PBS Kids has a lot of apps for various platforms including the indispensable “PBS Kids Video” for iOS.

The best apps I’ve seen for young kids include the excellent storybook “The Monster at the End of This Book” and “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Kids will inevitably want to get their hands all over your new new electronics. If you’re a print subscriber to the Statesman, you get free access to all of the newspaper’s digital apps including “News for iPad” and various e-editions. Most major news organizations have their own apps including NPR (which also gives you access to audio feeds of shows and member station live streams), the New York Times, BBC and the Austin American-Statesman. For movie information, listings and tickets, try “Fandango” or “Flixster.” Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse has its own app as well. You can also try “iHeartRadio” for terrestrial and online radio stations. “Audible” is for downloading audiobooks and new customers can get their first one free. For music lovers, “Pandora” is a great way to get exposed to music similar to artists you love. If you have cable or satellite service, your provider probably has an app that allows you to set DVR recordings and stream some video via a smartphone or tablet. “HBO Go” gives subscribers to the premium TV channel streaming video access to pretty much every episode of every show it has aired. If you’re already a subscriber to Netflix, Hulu Plus or HBO, definitely download their respective apps. And whatever retail stores you frequent, be they Target, Nordstrom or even drugstores like Walgreens, each has its own app that includes coupons and special offers. The “Yelp” app can give you an idea of what people think of restaurants and shops. You can use the app’s barcodes at shops instead of printing coupons out. The “Amazon” store app is a no-brainer for online shopping, but you’ll also want to grab “Groupon” if you partake of their daily deals. And best of all, many of these apps are free or very cheap less than $5 is typical for even the most elaborate ones. Choosing the right ones can make a gadget more useful and fun. But the really great stuff is still waiting to be downloaded.Īpple’s App Store - for so-called “iOS devices” like iPads, iPhones and the iPod Touch - and the Google Play store for Android - devices like Samsung Galaxy phones and Nexus tablets - contain literally hundreds of thousands of apps (short for “applications”) that extend the capabilities of that new plaything. They typically already have a good built-in Web browser, a calculator, calendar and email programs, as well as ways to keep track of your contacts and send text messages. Sure, you can do a lot with what’s built into a new iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire, Android tablet or digital music player. If you receive a smartphone or tablet for Christmas (or you’re setting up one as a gift for a loved one), you should know that out of the box, they come incomplete.

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