Target audience: NGOs, nonprofits, cause organizations, foundations, social enterprises, aid workers, journalists.

Last week, I wrote a post on 10 Nonprofit Productivity Apps to Try in 2014, and it prompted a great discussion with a colleague regarding which apps could actually help humanitarians working in the field.

In recent years, we’ve seen many exciting and innovative mobile apps hit the digital marketplace – apps that help connect farmers in India to markets, help medical workers gather health data and treat patients in Malawi, and help people fundraise on the go. But what about the aid workers who often risk their lives just doing their jobs? Any helpful apps to make their jobs a bit easier?

So as a follow-up to last week’s post, I’m sharing five mobile apps specifically created for humanitarian aid workers or … the humanitarian at heart.

Global Emergency Overview

1Global Emergency Overview is my favorite among the five. This app is beautifully designed and works to inform humanitarian decision makers by presenting a summary of major humanitarian crises, both recent and protracted. It is designed to provide answers to four questions:

• Which humanitarian crises currently exist?
• What has happened in the last seven days?
• What is the situation in the country affected by a crisis?
• Which countries could be prioritized in terms of humanitarian response?

Brilliant app for aid workers and those that just want to keep up with world news and crises.

Available for iOS (Apple’s mobile devices) and Android.

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 Relief Central

2The Relief Central app aims to assist relief workers and first responders by sharing updates and news from aid groups working on the same humanitarian crisis. The app also shares disaster assessments and response information.

Available for iOS and Android.

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iGDACS

3iGDACS provides near real-time information about natural disasters and allows you to send back information in the form of a geo-located image and text. The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System is intended to tap the abundant information about disasters available from people who actually experience them. Reports of the iGDACS users are used to improve the overall situational picture.

Available only for iOS.

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Humanitarian Kiosk

4The Humanitarian Kiosk app provides a range of up-to-the-minute humanitarian related information from emergencies around the world. Once installed, you simply select the kiosks that you are interested in and they will be automatically downloaded and synchronized to your mobile device. Downloading the files enables offline abilities ,which is extremely important, as we know that most responders do not have a regular, consistent Internet connection.

Available for iOS only.

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Voxer

5OK, so while Voxer isn’t specifically designed with the aid worker in mind, it is the app I most often use when working abroad. I wrote about this app in my last blog post but it definitely deserves a place on this list.

Voxer is a free walkie-talkie style phone app that lets you talk to anyone in the world using live text and voice. It also lets you send photos. Voxer really does works just like a walkie-talkie — only better, because it records all your messages for playback later. It’s especially great for international organizations and aid workers who can use it to communicate with other program and headquarters staff. No dialing or adding country codes, just hold down the talk button and talk! Brilliant and super intuitive app. Use it on just about any mobile device.

Did I miss any? In the comments below, tell me what some of your favorites apps are. Like I said, they don’t have to be made specifically for aid workers to be great tools, so comment away!

Related

• 10 nonprofit productivity tools & apps to try in 2014 (Socialbrite)

• Mobile apps to get stuff done on the go (Socialbrite)

• Building mobile applications for social good (Socialbrite)

• Does a mobile app make sense for your nonprofit? (Socialbrite)

The post 5 mobile apps for humanitarian aid workers appeared first on Socialbrite.

Smarten up your smartphone with Voxer, EDict & more

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Now, have a look below. Have you used any of these apps on your iPhone or Android? Have a different favorite instead? Please share!

Voxer Walkie-Talkie PTT: Turn your phone into a walkie-talkie

1The app: Voxer Walkie-Talkie PTT, a free messenger app that turns your smartphone into a walkie-talkie.
Cost: Free
Use it: Any time you’d like to inject voice, text and/or photos with a group (or individual. Use it to quickly coordinate a plan or comment on an event.
Platforms: Apple iOS, Android.
First impressions: Adds personality, tone and emotion to a conversation, elements that don’t always come through in text. Message is not intrusive. No video capability. App taps your data account (unless you have wifi), not SMS. Integrates with Facebook and address book contacts. (Note: this is not the Voxer for Business app which is in beta and by invite only.)

EDict: Send an audio message

2The app: EDict Communicator

Cost: Free (for a limited time)
Use it: Send an audio message to one of your three core contacts (e.g. your assistant or husband), and it shows up in their email inbox (you get a copy, too).
Platform: iOS.
First impressions: In terms of productivity, sometimes it’s easier to flag a message for follow-up when it comes in via email. Eliminating the worry about long distance or international rates, this is perfect for the on-the-go exec who travels a lot. Voice delivers a personal feel where tone can more easily come across — a nice alternative to regular email or voice mail.

inTooch: Keep in touch

3The app: inTooch, a mobile app that allows people to easily and quickly stay in touch with personal and business contacts.
Cost: Free.
Use it: To make digital & social connections with people you’ve just met.
Platforms: iOS, Android.
First impressions: Keeping in touch with people you’ve just met has many steps. inTooch will help you send an invite through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google. Just select which details you want to share (business vs. personal) on that network. The user receiving your invite does not need to use inTooch and can still send back their info. Cool.

Pro HDR: Professional iPhoneography

4The app: Pro HDR

Cost: $1.99
Use it: In-app HDR capture allows you to balance the light in your photographs between the dark and light areas, eliminating most exposure issues. Photo library support allows you to make high dynamic range images.
Platforms: iOS, Android.
First impressions: Delivers more professional-looking mobile shots on top of whatever HDR technology your phone may already use, if any. Wow your followers on Instagram and Facebook.

Cue: Increase your productivity

5The app: Cue

Cost: Free
Uses: This intelligent productivity app stitches together your contact lists, calendars and email accounts from all the usual suspects (e.g., Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Apple, etc). Select utilities can be added via in-app purchase (e.g., Salesforce). It generates a more holistic view of your day – perfect for the power  user of many cloud-based services (sorry, Microsoft).
Platform: iOS.
First impressions: Integrating related pieces of information just got a whole lot easier since this app pulls in content from multiple social channels and media companies whose services we often rely upon daily.

Perfectly Clear: Photo correction

6The app: Perfectly Clear – Photo Correction (Automatic), a photo editing app.
Cost: $2.99
Use it: Correct photos by choosing from 12 automatic corrections in order to pop up the vibrancy of the image, reduce muddiness, sharpen it, or even remove the pesky purple haze created by shooting into the sun.
Platforms: iOS, Android.
First Impressions: Intuitive, powerful editing options including image sizing. Save edited photos to your phone’s album. Post directly to Facebook, Twitter, or email.

Over: Viral-ready DIY content

7The app: Over
Cost: $1.99
Uses: Generate DIY content that is more viral-ready. This photo editing app allows you to add très stylish typography to your shot so the image speaks volumes. It should come in handy for uploading mobile shots to your Facebook page, or for use on other channels such as Twitter, Instagram or Tumblr. For bloggers, add words to a tutorial or a craft-making how-to guide.
Platform: iOS
First impressions: Publishing content that also looks appealing has never been easier to do. Over lets you make your image stand out. It comes with a rich set of fonts and plenty of add-on options.

The post Mobile apps to get stuff done on the go appeared first on Socialbrite.