This time of year, we’re all wrapping up brown paper packages, tying them with strings, and shipping them off to our customers, clients, friends, and loved ones all over the globe. It’s the perfect time to collect our favorite things of 2022 and share them with you!

You’ll probably notice a few repeats from previous years. That’s because those apps are superstars, and we’ve called them out as such. This year, we’ve even thrown a couple of gadgets into the mix! 

All of these apps and plugins and bits of tech have been vetted by our team, not for review or to marketing, but by use every single day. 

SUPERSTARS

• Rambox: Rambox allows you to organize your digital workspaces and centralize your communication apps. Instead of switching back and forth between programs, apps, and browser windows, Rambox organizes all of your most essential tools in one place. This tool is a godsend for anyone who has to juggle multiple digital accounts, like marketing managers and multi-line reps.
• Loom and CloudApp: An excellent screen-sharing app is essential when your coworkers are spread across the globe. These two are our favorites, but check below for a couple more options!  
• Grammarly: Do you struggle to remember the difference between effect and affect? Do apostrophes and commas make your eyes cross? Grammarly is here to save your butt. Grammarly is more than a spell checker. The app will give you tips on sentence structure and tone to ensure your message comes across exactly how you intend it!
• Notion: Notion helps you manage everything else. Imagine if everything you ever needed to know about your company – from the org chart to the onboarding documents to the agendas for all those meetings you have to attend – were all in one place. Notion does all that for you and more. It’s like a wiki for your business, but one that’s so easy everyone will use it. We do here at ZOOMcatalog.
• LastPass, 1Password, and Dashlane: The security of our online accounts is a vital business practice. Our team uses several different password managers to keep everything nice and secure (but still easy to remember). LastPass, 1Password, and Dashlane are all excellent choices, but the best choice is to make sure you’re using one of them.

RISING STARS

• Figma: Imagine taking the power of the Adobe suite and mixing it up with the ease of a phone app and then add in the power to collaborate with anyone anywhere and you Figma. We use this app to prototype and design everything from our emails to our applications. 

• AirTags: The first gadget to make our list is Apple’s wireless tracking device. Now, Apple advertises uses like keeping track of your keys or your wallet, but hear us out: put them in your luggage when traveling, and you’ll never lose your bags again. Or even better, stick them in the crates you’re shipping and know exactly when they arrive at the show!

• Wyze Mesh Router: Neighbors mowing the lawn right when your meeting starts. Dogs barking at the mailman. Garbage trucks on pick-up day. Sometimes when you work from home, there are distractions that drive you to the furthest reaches of your space to find the quiet you need to take that meeting. Creating a wifi mesh network means that you’ll always have the best connection available. No matter if you’re in your home office or a secluded corner of your attic.

• LightShot and Gifox: These new contenders for favorite screengrab and recording tools are similar to our superstars Loom and CloudApp, but they do things a little differently and might fit into your life better, so go check ‘em out!

• TextSniper: While we’re talking about capturing what’s on your screen, TextSniper is a Mac app that allows you to copy any text anywhere on your screen. Even if it’s in an image, on a video, or part of a ZOOM screen share presentation. ‘

• Libby: Whether you’re expanding your business acumen with lessons from your favorite guru, filling up those long hours on the road with the latest thriller from your favorite suspense writer, or just unwinding after a long day with a good story, Libby is the app you want on your mobile device. It’s a combination audiobook/ereader that connects to your local library. So you know what that means? It’s all free!

• YouTube Premium: When you’re trying to focus, nothing beats a good solid playlist, and when you’re trying to concentrate, nothing breaks your flow faster than an ill-timed advertisement. A subscription to YouTube Premium gives you access to a world of music without any of the ads.

This isn’t every app or gadget in our work lives, but it is a great list of ones that make our days a little easier. Of course, we can’t talk about the apps we use every day without talking about ZOOMcatalog and ZOOMstudio, but instead of awkwardly adding them to our list, we’d rather talk to you one on one about everything you can get out of our tools.

Get in touch and set up a demo or a personal one-on-one with our team, or check out one of our Demo Days.