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With the latest smartphone update and the iPhone 5C (C is for color) and 5S (S is for super?), Rev. Evan Dolive shares his top five apps that make it easier being a dad.
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With schools crowded with kids, so goes the parenting calendar crowded with practices, rehearsals, play dates, sleepovers, doctor’s appointments, projects, study groups, test, meet the teacher night, open houses and on and on. Being a dad, I know the perils of trying to coordinate calendars or keep up with what is going on throughout the week, not to mention what many parents have to face with their own employment outside of the home.
I sifted through the App Store and across the internet to find the top five apps that could help make being a parent in the 21st century a bit more manageable.
Please note that most of the apps/programs do work across iOS (the operating system for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) and Android (the operating system for many smart devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S3/S4, Nexus 7 and the Droid by Motorola.)
DISCLAIMER: I am not being compensated in any way by the companies listed below; the opinions expressed here are my own.
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1. Cozi ( iOS Link/ Android Link)
Cozi is a great organization app. First you are able to have one username and password for your entire family; one family, one login, one shared calendar. Each member of your family can have access to the shared calendar and add their own events so everyone can see. You also have the option to have an agenda emailed to you at the beginning of each week so you can see at a glance what your week is shaping up to be. Another feature that I really enjoy is the shopping list. We have all been there… you create a shopping list and you leave it at home. You try to remember but invariably you forget the almond milk or the pine nuts or some key ingredient to your wife’s favorite dish. Now with Cozi you can have it on your phone and check off the items as you go. Cozi has been a real life saver and best of all its FREE!
Cozi helps you keep track of everything from school schedules to sports activities, grocery lists, meals and chores — all in one place accessible by every member of the family and from any computer or mobile device.
Pros:
One login for the whole family
FREE (ad-supported)
Shopping Lists
One Calendar for the Whole Family
Nice Web Interface
Cons:
Ads get annoying
No two-way syncing with existing Google Calendars or Exchange Calendars
Some features are not as useful as advertised (Journal, scrapbook)
2. Calendars/Calendars5 (iOS only)
I have a saying “if it’s not on the calendar, it doesn’t happen.” I have a lot of things in my calendar and Calendars5 (Formerly Calendars+) helps me to stay organized. Before having a smart phone I kept a Google Calendar. Over time this calendar has grown from my just my class schedule to play dates, doctors appointments, wife’s work schedule and more. Most smart phones have calendar apps but I like Calendars5 because it allows me to view my additional calendars in Google Cal that the built-in calendar app does not. It has a clean interface and has a very fast sync rate.
Calendars 5 seamlessly syncs with local iOS calendars, Reminders and even Google Calendar.
Now all your events and tasks are in a single application, which is always on hand.
Pros:
Clean interface
Two Way Syncing with Multiple Calendars on multiple devices
Color coding for different calendars
iPhone and iPad friendly
Syncs offline
Cons:
Updated Version is a bit pricy for a calendar app
iOS only
While the interface is clean, it is a departure from other calendar apps and take some time getting used to.
3. IFTTT.com
In the 21st Century a high percentage of people access the internet. People shop, chat, read and learn from a variety of different places. Sometimes we want the internet to be something that works for us not the other way around… enter IFTTT.com; IFTTT stands for “If This Then That.” It’s a pretty simple process. You create a “recipe” for what you want to happen. There are 71 different “channels” (SMS, Weather, Google Drive, etc.) to use in the recipe. For example, every morning I get a text with the weather forecast of the day (see below). There are a lot of different ways to use this service. You can have it set up so if you post a picture to Instagram it will email that picture to somone (like Grandparents who generally don’t have Instagram).
The recipes can be useful or just silly. IFTTT allows you to customize the content you want and where you want that content to go.
Pros:
Simple interface
Easy to Manage
Customize-able
Cons:
Some channels most people have never heard of
At times multiple emails/texts are sent about the same event
Some channels have limitations in the actual content they can provide
iOS App interface not as clean as web version
4. Mailbox App (iOS Link)
Since about 1993 email has been a part of our modern world. Many people have multiple accounts– work, personal, just for fantasy sports, etc. Email is one of the primary ways people communicate today and that’s why it’s so important to have an application that helps you see you inbox in a better way and help you to get through your emails quickly and efficiently. I believe that Mailbox is that app. You are able to quickly read, delete, reorder and label emails all with the goal of reaching “inbox zero.”
We redesigned the inbox to make email light, fast, and mobile-friendly. Quickly swipe messages to your archive or trash. Scan an entire conversation at once with chat-like organization. Snooze emails until later with the tap of a button.– www.mailboxapp.com/about/
Pros:
Swipe to delete or archive
Reorder items in your inbox
FREE
Multiple emails in one inbox.
Be reminded of an email at a later date/time.
Cons:
iOS only (for now)
Gmail only (for now)
Labels are only the ones for the app; unable to access personal established labels
5. Pocket (Formerly Read It Later) (iOS Link/Android Link)
I like to read articles, blogs and news sites online. The problem is that sometimes there are times when I do not have enough time to read all of the content I want. So I end up emailing my myself links to articles; over time this became a hassle and I was glad when I found Pocket.
Pocket allows users to save articles, links, posts. videos or whatever to be read later. It integrates well with Twitter and social media and is accessible via your browser as well. Once you sign up you will have your content with you where ever you are.
Once saved to Pocket, the list of content is visible on any device—phone, tablet or computer. It can be viewed while waiting in line, on the couch, during commutes or travel—even offline.
Pros:
Helps you get organized with your content.
Content accessible offline.
Integration with some applications.
Multiple ways to access your content.
Cons:
Interface of the app took some getting used to.
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I hope these help! If you were lucky enough to get a gold iPhone 5S then fill it with these apps!
If you have a suggestion for apps or sites that help you as a parent be sure to comment below!
—photo by Phil Aaronson/Flickr