I had the distinct pleasure of chatting at a TELUS small business event in downtown Toronto last week, about some of the smartphone apps I use on a regular basis.

It wasn't tough to narrow my favourites down to a half-dozen downloads -- ones that focused on productivity and business -- but I also wanted to show some of the best free apps available (or close to it), as well as ones available for most smartphone platforms.

The following are a few recommendations to help you stay organized, productive and informed while on the go.

Dropbox

Create one central and secure place to hold all your "stuff" and access it all on multiple devices – this is the idea behind Dropbox (for BlackBerry, iOS and Android), the increasingly popular cloud solution to storing, accessing and sharing your digital life while on the go. Instead of emailing your info or media from one device to another, or physically copying it onto a disc or USB key, you can wirelessly upload or download your documents – and even stream music and movies right from Dropbox. Similarly, instead of clogging someone's inbox with a huge file, send them a link to access what they need. The basic (2GB) account is free, but you can upgrade to 50GB or 100GB for $9.99/month or $19.99/month, respectively.

Splashtop Remote Desktop

As the name suggests, the $0.99-cent Splashtop Remote -- for iOS, Android and BlackBerry PlayBook -- lets you log in to another computer wirelessly from your tablet to see and control the remote PC or Mac as if you were sitting in front of it. It's not the first solution to do this, mind you, but Splashtop does one better by letting you stream full-motion video and audio from your computer to the smartphone or tablets. Splashtop Remote also lets you access your desktop's Web browser to surf to sites with Flash -- something that's not as easy on the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch.

Evernote

Ideal for on-the-go entrepreneurs or small business associates, the free Evernote (available on all major platforms) is a handy app for typing notes, sketching ideas (think restaurant napkin), copying URLs, pasting photos and recording audio on, say, a million dollar idea you want to archive on your smartphone. All notes automatically sync to the web/desktop version of Evernote, so it’s easy to access your information anywhere. Evernote can even take a picture of book or magazine text and convert it to text; this is a great way to save receipts and business cards and make it searchable by keyword.

Siri

The real reason to pick up an iPhone 4S, Siri is a built-in "personal assistant" app that lets you talk to your smartphone and you'll hear a female voice answer your questions or confirm she can perform the tasks you ask of her. For example, you can dictate email and texts to colleagues, ask Siri to check your calendar for appointments, create reminders and notes on the fly, check stock prices and market information, and help you get directions or find locations – such as restaurants, gas stations, hotels or bank machines – while traveling in the U.S. (this feature isn't supported in Canada just yet).

iTranslate

Available for iOS, Android and BlackBerry, the free iTranslate can help you translate words and phrases from more than 50 languages, and is capable of speaking languages to you in multiple languages so you can hear what the pronunciations sounds like. If desired, send your translations to an email address, mobile phone, memo pad or Twitter and Facebook. An optional in-app purchase lets you speak into the smartphone for a direct translation or engage in real-time text conversations with others and your English words and seen in the other person's native tongue.

Find my phone

Finally, it's critical to set up your phone for remote tracking or wiping, in case it's lost or stolen. Free examples include Find My iPhone (for iOS), BlackBerry Protect and Find my Droid (Android). These apps work in a similar way: track the smartphone's whereabouts via its GPS radio, send a note to its (such as "If you find this, all me at XXX") or sound a loud alarm (in case it's lost in the couch cushions) or remotely see the smartphone on a map; it's not recommended to try and recover a stolen device on your own – instead contact the authorities with the information. If you have critical information on the device you can also remotely wipe the data clean, which is always a good idea as a precautionary measure.

2011 did not bode well for gasoline prices, this trend has continued and industry experts do not forecast a better outcome in 2012.

Fleet operation managers have a right to be concerned; fuel is the second largest expense to the company’s operations, the first being staff payroll. Fuel volatility makes private and government fleet operations financial planning unpredictable, without a crystal ball the fleet operators cannot possibly accurately forecast their operational spend on fleet fuel.

Managers of fleets realize the only way to control the financial outcome of the fuel expense is to monitor & control the vehicle usage. Driver behaviour such as speeding, idling, route optimization can significantly impact the efficiencies of the fleet and reduce the overall usage of fuel.  Here are 5 ways you can reduce fuel costs for your business in 2012:

1. Stay within the speed limit

Experts report that driving just 10 kilometers faster than the speed limit increases fuel consumption by 20%. Increase speed to 20 kilometers faster than necessary and the extra gas wastage climbs to 25%.

Every vehicle reaches optimal fuel economy at a different speed, however economical fuel usage begins to decline rapidly at speeds greater than 50 kilometers per hour.

2. Eliminate vehicle idling

Did you know the average Driver will idle a company vehicle 10 – 50 minutes a day? Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel than it takes to restart your vehicle. Unnecessary idling for just 10 minutes a day uses about 5 percent more fuel over the year for a private or government fleet of vehicles this has a huge impact on the cost of fuel.

Many believe that turning off the vehicle to avoid idling results in higher maintenance costs and extra wear and tear for the starter and battery. In fact, the break-even point to offset any incremental maintenance costs is under 60 seconds. The fleet operational fuel savings will more than offset any potential increase in maintenance cost.

With the demand of crude oil increasing year over year, the resulting oil prices will only continue to rise. Gasoline is costly, its use has significant environmental impacts, and there's not an endless supply – good reasons not to waste fuel through unnecessary vehicle idling.

3. Anticipate the road conditions to avoid harsh breaking

"Jack-rabbit" starts and harsh braking can increase fuel consumption by as much as 40%. Any braking wastes momentum, anticipating the next stop light or traffic holdup and reducing power early so you don't have to brake as hard means you've used less fuel to get there.

Many drivers don't realize that heavy braking uses more fuel and has nothing to do with the brakes. Instead the driver was burning more fuel then necessary bydriving too fast, resulting in harsh breaking.  Acceleration then hard braking uses a lot more fuel than anticipating the traffic and lifting off the throttle early. Hard braking increases the energy of the vehicle resulting in increased fuel to regain momentum. Simply put, harsh breaking is the result of driver behaviour and can be controlled with better handling of the vehicle speeds.

4. Perform regular vehicle maintenance

Regular vehicle maintenance certifies that fleet vehicles are more fuel-efficient.  Performing regular power-train maintenance including changing the air filter, changing lubricants with the recommended grade of oil, and keeping tires properly inflated can improve fuel efficiency by as much as 19%.

A recent Tire Smart program headed by the Government of Canada concluded that more than two thirds of vehicles in Canada have at least one tire that is either under- or over-inflated, and one third of those vehicles had three or even all four tires improperly inflated. This represents a safety risk to Canadian motorists as well as needless fuel consumption and tire-replacement expenses. This resulting increase in fuel consumption also means that more greenhouse gas emissions are being released into the environment.

Fleet operators should monitor a fleet’s fuel economy by vehicle and class to determine when a vehicle is not running properly.

5. Add GPS Fleet Tracking Technology to your operations

Utilizing Fleet Tracking Technologies to monitor, track and control driver behaviour for companies managing large fleets provide  true visibility required to react to fleet exceptions.  Utilizing key Fleet Tracking features such as reporting, alerts, and maintenance tracking, Fleet Managers will be able to begin to control this otherwise unavoidable expense.

In our next post, I’ll highlight how to go about choosing the right GPS Fleet Tracking Solution for your business.

Jennifer Young is the Director of Marketing at Complete Innovations.

You don't often see the words "free" and "Microsoft Office" in the same sentence – especially when it comes to iPad apps that let you access your Word, Excel and PowerPoint files on the go – but a new download called CloudOn does let you create, view, and edit Microsoft Office files directly on your tablet.

Before we get into the details, there are a couple of catches. You need a Dropbox account to store and access your files, but at least you can sign up for free. And if the name of the app didn't give it away, CloudOn requires an Internet connection to use, as all your files are stored online via Dropbox. Even though you can open an email attachment on your iPad though CloudOn, you still need an Internet connection to perform the task.

If you can get past these conditions, CloudOn can be a handy productivity tool.

I tested the app by first uploading a bunch of Microsoft Word and Excel files on my PC, and then launching the app on the iPad. You're first prompted to type in your Dropbox login information (including password) before you see your files. You can select to log you on automatically going forward or you can be prompted to enter the password each time.

Now you can tap on the file you'd like to open, such as abc.docx, and you'll see it full screen in landscape view. All of the Office options, tabs and pull-down menus at the top of the screen will be familiar to you. But once you launch the keyboard to edit the document, be aware it takes up a lot of the screen real estate -- too bad you can't view or edit files in portrait view. I tried to open a PDF document but it wasn't supported, nor can you access other types of files, such as music, photos or videos.

You can also create Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files on your iPad, which are then saved to your Dropbox account to be accessed later on (even on multiple devices, if desired). It's also possible to rename and delete documents from within Dropbox; spell check, track changes and insert comments; and view and edit animation and transition sequences in your PowerPoint presentations.

Despite its limitations, CloudOn is a completely free way to give you Microsoft Office to go on your iPad, whether you're on Wi-Fi or 3G. While not perfect, it's hard to argue with a free solution that lets you access, manage, edit and create Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.

With so many mobile devices on the market that support various operating systems, it’s often tough to know which will be the best tool to support you and your team. In series of four posts, we are speaking with Canadian business leaders about how and why they chose not just their device, but also the operating system.

Over the years, the Canadian-created BlackBerry has become a staple for businesses across the globe. The RIM-built smartphones connect users to everything they need, but are also widely respected for their intuitive multitasking features that empower productivity both in and outside of the office.
For David Carmichael, a Toronto-based management consultant, the functionality he sees with his BlackBerry smartphone means he’s not had to look to another device to conduct his business operations.

“I began using my BlackBerry when I worked as a consultant with the Ontario Government,” says Carmichael. “I have not done a lot of research into the functionality of other devices, but I am very happy with the BlackBerry. I think most business owners are interested in ensuring they can communicate with their staff and clients outside of work hours; so the BlackBerry’s email and phone functionality are perfect.”

BlackBerry smartphones are often the device of choice for corporate environments for a few reasons:  they offer a high level of security with encryption; efficient data delivery with compression; and integration with a number of messaging platforms. The proprietary OS and unique BlackBerry Enterprise Server also allow management or IT departments centralized control over all company-issued devices, if they so choose.

For Carmichael specifically, his mind is at ease simply knowing his email goes anywhere he is – especially important for his line of work, which often involves a day calendar full of meetings. “At a client site, I may not be able to get my email using their computer system, so having the BlackBerry is great.”

And Carmichael is not alone in that assessment. In fact, according to a recent study conducted by Ipsos Reid, the BlackBerry is the top mobile smartphone brand in Canada.

“BlackBerry still dominates the battle of the smartphone brands in Canada,” says Mary Beth Barbour, Senior Vice-President of Ipsos Reid. “Even when you consider the brand of the operating system – rather than just the brand of the device – BlackBerry still captures the largest share.”

Other device selling features often touted by BlackBerry users are the smartphone’s sync functionality, which ensures your contacts, calendar and other organizational items are up-to-date both at the office and on the go, and BlackBerry Messenger, a “chat” function installed on all BlackBerrys that offers direct and immediate communication with inner circles, work groups and clients. BBM can also serve as a business continuity option in case of an emergency, as it rarely crash in times when wireless signals might.

Additionally, the new BlackBerry 6 OS allows for fast web browsing and universal search function, fuelling even more business productivity. Plus, with a wide assortment of free and paid apps in BlackBerry App World, designed specifically with the business user in mind, those who choose BlackBerry can do everything from coordinating a shipment and tracking billing, to managing travel and remote printing.

Although touchscreen-only models exist, most BlackBerry smartphones are designed with an easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard for fast and accurate typing – a feature Carmichael says is incredibly important – as well as intuitive, optical trackpads for screen and menu navigation. Carmichael says while he uses the BlackBerry camera from time to time, he’s fine with keeping his smartphone a smart phone.

“I have had lengthy discussions with other device users,” he says. “But frankly, I have not found any device that interests me enough to switch from my BlackBerry.”

TELUS offers a range of devices equipped with all the top operating systems, recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for every business.

We're looking back on 2011 and some of the most "liked," "tweeted" and commented tech-focused blog posts at Telus Talks Business.

One of my contributions that garnered a lot of traffic was on how to best protect your smartphone.

After all, today's mobile devices are like pocket computers, as they can perform many of the same tasks as your PC or Mac – including accessing email, browsing the web, playing media and getting work done – so protecting them and the potentially sensitive data that resides on it is critical.

Here are a few ideas to shielding your device – and thus, yourself -- from scams, viruses and identity theft with these following smartphone safety tips.

Back it up

The first line of defense is to back up your smartphone regularly in case it's lost, stolen or compromised. The easiest and least expensive way to do it is to connect the smartphone to a computer – via USB cable or wireless Bluetooth – and synchronize the data between the two devices. Should you need a new smartphone, all the info will be copied back onto the new device.

There are also many "cloud" services that can wirelessly back up your contacts and other information to a password-protected website.

Lock it out

Speaking of passwords, ensure you've set up a 4-digit PIN (personal identification number) to use your smartphone – and don't use 0000, 1111 or 1234 or any other numbers easy to guess. Sure, a PIN is a bit inconvenient, but you'll get used to it quickly and will be thankful if you can't find your mobile phone.

You could also draw a pattern to gain access to your smartphone, which is popular on many Android phones, or use facial recognition technology, though it's generally not as secure as a PIN or pattern. Some phones have a fingerprint scanner, too.

"Take it to the second and third level by using password protection on any applications that contain personal or confidential information," advises Chris Stier, managing director for NetQin Mobile, one of the world's leading mobile security providers with roughly 10 million registered users. For example, those who do mobile banking on their phone should create a password that's at least seven characters long and contains letters, numbers and symbols.

Software protection

"Threats like malware, hacking and spamming have always existed for traditional PCs, but a smartphone attack can be even more damaging," cautions Stier. "You likely have personal and business information stored on it, personal conversations and messages that can be recorded and your location can be also tracked."

As such, software to protect against malware (malicious software) is "critical" for a mobile device today, says Stier.

NetQin Mobile, for example, offers a free antivirus smartphone solution and a more robust "premium" option for $1 to $2 per month. The software works on Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Symbian devices (not Apple's iOS platform).

Remote control

If your smartphone is lost or stolen, there are free mapping tools to remotely track the GPS-enabled device on a computer, smartphone or tablet. Note: if your phone was stolen it's recommended to give this info to authorities rather than you trying to retrieve it.

These same tools, such as Apple's Find My iPhone and BlackBerry Protect, can also remotely wipe the smartphone clean, making it ring loudly (if, say, left under the cushions) or display a message on the screen (such as "Please call me").

You need to set up these tracking apps ahead of time, so be sure to do that before it's too late. Here are some tips to setting this all up.

Check your statement

Finally, it's recommended to check your monthly statement carefully for suspicious calls and SMS (text messaging) charges.

"Comb through your bill closely because you might find charges made without your consent," says Stief. "If you find any, contact your carrier immediately to dispute the charges and they'll identify the company or service for you."

As we wind down the year, it's a fitting time for Telus Talks Business contributors to thank you for reading, sharing and commenting on our posts. We hope you've enjoyed clicking or tapping through our small business-focused content as much as we've had fun writing it.

It's also a good opportunity to look back at the top tech trends in 2011, be it tablets and smartphones, app proliferation, cloud computing, virtualization, 4G/LTE, voice control and the consumer-ization of IT, to name a few that come to mind.

One of the posts I received the most email on this year was on QR codes.

In case you missed my original post, I chatted about the growing phenomenon in Canada and elsewhere, the varied applications for it and what you need to get going.

Ah, QC codes. You see them everywhere: in newspapers, on real estate signs, at museums and on the back of business cards. You flash one before boarding an airplane and scan one when leaving a rock concert.

They're called QR Codes, or "Quick Response" codes, and they're everywhere. If you've spent any time shopping, traveling, socializing or even walking around town these days, you no doubt have seen these mysterious black and white dotted squares – and people scanning them with their smartphones.

Consider them a kind of 2D barcode that has a number of advantages over traditional (lined) barcodes: they can store a lot more information (more than 7,000 numeric characters versus 20); they can be scanned quickly from any angle; and they're designed for consumers and businesses alike.

OK, so what do they do?

Once a QR code is scanned, it can take you directly to a website, launch a related YouTube video, add a name to your contacts list or download a MP3 or other content to your phone.

For example, if you liked reading an article in your local newspaper, you might see a QR code at the end of the piece. When scanned, it opens up a website with more information on the subject in question (such as a full-length interview with the person profiled). In this capacity, QR codes bridge the gap between old media and the online world.

Or your airline can text you a QR code to your phone. Hold it up as a digital boarding pass so it can be scanned as you board the plane. No paper needed.

Walking by a restaurant? Scan the QR code in the window, and it opens up the establishment's menu, hours of operation and perhaps a video message from the owner.

If you're off to a musical, a QR code on the back of your ticket might download a track or two from the official soundtrack.

You get the idea.

There are countless applications for QR codes, all designed to make exchanging information easier than manually typing everything in – and it's much faster, too, as scanning just takes a second or two.

QR codes started in Japan almost two decades ago, and while they've been popular in Asia and parts of Europe for a few years now, they're beginning to catch on in North America now that smartphones are becoming more ubiquitous.

What do I need?

All you need to scan QR codes is a smartphone with a camera (almost all have one) and software that can interpret what the code means and act on it.

In some cases, a QR code reader will be preinstalled on the smartphone, but there are many free ones to download for your smartphone if it's not. For example, there's Barcode Scanner for Android, QR Reader for iPhone, QR Code Scanner Pro for BlackBerry and BeeTagg for Windows Phone 7 and Nokia smartphones. There's also Google Googles, ShopSavvy and QuickMark QR Code Reader.

Some QR code readers will be built into existing apps, too, such as Research in Motion's BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). If you want to add someone to your contact list, scanning their smartphone's QR code is much faster than manually typing in their PIN number.

The future

QR codes are rising in popularity in Canada and the U.S., and for companies, they're an inexpensive way to deliver additional information, media and contact information to customers (or potential customers).

There are many websites that let you create QR codes for free, such as the one here or you can watch videos on how to do it elsewhere.

Another technology is also gaining popularity called NFCs, or Near-Field Communications. Soon, you'll be able to swipe your smartphone on a sensor in order to open up a website, download media or make a secure payment while on the go. Because NFCs are a wireless technology, the advantage over QR codes is you don't need to open a QR app to scan a code with your camera – it's just a quick swipe.

Imagine leaving a movie theatre in the near future and you stop to look at a poster for an upcoming film you're interested in. You might be able to swipe your phone on the poster's frame and a high-definition trailer for the flick will download to your device.

Of course, there is more of an investment to be made as a wireless sensor, or terminal, is required by those who want to use NFCs to get their word out -- not to mention NFCs won't be possible on a newspaper page (QR codes makes more sense here). But expect to hear a lot more about NFCs in 2012 – especially when it comes to making payments on vending machines and at stores.

With so many mobile devices on the market that support various operating systems, it’s often tough to know which will be the best tool to support you and your team.  In series of four posts, we are speaking with Canadian business leaders about how and why they chose not just their device, but the operating system.

As the Executive Vice President for software company Solutions360, John Graham’s path to the iPhone started when he purchased his iPad.

“What struck me was the simplicity of using it, and just how many new ways I was able to expand its use,” says Graham. “It just worked in every new direction that I took it.”

Shortly thereafter he decided to make the switch from his long time commitment to a top competitor to the iPhone 4, and since then, he says he’s never looked back.

“For me, communications with the office, with clients, and my kids for that matter, is critical,” says Graham, who uses his mobile device at work for e-mail and texting colleagues and customers. “What I love about the iPhone and its underlying operating system is primarily that it just works, all the time, and it does so in an intuitive way.”

In addition to a vibrant high-resolution screen, iTunes integration and FaceTime video calling, the iPhone’s iOS4 operating system empowers multitasking, and the ability to create a personal Wi-Fi hotspot to share your data with multiple devices.

Research shows that iPhone 4 is the most popular smartphone in Canada, but Graham doesn’t just love it because it’s so widely used. He says the key aspect of the iPhone operating system that he depends on it for, is its flexibility.

And he’s right: With tens of thousands of applications accessible from the dynamic App Store, and an app for almost anything.

“If I need to accomplish something or find some information, there’s for sure an app for that. It’s a very empowering tool,” he explains.

“I can remote desktop into my office computer, I can keep tabs on colleagues, Tweet, and keep up on my Microsoft Exchange e-mail,” he adds. “Most importantly, I can keep in touch with my family and entertain each of my four kids with a plethora of bird flinging, target practice or parking games.”

Graham is specifically a fan of the iPhone’s mail system, which blends all of his e-mail accounts into one easy-to-read inbox. The iPhone 4 supports multiple Microsoft Exchange and ActiveSync accounts, meaning your business email, calendar, and contacts are always up to date.

“I’m no longer tied to my desk. I can be in the board room or in the kitchen and know what’s happening with my mail,” he says, adding that he also uses many other functions like speech to text functions to help him stay productive when traveling.  “Bottom line I am connected and just as informed as I am when I’m sitting in front of my main desktop.”

TELUS offers a range of devices equipped with all the top operating  systems, recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for every  business.