Digital Genius

I was a bit of a latecomer when it came to getting on board with all things digital and technological. My high school was ... alternative to say the least. We didn’t use computers or have fancy chemistry labs; instead we hand-wrote all of our assignments and were required to study book binding as a year 12 subject. That‘s right ladies and gentleman: book binding. As in I hand bound a book in my final year of study and was assessed on it as part of my OP grade.

Understandably, because of my lack of technological education I didn’t get a mobile phone until the year after I finished school and I only just acquired an iPhone three months ago. In the spirit of online journalism though I’ve been trying to use my new phone and all the resources it gives me in the best way possible. One of the most effective ways I’ve found is through the use of apps. There are a number of handy apps that every journalist should have on the go to make their lives a whole lot easier.

Here are my top five

Description – This handy little dictionary has close to 2,000,000 words and phrases. It will also give you synonyms, antonyms, sounds-like suggestions, audio pronunciation and it works offline.

Photogene – This app allows you to edit, crop, filter, add text and change the exposure and lighting of a photo. Great for when you’re out doing a story and want a good pic but only have your phone with you.

Google – An obvious one maybe, but Google has pretty much become the answer to everything. Where’s the press conference? Google it. What’s that politicians official title? Google it. The great thing about the Google app is that it uses your current location; so whatever you’re searching for, Google will show you your nearest option.

AP Mobile – This is one of the best ways to really stay on top of the news. The app uses push notifications to alert you of breaking stories and developments. You can customise your notifications so you only receive alerts on certain events, meaning you’re not bombarded with notifications every time a story is filed, and you can ensure you’re getting the most up-to-date information.

Twitter – Another great way to stay on top of the news, plus it gives you the chance to interact with other users and create a dialogue (if 140 character counts as dialogue).  The “trending” function is also interesting as it gives you a feel for what people are interesting in talking about for the day and what they might want to hear on the news that night.