Show of hands: How many of you start your day with your smartphone in your hands?

Okay, so now that we have gotten that out of the way, and we all feel a little bit better about admitting our addiction and dependency for instant technology, lets talk about how we got here, and the pros and cons.

Let me start by stating the facts. I’m 32 years old, have loved technology in all forms since I was just a wee lad, and may or may not be described as having a certain geeky tendency when it comes to technology.

As I mentioned, I am 32 years old. This puts me in a great place when it comes to technology, especially mobile technology. I am old enough to have had a rotary phone in my house, remember when we didn’t have cable, when remote controls didn’t exist, and when you still had to use a phone book to look up peoples numbers. I am also at an age when I clearly remember making the decision to buy a pager, my first cell phone (it was a bright yellow Ericsson flip phone, that only showed numbers on a small calculator like screen), and eventually (many phones later) make the decision to enter into the smart phone world. I can still remember the day that I picked up an iPhone for the first time; I looked at it in amazement. I couldn’t believe that the object I was holding in my hand had more power and technological advancements than the computer that I had up until 2001. As I spent time getting familiar, setting up my email, downloading apps, surfing the web; I knew this was an amazing thing.

Lets fast forward to today, we can clearly see that I was not alone with my feelings, because 89 million of my closest friends use an iPhone everyday. This also doesn’t account for the 92 million android based smart phone users out there as well. So to point out the obvious, I am going to go out on a limb and make the statement that mobile technology is down right popular. Being as popular as it is, we wanted to take a look a what we are doing the most with our phones, and what apps we simply couldn’t live without.

1) Hootsuite. Being the Social Media and Community Manager, as well as just being a bit of a social media uber user, this app helps streamline my life. I can manage many accounts from one place, monitor everything that is going on, stay in touch, and be responsive all from one place. Plus, who doesn’t like having an owl tell you that your message has been sent?!?!?!?
2) Pandora. Its no secret that I am a huge music fan, and Pandora has been with me since the spring of 2006.
3) Strava. I like to bike. In fact I like it so much that I often commute to work via bike, and try to get the miles in as frequently as possible. Strava lets me track my rides, speed, calories burned, etc. as well as share with my friends via social platforms, and compete against one another. If you bike, run, or walk I highly recommend it!
4) Virtual Table Tennis 3. I know what you are thinking, but we all have our vices! In all reality, this could be any game, I just happen to enjoy a spirited game of virtual ping pong. While I don’t log major time on this app, it is always fun to have something to play and clear your mind when you need to.
5) myCreate. How could I complete my top 5 list without this app? Sure, I work for iCreate to Educate, but even if I didn’t I still think this app is awesome! While currently only available for the iPad, we have some pretty exciting news coming up for all you iPhone users out there. This app has brought my family and I hours of fun. I have watched my children create, learn and have a blast with it. I have seen teachers and students get really excited to be able to tell stories in a new digital platform, and I have watched complete strangers create some amazing animations.

So there you have it, my top five apps. What are you using your mobile technology for, what apps make you tick. Take a minute and share your thoughts.