When Apple first announced its fourth-generation iPad and iPad Mini, I’m sure many journalists out there were extremely excited for the opportunity to get their hands on these new gadgets. I know I was. But for all the functional uses the iPad provides us, I wonder how many journalists have truly incorporated it into an everyday work tool? I know I haven’t.

In terms of incorporating into an everyday work tool, I’m not referring to using it as a device for reading content, sending emails, or communicating through social media channels. I’m talking about using it in the field – whether that’s shooting video, taking photos, writing pieces on the go or using the technology for interviews. This last point is something that I’ve never used the iPad for because I often use a voice recorder or take hand notes.

So I did some digging, and asked for some suggestions, and these are five apps (listed in alphabetical order) that I think are great for handling interviews.

1. Dragon Dictation

 I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the accuracy and speed of Dragon Dictation, which transcribes voice recordings into text. According to a description of the app, “it’s up to five times faster than typing on the keyboard,” and I can note that it is pretty accurate in picking up my voice and translating that to copy. This information can then be sent via text message, email, social media platforms, and much more. The only downside of this app is that you need a Wi-Fi connection in order to do any transcribing. On the positive side, this app is free to download.

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WordPress 3.2 “Gershwin,” released earlier this summer, got me more excited than a typical WordPress release.

There’s the beautiful, HTML 5 Twenty Eleven default theme. There’s the different post formats.

Then there’s the refreshed dashboard that includes a full screen editor function.

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