Thing 3 - Utilities

In Thing 3 - Utilities, I downloaded all of the apps listed that were available for iPhone. I have had them on my phone for a little more than a week now and I've found that I was most drawn to use the Google Search app and the RedLaser app.

Thoughts on the RedLaser app

We are in the middle of planning a teen book competition for this summer (Battle of the Books) and we usually make readalike bookmarks for the teens. I had thought about using QR codes to link teens to lists of readalikes or other books by the authors, but I hadn't thought about using QR codes to book trailers and other media about the book. I really like that idea and am excited to continue working on gathering "extras" for the teens.

I also started using the RedLaser app at the grocery store. I am not in a place where looking for the best deal is feasible because it would cost me more in gas to drive to another grocery store, but I am more aware of the QR codes on the packaging of foods. I've scanned some of them and they take me to the company's website, a website with different recipe ideas, more detailed nutrition information, etc. I was really surprised to find so many QR codes when I actually started looking for them.

This summer's reading program theme is "Paws to Read" and I have some ideas about making QR codes for kids/families to find around town and link them back to the library and give them suggestions for materials to check out from the library. It is kind of like a scavenger hunt with an extra layer!

Thoughts on the Google Search app

I made a "23 Mobile Things" section of my phone where I put the apps I'm trying for this. I quickly found that I use the Google Search app almost as frequently as I check my email, so that app moved into a more prominent place on my phone.

In the past I have tried to link my Google calendars with Apple's calendar and that has been a major failure. Now I have a shortcut to my Google calendar on my phone but I have to log back in to Google almost every morning. I look at my calendar multiple times a day and haven't had to log back into it while I've been using the Google Search app. Thumbs up!!

I also can easily access my Google Drive. I store all of my personal and work documents in Google Drive. In the past, there has not been an easy way to "share" documents with other people using only my phone. When I use Google Search to take me to Google Drive, there's a great link that asks if I want to share the document via email and it makes a link for me in a new email message. LOVE IT!

I haven't gotten used to going to the Google Search app to actually "ask Google" something yet. The browser I use on my phone has a search bar and I have bookmarks in the browser, so that makes it easier for me at the moment.

Personally and professionally, Google Search will make me more efficient when I am using my phone.