With 2012 nearly
complete, it’s easy to look forward to the coming technology that will dot the
electronic landscape of 2013. In fact, it can be downright exciting,
considering the much-anticipated (and, sometimes, merely hypothesized) releases
of the Samsung Galaxy S4, the Facebook Smart Phone, and the BlackBerry 10.
However, not all of the
technologically-inclined among us are even at that point yet; we’re still
reeling from the influx of personal technology and business tools that just
came out (or gained popularity) in 2012. With that in mind, let’s review the
year and take a look at the best tools and Apps that were released this year
and note why they will remain relevant even in 2013.
1.
iPad Mini. Released just this past
November, the iPad Mini might seem like an “in-between” phase to some. It’s
useful, like the iPad, but smaller, coming closer to the handheld feeling of an
iPhone than a full tablet. The result? Many people prefer the pocket-friendly
iPad Mini as a go-to business tool, enjoying the portability of the functions
of an iPad without the bulkiness. It can be easy to dismiss the iPad Mini as a
mere “size adjustment” for the market, attempting to test the preferred size of
personal gadgets of loyal Apple users. We just call it a step forward.
2. Evernote Web Clipper. You may already be familiar with Evernote, a service that allows you to
“bookmark” the Internet and store your favorite links in a cloud-based system.
But the Evernote Web Clipper is an Add-on for both Chrome and Firefox that works
with your browser and allows you to easily save and organize your favorite
links while keeping your bookmarking tab clean.
3.
Google Presentations. What kind of list would
this be if we didn’t include Google in some form? Google Presentations is
almost like a cloud version of PowerPoint, allowing easy collaboration between
project members while also giving you the ability to publish slideshows that
can give your presentations a bit more visual “oomph.”
4.
AnyMeeting. In 2012, as in other
recent years, the big story about business is how global it is. With a tool
like AnyMeeting, entrepreneurs are free to hold seminars for a wide range of
people, no matter their location (as long as they have access to a computer).
AnyMeeting is a business tool that gives you the ability to host online
seminars for to up to 200 people quickly and easily. That’s the kind of
“international Internet” tool that really delivers on technology’s promise to
shrink the world.
5. CloudOn. Because cloud data storage is all the rage these days, it only makes
sense that a business tool like CloudOn, which allows you to access Word
documents from your iPad or Android phone, would be so popular in 2012. This
tool allows you to make changes to important documents even if you aren’t on your
work computer. You don’t even have to log in to your computer remotely!
Author Bio:
Chris Turberville-Tully works with Sunrise
Software, which provides various help desk software along with project management, training, and
consultancy.