You’re patiently working your way through the holiday season, but family and friends have gathered, food has been devoured, and the children are running amok. It feels like millions of photos have been taken – of the food, the family and the pets, so now what? Enter the holiday savior ColorStrokes HD for iPad and iPad mini. While your Uncle Bob is comatose on the couch, open the app, snap a pic of him, then start editing. The entire rainbow is available for you to draw, shade and doodle on your photo. Add colors, effects like sepia or soft light, and adjust the size of your brushstrokes. When your uncle comes to, you can show him your one-of-a-kind, original Thanksgiving masterpiece that features his glistening drool and turkey wattle.

The app is so easy to use that the fun should be shared. Pass the iPad to the kids and let them edit the photo of Granny bent over and half way in the oven. You can take photos through the app, upload existing photos, or login to Facebook and use that photo of your dog that everyone is sick of looking at, but you refuse to backdown that Tuxford is most certainly cuter than Boo, and just because Boo is better trained to take a photo, that doesn’t mean he’s actually more photogenic…..but I digress. After you’ve perfected your photo, send it as a postcard, upload it to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr…or click print for an old fashioned kind of holiday memory.

ColorStrokes HD rings in at $1.99, but we all know funny photos and laughs with family and friends are priceless. Happy coloring.

The article ColorStrokes HD for iPad appeared first on Appy Awards.

This seems like an average day for most Americans. But it’s ironic because I’m playing with the ‘My Life as a Refugee’ app from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – the UN Refugee Agency, all while snuggled under my plush blanket from Brookstone with air conditioner well below 68 degrees. It’s a rough life in the first world.

But let’s get serious, because life and death decisions do happen in this world, and the plight of refugees is not funny.

Coinciding with the UNHCR’s launch of the ‘1 is Too Many’ campaign, ‘My Life as a Refugee’ takes an innovative approach to bring awareness to the awful situations refugees endure. In order to understand the issues refugees contend with, three unique stories were designed based on actual experiences. For players to empathize with the life of a refugee, they have to become one. Players begin the game by selecting a character: Merita – pregnant and in the center of a civil war; Paulo – 15 years old and forced to become a child solider; and Amika – a young mother speaking out for women’s rights. By virtually living these roles, the player is faced with making the same decisions that these individuals encounter in war-torn, poverty-stricken countries.

So, I’m Merita. Married, seven months pregnant with my third child, and…damn, now a widow as soon as I push the “Let’s get started” button. My husband was shot and killed and now I have two kids and my mother to care for. I start freaking out from the pressure with only 30 seconds to make the first decision. The scenario unfolds like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, and flashing back to my childhood, I immediately regret each choice and wish I could flip back one page.

Now Merita and her son (we lost my daughter and mother along the way) are in a refugee camp after bribing a guide and sneaking across the border. I’m hungry, pregnant and scared as hell. Do I wait in line for food or go to the clinic? Let’s try our luck in the clinic…but I don’t make it because I faint on my way there.

Fast forward three months and I’ve given birth to a son. I’m still living in a tent, and now I need to decide whether to leave the camp to start a new life, or wait in hopes of returning home someday. I choose to start a new life in the city. Although with a newborn and a young son, I’m torn, and it takes time for me to commit to the decision and push the button on my high-res screen. This is when I, the real I, realize the app has me immersed in Merita’s life, and the decisions that take me a few nail-biting minutes were choices she made once. In her real life.

I find work in a sweatshop. An authority figure asks to see my papers (which I forgot to take with me when I left my home in a hurry and grabbed “food and water”). I don’t speak the language. I’m deported to the border. I’m arrested and jailed for life. And that’s the end of Merita’s story. What? That’s how my life story ends? I change my mind. I will remember my papers. I will hide in the woods. I will stay in the refugee camp. I will not let go of my daughter’s hand.

But this is no game, and a video message by Angelina Jolie at the end of each scenario reinforces this message, and discusses the reality of the current state of affairs. Links to donate, learn more, start a new scenario and share on social media end the app’s experience, but in reality it is just the beginning, or the continuation of what has been for generations.

Now, as I might have mentioned earlier, the paradox of role-playing a refugee through my iPad is…ironic. But I’m not so dysfunctionally spoiled that I don’t learn something here. The free app is available for iPhone and iPad, and it is worth a download. Parents with rotten kids? Make them play. Your dreadlocks are drenched in patchouli? Share with your friends. Wall Street finance guy with no time for anything but Wall Street and finance? Your loss. But if we all play this simulation once, at the very least we’ll be more aware of the plight of refugees around the world, and that seems to be the honorable goal of UNHCR.

The article My Life as a Refugee by Artifex Creative Webnet appeared first on Appy Awards.

That’s the key, parents – start young and mold your children into the literati and not the ill-fated, unimaginative lower echelon of non-readers. With more than 67 million iPads sold to-date, it is more than likely you’ll teach your children to read using a screen instead of a paperback. Books such as Your Fantastic Elastic Brain, released in hardcover two years ago and now debuting on the little screen, are made for the next generation of tech-savvy, diaper-swaddled geniuses.

Based on the award-winning title by Dr. JoAnn Deak and illustrated by Sarah Ackerley, Your Fantastic Elastic Brain is more than just an ebook for children, parents and educators. This interactive edutainment app teaches children that they have the ability to stretch and grow their own brains. It also delivers the crucial message that mistakes are an essential part of learning, and introduces children to the anatomy and various functions of the brain in a creative and engaging way.

Fun features include a ‘Read to Me’ format with voice narration that helps children learn the pronunciation and spelling of new words (a feature available on most e-readers, taking vocab to the next level for all ages). ‘Fun Brain Workouts’ and ‘Games’ help strengthen memory, improve auditory perception and foster journaling (yes – journaling!). About this journaling concept – society may be keeping tabs on life in 140 characters, but I applaud parents and educators who continue to teach children to think and write in complete sentences (that means a subject, verb and maybe an adjective).

The app goes above and beyond the concept of a children’s book in digital format. Embedded lesson plans offer activities designed to build an understanding of neuroanatomy, the brain’s primary functions, and how to stretch and shape the brain to its full potential. I have a sneaking suspicion we could all use a refresher course in brain function, so parents and teachers might find this feature interesting as well.

For $2.99, Your Fantastic Elastic Brain is available for iPad, and a bargain compared to years’ worth of therapy sessions because your child blames you for inactive brain waves and a lack of ability to think, read or journal effectively. Go forth, young parents, and download.

The article Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by Little Pickle Press appeared first on Appy Awards.

According to TicketDefender, more than 100,000 drivers per day receive speeding tickets. Some experts estimate that 10-20% of all radar-backed speeding tickets are issued in error; and in the case of radar that is operated from a moving police vehicle the number of inaccurate tickets may be as high as 30%. Let’s do the math: for every 100,000 drivers getting a speeding ticket, up to 30,000 people could receive a ticket in error. If you’re one of those statistics with a lead foot, there’s an app for that.

For ease of use, TicketDefender gets an A+. Download the app – at $1.99 it’s potentially much cheaper than an actual ticket. Name your car, type in your license plate, and turn on your iPhone as it rides shotgun. As you cruise down the highway, blasting your old-skool-road-trip mix and stuffing Cheetos in your face as you maneuver with one knee, the speed, time of day, and GPS location is automatically recorded with TicketDefender. If you get pulled over, you click the ‘press when ticketed’ button (while simultaneously reaching for the glove compartment for your hand gun, err, vehicle registration).

The app generates reports more thorough than your monthly phone bill. Reports include the vehicle’s make and model, license number, time and date of the recorded speed. The Speed Report shows the recorded speed every 3-5 seconds and the location in latitude and longitude. The Map Report shows the street view of all recorded speeds. If these reports show the speed indicated on your ticket is different from the speed shown on the TicketDefender reports, then you have a valid “not guilty” argument.

But good luck pulling out your iPhone in front of a judge – he may just take the side of the state trooper over your gadget. So always remember to dress smart and act nice when confronted by The Law.

The article TicketDefender appeared first on Appy Awards.

Martha Stewart Living’s Egg Dyeing 101 brings all of the elements of dyeing eggs into a clean, functional and attractive app. The gallery features 101 examples of eggs and techniques used, from dipping and marbleizing to decoupage and glitter. For those of you who never leave the office, you can dye eggs in a variety of innovative ways using rubber bands and stickers. If you’re less inclined to utilize office supplies, try the finger painting technique which produces adorable lady bugs and flowers.

This app offers much more than a gallery of “I could never achieve that” examples. The egg glossary provides some helpful hints if you are up to the challenge for dyeing duck or quail eggs. And Martha’s busy bunnies even had the foresight to include a video demonstrating how to “blow out” an egg (hollow eggs have a longer shelf life than hard-cooked) so that you can reuse your creations for years to come.

Martha Stewart Living partnered with McCormick, known for their spices and food dye, to create color wheels and dye recipes. Despite what you might believe, it is a science to know how many drops of yellow food coloring make bright yellow.

The app is available for iPhone and iPad, and at just $.99, it provides extensive inspiration and ingenuity for egg dyeing professionals or girls who just want to have fun.

Martha Stewart Living says this app was “made with families in mind,” but I disagree. Not all users are mothers; some of us are just indulging in our arrested development. Or maybe they’re the boyfriends who dropped the ball yesterday and need to make a quick, and ingenious, comeback.

So guys – grab your eggs and blow.

The article Egg Dyeing 101 from Martha Stewart Living appeared first on Appy Awards.

In today’s world, where TV can be as addicting as heroin or diet cola, most Americans don’t just watch TV. We live it. We text, tweet and Google search bios of celebs and characters as they appear on the screen. It was only a matter of time before TV networks hired competent media gurus who make it easier to get our fix, and this shall forever be known as “co-viewing.”

Enter VH1 Co-Star. The entertainment app is designed for both addicts and casual viewers to use while watching VH1 shows. The scrolling activity stream “WatchWith” allows VH1 programmers to insert contextual bonus content like photos, factoids and polls that coincide with everything happening on the show. Features also include trivia, blogs and bonus videos, as well as tweets and Facebook postings from the show’s followers. I’m as addicted to trivia as I am to Drita’s name-calling antics, so VH1 gets extra points for stimulating my mind and finger tips. All I need to do is sit back, relax, and move my eyes rapidly between the show on TV and the scrolling comments on my iPhone.

Users can authenticate themselves through Facebook or Twitter, but I was able to follow much of the content without that process. My iPhone’s GPS determines the time zone, so the network’s schedule syncs with my location. When Mob Wives is playing on the east coast, there is Drita’s tight and tanned face on the app’s home screen.

Co-Star lives up to expectations – it is an entertainment app and totally worth the free price tag. My only question now is: How will the app work when I start watching new episodes of Pop Up Video?

The article VH1 Co-Star appeared first on Appy Awards.

The WeeMee Avatar Creator lets me clone myself into millions of WeeMees. With over 40 hairstyles, hundreds of clothing and accessory options, 26 pairs of sunglasses for sunny days and 15 themed backgrounds to play in, I can’t decide whether to put on my Snooki look with orange skin and black hair bouffant, or channel Farrah Fawcett with long, wavy hair and a red bikini. I can clone myself anatomically correct, and add color and shade to everything from eyes to underwear. My WeeMee (I call her ‘MiNE’) gets more unique with the ‘closets’ feature that lets her shop for trendy, premium and branded items. Adding seasonal accessories, pets, Apple products and beverages (with and without alcohol) makes this app fun and personal.

Creating avatars in WeeMee is easy – I had a small army of adorable MiNE’s within minutes. Navigation features are identified with playful icons. I can save to the gallery, post to Facebook and Twitter, and add wings and panda slippers before you can say “Dolly.” Available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, the app includes a built-in address book so I can create avatars for my friends and use them as the contact’s image. I couldn’t help but dress my (male) boss as a mermaid under the sea, and my best friend looks good in vampire garb creeping in the forest.

WeeMee saves my army of avatars in a gallery which means I have easy access to a new persona each day. The app organizes my ‘closets,’ which allows for quick wardrobe changes and background switches. Today I’m in Aspen, tomorrow off to Paris!

I plan on sharing my new WeeMees with my friends and family. There are more than 50 million avatars in WeeMee, so I have a lot of cloning to do to claim my place in history as the woman with the most personalities.

The article WeeMee Avatar Creator appeared first on Appy Awards.

Sometimes I just need to escape. And now there’s an App for that.

I can’t physically or financially jet around the world in an hour, but I can continent-hop on my lunch break thanks to the photography of Peter Guttman in Beautiful Planet HD. The App features photographs from all seven continents: Lounging seals in Antarctica, babushkas bundled for the cold of Red Square, and a Pied Piper playing in the street in Germany. I open the Gallery Map and see the world according to Google providing the exact locations where each photo was taken. When I click on the photo in the middle of the Indian Ocean, I’m instantly immersed in the tradition and culture of the Malagasy people.

The Beautiful Planet HD App showcases photos in a gallery, and allows me to pause, click the ‘caption’ icon, and get details of the image from the photographer. More icons allow me to share on Facebook, view as a slideshow, and even add my own music to create a playlist for the slideshow; all excellent features if I want to show my friends these photos as if they were my own.

Guttman’s photographs are striking – excellent compositions and a diverse range of subject matter and landscapes. He’s captured the deep emeralds of the Philippines’ oceans to the stark color contrasts of the Kenyan deserts – black and white zebra rumps included.

My favorite image is the courtship of two giant tortoises in Aldabra, Seychelles. Nothing takes me out of my cubicle and in to nature faster than two 600-pounders knocking shells.

Available for iPhone and iPad, the $1.99 App is a bargain for a true photographic journey around the world.

The article Beautiful Planet HD appeared first on Appy Awards.

TalkBox blends push-to-talk messaging and visual voicemail, allowing users to send short voice messages to their contacts. Messages can be read immediately, or played at the convenience of the recipient. Voice messages can be one-on-one conversations or group discussions, across the street or across the world – messages are instant, free, and do not require a cellular network to be sent. First you have to add friends and contacts, but after the initial setup, recording and sending a thought is as easy as dialing 1-2-3. The app integrates with Twitter, Facebook, your Address Book, and a special “Voice Broadcast” contact which will send a message to all of your contacts at once.

TalkBox is available on the App Store for free. Singing happy birthday in your best Marilyn impression to your BFF and posting it on her Facebook wall – priceless.

The article TalkBox Voice Messenger appeared first on Appy Awards.