Robert Scoble

Your own personal PRISM: Who has the best mobile contextual apps?

Hey, if the government is gonna track lots of stuff that we do on the Internet, why not use that power to serve US? That's exactly what contextual apps do -- they help figure out what you need to do next.

I have a list of my favorite ten below. +shel israel and I are writing a book called the "Age of Context." I keep updating this list in my head (and on Flipboard I'm keeping a magazine titled "The Next 10 Years" where I'm tracking all of this stuff).

But I want to crowd source this too. Do you use a contextual app? Something like Google Now that helps you live your life by looking deep into the context of what you are doing?

• Google Now: this app tries to predict where you are going next, what you are doing next, who you are meeting next, the information you need to know next. Dave Winer's Google Now story shows how cool and creepy it is: http://threads2.scripting.com/2013/june/aGoogleNowStory

• Tempo AI. A better calendar than iOS 7 has. http://scobleizer.com/2013/02/13/siris-contextual-sister-tempo-blows-away-apples-iphone-calendar/ This calendar, on iPhone, looks deep into your iPhone’s email, calendar, and the web and tries to make your calendar more useful by bringing together relevant emails, addresses, names, phone numbers, and more.

• Sherpa. Personal assistant on Android. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sherpa.asistentesherpa Better than SIRI, more complete, faster, tries to predict what you will need next.

• SmartThings. Home automation. This system and mobile app will warn you if you leave a window open as you leave among a ton of other things. http://www.smartthings.com/

• MindMeld. iPad app that listens to what you say and tries to anticipate what you need as you say it. http://www.expectlabs.com/mindmeld/ Video at: https://plus.google.com/+Scobleizer/posts/fTC7Wonet1M

• IFTTT. A scripting tool for life. https://ifttt.com/ Contextual features based on location and activity are coming soon.

• Atooma. Similar to IFTTT, but wholly based on mobile. http://www.atooma.com/welcome

• Moves. This health tracker already can “sense” four contexts: whether you are driving, walking, biking, or running. Funny enough Google announced an API that does the same thing in mid-2013. http://www.moves-app.com/

• Everything.me. This app launcher, for Android, turns your smartphone into a contextual powerhouse. It introduces a concept where it asks you what you want and it dynamically changes your whole phone into bringing you apps and data that serve that need. http://corp.everything.me/

• Easily.do. A personal assistant that helps you contextually live your life and stay on top of tasks. https://www.easilydo.com/

Got any better ones? Let me know!