Microsoft Office Lens
Category: Productivity
Price: Free
This app originally started out as a Windows Phone exclusive. Use it to photograph typed text, such as a document, article or even a menu or sign, and it will upload the photo to Microsoft's servers. There, OCR (optical character recognition) will convert it into text which you can edit in Word or OneNote or save it as an image or a PDF.
This app saves endless retyping and may be sufficient enough to do away with the need to carry a portable scanner when you're out and about on the road. Plus, you can put it to all sorts of lateral uses, such as scanning business cards and converting brainstormed ideas on a whiteboard on the basis of a PowerPoint presentation.
Main Idea: A highly accurate cloud-based OCR app convert documents into editable text straight on your iPhone.
Alternative: Evernote
Microsoft Outlook
Category: Productivity
Price: Free
Microsoft combines contacts, email, and calendars into one mail app for easy accessibility. Outlook sorts and prioritises your messages for you with the most important filtered into a focused tab and the rest placed in another to be dealt with later. Schedule meetings, set reminders, and attach files across all of your accounts. This app will help you focus a cluttered inbox and consolidate important information into one app.
Main Idea: Organising your messages according to what's important, Microsoft's official email app is here to make your life easier.
Alternative: Inbox by Google
Microsoft Word
Category: Productivity
Price: Free
Microsoft Word fits seamlessly into an app format with the capabilities in viewing, creating and editing documents. You can't lose formatting or access from different devices through cloud so this app is extremely useful for editing and updating documents on the go. It's the Word we know and love on desktop designed for Android.
Main Idea: Edits our documents across multiple devices without losing formatting or data. It's perfect for users travelling.
Alternative: Google Docs
Signal
Publisher: Open Whisper Systems
Category: Communications
Price: Free
The trouble with communicating with others using a smart device over the internet is that you can never be too sure that someone is snooping in on your calls. Signal offers complete end-to-end encryption, so even the developers of the app cannot see what you are talking about.
The app works with your existing contacts list, but whoever you are chatting to also needs to have the app installed too.
Main Idea: You will need this if you need to keep private conversations secret.
SwiftKey Keyboard
Publisher: TouchType (Microsoft)Price: Free (in-app purchases)
SwiftKey is a terrific alternative to the standard iOS virtual keyboard. The smart keyboard replaces your device's built-in keyboard and its unnecessary autocorrect functions with one that adapts to the way you type. SwiftKey learns your typing style over time to give you more accurate autocorrect and more appropriate next-word prediction. It also comes with more than 800 emojis, and additional design variants can be purchased for those that want a more personal touch.
Alternatives: Brilliant Keyboard, TouchPal Keyboard
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