These days, there really is an app for everything. According to Business of Apps, at the beginning of this year, the Apple app store offered 2.2 million of them – and the Android equivalent, Google Play, reached 3 million as of June 2017. That’s likely why, when we asked staff to share their favorite technology, so many of them selected new or established apps that help simplify their daily lives. Here are their picks:

Cal Spranger: OneNote
From Microsoft, OneNote lets you type, hand write, draw and clip things from the internet and save them into a virtual notebook. It also includes a document scanner that Cal says helps him get rid of paper clutter.

Michael Schultz: Pocket Casts
Mike likes Pocket Casts, a podcast player app, for listening to and organizing his favorite podcasts. The app also makes it easy for Mike to find new and trending podcasts of interest. According to the app creator, Shifty Jelly, you can use smart filters on your episodes and they automatically download when you’re on Wi-Fi.    

Mitch Steiner: Streaming TV
Mitch likes how streaming TV and movie services including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu Plus have changed the way entertainment is consumed. The cost of all three services is about the same, under $12 per month. According to Digital Trends, “If we’re going to make a single recommendation, Netflix is still the king of the streaming world. That said, Hulu and Amazon Instant Video offer unique benefits. Ideally, we recommend combining multiple services, which will provide access to the maximum amount of stuff to watch, including current network programming and a growing list of premium original content.”

Jeff Walters: Spotify
Spotify is one of the most popular digital music services today. According to Jeff, “The variety of music you can now listen to for around $10 per month would have cost thousands of dollars to purchase a couple of decades ago.” Spotify is great for people who like oldies and cutting-edge music alike. In terms of the latter, the company just announced a new program called RISE, which is designed to “identify and break the next wave of music superstars.” (Source: The Verge)

Mitzi Carletti: Utrip
“Utrip helps me plan travel in a very personal way,” says Mitzi. Utrip is a Seattle startup that’s gaining traction amongst travel buffs. Use it on the web or in the app, simply enter a destination and Utrip’s artificial intelligence technology will use your interests and budget to create a personalized itinerary for your trip. According to Utrip, “In minutes, you have a comprehensive day-by-day itinerary, complete with maps.”

Julie Parisio Roy: Instacart
For busy people, Instacart is the answer, offering same-day grocery delivery service for local stores like Whole Foods, Metropolitan Market, Costco, Total Wine & More and Safeway in just two hours.   

Curtis Pepin: Waze
Curtis is a fan of Waze for navigating the congested streets of Seattle. Waze monitors traffic, construction, police, accidents and more and directs you toward the most efficient route, changing the route real-time to get you to your destination as quickly as possible. Millions of people agree with Curtis’ recommendation: The app has 6.8 million reviews and is an Editors’ Choice on GooglePlay.

Kevin Callaghan: ForeFlight
ForeFlight is an aviation app pilots depend on for flight planning, charts, weather, airport information, flight logging, document management, hazard awareness and more. Pilot and avid app user Kevin says ForeFlight offers “more capability on an iPad than most jets have in their entire cockpit.”  

The “i” enthusiasts

When asked to select their favorite technology, many of our staff are iEnthusiasts, choosing either their iPhone, iPod or iPad. Perhaps Steve Phelps said it best about his iPhone: “I cannot live without it.”