APP OF THE DAY: Usher is a party planner for your phone

A new application called Usher aims to be a party planner in your pocket, with lots of new ways to manage the Facebook events you’re attending and those you’ve set up yourself.

Firstly, the name is a bit strange. Obviously usher means to show people to their seats at an event, but most people probably associate it with the American singer/songwriter/actor Usher who asked us all to “pop” our collars back in 2001.

Usher (the app not the entertainer) lets you do all kinds of things with your Facebook events, like see RSVPs in real-time, send last minute invitations and use filters to invite guests quickly and easily.

However, it’s the way you can print out a guest list, deliver mobile tickets to those attending and have a checklist on the door as people arrive, which makes the app really stand out.

It’s not just about organising events either, you can quickly see which you’ve been invited to as well.

Obviously it’s only really useful for those who use Facebook events regularly, and as the social network improves its offering the app may find it harder to give users anything unique. In the meantime, the app’s functionality on the door makes it pretty cool if you’re organising a large event with lots of guests, but less so for a small gathering.

Available from iTunes for free.