe my way down to mailbox zero. I can snooze emails until later, then they repost into my inbox when I can spend the appropriate amount of time on it. I can easily swipe them over into the appropriate list.

Boxer: I use Boxer for my exchange email account. Boxer is nice because I can kick emails over to Evernote, put them as part of a task list to be read later, or even send a quick “thanks, I got the email” reply as easy as a simple swipe.

Either app would handle both my accounts, but I prefer different apps for different accounts, so I can easily keep track of my emails and deal with them appropriately.

Dropbox: I use Dropbox as my cloud office. I print from Dropbox to my home printer, I share files with co-workers, I use it to launch my computer for remote access

Google Drive: I use Google Drive as my need it now storage. If I need a document for a presentation or for a meeting, I drop it into Google Drive, so I can access it easily from my tablet, phone or computer. I make folders and subfolders to organize my week in advance, and easily add/remove files as things change.

Onedrive: I use Onedrive to store all my Microsoft documents, for access from any computer, phone, tablet or to email out.

Amazon Cloud Drive: I have Amazon Prime, so I use Amazon Cloud Drive to backup my photos. I can upload photos I take, photos others send me, or photos I have run through Skitch for cloud backup. I can access them from anywhere, I can pull them to my phone, tablet or computer as needed.

By keeping my cloud storage organized separately I never have to fumble during a presentation or meeting for the right file, I never have to search hundreds of folders for various files, I know where each file is stored and can quickly access it.

Google Sheets: I use this to process my Excel spreadsheets on my phone and tablet. It seamlessly pulls them from Google Drive as needed.

Google Slides: This program is great for working on PowerPoint presentations from my phone and tablet. It seamlessly syncs to Google Drive for document retrieval as needed.

Google Docs: I work on my phone and tablet with Word documents using this app, with it pulling my documents from Google Drive as needed.

The apps also work directly out of Google Drive if you are working from your computer. The syncing is seamless, it works great across platforms and devices, making these an invaluable tool in your arsenal.

Chrome Remote Desktop: I only have this loaded onto my tablet and computer. I don’t often need a remote desktop viewer, but when I do need it it is handy to have access easily. I most often use this when I am giving a PowerPoint presentation so I can roam the room freely while still looking at the notes for each slide and control the pace of the presentation.

These are the apps I use on my phone, tablet and/or computer to aid my productivity and time management. I have provided links to all of them if you would like to check them out.

So my love of post-it notes is slowly being replaced by note apps on my phone, tablet, and computer; yet I still find myself whipping out my trusty post-its, or grabbing a note book for notes still. So onward my search continues.
I went ahead an downloaded the Onenote app onto my phone and tablet, my laptop already had it installed as part of my Microsoft Office Suite.

Here are some expert tips to help you harness the full potential of Microsoft OneNote:

1. Capture Ideas Instantly:

• Use the “Quick Notes” feature to capture ideas on the fly. Simply press “Windows + N” to open a Quick Note from any screen, jot down your thoughts, and save them seamlessly.

2. Organize with Notebooks, Sections, and Pages:

• Structure your content efficiently by organizing notes into notebooks, sections, and pages. This hierarchy allows for a clear and intuitive organization of information, ensuring quick access to relevant content.

3. Tagging for Easy Retrieval:

• Leverage the power of tags to categorize and quickly locate specific types of information. Customize tags based on your needs, whether it’s marking tasks, ideas, or important references.

4. Handwriting and Drawing:

• If you’re using a touch-enabled device or a stylus, take advantage of OneNote’s robust support for handwriting and drawing. It’s perfect for sketching diagrams, annotating, or simply expressing ideas in a more visual manner.

5. Audio and Video Recording:

• Enhance your note-taking experience by recording audio or video directly into your OneNote pages. This feature is invaluable for capturing lectures, meetings, or personal reminders alongside your written notes.

6. Integration with Outlook:

• Seamlessly integrate OneNote with Microsoft Outlook. Send emails, meeting details, or tasks directly to OneNote, ensuring that all your important information is centralized and easily accessible.

Integrating Microsoft Outlook with OneDrive offers a powerful synergy, streamlining communication, and enhancing file management. Here’s a guide on how to best integrate these two Microsoft powerhouses for optimal productivity:

• 1. Email Attachments Direct to OneDrive:
  • Instead of attaching large files directly to your emails, utilize OneDrive. Click on “Attach File” in Outlook and select the option to upload from OneDrive. This ensures recipients access the latest version, reduces email clutter, and facilitates collaboration.
• 2. Link Sharing for Collaborative Email Responses:
  • Collaborate seamlessly by sharing OneDrive links within your emails. When composing an email, click on “Attach File” and choose a file stored in OneDrive. Opt to share a link instead of attaching the file directly, promoting real-time collaboration and minimizing version control issues.
• 3. Save Email Attachments to OneDrive:
  • Save storage space in your email by saving attachments directly to OneDrive. When you receive an attachment in Outlook, open it, and select “Save to OneDrive.” This ensures that your files are stored centrally, accessible across devices, and easily shareable.
• 4. Email-Driven Folder Organization:
  • Leverage Outlook rules to automatically organize attachments into OneDrive folders. Create a rule that moves attachments to designated OneDrive folders based on criteria such as sender or subject. This helps maintain an organized file structure.
• 5. Link OneDrive Files in Calendar Invitations:
  • Enhance collaboration for meetings or events by linking OneDrive files directly in Outlook calendar invitations. When scheduling an event, attach relevant OneDrive files, ensuring all participants have access to essential documents.
• 6. Outlook Calendar Attachments to OneDrive Events:
  • Collaborate efficiently on events or projects by attaching OneDrive files directly to Outlook calendar events. This facilitates easy access to relevant files during meetings or project discussions.
• 7. OneDrive Cloud Attachments in Outlook Signature:
  • Simplify file sharing by including OneDrive cloud attachment links in your email signature. This ensures that recipients can access shared files directly from your signature, reducing the need for separate attachments.
• 8. Integration with Microsoft Teams:
  • Leverage Microsoft Teams’ integration with Outlook and OneDrive. Attach OneDrive files directly to Teams meetings or conversations, fostering a cohesive digital workspace and ensuring that all team members have access to shared files.
• 9. Outlook Mobile Integration:
  • Extend integration benefits to your mobile experience. Access OneDrive files directly from the Outlook mobile app, ensuring seamless collaboration even when on the go.
• 10. Automatic Saving of Email Attachments to OneDrive:
  • Simplify file management by setting up automatic saving of email attachments to OneDrive. Utilize Microsoft Power Automate to create a flow that automatically saves attachments from specific emails to designated OneDrive folders.

By implementing these strategies, you can transform the way you work by seamlessly integrating Microsoft Outlook and OneDrive. This integration not only enhances collaboration but also ensures efficient file management, reducing clutter and streamlining your digital workflow. Explore the features, experiment with these tips, and experience a more connected and productive Microsoft 365 environment.

7. Collaboration and Sharing:

• Collaborate in real-time by sharing notebooks with colleagues or team members. Multiple users can edit and contribute simultaneously, fostering efficient collaboration.

8. Linking Pages and Sections:

• Create a web of interconnected ideas by linking pages and sections within OneNote. This makes it easy to navigate and build a comprehensive structure for complex projects or research.

9. Search and Find:

• Leverage OneNote’s powerful search functionality to find specific notes or information quickly. The search feature extends to handwritten notes and even text within images.

10. Use Templates:

• Save time and maintain consistency by utilizing OneNote templates. Whether it’s for meeting notes, project plans, or personal goals, templates help you kickstart your notes with a predefined structure.

11. Cloud Synchronization:

• Enable cloud synchronization to access your OneNote notebooks across multiple devices seamlessly. Whether you’re using a computer, tablet, or smartphone, your notes are always up to date.

12. Version History:

• OneNote keeps a detailed version history of your notes, allowing you to revert to earlier versions if needed. This provides an added layer of security for important information.

13. Customize Your Workspace:

• Tailor OneNote to your preferences by customizing your workspace. Adjust fonts, colors, and themes to create a visually pleasing and personalized note-taking environment.

Incorporating these tips into your OneNote workflow will not only optimize your note-taking but also elevate your overall productivity. Microsoft OneNote’s versatility makes it a dynamic tool for students, professionals, and anyone seeking an efficient way to capture, organize, and collaborate on information. Explore the features, experiment with these tips, and watch as OneNote transforms the way you work and think.

Download Onenote

Onenote Homepage

Download Onenote: Google Play

Download Onenote: iTunes for iphone

Download Onenote: iTunes for ipad

So to continue along with my out of office series, I am reviewing Evernote. I downloaded this app to my phone and tablet, than downloaded it to my computer as a Chrome extension. Gave this a real try out.

Needs/Expectations:
Phone and tablet sync: This app quickly syncs across all platforms. The notes update as soon as you save. It clips websites easily on my computer and then easily display on my phone and tablet.

Homepage widget: The homepage widget for the phone and tablet are highly customizable, from size to options available. You can have the homepage widget display just a single action to the extensive taskbar (which you can then change the actions), to display notebooks (from specific notebooks to all).

Ability to make notes, take pictures and record audio: This app records audio, easily makes photo notes, and makes quick notes. The audio note feature can be quick launched from the home widget, and can be easily used to record meetings. The photo note feature is quickly launched from the home widget, and is enhanced if you include Skitch. Which allows you to make notes on the pictures, draw on them, add arrows, highlight, and type. This truly makes the photo note powerful. The quick note feature is great, it can be moved to any of your notebooks.

Speech to text: The text to speech option for this app, leaves a little to be desired, from my tests you have to speak slowly, or else it won’t keep up. I also tried to use this while I was congested, and it couldn’t recognize my words.

Ability to organize notes: You can’t change the color of the notebooks, but you can place notes under specific notebooks. You can tag notebooks and notes with tag words, which makes them searchable. This makes the notes organized well organized, but at the same time highly searchable.

Other features I would like:
Video notes: You can not make a true video note, but you can add a video to a note, and then do a handwriting note or type out additional notes.

Ability to set note color: not a feature with this program, but with the keywords function, it is easily searchable.

Sync calendar with notes: This is an easy feature to use, you can set a note for a future meeting or a presentation. It will sync to your calendar and add it. If you do not put in a title, it automatically pulls your last calendar task as the title.

Location marking ability: it is easy to tag a note to a location. Which is nice if you are writing a note on where you are, or are location mapping with pictures.

Handwriting notes: This app has a great handwriting function. You can add sketches to notes and have notes typed in as well.

Along with the above features that I needed and those I wanted, Evernote has some other features worth noting.
Highlighter: this seems so basic, but is overlooked on some apps. You can highlight words or entire sections or notes. You can not highlight text from clipped websites.

Share: This feature allows you to easily share your notebooks, which is powerful for group projects. Each party can edit the project, and it updates for all to see.

Chat: this is a part of the share feature, but I felt it deserved it’s own section. This feature allows you to chat among all who are sharing a notebook. That is very powerful, so you can discuss updates, discuss changes, and share input.

Document camera: This is great, it essentially is a handheld scanner for documents. It makes the document searchable, along with being able to be kicked over to skitch, so you can highlight, add arrows, or draw notations.

Evernote is a powerhouse note taking app, with the notebook feature and the ability to tab notes and notebooks, this leaves your notes easily organized. I love all the different features, it let’s me make notes of whatever strikes me. The Chrome extension really adds another dimension, with quick website clips. It is also useful to review your notes from a computer.
I do love this app, it meets my needs, but I find myself just wanting a bit more sometimes.

I will be comparing this app against Google Keep soon, let’s see how they stack up.

Evernote Homepage

Download Evernote: Google Play

Download Evernote: iTunes store

I am a self professed post-it junkie, my office is littered with them, so as I am transitioning over to using my tablet and phone more while out of the office, I am seeking an app to fill this void. I downloaded Google Keep to my phone and tablet, and gave it a test run.

Needs/Expectations:
Phone and tablet sync: This device lets you sign in using your Google account, which allows for syncing between my phone and tablet.
*Extra: As this is run through Google, you can access it via computer, and if using Chrome, download it as an extension . *

Homepage widget: there are 2 widget options, one is a simple taskbar, which allows for quick access to the features; the other widget is a full widget, with a scrollable section with your notes visible, plus the full quick access task bar.

Ability to make notes, take pictures and record audio: With this app you can take notes, make quick checklists, and take pictures with notes. The only audio is text to speech, which is great for quick notes, not long recorded meeting/speeches.

Speech to text: This is a great option, works great, with saved audio to review later.

Ability to organize notes: You can drag and drop the notes in any order you want. Beyond the single main screen, you can archive notes to save them as reminders for later.

Other features I would like:
Video notes: this is not a feature with this app.

Ability to set note color: you have 8 different color choices for notes, this allows for bright visible differentiation of notes.

Sync calendar with notes: this is not a feature with this app.

Location marking ability: this is not a feature with this app.

Handwriting notes: this is not a feature with this app.

This app is a powerhouse for note taking, it launches quick from the widget, even the camera feature. There is also a handy feature for marking notes to issue a reminder on a certain date/time.
I will be integrating Google Keep into my workflow, as it meets my needs, I will review the app again after i have had some time to build it into my workflow.

Download the app here: Google play store

Download the Chrome web extension here: Chrome store

Google Keep Homepage

I am a post-it note junkie, my office is littered with them, I keep stacks of various sizes and colors in my briefcase. So as I am trying to transition my workflow more to my phone and tablet, I need an app that can fill that void left by not having post-it notes to stick to everything. I downloaded Color Notes to my phone, it appeared to be a virtual post-it note app, so I figured it was the best place to start.

Needs/Expectations:
Phone and tablet sync: this is not a feature with this app.

Homepage widget: there is not an actual homepage widget, you can add individual notes to the homepage, but it doesn’t allow access to the other notes you make.

Ability to make notes, take pictures and record audio: You can type out notes, no audio recording, no picture notes.

Speech to text: not a feature with this app.

Ability to organize notes: you can not organize the order of the notes, you can only change the colors of the notes on the main screen.

Other features I would like:
Video notes: not a feature with this app.

Ability to set note color: this app allows you to change the color of the notes, both in the main menu and on the homepage widget.

Sync calendar with notes: not a feature with this app.

Location marking ability: not a feature with this app.

Handwriting notes: not a feature with this app.

This app, Color Notes, is very simple, it doesn’t sync between devices, which its an instant no for me, but even the homescreen widget is severely lacking. I am passing on this app, but if you have one device and want a simple note app, this might be for you.

Google Play

Amazon

Color Notes Homepage

Any.Do

In my search for a task list managing app, I downloaded the app Any.do, to my phone and tablet, based upon  several reviews I read. Figuring so many reviews must mean a powerhouse product.
Signing on allowed me to link it to my Facebook, Google account or creating a freestanding account. This alows for strong cross device sharing.

Needs:
Phone and tablet sync: works great, easy to signup, which allows for quick setup and sync.

Home page widget for quick access: thehomepage widget allows for multiple configurations,  from a minimal 1 space widget to a large full page view. The widget allows for adding a quick note, or access to the notes you have setup.

Recurring task feature: Any.do is simple to set up a recurring task, be it daily, weekly or monthly. There is no feature for biweekly recurring tasks, or every 3 wks, but as the app is built around simplicity,  this isn’t a deal breaker.

Tasks and subtasks: you can make a task, no subtask feature. The task section is like more of a quick note than a checklist feature. Again, as the app is built as simplicity, this makes sense, but I don’t feel it meets my needs.

Notes section on tasks/subtasks: the primary task section has a note section, but as subfolders aren’t an option, obviously subnotes are out.

Alerts for priority tasks: You can set the task as priority, plus you can set an alert. Marking a task as priority keeps it at the top of the list.

Email capability of tasks and reminders: you can share your tasks with other Any.do users, but can’t email the tasksor have email reminders.

Extras:
Ability to change color of tasks: This is not an option, Any.do is builtaround simplicity.

Clean UI: Any.do is ALL about simplicity, the UI is clean and simple, almost too simple, I felt a little lost just playing around with the app.

So after careful review, I decided Any.do wasn’t what I was looking for, it is closer to a note app than a task list manager. The clean UI is nice, but like I said above, I kind of felt like I was stumbling around at first.
If you are looking for an app that is great for reminders, Any.do mightbe what you’re looking for, as for me, I feel it wasn’t enough of a task list manager and too much for basic note taking.

Download the app here: Any.Do site

Download the app here: Google Play Store

Download the app here: Google Chrome extension

Download the app here: iTunes

Wunderlist

In my quest for a task manager app, I downloaded Wunderlist to both my phone and tablet. After registering with my email address to create a profile on Wunderlist, I started playing around with it.
I started testing the app against my list of needs.
Needs:
Phone and tablet sync-the device were easily able to share task lists across device, seamlessly, with Wunderlist, you can also access your task lists via Wunderlist.com, giving you yet another avenue to manage and organize tasks and responsibilities.

Home page widget- the widget is nice, it gives a clean view of the primary task, clicking on the task brings up the app to view the subtasks and notes. The problem with the widget is if you have things broken up into seperate folders, you have to scroll through the folders to see all the tasks, no ‘view all’ feature.

Recurring task feature- this is not a feature, huge negative in my opinion

Tasks and subtasks- easily able to create tasks and subtasks, including the ability to create folders for different tasks. So if you want to keep work tasks separate from shopping lists it is simple to do.

Notes section on tasks/subtasks- there is a note feature under task, but it is like a memo pad, covering both task and subtask.

Alerts for priority tasks- able to set due date and reminders. The due date is visible on the homescreen widget view as a foot note. A reminder can be set for any time, you need to be reminded 2wks out, feel free to set it for then, but you only get 1 reminder so make sure it counts.

Email capability of tasks and reminders- not an available feature, another huge missing feature in my book.

Extras:
Ability to change color of tasks- not a feature
Clean UI- the control panel is clean in it’s setup, with a wood panel background like I am using a clipboard.

So right off the bat, Wunderlist didn’t meet my needs, making it an easy decision for me to move on.  I liked how easy it was to set up tasks and subtasks, and although I couldn’t leave notes on individual task/subtasks, I liked the ease of jotting a note about that section. This app would be great for organizing notes and jotting quick task reminders across devices, even among family members or coworkers, but in my opinion it lacks certain features I feel are a requirement.

Wunderlist does have the ability to add pictures and notes to tasks, but as I didn’t want to purchase the premium upgrade for a test, I can’t comment on those features.
Wunderlist is quite popular and if I needed to share information among coworkers,  this app would be useful.

Download Here – Wunderlist Homepage for Apple, Android, web access