5 must-have apps to download while you're on vacation from work
Kaspars Grinvalds/ShuttershockYou don't have to feel "out of the loop" while enjoying your vacation.
Vacation is meant to be a time for hard-working professionals to relax, unwind, and forget about the trials and tribulations of the "real world."But for many, it would be unthinkable to unplug completely, as they fear that being out of the loop for too long will set them back at work and in life.
Luckily, there are ways to stay on top of what's happening in the world and in the office that don't require you to be glued to your phone or laptop for hours on end.
These five apps will keep you in the know - without making you miss out on much-needed beach time:
TL;DR Email
Depending on how long your vacation is, where you work, and who you work with, you may have to check you email occasionally while you're gone. But you won't want to waste your time sifting through hundreds of non-urgent emails just to find the few important ones.
That's where TL;DR comes in. This app will brief you on what's happening in the office without wasting tons of your time.
It's set up like a Facebook feed, and it only shows the first thirty words of an email, so you'll be able to detect any relevant or urgent messages instantly.
Inside
It's tough to keep up (if you even want to) with the world while you're "off the grid." But with a news-briefing app like Inside, you can stay informed on top stories without reading for more than a few seconds at a time.
The app (and many others like it - Simply is another great option, and NYT Now recently changed the policy so a paid subscription isn't required) includes a feed that summarizes the 100 biggest news stories.
Instead of clicking through aggregated top stories and skimming articles, you're able swipe through a feed that provides brief "updates," revealing the biggest news without forcing you to click away. If you want to read more on the subject, you can swipe left.
You can also customize your feed to cater to certain topics.
Daily140
For many professionals, scrolling through Twitter is an essential way to keep updated on what's happening in the world, and in their specific industry. But when you're following all of your friends in addition to the people who keep you informed in your career, it can be time-consuming to find the tweets relevant to you.
By downloading Daily140, you can receive one daily email with the recent activity - the new follows and favorites - of five Twitter accounts of your choice. So you can read just the important tweets when you don't have the time to read the one about your friend's morning commute.
Fetch Notes
If an idea suddenly comes to mind while you're lounging poolside, and you want to share with your coworkers - but don't want to be glued to your laptop or get stuck on a conference call - Fetch Notes is the app for you.
It allows you to communicate with colleagues easily without the hassle of back-and-forth emailing or calls.
This app will really come in handy during your time off because you can quickly create notes and share them with other people. Coworkers, for instance, can receive your notes through text and email, no app downloading necessary on their part. They can edit your notes, too, and the app will alert you as it occurs. It's possible to add notes via email, text, and the Google Chrome extension.
Send Anywhere
If, once again, you're trying to steer clear of staring at your laptop during your time off (but you really have to send a colleague something), download Send Anywhere.
This app allows you to instantly send files, no matter how large, directly from one device to another - no middle platform necessary. This will save you the time and hassle of having to get to a computer, loading the file, sending over email or a data sharing website, and waiting for confirmation that it went through.
Just send the video, document, or whatever it is, from your iPhone or Android to your coworker's laptop (the app is also compatible with Windows, Mac and Google Chrome). There's no sign up or registration required.