7 best iPhone apps for increasing your productivity

[Megan Berry works for mobile analytics and advertising company Mobclix.]
As Apple continually reminds us, there’s an app for everything. What about an app to save time? To help you network? To remember everything? To get work done no matter where you are? Yup, there are apps for all that. Here are my top picks for increased productivity:
Dropbox
Ever been in the situation where you really needed to get someone a file but weren’t near your computer? When this happened to me recently, I had to go back to the office at 1 a.m. to get a file, not a situation I’d care to repeat. That’s where Dropbox comes in. All you have to do is install the free desktop application, and you can put files into your dropbox that you can access from your computer, your iPhone, and any other computer. The iPhone app also allows you to view the documents and files you have saved. Cost: Free.
Evernote
Lately, it seems everywhere I turn someone is singing the praises of Evernote. And it’s no wonder given how much this app does. It keeps track of text notes, snapshots, and voice notes. Have an idea when you’re on the go? Open up Evernote and talk. When you get to your computer the soundbyte will be there. Ditto with pictures and notes. It tracks them by date and location and you can “favorite” ones you need to access more often. Furthermore, you can search it all and access it on the Evernote desktop app and web app. Cost: Free.
InstaPaper Free
I can’t count the number of times I’ve wished I could access sites offline. Instapaper comes up with the best solution I’ve seen. Install it on your computer, and whenever you see an article you’d like to save, you just click a “read later” link you can put on your toolbar. Then the next time you’re without an internet connection (which happens more often than I’d like, considering AT&T’s network issues), you can catch up on your reading. Cost: Free.
Dragon Dictation
You’re driving or walking somewhere and don’t have time to type out your text message or email. Luckily, with Dragon Dictation you can just dictate your message to your phone, and it’ll translate it to text for you. Then you can send it via email or text message or add it to your clipboard. I was very impressed by how accurate it was, but don’t forget to double check before you send (one of the biggest problems I found was its inability to accurately recognize names, and there’s nothing like misspelling someone’s name to start a business relationship off wrong). Cost: Free.
Awesome Note + To-Do
Much like the name implies, Awesome Note + To-Do is an upgrade from the iPhone’s native Notes application. You can add notes easily in various categories, organize them according to their importance, and build out to-do lists with deadlines. Furthermore, this app supports syncing with Google Docs and Evernote. Yeah, it really is awesome. Cost: $3.99.
Bump
One of the more annoying parts of networking is that you either have to enter someone’s information into your phone while they’re standing in front of you (Can you check– is that the right number?), or you enter it in later from their business card (assuming you didn’t lose it). Bump solves this problem in a remarkably cool way. Just set it up on your iPhone and when you meet someone at an event, you can both simply “bump” your phones together, and your contact information is automatically shared. You can also see if you have any contacts in common and share other files like pictures. Cost: Free.
Tweetdeck for iPhone
The twittersphere moves fast. If you don’t answer a tweet within half an hour, you’re already hopelessly behind. Tweetdeck is organized into columns based on certain contacts (a group), a search term, mentions, etc. When you’re in a rush, you can see with one glance if anyone’s talking about you or your brand and what you need to respond to. Cost: Free.
Honorable Mentions:
* Zenbe Lists ($2.99): Easily share lists with other iPhone users or over the web.
* Things ($9.99): Great task manager.
* Dragon Search (Free): Dictate what you’re searching for, and this app will automatically do the search for you, no typing required.
* Google Mobile App (Free): Voice search Google and access Google’s apps all in one place.
What do you think of the apps I’ve listed? Am I missing any that make you more productive? Let me know in the comments.
Megan Berry is an evangelist for Mobclix, the industry’s largest mobile ad exchange, working on social media and marketing. She also blogs at The Huffington Post and the Mobclix blog. You can follow her on Twitter as @meganberry, or through the @Mobclix handle.