Apps. We love them. We hate them. And for some of them, we don’t even use them. Nonetheless, the mobile app environment is still continuously growing. Every time you go to the app store on your cell phone, you’ll be greeted with the most popular apps and the rising stars at that current moment. However, it is always a challenge trying to find the best app to add to your collection of other apps. If you are a road warrior (someone who is constantly on the go) or someone whose most overused phrase is “Can we reschedule,” I hope this list of my top 3 favorite apps to keep you connected makes your life a lot easier.

1. Feedly

Feedly is my go-to news app for all things related to the tech industry and the marketing industry. As a “techie” and a passionate marketing student, I am always reading through this app to keep up to date on what is going on in the industry. However, Feedly is not just an app for marketers. Feedly has a multitude of topic pages that you can access. From cooking to entrepreneurship, Feedly will have a topic you are interested in more likely than not. In fact, some of Feedly’s topic pages include Business Insider magazine, The Economist, VentureBeat, National Geographic and even Mashable. I highly recommend this app for anyone who has a lot of difficulty keeping up with the news because of work.

2. Agent

Jumping across the spectrum of apps, I’d like to introduce Agent. For many road warriors out there, you may receive emails, text messages, or general calendar notifications at the most irregular time intervals during a given week. One of the most common stories I’ve heard from working professionals I’ve met is that they would typically receive notifications and emails that demand an immediate response between 12am and 3am. This is where Agent comes in handy. This app makes your phone even smarter because it turns off your phone when you are in  meetings, asleep, or driving. As an added benefit, Agent also remembers where you parked and helps save your battery. In sum, this app helps balance your digital/real life balance by making sure your eyes get some well deserved rest.

3. HootSuite

Now, I know what you may be thinking. Why would I want an app that was built for businesses? Well… let me explain! For many road warriors, keeping connected with friends in real-time online can be a very huge challenge. As we get busier and busier, it becomes twice as hard to check in on what your network is doing on multiple social media platforms. HootSuite eliminates those issues by allowing you to schedule posts and access the different newsfeeds across the social media spectrum through one app. Currently, it supports Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Foursquare. For the Google+ users out there, do not worry. The HootSuite team is working on that. If you are struggling to balance the time you spend on the different social media platforms, be sure to download this app. In the end, these are just a few apps I use to make the time I spend on my smartphone efficient. If you agree or disagree with this list, please feel free to let me know! I’m always interested in learning about different apps in the mobile marketplace.

Posted on 7/8/14

Li-Xing Chang is a 3rd year Business Administration student at the University of California, Irvine. He is passionate about new gadgets, marketing, entrepreneurship, and innovative ideas. On his free time, you can find him staying active, pursuing different hobbies, or trying out new restaurants. His biggest role model is Elon Musk and his favorite quote from him is: “ If something’s important enough, you should try. Even if the probable outcome is failure.” Follow Li-Xing’s blog at his LinkedIn and you can contact him at his Twitter handle: @LixingChang.

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