Guide to Phone Apps - September 2013

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Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

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U.S. $9.99 September 2013 • Display until 9/24/13 Beckett Entertainment

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As the fall season ramps up, so do our schedules. We get ready for the new school year, leaf watching, Halloween, and all the other cool-weather fun the autumn season brings. And through it all, our smartphones are at our side—the ever trusty sidekick. As always, we have loads of apps for you this issue. And these apps are guaranteed to take you into autumn and make it much more enjoyable and productive. If you have kids going to school (or you’re going yourself ) you’ll appreciate the bargain finders we uncovered. Everything from the latest sales on back-to-school clothes to great deals at the nearest college hot spot. If you’re “suffering” from empty-nest syndrome, take a trip with us on a train ride to a friendly bed and breakfast. You’ll find out where the best fall foliage is and where you can locate the nearest flea market for those hidden treasures.

September 2013 App Buyer’s Guide

SPECIAL POWER ISSUE! 33

Don’t Let that Battery Die

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Eco-Friendly Accessories

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Charge! Batteries for Everyone

AWESOME AUTUMN APPS 6

Fall App Round Up

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8 Apps for School Supply Savings

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41 Grade-A College Student Apps

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10 Spooky Halloween Apps

TECH GUIDE

On the more serious side, September is National Preparedness Month, and we have apps to keep you prepared and safe, no matter what disaster heads your way—natural or man-made. Get alerts, make a plan, and get ready to go at a moment’s notice. But wait, all of these apps keep your trusty sidekick—your smartphone— running and sucking up power. Luckily we’ve reviewed plenty of battery packs and rechargers to give your phones and tablets an extra boost when they’re running low. Plus, we have some great power-saving tips and power-friendly accessories to help cut down on that power consumption in the first place. Enjoy the season, and stay powered up,

Margaret Kavanagh Editor

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Wireless Emergency Alert FAQs

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Social Media in Emergencies

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Review: SuperTooth HD

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5 Senior-Savvy Smartphones

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SwiftKey—Best Android Keyboard

APPS FOR EVERYONE 24

Free Lifesaving Apps

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$hopping Apps that Pay!

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TV + Smartphone = Fun

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War Against Texting and Driving

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Lights! Camera! Apps!

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Take Control of Your Social Media

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Top 5 Real Estate Apps

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App Laughs

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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S C O N T E N T S

46 September 2013 App Buyer’s Guide

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499 Can’t-miss apps to make your smartphone smile

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SPECIAL POWER ISSUE!

C O N T E N T S

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Don’t Let that Battery Die How to squeeze extra juice out of your phone’s battery

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Eco-Friendly Accessories Great gadgets for environmentally concerned users

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Charge! Batteries for Everyone The latest on-the-go battery packs reviewed

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AWESOME AUTUMN APPS

T A B L E

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Fall App Round Up Leaf peeping, romantic B&Bs, flea markets and harvest moons

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Stock Up on School Supplies with These 8 Apps Apps to save on everything you need

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41 Grade-A Apps for the College Student

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Free and cheap resources to make your life easier

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10 Spooky Halloween Apps

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C O N T E N T S

Get your fright on with intriguing apps!

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T A B L E

September 2013 • Issue 15

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EDITORIAL Erin Lang Masercola - Editorial Director Margaret Kavanagh - Editor William Bonin, Andy Broome, Sean Cooper, Simon Hill, Sean Kavanagh, Torrey Kim, Carolyn Koh, Suzanne Leder, Jan Milliman - Contributing Writers Alicia Natale - Art Director Gabby Oh - Cover Design

TECH GUIDE 21

Wireless Emergency Alert FAQs Social Media in Emergency Situations Keeping you connected in today’s world

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Review: SuperTooth HD Bluetooth Speakerphone Look, Ma! No hands!

Senior Tech Series: 5 Senior-Savvy Smartphones

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SwiftKey—the Best Keyboard You’ll Ever Use You may switch to Android just to use it

APPS FOR EVERYONE 24

Free Apps that Will Save Your Life Get prepared, then let these apps stay vigilant for you

Back Issues www.engagedmediamags.com

$hopping Apps that Pay—Really!

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Get rewarded with points, gifts and even cash

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TV + Smartphone = Twice the Fun Make your smartphone interact with your favorite TV shows

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Beckett Guide to Phone Apps (ISSN 2158-608X) is published quarterly, 4 times a year by Beckett Media, LLC, 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. Postmaster, send address changes to Beckett Media, 5430 LBJ Freeway, Ste 1200, Dallas, TX 75240. © 2013 by Beckett Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

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When it comes to safety warnings, your phone delivers

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We need YOU and you need these apps Beckett Media, LLC

Take Control of Your Social Media

Nick Singh, Executive Director Erin Masercola, Business Unit Editorial Director

Apps to organize status updates, tweets, pins, posts and more

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Top 5 Real Estate Apps Get smart about buying a home

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App Laughs High-tech giggles from Andy Broome

C O N T E N T S

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Lights! Camera! Apps! Create bite-sized video masterpieces

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This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that information presented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by Beckett Media, LLC as to the legality, completeness or technical accuracy. All characters and artwork shown in Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps are trademark and copyright of their respective owners. This publication is not sponsored, endorsed by or otherwise affiliated with any of the featured companies. Cover images courtesy of Apple, Android and Thinkstock

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Leaf Peeping, Romantic B&Bs, Flea Markets and Harvest Moons

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By Carolyn Koh The days are turning cooler and as the crisp days of autumn bring a nip to the air, our minds turn to the weekend getaway to watch the incredible landscape as it changes around us. In our parents’ time, it was word of mouth and checking tourist bureaus for best fall foliage routes. These days, we turn to the internet and apps on our smartphones for peak viewing days and all the other activities around them. Here are a few of our favorite apps.

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Foliage Leaf Peepr

If you’re planning a trip or a hike in an area of fantastic foliage, then a park and/or trail finder will help.

Free, Yankee Publishing, Inc.

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Where can you find the best fall leaf color when it’s at its peak? Foliage Leaf Peepr allows you to make foliage reports by posting comments and uploading photos of the locations you visit. You can also check for the best reported foliage in previous years to help plan your trip.

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Oh Ranger! Park Finder Free, American Park Network

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Oh Ranger! Park Finder is an app with search filters to help you find parks that suit your needs. If you prefer, have a slow drive for your leaf watching instead of hiking—just select that category, plug in your preferred zip code or use your location to pull up the nearby parks. Many tourism boards and state parks also have their own apps for activities, so don’t ignore those—they might give you more in-depth information for your local area.

All Trails provides guides to hiking and biking trails with maps, photographs and reviews. The trails include urban as well as suburban and wilderness trails, with difficulty measures and notes as to whether they are dog friendly. Log in to use the community settings and post your own reviews.

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AllTrails Free, AllTrails, Inc.

FA L L A P P R O U N D - U P

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FunTrainRides Free, Invictus Mobile Media

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Windows Phone users try: National Parks by National Geographic, free.

What about something different? Check out autumn foliage from a different perspective, perhaps aboard an old steam or even a coal fired locomotive? Fun Train Rides finds historic train rides and train museums around the country. Descriptions of trains, rides and museum are all in the app, with links to each website.

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InnTouch Bed and Breakfast Locator

AirBnB

TripAdvisor

Free, AirBnB Inc.

Free, TripAdvisor LLC

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Free, American Historic Inns

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Thoughts of autumn also turn to harvest time bounties. Luckily, Farmers Markets abound across our nation. Fresh Food Finder uses data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and your location to deliver all the nearby Farmers Markets on a list or map. Tapping the market name or map pin gives you the name, address and information for the market, including types of products and payments accepted, as well as links to the market’s website, if available.

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Of course you can find a motel in a nearby town for your weekend jaunt, but you may want to find accommodations off the beaten path. To help you find that super quaint Bed and Breakfast, there’s InnTouch Bed and Breakfast Locator which also provides recipes from many of the inns and the growing phenomenon of AirBnB—a community marketplace that gives you the ability to meet a local and rent a room from someone with the space in their home. The community-rated TripAdvisor is a great choice for an all-around travel app which rates almost everything: attractions, hotels, guides—they’re all in there. (Blackberry users try: Poynt by Multiplied Media Corp., free.)

Fresh Food Finder Free, Andrew Trice

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Those who enjoy browsing flea markets for unusual finds and antiques will find Flea Market Finder useful on their Autumnal jaunts. Enter a location or turn on location services and it pulls up a list of flea markets with name and address, and search links on Google and locations on Maps.

Flea Market Finder Free - $1.99, Zach Levengood

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Finally, what about those gorgeous harvest moons and spectacular fall sunsets? Find them easily with sunrise/sunset and moon phase apps. There are multiple free and paid apps with all the bells and whistles, including location save, calendars and alerts as well.

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Sundroid Free Sunrise Sunset

Free, Ron Nijsenn

Free, Visalia Mobile Ltd

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Moonrise Free - $0.99, AVIA

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Lunafaqt sun and moon info

PhotoMoon $2.99, Rivolu Pte Ltd

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HelioStat & MoonCal

Moon 3D Free

$4.99, Two Roads

Free, Jappi-Soft

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STOCK UP ON SCHOOL SUPPLIES WITH THESE

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Apps

From clothes to pencils to calculators and beyond, apps to save on everything you need By Torrey Kim School supply lists have gone from the old “one box of pencils and a lunchbox” requirement to what’s now a laundry list of items that includes everything from paper towels to dry erase markers. If the thought of tackling your back-to-school shopping list is a bit overwhelming, check out these eight apps that can make easy work of it.

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Amazon Student Free, AMZN Mobile LLC

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Students probably get a lot of mileage out of the mega-site Amazon.com, but you can maximize the benefits of Amazon with this app, which has student-specific features that will save—and earn—you money. Save cash by scanning the barcode of an item you’d like to buy, and the app tells you how much that item is on Amazon, letting you know if you can save money by purchasing through the site. Earn Amazon bucks by selling your books, games, electronics, DVDs, and other items through the app, which can list your used items, sell them, and allow you to ship them absolutely free of charge.

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School Supplies $0.99, Engineered Stuff Education

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Making lists doesn’t get any easier than this. The app comes pre-loaded with scores of possible school supply options. You can add, rearrange, or remove items from your list with a tap of the screen. You can even make several lists for different kids in your family, then grab your phone and head to the store, where you can check items off of the list as you buy them so you can easily keep track of what you’ve purchased and what you still need.

Scientific Calculator Free, Augenth, Inc.

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The first time your child tells you that she needs a scientific calculator for school, your mouth will probably fall open when you see the sticker prices. Typically costing upwards of $100, these essential tools are not only pricey, but they can get lost very easily. Instead, try out this handy app, which won’t get lost as long as your child has her phone. It works quickly and accurately—the only downside is that it probably can’t be used during standardized testing because phones are forbidden in that environment. For more calculator options, check out our article, “41 Grade-A Apps for the College Student” on page 14 of this issue.

Target Free, Target Brands, Inc.

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If your back-to-school shopping spree involves a trip to Target—or even if it doesn’t—you can derive benefit from this free app. It allows you to make lists, find the closest Target store, and peruse the weekly ad for deals. But my favorite part is when you tap “Browse,” then “School and Office Supplies.” You can then nail down exactly which products you want, and the items that are on clearance or on sale are at the top of the list. Either add the item to your list or directly to a shopping cart to buy it straight from your phone.

STOCK UP ON SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Campus Special Free, Campus Special, LLC

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College students shopping for bargains should look no further than this comprehensive app, which locates your college and then shows you bargains nearby. Whether you need an oil change, a quick bite to eat or some clothes to look sharp for that internship you snagged, the app will show you all of the local bargains for college students in your town. Plus, you can order the discounted food directly from your phone.

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Michael’s HHHHH

Michael’s not only has some of the best bargains on school supplies, but the retailer also knows just how to ensure you’ll stay organized. On the app, tap “Products,” followed by “Art Supplies” and then “Back to School,” and you’ll find an incredibly comprehensive list of shopping options. You can add the items to your list and then check them off as you shop. My favorite part of the app is that you can tap “Coupons” and that week’s mobile coupon will pop up on your phone—nothing to print or email to yourself. Just present your phone in the store and they’ll scan the coupon right from your phone.

Shopular Free, AirCrunch, Inc.

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If you avoid the mall for back-to-school clothes shopping, it’s probably because you’re afraid of dropping too much cash since the stores there are often pricier than big-box retailers. Shopular culls all of the available coupons and deals for mall-based stores and funnels them into this simple-to-use app, which will tell you when you can save 25% at Aeropostale, show you a $10 mobile coupon for Macy’s, and alert you to half-price jeans at Hollister, among other great offers.

Wal-Mart

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Free, Michael’s Stores

Free, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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As most shoppers know, Wal-Mart can be a great onestop-shop for back to school items, letting you buy clothes, socks, paper towels, notebook paper, pencils, and everything else you need before heading to the classroom. When you launch the app, tap “Shop by Dept” at the top, followed by “Office” and then “School Supplies” to see a comprehensive list of items that the company offers. You can add each item to a list, or directly to your cart for in-app purchase. My favorite part is that when I find an item I need, I can tap “Check local store availability” so the app will tell me if my location has that item in stock. Very helpful when I need a product quickly.

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iHome is a registered trademark of SDI Technologies, Inc. Lightning is a trademark of Apple Inc. iPhone and iPod are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners.

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GRADE-A

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Apps for the

Free and cheap resources to make your life easier—in and out of the classroom By Carolyn Koh Summer is over, and it’s time for young adults to pack up and make the trip to the hallowed halls of higher learning institutions. As many college students are of the “starving student” variety, we’ve gathered the best free and low-priced apps for the return to campus.

GETTING SITUATED You’ve finally arrived. New town, new friends, new surroundings. Now what? How do you find your way around? What’s hot and happening? We have apps that tell you that! In fact, handy free apps are available to help you get around and familiarize yourself with your new surroundings. Some schools have their own mobile apps or you can check to see if your school participates in OneSchool, which provides campus maps, news, faculty, student registers and course directories.

OneSchool

Local uses your location to help you find the nearest bank, restaurant, pub and so on, and then map it and share it. So if you’re done studying late on a Saturday night, fire it up to find a late night coffee house (via voice command even) and tweet the location to your new roomies to meet you there.

Local.com

What about the best deals and cheap eats? UrbanSpoon doesn’t just do reviews of restaurants, its mobile app lets you dial in the type of food you’re craving and your budget, or you can lock in your budget and spin for suggestions at nearby restaurants. Then there’s Yelp, which also reviews businesses. Both apps use your location and map the restaurants for you with links to bring up reviews and restaurant details.

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Free, Local.com

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For students that plan in advance, try shopping with special deal or coupon services. There are several options in mobile apps and sometimes it’s advantageous to have more than one, as some companies have offers others don’t. Here are some of the more popular services:

UrbanSpoon

Groupon

Free, UrbanSpoon

The Coupons App

Free, Groupon

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Free, The Coupons App

Living Social

Amazon Local

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Yelp Free, Yelp

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Free, Living Social

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Free, Amazon Mobile LLC

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Wikipedia may be the bane of professors everywhere, but it is a font of research resources— the perfect starting point for anyone seeking knowledge. There are a number of mobile apps to access this popular internet resource. The Wikipanion boasts fast direct connections to the Wikipedia servers, a slick interface and the paid version offers offline browsing and custom Wikis. Android users can try Wikidroid which has voice search. Of course if you’re familiar with the original website and enjoy the featured article of the day and Wikinews, there’s the recently released official Wikipedia Mobile app available for most mobile platforms. Free, of course.

Wikipanion

Wikidroid

Wikipedia Mobile

Free - $4.99, Robert Chin

Free - $1.99, Sirius Applications, Ltd

Free, Wikimedia Foundation

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Ahh… Spark Notes, generations of students have used them. Now, they’re available as a mobile application known as… what else? SparkNotes. The free app comes with 50 pre-installed study guides, Facebook integration and the ability to form study groups with other nearby users. For many students, a scientific calculator is an invaluable tool. Check out RealCalc Scientific Calculator on Android or Calc Made Easy on iOS. Both have free versions with paid versions offering enhanced features.

SparkNotes

RealCalc

Calc Made Easy

Free, SparkNotes LLC

Free - $3.49, Quartic Software

Free - $1.99, Lalit Patil

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College textbooks are big, heavy and expensive. E-Textbooks eliminate the weight and space requirements, but not the expense. Kno Textbooks and CourseSmart are two services with extensive textbook catalogs. Kno Textbooks is not simply an e-reader, it also provides interactive features to help students study and better understand the subject matter, whereas with CourseSmart, students can rent books. Textbook publishers such as Pearson Education and Houghton Mifflin Hartcourt also have their own mobile textbook reader apps for free download.

Kno Textbooks

CourseSmart eTextbooks

Free, Kno Inc.

Free, CourseSmart

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Checking prices of textbooks for the best deal? Buy, sell and/or rent textbooks with these apps.

Amazon Student

CampusBooks

Free, Amazon Mobile LLC

Free, CampusBooks

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BIGWORDS.com Free, BIGWORDS.com

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One does not gain knowledge from textbooks alone and the wise students looks farther afield. TED started out as a conference bringing together the brightest people from the worlds of Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TED talks have gained great renown. Check them out on the free official app. You may also want to familiarize yourself with Wolfram Alpha—the computational knowledge engine. Originally a website, it’s a bottomless well of knowledge and has been compared to the fictional know-everything computer on Star Trek.

TED

Wolfram Alpha

Free, TED

$2.99, Wolfram Alpha LLC

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There’s so much to be found on the internet and so little time to read it. How better to access information than grabbing pages to read later? Save some data usage time and access the information offline. Several apps are available for that and they are all quite elegant. You’ll have to use your personal preference as each does a great job.

Instapaper

Pocket

Readability

$2.99, Mobeliux

Free, Read it later, Inc.

Free, Readability, Inc.

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PRODUCTIVITY AND ORGANIZATION Keeping your life organized is no easy task when you’re in college, but several apps will help you out. For taking notes, Evernote has to be one of the best apps available on the market, and it’s free. Take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists and record voice reminders. It can be synced across devices and the notes are searchable. Need to keep a budget or keep track of your finances? Mint.com has a free mobile app to help with that.

Evernote

Mint.com

Free, Evernote Corp

Free, Mint.com

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Schedules can be kept as simply as a calendar, or organized on a planner with projects, notes and deadlines. Here are some of our favorites to help keep track of all your classes, tasks, important dates and to-do lists. Some even allow information sharing with friends.

iStudiez (Lite & Pro)

Astrid Tasks & To Do Lists

Free - $2.99, iStudiez Team

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Free, Todoroo Inc.

inClass

Studious

Free, inClass, Inc.

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Free, Braden Young

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Keeping everything together and synched can be a challenge, but there’s always the cloud to help. SugarSync, DropBox and Google Drive all have PC and Mac compatibility as well as apps to help you out here, and as long as you aren’t planning on storing mega-gigs of content in the cloud, it’s all free. You can even set it up so synching is automatic. Which is the latest copy of that paper you’re working on? If you set it up right, you’ll always have the latest copy on all your devices.

SugarSync

DropBox

Free, SugarSync, Inc.

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Free, DropBox, Inc.

Google Drive Free, Google, Inc.

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You know what they say about all work and no play. Students also need entertainment. Some brain-candy, if you will, and a social life. So what’s playing at the nearest Cineplex? Flixster on your smartphone will tell you. Check out reviews, watch trailers and even stream and download movies with this app. And don’t forget the old standards Netflix or Hulu Plus, both which have mobile apps. The apps are free, but purchases or subscriptions are required for some content.

Flixster Free, Flixster, Inc.

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Netflix

Hulu Plus

Free, Netflix, Inc.

Free, Hulu

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First time cooks, check out CookWizMe which has step-by-step photo instructions to help eliminate the Fail! condition. RecipeSearch comes with voice controls. Say the ingredients you have and it pulls up the recipes for you. For both apps, logging/ creating an account opens up more options including favorites, downloading new recipes and uploading your own.

CookWizMe Free, Farminers, Ltd

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Recipe Search / Allthecooks.com Free, Allthecooks.com

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Finally, the most important app of all. The one that wakes you up and gets you out of bed to get to your classes. The alarm clock app that works even if your phone is silenced. Do you prefer a gentle awakening or a loud, rude one? Or even a custom alarm—like your father’s voice proclaiming he’s not paying the next term fees if you fail another class! For some options, like the custom alarm, you may have to buy an app, but effective free ones that have volume ramp ups, limited snoozes, etc. are available in all platforms. We think the best of these for Android is Alarm Clock Xtreme—it actually has a “solve math to disable alarm” feature. For iOS users, there’s Wake N Shake Alarm Clock which requires you to shake the phone until the meter fills up. No snooze button here, not without filling that meter up, plus gamification to compete with your friends to become the wake king or queen of the week. Those with a tendency to slide back into bed after silencing an alarm might want to try Sleep if U Can, which requires you to take photographs of household objects to silence the very, very annoying alarm. Register something in a place far away from the bedroom to make this alarm more effective.

Alarm Clock Xtreme Free - $1.99, Angle Labs

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Wake N Shake Alarm Clock $1.99, Andres Canella

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Sleep if U Can $1.99, Delight Room

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41 APPS FOR THE COLLEGE STUDENT • 41 APPS FOR THE COLLEGE STUDENT • 41 APPS FOR THE COLLEGE STUDENT

LIFESTYLE AND ENTERTAINMENT

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10 SPOOKY HALLOWEEN APPS

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10 SPOOKY HALLOWEEN APPS

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HALLOWEEN APPS

Get your fright on with innovative and intriguing Halloween apps By Torrey Kim

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The sights and sounds of Halloween can range from the cute to the terrifying—but you don’t need to trick or treat just yet to prepare for the season’s spookiest holiday. Rev up your Halloween spirit with 10 apps that will get you ready to scare and be scared.

Pumpkin Carver

Urban Legends

Free, Benoit Renaud

Free, Avid Apps

10 SPOOKY HALLOWEEN APPS

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How many of us have spent the time and elbow grease to carve a pumpkin, only to create a lopsided jack-o-lantern that looks downright depressing on the front porch? With this app, you can make as many virtual pumpkin carvings as you’d like. Not only is this a good way to express your creative side—it can also give you ideas and practice for designs you want to test out when you’re finally ready to try out carving your real pumpkin from the patch. Android users try: Pumpkin Carver Pro HD by Simplify Now, LLC, $1.99.

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Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

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Who hasn’t stood in front of the bathroom mirror and said “Bloody Mary” three times in a row to summon the ghost herself? Halloween is the best time of year to test this urban myth and find out if Mary is going to make an appearance in your home. Or, you could launch this app to learn about other urban legends that will give you the fright of your life. This is perfect for sitting around telling scary stories on Halloween, surrounded by your creepiest decorations and your most terror-filled friends. iPhone users try: Urban Legends HD by PiquantGames.com, free.

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1 0 S P O O KY H A L LO W E E N A P P S • 1 0 S P O O KY H A L LO W E E N A P P S • 1 0 S P O O KY H A L LO W E E N A P P S 10 SPOOKY HALLOWEEN APPS

Free Halloween Sounds Pro Free, Dream Injector, LLC

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From croaking frogs to a chainsaw to a witch’s cackle and more, the sounds of Halloween can definitely get you into the holiday spirit. This app is so simple to use that even a child can launch it—and potentially scare the living daylights out of you. Once you open the app, click on the sound you’d like to hear. You can delay its sound by up to two minutes if you want to scare someone. Set it to go off at the allotted time, leave your phone where you know the unsuspecting victim will be walking, and voilà—fright night! If you’d rather stick to a continuous stream of scary sounds, tap “Spooky Soundtrack” and the app plays a background of creepy noises for you. Windows Phone users try: Halloween Sounds by Bang Your Head, LLC, free.

Popcorn Horror

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Free, Popcorn Horrors

10 SPOOKY HALLOWEEN APPS

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Everyone has a favorite scary movie, but some of us get tired of watching the exact same plot over and over again. Popcorn Horror allows you to mix up your fright sources by delivering a new short horror film every week for you to view. You can also join the app’s community and discuss your favorite scary flicks, or head to the Quotes page to peruse some of the most legendary horror quotes of film history.

ZombieBooth Free, MotionPortrait, Inc.

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Even the most innocent among us deserves to get a bit zombie-fied on Halloween. Snap a picture of yourself or your loved ones this Halloween, then fiddle with the in-app extras to give your photo a zombie mouth, red eyes, gray skin, or open, bleeding sores. Tap OK and the zombie actually comes to life, moving around and making terrifying sounds. The first time you see yourself animated in motion as a zombie is kind of freaky—but very fun.

10 SPOOKY HALLOWEEN APPS

Halloween Coloring Book! Free, Peep Software Games

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For a free app, this packs in quite a few hours of entertainment, thanks to over a dozen different pictures that kids can color. You don’t have to print out any pages or gather a set of crayons—the kids color the pictures using the touch screen. Simply tap on any color and then use your finger to fill in the lines on the picture. More into making your own creative Halloween picture? No problem. You can tap the icon of the blank piece of paper and work on your own masterpiece with the in-app colors. Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

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10 SPOOKY HALLOWEEN APPS

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10 SPOOKY HALLOWEEN APPS

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Halloween Photo Editor for Blackberry $1.99, Elena Vinkurova

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Forget about having to fiddle with the intricacies of PhotoShop to get your favorite picture spooki-fied. Instead, load this simple app onto your BlackBerry, snap a photo, and choose your embellishments. You can make a spider dip down onto your child’s head, have a witch fancifully fly over your dog’s head, or superimpose a jack-o-lantern’s face over your own. Add one of the 16 photo frames and you’ve got a Halloween-themed piece of art. My favorite? The “blood” effect that gives your pictures a particularly spooky hue.

Scary Scream Machine Free Free, AEON

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Want to really freak out everyone in your house? Record your own voice on this app, add a scary sound effect to it with the built-in enhancements, and program it to go off at a certain time of day. Sit in the next room and watch as “your” voice screams for help from the phone and your family members scramble to find you. It may seem cruel, but it’s all in good Halloween fun! Up for another trick? Ask someone to take the in-app “eye test.” Halfway through, a terrifying picture will pop up and the unsuspecting eye tester will be screaming in terror!

Halloween MakeUp Free, Libii Tech Limited Games

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Keep the kids occupied while you’re prepping your house for trick-ortreaters with this creative app that allows you to take a glamorous model and spookify her completely. Kids can customize her hair, eye makeup, headgear, clothing, and even how much blood is dripping from the fangs you’ve given her. The app has countless numbers of combinations to keep kids busy—and it might even give them a costume idea or two. Android users try: Halloween makeup by Giuseppe Tilli, free.

Scary Camera Free, ObjectGraph, LLC

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When you look into this app, you’ll instantly jump—not only will you see your face with bloody handprints around it, but ghostly faces and figures will be floating past you. It’s a bit off-putting at first when you combine it with the terrifying ghostly sounds playing in the background. But it’s also addictive to add filters and try and determine which is more scary than the next. My favorite feature? Every time a face in a hockey mask floats past me, I jump. Android users try: Horror Camera by Soda, Inc., free.

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WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY WARNINGS, YOUR PHONE

S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S • S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S • S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S • S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S •

Delivers

S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S

5 Wireless Emergency Alert Q&As By Suzanne Leder

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Turning on the news today reminds us of the constant threat of danger—whether it’s acts of terrorism, weather events, disasters, or kidnapped children. With all the danger out there, it’s good news to hear that your smartphone or mobile device can actually be a lifesaver, thanks to WEAs.

Pre-authorized national, state or local governments may send WEAs regarding public safety emergencies, such as evacuation orders or shelter-in-place orders due to severe weather, a terrorist threat or chemical spill.

S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are wireless notifications—similar to text messages—delivered to your mobile device as part of a new, national public safety system. They’re designed to inform you of imminent threats to your safety or about missing person alerts in your area.

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In April 2012, the wireless industry joined the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to offer U.S. citizens a dependable and wide-reaching wireless emergency alert system. 

Suppose you’re in New York City on a business trip, but you live in Chicago. If there’s an emergency in New York while you’re there, your WEA-capable phone will receive the WEA, even though your phone is roaming or visiting from another state. However, if there’s an emergency in Chicago while you’re gone, you won’t get that WEA. Important: If you DO receive a WEA, it means that you’re within the geographic location that’s affected by the emergency. You should review the information in the alert carefully and proceed as directed. Check other sources, too, like the radio and television for more information. Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

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S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S

Alerts from authenticated public safety officials are sent through FEMA’s IPAWS to participating wireless carriers. These wireless carriers push the alerts from cell towers to mobile devices in the affected area. WEAs use a specific technology that ensures they make it to your phone immediately without getting stuck in normal cellular traffic.

If you have a smartphone or feature phone, chances are you’ll receive the WEAs that affect your area. Most wireless providers—nearly 97% of subscribers’ providers—are participating in the program.

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WEA works with the existing Emergency Alert System (EAS), which is implemented by the FCC and FEMA at the federal level through broadcasters and other media service providers. WEA and the EAS are part of FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS).

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Will I Get WEA Messages?

S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S

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How Do WEAs Work?

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Will I Be Charged for These Messages? You will not be charged for receiving WEAs. They are free and you are automatically enrolled to receive them if your phone is capable. And you don’t need GPS in your phone to receive WEAs, either, so don’t worry about having your GPS disabled and missing out.

What Sort of Alerts Will I Receive? WEAs can be up to 90 characters and may be one of three types: • Presidential Alerts – issued by the President or a designee.

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Will I Receive the Alert If I’m on the Phone? WEAs won’t interrupt your voice or data sessions.  They will be re-broadcast at specific intervals in the targeted geographic locations, in order to reach as many devices as possible. However, after that interval is over, or the alert has been overridden by another, the original alert will no longer be sent. WEAs are also known as Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) or Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN). The appearance of the messages will vary depending on your device, carrier and the sender.

• Imminent Threat Alerts – about severe disasters, such as hurricanes or terrorist incidents when an “imminent threat to life or property exists.”

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For more information on Emergency Preparedness, look for our article, “Free Apps That Will Save Your Life” on page 24 in this issue.

• AMBER Alerts – that help law enforcement agencies locate abducted children. You can opt-out of all alerts except for Presidential Alerts, but rest assured, WEAs won’t be sent without serious consideration, so it’s worth staying connected and opted-in.

S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S

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WEA alerts will be accompanied by a unique attention signal and vibration, which is particularly helpful to people with hearing or vision-related disabilities.

Do You Have a WEA Enabled Device? To receive WEAs, you must have a capable device and be located in an area targeted by authorized senders to receive the alert. Before you run out to purchase a new device, check with your carrier. You might need to only upgrade your device’s software. Telltale sign: If your device has the CTIA Wireless Emergency Alerts logo, it’s WEA-capable. For more information, visit FEMA http://www.fema.gov/wireless-emergency-alerts

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your phone is on high alert— even when you aren’t

S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S • S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S • S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S • S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S

S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S

Social media can help keep you connected during an emergency

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By Torrey Kim

S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S

If you were in Boston during the Marathon bombing in April 2013, chances are strong that your loved ones were eager for word that you were okay, and it was impractical to phone each of them one-by-one. That’s why social media can play such an important role after a disaster—one status update and everyone knows exactly what happened, where you were, and whether you’re safe and sound.

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The same can be said about staying secure after the immediate threat passes. Many citizens may have been unharmed from the initial blast, but the perpetrators were still on the loose, which made Boston residents heighten their senses and stay inside to remain safe. Social media came into play once again, allowing people in the surrounding areas to track the latest news about the bombers and law enforcement’s efforts to find them. And with cell phone service spotty after the emergency because so many people were jamming the lines, tapping into social media was infinitely faster than making phone calls.

S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S

Social Media Now A Top News Source A Pew Research Center report indicated that 56% of Americans aged 18 to 29 got their Boston bombing-related news through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Not only were these sites used to track the latest news on the criminals and the status of bombing victims, but they also allowed medical and emergency personnel to share information directly with the public without having to go through a middle party such as the evening news.

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For example, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Association used Twitter to advise locals that they should share concern via text rather than by placing phone calls, because texts used less bandwidth (which could be preserved for law enforcement and tip tracking).

S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S

When Boston authorities needed to ask locals to “shelter in place,” it was Twitter where they posted the information, and the police department’s subsequent tweet “Captured! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won.” was shared over 143,000 times via retweets.

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Hopefully, you will never be the victim of a terrorist attack like the Boston bombing. But the odds are pretty good that you’ll someday find that your power is out from a storm or that roads will be impassable due to a flood, and you’ll want to be tuned into social media sites to ensure that you’re up on the latest news. As a precautionary measure, it’s a good idea to Follow (via Twitter) your local police departments and news outlets and to Like (via Facebook) the same organizations so you’ll always have access to their news dissemination.

S A F E T Y WA R N I N G S

In addition, local news outlets may offer their own apps that can keep you updated on the latest information, and you may want to download those so you are never far from the most recent facts concerning your area. Facebook and Twitter apps are free for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry.

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F R E E A P P S T H AT W I L L S AV E YO U R L I F E

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F R E E A P P S T H AT W I L L S AV E YO U R L I F E

• F R E E A P P S T H AT W I L L S AV E YO U R L I F E

FREE Apps

F R E E A P P S T H AT W I L L S AV E YO U R L I F E • F R E E A P P S T H AT W I L L S AV E YO U R L I F E

THAT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE Get prepared—then let these apps stay vigilant for you By Margaret Kavanagh Weather disasters are on the rise in recent years—or that may just be our perception. (The 1880s actually had more hurricanes on record than any other decade in U.S. history so far, and the 1970s, the least.) But either way, it’s clear that preparation is essential when dealing with Mother Nature. No matter where you live, you’re likely to encounter some type of danger in your lifetime—earthquakes, floods, hurricane, tornadoes, wildfires—no one is immune. Since 2004, National Preparedness Month (NPM) is observed in the U.S. every September. To help you get ready, we’ve put together the best FREE apps to not only keep you aware of what’s coming, but help you make a plan so you’re ready to react before it’s too late.

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F R E E A P P S T H AT W I L L S AV E YO U R L I F E

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F R E E A P P S T H AT W I L L S AV E YO U R L I F E F R E E A P P S T H AT W I L L S AV E YO U R L I F E • F R E E A P P S T H AT W I L L S AV E YO U R L I F E

The Red Cross to the Rescue The American Red Cross responds to about 70,000 natural and man-made disasters in the U.S. every year, helping individuals and entire communities. The Red Cross was chartered by Congress to “carry on a system of national and international relief in time of peace and apply the same in mitigating the sufferings caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods, and other great national calamities, and to devise and carry on measures for preventing the same.”  As part of those prevention measures, the Red Cross offers a set of mobile apps that educate and aid users in smart preparation techniques. The apps integrate with one another and provide invaluable information that everyone should follow in an effort to stay safe and be ready. While checking these apps out, I found them eye-opening. I assumed that several of the apps wouldn’t apply to me in northwestern NY—I thought, “the worst we get is a lot of snow.” I had the preconception that I wouldn’t find use in the Tornado, Wildfire or Hurricane apps. But, I learned that we’ve had 12 hurricanes, 1 wildfire, 3 earthquakes and 61(!) tornadoes in the recent past. I had no plan for evacuating my own home and no “offsite” contact to inform we were safe. I didn’t know that in case of an earthquake (our last one was just weeks ago) you should drop, cover and hold on, rather than stand in the nearest doorway. Let’s just say that I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Each of these apps feature: • Explanations of how each emergency or condition occurs • The history of past disasters in your area • Interactive quizzes about proper preparedness for each weather condition • A set of tools, including a Flashlight, Strobe Light, and Alarm • Incredibly thorough checklists of things to do before, during and after, split into sub-lists with headings like “If you do nothing else…”

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• Links to other resources relevant to the situation • A one-touch “I’m Safe” message button to let others know you’re okay So while the American Red Cross is there to help in times of need, you’d do yourself a huge favor by preparing to handle an emergency properly so you don’t need help afterwards. Take advantage of all the information these apps provide and prepare an emergency plan and kit. You’ll feel safer and be ready to act, rather than react.

Other Free Preparedness Apps The Weather Channel

FEMA App

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F R E E A P P S T H AT W I L L S AV E YO U R L I F E

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Tornado Warning & Alert App When the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) issues a tornado warning for your monitored area, you’ll know it with this app—even if you don’t have it open. Less severe alerts are silent, while a tornado warning is accompanied by a siren so you’re sure not to miss it. Let GPS find your location and plug in other towns and cities to monitor the conditions there, as well. Learn about the different types of tornado-related alerts, how to spot danger signs, and what to do before, during and after a tornado hits.

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Hurricane App The Hurricane App is the best way to protect yourself from encroaching danger from hurricanes and other rough weather. Warnings, watches, tropical storms and floods are all monitored for you in the locations you decide. The app shows you which storms it’s actively tracking that might affect your area later on. Learn how to stay safe, and access the information even if there’s no cellular service available. Take quizzes to learn about storm history in your area, and access links for even more help when service is restored.

Earthquake Notification App Surprisingly, 45 states and territories in the U.S. are at moderate to very high risk of earthquakes, and they’re all over the country. While you may have never been near a tornado or hurricane, chances are you reside in an earthquake risk state—this app will help you prepare if one should happen to hit. The settings on this warning app are more customizable than in the others because earthquakes are so prevalent. You can set the magnitude level (up to 10.0) and the radius from your location, up to 500 miles. Learn about what causes earthquakes and how to stay safe during the initial incident and any aftershocks with in-app information. Notifications are generated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

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F R E E A P P S T H AT W I L L S AV E YO U R L I F E

Wildfires can happen anywhere if the conditions are right. Dry landscape, a heat source and oxygen are the only requirements and if you’ve got those, you should also have this app. (In the spirit of prevention, you should have this app before you have those conditions.) A nationwide map pinpoints the current and recent fires with red flags, while yellow flags indicate areas in danger. As with the other prevention apps, you can monitor the locations you choose, so you’re watching not only your current position but also any areas where you may have friends or family. Since wildfires are often undetected at the beginning, and move so quickly, every second counts and warning is essential. The Wildfire App will even walk you through what to do if you’ve been ordered to evacuate your area—what utilities to turn off in your home, what to wear, how to secure your home and what travel routes to use.

Shelter Finder App When disaster does strike and you need to make your way to the nearest shelter, use this app to find out where that is. The app uses information about open shelters from the American Red Cross National Shelter System (NSS), which contains data about 60,000 potential facilities. Shelter information is updated every 30 minutes and when shelters are open, their populations are updated several times a day. So far, the app is available for Apple only, but others can view the map online at http://app.redccross.org/nss.app/.

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First Aid App This app provides a wealth of information about how to deal with almost every first aid scenario you can imagine, with emergency preparation information to boot. Lots of videos, animations and interactive quizzes make learning a fun process and preloaded info means data is available even if your connection to your cell service isn’t. If you do need to contact EMS, 911 call buttons are integrated into the app in many locations so you aren’t searching for the phone app. The preparation portion has 20 different emergency categories you can browse (drought, fire, pet preparedness, and more) that lead to instructions on getting prepared, as well as handling and getting past each incident.

Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

F R E E A P P S T H AT W I L L S AV E YO U R L I F E • F R E E A P P S T H AT W I L L S AV E YO U R L I F E

Wildfire App

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$HOPPING APPS THAT PAY– Really

S H O P P I N G A P P S T H AT PAY

S H O P P I N G A P P S T H AT PAY • S H O P P I N G A P P S T H AT PAY • S H O P P I N G A P P S T H AT PAY

Shop with these apps and get rewarded with points, gifts and even cash By Torrey Kim

S H O P P I N G A P P S T H AT PAY

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It’s always exciting to find a free app that’s fun to use—and even better when you’re rewarded to use it. We’ve found some great free apps that give you gift cards, discounts, and even cold hard cash just to use them.

CheckPoints Free, inMarket, LLC

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S H O P P I N G A P P S T H AT PAY

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Collect Points around town by scanning specific items at your local stores, and then cash them in for valuable items, including everything from Amazon gift cards to an iPad. Don’t want to head to the store, but you still want to collect points? No worries. The app allows you to collect points right from your armchair by watching videos, downloading apps and music, and playing instant win games directly on the app. The only downside? Trying to set it down—the call of staying on the app to reach each new reward threshold is addictive!

ibotta Free, ibotta, Inc.

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Forget about spending 30 minutes trying to process a rebate and then waiting months for your rebate check to arrive in the mail. Thanks to ibotta, you can select the participating products that you’ve purchased, snap a photo of your receipt, upload it to the app, and get reward cash deposited into your PayPal account. You can even collect these cash-back offers if you’ve combined coupons and sales in the store, which means that sometimes the app will allow you to get products completely free after your ibotta reward kicks in.

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S H O P P I N G A P P S T H AT PAY • S H O P P I N G A P P S T H AT PAY • S H O P P I N G A P P S T H AT PAY S H O P P I N G A P P S T H AT PAY

Belly Free, Belly, Inc.

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You’ve grown accustomed to presenting your loyalty reward card at various retailers, but you can now present your phone—and have a retailer scan your personalized QR code to give you Belly points every time you walk into a participating store. You can then cash in the points you earn at those same shops. I went into one restaurant three days in a row, and by the third day I had earned a free coffee. You don’t have to buy anything to earn the points—you just have to scan your phone. The only downside is that there aren’t as many participating shops in smaller towns as in big cities, but Belly’s network is growing quickly.

Endorse Free, Endorse

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S H O P P I N G A P P S T H AT PAY

Similar to ibotta, Endorse pays you for purchasing products you need from your favorite stores after you upload an image of your receipt. You simply browse the offers, decide what you want to buy, and then follow through. Endorse partners with DonorsChoose.org to fund local schools. In fact, they’ll give you points for every receipt you upload, even if you haven’t purchased one of the listed offers. Save money and support charities—what’s not to love about this shopping app?

Shopkick Free, Shopkick, Inc.

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Collect rewards, or “kicks,” just by walking into a participating store as long as you have this app open on your phone. Then you can gather even more kicks by scanning participating items and by paying with a linked credit card. Keep an eye on the app daily, since some days you might earn 35 kicks for walking into a store such as Target, whereas on other days you may get a bonus 500 kicks—enough to earn you a $2.00 Target gift card. Keep earning for more valuable rewards, all the way up to a Vespa scooter.

S H O P P I N G A P P S T H AT PAY

iPoll Free, iPoll.com

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Put your opinion to good use, and collect rewards while you do it. iPoll allows you to earn cash by completing polls, but not just generic ones. You’ll be asked to perform “missions” at retailers like your bank or movie theater, where you’ll answer questions about your experience and collect cash. The reward amounts vary by the amount of time it will take you to complete them, but typically range from $0.10 to $5.00. You can then cash in your rewards with PayPal or by earning gift cards and other items.

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TV + SMARTPHONE =

T V + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN • T V + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN • T V + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN

TV + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN

2x

fun

TV + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN

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Apps that make your smartphone interact with your favorite TV shows By Simon Hill More and more of us are watching TV with a second screen in our hands or on our laps. According to recent research, over 80 percent of us use smartphones, tablets, or laptops while watching TV, and around half of us have engaged in related online activity. It might be as simple as looking up the name of a familiar face on IMDB, or tweeting our thoughts about the latest winner of The Voice, but it’s a trend that’s starting to take hold. There are tons of apps to help you find the latest information about your favorite show, engage in live voting and competitions, and share your opinions on the TV you love or hate. We’ve brought you a few of our favorites.

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Netflix Free, Netflix, Inc.

TV + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN

HHHHH

If you have a Netflix subscription ($7.99/mo.) then you definitely want to grab this app. Not only can you stream Netflix content to your smartphone or tablet, you can also use the app as a remote control for the service on your PlayStation 3 or Google TV. This means you can browse content while you watch. The app will also sync across platforms, so you can start watching something on the TV and finish watching it on your smartphone elsewhere. If you don’t have a PS3 then don’t worry because Netflix plans to add more device support in the near future.

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T V + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN • T V + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN • T V + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN TV + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN

IntoNow Free, Yahoo! Inc.

HHHHH

With Yahoo behind it you might expect something special from the IntoNow app and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Load up the app and with the tap of a button, it will identify whatever you are watching and offer up some related content that you might be interested in. You can also use the app to see what other people are saying and share your own thoughts. The nice thing about IntoNow is that it works for recorded content as well, so there’s no need to be watching live. The “Capit” feature is like a real-time meme generator which you can use to capture a screenshot and add your own text for sharing via social media.

Xbox SmartGlass Free, Microsoft Corporation

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HHHHH

TV + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN

Anyone using an Xbox 360 as an entertainment hub needs to get their hands on Xbox SmartGlass. This second screen app acts as a remote control for your console. You can use it to browse or play content, or to surf the web. Participating shows, movies and games offer extra content, including detailed information, interactive guides, behind-the-scenes commentary, and links to buy whole series in the Xbox catalog. The potential for games is even more exciting with extended interactive features, such as a map for the game you’re playing.

Viggle Free, Viggle Inc.

HHHHH

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Who says watching TV is a waste of your time? With the Viggle app you can check in to the shows you love and earn points which can be redeemed for rewards from brands like Starbucks and Barnes & Noble. You’ll also find chat functionality, including Facebook and Twitter integration, so you can share gossip about shows. Each show profile has a wide range of useful links to related information. There’s even a quiz feature to test your TV knowledge, and a fantasy sports game that you can play while you watch sports.

TV + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN

Shazam Free; Shazam Entertainment Ltd

HHHHH

You know that feeling when you hear a tune you simply must have, but you don’t know what it is? Shazam started out as an app that could identify any song simply by listening to a few seconds of it. The app returned the name, artist, streaming lyrics, and even a link to buy it or view it on YouTube. Since its inception, the developers have added the ability to identify TV shows and commercials. Supported shows display a Shazam prompt and you can use the app to access bonus content while you watch. You can also tag and share the TV content you love with ease. Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

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GetGlue Free, AdaptiveBlue, Inc.

HHHHH

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By checking in to your favorite shows and movies with GetGlue you’re joining a huge social network focused on entertainment. It’s all about sharing the buzz with friends and the community at large, discovering new shows and movies that suit your tastes, and earning stickers and rewards. Customize your feed with your favorite shows, add your friends, and you’ll get a stream of the latest news and chatter. GetGlue covers sports as well, and it includes a comprehensive TV guide and the ability to see what’s trending in real time at a glance.

ConnecTV

TV + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN

TV + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN

T V + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN • T V + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN • T V + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN

Free, ConnecTV

HHHHH

TV + SMARTPHONE = 2X FUN

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ConnecTV, another social platform, offers the chance to engage in huge online chats with other fans, and even, sometimes, the stars of the shows you are watching. You’ll also find the usual mix of news, polls, celebrity biographies and tweets. The app automatically recognizes what you’re watching and you can log in via your Facebook or Twitter account. It serves up relevant advertising alongside your info and chat, targeted in much the same way that Google ads are—to cater to your needs. Extra content for ads includes things like the ability to buy a ticket for the movie trailer you just saw, direct from the app.

zeebox Free, zeebox

HHHHH

The zeebox app is designed to enhance your TV viewing experience by providing a television guide, additional information on what you’re watching, and even interactive fun with polls, competitions, and games. Participating shows and advertisers use “zeetags” to highlight live information about what’s on your screen and provide links to buy products. There’s a substantial social side to it too, with Facebook and Twitter integration, and a discovery tool that lists TV shows your friends and others (including celebrities) are enjoying right now, or getting excited about. You can also set reminders for your favorite shows and even use zeebox as a remote if you have an XFINITY set-top box.

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Die!

don’t let that battery

DON’ T LE T THAT BAT TERY DIE! • DON’ T LE T THAT BAT TERY DIE! • DON’ T LE T THAT BAT TERY DIE!

By Simon Hill

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Frustrated by your smartphone’s limited battery life? You’re not the only one.

Battery technology is dated and there’s no sign of a power revolution anytime soon, but you can take steps to prolong your smartphone’s battery. Let’s run through some general tips that will work for any smartphone, and then we’ll take a look at advanced tips, and a few apps that could help.

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BASIC BATTERY-SAVING TIPS or “TURN IT OFF!”

D O N ’ T L E T T H AT B AT T E R Y D I E !

Poor battery life consistently takes the top spot in consumer polls on our biggest complaints about mobile technology. As we pack more features into our devices, we tend to use them more and the drain on power increases. Combine that with the trend towards larger screens and it’s no surprise that our smartphones are often dead before the day is done.

If you’re in a dead zone, or you need to conserve some battery for later, then just press that power button. All of the basic battery-saving tips you’ll ever see for smartphones are related to this idea. But, if you can’t, or don’t want to turn the device off, you should at least turn off some of the functions. The basics: don’t keep WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, or anything else on, when you aren’t using it. Don’t allow push notifications for email updates. Don’t connect to a 4G LTE network when 3G will do. Turn down your screen brightness and volume. Turn vibrations off. Don’t use widgets or animated wallpapers. Whatever you do, don’t play games or watch video. Of course, no one really wants to hear this. We remember having (dumb) mobile phones that handled calls and texts and nothing else. The battery life was amazing, comparatively speaking, but who wants to shell out hundreds of dollars for a phone that does just calls and texts? What’s the point in having a smartphone if you can’t enjoy the features? What makes sense for you?

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Obviously, the #1 battery-saving tip for your smartphone is to just turn it off.

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D O N ’ T L E T T H AT B AT T E R Y D I E !

How to squeeze extra juice out of your smartphone’s battery

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DON’ T LE T THAT BAT TERY DIE! • DON’ T LE T THAT BAT TERY DIE! • DON’ T LE T THAT BAT TERY DIE!

D O N ’ T L E T T H AT B AT T E R Y D I E !

CHANGE THE STATUS QUO It’s actually easy to rack up battery savings without missing out on the features you love. For instance, a lot of us never switch from our phone’s defaults, even if they’re annoying, but we really should. Turn off vibration and sound feedback for typing for instant savings. You may also find that you don’t really need to know every time a vague acquaintance posts something on Facebook or in a Google+ group. Many apps turn push notifications on by default and they eat a huge amount of battery juice. They also distract you constantly with a stream of inconsequential nonsense. Location tracking is often left on, even though you may not be using it. Watch out for apps that want to know your location. If you’re not actually using the smartphone for navigation right now, there’s little benefit to leaving it on.

D O N ’ T L E T T H AT B AT T E R Y D I E !

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D O N ’ T L E T T H AT B AT T E R Y D I E !

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Shutting off unneeded features isn’t a major chore. Many smartphones come with quick settings menus that allow you to turn them off with a tap when you don’t need them. If yours doesn’t, then you’ll be able to find an app that offers this functionality. (Windows Phone has a built-in battery saver feature which you’ll find in Settings.)

MANAGING YOUR SCREEN As smartphone screens get bigger, the display is responsible for eating more and more of the battery life. On Android go to Settings > Battery, or Settings > About phone > Battery use and see exactly what ate your battery. Invariably, your phone’s screen will be top of the list. We’ve already mentioned reducing the brightness level, but you can also decrease the screen’s timeout—that is, how long your phone stays operational before it dims and locks itself. You’ll find it in Settings > Display or something similar, depending on your phone’s operating system. Set it for as short a time as you can before you find it terribly frustrating that your screen keeps turning itself off. On iOS (iPhones) you’ll find it in Settings > General > Auto-Lock. On Windows Phones you’ll find the option in Settings > Lock & Wallpaper > Screen Time Out. On BB10 it’s Settings > Display > Screen Lock Timeout. If you have an AMOLED screen, save battery power by using a dark background. The technology actually turns off pixels when they’re black, so if you have predominantly black wallpaper, you’ll save a lot of juice.

ROOTING ON ANDROID Android users may want to consider “rooting” (or attaining privileged control of the phone’s operating system). It definitely falls under the advanced category, but you can underclock (run at a lower rate) your CPU and freeze annoying bloatware apps. Both reduce battery consumption.

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DON’ T LE T THAT BAT TERY DIE! • DON’ T LE T THAT BAT TERY DIE! • DON’ T LE T THAT BAT TERY DIE! D O N ’ T L E T T H AT B AT T E R Y D I E !

BATTERY-SAVING APPS You’ll find various battery-saving apps on all the major phone platforms. Some of the best options can help you identify what’s using your battery and allow you to save juice without having to dig into individual features and do a lot of manual tweaking. The most popular option for Android is Juice Defender by Letdroid. It’s completely free and you can choose preset profiles, so there’s no need to get your hands dirty, unless you want to.

Juice Defender

Battery Doctor

Battery

Battery Lover

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Android gives apps more power to influence your battery drain than other platforms, but you can still use apps on other platforms to gain an insight and find more tips.

D O N ’ T L E T T H AT B AT T E R Y D I E !

On iOS the free Battery Doctor app (Beijing Kingsoft Internet Security software Co.Ltd) provides useful insights and reminders. For Windows Phone 8, there’s a free, popular app called Battery by Enless Soft Ltd., which displays how much battery life you have left and gives you access to quick settings. Battery Lover by TP Soft (free) is a very similar app for BlackBerry 10.

ADVANCED POWER-SAVING TIPS First things first: Keep your apps up to date.

Different batteries respond to different charging schedules, but they all eventually degrade. And leaving your phone plugged in after it is fully charged makes it degrade even faster. If you’re going to charge your phone overnight, use a charger that shuts off once the battery is full. Don’t let your battery fully discharge too often, once a month is handy to ensure that calibration is correct (so your phone can tell you accurately how much battery life is left). But in general, charge it before it drops too low.

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D O N ’ T L E T T H AT B AT T E R Y D I E !

Keep your smartphone’s physical temperature as cool as possible. Sitting in direct sunlight on the dashboard of your car will actually drain the battery faster.

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Developers often release updates for apps and games that improve optimization and this can have a big impact on battery life. If you discover a battery hog, consider removing it. Don’t use task-killer apps—these are a last resort, not a solution.

APPS_1309-ECOFRIEND 6/17/13 1:28 AM Page 36

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ECO-FRIENDLY

e n o h p t r a m S ACCESSORIES

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Great gadgets for environmentally concerned smartphone users By Simon Hill By buying an eco-friendly gadget, you reduce your negative impact and help drive further development of environmentally conscious products. Take a look at these great green smartphone accessories, from biodegradable cases to a solar-powered stereo system. You’ll find something for everyone.

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There’s no need to plug into the grid when you’ve got your own source of juice in the form of the SunVolt Portable Solar Power Station from Gomadic. It’s a lightweight solar panel in a water-resistant carrying case with a handle and strap. Flip it open, prop the panel up facing the sun, and you can plug in two mobile devices at once and let those rays charge them up. Your standard USB charging cable plugs into the SunVolt and the device ships with a lifetime warranty. For best results consider getting an additional Solar Cache High Capacity Battery Pack ($39.95) so you can store the solar power while you’re out and about and then charge up your smartphone when you return. $99.95 from Gomadic (gomadic.com)

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Leaving your smartphone plugged in once it’s fully charged is not only a waste of power, it can actually damage your battery. Bracketron addresses the issue with the Mushroom GreenZero Wall Travel Charger. This simple, portable device has fold out plug pins and a circular design for easy cable storage. It has a standard USB port, so it works with any smartphone. It is essentially a one-click charger that automatically shuts off when your device is fully charged. Plug it in, hit the big green button and it cuts off the power when your smartphone’s battery is full. $27.95 from Bracketron (bracketron.com)

• E CO - F R I E N D LY ACC E S S O R I E S

You’ll never be caught without power again if you invest in an SOSCharger. It’s a self-powered battery pack with a built-in generator. Simply pop out the handle and wind it to generate some juice. Between three and five minutes of winding should give you enough power for at least five minutes of call time on your mobile. It’s an attractive pocket-sized device and it has a standard USB port so you can charge any smartphone or tablet. The USB-to-micro-USB cable is included and you also have the option of fully charging the 1,500mAh battery before you go on a trip and then using the winding function to keep it topped up.

$44 from SOSCharger (soscharger.com)

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$149.99 from Eton (etoncorp.com)

The excellent design includes an e-ink display which is readable even in direct sunlight, a carrying handle, and a USB port so it doubles as a way to charge your smartphone. Portable stereo sound and a charging system, all powered by the sun—a simply irresistible proposition. Available in black, white, and of course, green.

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If you like to have your favorite tunes, no matter where you are, then the Rukus Solar is the perfect companion. This wireless sound system streams music from any smartphone via Bluetooth. There’s a solar panel in the top to soak up the power of the sun and when the internal battery is fully charged it can go for eight hours.

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It’s time to get on your bike with the ECOXPOWER Pedal Powered Headlight & Mobile Device Charger. You’re probably familiar with dynamos which harness your pedaling power to bring a headlight to life. Well, the ECOXPOWER goes one step further and allows you to juice up your smartphone as well. It has a headlight at the front, flashing safety light at the back, and a universal fit, water-resistant handle bar case for your smartphone. You can still operate your phone when it’s in the case, so this is ideal for GPS navigation. In fact it uses a standard USB cable so any smartphone, or even a GPS unit, will work with this gadget. Fire up your GPS navigation app, charge your smartphone as you go and you’ll never get lost again.

Not only is the iBamboo an eco-friendly product, but it is also very efficient to manufacture with little waste. They come in black or original and each iBamboo speaker is unique. Starts at $99.99 from Grace Digital (ecoxgear.com)

At first glance Papernomad’s Gadget Sleeves may not look like the ideal protection for your smartphone or tablet. They resemble ordinary padded paper envelopes—but look a little closer and the quality and craftsmanship shines through. Papernomad replaces traditional case materials with paper—the company is committed to sustainable solutions.

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$25 from iBamboo (ibamboospeaker.com) Reducing the amount of power you use is a great way to reduce your impact on the planet. The iBamboo Speaker can help. With precision cuts in a piece of sustainable bamboo, you can harness the natural beauty of nature to enhance your iPhone music. It gently amplifies the sound and it works with the iPhone 4, 4S and 5.

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E C O - F R I E N D LY A C C E S S O R I E S • E C O - F R I E N D LY A C C E S S O R I E S • E C O - F R I E N D LY A C C E S S O R I E S

The sleeve range is stitched and combines paper with other organic materials to create a protective case for your phone or tablet. The iPhone 5 sleeve also has a magnetic lock, so your device goes to sleep when it’s slipped inside. Each one is fully customizable, so you can create a unique look by sketching, writing or coloring on the outside, and they’re tear and water resistant, too.

Starts at $34 from Papernomad (papernomad.com)

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How about an acoustic amplifier carved from a single piece of beautiful, solid wood? The Original Koostik, seen here in African Makore wood, is available in a range of sustainable wood, including maple and cherry. It has been designed to cradle your iPhone (it works with all versions) and amplify the speaker to offer between two and four times the standard volume without needing any power at all. These products aren’t just eco-friendly, they’re also astoundingly attractive. If you want an aesthetically pleasing alternative to plastics then you’ll love the Koostik range. The one pictured is $95, but there are smaller, single chamber docks which are more affordable.

• E CO - F R I E N D LY ACC E S S O R I E S

Starts at $60 from Koostik (koostik.com)

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You’ll enjoy the standard dual-protection of a great smartphone case with the Innovez Life Series cases, but you’ll also be pleased to know that they are crafted from environmentally friendly plastic called EcoPure. There’s a hard outer shell and a soft, shock absorbing interior to protect your smartphone when it falls. EcoPure is made from organic material blended with plastic. The clever part is that it is durable and long lasting, but when placed in the right environment, such as a landfill, it is fully biodegradable. The cases are offered in a range of two-tone color designs and you can mix and match the interior and exterior parts to create the combination you want.

$29.95 from Bioserie (bioserie.com)

The Bioplastic Covers from Bioserie are made from plants. The company aims to produce everything from renewable materials, to minimize carbon emissions during production, and to ensure no pollution when the product is eventually discarded. The result is an impressively durable and colorful set of cases for your smartphone. A minimal form factor and a range of colors and styles allow you to be environmentally conscious without having to scrimp on your choice of smartphone case. They are the world’s first USDA-certified biobased smartphone cases.

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$24.95 from Innovez (innovezproducts.com)

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C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E • C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E • C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E

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C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R YO N E

CHARGE! BATTERIES FOR Everyone

The latest on-the-go battery packs reviewed By Margaret Kavanagh Regardless of the phone or tablet you use, it drains power any time it’s on. And the more actively you use it, the more power it eats up. Many of us have taken to turning off all the bells and whistles, following every power-saving tip we can find, and actually limiting our phone time in an attempt to make our energy last until the end of the day. And while it’s ecologically sound to conserve power when possible, it’s also important to be able to use your phone for its intended purpose when you need it. Phone manufacturers are constantly working on ways to increase battery life, but advances aren’t coming quickly enough to satisfy the demand of the current phones, especially when loaded with additional features and apps. Luckily, a new accessory has filled the gap: the external battery. It comes in several different forms and there’s a version that’s convenient for almost every occasion. Here are a few models that we had a chance to check out.

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www.powerocksusa.com $75-$110 This small block of power will help you in a pinch. It’s a simple, colorful little box that packs a punch. Pop off one end, and plug in your phone or table to recharge. It comes with one micro-USB cable built in, and one USB port for you to plug in your own cable. (It’s strong enough to charge a USB and micro-USB device at the same time.) Lights on the other end of the device let you know how much stored power the Magic Cube has left. It claims to last for up to 500 charges (many more than other batteries we tested) and we were able to charge our iPhone 4S several times from less than 24% before we needed to charge the unit again. We were even able to use our phone while charging it, without any noticeable lag. The battery is about as big as your hand, and depending on the model, it’s between 5-10 ounces. It comes with a carrying bag and is easy to tuck into a bag or briefcase. To recharge, use the built-in USB cord and either plug it into a computer or wall charger adapter. It does take a while to recharge, so plan on giving it at least overnight. One note: You’ll need your iPhone’s cable, so don’t forget it if you’re on the road.

Color Options: Pink, Blue, Black, Silver Battery Capacity: 6,000/9,000/12,000 mAh Input: 5.0V/2A Output: 5.0±0.25V/2.1A

What do the numbers mean? Don’t let the figures confuse you. Basically it breaks down like this. Capacity: The higher the better. So while a 2500mAh charger will give you a boost, 12000mAh will give you many more boosts. However, it will also take a lot longer to recharge because it has to store more energy. Input: Most batteries are about 5V/1 or 2A. That is standard for the rate of energy coming in to the battery pack while it’s recharging. If the second number is higher—2A versus 1A, that means the battery will recharge faster. Output: Again, it’s the second number that counts, as in 5V/2.1A versus 5V/0.5A. The 2.1A port will put out more energy, faster. But beware—some devices will need power at a certain rate. Check your device’s manual for the correct numbers before using a battery pack.

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C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E • C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E • C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E

Powerocks Magic Cube

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C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R YO N E

C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E • C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E • C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E

iWalk Chameleon/Chameleon Easy www.iwalkusa.com $59.99-$64.99 Rather than a battery block that you plug into to recharge, this accessory doubles as an actual case for iPhone 4/4S and Samsung Galaxy S3 models. It’s a form-fitting battery pack that stays with your phone and nearly doubles its battery life. You’ll need to recharge it regularly, like you do your phone, but you don’t need to remove it to do so. The included cable lets you transfer data and recharge while the case stays on. The name Chameleon comes from the case’s colorful, interchangeable faceplates. 5 come with the product, so you can easily select one to match your mood: green, red, white, black or yellow. Although the front plate feels a bit brittle, we have yet to encounter any breakage, even though we snap it on and off at will. The entire case is fairly lightweight (just 78g) compared to other battery cases we’ve reviewed, and its slim fit and bright colors make it an attractive choice. One downside: if you like to use your iPhone with a dock accessory (like a bedside clock), you will have to remove the case. Tip: pair this with a battery block, and you’re set for travel.

Battery Capacity: 2,000/2,800 mAh Input: 5.0V/1.0A Output: 5.0V/0.5A

iWalk Link 2500m www.iwalkusa.com $54.99 Perhaps the most portable of the bunch is the Link series of batteries. They are small enough to fit in your pocket and go anywhere with you. The Link 2500m holds just 2500 mAh, not a lot compared to the bigger models, but more than enough to rescue you when your phone is failing. The micro USB adapter allows this mini helper to plug right into your phone, unobtrusively. It worked like a charm for us, allowing us to continue using our phone while it charged. It’s a bit pricey for the capacity, but you’re really paying for convenience. Charging is easy via a computer and cable, and it’s quick, since it’s lower capacity. Color Options: Black, White Battery Capacity: 2,500 mAh Other models with lower capacity are available.

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A snag: The cover hinge actually snapped the first time we opened it because it was a bit awkward. Not great, but it doesn’t change the functionality.

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C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R YO N E C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E • C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E • C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E

New Trent iCarrier www.newtrent.com $69.95 Another high-capacity battery (12,000 mAh) that charges two devices at once. This little gem is a great buy, holding a lot of power for a low price. But it does come with a few little differences that could be upgraded to make it even better. First, it’s one of the only devices that can’t be recharged using a USB port on a computer. Instead, you have to use the included adapter and a standard power outlet. Additionally, the battery has an on/off button, rather than just charging a device as soon as it’s plugged in. The power block is about four-inches square and only about 10 ounces. It takes about 11 hours to charge but can charge most devices fully between four and six times. It’s rumored to work through 500 charging cycles. Battery Capacity: 12,000 mAh Input: AC wall/100~240V Output: 5.0V/2.1A, 5.0V/1.0A

iWalk Extreme 10,000 Duo www.iwalkusa.com $99.99 This battery block, like the others, comes in handy when you’re on the go and need to give your phone that extra battery boost. Its long, slim profile means it slips right into any carry-on. It’s slightly heavier (close to one pound) than the Magic Cube but it packs more punch and its design is modern and substantial. The Extreme includes two bright red charging cables—a micro USB and an Apple 30-pin adapter—very convenient so you never have to worry about bringing your phone’s cables. This battery has the ability to charge two devices: one USB port charges at 2.1A (rapid charging) while the other runs at 1.0A. Why not two rapid charging ports? Because some devices need to charge at a lower amperage. Recharging happens in the normal way. You can plug it into the USB port on your computer or into a wall adapter. This charger takes quite a while to recharge, so plan ahead if you’re going to need it. Bonus(?): The charger also includes an LED flashlight, accessible by holding down the power button for a few seconds.

Color Options: Black, White Battery Capacity: 10,000 mAh Input: 5.0V/1.0A Output: 5.0V/2.1A, 5.0V/1.0A

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C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R YO N E

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C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R YO N E

C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E • C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E • C H A R G E ! B AT T E R I E S F O R E V E R Y O N E

iBattz: BattStation 12000 usa.ibattz.com $29.90-$49.90 The BattStation is a rugged box with a nice exterior rubber case that protects it from bumps and drops. It also adds a nice design element that gives it a gothic feel. However, strip off the rubber case, and it’s much like the other battery packs. It comes with a nice set of cables and adapters— more than most, including a 30-pin for the iPhone and an adapter for the Samsung Galaxy Tab. It even includes a Carabineer clip so you can snap it onto your belt, backpack, or what have you. It has a bit of heft to it, but not more than expected for a battery pack (300g). All in all, it’s a solid performer, and takes just about 8 hours to charge using a wall outlet and adapter. The BattStation also shuts itself off when devices are done charging. A GREAT feature that more battery packs should employ.

Battery Capacity: 7,200/8,400/12,000 mAh Input: 5.0V/1A Output: 5.0V/2.1A, 5.0V/1A (5.0V/1A, 5.0V/0.5A for 7,200 mAh and 8,400 mAh models)

Caveat: There’s no word on how many times you can cycle this battery pack, but guesses are the lifetime is probably about equal to other similar products.

LOOK, MA! No Hands

REVIEW: Both hands on the wheel with the SuperTooth HD By John Bosch The SuperTooth HD Bluetooth Speakerphone works quite well. The sound quality is above average and the battery life seems to handle a real life and work schedule. I was able to do a full days’ travel with many sales calls via the hands-free device, as well as communicate with friends and family late into the night with plenty of battery left. The voice commands worked very well the majority of the time and the automatic phonebook transfer worked perfectly. This device will stream your music, give voice navigation via your smart phone, and works with 6 languages—thankfully English was one of them. It can also be paired with up to 8 devices (2 phones max). The noise cancelling worked well and the sound quality was excellent. I do recommend this hands-free device for anyone needing to conduct calls while driving. But make sure you’re legally allowed to do so in your region. The SuperTooth also has an option for a hands-free assistant (but I did not set that up or use it). This option allows you to compose and send SMS, emails and much more, all via voice command. In the war against texting while driving, this accessory is an ally.

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e t a m i t l U

APP

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GAME APPLICATIONS Action Games

Rayman Jungle Run $2.99, Ubisoft HHHHH

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Bad Piggies $0.99, Rovio Mobile Ltd. HHHHH A fresh take on the Angry Bird franchise, but still an addicting experience!

Angry Birds Star Wars $0.99, Rovio Mobile Ltd. HHHHH Star Wars fans will have a blast as the Angry Birds travel to a galaxy far, far away.

Angry Birds Free, Rovio Mobile HHHHH Hurl birds and pigs through the air.

Angry Birds Spce Free, Rovio Mobile HHHHH

Explore new words, unlock new powers and battle new enemies on your way to victory.

Punch Quest Free, Rocketcat Games HHHHH Simple, yet addictive gameplay has players going toe-to-toe with skeletons, zombies, cyclops and riding dinosaurs.

Prince of Persia Classic $0.99 - $2.99, Ubisoft HHHHH Relive the adventures of a young Persian hero, who traverses castles and battles swordsmen in search of the young princess.

Wreck-it Ralph $0.99, Disney HHHHH Three challenging arcade games to enjoy based on the hit Disney movie.

Nutty Fluffies Rollercoaster In this edition of Angry Birds, developer Rovio takes the classic pig bashing gameplay, mixing it with zero gravity action, new birds and new superpowers to deliver its best so far.

$0.99, Ubisoft HHHHH Your goal is simple—safely deliver a bunch of stuffed animals from the beginning to the end of a wild rollercoaster ride.

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Doodle Jump

Traffic Rush

$0.99, GameHouse HHHHH

$0.99, Donut Games HHHHH Your goal is to get as many vehicles as possible safely through the intersection without a collision.

When Balls Drop

Free, Halfbrick Studios HHHHH

$1.99, Joseph Neuman HHHHH

Strap on a jetpack and navigate through countless fun-filled levels. Avoid obstacles like electricity fields, lasers and missiles, completing missions and collecting coins along the way. $1.99, HeroCraft LTD HHHHH

Preschool Educational Games

Ninjump

$0.99, Paidotribo HHHHH Search for fun games to play based on the materials you have on-hand and the amount of time you want to spend playing.

G U I D E

Free, Backflip Studios HHHHH

B U Y E R ’ S

225 Kid Outdoor Games Rule your own fairytale kingdom, defeating enemies and conquering new lands in this exciting real-time strategy roleplaying game.

Bug Games by Busy Bee Studios You’re a strong and proud ninja.

$0.99, Busy Bee Studios HHHHH

PAC-MAN

Plants vs. Zombies

Use a variety of weapon-laden plants to protect your home from the Zombie hoard.

Snail Mail

Stickman Golf Free - $0.99, Noodlecake Studios HHHHH

Tap Tap Revenge 4 Free - $2.99, Tapulous HHHHH An addictive music game—follow the on-screen arrows, as you listen to your favorite artists and bands like Katy Perry, Linkin Park and Lady Gaga.

Free, AZB Soft HHHHH A simple and fun game that will appeal to your preschoolers as they learn to spell the names of familiar animals.

Monster Hunt – The Memory Game Free, Innovative Mobile Apps HHHHH Featuring bright little monsters that you search for, kids have so much fun they won’t even realize they’re learning.

Grandma’s Garden $0.99 - $1.99, Fairlady Media/Noodlecake Studios Inc. HHHHH Kids will enjoy helping Grandma in the garden as they match, color, and count vegetables.

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G U I D E

Test your golf skills by hitting the ball over mountains, bodies of water, down slopes, through trees and so much more.

First Words Animals Kids

B U Y E R ’ S

Race Turbo Snail on an intergalactic runway picking up packages for him to deliver.

Dinosaur-related activities and games that teach kids about dinosaurs and their habitats.

A P P

$0.99, Sandlot Games HHHHH

$1.99, Knbmedia HHHHH

U LT I M AT E

$0.99, Electronic Arts HHHHH

Find Them All: Dinosaurs

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Bring the original video game hero to your smartphone.

With four different games, your children will learn and practice phonics, numbers, pattern matching, and musical melodies.

•

$1.99, Namco Networks HHHHH

A P P

Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim

A mellow game that will keep you glued to the screen as you try to get the bouncing ball in one of five different point slots.

U LT I M AT E

Jetpack Joyride

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Guide a jumping green creature equipped with springs, jet packs and other gear.

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Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss

Children learn picture and word association as animated words are spoken when your child touches each picture of this classic Dr. Seuss tale.

Kids Numbers and Math $2.99, intellijoy HHHHH Keeps your kids entertained and excited while learning about numbers.

Preschool and Kindergarten Learning Games Free, Kevin Bradford HHHHH Your child will learn letters, spelling, shapes and colors, addition and subtraction, figure out puzzles and play memory games.

TallyTots $0.99, Spinlight Studio HHHHH Your kids will practice counting, receive positive verbal reinforcement, and encounter fun surprises along the way as they learn to count to 20.

Word Wagon - by Duck Duck Moose $1.99, Duck Duck Moose HHHHH

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$3.99, Oceanhouse Media HHHHH

Memory Fun Free, Karmic Apps HHHHH Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone A challenging and addictive game to train your memory capacity, focus and concentration with an easy to use interface, multiple levels of difficulty, and a wide selection of card images.

Cogs Free - $2.99, Chillingo/Lazy 8 Studios HHHHH Build increasingly complex machines with gears, pipes, and wheels.

Flow Free Free, Big Duck Games LLC HHHHH Connect matching colors with pipe to create a flow, but the challenge comes when pipes cross or overlap, causing them to break.

Drop7 $2.99, Zynga HHHHH A highly addictive game where you drop discs numbered 1 through 7 into a grid, forming a chain to nab bonuses and stay alive.

Quell $1.99, FallenTreeGames HHHHH This has to be one of the most soothing games you’ll ever play.

Spells words by placing the letters for each object shown in the correct order and earn stars to build animal-shaped constellations.

Zoo Train $1.99, Busy Bee Studios HHHHH Word building meets city building in this fun app.

Puzzle Games 77 Logic Games – Time Killers Free, Andrea Sabbatini HHHHH

Jigsaw Mansion 2 Gold $0.99, SGN HHHHH Multi-touch controls, 360-degree piece rotation and more than 20 new, original paintings carved into challenging puzzles.

Relix Free, Mark Mengelt HHHHH Tapping and sliding pieces to match tiles, with challenging features to make each of the 50 levels increasingly difficult.

Sprinkle Free Exercise your brain with 70 logic games and be relaxed and challenged at the same time.

Jigsaw Puzzle Free, Critical Hit Software, LLC HHHHH

Free, Mediocre HHHHH Use your crane-mounted water cannon to put out fires, activate traps, and move boulders and ice blocks.

Draw Something Free Use one of the 60 preloaded puzzles or turn one of your own photos into a jigsaw puzzle to solve.

Free, OMGPOP HHHHH Put your artistic skills to the real test. Draw something and your friend (or a random user from around the world) must guess what it is.

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Cash Cow

Word Genius Lite

$0.99 - $3.95, Plasmaworks LLC HHHHH

Free, Catnip Media HHHHH

Domino Run

Word Seek Free, Idealix Inc. HHHHH

U LT I M AT E

Free, Shiny Egg Studios HHHHH

Find as many words as you can in a letter scramble.

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Touch a bunch of coins that equal 5, 10 or 25 cents and then add up that bunch into a dollar.

Race against the clock as you find words on a 4x4 letter grid. Stack dominos and topple them over in 70 fun-filled levels— replay levels and try to beat your time.

Where’s My Water?

Geared Free - $2.99, PlayfulArt/Bryan Mitchell Games HHHHH

Word Games Word Search +

Free - $0.99, SGN HHHHH

Wordfeud Free, Bertheussen IT HHHHH Play up to 30 games simultaneously, against 8 million of your closest opponents.

wurdle $1.99, Semi Secret Software LLC HHHHH A fast-paced word game perfect for trips in the car or any time your kids need a little mind-stimulating entertainment.

Tabletop Games Battleship

Bookworm

Search for words in a grid of letters.

War of Words Free, Wolf Studios LLC 5 stars

Wheel of Fortune $2.99, Sony Pictures Television HHHHH

Clue $0.99 - 3.99, Electronic Arts HHHHH The classic detective game on your phone and tablet.

LIFE

G U I D E

Crossword puzzle-style game with bombs.

Destroy the enemy fleet before they destroy you!

B U Y E R ’ S

$1.99, PopCap HHHHH

Free - $2.99, Electronic Arts HHHHH

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Create words from random letters while birds swoop in and hinder your progress.

$0.99 - $6.99, Electronic Arts HHHHH Navigate through life in this classic board game.

Transports you into the world of the famous game show.

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U LT I M AT E

Bird's the Word

A crossword-style game with trick tiles to increase your score.

2 0 1 3

This app provides you with word 16 categories. Each word list teaches you more about subjects such as food and wine, science, sports, and geography.

Free, Outplay Entertainment LTD HHHHH

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Free, Sarah Pierce/Megafauna software HHHHH

Word Trick Free

G U I D E

The object of this game is to line up four different sizes of gears and connect them to one another.

With such a wide variety of choices, the whole family will be learning while having fun playing this classic game.

B U Y E R ’ S

Swampy the Alligator wants to take a shower—too bad the other alligators have blocked his water!

Free, Optime Software LLC HHHHH

A P P

$0.99, Disney HHHHH

Hangman Free

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Jenga

Flashcards+

$0.99 - $2.99, NaturalMotion HHHHH

Free, Connor Zwick HHHHH

Build a virtual structure with wooden blocks.

Monopoly

The fast-dealing property trading game in smartphone format.

Try your hand at world domination.

Risk $2.99 - 6.99, Electronic Arts HHHHH

When you’re getting ready for that important exam, you can make your own flashcards and study them while you’re on the go.

Free Graphing Calculator Free, William Jockusch HHHHH With over 100 math functions, the graphing calculator is a clone of the TI-83 that lets you input data and make graphs and matrices to your heart’s content.

Math Pack Flashcards Free - $0.99, Tititaa HHHHH

Stratego $6.99, Keesing Games BV HHHHH Capture your opponent’s flag with strategic moves.

Trivial Pursuit $0.99 - 3.99, Electronic Arts HHHHH Test your knowledge of all things trivial.

EDUCATION APPLICATIONS Educational Tools Quick Homework Help Free, Brightstorm HHHHH Select a subject and the app shows tips, videos, and sample problems to help lead students on their way to success.

Math Workout Free, Brain Training/Workout Games HHHHH Daily brain training exercises and math drills designed to enhance mental arithmetic.

Blackboard Mobile Free, Blackboard Inc. HHHHH This app allows students and teachers to view course listings, grades, discussion forums, post announcements, and so on.

Flashcards cover beginning skills like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division all the way to more difficult skills like geometry and algebra.

Math Ref $0.99 - $1.99, Happy Maau Studios LLC HHHHH This app functions as a math and physics formula study guide with figures, tips, graphs, and examples.

MiniMod Reading for Details $8.99, E Skills Learning LLC HHHHH Read a passage of text based on three different reading levels and answer questions to test your comprehension.

Molecules Free, Sunset Lake Software HHHHH This app allows you to view and manipulate 3D models of different molecules.

myHomework Student Planner Free, Rodrigo Neri/instin LLC HHHHH Track your classes and assignments with a calendar and set up homework reminders.

NASA App Free, NASA HHHHH Great for kids to explore all things space related.

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$0.99 - $9.99, Electronic Arts HHHHH

A P P

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Britannica Kids $4.99, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. HHHHH With a wide range of subjects available, Britannica Kids is brought to you with the outstanding quality that Encyclopaedia Britannica is known for.

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Mathmateer $0.99, Dan Russell-Pinson HHHHH Kids will have a blast learning math as they build their own rockets and fly them to the stars.

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Solar System Explorer

College Confidential

$1.99, Neil Burlock HHHHH

Free, Hobsons Inc. HHHHH

SparkNotes Free, SparkNotes LLC HHHHH

Spelling Bee $0.99, Socratica LLC HHHHH

$2.99, Vito Technology Inc. HHHHH This astral telescope adapts its view to wherever you’re pointing and highlights both constellations and planets. $1.99, IPMG Publishing HHHHH

$1.99, Down-Shift Inc. HHHHH

College Research Apps $4.99, All College Essays HHHHH

Peterson’s College Guide

Jump directly to the colleges you want more information about, or enter your search criteria and let the app suggest schools for you.

GradeWizard $1.99, Jarcas Software HHHHH Android Calculate your own GPA by entering your grades into the GradeWizard app.

iCollege Guide $0.99, Dorm Mom LLC HHHHH From the top colleges offering merit-based aid to those with the most students living on campus, this app is loaded with data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Quick Calendar Free, Jim Blackler HHHHH Between college visits, essay deadlines, SAT testing, and senior year homework, a must-have for staying on top of your deadlines.

MyMajors Free, Moblico HHHHH Enter your criteria and take the app’s quizzes to discover which schools meet your needs.

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G U I D E

Free, Peterson’s HHHHH

From flash cards to practice tests, SAT Math helps you thoroughly prepare.

B U Y E R ’ S

Select one of the 600 colleges listed and you’ll find out the application essay topic requirements, due date, and word length— updated with each application season.

$4.99, honeHead HHHHH

A P P

All College Application Essays

SAT Math

U LT I M AT E

Teaches kids all kinds of interesting facts by showing all of the major events that happened in history on that date.

Matches your student’s SAT scores with schools to which they qualify.

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Today in History

Free, Rolzer HHHHH

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Combines the fun and familiar strategy game of Tic-Tac-Toe with solving math equations.

College Score Matcher

G U I D E

Tic Tac Math

This app can help you with the vocab you need to know—and uses quick tips to help you remember what the words mean.

B U Y E R ’ S

Star Walk

$4.99, Modality Inc. HHHHH

A P P

Study a word, read the definition, hear it pronounced using textto-speech and take a quiz to test your knowledge.

SAT Vocab Challenge by The Princeton Review

U LT I M AT E

Link to the most popular study guides for literature, Shakespeare, poetry, philosophy, drama, short stories and more.

Get the truth about a college by tapping in to this app’s 430,000 member community.

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Take an interactive 3D trip through the Solar System.

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BandNamer $0.99, Handy Little Apps HHHHH Select your band’s genre (Garage Rock, Emo, Hip-Hop, Metal/Hardcore, and Electro-Pop) and Band Name does the rest.

Bloom $3.99, Opal Limited HHHHH From music legend Brian Eno, create your own soundscapes based on 12 different available moods by tapping on areas of the colored screen. $4.99, Lars Careliusson HHHHH Musical accompaniment app that allows you to create and play chord progressions.

• G U I D E B U Y E R ’ S A P P

Free, Spotify HHHHH Streaming radio with a library of over 15 million songs.

xPiano Free, cyandroid HHHHH A basic, 4-octave piano keyboard on your touchscreen Android phone.

News & Magazine Apps Flipboard Free, Flipboard Inc. HHHHH Turn personalized digital "pages" of your favorite publications and social media sites.

PressReader Free, NewspaperDirect HHHHH

Concert Vault Free, Wolfgang's Vault HHHHH Home to legendary concert promoter Bill Graham's massive collection of live recordings. Listen to a wide range of streaming concerts.

Access to 2,100 newspapers from 95 countries in 54 languages.

The Week Free, The Week Publications, Inc. HHHHH Commentary and analysis online from the popular print magazine.

MicDroid Free, intervigil HHHHH Automatic pitch correction and on-the-fly pitch correction— simply hit “record,” sing into your phone and the app corrects the pitch.

Mobile Metronome Free, Gabriel Simões HHHHH An excellent free metronome for musicians of all levels.

Pandora Free, Pandora HHHHH Create and listen to personalized radio stations.

Shazam Free, Shazam Entertainment HHHHH

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Spotify

Chordbot

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G U I D E

MEDIA APPLICATIONS Music Apps

Music identification service—recognizes songs via your smartphone’s built-in microphone.

US Newspapers Free, Baris Efe HHHHH Read major US newspapers and news sites online.

eReader Apps Audible Free, Audible, Inc. HHHHH Allows you to listen to your latest book—great for commuters.

Audiobooks - 2,947 classics for free Free, Spreadsong, Inc. HHHHH Thousands of public-content classics for free with narration included.

Goodreads Free, Goodreads HHHHH Goodreads connects you to your friends to see what they’re reading and what they recommend.

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Google Play Books

Finding Nemo - My Puzzle Book

Free, Google Inc. HHHHH

$0.99, Disney HHHHH

iScroll

Perfect for students of any age, use this app to have narration synchronized with your text.

Kindle

Kindle is the crème de la crème of all eReading apps. Free, Kobo Inc. HHHHH Kobo goes the extra mile in adding social networking features to your eReading experience. Free, Barnes and Noble HHHHH

On-the-go access to eBooks and audiobooks from your local library.

Wattpad

You can read and sing along to the popular “Wheels on the Bus” song in five languages and even record you and your child singing so you can play it back later.

Sports Media Apps ESPN Radio Free, ESPN Inc. HHHHH Instantly listen live to over 17 ESPN radio stations nationwide and 40 exclusive podcasts.

ESPN Scorecenter Free, ESPN Inc. HHHHH Scores and news from TV’s leading sports network.

MLS MatchDay

Interactive Storybook Apps PBS Super WHY

Kids can play using each of the four main characters from the television program as they journey through a story line that they control.

MatchDay brings the excitement of Major League Soccer (MLS) to your smartphone.

NHL GameCenter Free, NHL Interactive Cyberenterprises HHHHH The ultimate hockey fan’s dream app—watch live games and video highlights so you never miss a moment of the hard-hitting action. Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

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G U I D E

$2.99, PBS Kids and Out of the Blue Enterprises LLC HHHHH

Free, MLS HHHHH

B U Y E R ’ S

Discover an unlimited amount of free stories from new writers that you won’t find on Kindle or Nook.

$0.99, Duck Duck Moose Design HHHHH

A P P

Free, Wattpad.com HHHHH

Wheels on the Bus

U LT I M AT E

Free, OverDrive, Inc. HHHHH

Whether your child is a “brony” or a female My Little Pony fan, this interactive app will keep them occupied for hours.

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Overdrive Media Console – Library eBooks and Audiobooks

$3.99, Ruckus Media Group HHHHH

•

Barnes & Noble’s eReader with a more vibrant interface than others offer.

My Little Pony- Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for a Day

G U I D E

Nook

Start with an auto-play option that plays like a movie for younger kids, and progress to a read-it-aloud option that allows kids to record their own voices for playback.

B U Y E R ’ S

Kobo

$4.99, Oceanhouse Media HHHHH

A P P

Free, Amazon Mobile LLC HHHHH

The Lorax - Dr. Seuss

U LT I M AT E

Free, Appsessions LLC HHHHH

Improve your child’s problem-solving skills by completing interactive puzzles while following the adorable Nemo through his undersea adventure.

2 0 1 3

An eReader app that allows you access to your current titles while on the go.

U LT I M AT E 2 0 1 3

Free, Hulu HHHHH

IMDB

Free, National Basketball Association HHHHH

Free, IMDB HHHHH

ABC Player Free, ABC Digital HHHHH Watch your favorite ABC shows.

B-Movies Free, Bubble Pop Software HHHHH Connects you to the Internet Archive, home of free content including such classics as The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, Plan 9 from Outer Space and Night of the Living Dead.

CNN Mobile Free, CNN HHHHH Never miss breaking news again—breaking news notifications as well as CNN Radio.

Fandango Movies Free, Fandango HHHHH Pay a small fee to reserve movie theater tickets.

GetGlue Free, AdaptiveBlue HHHHH

U LT I M AT E

This social network for movies, TV, music, and books allows you to see what your friends like and recommend, while you add your own ratings.

2 0 1 3

Watch HBO’s acclaimed series when you’re away from the house—so long as your satellite or cable network gives you access to this brand new app.

HBO Go Free, Home Box Office, Inc. HHHHH

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Watch thousands of classic and current TV shows and movies on your smartphone—Hulu Plus subscription required.

WNBA Center Court

TV, Video & Movie Apps

• G U I D E

Hulu Plus by Hulu

Free, ESPN Inc. HHHHH

Watch live streaming games, view the latest scores, and check statistics, news and photos of your favorite team.

A P P

B U Y E R ’ S

WatchESPN

Live sports programming from ESPN on your mobile device. A cable subscription with ESPN included is required.

A P P

B U Y E R ’ S

G U I D E

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Exhaustive collection of movie and TV information. Also includes theater times and trailers.

Justin.TV $2.99 - $4.99, Justin.TV HHHHH The Justin.TV app allows you to view live video streams created by other users.

NBC Free, NBC Universal, Inc. HHHHH Watch your favorite NBC shows.

Redbox Free, Redbox Automated Retail LLC HHHHH Reserve tonight’s movie from your phone and pick it up at your local Redbox kiosk.

RunPee $0.99, polyGeek HHHHH Run Pee will tell you when it’s safe to make a dash to the bathroom—as in, a “boring part” is coming up.

SPB TV Free, SPB TV AG HHHHH Watch over 150 live TV channels from over 20 countries around the world, including news and sports.

TV.com Free, CBS Interactive, Inc. HHHHH Your favorite shows from CBS wherever you go.

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Photography Apps

ComicBook! $1.99, 3DTOPO Inc. HHHHH

LifePics

Photosynth Free, Microsoft Corp. HHHHH

U LT I M AT E

LifePics app allows users to upload photos and order prints from more than 13,000 specialty camera and photography stores.

Now you can transform your average, every day photos into a comic book superhero or villain.

2 0 1 3

Free, LifePics Photo App HHHHH

PostalPix Photo Prints Free, Postal Pix HHHHH

The only app that lets you capture the world in 360 degrees.

Adobe Photoshop Express When it comes to ordering standard or square photo prints on your iPhone, you can’t do much better than PostalPix. Free, Hewlett Packard HHHHH

A P P

Snapfish

Free, Adobe Systems HHHHH Bring the powerful photo-editing PC software to your smartphone.

B U Y E R ’ S

Photo Editor Ultimate Upload photos to the website in a snap (heh), give access to others to view your online albums, and view friends’ albums on your phone.

mymosaic

Instantly transforms your photos into stunning mosaics.

A brilliant photo-editing app that’s proof you don’t need to pay a dime for quality apps. $1.99, Project Box HHHHH Project Box brings the photo booth experience to your smartphone.

OUTDOOR LIVING APPLICATIONS Weather Apps Surfline Free, Surfline/Wavetrak, Inc. HHHHH

Free, Autodesk Inc. HHHHH

Surfline will keep you up-to-date on the weather forecast and surf reports for thousands of the best surf spots worldwide.

Ski & Snow Report Free, SkiReport.com HHHHH

Photo Editor by Aviary Free, Aviary HHHHH

AccuWeather

G U I D E

A simple way to let your photos shine—edit photos in a few quick, easy steps.

Find all the ski areas in your location and the slopes with the best snowfall. Free, AccuWeather.com HHHHH This app provides detailed hourly and 15-day forecasts. The Weather Alarms™ warn you of any potential snow, ice, rain, wind speed/gusts in your area.

Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

B U Y E R ’ S

Finish your photos in style— over 100 effects, 280 overlays and 200 different borders.

A P P

Pixlr-o-matic

U LT I M AT E

Pocketbooth

You’ll have a laugh personalizing your photos by adding text and decorating them with hair, beards and other goofy stickers.

2 0 1 3

Free, PicsArt HHHHH

PicSay Free, Shinycore HHHHH

•

PicsArt

Easily edit your photos in seconds and share them with your loved ones.

G U I D E

$0.99, MindTrip Studios HHHHH

Free, Ice Cold Apps HHHHH

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U LT I M AT E 2 0 1 3

Allergy Alert

$1.99, Radiantlabs LLC HHHHH

Free, Pollen.com HHHHH

Outside – Visual Weather Forecast $2.99, Robocat HHHHH Weather conditions are color-coded, giving you a quick read of what’s happening outside. Manual updates are available simply by shaking your phone.

Radar Now! Free, USNaviguide LLC HHHHH The most current National Weather Service (NWS) enhanced radar base images along with current weather conditions and storm indicators.

Track the air quality and allergen levels for your exact location and plan ahead with the app’s forecasts.

Allergy Track Free, PLB Melody/Stallergenes HHHHH Allergy Track helps you measure your allergy symptoms and their intensity.

State of the Air Free, American Lung Association HHHHH Get a real-time and forecasted EPA Air Quality Index for your location, including both ozone and particulate pollution counts.

OSHA Heat Safety Tool Free, OSHA HHHHH

The Weather Channel Free, The Weather Channel HHHHH This hearty weather app has everything you need to stay steps ahead of the weather.

Calculate the heat index for your location and provides protective measures you can take to prevent heat-related illness.

Heat Index & Relative Humidity $0.99, Verosocial Studio HHHHH

WeatherBug/WeatherBug Elite

• G U I D E B U Y E R ’ S A P P U LT I M AT E 2 0 1 3

Living Earth – Clock & Weather

Observe live sunrise and sunset borders around the world, view snow and ice coverage as well as other seasonal changes around the globe.

A P P

B U Y E R ’ S

G U I D E

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Free - $1.99, Earth Networks HHHHH Now you can access real-time weather info from around the world using this app’s links to 10,000 weather stations in North America and thousands of others worldwide.

WeatherEye Free, The Weather Network HHHHH WeatherEye provides detailed weather conditions, and short-term, hourly and long-term forecasts as well as severe weather alerts.

EPA’s SunWise UV Index Free, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency HHHHH Provides hourly forecasts of ultraviolet radiation intensity as well as precautions.

Suntan Watcher $0.99, David Tessitore HHHHH Alerts you when you need to turn over, reapply lotion and check on your loved ones.

Useful when you’re planning to exercise or work outdoors, this app measures air temperature and relative humidity to calculate the heat index.

Camping & Hiking Apps AllTrails Hiking and Biking Free, AllTrails, Inc. HHHHH While most phones lose their signals once you’re out in the wilderness, “no signal” is no problem since you can save a trail to your phone ahead of time.

Backpacking Planner Checklist $0.99, Little Apps HHHHH This backpacking checklist/planner app comes pre-loaded with 250+ backpacking trip related items.

Trimble GPS Hunt Pro $4.99, Trimble Navigation HHHHH For the serious hunter, this app contains topographical maps, waypoint marking, and journaling.

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APPS_1309_BUYERSGUIDE 6/17/13 1:41 AM Page 57

Leafsnap

Camp Recipes!

Free, Columbia University HHHHH

$1.99, The App Sack HHHHH A compilation of over 700 recipes from campers all over the country.

My Fishing Advisor

How to Tie Knots

Free, MyFishingAdvisor.com/Pishtech LLC HHHHH

Free, Sergey Burlakov HHHHH Offers animated step-by-step instructions to walk you through how to tie over 40 different knots.

MyNature Animal Tracks $4.99 - $6.99, MyNature Inc. HHHHH

A P P

For both hunters and animal lovers, this standalone reference guide identifies what's lurking in your neck of the woods.

Cycling Apps Bike Gears $1.99, Bootstrap Apps HHHHH

Camp Checklist $0.99, Jimbl HHHHH

Bike Repair $3.99, Atomic Softwares HHHHH

G U I D E

Light up your life by using your phone's screen or its LED light. Built-in controls let you change brightness, color, and even display warning- and police-style lights.

This app gets down and dirty with bike gear ratios, gain ratios, sprockets, fixing skid patches, and more lingo for those in the know.

Fix a flat, bleed your brakes, or un-chink a chain with this invaluable app.

Cyclemeter GPS Cycling Computer

Contains 12,000 campgrounds and RV parks across North America to help find just the spot you’re looking for.

Customizable audio feedback during your cycle trip fills you in on your stats, and tells you where your competition is when you're in a racing frame of mind.

EveryTrail Free, GlobalMotion Media HHHHH

US Army Survival Guide Free, Milodroid HHHHH

Find new biking trails right around the corner.

ViewRanger Outdoors GPS Free, Augmentra HHHHH

Take Ten to the Greater Outdoors

Set your workout goals and watch your progress as you select preplanned rides, or map your own.

Ride the City $1.99 - $2.99, Ride the City HHHHH Maps the safest bike route while avoiding highways, busy streets, steep hills, and other dangers.

Free, Columbia Sportswear Company HHHHH Columbia Sportswear developed this app to introduce users to the Ten Essential Groups—including medical, navigation, sun protection, tools and fire Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

57

G U I D E

Turn your phone into a complete outdoor navigation tool whether you’re camping, hiking or cycling.

Free, MapMyFitness Inc. HHHHH

B U Y E R ’ S

Based on the US Army Survival Manual, this guide can help you do anything from identifying a venomous snake to sending a smoke signal.

A P P

MapMyRide GPS Cycling Riding

U LT I M AT E

Free, Waterfield Technologies HHHHH

$1.99 - $4.99, Abvio Inc. HHHHH

2 0 1 3

Woodall’s RV & Camping Copilot

•

If you’re a list maker then this is a must-have—a preloaded camping checklist with a huge array of items.

B U Y E R ’ S

Tiny Flashlight + LED Free, Nikolay Ananiev HHHHH

U LT I M AT E

Plug in a few details about your fishing trip and this app presents you with the strategy you need to land the big one.

2 0 1 3

Identify tree species from photographs of their leaves.

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Facebook Free, Facebook HHHHH Keep in touch with all your Facebook friends with this free app.

Hoot Suite Free, HootSuite HHHHH Manage multiple social media sites from one convenient app.

Twitter Free, Twitter Inc. HHHHH Keep up with all the latest with this free app from the micro blogging service.

Dating Apps Free, Pazacta HHHHH

• A P P

B U Y E R ’ S

G U I D E

A nice way to read about ideas to build, strengthen, and improve your relationship.

Call Faker Free, Rob Franz HHHHH

Free, Match.com LLC HHHHH This free application allows you to search for your love match with relative ease.

PickUp Lines Free, Swiss Codemonkeys HHHHH This app displays pick-up lines, including the “All-Time Top” based on user votes.

PlentyOfFish Free, PlentyOfFish HHHHH Join over 25-million users looking for their soul mate with this popular dating app.

Phone Call Blocking Apps Bad Decision Blocker $0.99, John Genest HHHHH Prevents you from making outgoing calls that you might later regret.

BlackList Free, AntTek Inc. HHHHH Create a blacklist to block unwanted calls and text messages.

Call Blocker Escape a bad date with this app—set a time to receive a fake call and then you can say, “I’m so sorry, but I really have to go. My roommate is locked out of the apartment.”

Conversation Starters Free, SusaSoftX HHHHH You’ll have all sorts of intriguing conversation starters that will turn any dud of a date into something great.

Dating Ideas $0.99, Creative Glance HHHHH Romantic date ideas: input your zip code, and you get ideas involving cultural, outdoor, adventurous, romantic, and novel categories.

2 0 1 3

U LT I M AT E

Match.com

101 Relationship Tips

2 0 1 3

U LT I M AT E

A P P

B U Y E R ’ S

G U I D E

SOCIALIZING APPLICATIONS Social Networking Apps

FlirtMaps Free, Neo Network HHHHH With this free app you can find all available singles in your area displayed on a map.

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Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

Free, embware HHHHH Block unwanted calls and text messages.

Extreme Call Blocker $5.99, GreyThinker HHHHH Hangs up an unwanted call, sends it straight to voicemail, or mutes the call so it rings as normal for the caller and then goes to voicemail.

Hide a Caller $0.99, Smash Software LLC HHHHH Hide numbers that you don't want seen in your iPhone

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Info-Sharing Apps Burst

Captures, stores, and organizes videos and lets you share videos selectively—you even get to decide who can re-share.

$2.99 - $4.99/printed postcard, Apple Inc. HHHHH For those special occasions when quality matters, this app creates and mails folded greeting cards (not just postcards).

Text Messaging Apps GO SMS Pro

Free, Path Inc. HHHHH

Free, GO Dev Team HHHHH

Free, Nazori HHHHH

Red Stamp Cards Free, Red Stamp Cards LLC HHHHH

Find My Friends

Free, Tango HHHHH Offers free text messaging, phone calls, and video chat between other Tango members.

Email Apps

2 0 1 3

Send a request to a friend or relative and once they accept the request, you can track their location and view it on a map.

Tango

•

Free, Apple Inc. HHHHH

Ehanced text messaging that lets you send and receive SMS and MMS in style.

Gmail

U LT I M AT E

Free, Google Inc. HHHHH

Holiday Card Tracker $2.99, christine reindl HHHHH

Touchnote Postcards

Takes your digital image, turns it into a custom printed postcard and sends it anywhere.

Postagram

Create and send a printed postcard from images on your phone.

Free, Ahlquist Software HHHHH Manage your incoming mail and social networking messages all from one convenient smartphone app.

K-9 Mail Free, K-9 Dog Walkers HHHHH K-9 Mail is the kingpin of Android email and has all the features you’d ever want.

MailDroid Free, Flipdog Solutions LLC HHHHH Spellchecking, custom signatures, and a powerful search engine to quickly locate important email.

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G U I D E

$0.99/printed postcard, Sincerely Inc. HHHHH

iPriorityMail

B U Y E R ’ S

$1.49/printed postcard, Touchnote LTD HHHHH

Gmail’s convenience and robust design for the smartphone.

A P P

Track when you send and receive cards from people in your phone's Contacts list, and view your card mailing history from past years.

G U I D E

The go-to app for sending e-cards with 400 card designs with customizable features.

Free, Handcent HHHHH

B U Y E R ’ S

You decide how often you want to call someone and NextCall sets up a schedule and reminders.

Handcent SMS

A P P

NextCall

Makes texting more fun with emoticons, and fully integrated with social networking websites like Facebook—chat instantly through Facebook chat.

U LT I M AT E

Path

Photo- and video-sharing capabilities but limited to 150 social connections making it a more intimate network.

2 0 1 3

Free, Burst.it LLC HHHHH

Cards

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Yahoo! Mail

Your Yahoo! Address Book, your phone contacts, and Yahoo! Messenger in one convenient app.

SHOPPING APPLICATIONS Digital Wallet Apps eWallet $9.99, Ilium Software HHHHH A one-stop app to organize and remember all of your passwords—from online banking to personal identification (PIN) numbers to email passwords.

PayPal Mobile Free, PayPal HHHHH Make online purchases, instantly transfer money and locate nearby businesses that accept PayPal.

Google Wallet Free, Google HHHHH Keep all your credit cards, debit cards, offers, and rewards cards at your fingertips.

B U Y E R ’ S

G U I D E

•

2 0 1 3

U LT I M AT E

A P P

B U Y E R ’ S

G U I D E

Free, Yahoo! Inc. HHHHH

Square Wallet Free, Square HHHHH Enter all your credit card information and you’re ready to go shopping.

LevelUp Free, SCVNGR HHHHH

Fashion & Clothing Apps eBay Fashion Free, eBay Inc. HHHHH Peruse designer trends and then tap an item to find similar listings on eBay.

Feather Report $0.99, MEDL Mobile HHHHH Short for Fashion + Weather—use your location’s weather report to offer randomized outfit suggestions complete with links to buy.

Fashion Sense $1.99, Eighteen Twenty Consulting HHHHH Recommends particular looks based on your body type, and tells you when you shouldn’t waste your cash on an outfit that won’t flatter you.

MagicMirror Hair Styler $2.99 - $3.24, Touch Multimedia HHHHH This app gives you the opportunity to find out how you’d look in a particular hairstyle before you plunk down your money.

POPSUGAR Shopping Free, POPSUGAR Inc. HHHHH One-stop shopping for clothing, home decor, and kids & baby categories from over 300 retailers.

Yoox.com Free, Yoox.com HHHHH

Converts your credit card information to QR codes, which merchants scan with their own smartphones to accept payment.

Lemon Wallet Free, Lemon HHHHH A different kind of digital wallet—not only does it keep track of the contents of your wallet, it also tracks your spending.

Zappos Free, Zappos.com HHHHH Zappos sells clothing, bags, beauty products and, of course, shoes.

FastMall Free, MindSmack LLC HHHHH

CardStar

2 0 1 3

U LT I M AT E

A P P

An app to help you find and buy fashions for every family member.

Free, CardStar HHHHH This app allows you to store your reward card numbers and have cashiers scan your bar codes directly from your phone’s screen.

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Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

The app can help you find your way around the shopping mall and even find parking.

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Product & Gift Research Apps ESRB Rating Search App

GoodGuide Free, GoodGuide HHHHH

Grocery IQ

Make grocery lists by text entry, voice or barcode scans. App instantly organizes your list into aisles. Free, ShopSavvy Inc. HHHHH

Free, Rosu Gabriel HHHHH

El Gifto - Gift Ideas Guru Free, IBKR Analytics LLC HHHHH

Drinkspiration provides drink recommendations using classifications such as weather, location, time and the type of bar.

Harvest - Select the Best Produce $1.99, Sean Murphy HHHHH Harvest contains extensive guidelines to help you select the best produce available.

How to Cook Everything $9.99, Culinate Inc. HHHHH Contains over 2,000 recipes, menu ideas and how-to illustrations with built-in timers included in the recipe to guide you.

Mise En Place $2.99, Derrick Schneider HHHHH Plan your dinner party prepping and cooking tasks to the minute so you can make sure that your 6:00 p.m. dinner doesn't end up more like a 7:00 p.m. dinner.

Mixology™ Drink Recipes Free, Digital Outcrop HHHHH The Mixology app claims it’s the “ultimate drink recipe and bartending guide” and with almost 8,000 drinks recipes and over 1,300 ingredients included, it’s hard to disagree.

Pair It $4.99, Bandar Interactive HHHHH

Your complete wine store companion. Comprehensive food and wine pairing guide.

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G U I D E

AG Wine Guide $2.99, Approach Guides LLC HHHHH

Free, The Absolut Company HHHHH

B U Y E R ’ S

FOOD & PARTY APPLICATIONS Food & Drink Apps

Drinkspiration By Absolut

A P P

Enter the gift recipient's personality type, their relationship to you and other details to get creative, appropriate gift ideas from this app.

A smartphone sommelier.

U LT I M AT E

With a constantly growing database of gift ideas, this app offers you personalized presents for every occasion.

$1.99, Applied Ambiguities LLC HHHHH

2 0 1 3

Gift Ideas

Cor.kz Wine Info

•

Scans barcodes, providing reviews and price comparisons among 20,000 different retailers as well as real-time pricing and availability among thousands of online merchants.

BeerCloud is the essential app for beer lovers.

G U I D E

ShopSavvy

Free, INsReady Inc. HHHHH

B U Y E R ’ S

Free, Coupons.com HHHHH

BeerCloud

A P P

If you have eco-conscious people in your life, the GoodGuide mobile app will make gift-giving simpler by identifying, rating and reviewing products for eco-friendliness.

Beer Match pairs 31 beer styles with over 500 foods to help you select a beer that always complements your food.

U LT I M AT E

Feel safe when giving video game gifts to children—snap a photo of the game package or enter the game title, and you get the rating summaries you need.

$0.99, StoneRaven LLC HHHHH

2 0 1 3

Free, Entertainment Software Rating Board HHHHH

Beer Match: Beer, Food and Cheese Pairings

U LT I M AT E 2 0 1 3

$4.99, Gobee Labs HHHHH

Free, Allrecipes.com HHHHH Click on what type of meal you’re making (dessert, main dish, etc.), the ingredients you have, and how much time you want to spend cooking, and the app will show you the matching recipes.

Party Planning List $0.99, Jimbl HHHHH Pre-loaded with tasks that apply to virtually all types of parties, so you don’t have to type out every single task.

Party Planner

$1.99, Weagle HHHHH

$0.99, PartyPlannerApp.com HHHHH

Weber’s On The Grill $4.99, Weber-Stephen Products HHHHH Gives you instant access to over 250 of Weber’s tried-and-true recipes, from appetizers to desserts with lots of marinades, rubs, and main courses in between.

Omaha Steaks Steak Time Free, Omaha Steaks International HHHHH Get access to over 100 recipes organized by cut, and boost your grilling know-how with the “Steak 101” instructional video series.

Grill-it! $0.99, Sluice HHHHH This offering from the folks at the online magazine Grilling Companion offers step-by-step instructions for producing a slew of grilled delicacies.

Party Planning Apps Evite Free, Evite HHHHH This popular website brings its invitation finesse to your smartphone so you can manage guest lists on the go.

Phrase Party! (Catch It) $1.99, iParty Mobile HHHHH Split your guests into two teams and play a game of hot potato. The team who has the phone when the time runs out loses.

62

Virtually plan your big party's table seating so that everyone has a place to park and those mortal enemies won't have to glare at each other from across the table.

GrillTime

GrillTime calculates recommended grilling times to give you perfect timing from flip to finish.

• G U I D E B U Y E R ’ S A P P

SeatingPlanner+

Free, Tokiolabs LLC HHHHH

Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner

2 0 1 3

U LT I M AT E

Sushipedia

Sushipedia contains an encyclopedia with over 200 sushi entries, including full color photographs and detailed descriptions.

A P P

B U Y E R ’ S

G U I D E

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Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

Enter basic information about the type of party, and the app tells you how much to purchase of each supply item—from ice and cups to garnishes.

Event Planning Tools 2.0 $0.99, Party Aficionado HHHHH Packed with loads of useful functions, this app keeps your budget in check while planning your party’s design.

Bar & Restaurant Apps Happy Hour Finder Free, Happy Hour Finder, Inc HHHHH A great app for finding all the details on happy hours happening close to your current location.

Citysearch Free, Citysearch Mobile HHHHH Citysearch has local listings and reviews of restaurants, bars, and just about any other business you can think of.

DrinkOwl Free, Great Owl Technologies HHHHH DrinkOwl currently offers drink specials for 75 cities (and counting).

LocalEats $0.99, Magellan Press Inc. HHHHH Points you to the best local restaurants in over 50 major US cities, as well as other local favorites in smaller cities and towns. Over 15,000 restaurants included.

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Goby

Harry’s Lap Timer

Free, Goby Technologies HHHHH

$8.99, Harald Schlangmann HHHHH

Free, Appsolute Media HHHHH The search interface lets you look for nearby drink deals or search by picking your poison, whether it’s wine, beer, cocktails, or “pubs with grub.” Free, Entourage Entertainment HHHHH

Thrillist Free, Thrillist HHHHH

AutoGeekOnline Free, Autogeek.net HHHHH Expert advice about detailing your car inside and out, as well as the best products to use on your car’s paint, leather seats, wheels and windows.

CarBuzz Free, Wapit, Ltd. HHHHH

UrbanDaddy

Car Locator $3.99, Edward Kim HHHHH

Free, Urbanspoon HHHHH Urbanspoon is fantastic for folks who can’t make up their minds where to eat and the slot machine-style shake feature is perfect for selecting restaurants at random.

$39.99, DevToaster, LLC HHHHH

Uses text-to-speech functionality so your incoming text messages and emails are read to you aloud while you drive.

GasBuddy Free, GasBuddy Organization Inc. HHHHH Find the cheapest gas prices wherever you happen to be. Beloved by cab drivers.

INRIX Traffic Free, INRIX Inc. HHHHH INRIX Traffic gives you real-time traffic conditions, complete with information on wrecks, construction and other delays.

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G U I D E

Monitors real-time vehicle data and can tell you vital details about how your car is operating, including engine temperature and actual speed and RPMs, revealing any inaccuracies in your instruments.

Free, iSpeech Inc. HHHHH

B U Y E R ’ S

Rev

DriveSafe.ly

A P P

Travel & Navigation Applications Automobile Apps

Photograph the location of your car when you park and later you can look at a satellite image that shows your location and your car’s location.

U LT I M AT E

Urbanspoon

2 0 1 3

Select which area of the city you prefer, your companion (clients, mistress), personality type (old and stodgy, from out of town) and desired atmosphere (next to a fireplace, around hipsters).

Nonstop news about the latest in the automotive field with previews of new models, photos of upcoming introductions and technical specifications of various car styles.

•

Free, UrbanDaddy HHHHH

G U I D E

Thrillist brings you hand-picked local restaurants, bars, clubs, and stores in 14 US cities.

Tells you when the recommended service intervals are for your specific make and model, including when to change your oil, when your brake pads should be evaluated, and how often you should have your air filters replaced.

B U Y E R ’ S

Find Karaoke shows in your area.

Free, MobileAppWerx HHHHH

A P P

Karaoke Loop

EZ Care

U LT I M AT E

Happy Houred

Ideal for the automotive enthusiast who enjoys participating in autocross or track events, this app will give you great information, including data on where you drove fastest, where you slowed down, and how quickly you completed your fastest lap.

2 0 1 3

With more than 350 categories of things to do, and more than 6 million events across the U.S., the Goby goldfish will simply not allow you to be bored.

B U Y E R ’ S A P P U LT I M AT E 2 0 1 3

iWrecked - Auto Accident Assistant

TeleNav GPS Navigator

Free, Vurgood Applications HHHHH

Free, TeleNav Inc. HHHHH

Record all crash information and add photos to create an accident report.

PhantomALERT Free + $29.99 for 1 Year Subscription, PhantomALERT Inc. HHHHH With the use of driver generated databases, this app alerts you to red light cameras, speed traps and DUI checkpoints.

RepairPal: Auto Repair Expert Free, RepairPal HHHHH Helps you get accurate repair estimates based on your location and includes customer reviews of repair shops in the area.

Speedbump Free ($9.99 monthly subscription required), WirelessESP HHHHH

How to get to your destination with vibrant maps, audio alerts, and even some bonuses such as Facebook check-ins, cheap gas searches, local restaurant locations and more.

TomTom US & Mexico $59.99 - $65.99, TomTom HHHHH Unique to TomTom is the IQ Routes technology, which takes into account rush hour, traffic lights, and even shopping crowds.

Waze Free, Waze HHHHH When you’re on the go and don’t need directions, this social app allows you to see what other drivers are encountering—such as traffic, accidents, and police sightings.

Maverick: GPS Navigation Free, Code Sector HHHHH

Monitor your teen’s driving habits and location and you’ll receive an email or text notification if the speed limits you set are exceeded.

Use Google, Bing and Open Street Maps to track where you're going and where you've been.

Navigation Apps

Travel Apps

G U I D E

•

2 0 1 3

U LT I M AT E

A P P

B U Y E R ’ S

G U I D E

APPS_1309_BUYERSGUIDE 6/17/13 1:42 AM Page 64

Beat the Traffic Free, Triangle Software LLC HHHHH View traffic maps and click on roads to see speeds and any incidents. Up to two hours of traffic predictions, weather information, and even traffic camera images in over 34 cities.

Magellan RoadMate North America $59.99, Magellan HHHHH The same turn-by-turn guidance as other navigation apps, but you’ll have three voice options, in-app music control, and connectivity to Yelp!

MotionX GPS Drive $0.99, MotionX HHHHH Simplified menu interface. You can also purchase a “Live Voice Guidance with real-time navigation” package for $9.99 (regularly $24.99).

Navigon North America $59.99, Garmin HHHHH Precise spoken announcements, live traffic updates, and lane assistance—plus quarterly map updates for at least two years.

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Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

BlackBook City Guides Free, BlackBook Media Corp. HHHHH Covering all the major cities within the U.S. and abroad, this app helps you locate the best venues and hottest spots in your location.

Taxi Magic Free, RideCharge, Inc. HHHHH You can do everything from your smartphone—from finding and booking a taxi to charging the ride to your credit card.

Spring Break Live $1.99, EarthCam, Inc. HHHHH From Miami to Maui to Cancun, check out what’s going on in all the Spring Break hot spots via live web cams.

Trip Splitter $1.99, DC Software Arts HHHHH Expertly split all types of expenses—add an unlimited number of participants and create even or uneven splits for each bill.

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GateGuru

Kayak

Free, Mobility Apps LLC HHHHH

Free, Kayak.com HHHHH

FlightView

Packing Pro $2.99, Quinn Genzel HHHHH

U LT I M AT E

Free, FlightView HHHHH

Compare flight, hotel, and car rentals from multiple sites in one app.

You’ll never forget anything again with Packing Pro. Instant updates to your mobile device when there’s a flight delay, including a national map with up-to-date weather.

Airport Life

Free, P&G Productions HHHHH A traveler’s bathroom finder—SitOrSquat lists toilets by location and gives them user ratings.

Trip Journal

B U Y E R ’ S

Developed by a seasoned pilot. Terminal maps provide directions to gates, services, shopping and restaurants in over 100 airports.

SitOrSquat

$2.99, iQapps HHHHH

Airport Guide - iFly Free, Red Cirrus LLC HHHHH

Document your vacation experiences and share them with friends and family.

TripAdvisor Free, TripAdvisor HHHHH

Airport Transit Guide Reviews of hotels, restaurants, and attractions from real travelers.

•

$4.99, Salk International LLC HHHHH

My TSA

Free, TripIt HHHHH This app stores your itineraries and gives you the option of dialing numbers straight from these itineraries on your phone.

Disney Mobile Magic It’s easy to keep track of different airport security requirements and exactly what you can bring on a flight.

AllSubway

GPS maps for the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, with official wait times.

A P P

$0.99, carmat HHHHH

Free, Disney HHHHH

Walt Disney World Park Hours

FlightTrack $4.99, Mobiata HHHHH

$0.99, Minneware HHHHH You’ll find opening and closing times for all Disney Parks as well as “Magic Hours” for guests staying on Disney property.

Disney World Wait Times

Globetipping $0.99, Ivan Karpan & Evgeniy Lebed HHHHH

Free, Phunware, Inc./UndercoverTourist.com HHHHH Check this app to find user-generated wait times that will help you make your choice.

Before you pay too much or too little, turn to this helpful app.

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G U I D E

FlightTrack can not only show you—offline—the flight path to your destination but how much longer you have to go.

B U Y E R ’ S

Instead of standing in front of maps in the busy corridors like an obvious tourist, study the multi-colored lines ahead of time.

U LT I M AT E

Free, Transportation Security HHHHH

2 0 1 3

TripIt Plan your travel to and from airports effortlessly—provides rates, schedules and pickup locations.

G U I D E

Information on over 700 airports worldwide with interactive maps, Wi-Fi access locations and ATMs.

A P P

Free, Airport Life LLC HHHHH

2 0 1 3

Whether you’re looking for a hot meal, a memorable souvenir or the closest restroom, Gate Guru has you covered.

• G U I D E B U Y E R ’ S A P P

Prognosis: Your Diagnosis

$3.99, TimeStream Software HHHHH

Free, Medical Joyworks HHHHH

HEALTH & FITNESS APPLICATIONS Medical Apps Vision Test Free, 3 Sided Cube Design Ltd HHHHH This app contains a number of eye tests and questions to evaluate your eyes for a variety of conditions including visual acuity, astigmatism, and color tests.

Cures A-Z Free, Plum Amazing HHHHH Medical conditions are presented in an easy-to-navigate A to Z format and include both natural and prescriptive remedies.

Doximity Free, Doximity HHHHH Doximity’s free social networking software gives you the ability to connect with other medical professionals and colleagues.

S.O.S. by American Red Cross Free, Sharecare Inc. HHHHH Step-by-step instructions to deal with a wide range of emergencies, from choking to allergic reactions to broken bones.

Pocket First Aid & CPR $1.99, Jive Media Inc. HHHHH Get rapid, concise instructions on how to perform CPR and respond during an emergency.

iHealthTrax $4.99, Winkpass Creations Inc. HHHHH Give your doctor complete and accurate information with this calendar based iPhone application that stores your medical history.

2 0 1 3

U LT I M AT E

Walt Disney World Notescast

Access to 300 pages of information, trivia and hints for those notorious “hidden Mickeys.”

2 0 1 3

U LT I M AT E

A P P

B U Y E R ’ S

G U I D E

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MedicalRadio Free, ReachMD HHHHH MedicalRadio delivers top-flight streaming content through their exclusive XM-Radio satellite channel as well as access to over 5,000 podcasts. Pandora Radio for Doctors!

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Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

This free app presents clinical cases in an interactive format that you investigate and diagnose.

The Merck Manual - Home Edition $9.99, Agile Partners HHHHH Learn about medical conditions and procedures, medical terms, and how to handle emergency situations.

Total Baby $4.99, ANDESigned HHHHH Designed to document multiple aspects of your child’s care and development.

WebMD Free, WebMD LLC HHHHH The famous WebMD website is now available for smartphones.

Fitness Apps Daily Ab Workout Free, Daniel Miller HHHHH This app offers 5- to 10-minute abdominal routines for men and women that step you through 10 of the best ab-sculpting exercises out there.

Instant Heart Rate Free, Azumio Inc. HHHHH By placing the tip of your index finger on the phone’s camera, your phone quickly and accurately registers your heart rate and a real-time chart shows your every heartbeat.

Couch-to-5K $1.99 - $2.99, The Active Network, Inc. HHHHH If you are feeling like a couch potato and want to get up and get moving, try the Couch-to-5K app.

Fitocracy Free, Fitocracy Inc. HHHHH By utilizing the addicting leveling system of games and combining it with your workouts, Fitocracy motivates and empowers you to succeed at fitness.

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Fooducate

Relax and Sleep

Free, Fooducate Ltd. HHHHH

Free, Mizu Software Solutions HHHHH

Free, Demand Media, Inc. HHHHH This physician-approved, interactive and easy-to-use app creates a personalized plan to help you quit smoking—evaluate your current status and set attainable goals.

Track times and GPS distances for running, cycling, swimming, hiking and even fitness walking.

RunKeeper - GPS Track Run Walk

Keep track of your runs and share with friends.

Free, IMOBLIFE Co. Ltd HHHHH

Relax Melodies $2.99, Ipnos Software HHHHH

$2.99, Rainfrog LLC HHHHH Pocket Yoga has detailed instructions for each yoga pose, including both audio and visual descriptions. Free, Azumio HHHHH This high-tech app measures your heart rate through your smartphone’s camera and light features to determine your level of physical and mental stress.

SECURITY APPLICATIONS Home Security Apps Alarm.com Free, Alarm.com Inc. HHHHH Arm and disarm your system, adjust your home’s temperature, and see live video feed from your home security cameras.

Sex Offenders Search $1.99, LogSat Software LLC HHHHH Updates every day with a list of names, addresses, and pictures of registered sex offenders nearby.

IP Cam Viewer Free - $4.99, Robert Chou HHHHH View any camera for which you have the IP address, including DVRs and web cams.

G U I D E

Stress Check by Azumio

Guides you through breathing exercises to reduce your stress levels.

Guardian Watch Free, Guardian Watch LLC HHHHH Report an emergency quickly or stream video and audio to public officials using your smartphone to assist them with response efforts. Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

B U Y E R ’ S

Pocket Yoga

Free, QUO?TE Developers HHHHH

A P P

Select one of the 46 included sounds and you’ll have an instant relaxing and calming soundtrack to get you ready for sleep time.

Anti-Stress Exercise

U LT I M AT E

Through video and voice instruction, this app guides you through difficulty levels of 36 yoga sessions and over 300 poses.

iStress teaches you stress-management skills using humor and positive thinking to reduce stress and promote a relaxed lifestyle.

2 0 1 3

Daily Yoga (All-in-One)

$0.99, PSI Apps HHHHH

•

Stress Relief Apps

iStress

G U I D E

Free, FitnessKeeper Inc. HHHHH

Created by leading clinical psychologists and researchers, this app uses cognitive behavioral therapy and Mindfulness principles to help you identify and manage your stress.

B U Y E R ’ S

Free, Endomondo.com HHHHH

Free, AboveStress HHHHH

A P P

Endomondo Sports Tracker

Stress Tracker

U LT I M AT E

LIVESTRONG MyQuitCoach – Dare to Quit Smoking

The app offers over 30 relaxing sounds that can help you get your beauty sleep and includes an alarm feature to ensure that you’re awake right on time.

2 0 1 3

Fooducate grades your groceries on nutrition from an A to D, explains what’s really inside each product, and then suggests healthier alternatives.

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U LT I M AT E

Kryptos

Free, Popvox LLC HHHHH

Free ($10/month subscription required), Kryptos Communications HHHHH

NQ Mobile Security

Free, Blue Coat Systems Inc. HHHHH

Free, NQ Mobile HHHHH

A free browser that blocks inappropriate content, including material related to pornography, hate/violence, gambling, and drugs.

OnCall Defender – Advanced Mobile Protection Free (with paid subscription plan), AMP LLC HHHHH Sends an emergency call to local public authorities on your behalf that provides critical information to first responders.

ME911 Free, ME911 HHHHH One-stop access to your family’s medical and emergency contact information, including allergies, insurance information, and medications.

G U I D E B U Y E R ’ S A P P

Smartphone Security Apps Sprite Backup $4.95, Sprite Mobile HHHHH

NetQin Mobile Security is a complete security solution with the ability to remotely locate, lock or erase a lost phone as well as real-time virus protection and scanning.

TouchDown for Smartphones Free, $19.99 license purchase required, NitroDesk HHHHH TouchDown provides a full-featured email experience with all of the functionality you are accustomed to when using email on a PC.

avast! Mobile Security Free, AVAST Software HHHHH One of the most comprehensive security apps on the Android platform with no hidden costs.

Lookout Security & Antivirus Free - $2.99/month, Lookout Mobile Security HHHHH A great app for anyone with security concerns—scans your apps for viruses and spyware and includes anti-theft tools.

mSecure - Password Manager Automatic backup to Box.net or DropBox. Touted as the most popular mobile backup solution.

SMS Backup+ Free, Jan Berkel HHHHH

$9.99, mSeven Software LLC HHHHH Remember one password as your password list is encrypted and available for sync to other mSecure enabled devices.

Webroot Security & Antivirus Back up your text messages to your Gmail account with this free app.

MyBackup Pro $4.99, RerWare, LLC HHHHH

Free - $19.99/year, Webroot Inc. HHHHH Webroot’s free version of this app scans for viruses and malware, scans web links and URLs to thwart phishing attempts.

Kaspersky Mobile Security This highly praised app backs up all your data in one cloudbased location via MyBackup Pro’s web portal.

2 0 1 3

U LT I M AT E

Encrypts all of your phone calls with military-grade encryption to prevent unwanted eavesdropping.

K9 Web Protection Browser

•

2 0 1 3

SpotCrime Lite

Real-time information about crimes based on your location, including the type of crime, where it occurred, and when it happened.

A P P

B U Y E R ’ S

G U I D E

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eyeD® Biometric Password Manager $17.99, Winkpass Creations Inc. HHHHH Uses iris scanning based on a picture that you take of your eye to create an unbreakable password.

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Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

$14.95/year, Kaspersky Lab HHHHH Kaspersky’s full mobile security suite with anti-virus, anti-theft and anti-phishing capabilities.

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Child Safety Apps Mobiflock

Block apps, numbers, camera use, contacts and websites on your child’s phone from your phone or a remote computer. Free, geoWaggle, LLC HHHHH Find out where your children are, with whom they're spending time, and also monitor texting and social media usage.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary app thousands of words and definitions at your fingertips and you can conveniently look up words with voice search.

Productivity Apps reQall Free, reQall Inc. HHHHH Capture and organize all your tasks and to-do items in one place.

Things

Free, LogSat Software LLC HHHHH

$9.99, Cultured Code HHHHH

Life360 Family Locator Free, Life360 HHHHH

FastPencil

FastPencil helps make reading, writing and working on books a lot easier wherever you are.

iA Writer

Organize your calendar, grocery list and to-do lists, and much more in a shared format that the whole family can access and modify.

Wunderlist Free, 6Wunderkinder HHHHH Organize your daily life with simple to-do lists and basic task-management.

Remember The Milk Free, Remember The Milk Inc. HHHHH One of the most popular task-management apps, Remember The Milk allows you to track, prioritize and check off tasks quickly and easily.

Let the ideas flow freely onto the virtual pages with iA Writer without distractions: no spellchecking, auto-correction, toolbars—only concentrate on what matters, writing.

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$0.99, Information Architects Inc. HHHHH

Free, Cozi HHHHH

B U Y E R ’ S

Free, FastPencil.com HHHHH

Cozi Family Organizer: Shared Calendar & Lists

A P P

BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS Writers’ Apps

Filters and prioritizes your most important tasks, creating an automatic smart list, configuring the best use of your time, and generating “alarms” for tasks due soon.

U LT I M AT E

SMS Tracker has everything needed to monitor your child's device usage.

$2.99, Toodledo HHHHH

2 0 1 3

Starts at $2/month, GIZMOQUIP HHHHH

Toodledo

•

SMS Tracker

Considered one of the top task-management apps, Things is easy-to-use and effective at helping you stay organized and managing your time.

G U I D E

Features include a private family map with check-ins allowing you to quickly let your family know you've made it to your appointment, the airport, or a friend's house.

B U Y E R ’ S

Use it to track as many devices as you wish, and see where those devices are at any time.

A P P

Family Tracker

U LT I M AT E

MamaBear Child Tracker

Free, Merriam-Webster Inc. HHHHH

2 0 1 3

$29.95/year, Mobiflock HHHHH

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

U LL TT II M MA A TT EE A A PP PP BB U U YY EE RR ’’ SS G GU U II D D EE •• 22 00 11 33 U U LL TT II M MA A TT EE A A PP PP BB U U YY EE RR ’’ SS G GU U II D D EE 22 00 11 33 U

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Dragon Dictation

Line2

Free, Nuance Communications HHHHH

Free, Toktumi, Inc. HHHHH

Turn talk into type—from short text messages to longer email messages

Adds a second phone line to your mobile device so you can separate those business and personal calls.

Producteev

Vonage Mobile

Free, Producteev HHHHH

Free, Vonage HHHHH

To-do-list app that lets you mark priorities, set deadlines, and receive email reminders. With paid upgrade, this app becomes a project management system.

Data-Saving & Minute-Saving Apps 3G Watchdog Free, Richard Gruet HHHHH Monitor your data usage daily, weekly, monthly or by billing period.

Onavo Extend

Vonage Mobile lets you make local and international calls—all you need is WiFi and 3G or 4G.

HeyTell Free, Voxilate, Inc. HHHHH Save a bundle in phone minutes: send voice messages as an email rather than making multiple calls.

Truphone Free, Truphone HHHHH Make and receive calls instantly over the Internet with Truphone.

HHHHH

Uses data compression to allow you to receive more data than normal—up to five times more!

Traffic Monitor Free, RadioOpt GmbH HHHHH Your all-in-one smartphone usage monitor: track WiFi and cellular traffic, monitor calls, roaming charges and text messages.

Bundler Free, NexusPC HHHHH Bundler is your no-frills data monitoring app for Windows Phone users.

My Data Manager Free, Mobidia Technology HHHHH Control your data and reduce your phone bill as you manage your data with up-to-the-minute usage statistics.

Finance Apps RetirePlan Free, Katherine Philip HHHHH Enter your financial data and assumptions, and be dazzled as your financial plan instantly appears before your very own eyes.

Easy Money Planner Free Free, In A Day Development HHHHH Choose from 12 handy planners: calculate how much to save for retirement, your investment rate of return, and your loan payment amount instantly.

Vanguard Free, The Vanguard Group, Inc. HHHHH Keep track of your investments portfolio, research stock, instantly receive your latest account activity and trade stocks from your smartphone.

iTrade - Stock Market Simulator Free, Neon Surge HHHHH iTrade lets manage your own virtual stock portfolio.

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CNBC Real-Time Free, NBC Universal, Inc. HHHHH

StockTwits

Find out which stocks are being tweeted about the most and trending worldwide.

Pageonce - Money & Bills

Chase Mobile Banking Free, JPMorgan Chase HHHHH

Tax Preparation Apps

An income tax encyclopedia from H&R Block. Free, IRS HHHHH Track the status of your income tax return.

TaxACT Central

TaxCaster by TurboTax Free, Intuit Inc. HHHHH

TurboTax SnapTax Free to try ($19.99 to file), Intuit Inc. HHHHH Tax prep app from the leader in tax prep software.

Pet First Aid $2.99 - $3.99, Jive Media Inc. HHHHH Pet First Aid offers instructional videos and how-to's with illustrations for a variety of cat and dog first aid needs.

Pet Master Pro $4.99, GF Media Apps HHHHH Pet Master helps you keep track of all the maintenance that goes into your pets.

Petcentric Free, Purina HHHHH Petcentric will find pet-friendly establishments for your animals, such as hotels, restaurants, and parks.

Petoxins $2.99, Treviso Media Group HHHHH Prevent your pet from eating poisonous and toxic plants with this searchable database.

G U I D E

Enter some basic personal information and watch as your tax refund is instantly calculated.

HungryPet offers a database of "people" food and details on whether these foods are safe for your dog or cat to eat.

B U Y E R ’ S

Tax preparation, filing, and return status tracking in one app.

Free, OhmzTech HHHHH

PetRescuers Free, HomeAgain PetRescuers HHHHH Search for local missing animals and get alerts when a pet has gone missing in your area so you can remain vigilant in helping to find the animal.

Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

A P P

Free, 2nd Story Software HHHHH

HungryPet

U LT I M AT E

IRS2Go

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (ASPCA) free quarterly magazine ASPCA Action on your iPhone.

2 0 1 3

Free, H&R Block HHHHH

Free, BlueToad HHHHH

•

H&R Block

ASPCA Action

G U I D E

Pay anyone with an email address instantly with Chase QuickPay and make deposits by taking a photo of your check.

This app streams an Internet radio station devoted completely to pets of all kinds and includes pet news, pet care tips, pet stories, and more.

B U Y E R ’ S

Pay bills, manage and track your cash, credit cards, bills and investment portfolio all in one app.

Free, Quick Bridge Solutions HHHHH

A P P

Free, Pageonce HHHHH

All Pets Radio Player

U LT I M AT E

Free, StockTwits Inc. HHHHH

2 0 1 3

Instantly receive real-time quotes before, during and after market hours.

HOME & LIFESTYLE APPLICATIONS Pets Apps

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Babysitting Apps Free, Dorada Software HHHHH A handy substitute for a baby monitor that works on the iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch.

Babysitting Guide $0.99, Phoneflips HHHHH Babysitting advice, including what to do if a child gets upset when his mom leaves, how to swaddle a baby, what to expect during diaper changes, and much more.

Baby Connect $4.99, Seacloud Software HHHHH The old days of writing in a child’s activity journal are over—now you can log everything the child does in this simple app.

Baby Food Diary $1.99, Evan L. HHHHH When a baby starts solid foods, this app simplifies the process by tracking when a baby ate a certain food, if it caused a reaction, and how much of the food the baby wanted.

ScanAvert $1.99, ScanAvert, Inc. HHHHH ScanAvert allows you to pre-program a child’s dietary requirements, and then scan the barcode of a food product to determine if the ingredients contain anything harmful.

Lifestyle Apps The American Survivalist Free, Failsafe Productions HHHHH

2 0 1 3

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A P P

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G U I D E

•

2 0 1 3

U LT I M AT E

A P P

B U Y E R ’ S

G U I D E

iSitter

The latest survivalist news, from terrorist attacks to homeland security alerts, step-by-step instructions on how to pack a survival bag, all of the info you need to become a survivalist.

Disaster Readiness $1.99, Phoneflips HHHHH This app helps you prepare for a variety of disaster events and shows you what you should do if they head your way.

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Mary Kay Virtual Makeover Free, Mary Kay, Inc. HHHHH Download your own photo or choose a model to try different combinations of eye makeup, lip colors, hairstyles, hair colors, accessories and more.

Stylish Girl – Fashion Closet Free, DDN Media Inc. HHHHH Photograph each piece of clothing to create a virtualized wardrobe and then mix and match into different outfits without ever having to try anything on.

Fashion Kaleidoscope Free, Inporia Inc. HHHHH With hundreds of fashion ideas for clothing, shoes, accessories, and handbags, this app is sure to inspire your inner fashionista.

Beauty Product Reviews Free, Total Beauty Media HHHHH Actual user feedback on various products, from anti-aging lotions to hair gel to bath beads.

Chore Pad $2.99, Nannek HHHHH Set chores so they come up automatically every time they need someone to do them.

Clorox myStain Free, Clorox HHHHH Look it up on myStain to find both on-the-go and at-home stain-lifting solutions.

Hair Cast Free, Studio One HHHHH This app will ease your hairstyling tension by telling you the temperature, level of humidity, chance of rain, and projected wind speed for your area.

Makeover Free, ModiFace HHHHH Take a photo of yourself, and then use this app to see how you would look with a different hairstyle, a change in makeup, tan, anti-aging procedures, plastic surgery.

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Natural Beauty Recipe

Wedding Registry

Free, Kiumiu Soft HHHHH

$1.00, iListApps HHHHH Rather than register at multiple stores, this app’s barcode scanner lets you add an item to your registry from any store in town!

Our Wedding Planner

$3.99, left brain/right brain HHHHH

Free, Wepala HHHHH

Log the clothes you have in your closet, and then create different looks in the outfit editor to test them out.

Trendstop.com Fashion Trendtracker

TriMirror Fashion Closets Free, Quakeup Media Production Inc. HHHHH

$0.99, Jimbl HHHHH Includes more than 275 honeymoon and travel-related checklist items, such as “women sundries,” “medication,” ”documents” and more.

Fun Wedding $0.99, Intelligence, Inc. HHHHH

Wedding Apps

Wedding Countdown Free, Sevenlogics, Inc. HHHHH

Free, TheKnot HHHHH The Knot offers a variety of tools for organizing the big day, whether it’s your to-do list, budget, guest list, dress ideas, and more. Free, Minglle LLC HHHHH Encourage guests to upload photos so you can see your wedding from their perspective and check out what you missed!

$0.99, AppWarrior HHHHH With this app, you can choose from 10 complete Maid of Honor/Bridesmaid speeches that you can personalize, or select a template to use and fill in the blanks.

Bachelorette Scavenger Hunt $0.99, KMT Marketing Designs HHHHH A scavenger hunt is among the bachelorette party favorites, plan and organize one without the need for pen and paper.

G U I D E

Wedding Snap

The Maid of Honor Speeches

B U Y E R ’ S

The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner

From giving the all-important toast to holding the bride’s hand throughout the gown-selection process, you are the go-to gal for all the tears, laughter and hair-pulling that goes into planning a wedding.

A P P

A fun and fully customizable way to count down the days and hours until your wedding day.

$0.99, KoolAppz HHHHH

U LT I M AT E

Get ideas and inspiration for your own event by viewing wedding photographs submitted by wedding bloggers throughout the world.

Maid of Honor Complete Guide

2 0 1 3

Free, gawkerverse HHHHH

•

weddinggawker

Create a music playlist for your reception by searching through millions of songs—including gems from the 1950s through present time.

G U I D E

Post outfits to your social network for comments.

B U Y E R ’ S

Watch slideshows of the work from specific designers, view runway videos sorted by collection, or look through a series of hip street fashions.

Honeymoon Planner

A P P

Free, Amoja LTD HHHHH

To-do lists, budget planning, seating plans, guest lists (including pending and received options) and more to assist you with everything you need to plan your wedding.

U LT I M AT E

Stylebook

2 0 1 3

Shares beauty techniques using ingredients you have around the house.

Dare Devil Bachelorette $1.99, Forte Development HHHHH If you really want to make the bachelorette party interesting, this app offers an edgier version of the classic game “Truth or Dare.” No matter your party location, you can play more than 100 different truths or dares, in either competitive or playful mode.

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Group Guess – Bridal Shower Game

Handy Construction Calculators

$2.99, LuPalm Wonders HHHHH

$7.99, Sidetop Software HHHHH

Similar to the group game Taboo, this app takes the headache out of planning the bridal shower games with this app.

Home Décor Apps iHandy Carpenter $1.99, iHandy, Inc. HHHHH With five great tools on board, including a plumb bob, a surface level, a steel protractor, a steel ruler, and a bubble level bar you can calibrate your measurements quickly and easily.

Carpenter’s Helper Lite Free, My Pie HHHHH Thanks to Carpenter’s Helper, you can calculate simple solutions like a room’s area, as well as tougher measurements such as roof pitch and stair rise.

Benjamin Moore Color Capture Free, Benjamin Moore & Co. HHHHH Just snap a photo of a particular paint color, and the app will tell you the color it matches in the company’s 3,300-plus paint spectrum.

G U I D E

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2 0 1 3

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G U I D E

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Smart Tools $2.50, Smart Tools Co. HHHHH You can’t buy 15 individual tools—including a metal detector— for $2.50 at your local home improvement store, but you can with this app.

The Home Depot Free, The Home Depot, Inc. HHHHH Look up a product that you’re interested in buying, then find out which store has it and whether it’s available in the store inventory, saving you from making unnecessary trips.

HomeSavvy Free, Service Magic HHHHH The HomeSavvy app allows you to keep track of your home maintenance needs, and even alerts you if you’re overdue.

HGTV To Go Free, Scripps Networks, LLC HHHHH In addition to watching the full episodes of HGTV shows, you can also access photo galleries that offer tips and ideas for re-creating a design theme in your house.

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Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

An app that calculates everything from amps, watts, and volts to excavation and backfill.

Houzz Interior Design Ideas Free, Houzz Inc. HHHHH The largest database of home design ideas on the internet and over 700,000 photos—browse by style, room and location and save them to your virtual idea book.

3D Room Design Udesignit $4.99, HB Conception Virtuelle Inc. HHHHH This app gives you a 3D animated image of the layout you customize—from the room’s size, paint and wallpaper, down to the materials and area rugs.

Budget Shopping Locator $2.99, MapMuse HHHHH With this bargain locator, unearth consignment shops, flea markets, swap meets and thrift stores nearby, anywhere in the country.

Christie’s Free, Christie’s Inc. HHHHH Participate in an auction to bid on an antique luxury armchair, 20th century chandelier, mahogany armoire or other extravagant furnishings—without stepping foot outside.

DécOrganizer $2.99, Aisling Apps HHHHH Track furniture to purchase, favorite stores and websites, contacts, notes, prices, photos and a wish list—all in easy-to-file folders categorized by room.

Dream Home $0.99, Apalon HHHHH Leaf through hundreds of home décor photos, arranged by room type, color, style or what’s popular. They’re easy to upload, rate and share.

Fab Free, Fab.com HHHHH The app version of Fab.com, the website that sells urban designer goods and art at an on-sale price tag.

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iHandy Level

Atheist Pocket Debater

Free, iHandySoft Inc. HHHHH

$2.99, JAY-ROC Investments HHHHH An app to assist you the next time you enter a religious debate.

iQila Interior Design Community

Bible

Free, Pyronyx LTD HHHHH

Free, LifeChurch.tv HHHHH

Mark On Call

Palettes Free, Rick Maddy HHHHH

Photo Measures

Remodelista

Explore the interiors of homes across the globe, while snuggled comfortably in yours.

101 Success Tips

This app contains success and self-development tips to develop strategies to counter your weak points.

Inspirational Quotes

The thought-provoking quotes in this app can help you to keep moving forward, make an overdue change, or simply help you to live life to the fullest.

Billed as a series of "digital devotions for modern Catholics" and includes images, videos, prayers and writings, plus push reminders for praying novenas.

LDS Gospel Library Free, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints HHHHH Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Windows Phone The Mormon Church’s Gospel Library allows users to access lesson manuals, general conference addresses and scriptures from just about any phone platform.

Prayer Time PRO Free, NextWorldMobile HHHHH An app to calculate the correct prayer times and proper direction to face for Muslim worshippers.

Crafts Apps Blockfab Free, Mary Kay Podlecki HHHHH Ever found fabric that you just know would make a beautiful quilt but you have no idea how much to buy? This app will help you with that task.

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G U I D E

Free, AppFlute HHHHH

Free, Little i Apps LLC HHHHH

B U Y E R ’ S

Free, Pazacta HHHHH

eVotions

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Spiritual Apps

For the practicing or just-learning Buddhist, the app provides inspirational daily prayers.

U LT I M AT E

$2.99, Remodelista LLC HHHHH

$1.99, Buddhist Apps HHHHH

2 0 1 3

Photo Measures easily stores your room’s measurements in an orderly fashion.

Daily Buddhist Prayers

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$4.99, Big Blue Pixel HHHHH

Book of Shadows is a personal spell recipe book of sorts for pagans and features rituals, rites, spells, traditions, holidays and much more.

G U I D E

Just take a picture, highlight a shade and you’ve got a whole color palette on your hands for endless design fun.

$3.99, Shadowink Designs Technology HHHHH

B U Y E R ’ S

“Mark,” named after interior designer Mark Lewison, is your personal design assistant and shopping guide in the palm of your hand.

Book of Shadows

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$1.99, M.O.C. Interior Designer LLC HHHHH

This bible app includes over 100 versions, including the King James Version, the New American Bible, The Message, and more.

U LT I M AT E

Are you searching for the perfect coffee table? Post pics or browse in a virtual interior design community that gives you feedback.

2 0 1 3

No need to purchase a leveling tool when you have this free app.

Craftgawker

Grow Your Own

Free, gawkerverse HHHHH

Free, The Royal Horticultural Society HHHHH

A photo gallery that allows you to visually search and discover handmade arts and crafts to inspire your own projects.

Crafty Gemini Free, Vanessa Wilson HHHHH This app helps users learn about cooking, sewing, crafting and more through blog posts and video tutorials

Easy Stitch $2.99, Technical Made Easy LLC HHHHH Tutorials with step-by- step instructions and pictures to get you started knitting, crocheting, or embroidering.

Knit Counter Lite Free, Cordless Dog HHHHH Store stitch counters and project information for multiple knitting projects

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QuiltingCalc Free, Robert Kaufman Fabrics HHHHH

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MyGarden Free, Trendsco bvba HHHHH MyGarden.org allows gardeners to connect with one another and share their failures and successes.

Garden 360 $2.49, ATU Software HHHHH Garden 360 allows you to record and organize information about your plants—update your garden journal with both text and pictures.

Herbs+ $2.99, Daniel Wall HHHHH This reference app provides pictures and information about 40 common herbs and spices and includes planting tips, culinary ideas and medicinal uses.

The Gardeners Calendar Numerous quilting calculations—how much fabric is needed for backing, batting and borders, and many more.

Tip Junkie Free, Mitchell Applications HHHHH Tutorials on how to make homemade gifts, holiday crafts, home décor, parties, delicious recipes and more.

Gardening Apps Home Outside Palette

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$1.99, Advanced Data Design, Inc. HHHHH Beyond just trees and plants, this app includes 280 hand-drawn color elements that lets you design with hammocks, patios, driveways, sheds, and other outdoor elements.

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Grow Your Own provides planting information for 20 popular fruits and vegetables and recommends plants based on your expertise level, and your available time and space.

$1.99, Hutchinson Software Pty Ltd. HHHHH Android, iOS, Nokia This app gives you all of the information you need to plant and harvest your own vegetable garden.

Gardenate

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$1.60, Deraign Solutions HHHHH This comprehensive app gives vegetable gardeners useful gardening guides on composting, gardening techniques, fertilizer, crop rotation, and soil composition.

When to Plant $1.99, Growing Interactive Limited HHHHH When to Plant helps you set up a planting schedule based on your location and the plants that you want to cultivate.

Bugs in the Garden $0.99, Justin Davidson HHHHH This app lists many of the most common North American garden bugs—both detrimental and beneficial—with great pictures and easy-to-understand information.

ColdSnap! Frost Alarm $1.58, Antony Cook HHHHH This set-it-and-forget-it app does one thing and one thing only— warns you when the temperature is forecasted to fall below the temperature you set.

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Eden Garden Designer

iVeggieGarden

$1.99, Herbaceous Software HHHHH

$9.99, Moorit Software HHHHH Includes everything you'll need to plan, track, and troubleshoot your vegetable patch (or farm) from pre-seeding to post-harvest.

Landscaper's Companion $4.99, Stevenson Software HHHHH

$2.99, Island Apps HHHHH A "garden math" app that calculates your supply needs for you: compute cubic yards of gravel, how much fertilizer you need, or select materials for the perfect pond size.

Great photos and an extensive search tool that lets you look for planting characteristics (like sun/shade) and ensure you'll find what you're looking for.

U LT I M AT E

Garden Buddy

2 0 1 3

Take a photo of your empty garden (or use a provided image) and plant photorealistic pics of the flora and fauna you plan to use.

A P P B U Y E R ’ S G U I D E

WHAT DO OUR ICONS MEAN?

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iPhones, iPads, iPod Touch devices

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Android smartphones

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BlackBerry smartphones Windows smartphones Kindle Fire tablets (They use the Android OS)

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Nokia Symbian smartphones

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Palm OS devices

G U I D E

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Clever device designs for the mature mobile user By Simon Hill One in eight Americans is now over the age of 65, and like the younger crowd, seniors deserve the latest technology. However, it might not be quite as accessible for them as it is for the generation who grew up with it. The natural process of aging can bring about hearing, eyesight and coordination challenges. But, alert manufacturers, realizing the needs of this growing demographic, have designed and developed smartphones with the more mature user in mind.

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Fujitsu Stylistic S01 Here’s an Android smartphone with a great blend of features for any technophobes out there. There’s a nice big 4-inch display, solid specs (including a 1.4GHz single-core processor and an 8MP camera), and it is both dustproof and water-resistant. It’s comfortable to hold, the buttons are big and clear, and the interface that has been built on top of Android includes large, clearly marked features and a help button on each page to explain everything. It also has a built-in personal alarm in case of emergency.

• 5 S E N I O R - S AV V Y S M A R T P H O N E S

The phone asks you your age during setup and it even tweaks the frequency of sounds for older ears incapable of registering higher frequencies. There’s also a feature that allows you to slow down the speech of the caller on the other end. The interface tweaks extend to a web portal free of ads and a simplified set of camera controls.

Jitterbug Touch

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You’ll find a 3.2-inch touchscreen that slides aside to reveal a full, physical QWERTY keyboard on the Jitterbug Touch. The keys are well spaced and easy to press and the basic interface is simple and accessible. However, the 320x240pixel resolution is a real letdown and the Jitterbug user interface is running on top of a very old version of Android. Overall, it doesn’t offer the best user experience.

5 S E N I O R - S AV V Y S M A R T P H O N E S

On the plus side it does have good battery life, the interface options are clear, and there are built-in apps and services for the elderly, such as the 5Star™ Urgent Response app and a LiveNurse service. It is relatively inexpensive and it won’t tie you into a long-term contract with cancellation fees, but in terms of hardware and performance, it’s tough to recommend unreservedly.

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Doro PhoneEasy 740 This Android smartphone is a slider design—the touchscreen slides up to reveal a physical dialing pad with large, clearly marked keys. The interface, called the Doro Experience, is unrecognizable as Android. It’s a simple list that scrolls vertically and each selection is large and descriptively labeled.

5 S E N I O R - S AV V Y S M A R T P H O N E S

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Functionality is deliberately basic, there’s a 5MP camera, and the 3.2-inch display is fairly low resolution at 320x480 pixels. It has plenty of handy extras, like an extremely loud speaker, and a magnifying glass app to enlarge text. There are also built-in emergency functions which tie in to the GPS functionality to identify your location.

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Samsung Galaxy Note II

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Although Samsung didn’t design the Galaxy Note II specifically for seniors, there are some compelling reasons that make it a great choice. It has a huge, 5.5-inch display and it comes with a stylus, which many elderly people prefer over classic touchscreen gestures. Select Easy mode when you set the Note II up and it provides a simplified home screen with handy widgets pre-loaded. It’s also easy to increase the font size on the Note II for those who need larger print.

5 S E N I O R - S AV V Y S M A R T P H O N E S

Since it’s a top-of-the-range device, the Note II is absolutely packed with features. It basically combines the best of a tablet and a smartphone in one device. The Galaxy Note II has the latest technology in spades packaged in a senior-friendly setup.

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Pantech Flex It simplifies Android, reducing it down to one, easily accessible home screen, but the Pantech Flex doesn’t scrimp on hardware or features. It has a 4.3-inch display, with good 540x960-pixel resolution, an 8MP camera, and it supports the fastest networks with 4G LTE. All of the interface options are large and clear, the setup process has been simplified, and the audio quality is enhanced. This is a solid device, and it represents a thoughtful attempt to make a senior friendly phone. It doesn’t cut corners or dumb things down and the end result offers real value for money. There are lots of pre-installed apps, from Pulse news, to a pill reminder. It is also possible to choose between the “Easy” experience and “Standard” so if the owner grows more tech savvy, or the phone changes hands, its appeal isn’t limited.

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WAGE

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TEXTING WHILE DRIVING We need YOU and you need these apps

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WA R AG A I N S T T E X T I N G

WA R AG A I N S T T E X T I N G

By Sean Cooper You probably wouldn’t consider drinking and driving, but even though you don’t want to admit it, you’ve probably texted behind the wheel at least once. By doing so, you’re six times more dangerous than a drunk driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There are ways to keep in touch while on the road, if you really have to. Apps can help you manage your texts, emails and calls while keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.

WA R AG A I N S T T E X T I N G

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WA R AG A I N S T T E X T I N G

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But first, get the facts about why we need YOU to join the war efforts against texting while driving.

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WA R AG A I N S T T E X T I N G

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WA R AG A I N S T T E X T I N G

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WA R AG A I N S T T E X T I N G

DEADLY DRIVERS

Texting has exploded in popularity over the last decade.

How dangerous is driving while texting, really? Incredibly.

In 2007 texting outnumbered actual calls for the first time. It’s not hard to see the allure of texting versus calling—texting is usually a lot quicker and easier. In 2012 a whopping 9.8 trillion SMS messages were sent in the U.S., up from 7.8 trillion in 2011. In fact, the average person sends 357 texts per month.

It makes you 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash when you’re texting behind the wheel and 6 times more likely than drunk driving. It’s as dangerous as driving after 4 beers.

Each year there are over 3,000 deaths and 330,000 injuries related to texting while driving, according to a Harvard Center for Risk Analysis study. Texting is most popular among teenagers, and unfortunately, teenagers are also most likely to obtain their driver’s license at this age. Here’s another scary fact: Texting while driving is the number one cause of accidents and deaths of teen drivers.

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MESSAGE NOT RECEIVED

Just how widespread is the problem? According to recent AT&T Commuter surveys, despite the fact that more than 95% of drivers admitting knowing that texting while driving is dangerous, 49% of commuters surveyed admitted to doing so—and 43% of teens surveyed did, as well. Adults are setting a bad example. 77% of teens said adults tell them not to text and drive, but then do it themselves “all the time.” In fact, 40% referred to it as a habit.

WAR AGAINST TEXTING

Unfortunately, the warnings aren’t sinking in for drivers.

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High numbers of surveyed teens—77%—are very confident or somewhat confident that they can drive safely while texting. Amazingly, 55% claim it’s “easy” to text while driving. And it seems that texting while driving isn’t just a problem for teenage drivers, but also for their passengers. 40% of teens admitted to riding in a car when the driver was texting while driving in a way that put people in danger, according to the Pew Research Center.

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Most disconcerting is the lack of perceived danger among teenagers.

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WAR AGAINST TEXTING

Texting while driving has deadly consequences.

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While drinking and driving has been considered taboo for many years, drivers are just starting to get the message about the dangers of driving while texting.

Each time you send or receive a text, you take your eyes away from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, according to NHTSA. While it may not seem like a lot, at a speed of 55 mph, that’s the same as driving the length of a football field—blindfolded.

WAR AGAINST TEXTING

MAINSTREAM MESSAGING

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THE LEGAL FIGHT

WHAT YOU CAN DO

In the U.S., there’s currently a massive campaign against texting while driving. Government agencies like the U.S. Department of Transportation and the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) have created websites to warn against its many dangers.

We all know the key to driving safely is to avoid distractions and keep our eyes on the road.

Even cell phone service providers like AT&T have jumped on board and created their own websites. These websites have hard-hitting statistics, articles and videos about the dangers of texting at the wheel and the devastating results it can have. Texting while driving has been a hot-button issue with Congress. U.S. lawmakers have been busy passing texting while driving bans in over 39 states. However, there isn’t yet a federal law against it. The main challenge of the law is enforcing it. That means that drivers themselves must change their habits, otherwise stopping texting while driving is an uphill battle.

By texting while driving, not only are you putting yourself in danger, but you’re putting a long list of innocent people in harm’s way: your passengers, other drivers, their passengers, and even people on the street. The next time you’re tempted to text while driving, think twice about all those you’re putting in danger. Is your text more important than someone else’s life? Or your own? Instead, pull off to the side to attend to that text. Better yet, check out our apps for managing texts while you’re on the road. Check out our review of the SuperTooth HD on page 44 of this issue. It’s a hands-free accessory that pairs with your smartphone for safer driving.

AT&T DriveMode Free, Skype

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WA R AG A I N S T T E X T I N G

AT&T has taken a tough stance on driving while texting, going as far as creating its own app for text-addicted drivers. This app looks to stop this deadly habit by allowing you to temporarily limit the features on your phone. This keeps you focused on the road ahead, instead of the screen below. There’s even a feature that turns on auto-replies to texts, emails and calls. However, we experienced some annoying instances when the app turns itself on, even when we weren’t driving.

tXtBlocker $6.99/month, tXtBlocker

HHHHH

Similar to AT&T’s app, tXtBlocker blocks incoming texting, as well as calls, while your vehicle is on the road. If your friends or family try to contact you, they’ll receive an automatic message that you’re driving and you’ll reply later. tXtBlocker isn’t just for driving—it comes in handy when you forget to turn off your mobile phone, including at work, school and the movies. It’s important to note that emergency 911 calls are always permitted. Starting at $6.99 for a single user and $9.99 for a family plan, this app may be pricey, but it does a fantastic job.

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WA R AG A I N S T T E X T I N G WAR AGAINST TEXTING

Cellcontrol $89, Cellcontrol

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This app works with a small device that plugs into your car—it detects motion and stops you from texting and talking. Cellcontrol is the most widely compatible app of its kind. It works on both smartphone and standard mobile phones and it’s extremely accurate. While a lot of the other apps block your phone when you’re a passenger, Cellcontrol, using its DriveID technology, will be able to detect whether you’re actually behind the wheel (due in late 2013). You can fully customize the app to determine exactly what you can and can’t do while driving.

WAR AGAINST TEXTING

DriveSafe.ly Free, iSpeech.org

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Instead of totally disabling communication while driving, this unique app actually reads text messages and email aloud in real time. It also lets you use your voice to respond to texts and calls without ever taking your hands off the wheels. Not only does this offer a safer solution, it allows you to be productive even while you’re driving. The app is fully customizable, right down to the gender of the voice of the sender (with the Pro version, $9.99). The free version limits each message read to the first 25 words.

WAR AGAINST TEXTING

Otter Free, Otter LLC

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Otter is so much more than a standard textingwhile-driving solution. Not only does it keep your eyes on the road (where they belong), it allows you to quickly manage your texts wherever you are. Whether you’re at home, work, or driving on the highway, Otter’s by your side. The app’s unique GPS Mode with auto-reply feature kicks in as soon as your vehicle travels faster than 10 mph, muting those distracting chimes from texts and ring tones. Best of all you can switch between auto and manual mode, so you can quickly respond to urgent texts with a preset message.

WAR AGAINST TEXTING

Online Resources for More Information Texting & Driving… It Can Wait: itcanwait.com Official US Government Website for Distracted Driving: Distraction.gov Don’t Text and Drive: www.textinganddrivingsafety.com Federal Communications commission: www.fcc.gov/guides/texting-while-driving Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

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Watch out iPhone diehards—this may convince you to switch to Android

SWIFTKEY IS THE BEST KEYBOARD YOU’LL EVER USE

By William Bonin Let’s be honest: for many of us, typing on our smartphone’s keyboard is a pain. The letters are small and our fingers are big so hitting the precise letter is often difficult. We’d all like to be able to enter text on our smartphones quicker and with greater accuracy. Unless the keypad gets bigger in the future—and what’s the likelihood of that happening—some other way will have to be invented to improve the speed and accuracy of smartphone text entry.

INTELLIGENCE IS THE KEY(BOARD) What if a smartphone could learn from your typing, which words and phrases you most often use, and when you use them? What if your smartphone offered up the words it thinks you’re typing, and not just after you’ve typed the first seven letters of an eight-letter word? Well, with the arrival of SwiftKey 4, an Android keyboard replacement app that will make even the most diehard iPhone freaks jealous, you’ll be amazed at how much faster your keyboard is and just how much smarter your smartphone will be. SwiftKey 4 uses what it calls intelligent natural language technology to suggest words it thinks you’re trying to type. SwiftKey’s Prediction Engine not only recognizes the words you’re typing but also understands how words are grouped together. With SwiftKey installed, a row above the keyboard appears with 3 suggestions, or predictions. For example, if you type “I like” SwiftKey displays words you’re most likely to use, such as “you.” If the word is correct, press the spacebar to select the word.

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LEARNING YOUR WAYS

So it knows that “you” is a word that commonly appears after “like.” So what? What’s the big deal?

SwiftKey learns about your personal writing habits by looking at your text messages, email, Facebook postings and Twitter feed. This is done only with your permission, of course, as part of the Personalization Service. The more of your writing style that SwiftKey can examine, the sooner it can start offering user-specific predictions.

“Predictive typing?” you ask. “Isn’t that just a rehash of the lame autocorrect feature that I already have on my smartphone that picks the wrong words at the worst times?” Nope. Far from it. Autocorrect works by checking words as you type and comparing them to its dictionary. If no match is found, it offers the closest possibility. But the problem of context is troublesome. If you typed “unicfrom” did you actually mean “uniform” or did you mean “unicorn”? This is when autocorrect leads to mirth and merriment or horrific red-faced embarrassment.

SwiftKey also looks at your typing style and identifies where you most often make mistakes. If you are prone to hitting the A key when you meant to hit the S key, SwiftKey learrns that and takes it into consideration in the future. You’ll also find that many times you can let SwiftKey do all the writing for you, even if it’s not exactly what you planned. If you intended to text “I am leaving now” but instead decide to just follow where SwiftKey leads you, you end up with “I am on the way to your house.” Same meaning and certainly less typing, correct?

SWIFTKEY IS THE BEST KEYBOARD YOU’LL EVER USE

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

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SwiftKey and Me SwiftKey rapidly learned how to work with my typing habits by checking out messages I created. For example: when I compose a text message or email using SwitfKey, two of the choices I’m offered are “Hey” and “I.” I realized that when I start an online conversation, I almost always start with “hey” rather than “hello.” And when I respond to someone’s emails or text messages, I usually start with “I.” SwiftKey learned from my writing habits to offer custom predictions. When I was exchanging text messages with a friend who gave me a book recommendation I intended to write, “Always on the lookout for a good book.” I started to write “always” and at “alw” I was shown “always.” Great, that’s my word, so I hit the space key to autocomplete. “On” was the next word offered and that’s my next word, so space again, and once again when “the” is offered. That’s 6 keystrokes on my part to enter 14 characters. So far, so good. When I typed “lo” I was offered “lookout”—amazing! And then the next two words predicted were “for” and “a.” That means that SwiftKey quickly sorted out what I was intending to write because it understands how the phrase “on the lookout” is most commonly used. Beckett’s Guide to Phone Apps

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< The SwiftKey suggestions appear above the regular keyboard while you type.

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GO WITH THE FLOW Another feature new to SwiftKey—that’s been available for a while in other products—is the concept of Flow. Flow gives you the ability to drag your finger around the keyboard from letter to letter to type words. If you’ve never used flow-style keyboard entry, often referred to as swiping, you’re probably going to find it rather strange at first. Rather than type each character in a word individually (as in f, then l, then o, then w), you drag your finger over the letters in succession without lifting it from the screen. You’ll not only be amazed at how fast you can enter words using Flow but at how forgiving SwiftKey is when it comes to interpreting your swipes. With Flow, you can forget about using the spacebar between words—SwiftKey figures out where one word ends and the next starts. Swipe style typing is so fun and natural that I often find when I’m using an iPad or an iPhone I immediately start trying to flow around the keyboard! Caveat: SwiftKey’s addition of Flow seems a bit superfluous since it’s harder to select a suggested word when you’re swiping, and the prediction engine is so good that the Flow feature almost seems unnecessary. After all, when your next word is shown as a suggestion before you even type a letter, who needs swiping? Nevertheless, it’s a nice to have and I find that I still use it quite frequently.

A NOTICEABLE IMPROVEMENT SwiftKey continually notifies you of how much it’s improving your typing experience. SwiftKey Stats tracks your efficiency (36% more efficient in my case), keystrokes saved (14,398!), typos corrected (4,074) and my favorite of all, distance flowed—a measure of how far your finger has travelled when using Flow (66 meters).

SWIFTKEY IS THE BEST KEYBOARD YOU’LL EVER USE

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SwiftKey 4 typically sells for $3.99 (www.swiftkey.net). While you may balk at paying for a keyboard—after all, a free keyboard came with the phone—ask yourself this: Will your free keyboard ever learn all about your verbal and stylistic idiosyncrasies? And will it actually improve your texting?

When using the Flow feature, you drag your finger from letter to letter without lifting it from the screen.>

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Andy Warhol declared that everyone would be famous for 15 minutes, but even he might be impressed at how social media and smartphone apps provide a platform that barely needs 15 seconds to propel people to stardom. These micro video apps demonstrate how restrictions, like short time limits, can inspire creativity and communication.

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Create bite-sized video masterpieces and become a short-attention span Spielberg

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If you have trouble getting through a YouTube video without jumping ahead on its timeline, Vine is the perfect video platform for you as all its videos are six seconds or less. That may not sound like much time to get creative, but explore the network’s “Vines” and you’ll find everything from laugh-out-loud time-wasters to elaborate multi-shot scripted clips. Shooting a Vine is a breeze. Simply press and hold on a device’s touchscreen to capture video. Finished clips play in loops similar to an animated GIF, which can then be shared with Facebook, Twitter, and Vine’s own social platform, which bears more than a passing resemblance to Instagram. One gripe: uploads can’t be queued, which prevents shooting multiple videos when a connection is unavailable. Vine wasn’t the first player in the micro-video app niche, but it’s the current leader thanks in large part to being owned by Twitter.

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Viddy Free, Viddy, Inc.

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If you think of Vine as the “Twitter of YouTube” then Viddy is its Instagram. Viddy helps users put a personal stamp on their creations using stylized filters, much like the popular snapshot app. It also lets users tweak frame rates and includes a library of music snippets to enhance a clip’s mood with a soundtrack. Compared to Vines, Viddy’s seem like sprawling epics thanks to a generous 30-second cap (recently upped from 15 seconds). In addition to capturing video, Viddy lets users upload existing clips. Video can be trimmed after recording, which is especially helpful given the “Did it start?” lag that often plagues phone video. Viddy began life as an iOS app, and that platform has a slight edge in terms of feature and interface polish. Blackberry users try: Snipper by Serramedia BV, free.

Cinemagram Free, Cinemagram Inc.

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Capture the world around you on video and transform your clips into “cines” that are surreal and sublime. This app sets itself apart by letting users freeze an image and selectively animate portions of it. A host of special effect options lets users manipulate the laws of time and space in clips. Users can change playback speed and alter the video direction. But the most impressive effect comes courtesy of the Mask options, which lets users selectively freeze portions of the screen while allowing other parts of the video to continue playing. For example, reflections or shadows can move independently of a person or leaves can fall in slow motion while jumping children appear frozen in time. Cinemagram also lets you apply graphic filters to the continuously looping 4-second recordings. It can take a while to get the hang of the effect options, but the results are worth the effort. Once again, the iOS version’s features and interface are superior to Android’s.

Snapchat Free, Snapchat, Inc.

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You won’t have to worry about files cluttering your friend’s phone storage with this video-sharing app. All the photos and video you take with Snapchat are set to self-destruct after the time limit you specify. Just shoot the subject, choose the number of seconds the clip or photo can be viewed, and send it off to a contact in your Friends list. As soon as a friend clicks on the notification message for your masterpiece, the countdown starts. When it hits zero… POOF! It’s gone. Snapchat has gained a certain amount of notoriety for being linked to sexting due to the disposable nature of the content. The most disturbing accounts revolve around teens, but the truth is that most are probably just goofing off and sharing funny moments with friends. If you are entertaining thoughts that veer into Snapchat’s seedier side, heed this warning—even though your message may disappear, recipients have the ability to grab a screenshot during playback. The app will try to let you know when this occurs, but by that point you may be on your way to being famous for the wrong reasons.

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Facebook Poke Free, Facebook, Inc.

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What do you get when you marry Snapchat with one of Facebook’s most ridiculed features? Facebook Poke. This app lets users send disposable video, photos, text messages, and nostalgic “poke” notifications to Facebook friends. Although it integrates with users’ Friends lists, recipients can only view the messages using the phone app. As with Snapchat, remember that recipients can take screenshots of content before it expires, so think twice before sending anything racy or potentially incriminating. Facebook Poke’s biggest advantage over its inspiration may simply be that it isn’t Snapchat, sidestepping that app’s image perception problems and potentially making it less creepy when you ask if a friend is using it. The one downside: it’s limited to the iOS platform.

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Vyclone Free, Vyclone Inc.

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Social sharing is a key component of video apps, but usually it just involves making completed projects public on social networks. Vyclone integrates social features right into the content creation process by giving multiple users a way to collaborate and combine their individual videos of the same event. It offers a unique way to preserve an event from different views, perfect for gatherings like weddings, graduations, concerts, and sporting events. Only clips from the same location and time can be synced and users can see the number of other users who are logged-in nearby when shooting footage. Although the app doesn’t allow clip deletion, it does let users control what’s public. Users who are more enamored with editing than being behind the camera can also remix other people’s projects, making Vyclone a truly social platform. In addition to the app’s functionality, the Vyclone.com website provides online editing tools where users can fine tune their masterpieces.

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CineBeat Free, Smule

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Think you’ve got what it takes to be a singing sensation? You might be well on your way to living out your superstar fantasies when you showcase your talents with this fun music video creator. Simply record up to 15 seconds of singing or speaking and CineBeat adds a soundtrack and auto-tunes your vocals to pop perfection. After applying visual filters to your video, post it to your social networks and wait for the talent agents to start calling. Just don’t forget who your friends are when you make it big. The free version of CineBeat comes with just a few visual and sound effects, but once you get a taste you’ll be tempted to purchase more filters or expanded clip time within the app.

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Apps to organize status updates, tweets, pins, posts and more By Sean Cooper

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your online social activities, you’re not alone. Between Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+ and so on, it’s challenging to keep up with all the latest happenings. A social media management app might just be what the doctor ordered. We found several apps that make following and creating the latest social buzz a snap.

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Janetter for Twitter Free, Jane, Inc.

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Twitter is a great way to follow your favorite celebrities and news feeds, but it’s more challenging the more feeds you follow. Janetter for Twitter will save you from Twitter overload. It’s a simple way to get the most out of Twitter. The interface works like a dream—finger-swipe to update bookmarks in an instant. The ability to view thumbnails of photo tweets is a great feature, especially if your phone has a smaller screen. You can even filter tweets by keyword, so you only see the tweets you want to see.

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Tweetings for Twitter $1.99, RBD Solutions Limited

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Tweetings for Twitter was designed with Twitter-aholics (is that even a word?) in mind. Although it looks fine on phablets and standard smartphones, the app really shines on large-screen smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S4. WiFi support means tweets are up to the second. And never forget to send an important tweet again; this app lets you schedule tweets for a future date and time. It also takes the pain out of the 140 character limit by splicing tweets.

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HootSuite for Twitter & Facebook Free, HootSuite

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HootSuite is your one-stop shop social media management app. Monitor and manage Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn from one powerful app. Similar to Tweetings for Twitter, you can schedule tweets and Facebook status updates for later. That’s not all. You can upload and share photos, receive notifications, and monitor keywords of your choosing. HootSuite’s simple yet powerful interface makes managing your online social life easy. The app is fully integrated with the HootSuite website’s features— seamlessly import an existing account to get started. HootSuite is a great way to build a following and share with the world wherever you are. Windows Mobile users try: Rowi Lite by Hidden Pineapple, LLC, Free

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UberSocial Free, UberMedia Inc.

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This is the jack-of-all trades social media management app you’ve been waiting for. UberSocial is fully loaded with features that put the official Twitter app to shame. You won’t miss Tweets from your best friends with Inner Circle. Are you tired of hearing the latest celebrity scandal? Mute allows you to block individual hashtags and users for as long as you like. You can manage all your social media accounts and schedule tweets for later. Although it’s a great app, it would be nice to have more features for Facebook other than cross-posting, liking and viewing status updates.

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Buffer Free, Buffer

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Social media is all about sharing. Buffer makes it easier to share on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and App.net. Similar to news apps like Flipboard and Feedly, Buffer goes the extra mile by offering Twitter analytics and Facebook insights with the ability to click, retweet, comment and like. Sharing is made easy—when you find something you like, simply add it to your Buffer queue. Schedule your content to go live when the time is right. Social media is much easier thanks to Buffer.

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TweetCaster for Twitter Free, OneLouder Apps

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With so many wonderful Twitter apps to choose from, what’s a smartphone user to do? TweetCaster is the highest rated Twitter app for good reason. Its easy-to-use, attractive interface makes navigating Twitter a snap. Not only is this app reliable, it’s ultra-fast and there are a host of amazing features at your disposal. For instance, Search Party lets you search your own timeline, and Photo Effects enhances your images with cool effects before you upload them for the world to admire.

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TweeterLight Free, Pilchie

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Finding a decent Twitter app for Windows Phone is like finding a needle in a haystack, but the search is finally over. TweeterLight is an enhanced version of the official Twitter app. It includes a slew of amazing features, including themes, twitpic uploads, and geolocation. All your latest feeds are automatically updated on startup, so there’s no need to constantly refresh, and new tweets are highlighted for easy reading. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of some of the other apps we’ve mentioned, but it does the job for Windows users.

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Scope Free, Scope

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With Scope, you’ll be the talk of the town. It’s your social hub and an easy way to manage your social life. Manage accounts from all your favorite websites including Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram, Tumblr and Reddit. The app takes the magic of Flipboard and uses it to enhance social media. One-click sharing makes communicating with your friends a breeze. All your favorite features such as liking, commenting and more are here. The only downsides are that the app sometimes suffers from slow connections and you can’t register multiple accounts.

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Get smart about buying a home with these smartphone apps By Sean Cooper

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House hunting used to be tedious and time consuming, but no longer. There are plenty of new apps that make the search for your dream home a lot easier. Don’t waste your time walking through house after house when these apps can steer you directly to homes that meet your criteria. You’re sure to find the one that’s perfect for you.

Redfin Real Estate Free, Redfin

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Bring this powerful webbased home search tool with you while you’re on the go. Redfin is the only app that lets you view listings directly from the MLS (multiple listing service). While some aggregating apps suffer from stale data, Redfin isn’t one of them; current listings are always available. You won’t be left in the dark as Redfin offers the inside scoop with exclusive information usually available only to agents. The interface is easy to use and push alerts make you the first to know when a home in your desired neighborhood comes up for sale.

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Homesnap Real Estate Free, Sawbuck

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Homesnap gives the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” new meaning. Snap a photo of a house for sale and instantly find out useful information, including list price, lot size and property tax. Since buying a home is a family decision, you can share your photo stream with family and friends. Plus, Homesnap constantly delivers fresh MLS data to your smartphone. Homesnap is a revolutionary app and there’s no other like it.

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Zillow Real Estate Free, Zillow

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Zillow instantly delivers the newest home listings to your mobile device. If you’re looking to score a deal, be sure to browse the foreclosures and for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) listings. Receive only notifications for the properties that matter to you by using Zillow’s filters to customize your search based on price, neighborhood and your chosen keywords. Push notifications ensure you’re always in the know. Find out when new listings are available or when houses drop in price. And little beats the convenience of being able to book an appointment to view a house without picking up the phone.

realtor.com real estate - homes Free, Move, Inc.

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If your home buying is ultra-competitive, get a leg up on the competition with the app that realtors are using. Quickly search for houses by browsing individual listings or zoom in on your desired neighborhood with the handy map. Search for homes by school district—a must-have for parents. Property listings include everything you’ll need, including property tax, price history and number of bedrooms. Area Scout is a unique feature to this app and it lets you view property results and track average home values in different neighborhoods.

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Real Estate & Homes by Trulia Free, Trulia

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Trulia is a simple, yet powerful real estate app certain to help you find your next house. Using GPS, the app determines your location and shows you houses for sale in your vicinity. Properties come to life through high-resolution photo galleries. Trulia is a great app for bargain hunters. A tap on the screen lets you instantly know properties that have had their prices recently slashed. This app has the same great push alerts you’d expect from other real estate apps, including the latest new listings.

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APP LAUGHS By Andy Broome

“ I have to have the biggest phone so people know how important I am.”

“ Fine. We will try your Google maps. ”

“ These aren’t the ‘droids you are looking for. ”

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Guide to Phone Apps & more is now available on iTunes and Google Play The Latest Apps for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, and Tablets. Smartphone Tips and Tricks to Make Your Life Easier. Hot Free Games and Apps. Product Reviews, Tech News, and Much More! Download the FREE Guide to Phone Apps & More app to purchase each issue for only $3.99 today! For questions on downloading this app contact 800- 764-6278

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