Dogfriendly.com Mobile (free;
iPhone and Android)
What is it? A guide to hotels, restaurants and other places in the U.S. and Canada that welcome your weimaraner (and other dogs). It's the new mobile version of the popular website Dogfriendly.com.
Why it's great: Leaving your pooch behind while you sashay off for a vacation can be a bummer for both of you — and expensive — if you're boarding your loved one. Dogfriendly.com can help you plan a vacation you can enjoy together. At your destination, pull up the mobile app to find nearby parks, cruises for dogs and pet-friendly trails. Dogfriendly.com Mobile has tons of traveling tips that will keep everybody's tail wagging.
Why you might hesitate: This is a no-frills app that doesn't scale to every phone display, so you'll scroll a bit. But c'mon, it's free!
Whom it's for: Road-trippers who love to see their dog's head out the car window. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore ($4.99 for the app; $2.99 for the 15-minute video; iPad)
What is it: An animated book your child can play with on those long trips.
Why it's great: Based on an award-winning short film about the joy of books, this app is guaranteed to make you and your child ooh and ahh. Its virtual pages come to life at your touch as a narrator reads along: Help the wind scatter Morris' books; touch the lighted key on the piano to play "Pop Goes the Weasel." The glowing, soft-focus images, warm color palette, poignant music and terrific sound effects combine with a whimsical tale and the power of interactivity to make this feel like a magical experience. Turn off the narration and animation to enjoy as a standard book with text at the bottom of the screen. Buy the short film to savor every frame. "Morris" is truly a treat.
Why you might hesitate: The transitions from static image to animation are just a touch clunky, and some of the interactivity and music can become a little repetitive, but none of this really matters — especially to a 4-year-old. Plus, you have the power to skip the interactivity and turn off the music.
Whom it's for: Parents who want to quiet their kids with something other than just another video game or movie.
US Army Survival Guide (free; Android)
What is it: A disaster-preparedness guide, based on the U.S. Army Survival Manual FM 3-05.70
Why it's great: Now you don't have to remember how to eat worms (an excellent source of protein that will purge or wash themselves out if dunked in drinking water for 15 minutes, letting you eat them raw). This manual will keep all this lifesaving information and so much more close at hand in the (unlikely, we hope) event you need it.
Why you might hesitate: For something that you might never need, the download still takes up room on your phone. No problem; save it to a microSD card. It also talks about battles and enemy, other things you might never encounter, and a two-line ad appears at the bottom of every page. These are easy enough to ignore.
Whom it's for: Travelers who want to play it safe in sketchy areas of the world.
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