Android apps

With a second grader in the house who is increasingly reliant on the computer for homework and projects, I'm finding myself becoming much more vigilant about what he's doing when online, and researching ways to be better about monitoring…

Even though I'm on the Do-Not-Call registry, I sometimes get the one-off unwanted cell phone call from a telemarketer that I wish I could block, because it always seems to call the moment we sit down for dinner. While I have come to acce…

I had moved three times by the time I was eight, so I totally understand how it feels to be a strange kid in a strange land, a topic that is explored in a lovely new app for both iOS and Android users. Even kids like my own who have neve…

I have a confession: I have a habit "shopping" for weather reports--I tend to click around the various networks and web channels until I find the one I like. No rain, high of 72? I'll take that one ! But now there's a device that can kee…

Your mother is calling--again--and just when the Bachelor is handing out his roses. (Priorities, people!) What do you do? Ignore the call and feel guilty? Reject the call and feel guiltier? Pick it up and feel grouchy during the whole ex…

If your fridge is like mine, it's covered with artwork, kids' papers from school and class lists that I'm just too busy to input into my address book, computer or phone. Well how about an app that can do it all for you? Really. Lo and be…

Even though it can be a bit challenging finding great Android apps for kids , we are always looking. But what makes our jobs easier is when we find cool apps and ebooks for preschoolers that are available for both iOS and Android users--…

With an iPad and a Kindle Fire in the house and a husband who likes to take one with him on work trips, I love finding apps for kids that my own children love that are available for both iOS and Android. Well, I was in luck with Pepi Bat…

iOS apps, with more parents turning to Android phones, there are a few things we would love to see in the Android app department--not just as tech reviewers, but on behalf of lots of parents we hear from constantly! 1. App Quality The tr…

Let's just imagine that I'm standing on a street corner, chatting with a friend on my Android phone and suddenly she says "Hey, let's go to Paris this weekend, stay in an reasonably-priced hotel, eat at some fabulously-reviewed restauran…

If you're like me, you've got tons of family videos on your smartphone and lots of aspirations to do something with them all. But then "one of these days" turns into months and years, because who really has time to sit down and edit toge…

Is there a safe kids' browser that I can put on my iPad or phone for my son? Or do I have to just find a way to block sites on Safari somehow? Thanks! -Ellen K Ellen, we get the need for a safe kids browser for your devices! We also unde…

Ever since my son learned his five multiplication tables before he could even write his numbers correctly (thanks Schoolhouse Rock ! ), I've found that math is one of those subjects that doesn't necessarily need to be taught in any cut-a…

I've never been a huge Instagram user, which I guess after recent major changes to the Instagram Terms of Service , isn't a bad thing at all. But I am a fan of good quality photo editing apps, especially when they're free. We have been k…

I've never had a problem with creating to-do lists, but having different lists scattered in different places seems to defeat the purpose of getting organized. So in the vein of actually having my to-do lists in one place, I've pulled tog…

These days, with contacts in virtual address books, real address books (yes, I still use one), Facebook, LinkedIn, and apps galore, it's getting increasingly essential to find a way to organize your contacts and streamline them in one pl…

If you're on the hunt for a cool calendar app for your Android smart phone, it can be tough to figure out what's best in a sea of options. So, I tried a whole lot (see what I do for you?) and narrowed them down to these three options--al…

The older our kids get, the more picky they get about their apps. For kids in the 7 and up range, we love these Android and iOS apps for their ability to keep fickle kids engaged with a minimum of the gunplay and stuff parents get squidg…

One our favorite things to do is really pare down the best apps for kids, keeping an eye out for red flags like in-app purchases and safety concerns. In fact, it's amazing how many apps for kids we try and delete compared to those we can…

Presents are wrapped, eggs are nogged, kids are on Christmas break, and two of this year's biggest game stars have come together in one app filled with underground sewers and transportation tubes. How merry! Especially considering it's f…

The stockings are hung, the gifts are (mostly) bought, and now I'll spend the next few days checking my list--twice--to make sure we're ready for the big day. Oh, and I'll be rocking out to this new app that takes my mind off of all I ha…

I admit that I am really bummed about not being able to post Instagram photos on Twitter anymore. But now that Twitter redeemed itself with adding photo filters , it looks like Instagram might be moving back into favor with me as well th…

Has this ever happened to you? You're in a mall or restaurant and suddenly you hear a song that's so catchy that you immediately want to know what it is, who sings it, how you can get it. (By the way, this experience never happens in an …

Now that my kids have a bit more autonomy on my iPad, I have a greater awareness about what things they're tapping on. While they're still too young to know how to explore the Internet and poke around (thank goodness!), their curious han…