GeekSugar

7 Apps to Better Navigate Your Daily Commute

Emily Co — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:05:50 PST

Public transportation can be a curse and a blessing. On one hand, you're saving money and you're doing the environment good, and on the other hand, sometimes the mass transit system is so disorganized that it's made you late more times than you can count. Every smart commuter needs a hand - here are some apps to make your public commute more enjoyable.

Download of the Day: Kinotopic

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:11:53 PST

For mobile photographer pros looking to move beyond the looping whimsy of goofy GIFs, the Kinotopic iOS app ($1) is a new take on the animated photo. The style of not quite a photo, but not a video was first made popular on the Cinemagraph website, for the photographers' blend of gorgeous moments captured in traditional still photo, with a hidden animated twist that pulls the viewer further into the image.

The Kinotopic app makes images in the spirit of cinemagraphs, using a short video to select an anchor frame, which acts as the background "still" photo, and using a finger to select the scope of the photo's movement. Perfecting what the app calls the kino, the small animated movement, without obvious signs of its digital enhancement is tricky. It took several attempts for me to create a believable kino that captured the slight breezy movements of a late night bus ride. With patience and enthusiasm to perfect the cinemagraph, Kinotopic is a fun diversion from the filter photo apps that seem so standard now.

Organize Your Life: 5 Apps For Family Organization

Kate Stahl — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:04:01 PST

Today's busy families need smart solutions to stay organized, and the first place we most often turn to is: our phones! You'll find a plethora of apps designed to help keep your life in check by tracking appointments and daily chores, and syncing grocery lists and family calendars with your spouse's and kids' phones. Keep reading for our five must-have apps (four of them are free!) to keep your family organized, and start downloading your way to a smoother schedule!

Best of 2011: The 20 Best Apps For Kids

Kate Stahl — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 07:46:18 PST

Parents with curious young ones quickly realize that what's yours - including your iPhone and iPad - is also theirs. But, hey, sharing is good (right?), especially when you stock your technology with kid-friendly apps guaranteed to keep your tot entertained for hours, or at least wait for the doctor, fold the laundry, or chat with your bestie. Check out our 20 must-have kid apps for 2011, some free, and start downloading now!

UTales: A Modern Alternative to Brick and Mortar Bookstores

Natasha Dantzig — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:16:48 PST

Paper is no longer a story time requirement, thanks to the abundance of digital kids' books accessible via iPad or smartphone. A new player to the ebook scene is uTales, which distinguishes itself from the pack with an interesting crowdsourced approach to acquiring content. For $10 a month, parents have access to an unlimited number of digital picture books - your standard subscription model - but these books aren't ones that can be found just anywhere. uTales culls its content from a network of more than 1,000 professional authors and illustrators from around the world; in this way, it's more Etsy than Netflix, but with an editorial board and selective process ensuring the quality of the books that make it onto the site. In addition to these original works, uTales boasts an impressive selection of classic kids' books that have been given a new life.

Best of 2011: Apps For Parents and Parents-to-Be

Kate Stahl — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 09:02:22 PST

Whether you're tracking the days until your lil one arrives, attempting to organize your hectic family life, or trying to capture those adorable smiling faces, there's an app for you. Check out the 20 must-have apps that made our lives easier - and more fun! - this year.

Santa's Techie Friends: 10 Christmas Apps For Techie Tots

Nicole Abbott — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 03:17:08 PST

With less than a month to go before Christmas day, we know tots are all about the holidays! From interactive storybooks to educational holiday games and puzzles, check out these 10 Christmas apps for your iPhone and iPad - and let your kiddos get jolly with technology!

5 Apps to Look For on Spotify's New App Platform

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:15:04 PST

Music junkies, take note: today Spotify introduced an integrated HTML5 app platform to round out the online music experience. Since Spotify partnered with Facebook, their user base has grown to over 10 million listeners who subscribe to friends' playlists and cultivate our own streaming music library. Like an iTunes app, any third party can develop and submit an app for Spotify's approval to be included on the platform.

Spotify Apps are available to any user, and the beta version is set to roll out over the next several days. Your list of apps and link to the App Finder will be located on the left sidebar of Spotify. Check out the five apps we can't wait to add to our account, and tell us if you'll add apps to your Spotify experience.

Last.fm - Discover a playlist's worth new favorite tracks within Spotify via a service we already know well.
Songkick - We'll never miss our favorite band's local live performance with this app that keeps users abreast of an artist's tour dates and also makes buying tickets to said event a snap.
Pitchfork - When on the lookout for independent musicians, reference the reviews and editorials of Pitchfork to find great artists flying under the radar.

Follow the break for our two other must-try apps including what no karaoke party can do without.

Download of the Day: Hello Vino

Kelly Schwarze — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 07:14:53 PST

Once dinner's been decided on, the hardest part of any special occasion meal may very well be the wine pairing. Does seafood go with reds? What sort of entrée pairs well with champagne? Enter Hello Vino, a free iOS and Android app for your oenological questions.

Hello Vino helps to choose a wine based on a specific dish, occasion, grape flavor, or region. Knowing we can't all be wine connoisseurs, the app is packed with an encyclopedia's worth of wine knowledge, even including the pronunciation of wine varietals.

A feature that's guaranteed to come in handy when faced with an intimidating aisle full of seemingly identical wine bottles is Hello Vino's label recognition technology. Take a photo of a bottle's label within the app, and it will provide all the hidden information needed to make a selection including tasting notes, ratings, and food pairings. Save a note about the particular wine for later if you aren't ready to purchase a bottle. No more choosing a bottle based on the best label!

Thanksgiving Apps For Plugged-In Tots

LilSugar — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:02:36 PST

Plenty of parents will be giving thanks for the iPad this year. Amidst busy holiday preparations culminating in that delightfully long - but not necessarily kid-friendly - feast, the following selection of entertaining apps will get tots into the Thanksgiving spirit, and maybe even occupy them long enough for mom and dad to have seconds.