Smartphone apps

Co:Writer Universal

Co:Writer is a word-prediction tool that is available in several different versions: a Chrome Extension, smartphone apps, and downloads for Windows and MacOS computers.

• Who should use this? People who can use a keyboard and have difficulty spelling (or for whom English is a second language). It may also be useful for people who type very slowly or hunt-and-peck.

• How does it work? Launch Co:Writer, open a word processor, and start typing. A window pops up with suggested words; click on one to insert it. When you hit Enter, the text that you typed is read back to you. (The process is the same when you use Google Docs and the Chrome Extension.)

• What does it cost? $5 per month (with a free 7-day trial)

• How can I get it? Go to cowriter.com to download the desktop software, the Chrome Web Store for the extension, or the Apple App Store for the iOS version.

Grammarly

Grammarly is an online service that checks your writing and offers suggestions for improvement. It offers a Chrome extension and is also available as a smartphone app (Grammarly Keyboard).

• Who should use this? Students who need help with their grammar and sentence structure; also students who speak English as a second language.

• How does it work? Upload documents to the Grammarly website to have them checked for grammatical errors, or add the Chrome Extension and have it check your work within Google Docs, Gmail, and other web-based programs. Watch the short demo to see it in action.

• What does it cost? The free version may work for you; the advanced version is about $12/month. The smartphone apps are free.

• How can I get it? Sign up for a Grammarly account at the Grammarly website or add the Chrome Extension. Grammarly Keyboard is available from the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Ginger Software

Ginger is an easy-to-use grammar checker and writing aid that runs on Windows PCs, Apple iPhones, and iPads, and in the Chrome and Safari websites (but not in Google Docs).

• Who should use this? Students with dyslexia, who speak English as a second language, or just need help proofreading their work will find Ginger useful.

• How does it work? Ginger works like many other grammar checkers: it highlights text with spelling or grammatical problems; then you click on the highlighted text for suggestions. Watch this YouTube video for a demo.

• What does it cost? It's free! Or at least there is a free version for Windows, a free Google Chrome extension, and free mobile apps. Go to the Ginger website to get a free version, or learn about the Premium plans.

Mindomo

This free mind-mapping app lets you create mind maps and turn them into outlines that you can download and edit. It's great to brainstorm ideas, to organize your thoughts for writing, and even for note taking.

• Who should use this? Visual learners will find Mindomo very helpful for brainstorming, organizing their thoughts, and creating outlines. It's great for students who use Chromebooks.

• Who should use this? Visual learners will find Mindomo very helpful for brainstorming, organizing their thoughts, and creating outlines. It's great for students who use Chromebooks.

• How does it work? Watch my Mindomo demo to see it in action; the video shows the desktop version, but the app is very similar.

• What does it cost? Nothing.

• How can I get it? Go to the Apple App Store or Google Play.

ClaroPDF

ClaroPDF is a text-to-speech app that runs on Apple iPhones and iPads, Android phones and tablets, and Windows PCs.

• Who should use this? Students who have reading challenges such as dyslexia, who speak English as a second language, and students who learn best by listening.

• How does it work? Download the free app to your smartphone or your Windows computer, launch it, and then open a PDF within the program. This free version of ClaroPDF reads text within any PDF, highlighting the text as it reads.

• What does it cost? The ClaroPDF apps and Windows software are free. Note that there is a $10 version of the iOS app (ClaroPDF Pro) that lets you annotate PDFs and save the files.

• How can I get it? Search for "ClaroPDF" (free version) or "ClaroPDF Pro" (premium version) on the Apple App Store, or download the free Android version from Google Play. Go to the Claro website for the Windows download.

Speechify

Speechify is a text-to-speech app that runs on Apple iPhones, iPads, and Macbooks (there is also a Chrome extension). The Mac/iOS versions are more versatile than the Chrome options (which reads only text selected in the Web browser).

• Who should use this? Students who have reading challenges such as dyslexia, who speak English as a second language, and students who learn best by listening.

• How does it work? Download the free app to an iPhone or Macbook, then use your cursor to select text in any program. Speechify reads the text at any rate you prefer and displays each word as it is read out loud. Several high-quality voices are available. If you pay $8 per month for Speechify Pro, you get two important features: you can scan any physical document with text and then have the program read it to you, and you can create "audiobooks" that you can listen to on your iPhone. The free Chrome extension reads text that you select on webpages.

• What does it cost? The Speechify Mac/iOS apps and Chrome version are free; Speechify Pro (for Mac/iOS only) is $8 per month.

• How can I get it? Go to the company's website for the iPhone/Mac versions; download the browser extension from the Chrome Web Store.

Scanning Apps: Prizmo Go, Text Fairy

These free mobile apps let you take a picture of any text (a label, say, or a sign), then they read the text out loud to you.

• iOS (iPhone, iPad) - Prizmo Go: Download Prizmo Go from the Apple App Store.

• Google Play - Text Fairy: Download Text Fairy from Google Play.

AudioNote 2

Record lectures or discussions while typing in notes of any length and adding photos or sketches if desired. Afterwards, click your typed notes to listen to specific portions of your recording (similar to clicking notes with a Smartpen).

• Who should use this? Students who have difficulty processing spoken presentations and lectures will find this useful. However, you need to be reasonably tech savvy; also note that there is no Chromebook version.

• How does it work? You can use the app on a Windows or Mac laptop, or mobile device, to take notes during lectures, then share your notes to your other devices if you wish.

• What does it cost? The free version works well, but it is supported by ads--so that can get distracting when you're taking notes. Pay $10 per year for the smartphone app or Windows or MacOS version.

• How can I get it? Get the smartphone app from the Apple App Store or an older version from Google Play, or download the MacOS or Windows software from Luminant Software.

Otter.ai

Use the smartphone app or online interface to create transcriptions of lectures or discussions.

• Who should use this? Students who have difficulty taking notes during lectures or class discussions, who have hearing loss, and who speak English as a second language will find this useful.

• How does it work? Once you've created an account (online or in the app), just press the Record button. Watch a CNET video to see the app in action. You can also record and transcribe directly in the online interface on the Otter.ai website. When the transcription is complete, you can save the text or audio to your device.

• What does it cost? The free version gives you 600 minutes of transcribed speech per month. If you are a student or instructor, you can ask for an educational discount and pay $5 per month for the premium version, which gives you 6,000 minutes and other features. (To get the discount, send an email to support@otter.ai from your school email address and provide your school’s name plus a photo of your school ID.) Skyline College students can use the premium version for free.

• How can I get it? Get the smartphone app from the Apple App Store or from Google Play. If you are a student at Skyline College, in San Bruno, CA, contact the AT Specialist to request a login.

Notability

This Mac/iOS app provides several ways to take notes: you can draw on a touchscreen, upload photos, dictate audio notes, and even type. All of your notes are saved in an easy-to-search interface.

• Who should use this? Notability is especially useful for visual learners, and it is best used while studying (the many options could make it a bit challenging to use during a lecture). Note that it runs on Apple iPhone, Macbook, or iPad only.

• How does it work? Enter notes by typing, speaking, drawing, or uploading photos, then tag them by color to put them into easily searchable categories.

• What does it cost? Free, with limited features. Full version is $15 per year.

• How can I get it? Download Notability from the Mac App Store (for MacBooks) or the Apple App Store (iPhone/iPad).

Evernote

This online service lets you create, organize and sync notes across all your devices (it has versions for Windows PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets, and you can use the online interface on Chromebooks).

• Who should use this? Students who need a way to organize notes from all of their courses in one place that's accessible from any device. It's a good choice if you do a lot of their research online--it offers great web-clipping features.

• How does it work? Watch this demo for a quick overview; for details, read this Computerworld review.

• What does it cost? The free basic account is great to get started with, but you are allowed only 60MB of space on the server (which is not much). The premium version is usually $70 per year--but students get a 50% discount.

• How can I get it? Download the app versions from the Apple App Store or Google Play; go to the Evernote website to sign up for an account.

Remember the Milk

This online service (and app) is essentially a superpowered to-do list that sends you reminders to keep you on track. You can share these lists with two people.

• Who should use this? People who have a hard time remembering tasks and appointments--and don't want to (or can't) use Google Calendar on their smartphone.

• How does it work? Create a to-do list with due dates and priorities; you'll get reminders via email, text, and IM. There's actually a lot more to this; go to the tool's website to learn more.

• What does it cost? Free (you can upgrade to a premium account for $40 per year)

• How can I get it? Sign up at the Remember the Milk website for an online account, or download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Streaks

This app (for the Apple iPhone and iPad) helps you form good habits. It's essentially a to-do list that helps hold you accountable for establishing good habits or breaking bad ones. Streak collects data that can be shared with anyone via text message or email.

Who should use this? Streaks can be especially useful for people who want to improve their organization or planning skills.

How does it work? You can track up to 12 tasks to complete each day. As implied by the app's name, the goal is to build a streak of consecutive days--but don't worry, some tasks do not need to be tracked everyday. You can choose from a list of preloaded tasks or you can create your own. Streak integrates with the iPhone Health app to help you reach your fitness goals.

What does it cost? $3.99 (for Apple iOS only)

MyHomework

With this online service (and app) you can keep track of your class schedule, homework, and tests/quizzes--and set reminder alerts. You can access your information across all your devices.

• Who should use this? Busy college students who need help keeping track of all their assignments and homework.

• How does it work? Use the website or a smartphone/tablet app to enter information on your classes and deadlines, then set reminders. You can upload a syllabus for each class.

• What does it cost? The free version is great for most students (there is a premium version for $45 per year).

• How can I get it? Sign up at the myHomework website. You can download smartphone/tablet apps at the Apple App Store and Google Play; a Chromebook version is available on the Chrome Web Store.

MyStudyLife

This free web tool does everything that myHomework does--just in a different interface. It helps keep you on track with your class schedule, homework, and tests/quizzes, across all your devices.

• Who should use this? Busy college students who need help keeping track of all their assignments and homework. Try this and myHomework to see which works best for you.

• How does it work? Use the website or a smartphone/tablet app to enter information on your classes and deadlines, then set reminders.

• What does it cost? Nothing.

• How can I get it? Sign up at the MyStudyLife website or download smartphone/tablet apps at the Apple App Store and Google Play; a Chromebook version is available on the Chrome Web Store.

Forest

This app--available for smartphones and the Chromebook--helps you increase your focus time by minimizing distractions on your device.

• Who should use this? People who have a hard time staying focused and managing their time.

• How does it work? Set a time that you want to stay focused, from 10 to 120 minutes. During the time that you want to be focused, a virtual tree is growing. While your tree is growing, phrases will be displayed such as “Don’t look at me” or “Leave me alone.” Don't leave the app until the time is up, or the tree will die. The more successful focus sessions you have, the more lush your forest will be. If you earn 2,500 "coins," you can plant a real tree. You can also earn productivity badges.

• What does it cost? Free for Android and $1.99 for the Apple iPhone's iOS. (There is also a free Chrome Extension.)

Smiling Mind

This mindfulness tool, hailing from Australia, was originally designed for children but is accessible to all. Even professional athletes are using it. Smiling Mind is available online and as an iPhone or Android app.

Who should use this? Anyone

How does it work? Create an account, record your feelings in the online or mobile app, then choose a session. When you're done, record your feelings again. Sessions can be as short as 2 minutes or as long as 45 minutes. Smiling Mind tracks your sessions and creates a report that shows you which types of mindfulness worked best for you.

What does it cost? Free. Sign up for an account at the Smiling Mind website, or download the app from Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Stop, Breathe, & Think

This smartphone app offers targeted mindfulness activities and guided meditations based on your current state of mind.

Who should use this? Anyone who wants to learn how to manage their stress and is willing to try something new.

How does it work? You can create an account, or simply "browse" the app to see what it offers.

What does it cost? Generous free guided meditation and mindfulness sessions; pay $10 per month and up to unlock more options. Available from Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Insight Timer

Finally, a meditation app with experienced meditators in mind as well as newbies. Insight Timer offers a wealth of free guided meditation sessions and inspirational videos, plus a terrific timer designed for meditators.

Who should use this? People who already meditate will be delighted; people who want to learn won't be talked down to.

How does it work? Create an account, then check out the icons at the bottom of the screen to access a wealth of options.

What does it cost? Generous free guided meditation and mindfulness sessions; varying prices to premium features. Available from Google Play and the Apple App Store.

The Mood Meter

This smartphone app helps you become more aware of your feelings and helps you shift your mood.

Who should use this? Anyone who wants to develop a better sense of their emotions can benefit from this app.

How does it work? After creating an account, you can plot your moods and track how your daily activities affect how you feel. The app is very visual and easy to use. Reminders can be set up to remind you to check in with yourself. The app offers strategies, quotes, and pictures to help you "shift" from one mood to another.

What does it cost? $.99 (on Google Play and the Apple App Store)