Favorite Apps of 2012

As the year 2012 ends I decided to share my favorite apps by category for the year. These are great apps that I find myself using on a regular basis. Most of them are free, but the paid ones are worth every penny. The best advice I can give is to download AppsGoneFree app and AppShopper app so you can find free or discounted apps for your apps library.

Education

Socrative: Student and Teacher
Platform: Web-based, iOS student/iOS teacher, Android (student / teacher)
Price: FREE
Socrative is a smart student response system that empowers teachers to engage their classrooms through a series of educational exercises and games via smartphones, laptops, and tablets

Educreations
Platform: Web-based, iOS (requires iOS 4.3 or later)
Price: FREE
Educreations is a recordable interactive whiteboard that captures your voice and handwriting to produce amazing video lessons that you can share online. Students and colleagues can replay your lessons in any web browser, or from within our app on their iPads.

Flashcard [+]
Platform: iOS (requires iOS 5.0 or later)
Price: FREE
Flashcard [+] allows users to create and share cards, organize cards into folders, combine or split decks, Text-to-Speech, and download flashcards from Quizlet.


Photography

Phonto
Platform: iOS (requires iOS 5.0 or later); Android (requires 2.2 or later)
Price: FREE
Phonto is an application that allows you to add text to pictures. Text color, size, and gradient is changeable; items are available to add; and share on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

PicFrame
Platform: iOS (requires iOS 4.3 or later); Android (requires 2.1 or later)
Price: $.99
PicFrame helps you combine multiple photos into amazing looking frames with 71 fully adjustable frames supporting up to 9 photos, text labels, rounded corners, photo effects, shapes, shadows, and plenty of patterns.

Big Lens
Platform: iOS (requires iOS 4.0 or later)
Price: $.99
Big Lens turns your mobile device into a SLR camera with their smart focus system, apeture control, filter effects, instant focus/blur tool, and a before/after preview.


Social Media

Instagram
Platform: iOS (requires iOS 4.3 or later); Android (requires 2.2 or later)
Price: FREE
Instagram is a fast and easy way for users to create photos, add filters, share photos, follow and comment on friends' photos. Think of it as social media through pictures.

Twitter
Platform: iOS (requires iOS 5.0 or later); Android (requires 3.6 or later)
Price: FREE
Twitter app has been much improved...toggle between multiple Twitter accounts, tweet from within a webpage, choose one of 8 filters to edit pictures within the app (all devices but iPad), and add background to your account header.

Hootsuite
Platform: iOS (requires iOS 5.0 or later); Android
Price: FREE
Hootsuite is a web-based application and has mobile apps that allow the user to manage multiple Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN and Foursquare accounts. My favorite features are URL shortener, schedule events and send updates to all accounts with one push. 

Productivity

Google Drive
Platform: iOS (requires iOS 5.0 or later); Android (requires 2.1 or later)
Price: FREE
Google Drive apps allows users to create and edit Google documents and spreadsheets, view offline files, view all files within Google accounts and share photos.

CloudOn
Platform: iOS (requires iOS 5.0 or later); Android (requires 3.1 or later)
Price: FREE
CloudOn brings Microsoft Office to iPhone, iPad and Android devices and links to Box, Dropbox, and Google Drive accounts. Create, review and edit Microsoft Office documents and link to cloud accounts.

PDF Max Pro 
Platform: iOS (requires iOS 4.0 or later)
Price: $7.99
PDF Max Pro is for those looking for a full-featured PDF annotating, form-filling and note taking app. Also changes made to PDF files synchronize between all iCloud devices.


Lifestyle

My Fitness Pal
Platform: iOS (requires iOS 5.0 or later); Android (varies on device)
Price: FREE
My Firtness Pal is the largest calorie counter app on the market. Use the apps recipes calculator, scan barcodes for calories, choose from over 2, 000,000 foods in the database and track cardio and strength exercises.

iPlan Calendar
Platform: iOS (requires iOS 5.0 or later)
Price: $.99 (on sale for a limited time)
iPlan calendar is a new app. Features include integrated weather, multiple calendars display, swipe for a different view-daily, week, or monthly, and import the to-do list from Google.

Starbucks
Platform: iOS (requires iOS 5.0 or later); Android (requires 2.2 or later)
Price: FREE
The Starbucks app lets you pay for your purchases, track your stars for the Starbucks Reward, reload your accounts, transfer balances between multiple cards, and find Starbucks locations near you. Click here to find out more about the Starbucks Rewards Program...best part...every 12 stars = free drink or food.