Giveaway - youTunes

Admit it, I know you've been there too.  The kids are all in bed, but the music is still on.  You find yourself singing along while doing the dishes (or folding one of the laundry mountains that have taken up residence on your couch...) and then you realize... you're singing along to the Fisher Price Classics.  You try and remember the last time you listened to something catchy that *isn't* Elmo And I Know It... and you realize you can't because it's been so long.

Now I'm more of an independent music fan, myself, and there are lots of artists on my music playlist that I guarantee you've never heard of (or maybe you have, some of my favourite indie acts have a way of making it big, and I don't realize it til I'm out shopping and hear a song I actually know playing on the speakers in a store...).  But as you know I'm also a runner, and as I'm training for a race this spring (actually training this time, not winging it like last time I tried a 10K...), I like having a selection of newer, upbeat music to run to.  Problem is, I don't know any of it.  And there's only so much you can glean from a 30 second clip in the iTunes preview.  Wouldn't it be great if I could listen to some top-100 music at home, so that I can then go and buy the tracks I really like?  Without having the blaring, screaming ads that all the popular radio stations are so full of?  Yes please!

Well it turns out that with youTunes, you can do just that, and more.  YouTunes is a free music player that lists the current top 100 tracks of pretty much whatever country you can think of, lets you add them to your own custom playlist(s), and then not only plays the song but also shows the corresponding video from YouTube.  Sometimes it's a music video, sometimes it has lyrics instead, but regardless, it's a nice way to catch up on what's hip outside of the preschooler scene.  It has great potential for a mom's night in (or as a prelude to mom's night out) by gathering up all the stuff that's playing on the dance floor, for your own party at home or in a hotel, as long as someone brought a MacBook and there's free Wifi...

In addition to automatically having access to each country's top 100 songs, you are also able to search for other songs if there is something you want to hear that isn't on there.  Now I do find that if you are searching for something more obscure, you are less likely to find what you're looking for, but the same thing would happen if you're looking directly on YouTube.  Most songs that show up in the search/top-100 list have links directly to iTunes where you can buy the official track or music video.  It would be nice if they add a link to purchase the song itself too, but that doesn't seem to be a feature in the app just yet.  I'm told that the company that makes the app is considering putting some settings into place to let you filter out songs with explicit ratings (making it sort-of kid safe, though I personally wouldn't play much of this stuff with my preschooler around), but there's no word yet on when that might be available.  So for now, this app gets the mommy stamp of approval, but consider it one you'd use when your kids are asleep or in another room playing quietly by themselves getting into trouble.

This is currently a Mac only app, available for download in the Mac App Store for $0.99, a pretty small price to pay to have all this music at your fingertips.  Plus, I have a bunch of promo codes to give away, so you could have the app for free!  Here's what I'm going to do.  I will give away 1 promo code.  If I get more than 10 entries to this giveaway, I'll give away a second promo code.  20 entries?  I'll throw in another one to give away.  (Max 10 promo codes to be given away).  So share this review, and tell your mac-owning friends, as in this case, more entries could actually improve your odds of winning (2/11 is better than 1/9, right?)

To find out more, or to buy this app, visit http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/free-music-player/id502305134?mt=12

Today in History App

Do you enjoy quick tidbits of information?  Does history interest you?  Then you might like the app Today in History.  Available in the iTunes app store for $1.99 (or you can get the ad-supported version for free), it lets you look up all sorts of historical information just like the app name suggests, things that happened Today in History.  Starting with the most recent events, it lists significant events that occurred all around the world on the given date, and it goes backward in time the further down you scroll.  One date I looked at dated back to 1026AD!!

The app also has categories for Births, Deaths, and Holidays so you can see what famous/important people were born or died on this day in history, and if it is a holiday anywhere in the world.  You can preview the sort of information that the app displays by visiting the website, www.todayhistory.net.  In addition to just displaying the brief information, you can also click on an event and view more details, or click on a related link and visit the Wikipedia entry.  This can lead to all sorts of interesting articles to let you dig deeper into the historical event or related places or people.

Interestingly, the app also has some built in social aspects as well, where you can add historical events to your favourites list, or you can comment on them.  You can also send any event to Facebook, Twitter, or to a friend via email or text message.  You can even submit your own events for consideration in the app - I haven't tried that yet (somehow I don't think that anyone else out there would be too interested in reading about "Got my winter tires on today").

You could however use the Private event option for creating events that only you want to keep track of, which I thought would be neat for tracking a baby's milestones, especially ones that you would almost certainly forget when they are older, like when they learned to sit unassisted, or exactly when they finally sprouted that first tooth.

If you think you might like it I would go for the free version to try it out, and once you know if you enjoy having all that historical information at your fingertips, then go for it and pick up the full version for $1.99 here in the app store: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/today-in-history/id312028507?mt=8  You'll never be without something interesting to say with such an interesting reference at your fingertips.

*Disclaimer:  Geekmommy Reviews was given free of charge the product(s) to review in exchange for featuring this product on http://www.geekmommyreviews.com.  Any opinions or statements given above come only from Geekmommy Reviews and were not influenced in any way by the product vendor.

Scribblenauts Remix App

Every now and then I stumble across something that makes me shake my head in amazement and wonder, and say "I wish I'd thought of that".  A new (at least new to me) game in the iTunes App Store called Scribblenauts Remix is a game like that. 

It has a unique gameplay that appeals to the problem solver in all of us, and also caters to the silly factor that takes over most interactions with a preschooler.  The premise of the game is that you have to help the main character, Maxwell, collect the star in each level.  He is faced with various problems to solve in order to earn/access the star.  To solve problems, you think of what thing(s) he need(s) to solve his problem, then give it to him by typing in a noun (and any number of adjectives).

For example [Spoiler Alert] there is a level where you need to push a button to open a gate.  But the button is in an area that Maxwell can't walk to.  So, you can choose to fly him up there.  Make him a Pegasus, he will ride it.  P-E-G-A-S-U-S.  Or, you can give him a jetpack.  Or you can create a H-U-G-E B-A-L-D E-A-G-L-E, and he will be able to climb on his back and fly up.  You can use adjectives such as "tiny", "friendly", "blue", "gigantic", "scary" and so forth to enhance the objects you create.  I cannot imagine how much effort must have gone into mapping just about every noun imaginable to a concrete in-game representation of the noun, but the effort is worth it because half the fun in the game is to create something outrageous and see what appears.

As an adult, I enjoy playing this game because it helps boost my creativity, and it's tons of fun.  My son (who is not quite old enough to spell most words) likes to play the game together with me, as I read him the problem, he brainstorms solutions, and I type them in.  He has even played it by himself by randomly typing on the keyboard and then picking from the "Did you mean..." suggestions that pop up when the characters don't represent a real word.

Apparently this game is not entirely new, however it's my first time playing it and I have to admit, I was blown away.

If you haven't played this before and think it sounds like fun, it's only $1.99 on the iTunes app store (for the iPad/iPhone) and will provide hours of entertainment, even after you finish the story mode, because you can always think of new creative ways to solve the problems Maxwell faces.

Check out more on this app here: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/scribblenauts-remix/id444844790?mt=8

1Password

A mom, at any given moment, has what feels like a million different things to remember.  Things like where her keys are, what she promised to bring to Saturday's potluck dinner party, her son's favourite cartoon character, the fact that she needs to pick up a kitchen timer and potting soil next time she's out shopping, and of course,  all fifteen thousand passwords to every single website she has ever signed up for.

There's not much I can do for you if you don't have a place by the front door for your keys or a shopping list where to note down things you have to buy (may I suggest Grocery IQ?)  However, I think I can help with that last one.  1Password is a secure way to manage your passwords & online identities, as well as to keep track of other important, sensitive pieces of data.  With a tagline of "Have you ever forgotten a password?" it's easy to see how this piece of software can be useful in anyone's life, including a busy mom with more important things on her mind than what her log on credentials are to the local recreation centre's online registration system.

With versions for Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, and Android, plus web browser integration, you will honestly never have to look far for your passwords.  Now there are some other ways to go about password management.  The easiest of course being to use the same password everywhere.  Oh, except that's actually a really, really dumb idea.  Not every place is as security conscious as your online banking might be, and giving away your email/password combination at just one site that becomes compromised (or has questionable security/privacy to begin with) can result in your identity at many other sites being compromised by someone trying your email/password combination there.  Plus, different websites have different password requirements, so maybe one will be OK with your easy to remember "qwerty" or "abc123" but others will need you to have 2 letters, 2 numbers, and 5 interspersed asterisks or tildes (~).  Not to mention, that your usernames may also be different from one site to another.  Gosh, it's making my head hurt just thinking about it.

With 1Password, as the name suggests, you only need to remember ONE password.  Make it a multi-word password instead of a gibberish series of letters, numbers, and symbols, and it becomes even easier to recall.  This one password unlocks the 1Password tool - on your computer or on your phone, and you can then easily log in, either by copying the credentials for a form you are already on in your browser, or by clicking a link inside 1Password which automatically launches the browser and logs you in to where you want to go.  The password data file is secure & encrypted, and you can opt to store it in the cloud (so it's available to you everywhere), or in your Dropbox account (there are many other options as well such as a password-protected PDF, or a file to put on your own USB stick).  I personally use the Dropbox syncing service, and my husband and I share the password data file, so yeah, he can access the password to read my email, but if I get hit by a bus tomorrow, he can also pay the electric bill.  (That works for us.  Your situation may vary.)

One of my favourite features of 1Password is the ability to generate passwords - so I don't have to keep thinking up unique, clever passwords - I can just have the app generate them and it stores them for me.  It has made me feel much better about my online life, being able to have a unique and secure password for each site I have an account on, and to be able to manage all of these from one simple and accessible place.  Another great feature is the browser integration - I don't even have to open 1Password to use my passwords - I just click the integrated button, enter my master password (I can set the timeout period so I don't have to enter it All.The.Time), and bam, it fills in my credentials for whatever site I'm on.

You can read more about 1Password or download your free trial over at https://agilebits.com/1Password.  1Password costs $39.99 for Mac or Windows, and $14.99 for iPhone/iPad.  For some reason, it appears to be free for Android (lucky you guys!).

Worldictionary - GIVEAWAY!

I was recently given the opportunity to try out and review an iPhone app called Worldictionary.  Worldictionary is a translation app that harnesses the powers of the iPhone camera and Google translation services to give you real-time translation of text from over 20 languages into over 50 languages.  Basically you set the from/to language pair very easily by tapping on the language at the bottom of the screen (or reverse the pair by tapping a quick reverse icon), then you focus the center of the camera image on the word you wish to translate.  There is a circle at the center of the camera viewfinder that shows an outline while you are moving around, and a solid circle when it is focused on a word.  The word comes up and so does the translation.  In addition, on the bottom right of the screen, it gives you an icon to let you hear the pronunciation of the word (not the translated word, but the actual word you are pointing at).  It also tries to give you some guidance on word usage by looking at 2-word pairs, and in this way it helps to avoid incorrect translations of expressions that lose their meaning when translated literally word for word.

The app also allows manual input through the iPhone keyboard, in case you have a shaky hand or in situations where the camera might be able to focus on the word you want (if it's far away on a billboard or road sign, for example).  You have the option of enabling the iPhone flash too, so you can still use the Worldictionary app in low light situations.

Once the word is translated, you can click on it to look it up in the dictionary, in Wikipedia, and for some reason, also on YouTube.  I'm not quite sure why the YouTube integration is there, but the dictionary and Wikipedia links are useful as you can quickly and easily find out more about the word in question.  The app also keeps track of your previous translated words, in case you quickly want to go back and see info about any of them.  You can even set bookmarks on words if you think you'll be needing them again.

Overall, I found the app to be easy to use, very effective at translating, and the app performed quickly and correctly identified everything I threw at it.  If I had to make a few suggestions for improvement, I would like to see pronunciation available for both the original text AND the translated text, since I was mostly translating my native English to other languages and not vice-versa.  I would also like to see some sort of automated detection of the language of the source text, because I could imagine in some cases, if you are looking to translate something into your native language, you may not always know what exactly the source language is.  I've been assured that the automatic detection of the language of the source text is coming in a future version, so that's exciting!

I think this app would be great to use with kids that are learning to read - if they have it handy, and don't know how to pronounce/read a word, they can easily use the app in English to (anything) mode - then the app will read the English word to them.  It may not be that great for really young readers, if they're like mine, and don't have a super steady hand to hold the iPhone steady while detecting a word.  Also, if I ever have the opportunity to travel to a country where I don't speak the language, I will definitely be making good use of this app.  And right now I think it will be fun and handy the next time I get to a Chinese restaurant - then I'll know once and for all what's REALLY in the Szechuan Chicken dish.

Worldictionary is available in iTunes for $5.99 and you can read more about the app on the company's website at http://worldcard.penpowerinc.com/product.asp?sn=300

Wait, there's more!  One lucky (Canadian or US) reader will win a promo code for their very own copy of Worldictionary!  To enter, just leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win this.

Plus earn up to 3 extra entries by:

1. Liking "Geekmommy Reviews" on Facebook and telling me you did this in the comments (be sure to let me know your name on Facebook)
2. Following @geekmommyreview on Twitter and tweeting about this giveaway (be sure to link to the tweet in the comments)
3. Following this blog on Google Friend Connect and telling me you did this in the comments

Winner will be drawn on Friday August 12th, Monday August 15th, 2011 using Random.org.  Your odds of winning obviously depend on number of entries received.

*Disclaimer:  Geekmommy Reviews was given free of charge the product/software to review in exchange for featuring this product on http://www.geekmommyreviews.com.  Any opinions or statements given above come only from Geekmommy Reviews and were not influenced in any way by the product vendor.

TeuxDeux

I think there are two kids of people in the world, those that like to-do lists, and those that don't get anything done.  Well, OK, maybe it's not that serious, but if you ARE one of those people that likes both the inner calm that comes from converting your mental to-do list into an on-paper or online version, and the satisfaction that comes from crossing things off the list, then have I got a service/app for you!  I am definitely a hardcore list maker, in fact, I have been known to add things to my to-do list that I've already completed, just for the satisfaction of crossing them off.  Yes, dirty little secret, I know.  I believe that it keeps me productive!

I am all over the idea of GTD ("Getting Things Done", http://www.davidco.com/), but when it comes right down to it, what makes me happiest is a simple daily list where I can just put the stuff that needs to get done.  On a good day, it's full of productive things like "wash laundry" and "make batches of lasagna to freeze".  Some days, I have to put "shower" and "eat breakfast" on the list, just for the satisfaction of being able to cross SOMETHING off.  I have been using the TeuxDeux website (http://teuxdeux.com/) which is free, and the accompanying iPhone app (which is inexpensive, $2.99 in the app store) to keep track of the daily things that need accomplishing.

The concept is really simple, you can enter in a one-liner for each task, and put it on the appropriate day (today + 4 days in the future, plus a "Someday" section).  Once it's done, cross it off.  Once it's crossed off, it stays put.  If at the end of the day, some of your to-dos remain undone (I'm absolutely certain that this doesn't only happen to me...), the service simply rolls them over to the next day.  There are no fancy deadline fields, priorities, tags, or categories to manage.  You simply put in what you need to do today, get cracking & cross stuff off as it gets done, and anything you don't get to, no problem - the app rolls it over into tomorrow.  You can edit or delete any of the items you've put into the list, you can drag-drop items to put them in order (if you like to group your @home and @errands stuff into separate sections, the sorting helps do this), and you can even move stuff to future days if you know you won't get to it today.

I especially appreciate their humourous and informative FAQ section - one of the questions is in regards to how many days to display - can the whole month be displayed?  Their answer is "Whoa there partner. Let's just take it down a notch. Don't worry about the whole month. Live for today. So, short answer: No."  My thoughts exactly.  With two kids at home I try not to think too far out in the future (we have Google Calendar to keep track of dentist appointments and kid checkups and the like).  Having an app that helps keep me focused on the daily priorities, and is almost as satisfying when it comes to crossing things off as actually putting a line of ink onto paper.  Plus, since the iPhone app syncs with the online service, I can cross things off while I'm out and about.  Post Office to mail letter?  Check!  Buy Groceries? Check!  I can also add things while on the go, or even just add them while walking around the house with my iPhone.  (Yes, I've walked around and added stuff like "wash unidentified gunk off kitchen window" and "ask husband if he drained the kiddie pool or if it sprung a leak" because if you're like me, you'll forget those things when you're in front of your computer and not staring at the gunky window or empty pool.

Check out the service at http://teuxdeux.com/ and the app on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/teuxdeux/id384291782?mt=8.

GoGo Navigator USA & CAN

I'll admit, I have always been a Google Maps kind of girl.  Email yourself the directions before you go, follow the line on the map on your phone while you're on the road.  If you get lost, pull over, and re-route.  Free, easy, and mostly effective.  However, that was before I tried using the GoGo Navigator USA & CAN iPhone app.  I received this app for review on Monday morning, which was handy since I was doing a lot of driving over the next few days - visiting my parents, off to the beach, back home to my parents via the grocery store, back to my own home the next day, and off to run errands the day after.

But I have to say, the developers of this GPS navigation app have thought of just about everything. When you first launch it, there is a warning screen that reminds you not to use the app while driving (you should really just program in your trip before you depart). Once you agree, you are taken to the main screen which shows where you are right now. You can program in your destination (address, points of interest such as "nearest gas station", or Google search) and any stops along the way, and then let GoGo Navigator calculate the route for you based on shortest time or shortest distance. Then as you drive, it gives you excellent directions, with warnings 300m/0.25mi before any turns, and reminders just before the intersections. I found it really nice how it would recalculate my route if I took a different road than it suggested. It also gave me the option of having the prompts given by a male or female voice, in English, French, Spanish, or even Korean (I think...)! The default voice has a Text To Speech (TTS) feature which meant that it didn't just say "turn left", but it would actually say "turn left onto Bananarama Road" (obviously a made up street name, but serves the purpose of giving an example). This is terrific, especially when you don't know the area, because you can see the street names on the signs and be sure that you are on the correct route. The app sometimes got confused in parking lots, since these don't show up on maps (most of the ones around here didn't, anyhow), but this wasn't a big deal because by the time I had reached my destination parking lot, I did not need the directions anymore.

I was really impressed that it knew the speed limit of the roads I was driving on, and both my mom and I found the speed limit warning super helpful. Basically anytime we might have been exceeding the speed limit (you know those roads that go from 80 km/hr to 50km/hr when you least expect it?) the voice in the app would speak up and say "Warning! Speed limit exceeded!" but without any judgement, unlike what some backseat drivers or paranoid spouses might do. My dad remarked dryly that maybe the app was capable of reporting our occasional speed excesses to the police, but so far that does not seem to be the case :-). It is really a useful feature to help you, especially if you were born with a lead foot like I was. There was just one place along the route I drove on Tuesday where this data was incorrect, so it warned me against speeding, even though I wasn't. I would guess that this data would be incorrect in any GPS app, since it probably comes from a common central source.

One other really cool feature that this app has is Live Traffic. I unfortunately could not try out this feature because the data is not available in my home city, but it's available in most large cities across the US and even some in Canada.  I can imagine the live traffic feature would be very helpful on our next trip driving in Boston though! It is a one time in-app purchase for $8.99, but would be worth it if it helped us not sit in traffic with a baby in the back who cries when ever we stop...

I could go on about the other features of this app (metric vs imperial units, multiple stops on itinerary, different route views, zoom in/out, ETA calculation, point of interest search, and much more), but I really think you should imagine all the ways it can help you when you are driving, especially if it's an area where you don't drive often. It will save you time and frustration by guiding you to your destination. I wish I'd had this app when I was in Las Vegas a few years ago, it took us forever (for some odd reason) to get off the highway onto the strip, but if we had this app we could have been out partying much sooner! (OK, I'll admit, I went straight to bed, it was a late flight!). It can also save you from any unwanted arguments with other passengers about asking for directions...that alone is worth the price of admission.

GoGo Navigator USA & CAN is a great deal at only $29.99, it does not require any extra maps to be downloaded, and looks & works great right out of the gates.  It's easy to use, and has a ton of features.  To find out more about GoGo Navigator USA & CAN, you can do so by visiting:
iTunes - http://bit.ly/m7T0FY
Demo Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLDY4TLg_mA
Live Traffic Demo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-cCHZKcNHw
Website - http://www.gogonavigator.com/


*Disclaimer:  Geekmommy Reviews was given free of charge the product/software to review in exchange for featuring this product on http://www.geekmommyreviews.com.  Any opinions or statements given above come only from Geekmommy Reviews and were not influenced in any way by the product vendor.

iPregnant iPhone App (v1.6)

First of all, I'm not pregnant right now, so don't get the wrong idea from the fact that I'm writing this review. But when I was pregnant with my daughter not so long ago, I used a fantastic app called iPregnant to keep track of the various ups, downs, and data points. There is a free version which is limited by lack of password protection, lack of photo support, and a few other things, but once I started using it, I bought the full version, since it's only $0.99.

When you install it, it asks for your due date, which it uses for obvious calculations. Each day it lets you enter in all sorts of data, such as your mood, whether you exercised that day (or not), your weight, fetal movement, dr appointments, if you were sick, whether you had a "love connection"' and general notes. It will also store a photo if you are tracking your progress by pictures. There are also four custom checkmarks that you can configure however you wish. I set one up for "milk drank" and one for "vitamins taken" which helped me, as I'm the forgetful sort, and probably wouldn't have stayed on track with regular prenatal vitamins without the daily reminder.

It also has a daily view that tells you your due date, current trimester, how far along (in weeks and days), time left (in weeks and days), baby's likely weight, and baby's likely length. It lets you save your name ideas and gives you access to the "top 1000" names (based on US 2008 data). You can password protect the app, export the data to email, and change the units between US and metric. It also allows you to see sample 3D ultrasound pics from weeks 10 to 38 courtesy of http://www.windowtotheworld.co.uk.

This app was super handy when going on regular checkups to the doctor as I could note various symptoms each day and then be able to look back and give the doctor details as needed. If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, consider trying this app to track everything you need during your pregnancy. It is available in the iTunes app store, and you can learn more about the app over at http://www.winkpass.com.  You could definitely go with the free version and then upgrade if you want to the paid version, as there are not THAT many differences.  I just figured for $0.99, I could get rid of the ads.

Review: RunKeeper for iPhone

When I run, which is never as often as I'd like it to be, I like to track my progress both during and after my activity.  I like to share my runs with friends so they can see I don't ONLY sit on my butt all day, and besides, it's encouraging to see people commenting with "way to go!" or similar sentiments.  The RunKeeper app for iPhone (also available for Android or Windows Phone 7) helps me to do all of these things, and much more.  It's a free app, and it uses the GPS feature of your phone to track your runs.  It syncs with the RunKeeper website where you can analyze your runs, view maps, and much more.  There's no way I can cover all the features, but I'll tell you the ones I use the most.

1) Coaching: you can set RunKeeper up with coaching programs.  Trying the Couch to 5K?  You can program in each run before you do it, and it will tell you when your run/walk intervals are.  Looking to  maintain a certain pace?  Set Runkeeper up with your target pace, and how often you want to be reminded, then it will tell you your average pace, current pace, and how far above/below your target you are.  If you are doing speed training, you can set the app up with a coaching plan to tell you when to run fast versus when to recover.  You can set up these intervals by time or by distance, which will likely help satisfy just about any training program out there.  You can even tack on a warmup/cooldown to your workout.

2) Music: if you already run with your phone, chances are, you listen to music during your run.  RunKeeper lets you pick a playlist from your phone to play while you are working out.  The music fades a bit quieter when RunKeeper is telling you stuff (like RUN FASTER, BEE-OTCH! YOU CAN DO IT!  OK, well it doesn't actually say that in so many words...but you get the idea)

3) Post to Facebook: you can post your runs to Facebook and make them visible to everyone, just your "street team" (friends using RunKeeper that you've selected & added through RunKeeper), or just you.  You can make all the run information public, or maybe not the maps if you don't really want people to know where you are running.

4) Analyze your runs: On the RunKeeper website you can check out the details of your run, the elevations of different segments and how that affected your pace.  It sends you encouraging emails every time you break a "record" (such as, Most Distance logged in a month, or others like that).  There is a RunKeeper Elite version (you have to pay for it) that gives you access to extra reports.  I don't have it so I can't comment on it.

5) Live Tracking: OK, so since this is an Elite only feature, it's not one I use, but on certain occasions, you might want to be able to turn on live tracking.  This basically posts your run online while it is happening.  This is a nice feature if you're running in a race and want your family/friends to track your progress (or to give them a heads up when you're near the finish line, so they can make a point of seeing you cross the finish...).  It could also be helpful if you are trail running, or going out for a solo run and just want someone else to know where you are.

If you are a  runner (or walker, jogger, cyclist...) who would like to know just a bit more about each workout, you may enjoy using RunKeeper like I do.  Go check it out over at http://runkeeper.com/home.  If you already use it, let me know in the comments what your favourite thing about it is!

Review: LoseIt! iPhone App

We've all got the baby weight to lose, some of us are lucky enough to lose it while our kids are still babies, others are still toting the baby weight along to preschool graduation, even high school graduation.  I personally called it baby weight til my little boy turned two...then I just called it extra weight.  I did end up losing it though, using an app called LoseIt!  I started using LoseIt! when my son was almost 3, and in about 6 months, I managed to shed almost 20lbs.  Then I got pregnant with my daughter, but instead of abandoning LoseIt!, I adjusted my daily calorie target to account for the extra calories needed during pregnancy.  I don't know if it was just using LoseIt! or if there was something else at play, but I did not gain nearly as much with my second pregnancy than with my first (and that's even with the 9th month of crazy chocolate cravings...).  I'm still using it (most days) now that I'm breastfeeding (again, I added calories to my target to make sure I'm getting enough), and after three short months, I'm only a few pounds from pre-baby weight.

I'm not an advocate for "diets" - fancy and scientific though they may be, the basic concept of weight loss is still limiting your calorie intake while maximizing your calorie expenditure through activity.  LoseIt! app for iPhone helps you to track calories in/calories out in a simple and quick way.  Because let's face it, we're busy moms, we don't have time for fancy journals, point calculations, support group meetings/weigh-ins, or typing in all of the nutritional info of each thing we eat.  LoseIt! allows you to select from the HUGE list of built-in foods, their food database even includes restaurant foods which is handy when you are eating out.  For the odd item that isn't in the database, LoseIt! app allows you to enter in custom foods.  Not only can you enter in custom food data, but you can even enter in custom recipes!  You just add foods to the recipe, say how many servings it makes, and it calculates the calories for you.

The best part is that the app is on your iPhone, so you can have it with you everywhere you go.  That also means there's no excuse to not log your meals.  LoseIt! can be set up to remind you at a set time if you haven't entered, say, your breakfast by 10am.  LoseIt! also tracks your exercise, so anytime you do anything, be sure to enter it in.  It does the calorie expenditure calculations based on the weight you are on the date you exercise, so you'll also want to make sure that you log your weight regularly.

If you want to try LoseIt!, check out their website here: http://www.loseit.com/ or check it out on the iTunes App Store (it's FREE): http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lose-it/id297368629?mt=8

Review: Grocery IQ for iPhone

How often have you wandered aimlessly around the grocery store, trying to remember what it was you came in for?  Or worse, how often have you come home with a small fortune worth of groceries, only to realize that you still don't have the right combination of foods to prepare a particular recipe?  I've been in both positions, and have ended up eating takeout instead of cooking more times than I care to admit.  I am going to provide a review of an iPhone app called Grocery IQ, but before I do I need to share a little before & after scenario.

Before: I used to come home from work (pre-kids) and, sit-com style, open the fridge, frown at the contents, and then either resort to chicken nuggets & fries for dinner, or pick up the phone and order pizza.  Grocery shopping happened once or twice a week and was either way over budget (and chock full of snack/junk food) or way under budget (and inevitably followed up by another trip to get the things I'd forgotten)

After: At some point I realized that I *hated* not knowing what was going to be for dinner.  At this point I started meal planning.  I like cooking, and it's fun when you have everything you need on hand.  Once I had planned out my meals (dinners only) for the week, I could easily make a grocery list that contained everything I'd need to prepare the week's dinners.  This is where Grocery IQ comes in.

I'll be the first to admit that I am barely scratching the surface at the functions that Grocery IQ offers.  I have set up all of my frequently visited stores (grocery & otherwise), and I have taken the time to go through my most frequently visited grocery store and set up the aisles in the app.  Whenever I do my weekly meal planning, I put all the needed ingredients into the app (it's checklist style, you just search for or type in what you need, and it puts it into a list for you).  Then I go through my store's weekly flyer to see if there's anything on sale that I should stock up on (sometimes I'll even switch out meals in my plan to accommodate what's on sale).  I add these things to the Grocery IQ app as well.  Finally I add to the list anything that we've run out of during the week.

Grocery IQ uses the aisle setup to put my grocery list in order, so the list shows me what I need to buy at the right time - it matches up with the flow of the store - so it starts with Produce, then Deli/Seafood, then Bread/Bakery, then Meat, Dairy, Frozen Goods, etc.  This is great because it saves me from having to double back for things in a section I've already gone past.

When I pick up an item, I just tap the checkbox beside the item in the list to cross it off.  Grocery IQ moves it to the bottom of the list.  At the end of the shopping trip, I can hit the "Checkout" button to remove the items I've bought from the list.

While this is all I really need in a grocery list application, Grocery IQ has a ton of other features (some of which unfortunately don't work that great in Canada).  It allows you to scan bar codes of items in order to easily add them to your list.  It has an integrated coupon section where you can browse through, print, or email coupons.  You can set up as many stores as you like, and as many aisles per store as you need.  You can put the aisles in order per store - so each store reflects its own layout!  It can also track your favorite items so you can quickly add them without having to type in the name each time.

Grocery IQ is FREE!  If you want to try out Grocery IQ, I'm confident you won't be disappointed (did I mention, it's free?).  You can read more over at their website, http://www.groceryiq.com/, and download it for iPhone/iPad or Android.

Review: WhatsApp Messenger for iPhone

I don't send enough text messages to justify the cost of having an unlimited text plan with my cell phone provider.  I mostly send quick messages to the same people who are in my "Fab 5".  However, every now and then, especially when my friends and I are trying to organize a get-together, I text a bunch of people a bunch of times.  And it's times like these that make the $0.15 per message fee add up really quickly.

Enter an iPhone app called WhatsApp Messenger.  At present this app is #4 on the iTunes app store charts.  This app is available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Nokia phones.  My review focuses on the iPhone version as that's the phone I use it on.  WhatsApp Messenger can be used to send free normal text messages to any other user that has the app, but also has some terrific other features such as:

• send Photo/Video - choose from an existing photo/video from your camera album, or use your phone's camera to take a new photo.  Perfect for your husband to use in the grocery store when he needs a little help figuring out exactly which granola bars you wanted him to buy...he can instantly send you a picture and you can reply and set him straight.  You can even respond with a photo of the empty box you have at home, to make things really simple.
• send Audio Note - I love this feature to use when I've got a longer message to transmit, I can just record what I want to say instead of having to type it all out.  This is really handy when I'm in a hurry and just can't type fast enough.
• Group Chat - you can set up quick chats with up to 5 participants, really handy when you need to get several friends on the same page about what's going on when the plan changes.

The biggest downside to WhatsApp Messenger is that not everyone has it.  In order to send a WhatsApp message, both the sender and the recipient need to have WhatsApp Messenger on their device.  However, at a cost of $0.99, it's cheaper for you to buy the app for a friend than it is to keep paying $0.15 per message sent and received!  (Yes, I've done this.)

The good thing is that when your friends eventually buy it (because you will tell them how great it is...) they will automatically show up in your contacts list on WhatsApp Messenger - no complicated adding process needed, as long as they are in your iPhone contact list.

Read more about WhatsApp Messenger on their website (http://www.whatsapp.com/), which also has links to purchase the application for supported devices here http://www.whatsapp.com/download/.