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Favorite iPhone Apps for Speakers

—Pat Raymond

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What are your favorite iPhone apps for speakers?

I’m new to the iPhone, and was surprised that speakers who are enthusiastic about using it for our businesses were not chiming in with bunches of apps. Ah, well... However, I did get two suggestions, and then found some additional apps of note that I’ll share.

Tim Richardson: One of my favorite apps is Key Ring. Key Ring allows you to scan all your frequent traveler cards (and any card you use while at home—gas, grocery, library, etc.) into your Smart Phone so when you need to rent a car, you click on the icon for Hertz and it automatically dials. I now have all my frequent flyer info, motel, car rental and other cards on my phone which can be scanned when using them. FREE

Dave Lieber: I drive through crazy traffic jams all the time in Dallas-Fort Worth to get to engagements. In addition to my half-smart GPS, in a jam, I power up INRIX Traffic, which gives you a real-time map of the delay so you can see what’s ahead of you. It’s based on road sensors, so there’s no human error or mechanical error (unlike my half-dumb GPS). FREE

Apps for development of presentations

  • Evernote: Great for collecting snippets and taking notes while contemplating a new topic
  • Springpad: As a list maker, this is a great place to stockpile my lists
  • TED: always great ideas on “what’s next” in tight 5–10 minute presentations
  • Toast It: Toastmaster timer, useful for practicing in the car

Apps for at presentation

  • Square: Chuck the monthly gateway fees and process credit cards on-site or off with this iPhone scanner. Baseline per-transaction fee, direct deposit to bank account.
  • Instagram: Shoot, then quickly post photos to social media
  • Authorize.net: For while I continue to use Practice Pay
  • eSpeakers: But of course!

Apps for travel

  • Health on the road (Just started using these, no reviews from me yet)
    • My Fitness Pal, Nike+ GPS, Lose It!
  • Help Getting to Sleep in Hotels
    • AmbiSci BP: White noise generator that fiddles with your brain waves
  • Eating on the road: These let you find the great restaurant, just around the corner
    • Open Table, Urban Spoon, Poynt, Foodspotting
  • Travel itself
    • Point Inside, Gate Guru: What’s in that airport or regional mall?
    • Tripit: Direct access to your trip without accessing eSpeakers

Great general apps

  • Flashlight: Uses the camera flash on the back to provide a clear strong light
  • Find iPhone: Wonder where you left it? Want your family to know where you are? Cool app.
  • RadarUS: Will the weather ever clear over the airport? Check the radar and see the rain/snow bands. Über cool.

SpeakerNet News is produced by Rebecca Morgan and Ken Braly. It is not affiliated with the National Speakers Association. Send comments or suggestions