iPhone Atlas

There are tons of apps at the App Store for booking flights, but with Thanksgiving only two days away, I decided to make a different kind of travel collection.

The first app will help you get packed and ready for your trip, the second will help people picking up family at the airport, and the third helps you keep your holiday memories with a convenient blogging tool.

Packing Pro ($2.99) gets you ready for your big trip before you leave by making sure you have everything you need while away from home.

If you like to make lists, this … Read more

Are you hosting Thanksgiving or bringing a dish to a potluck? If so, plans are probably already in place for the turkey, side dishes, and desserts, but there might be a chance to take your recipes to the next level -- if you have the right apps.

There are several cooking apps for both iPhone and Android that are great year-round, but they also often have special featured recipe collections around the holidays. If you want to kick your green-bean casserole (or any other holiday dish) up a notch, I suggest you take a look at what these apps have to offer.… Read more

Black Friday is rapidly approaching and we all know that means people are going to be hitting the stores both online and at brick-and-mortar locations to grab gifts for friends and family. But if you want to find the best deals, you're going to need a little help, and I have just the right apps for the job on iOS devices.

Whether you plan to brave the crowds on Black Friday or stay home and shop online, these apps will get you the best deals and hopefully make your gift shopping a little easier.

Editors' note: For Android shopping … Read more

Twitter has tweaked its iOS and Android apps to show tweets tailored just for you, much the way its Web site has done since September.

A tap on the Discover page in the apps now displays a few select stories at the top, all considered relevant to you but not ones that you're necessarily already following. Tapping on the "View all stories" link brings up even more tweets that Twitter believes will interest you.

Each story offers a brief description, photo, and link, so you can quickly browse through the list and just tap on the ones … Read more

Facebook has tweaked its mobile apps and Web site with an eye toward sharing.

Released yesterday, FB's latest iOS and Android apps now sport a Share button at the bottom of any post that links to a Web page or other item. Clicking on that button lets you share that post with the entire Facebook public, just your friends, or only certain friend lists.

"You can now use the Share button on News Feed stories from your phone whether you're using the Facebook for Android app, the Facebook for iPhone and iPad app, or the Facebook mobile … Read more

Annoyed by that buzzing sound triggered by your phone's vibrate mode? Apple may one day provide a solution.

Dubbed "Vibration In Portable Devices," a patent filed today with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office details an Apple invention in which that annoying sound can be monitored and reduced.

Apple's technology would use sensors to detect the vibrations of the phone when in vibrate mode. If the sensors determine that the sound given off by the vibration exceeds a certain level, that noise is automatically toned down. The technology could also decrease the sound and even … Read more

The iPhone 5 and new iPads will trigger a surge in sales for Apple this quarter and next, says Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty.

In an investors note out today, Huberty pointed out that key suppliers for both devices say their own revenue will be higher than anticipated for the current quarter. They're also seeing above-average orders from Apple for next year's first quarter. And demand could rise even higher before the year is over.

The analyst believes the iPhone 5 will drive more customers to upgrade this quarter and on into next year. At the same time, … Read more

I was going through the app listings the other day and came across LocalScope, a unique local search tool that helps you find things near your current location. Obviously, many people already use Google Maps (no current version for iOS) for this purpose, and the Yelp-powered Apple Maps gets better every day, but after looking at LocalScope (reviewed below), I went on a search for other apps that tailor their results just for what is right around your area.

This week's collection of apps is all about searching for services around your location. The first gives you tons of listings and a surprising bonus feature for finding your destination. The second offers a slick radial interface and tons of categories to pick from. The third is LocalScope, and uses social data to find places, videos, and images from people around your location.… Read more

iPhone and iPad owners who use Evernote will find tasks easier and quicker to perform in the latest version.

Out today, Evernote 5 for iOS kicks off with a revamped home screen. Acting as a virtual file folder, the new screen provides one-tap access to key areas, such as Places, Tags, Notebooks, and All Notes. Using the Quick Note buttons at the top of the screen, you can create a new note, snap a photo, or scan a physical document with your device's camera.

Tapping on the All Notes view displays your notes as virtual index cards, so you … Read more