1. Cold Turkey

Apps and websites, such as online shopping, social media, videos, and games, are built to keep you hooked, so their effect on your productivity, ability to focus, and overall well-being can be considerable (Freedom, n.d.). Cold Turkey is a free website blocker designed for studying or focusing on work. It helps block distractions like social media, games, apps, YouTube, or even the entire internet for Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS. If you need to focus on your work, break a habit, or simply improve your relationship with technology, Cold Turkey can help you be more focused and productive (Cold Turkey, n.d.). It also can help you develop healthier, more intentional digital habits that give you control over your time and attention.

Additional Information and Resources for Cold Turkey

• Pricing of Cold Turkey
• Download Cold Turkey
• Features of Cold Turkey

2. OneNote

Microsoft OneNote is a digital note-taking app that allows users to take handwritten or typed notes. These notes are saved in OneDrive cloud storage and are accessible across user devices. The app can be accessed via Android, Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer (IE), iOS, and Mac devices. OneNote offers a variety of features and is highly customizable based on user productivity needs. Users can edit and annotate notes using a stylus or their fingers. They can convert these notes to digital format and add colors, shapes, and fonts to highlight certain points. Users can create drawings and charts, take screenshots, insert links and pictures, write audio commentaries, and take video notes. These creations can be shared with group members as long as the notebooks are hosted on OneDrive and not on a local network. OneNote’s features are best suited to professionals who have multiple meetings per week and who need to clean, organize, and color-code sections and pages, as well as professionals who are working on multiple collaborative projects.

OneNote also allows a user to share their notes with others using their email address or a user-created shareable link. The program is integrated with Cortana and Siri to function as a stenographer and can even read sections to a user so that they can make edits and clarifications on the spot. OneNote can also be integrated with Trello and Todoist through apps such as Zapier.

Microsoft OneNote is currently used by corporations of all sizes. Some examples include Hibu, CBRE Group, SpaceX, athenahealth, Johnson & Johnson, and M&T Bank. For more examples, please see Microsoft customer stories.

Additional Information and Resources for OneNote

• Pricing: It's free. You get 5 GB of storage for free from Microsoft; but if you need more space, check the pricing comparison of OneDrive plans. OneDrive is part of Microsoft 365, which also has different pricing models for different plans (see finding the right solution for you). Please note that Microsoft 365 is available to all students, faculty, and staff at Penn State.
• Get OneNote on Your PC and Macintosh for Free: Free download
• More information on OneNote:
  • OneNote Video Training
  • OneNote (Business)

3. Evernote

Evernote is another note-taking application that was created for individuals and businesses to capture ideas and key points discussed in meetings and brainstorming sessions; manage tasks and deadlines; and collect, organize, and save those notes for easy access in the future. It is cloud based and can be synchronized across devices. The app can be accessed via Chrome, Firefox, and IE as well as on Android and Mac devices. Notes can be accessed offline; however, this requires a paid subscription. Similar to Microsoft OneNote, Evernote is highly customizable and user-friendly. It supports handwritten notes, screenshots, picture notes, receipts, documents, mind maps, document scanning, and audio commentaries. Video notes are not supported, but videos recorded with other tools can be imported into Evernote. Users can also annotate and highlight their notes and to-do lists, as well as search for keywords and tags within their notes for easy access to select information. Links, images, and videos can be inserted into the notes, and the Web Clipper browser extension allows users to save the contents of a web page directly to an Evernote notebook. This can be helpful during the research and information-gathering phases of collaborative work.

Additionally, users can save their notes and their notebooks directly in the cloud and share them with their collaborators as part of the Evernote business subscription. However, cloud storage is only available with a paid subscription, and there is a limit on how much data users can save in Evernote cloud storage each month. Evernote integrates with Trello and Todoist through apps such as Zapier, IFTTT, and Evernote Power-Up.

Evernote is currently used by companies of all sizes. Some examples include FREITAG, CoSchedule, Otsuka Kagu, Obie, and ChatBot.

Additional Information and Resources for Evernote

• Which Evernote is right for you? See the pricing information for different plans.
• Free trial/demo:
  • Free with Basic Plan
• More information on Evernote:
  • Using Evernote - Quick Start Guide
  • Use Cases: Learn how team use Evernote Business
  • Compare Microsoft OneNote vs Evernote

4. Pavlok 2

Pavlok 2 is a habit-conditioning wearable device that uses beeps, vibrations, and mild electric shocks to help users break bad habits, such as sleeping late, biting their nails, pulling their hair, procrastinating, smoking, and snacking. The device is based on the concept of aversive conditioning. Aversive conditioning is a type of behavioral conditioning in which an individual is exposed to a negative stimulus (i.e., punishment) to stop an unwanted behavior. Pavlok applies this concept by giving users a shock (or another uncomfortable stimulus) whenever they engage in a behavior they want to avoid. The underlying idea is that, over time, the brain will automatically associate the uncomfortable stimulus with the bad behavior, and slowly the unwanted behavior will fade away. It should be noted the device doesn't automatically deliver shocks; the user must push a button on the wristband or use the remote control feature on the Pavlok 2 app. Users can also adjust the shock level from 0% to 100% in increments of 10%.

The Pavlok 2 band holds a rechargeable battery capable of delivering 150 tiny jolts. The band is adjustable to fit different wrist sizes and has Bluetooth for app connectivity and a mini-USB to charge the battery. Additionally, the hardware holds a 9-axis accelerometer that is used to sense users’ hand movements to detect behaviors the user is attempting to avoid. Pavlok 2 also comes with a smartphone app, allowing users to customize the habit(s) they want to eliminate or to go through a suite of courses and programs for specific habit changes, such as waking up on time, handling food cravings, and stopping smoking. The app is available on iOS and Android and as a Google Chrome plug-in.

Additional Resources for Pavlok 2

• Pricing: Please check the Pavlok Shop page for the prices for Pavlok 2 and Shock Clock 2 (approximately $179.99 for Pavlok 2 and $149.99 for Shock Clock 2).
• Free trial/demo: No free trial or demo for this physical wearable device.
• More information on Pavlok 2:
  • The Science of Pavlok
  • Pavlok Apps and Integrations
  • Success Stories From the Pavlok Community (case studies)

5. MindMapper

MindMapper is a mind map software that helps users organize their thoughts effectively. Users can organize and structure ideas as they are generated. MindMapper includes a number of templates, such as a flowchart, a fishbone diagram, and a Gantt chart. Users can export their work to Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, among other programs. They can also collaborate with others on a mind map using the latest software program. There are many other mind map software programs, but MindMapper has existed since 1996 and has evolved to encompass planning, organizing, idea generation, and collaboration in a cloud environment. The company does not promote the product aggressively in North America, but it is widely known in South Korea under the name ThinkWise. One downside of this software is that it isn't compatible with Mac OS. If you're a Mac user, you may want to try other software programs, such as XMind.

Additional Resources for MindMapper

• Pricing: Please check the MindMapper pricing page for the prices of different licenses. The Academic version has the same features as MindMapper 17 Arena (which was listed at $249 in 2020).
• Products:
  • MindMapper for PC: Windows (no Mac OS)
  • MindMapper for USB: Windows (United States only)
  • MindMapper for Mobile: iOS, Android (limited features)
• More information on MindMapper
  • MindMapper home page

6. Zotero

Zotero is reference-management software that allows users to collect and manage references very easily. Zotero is highly recommended over other reference management tools for the following reasons. First, users can capture references with one click using a Zotero plug-in. Second, users can organize references however they would like and cite them in their preferred style (e.g., APA, MLA). Third, it's easy to copy and paste references in Zotero into email or folders. Fourth, Zotero has an excellent collaboration feature that enables users to share their references with team members, helping ensure that everyone has access to and is able to cite them correctly. Finally, it's free. If users need storage for collaboration, they must pay for it, but considering the effectiveness of collaboration, it may be worth paying for.

Additional Resources for Zotero

• Pricing: It's free.
• More information on Zotero:
  • Visit Zotero's home page.
  • Using Nvivo and Zotero for Research by Dr. Hyung Joon Yoon: The first 16:58 of this presentation covers the use of Zotero and Nvivo (a data analysis software).
    Note: Video removed. You will have access to the video in the actual course.

7. Text-to-Speech in Word

Text-to-speech is helpful for the visually impaired; however, it is also helpful as a self-editing tool. If you turn on this feature in Word, you can hear what you have written. In addition, if you are an auditory learner rather than a visual learner, you might want to rely on this feature when you read documents.