Five Kindle Fire HD apps to boost your productivity

If you've heard that the Kindle Fire HD is an entertainment tablet, you've heard right. It features incredible picture quality, excellent sound and an easy-to-use interface. Don't let the naysayers say that it's not a productivity tablet, though. These five apps will take your Kindle from a mere entertainment tablet to a powerful time management tool.

1. Calengoo: This app is pretty straightforward; it syncs with your Google Calendar and tasks. Calengoo features colored widgets, reminders and other perks that are typical of Google Calendar. This app will cost you about $6, but you can "test drive" it before you buy.
2. Motivated Moms 2013: I'll admit it...I need serious motivation when it comes to housework. When my house becomes too cluttered, I tend to feel overwhelmed at where to start. This app makes it easy to get started cleaning. In fact, following the lists every day will help you maintain a clean home in about 30-60 minutes a day. The app features a daily checklist of chores to complete. Some are every day items (such as loading the dishwasher and wiping the kitchen counters) while others are less frequent (such as cleaning the microwave). The list even includes rare chores and tasks like ordering your free annual credit report, cleaning the kitchen light fixtures and wiping down light switches. Tasks can be assigned to specific people by color, allowing each person to see which chores belong to them. You're not limited to the tasks listed in the app; you can also create your own. If you'd like to try it before you buy it, check out the lite version or use the "test drive" option to try the premium one. This app is truly a lifesaver for the domestically challenged.
3. 7notes Premium Smart Writing Tool: I tried several different note-taking apps before settling on 7notes. I wanted something that I could "write" into instead of typing when I want to record notes quickly. This app allows me to do just that. You can leave your notes as "handwritten" notes, have your handwriting converted to digital text, or type into the app directly. This works exceptionally for taking notes during meetings or class. You can save your notes in Evernote, or share them via Facebook and Twitter. The downside is that the app doesn't allow you to organize your notes; they're displayed in a long list. For that reason, I recommend saving them to Evernote. The app is a little on the pricey side at $10, but there is a free version with limited capabilities. You can also test drive the premium app to see if it's a good fit for you.
4. Evernote: Evernote has been on the market for a while; it's never a surprise to find it on a list of productivity apps. Evernote is a powerful tool for your Kindle Fire HD. This app allows you to create, edit notes, to-dos and task lists. These can then be organized in notebooks and are searchable by tags. Evernote allows you to share your notes and lists with friends and colleagues via email, Facebook and Twitter. It syncs across all devices including Androids, PCs, Macs, iPhones and tablets of just about any kind.
5. Astrid Task & To-do List: This is my favorite to-do app for any device and, believe me, I've tried several including ToodleDo, 2Do, Wunderlist and Remember the Milk just to name a few. Astrid is my personal favorite because it can be used as a straightforward to-do list by simply adding tasks, but it can also be a powerful productivity tool. Its productivity-geared features include reminders and alarms, the ability to schedule recurring tasks, sharing and delegating tasks. Astrid also syncs with its online service, Google Tasks, and between Android devices. Best of all, it is FREE.

There it is folks. Have you found productivity tools for the Kindle Fire HD that should be added to the list? Think you've found better apps than the ones I listed? Share them with me in the comments!

Kindle Fire HD picture courtesy of Amazon.