By Martie van Hengel

Good Reader ($0.99, v.2.2)
Why you’ll like it: Do you need to review e-book-like documents when you travel? Do you need to review huge images as part of your work? Good Reader lets you read enormous documents from PDFs to JPEGs to MS Office (PowerPoint docs with too many embedded images anyone?).
How it works: Upload a file to the device or download it from the net.
What we like: Neat trick: if you find a giant file online and want it sent to Good Reader, just type a ‘g’ at the beginning of the URL and you’re good to scroll. Screen readability is decent and page flipping is easy. In other words, the Good Reader will tide you over until you can get a Kindle.
What to fix: Jargon in the help/setup instructions (the computer version of trying to assemble Ikea furniture). Apps should be intuitive and accelerate your work, not slow you down as you figure them out.
Bottom line: The popular reader AirSharing works if your file sizes are average, but if you deal in design review or need to read book-length documents on the go, Good Reader is, well, a pretty good option.

Jott (free, but $3.95/month for a mandatory online account)
Why you’ll like it: Just remembered something you forgot to do but you’re walking from your office to your car? This app records your voice, transcribes the task, asks for a due date and can send the entry to your Google calendar as well as a reminder to your email. Jott also created versions for salespeople and admin assistants.
How it works: Sign up for an account online, download the app and start talking.
What we like: The transcribing works extremely well and the interface is intuitive – all making for a short learning curve.
What to fix: It’s still not clear why you need a pricey Jott account. Make this effective app a little slimmer feature-wise so it can stand on its own, and don’t pretend to be free when you’re not.
Bottom line: VoiceMemo shipped with the iPhone 3.0 upgrade should have been there in the first place. Still, Jott makes the process easy. Raise your hand if you know what MMS means. If you don’t, you’ll need to study up on VoiceMemo. Jott’s service makes it easy, so don’t bother wrestling with something as easy as talking to yourself.

TimeManagerPro ($0.99, v3.0)
Why you’ll like it: This task management app is robust, flexible and it only costs a buck. Use it to track billable hours or make grocery lists. (There is also a free “light” version.)
How it works: It’s pretty standard. Enter, categorize and schedule tasks. Run a timer if you want to know how long tasks are taking, instead of trying to remember later and entering data from memory or scraps of paper.
What we like: Help files on every screen and online chat support! The stats module will help you figure out where your time sinks are (and you can send reports to your email). Most of us have some blurry space between work and home, and this app gets that with a category to manage your personal time.
What to fix: Intuitive integration with desktop calendars like Outlook or Google Desktop would make this even handier.
Bottom line: Understanding where the time goes is the first step to effective time management. TimeManagerPro’s task analysis takes it to the next level. See everything on your plate at once and reprioritize your time. U

All apps were tested on an iPhone OS 3.0.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 5:59 am and is filed under Gadgets, Know-How, Personal Best, Reviews, Work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.