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5 Apps for seeing a man about a horse
Sometimes a wiseacre editor (we have a few) suggests we do a Five Apps post for a particularly offbeat area of interest. And sometimes we actually start brainstorming these. Today, we'll look at at restroom apps: after all, you can't spell iPhone without "I P." Here are 5 apps to help accommodate your timely needs (all prices are USD). Restroom/bathroom/toilet finder (Free) Yes, all those slashes are part of the official name. This app, as well as Have2P (also free) helps you locate the nearest public bathroom, which is handy for older handsets without Siri. If you have a 4S, you can just tell Siri, "I have to urinate" and let her search for public toilets using Apple's database (as long as you don't mind explaining your situation to your phone in public). Toilet Time Pro ($0.99) For those of you who use your potty breaks to play games, catch up with Twitter, or otherwise surf, Toilet Time Pro monitors the elapsed bathroom time and provide alarms to remind you how long you've spent in there. A special "Extension Time" feature allows you to "[set up] extension times to keep notifying you about your toilet time allow you extend your toilet time." Clearly, a GTD perk. Plus, the name gave us a chuckle. Toilet Time Pro suggests there's a non-professional version. Toilet Time Amateur? We won't be downloading that one. Talking Toilet ($0.99) If you have ever wished to transform your commode into an entertainment device (frankly, who hasn't)? If so, Talking Toilet provides exactly that frisson of personality you're looking for. According to its marketing text, the talking toilet "provides hours of entertainment with his hilarious sayings. Whether you're on the potty or not, he's sure to help pass the time while you pass the....well you know." Yes. We know. And we remind you that you chose to keep reading this post. Moving on... Toilet Tickles (free) Since most loo visits are short, entertainment options must likewise adapt. In the grand tradition of "toilet reading," Toilet Tickles provides quick jokes presented on a styled toilet paper roll courtesy of Italian Comedian Alessandro Paci. This app presumably allows you to go, read, laugh and leave, all in a timely manner. Drunk Sniper ($1.99, on sale for $0.99) Finally we bring you Drunk Sniper. It lets men practice their aim and women try to "walk in mens' shoes" at various levels of virtual inebriation. Even if you'll never be able to write in the snow, women will be virtually able to experience how "the toilet seems to become more and more elusive with every drink."
New iPhone? Try these must-have free apps
If you have that new iPhone you received for the holidays, you're probably looking to load it up with some apps that will enhance your mobile experience. Let me suggest some of the best of the free apps. Of course, everyone will have their own list, but here are my 5 favorites that I think most new iPhone users will love to use and to show off their new iPhone. If you're a news junkie, by all means get Zite, newly released for the iPhone. It sets you up with news categories of interest to you, then learns what you like by keeping track of stories you click on. Over time, it gets smarter and smarter, so in essence it creates a personalized magazine for you. Their are other news readers and aggregators, but the presentation of stories in Zite and its ability to learn make it my first choice. Glypmse is one of my very favorite apps, the kind of app I would pay for if it wasn't free. While some of the location-tracking functionality it offers is covered by Apple's iOS 5-only Find my Friends app, Glympse is more flexible and cross-platform to boot. With Glympse you send a message (email or SMS) to someone with information on your location; the link is set to expire when you want it to, so your friends can't track you indefinitely. Let's say you are meeting someone for lunch. When they get your message, they click on the included link, and Glympse loads a map showing a moving pin (that's you) along with your ETA. The person you are meeting doesn't need an iPhone, just any web-capable device, including laptops. It's a great service, and in practice I've found it to be super reliable. Tango does what Apple's FaceTime won't do, which is to allow you to video conference with another cellphone using 3G (FaceTime requires WiFi). Tango has added clients for Android and Windows Phone, so it's a great way to visually keep in touch with friends. I even tried it with a friend touring China and it worked. An update last week allows you to leave video mail for your Tango buddies. For more intellectual pursuits, try the recently released TED app. It's a collection of great talks from people in the arts, literature and the sciences. The app has been updated to work with Airplay, so you can stream the audio to another device like an Apple TV 2. I try to watch a TED talk at least once a week, and it's always a treat. Finally, for pure fun, try Action Movie FX. From the creators of the new Mission: Impossible movie, you can add rather impressive special effects to your own movies. With the free version you can add a missile strike or a car crash to your own video. It looks great, and the price is exactly right. Reviews are glowing. There are some other modules you can buy, like a tornado or helicopter crash, but I was fine with the free effects. It's more fun than you should be allowed to have for free. Enjoy that new iPhone. These free apps should help get you started. I'll add one bonus free app to the mix. Don't forget the free TUAW iPhone app to help you keep up with the latest and greatest Apple news. Happy Holidays! Correction: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this post stated that Find my Friends did not allow you to set up an expiring location tracker; it does allow this, via the 'Temporary' group sharing option. It still requires all participants to be using an iOS 5 device, while Glympse is cross-platform (as is Google Latitude, which also offers an iOS app). We apologize for the error. –Ed.
5 iOS Apps for Skyrim
Skyrim is an action, role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios that's filled with magic, potions, and dragon shouts. The game follows the main character's quest to defeat Alduin and the other dragons that returned to Skyrim. It's the fifth installment in the Elder Scroll series and one of the best so far. If you're a Skyrim fan, here are five apps that'll improve your alchemy skills, level up your character and help you find all the powerful weapons you'll need to slay some dragons (as well as Storm Cloaks or Imperials, depending on how you view the war). All prices are USD. Dragon Shout (Free; universal) Dragon Shout is a simple Skyrim map application. It launches with a blank map and you get to fill it in as you travel and complete quests. You need a free account if you want to add markers, and you can sign up for one within the app. Once you have an account, you can start adding markers to the map and give them a name, description and custom icon. A journal feature keeps a running list of your markers for future reference. All your markers are stored in the cloud and shared across devices. You can choose to keep your markers private or share them publicly. It isn't implemented yet, but Dragon Shout will eventually let you share your public markers with the Skyrim community. You'll also be able to chat with other people who are using the app. Dragon Shout shows promise and will shine when the community features are enabled. It's available for free, so you have little reason not to download it. Guide for Elder Scrolls Skyrim: Fast Leveling, Money, Master Spells, Unique Weapons and Armor ($1.99; universal) Guide for Elder Scrolls Skyrim is a general guide to all things Skyrim. It has tips on how to level up spells, increase your smithing skills and master the art of enchanting. Instead of text-based instructions, the guide often shows a YouTube video within the app. You can literally watch and learn. The app also has a long list of unique weapons and unique armor (armor, rings, shoes, etc). The list will tell you where each item is located, what quest you must take to earn the item, and its effect. There's one small oversight with the effect attribute, though. The effect is listed for the armor, but not for the weapons. So if you look up the Sanguine Rose, the guide won't tell you the staff summons a Dremora Lord to fight on your behalf. I talked to the developer, and this is something that'll be added in a future version of the app. The app has a nice UI and is an excellent first effort. It works on the iPhone and the iPad, which is perfect for the video clips. Skyrim Alchemist ($0.99; iPhone only) Skyrim Alchemist does one thing and does it well. It helps you find the ingredients you need to mix up potions. The Alchemist app lets you find ingredients or find effects. It's broken up into 4 panes -- the top lets your browse ingredients and the bottom lets you browse effects. When you select an ingredient at the top of the app, it will show the effects of that ingredient on the top right. When you click on the effect the top, the bottom wheel will scroll and show you all the other ingredients that produce that effect. It's a fantastic resource for making potions and works exceptionally well on the small screen of the iPhone. You can also use it on the iPad at 2X view. Unofficial Guide for Skyrim ($1.99; iPhone only) If you could only afford one app, then you should spend your money on the Unofficial Guide for Skyrim. The app has a tabular UI that's somewhat plain, but the app makes up for it with information. The Unofficial Guide has detailed quest walk-throughs and information on races, skills, perks, locations, and achievements. There's also a FAQ for commonly asked questions. You should think of the app as a well-organized, information-packed Skyrim wiki on your iPhone. It's formatted for the iPhone's screen, but it works on the iPad, too. MAppZ- Skyrim edition ($1.99; universal) MAppZ- Skyrim edition is a map-based app that's similar to Dragon Shout. What sets MAppZ apart from its competition is its pre-filled information. When you launch MAppZ- Skyrim edition, you are greeted with a map filled with noteworthy locations. Each location has an icon and tapping on the icon will bring up its name. Unfortunately, there is no description. You will have to search outside the app if you want more information on that marker. Similar to Dragon Shout, you can add custom markers to the map and save them for future use. You can also submit them to the database for inclusion on the map. There's also a search feature that'll let you find both pre-filled locations and the custom markers you added. MAppZ also has a nice UI and an easy-to-use menu bar which makes it a pleasure to use. At $1.99, it's another must-have for the Skyrim player. %Gallery-141441%
5 Apps to make your holiday shopping easy
Thanksgiving is done and Black Friday is behind us. Now, it's time to get serious with your holiday shopping. Here are a few apps that will make your holiday shopping easier, maybe even fun (all prices are USD). Santa's Bag- Christmas Gift List ($0.99) Santa's Bag- Christmas Gift List is an app to help you make your list and check it twice this holiday shopping season. The app includes a much-needed screenlock passcode so you can keep your list safe from prying eyes. The lists imports names from your contacts and lets you sort your gifts by recipient, store or status. You can add a status to your gifts like To Buy, Purchased, Wrapped or Given. It even tracks how much you spend and lets you backup your data to Dropbox in case something happens to your phone. Delivery Status ($4.99) Delivery status is a package tracker for the iPhone and iPad that help you manage your online purchases. The app lets you input tracking numbers manually or import them from online retailers like Amazon. The app will give you a summary of all incoming or outgoing packages and lets you know how many days until they are delivered. You can view the tracking details and locate the package on a map. If you sign up for a free Junecloud account, you can sync the tracking data between multiple devices. Deals & Steals from SlickDeals (Free) Deals & Steals is a quick and easy way to see all the deals that land on Slickdeals. Slickdeals is a large community-based website that gets most of its deals from a very active online forum. The forums are a source of hot deals and buying advice so you can find out if that item on sale is a winner or a loser. Xpense Tracker ($4.99) Xpense Tracker is a receipt-tracking app that'll store your holiday shopping receipts. You may not want to remember how much you spent on your gifts, but this information is invaluable if you need a receipt for warranty purposes or if someone needs to make a return. It does a lot more than just track receipts, which means you can use it outside the holiday shopping season. It also has a business slant and includes mileage tracking and support for a client list. Simon Malls (Free) The Simon Malls app has location and event information for over 300 malls in the US. The app has store listings and interior maps so you can make your way from store to store with ease.
5 apps for Black Friday
It's time to get your plastic out, and your game face on as Black Friday is almost here. The busiest shopping day in the year is two days away, and we have singled out five apps that'll help you find the best deals. Black Friday from DealNews (Free) When it's not Black Friday, DealNews is one of the best websites for finding deals on everything from clothes to cameras. On Black Friday, though, DealNews has one of the best apps to track individual deals as they are announced. Besides deals, the app also lets you add deals to a shopping list, search for specific products and even pull up online deals from a retailer's website. The best non-deal feature is the app's ability to find local stores so you'll know where to go when that HDTV hits a rock bottom price at Best Buy. Be sure to watch TUAW's Steve Sande interview Dan de Granpre from DealNews on today's episode of TUAW TV Live. TGI Black Friday (Free) TGI Black Friday is an app that focuses more on the ad scans from Black Friday promotions than individual deals like its DealNews rival. Each retailer's ad is scanned and available as a downloadable PDF. You can view sale items on a store-by-store basis or by browsing through categories. You can also search for items and save them to a shopping list. When you are done, you can email your shopping list to you or a loved one. You can also share the deals on Facebook or Twitter. Road Tripper (Free; US$1.99 ad-free) Road Tripper is a basic route planning app. It lets you add multiple points onto a map and save the route between them. It'll let you add all your shopping destinations, so you can plan the best way to travel from the mall to Target and then to L.L. Bean. Once your route is planned, you can print your map or send it via email. You can also share it on Facebook. The app is available for free, but includes advertisements. A US$1.99 in-app purchase will remove these ads. Google Shopper (Free) An essential part of shopping on Black Friday is making sure you get the best deal. Even if you have planned every last detail of your shopping trip, you will inevitably stumble upon an item that you want, but did not know was on sale. To make sure you get the best deal, you should use Google shopper to check prices at competing retailers. The app lets you scan or photograph your sales item and pulls down pricing information from Google's online shopping search engine. Your Favorite Retailer's App (Free) Most major retailers have an iOS app that'll let you find sales information, store locations and inventory. Most apps will let you make purchases that can either be shipped to your doorstep or held at your local store. Before you start shopping on Friday, you should fill your phone with the app from your favorite retailers. Stores like Best Buy, Target and Walmart are some of the top choices for Black Friday shoppers. Apple also has an app that'll let you browse its Black Friday sales, place online orders and arrange for in-store pick up. It will even let you checkout on your own when you are in a busy retail store.
5 apps for Thanksgiving
Whether you're ready for it or not, the holiday season is upon us. One week from today, many of us in the US will be pushing ourselves away from the Thanksgiving dinner table, sated and ready to do some serious shopping on our iPads. To get you ready for the holiday of turkey, football, and giving thanks for what you've got, here are five apps that are sure to get you in the holiday spirit. iCookbook 2.0 Part of the Thanksgiving tradition is cooking up an amazing feast for family and friends. iCookbook (on sale for US$4.99) has recently been updated to version 2.0 and it's now the app to have in the kitchen. This universal app has always had thousands of recipes for you to try out, but it's going to be your cooking buddy from now on. The developers at Publications International recently added voice commands to the iPhone version -- you can now avoid touching your iPad or iPhone screen with those greasy hands by speaking commands to move to the next step of a recipe, start or stop a timer, and more. The app is also awesome for those who may be tired of squinting at recipes, since it now has a "Prepare mode" that provides an enhanced display of a recipe for easy viewing. Have a TV in or near the kitchen? Great, since the app now has AirPlay support as well. If you're not thrilled about having your iOS toy in the messy kitchen while you cook, you can print your recipes to any AirPrint-compatible printer. iCookbook 2.0 provides free updates monthly as well as special recipe packs that are available through in-app purchase. Cocktails HD Sometimes the holidays can be a bit stressful with all of the family dynamics, and you want nothing more at the end (or beginning) of the big get-together than a good stiff drink. That's where Cocktails HD (sale priced at $0.99) comes in handy. It comes loaded with over 600 drink, wine and food recipes, a complete guide to bar tending, and new drinks are added on a regular basis in free updates. The app can also be handy for drinking games (please drink responsibly, though!), with a "random shake" mode that displays random drink recipes with a shake. If you do over-imbibe, do not drive. Instead, use this bonus app -- Taxi Magic (Free) -- to get a ride home or call a taxi for Uncle Bob, who just started dancing the lambada with the Christmas tree. College Football Scoreboard Plus It may be considered a little rude to be eating your Thanksgiving feast in front of the TV, so here's a way that you can keep up on the latest college football scores without committing a social faux pas. College Football Scoreboard Plus ($0.99) gives you up to the minute scores of all the games, schedules of what's coming up next, news about your favorite teams, and even a scrolling ticker of scores. It's perfect for sneaking a peek at what's happening -- just put the iPhone in your lap and keep looking pensive, and they'll just think you're reflecting on the meaning of Thanksgiving. Black Friday by BradsDeals While the guys may be in their tryptophan-induced daze after chowing down on a pound of turkey, the ladies are probably scheming for the Black Friday shopping on November 25. One way to plan on getting the best deals is to use an app like Black Friday (free) by BradsDeals. The app (2010 version shown above) lets you plan out your shopping itinerary by store and product, and includes a ton of Black Friday ads for most major retail chains. Get those deals all lined up for Black Friday, and you'll be ready to get up at 3 AM to start your annual shopping assault. Gratitude Journal The oft-forgotten part of Thanksgiving is the "giving thanks" piece. Regardless of your religion or lack thereof, it's a good time to think about being grateful for what you have and helping those who aren't as fortunate. A few years ago, I did a review of an app called Gratitude Journal Your Positive Thoughts ($0.99). The idea is that each and every day, you just write a short note about what you're grateful for. It doesn't have to be anything incredibly earthshaking -- maybe you're grateful that a friend called you, that you're healthy, or that you ate a really good meal last night. By looking over the good parts of your day, this app can really provide a way to focus on the positives in your life and make you happier. Gratitude Journal also includes nice quotes that will help to keep feeling positive about life in general.
Five apps to replace your iOS Calendar
Calendars are the cornerstone of our busy 21st century lives. Without them, many would not remember the long list of things they need to do and all the places they need to go. For some, the iOS default calendar is suitable, but many people want a calendar with a bit more oomph. Here's a list of five calendar apps for this group of power calendar users (all prices are USD). CalenGoo ($6.99, universal) CalenGoo is a calendar replacement that let you sync with Google Calendar. It easily syncs all your calendars (not just the default) and keeps their status so your hidden calendars remain hidden. It also supports Google calendar-specific features like Google tasks and Google's invitation system, so you can see whether someone accepted or declined an invite. If you don't have an Internet connection, CalenGoo will save all your changes offline and sync up with Google calendar when you have an active connection. At $6.99, this universal app is pricey, but worth it for heavy Google calendar users. Fast Calendar + Tasks (Calvetica) ($2.99, universal) Calvetica is an another favorite, but unlike CalenGoo, it pulls its calendar entries in from your default iOS calendar. This means setup is easy as you don't have to provide login information for Google and other services. It also means you can sync with a variety of calendars including iCloud, Exchange calendars and Google Calendar. This convenience comes at a cost as you lose some specialized features like Google task syncing. Calvetica does support tasks, but they're restricted to Calvetica, not an external calendar. If all you need is a good events calendar with alarm support, then Calvetica is fantastic. It's visually stunning and chock full of options to tweak how it looks and performs. There's also a bunch of gestures that let you navigate through the app with ease. And at $2.99, it is a very reasonably priced. Pocket Informant ($12.99 for iPhone, $14.99 for iPad) Pocket Informant is an oldie, but goodie. It was "the" calendar app for Windows Mobile and has been successfully ported to iOS and Android. Just like its older Windows Mobile counterpart, Pocket Informant for iOS is filled with features and options. That's one of the first things you notice about Pocket Informant - the five different views and all the settings that let you tweak the app to your heart's content. It's also more than a calendar app and includes tasks, notes and contacts as well. It may be $12.99, but you get a lot of bang for your buck. TouchBase Calendar ($0.99) TouchBase is described as "smart calendar" that works more as a digital assistant and less as a static calendar. It helps you add contacts and map information to each event you add to your calendar. This information can then be used with the apps 1-touch feature, which lets you notify others that you have arrived at your meeting location or send them a SMS to say you'll be late. It also has 1-touch calling and 1-touch access to maps. It syncs to a variety of calendars including Exchange, Google, Outlook, CalDAV and MobileMe. TouchBase is definitely different from most calendar apps out there and, at 99-cents, it's worth a look. Easy Calendar ($1.99) Easy Calendar is easy. It lets you create a new event with only three taps and edit an existing event with only two. It has a clean UI with support for colored calendars and search function that is integrated into the week view. It ties into the default iOS calendar and, as a result, can sync with MobileMe, Outlook, Google Calendar and other CalDAV calendars. It's an excellent choice for someone who wants something prettier than the default iOS calendar, but doesn't need the complexity of Pocket Informant.
5 apps for the Zombie Apocalypse
It's much harder to put together a 5 Apps post for the Zombie Apocalypse than you might think. Do we focus on serious topics like first aid, or do we try to inject a little humor like Plants vs. Zombies for "training skills"? In the end, we came to the conclusion that this was simply too complex a topic to limit to just five app titles. We give you five app topics instead -- and we've skipped the entertainment component. In that spirit of deadly serious preparedness training, we give you "5 App Categories for the Zombie Apocalypse." First Aid The app store is brimming with first aid applications. We liked the free Know-it-All First Aid refresher app, which seems to have plenty of good reviews and cover the basics. Other well-reviewed apps included Pocket First Aid and CPR ($3.99), and Emergency First Aid & Treatment Guide ($0.99). Emergency health response is a vital component of survival during the apocalypse. Maps During the Zombie Apocalypse, you'll want access to a navigation application that uses cached maps. These apps tend to be quite large (typically over a gigabyte) but when the zombies are after you and the Internet is dead, cached information may be a lifesaver. We recommend Navigon (various prices based on region) and TomTom (ditto). Survival manuals The App Store is home to any number of survival manuals. You may wish to check out iSurvival ($1.99), iSurvive ($1.99), the Army Ranger handbook ($2.99), Wilderness Survival ($3.99), or Survive It ($1.99). TUAW recommends against Zombie Apocalypse-specific titles (e.g. Zombie Apocalypse Manual, $0.99) as they do not provide as balanced coverage as the general topic apps. Flashlight apps There are a bajillion free flashlight apps on the App Store, many of them that can enable your built-in LED like this one. Flashlights can help you find your way through the moonless night as you run across the gravel pits. Be careful though. They can draw more attention to you by the hordes of the undead, who can see just as well as the living (especially when their glazed, bleeding eyes chance upon warm prey). You can use a free Safety Flasher to signal your compatriots once you know they haven't been infected. TUAW recommends against picking up multitool versions of flashlight apps. You don't want to be measuring shelves or using a level at the same time you're fleeing for your life. Also skippo the virtual Zippos. They won't do you any good in a real-world zombie face-off. Camouflage Consider picking up the free Zombie Nombie Lite if you think you may need to enter situations where you must camouflage yourself amongst actual zombies. Hold the app in front of your face, shuffle and make a lot of moaning sounds. You'll blend in perfectly. As a final note, let us point out that apps like the Zombie Survival Guide Scanner are meant for entertainment purposes only. Do not attempt to use these in real-life apocalypses.
Five apps to help you stay organized
Time is one of our most valuable assets and it's a shame to waste it looking for things that are misplaced and forgetting things because the details of your life are out of order. This week's Five Apps will help you gain control of life and get yourself organized once and for all. Completion ($2.99) Completion is a task manager that's quick and simple to use. It doesn't overwhelm you with complexity which makes its easy to get your tasks organized and stay committed for the long term. The workflow is simple. You add tasks and assign them to a project like work, personal or household. Each task lets you specify a date, set a priority, add a note, and assign it to a group. You can then use the group, due date and priority information to sort each list of tasks. When you have completed a task, you can delete it forever or mark it as complete which archives it for later retrieval. It has an attractive, colorful interface that makes Completion a pleasure to use. Pocket Informant ($12.99; $14.99 for HD iPad version) Pocket Informant is a contact, task and calendaring application for the iPhone and iPad. It's a productivity app on steroids that supports multiple calendars and syncs to a variety of services including Toodledo and Google calendar. The best part of Pocket Informant is its long list of customizations and settings. If you can see it on the screen, you can likely change its appearance and configure it to your preference. It's meant for the power user who doesn't mind spending a few hours tweaking it to his or her liking. Once you get it set up, you'll have 75% of your life at your fingertips. Bill Minder for iPhone ($1.99) BillMinder for iPhone lets you organize your bills by recording payment, amount and due date information. The app has a calendar and a list view that'll let you see which bills are past due and which are due in the future. If you need some help remembering when each blll is due, you can setup reminders that will alert a set number of days in advance. You can also sync bills between your iOS devices and back your data up to the cloud for retrieval if your phone is lost or stolen. Payment from within the app is made easy by its integration with DebtMinder (also made by the developers behind BillMinder) and Pocket Money. Billings Touch (Free to try; $15 to unlock via in-app purchase) Billings Touch is an invoicing and billing app for the freelancer. It'll let you organize your clients, track the amount of time you spend working on a project and manage invoices. Developed by Marketcircle, Billings Touch works alone as an iPhone app or as a companion to the desktop Billings for Mac app. We took a look at Billings Touch when it first came out. We liked it back then and still like it now. It's not perfect -- you can't use a custom invoice on the iPhone, but it remains one of the best apps for freelancers who want to keep track of their precious incoming cash flow. Pocket Money ($4.99 for iPhone and iPad) Pocket Money is a financial app that'll help you organize your money. It uses a standard register interface and lets you add accounts like your checking, savings, credit card, and cash. It has all the information you need to record a transaction like category, date, amount, and note. Best of all, it lets you easily sync information between two iOS devices. You can also export transactions to your desktop finance app via Qif files. It's an excellent app for your basic financial needs.
Five apps for leaf peeping
It's that time of the year when the air turns crisp and cool and the leaves begin to change color. If you live in a seasonal part of the country like I do, I bet you can't wait for the bright and vibrant fall colors to reach their peak. Here are five apps to help you plan an excellent leaf peeping adventure: TreeID with Fall Foliage ($2.99) TreeID is an iPhone application that lets you identify trees and pull up their name, scientific name, tree characteristics and location. The app has more than a hundred new trees and can identify fifty foliage trees. Foliage Leaf Peepr (Free) Foliage Leaf Peepr is an application developed for Yankee Magazine. It'll let you rate the local foliage as the leaves progress from green to peak to gone. You can view these ratings on an interactive foliage map hosted by Yankee Magazine. The map also displays photos uploaded to the map by its users. 360 Panorama ($1.99) 360 Panorama is a photography app that takes panoramic pictures that extend up to 360 degrees. A versatile app, it takes horizontal and vertical panoramas so you can capture stunning photos of those patchwork-colored leaves. You can read our full review of 360 Panorama here. MotionX GPS ($2.99) MotionX GPS is an inexpensive GPS app that'll track your location on a map. You can record or follow your tracks and share them when your journey is done. You can also share tracks and waypoints on social networks like Twitter or Facebook and send a geotagged photo or two. It's an excellent app for marking where've you been so you can keep track of the best leaf-peeping locations. IM+ Pro ($9.99) When you're admiring the bright gold and deep red leaves, you may want to share your beautiful photos or chat with your family and friends. With IM+, you can send a message through a variety of IM services, post to Twitter or Facebook, or chat via Skype. It's an all-in-one messaging client that lets you easily share you're leaf peeping adventures with others.
5 iPhone apps for hiking
Now that the weather is cooling down here in the States, it's time to spend some time outdoors. I love a good hike, and they're made even more enjoyable with a good app by my side. Track distance, brag about your workout or even find a hidden "treasure" during your excursion with these apps. Have fun (all prices are USD). iMapMyHIKE (Free lite version, $1.99 pro) I used iMapMyHIKE all summer. When you start out, launch the app and note your location. As you move, the app tracks your course. It's fun to see where you've traveled as well as build a real-time map back to your starting point, should you get confused. Of course, that's just the beginning. You can share your hiking stats with friends (like distance travelled, pace and so on), spot hiking companions running the app on a map and log your data to keep track of your outdoor workouts. It's a lot of fun and was a good companion this summer. BoxFinder ($1.99) and Geocaching ($99) Here's a two-for-one deal. BoxFinder and Geocaching are apps for letterboxing and geocaching, two similar hunt-and-find games that can enhance any hike. Geocaching is the practice of finding small boxes (often Tupperware containers) that have been hidden at specific geographic coordinates around the world. Each typically contains a log book and other goodies. Letterboxing is similar, but directed at kids. Upon finding a letterbox, the "hunter" marks its logbook with his signature "stamp," while placing the box's stamp in her own log book. Both apps make the adventures much easier and enjoyable. Since the iPhone 4 is a GPS receiver, finding that box is quite easy. Use the coordinates, description and virtual logs left by other "players" to find just what you're looking for. Both apps offer to find boxes within your area and, in my experience, excel at directing you right to them. If you're interested in either of these pastimes, grab these apps. They truly enhance the experience. MyNature Animal Tracks ($6.99) When I was a Boy Scout, I loved making casts of animal tracks we found in the woods. Today my own kids like finding them, too, but I'm out of practice and can't identify them as reliably as I used to. Fortunately, MyNature Animal Tracks is here to help. This great little app features a huge database of animal tracks, both hind and forepaws. When you come across a track, perform a quick search to find what you're looking for. Once you have, the app provides an image of the animal, plus its gate, call and typical range. Best of all, the data is all within the app so it works without an Internet connection -- a likely scenario in the middle of the woods. Star Walk - 5 Stars Astronomy Guide ($2.99) Staying overnight? Then you must have this with you. There are plenty of astronomy apps out there but this one never fails to impress. When pointed at the sky, Star Walk identifies the stars, planets and other heavenly bodies overhead (including satellites!). It's extremely impressive. As you slowly move it across the sky, Star Walk points out what you're looking at. A search feature will guide you to a certain object with an arrow. For example, type "Mars" and the app prompts you to face the right direction. There's also a calendar of celestial events for planning purposes and a red-light "night mode" to preserve your dark vision. It's one of the first apps I use to show off my iPhone (iPad, too). There you have five great apps to accompany you in the great outdoors. One more thing -- grab an environment-resistant case while you're at it. The rivers, streams and hard rocks are pretty, but they don't care a tinker's cuss about your iPhone.
5 apps for the lemur owner
Sometimes a wiseacre editor (we have a few) suggests we do a Five Apps post for a particularly offbeat area of interest. And sometimes we actually start brainstorming these. "Five Apps for the Lemur Owner" has been on our "to hit" list for ages now. The problem is we're not entirely sure we can get behind the idea of private lemur ownership. Sure, there are USDA-licensed lemur breeders, so you can buy a lemur legally in the US and feed it with easily-available primate-chow, but there are many good reasons that lemurs top lists of worst-pet-choices. And better ways to spend your money. That being said, TUAW has been promising a 5 Apps for the Lemur Owner write-up for years now. And it all came down to put up or shut up. We decided to put up. We hope you take this post with the lighthearted humor that is intended. On to the Monkey Business. For US$1.99, you can load your iPhone with Monkeys!!, (yes, those two exclamation points are part!! of its name!!), an app that offers over a hundred "fascinating images that [your pet lemur] will love...you'll never find a better selection of gorillas, apes, chimpanzees, lemurs, and other primates!" Perfect for the lemur whose just a wee bit bored with the primate who actually delivers the primate-chow and cleans up after it. If your lemur is something of a speciesist snob, there's an entire app devoted to lemurity. iLemur (free) offers "The first interactive encyclopedia of lemurs." The application helps you discover "lemur species from a dynamic mosaic," encouraging you to "Find the cutest!" Lest you be put off by this title, be assured the app is full of facts, offering physical characteristics, ecology, conservation status, and more. The Primates (also free) provides an all-round guide to all primates including lemurs, orangutans, gorillas, the guy you sit next to at work, and more. The marketing text specifies that "every primate lover should have this application." Moving on... There are primates aplenty to be enjoyed with ZooBorns, a free app that ties into the much-loved baby animal site. If you have not bookmarked ZooBorns in your browser, do so now. I'll wait. It's not a lemur-specific site, but it's one of the best child-friendly web pages around. Finally, we give you Banana Gun. Because someone had to. This free-app lets you roleplay as one of the last surviving bananas in the world, coming under attack by rabid monkeys. Only the elite banana warriors will triumph. And with that, we invite you to go bananas. (Next up? 5 Apps for the Amish. Send in your suggestions.)
Five Apps For Back To School
I can't believe it. August is here which means the summer is just about over and the back to school season is almost upon us. So go buy your books, sharpen your pencils and grab these five iOS apps to help you start off the school year on the right foot: Grades 2 (Free) Grades 2 is an app that will help you reach your target GPA. It'll let you input your classes, their assignments and your scores as the semester progresses. If you input a target grade, the app will tell you what you need to score on your assignments to reach your goal. iHomework ($1.99) iHomework is the ultimate organizer for students. It lets you keep track of courses, teacher information, assignments, grades and more. It has a built-in calendar and reminder system. It also works on your iPhone or iPad and has a Mac app so you can sync your information across all three devices. Snoozerr ($0.99) Snoozerr is an audio recording app that you can use to record lectures. It also integrates with the iPhone camera and lets you snap a photo during a lecture. The app will timestamp the photo so you can sync the visual content with the audio and get all parts of the lecture. AroundMe (Free) AroundMe is a GPS app that shows you points of interests like gas stations and banks around you. It's perfect for the first-year college student who's venturing out for the first time to a new location. Guinness Pub Finder (Free) Last but not least is the Guinness Pub finder app. One of the joys of upper-class college living is the ability to go out and have a good meal with a cold beer at a local pub. The pub finder app lets you find a local tavern that sells the hearty stout. It also lets you rate the establishment and receive tips on drinking a proper mug of Guinness. A 99-cent in-app purchase will add a trivia-based game or a gallery of Guinness images.
Five apps for the new Mom or Dad
Nothing compares to cradling your first newborn baby in your arms. It's a memorable moment you'll never forget. Though holding a newborn never grows tiring (trust me I know), there are other parts of parenting such as nursing and colic that can be a challenge. Here are five iOS apps to help you navigate the sometimes rocky, but always rewarding time of being a new Mom or Dad: Baby Shusher ($4.99) Baby Shusher is an app to help calm your fussy baby. It uses a quiet shushing sound that mimics the sound of the womb. There's a timer that lets you "shush" for up to 8 hours and an equalizer that adjusts the volume according to your baby's cries. The latest version of the app adds in support for forums so you can share your experiences with other moms. Baby Shusher requires iOS 4.2 or later and is compatible with the iPhone, 4G iPod Touch (NOT 2G or 3G iPod Touch) and iPad. Baby Geek ($0.99) Raising a newborn is a science. You have to watch its weight, count its diapers and keep track of its sleep. Once your child begins to grow, you'll want to record milestones both for medical reasons and posterity sake. To help with this technical part of child rearing, you'll want to check out Baby Geek. Baby Geek is a logging and analysis app custom-made for tracking babies up to age 3. Besides tracking your baby, Baby Geek also has a syncing option so you can share important baby information. There's also an email option so you can send the stats to your doctor or another caregiver. Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1.3 or later. Baby Monitor and Alarm ($2.99) Baby Monitor and Alarm lets you use two iOS devices as a baby monitoring system. You leave one device in the room and carry around the other so you can hear your baby while it sleeps. The app also plays soothing music from your iTunes library. You can even record your own voice and have it play back while your infant falls asleep. When the baby begins to stir, an alert function will call you on any phone number. It's great for home use, even better for when you're traveling. Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1 or later. Skrappy Digital Scrapbook ($2.99) Skrappy is a digital scrapbooking app for the iPad. It'll let you take those cute baby pictures and turn them into a keepsake. It's a full-fledged scrapbooking app with support for images, videos, clip art, backgrounds and more. If you want to take pictures of your baby, make them cute and share them with the grandparents, this is the app do it. Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 4.2 or later. Diapers.com Free (Free) Unless you go the cloth route, diapers are a fact of life for every parent of a newborn. And, boy, are they expensive which is why it's so nice to have the diapers.com app on your iOS device. The app is a mobile interface for the diaper.com website which offers diapers at a discount. You can place new orders and track existing orders right from your phone. It also has a scanning feature so you can do some comparison shopping if you find yourself hunting down wipes at your local Target or Wal-Mart. Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1 or later.
5 apps for geocaching
Although I'm much more likely to spend a lovely summer day with my butt glued to the chair working on a new TUAW post, I do enjoy the sport/hobby/game of geocaching. If you're not familiar with the term, geocaching is defined as "a global treasure hunting game where participants locate hidden physical containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share their experience online." When I first started geocaching, smartphones didn't exist so I'd print out a map, grab my Garmin GPS, and head out to the field. For the last few years, there has been a boom in iPhone apps for geocaching. Here are five apps to help you enjoy finding those hidden caches. Geocaching Intro (Free) GroundSpeak is the company that runs the Geocaching.com website, the world's largest repository of geocache location information with over 1,450,000 active caches listed. As a for-profit organization, Groundspeak has a vested interest in getting new members into the hobby. The app is a way to get you hooked on geocaching by letting you find three geocaches near your current location, provide you with the requisite coordinates, hints, and description, and help you navigate to the cache. A bonus is that the app alerts you when you're getting close to the cache location by vibrating and making a sound. It's a wonderful and free app for deciding whether or not geocaching captures your attention. Geocaching ($9.99) If that free intro got you hooked, you may want to graduate to a Geocaching.com premium account so that you get access to some special caches and features that aren't open to the general public. The official Geocaching app was the first caching app for the iPhone, and it has improved over the years to become the tool for finding and reporting caches. The feature set is incredible. Over a 3G data connection you can pick up information about any of the caches worldwide, log your finds, save listings for offline use (helpful in backcountry caching), navigate to caches with a compass arrow, browse photo galleries and cache attributes, and more. You'll even know if you've been to a cache before or if a cache is currently inactive. Since I've had this app, I haven't had to print out maps and I sold my old Garmin GPS. The app and iPhone work great together, although you'll probably want to have an external battery pack on hand while caching. %Gallery-128899% Garmin OpenCaching (Free) OpenCaching is a user-powered caching community started by GPS giant Garmin earlier this year. While the database of caches is only a small fraction of those available through Geocaching.com, the ability to have access to all services for free and a novel graphical method of providing a rating for caches seem to be resonating with some cachers. For free, it's well worth the time to download. Geocaching with Geosphere ($7.99) If you're not happy with the Geocaching app but would like to use the GPX "Pocket Query" files that can be generated with a Premium membership on Geocaching.com, the Geocaching with Geosphere might be the answer. Geocaching with Geosphere reads GPX and LOC files, and can import multiple GPX files that have been compressed into a ZIP archive. It displays a compass showing the direction to the cache you're seeking, can store description information and images for offline viewing, and let you create field notes to upload as log entries later. If you're online, you can access satellite images showing cache locations, or create a GPX file on the fly. Geocaching Toolkit iGCT (Free) Geocaching Toolkit won't help you get to a cache directly, but it could help you with the more advanced "multi-caches". Many times, multi-caches involve complicated puzzles, calculations, or finding a point using distances and bearings. That's what Geocaching Toolkit iGCT is for: making waypoint and text calculations, decrypting hints in geocache listings, and more. For cachers who are well beyond the "dash and grab" type of easy geocaches, Geocaching Toolkit is a must-have. Finally, I'd like to close out this post with a recommendation for a podcast that has been one of my favorites for years. The PodCacher podcast has been around for years (the last show was number 328), and is the product of a San Diego couple, Sonny and Sandy. It's highly recommended for anyone who enjoys geocaching, and you can subscribe here.
5 apps for the cycling enthusiast
The Tour de France is in full swing and cyclists around the world are watching the man in the yellow jersey, who at the writing of the post is Frenchman Thomas Voeckler, of Europcar. Here are five apps to help you keep up with the cycling action or even make your own: Fantasy Cycling Tour ($1.99) Fantasy Cycling Tour is a fantasy sports app for the cycling crowd. You can build a fantasy cycling team and race them in circuits around the world. You can hire new riders or trade talent to build the best team. You start off with a 50 million Euro budget and can supplement that cash reserve with winnings. iMapMyRide+ ($1.99) iMapMyRIDE+ is a ride tracking application that lets you hop on your bike and keep track of the distance traveled, calorie burned, speed and more. The app uses the iPhones built-in GPS and saves the information to your handset. The app can also pull down information from ANT+ devices that measures your heart rate, as well as other bicycle sensors from CyclOps. When you are done with your bike ride, you can upload your route to MapMyRide.com and look back at earlier rides. Tour de France All access (Free) Created by NBC Universal, Tour de France All Access lets you watch every stage of the Tour de France live on your iOS device ($4.99 in-app purchase required). All the news you need from the Tour de France can be found in this app. There are stage results, biker profiles, video clips, interviews, twitter stream and more. The app also hooks into Aquaphor Le Tour Challenge. This Challenge uses Versus and MapMyRide to track your own bike ride and compare it to the pros. Atomic Softwares Bike Repair ($2.99) Bike repair is a repair manual that you can store on your phone, not your tool bag. With over 220 photo, 50 detailed repair guides and explanations for 69 common problems, this app will lighten your load the next you start pedaling. Tour de France 2011 : The Official Game ($2.99 for iPhone, $3.99 for iPad) Tour de France 2011 : The Official Game lets you ride bicycling's top stage race from the comfort of your armchair. The app lets you choose a team of riders, develop a riding strategy and race on all 21 stages of the Tour de France circuit. You can even wear the prestigious yellow jersey, green or polka dot jersey, if you are good enough.
5 apps for Independence Day
This is an important holiday weekend for both U.S. and Canadian citizens. July 1 was Canada Day and July 4 is Independence Day in the U.S. Here are five apps to celebrate your patriotism: U.S. Pocket Reference ($1.99) This app puts all the fine details and documents of U.S. politics in your pocket. Contents include a copy of the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights and other amendments, the Emancipation Proclamation, how the different branches of the U.S. government works, information on landmarks, lyrics to national songs and more. It's a great reference for students, those new to the U.S. or those wanting to brush up on their American history. iSparkler Gyro ($0.99) Wave a sparkler without burning your fingers. This app will let you create your own sparkler from an array of colors. When it comes time for fireworks, you can wave your iPhone instead of a little stick. You can save and share your customized sparkler and even set your own patriotic music to it. Fireworks ($0.99) Speaking of fireworks, if you can't make it to one of the big displays in your area, you can create your own for your iPhone or iPad. This particular app allows you to create a fireworks show and set it to music in your iTunes library. If you don't fancy a U.S. location for your particular fireworks show, you have 15 different global locations (and one extraterrestrial one) where you can virtually teleport yourself to instead. Phantom Regiment ($1.99) It's not Independence Day without the music of John Philip Sousa and other soul-stirring marches. If there's one near you, it's a great time to take in a drum and bugle corps show. Summer is the high season for this activity as drum corps around the nation compete leading up to the annual Summer Music Games in August, this year in Indianapolis. Phantom Regiment, founded in 1956, is one of the top drum corps in the world. Its app has current and historic videos of the corps, lists of events and more. Phantom isn't the only drum corp to have an app. Check to see if your local drum corps has a listing on iTunes. Coleman Camping Cookbook and Meal Planner (Free) This weekend is a favored one for having a picnic or camping out while taking in fireworks and outdoor concerts. Coleman, known for its line of grills and camping equipment, has a free app that allows you to plan an outdoor meal based on the ingredients at hand and the method of preparation. There's a number of recipes within the app, and you can add your own. You also can generate a grocery list based off the recipes and a list of equipment needed. You can have the app generate menus for you based on the length and number of people on your trip.
5 apps for summer travel
Summer has officially begun here in the States. Schools are closing and families are planning vacations across our great land. It can be a hassle, but don't fret! Here are five apps to make your adventure more enjoyable. Sunday Drive (Free) When my sisters and I were young, my dad routinely stuffed us into the "wayback" of our Matador station wagon where we sat, sweaty and gobbling Chicken McNuggets, en route to nowhere in particular. Ah, I can still smell the BBQ dipping sauce and leaded gas fumes. Few contemporary families enjoy a Sunday drive, and that's what the aptly-named Sunday Drive for iPhone aims to change. The attractive, location-based app represents a growing database of user-supplied travel routes, attractions and single-day getaways. To get started, let the iPhone find your location via GPS. A map will load with the familiar blue dot as well as Sunday Drive icons representing logged drives. Tap any one to see its title, distance from your location and length (9.1 miles, for example). Tap again to review details, like an overall description, standout points of interest, photos and the ideal starting point. Finally, you can mark certain trips as favorites (Facebook login required) and even submit your own. If your submission is featured on the Sunday Drive website, you'll earn ten bucks! If only we had this app back in the day. I mentioned the fumes, right? Flight Update ($4.99 or $9.99 for Pro; universal) You'll be flying to visit Grandma's retirement village in Florida? Grab the SPF 100, Dramamine and inevitable acknowledgment of your own mortality while you install Fight Update Pro. I've used this app for years, and it consistently beats the airport itself at dispensing timely info and completely eliminates paper. Here's how it works. First, enter a name ("Trip to Florida"), the start and end date plus any relevant notes. Next, tap Add a Flight. A new window appears. This is where it gets good. Scroll through an exhaustive list of airlines to find yours and then enter your flight number (via the conveniently-supplied number pad) and the date. Hit Save, and the app does the rest. A tidy window appears that lists the airline, flight number, type of plane and status (on time, late, departed, etc.). You'll also find the originating and destination airport, actual departure and arrival times (updated in real time), gate and terminal information as well as the airport's home country and local weather. Lest I gush like a 13-year-old who's watching Justin Bieber sing "Baby" from the first row, I'll skim through the remaining awesomeness. There's a handy, at-a-glance overview of flight information, a seating chart for nearly every type of plane, a list of alternate flights should a cancellation befall you and even a super convenient, in-app way to alert family and friends of your status (boarding, en route, landed, etc.) via SMS or email. The Pro version offers integration with Tripit. Flight Update is among my top 10 iOS apps ever. Now enjoy the Sunshine State. Just don't accept any fancy pens. MotionX GPS Drive ($0.99 for the app, $2.99 - $19.99 in-app purchase for live turn-by-turn voiceover) The App Store is home to many GPS-based driving apps, several of which are from the industry's big names. My favorite is MotionX GPS Drive. I've used it for over a year and have never had a problem, plus the pay-as-you-go option appeals to me as a frugal New Englander. Here's why you should check it out. To get started, tap the Search button to reveal the comprehensive search screen. Here you can manually enter an address or hit a button to find shopping, restaurants, gas, hospitals or more in your area. Once you've identified your destination, tap Nav Choices to opt for live voice navigation or visual navigation. The latter is always free, while you can buy 30 days of live voice (non-recurring) for $2.99 or a full year for $19.99. That's a huge selling point: don't pay for it if you aren't using it. Finally, tap Navigate and off you go. The visuals are extremely clear and work in portrait or landscape. A number of voices are available (some free, some via in-app purchase), but I've found the default to be perfectly acceptable (I've named her "Roadsie"). You can zoom in and out with a tap and even play music as you drive via on-screen controls. There are plenty of options available, like night mode, live traffic updates, favorite destinations and more. You'll find pricier GPS navigation solutions, but MotionX GPS Drive is my favorite. Best Road Trip Ever ($3.99) Best Road Trip Ever (BRTE) is another location-based day trip app, similar to Sunday Drive. The main difference is the destinations. BRTE features the off-beat, unusual and atypical destinations that dot the US. Think folk art installations and UFO culture. They've amassed more than 7,000 attractions for you to explore, including diners and eclectic greasy spoon-type places. Finding an interesting spot is easy. Just tap one of the spots that appear on the map next to your location, follow the directions and go. You'll find lots of photos and even a few videos to get you excited for what you're about to see. BRTE is certainly not for everyone, but those who appreciate the kitsch of a roadside stand in the shape of a doughnut will enjoy it. The Chimani Guides (Free and $4.99 versions available) If you intend to visit some US National Parks this summer, grab the Chimani Guides. These fantastic apps are your electronic guide to several National Parks, including Acadia, Cape Cod National Seashore, Yosemite, Cuyahoga Valley and the Grand Canyon. Of course, you'll find detailed maps and photos -- that's expected. But the Chimani apps also feature audio driving tours and up-to-the-minute listings of scheduled activities. You can even have push notifications let you know what's going on. Finally, sunrise and sunset times will benefit those on a tight schedule as well as photographers anticipating the golden hour. Honorable mention goes to SpotWorld. It takes the idea of social itineraries, similar to Best Road Trip Ever and Sunday Drive, and sends them into the stratosphere. Users have contributed details on appealing trips all over world. In fact, SpotWorld features photos, audio recordings and articles for more than 500,000 spots all over the world. It's definitely one for the globe trotter. So there you have it, five apps for summer travel. One for leisurely Sunday drives, one for tracking your flights, one for long road trips, another for discovering the unusual and, finally, a pocket guide to some of America's National Parks. Have fun and enjoy the summer.
5 apps for the dead
Sometime a wiseacre editor (we have a few) suggests we do a Five Apps post for a particularly offbeat area of interest. And sometimes we actually start brainstorming these. While "Five apps for the lemur owner" isn't likely to hit TUAW any time soon, "Five Apps for the dead" is about to have its day. The last thing you want to worry about (literally) is whether or not your estate is in order. Last Will by Cybermill (US$9.99) provides an interactive legal form (US only) for you to fill out on your iPhone or iPad. Create a last will that details your beneficiaries and other final wishes. The app then uploads your details to Cybermill's servers, where a customized PDF or RTF version of your will is created for you to download. Wills are specific to individual states and regulations vary, so Cybermill recommends that you still have legal counsel review your documents. Frankly, trying to produce your will just on the phone is counterproductive since you still need to deal with the downloaded file eventually. While there was a Mac OS 9 version of Quicken's WillMaker product, the current version is Windows-only; however, you can use Nolo's online will tools to do the same thing. Speaking of your final wishes, for just $2.99 the scarily named PTAJ Marketing will help you understand further details about Estate Planning, helping you to learn what it means to die intestate, what kinds of estate plans are available, and, well "much more." Three dollars isn't that costly, but you can probably get as much information or more from Ye Olde Google, the aforementioned Nolo.com site or even (gasp!) your local public library. The Egyptian Book of the Dead is supposed to help you navigate through the afterlife where your sins will be weighed, compared against a feather, etcetera. You're also going to meet up with Anubis, who -- if you believe the Red Pyramid -- is supposed to be rather hunky. You'll probably not be in any state to appreciate that then, but right now you can appreciate this lovely free companion app to the British Museum exhibition that closed this past March. For those newly dead folk looking to understand what bits aren't working any more, we offer you the Human Anatomy App by Enlightened Games. Retailing for $1.99, this application shows all the wiggly parts under your skin, including "all the major processes and anatomical features of the human body." Finally, we round out this five-app collection with the Arlington Cemetery app. For $6.99, David Berndt introduces "some of the less known and most remarkable stories behind each and every headstone and marker." Full of maps and photographs, it's a way to honor the fallen who rest at this special United States military cemetery by preserving their memories and stories.
4 apps for the Royal Wedding
When it comes to European royalty, Americans go crazy. Beyond the garden-variety obsession with royalty, British royalty in particular is like Yank catnip. The ultimate bonkers-maker, however, is British royal weddings. When there's a royal wedding across the pond, Americans absolutely seem to lose their marbles. There's just no getting around it. You can't listen to the radio or turn on the TV without hearing about Prince William and Kate Middleton. Seriously, right now those two are bigger than Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, which I didn't think was even possible. And don't even think about browsing a newsstand. Close to half of the magazines have the royal and royal-to-be on the cover. Maybe it's the romanticism of it all or the fact that we Americans tend to mix fantasy with aspiration, but whatever the cause, I'm happy to contribute to the hysteria. Without further ado, here is a list of four iOS apps that allow you to live out the royal wedding on your iPhone and iPad. Best of all, all the apps are free, so you can hold onto the family jewels. The Royal Wedding by Hello! -- This app, brought to you by one of the trashiest gossip magazines in the UK, is little more than a photo scrapbook of the fairytale romance between Wills and Kate. It's got dedicated albums for the bride and groom, along with albums dedicated to royal wedding rings, wedding dresses and gifts. One of the cooler albums shows images from past royal weddings.
