The problem with mobile technology is that you’ll no doubt move from one area with internet access into an area without it. This can be frustrating if you’re reading something particularly gripping but can’t save it in time.
This is where the Instapaper app comes in handy. In short, this app lets you save online articles for reading while you’re offline using a special type of browser. While normal use has users access the Instapaper website to read articles, the iPad app does all of this for you.
After the Instapaper app is installed, users can click on the options tab in the Safari browser to select “Read Later” and have that article sent to Instapaper. Articles can also be sent from RSS aggregators like Reeder as well.
When you access all your articles through Instapaper later on, they’ll be formatted into an easy-to-read interface. You can also file them in different folders and these are reflected through your account on the Instapaper site as well. You can also share articles through different social networks.
If you’re constantly looking for online content to read, but don’t necessarily have all the time in the world to read them at once, Instapaper is a must-have.
Price: $5.99
If you’re going to own a tablet device, you’re likely using it as an eReader as well. But there are so many eBook apps to choose from, and it’s hard to pick which is the best – but it’s fair to say that the Kindle is a safe bet.
The app itself is free, and you’ll need to sign up an account with Amazon. But once that’s done, you’ll be able to browse all the books through the Safari browser – which isn’t really a pain since it’s so well designed.
Once you buy a book, it will be synced to your account and you’ll be able to download the book itself into the Amazon app. A full list of your books is available for viewing and you have to simply choose the cover of the book you want to read.
A number of features are available on the bottom of the screen as well, including font size and brightness.
The iPad may not be a dedicated eReader, but with the Kindle app, it might as well be.
Price: Free
Many apps attempt to pull together a ‘dashboard’ of your social media and work activity, but few do it as attractively as FlipBoard.
The app is a social magazine, or what the developer itself calls “your personal magazine”. It aggregates data from your social feeds like Twitter and Facebook, and turns it into a magazine for you to read.
So not only does the magazine give you social updates and tweets, it also aggregates any links, photos, videos and any other media that your friends are sharing. Status updates appear as break-out quotes and photos are given more precedence over text.
The app was actually co-created by a former iPhone engineer, and the company has managed to gain over $10 million in venture capital.
FlipBoard is an original take on digital publishing in tablet format, and for free, you’d be crazy to miss experimenting with this one.
Price: Free
The demise of business cards has been predicted for some time. Despite the rise of electronic alternatives, however, it’s still customary for entrepreneurs to brandish small pieces of cardboard when meeting new contacts.
To avoid the cards you get in return piling up into a dusty heap, there are several apps that allow you to store these details on your iPad.
CamCard is the most popular business card reader on the market. You simply download the app, point it at a business card and take an image.
The app automatically downloads the information on the card, in any one of 12 languages, and files them neatly for you to access on your iPad. Now, all you’ve got to do is ensure your contacts return your phone calls.
Price: $8.99
