In this blog post I’ll write about the iPhone apps on my home screen which I use very often. They are also a representation of my mainly used web applications.

Todoist
Todoist is a web based task manager which has a lot of features like intended tasks, projects, labels, comments. I like Todoist because its interface is simple and you don’t get information overload. You can also sort the tasks by hand so that you can set up the importance with drag and drop. I used Doings before but had syncing problems. The official Todoist iPhone app doesn’t have all the features of the web version but at the moment it’s enough for me. (Web, iTunes)

Highrise
I have a subscription of the popular CRM (customer relationship management) software Highrise of 37signals in order to manage both my personal/business contacts and contact related tasks. So I have access to the whole data on the go. You can also record voice notes after a meeting and append them to contacts. (Web, iTunes)

Harvest
Harvest is the best solution for time tracking of client work and invoicing. Time tracking also syncs in real time with the Harvest server so that you can stop the timer on your iPhone after starting it on the web app. When you setup clients or projects online, you also setup a budget or your hourly rate. From the tracked time you can automatically generate invoices which will be sent to the client by email with the ability to pay directly through PayPal or creadit card. (Web, iTunes)

iPhone calendar
Apples calendar is the best for iPhone. I have Google calendar integration and a subscription of different iCal feeds (Harvest, Basecamp, Facebook, …).

Evernote
It’s my virtual brain (reference material) with access to so many notes and documents. I’m going paperless and scan all important papers. With Evernote I can make full text searches where ever I am and add new notes anytime. With the premium version you have the possibility to make notebooks available offline. (Web, iTunes)

FastEver
Because Evernote doesn’t run as fast as I wish FastEver is my choice for quick saving new ideas or text notes to my digital inbox. (iTunes)

SpeedText
This app can be used to create fast notes with your finger. This is helpful if you don’t have a paper and a pen with you and need to draw or save a handwritten note. Notes can be sent by mail or stored to Evernote. (iTunes)

Dropbox
Of cause the best way to store your files in the cloud. I tend to only save data there which is still in use (project files, university lecture material). Older files are stored on my external hard disk. This is peace of mind because I can be sure that all the data on my PC is save, even if there should be data corruption. With Dropbox for iPhone you have access to your files and make them offline available if you need. (Web, iTunes)

Twitter
Mainly used in order to stay up to date. (Web, iTunes)

Facebook messenger
I don’t like Facebook very much because they collect huge amounts of data about you and sell them to companies. That’s why I limit myself to only use the private messaging service for receiving messages of friends. (Web, iTunes)

WhatsApp
I don’t know how famous this app is outside of Germany but here it’s widespread. Like iMessage but also works with Android and Symbian. (iTunes)

Dictamus
The best dictation app for creating larger voice notes or dication. Files can be saved on Dropbox or automatically redirected to writing services or by mail. The quality is great. (Web, iTunes)

YNAB
If you want to master your finances YNAB is the king. It stand for You Need A Budget and is the most powerful software if have ever seen for this personal area. The iPhone app can be synced with WiFi so that you have access to your budget (how much spent/available) and can track on the go where you have spent your money. (Web, iTunes)

Insight
This is an app for the project management tool Basecamp of 37signals. If I’m working on a project with one or more persons Basecamp is my choice for communication, documentation and project management (milestones, tasks, …). Insight enables you to see and make progress anywhere. (iTunes)

project planner
This is a progress tracker for my personal/single projects (university lectures, …) where I can create simple progress notes which will be appended to my project timeline (”logbook”). I developed the web app “project planner” some months ago to have a mid-term (resources based) overview about the next weeks which helps me to balance projects. On the overview page I see how many days are remaining (e.g. until an exam). On a project detail page I get a graphical overview of the weekly progress.

NeverForget!
With NeverForget you can setup reminders on Backpack (also of 37signals) which will remind you via mail. It’s better for my needs than a calendar reminder because I can leave it in my inbox until I have finished it at the end of the day. (iTunes)