Android apps

When the original Star Walk app launched a couple of years ago, it was an instant hit with us, even with the $5 price tag. Yes, kind of hefty for 2012 but totally worth it, especially for those of us who possessed that excitement and won…

Recently, we were introduced to LiveHealth Online , a smart new Internet-based service and mobile app from WellPoint that allows you to choose from a list of board-certified doctors and get medical care and advice right from your home. S…

The Artkive app has been one of my back-to-school lifesavers ever since it launched a couple of years ago. And even if you don't have four kids like I do, you're probably swimming in artwork that is oh so painful to toss. The ability to …

There are three things you need to know about the productivity app IFTTT : 1) It's an acronym that stands for If This, Then That. 2) It's pronounced like the 'ift' in the word gift. 3) It's out here saving lives. Okay, that's a bit drama…

When it comes to all the photos and videos on my iPhone camera roll (uh, all 5,373 of them), my usual tagline is I should do something with those. That's the party line year after year, and in the meantime, that camera roll just keeps ge…

These days, there's no shortage of cool tech that families can wear around their wrists , but it's about to get more useful and sophisticated with the development of the Sync Smartband . Made in sizes for kids and their grown ups, this l…

With back to school officially here, I cannot tell you how much I love the benefits of organization and communication apps for parents and teachers. They really do make life so much easier. Well, I've just discovered another tech tool th…

Junior high was the only time I used my school-appointed locker and half the time I could never even remember my padlock combination to get to my Trapper Keeper and magnetic mirror. Oh right, and my textbooks. If I only I had a digital p…

Whether your kids are figuring out how to sound out words for the first time, or you have older grade-schoolers who just might choose an educational app over a game from time to time if it's fun enough, educational apps can certainly be …

Scientific curiosity is what's lurking behind all those questions our kids start asking as toddlers. While we parents don't always have all the answers, fortunately there's a ton of cool science apps out there to help indulge that curios…

Just as more of the masses eschew their traditional dSLRs for the convenience of smartphone photography and the quick rush of a cheap fling with an Instagram filter, there is much coolness developing in the digital camera world. Which me…

There's excitement and anxiousness in the air at back to school time, but for many parents, this time of year can also bring about a little dread. As in: Ugh. Here comes the deluge of To-Do lists and classroom paperwork and lunch-packing…

Math: The word alone strikes fear into the hearts of too many kids -- and frankly, too many parents. That's why we think it's so important to find the very best math apps for kids to share with our readers, so we can help our kids get a …

We're so happy to kick off our 2014 back to school tech guide with one of our favorite, and most requested categories: The best educational apps for preschoolers. Now just because your little one isn't in official Big Kid school yet does…

As much as I'd love to take a trip to Europe with my kids and let them ride bikes through Holland to see the windmills and tulips, it's just not in the budget this year. But I can still let them learn about Dutch culture through the beau…

When it comes to apps, we're all about finding the newest and coolest ones that help the busy family machine run a little smoother. And as we ramp up to back-to-school season, life is probably about to get even more hectic. Oh forget pro…

Even with all the great lifestyle and organizational apps available to us today, there are times that nothing really replaces writing with pen and paper, whether I'm writing down funny things my kids have said or just making my grocery l…

With products like Jawbone and Fitbit and dozens more that are ushering us into a new era of wearable tech, it seems only natural that wearable tech for babies is next, right? But a wearable baby monitor that can sense, learn and predict…

There's a lime green folder in a top drawer in our kitchen that is spilling over with paper: artwork, drawings, little wobbly letters that are getting less wobbly day by day. I've learned to let go and throw some things away, but the res…

I have mentioned my penchant for frugality and the rush I get when I snag a good deal. (Yes, I said rush). Which is why a neat money-saving shopping app called Flipp will most definitely be on my phone come back-to-school shopping season…

Most of us have good intentions where it comes to eating healthfully and exercising, but we don't always follow through. But thanks to a fascinating new app called Pact , you can raise the stakes and hold yourself accountable -- as in, f…

I'm always looking for good, affordable earbuds since I find that most of the ones I come across are either one or the other. So I'm happy to discover the new Pocket earbuds (though they call them "headsets") from Sweden's Degauss Labs w…

Earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we saw a preview of the WeMo smart appliances by Belkin that will make our busy home lives a little easier to manage, even if we aren't home. And I'm happy to report that t…

We've covered many cool tracking systems and devices that can help you find your stuff, or make sure you don't leave it behind in the first place. But the new Findster GPS tracking system is actually designed to keep track of something m…