OpenTable

OpenTable is an app used to make free reservations at restaurants. This app is perfect for finding special holiday dining locations and booking a table without ever calling the restaurant. Features like search, map/gps, menu listing, reviews and reservations make OpenTable a must have not just during the holidays but for those who regularly dine out. Search can be refined by cuisine, price and reservation time to make choosing an establishment easier. Each OpenTable listing displays a star rating with price point so diners know what to expect in the way of service and meal cost.

With over 20,000 restaurants in the OpenTable database, there is no doubt users can find a holiday dining spot and take advantage of this app’s offerings.

Download OpenTable for Android
Download OpenTable for iOS
Download OpenTable for Windows Mobile

TripIt

Going away for the holidays? Well it is the most traveled time of the year so it’s no suprise travel apps have made their way into the mobile game. TripIt is probably one of the most popular travel apps on the markets, but we feel it’s a good idea to remind folks before they head out on their travels.

With TripIt, gathering trip information is a breeze by importing data from outside sources. For example, users can email their flight information to TripIt to add it to their itinerary automatically. TripIt stores travel plans along with schedules, stops and itinerary. Users can even add guests to their information so they can keep track of their group and share the information through social networks, email and links. Users can also add travel notes and photos to their TripIt itinerary. TripIt is robust so there are a lot of features to utilize. During the holidays, TripIt can be an invaluable app for those who plan to travel.

Download TripIt for Android
Download TripIt for iOS
Download TripIt for Windows Mobile

Popcornflix

Heard of Netflix? Rhetorical question, but the point is that like Netflix – Popcornflix delivers popular movies and videos through your iOS mobile device or the Roku streaming media player. In our usage of Popcornflix, we found the library to be adequate, though much larger than expected. The interface is very satisfying with bold, appropriately sized graphics, a menu that is easy to navigate and video playback that was smooth and clear.

As the holidays are now upon us, many would like to relax with a good movie and enjoy some time away from the crowds. Popcornflix is definitely an excellent way to escape the holiday stress and with free movies, you can’t beat it! We had the opportunity to pick the brain of Screen Media Ventures, LLC Senio V.P., Gary Delfiner and asked him about the future of Popcornflix. Gary told us,[blockquote align=”center” style=”style1″]”Popcornflix is among the fastest growing free movies streaming apps worldwide. We are currently in the top 5 most popular on Roku, Top 10 under most movies searches on IOS, and about to deploy several connected TV platforms. We expect our viewership to double by the end of the first quarter of 2013.”[/blockquote] Popcornflix is a free iOS app with plans to deliver an Android and Windows mobile app in the future.

Download Popcornflix for iOS

Christmas HD ($1.99)

If you’re looking for a fantastic Christmas live wallpaper, then look no further. Christmas HD has just about everything you could ask for from a cozy holiday home scene. This live wallpaper draws immediate focus to the roaring fireplace flames and animated illuminations of the tree lights, but has so much more.

Features include:

[list style=”square” color=”green”]

• Customization of tree lights, garland, presents and ornaments.
• Fireplace fire intesity.
• Fireplace customization with lights.
• Poinsettias option.
• Customization of stockings.
• Storybook display option.
• Countdown calendar.
• Customizable photo frame to depict your own gallery photos.
• Snow intensity setting.
• Custom Santa note with cookies.
• ..and many more customizations.

Christmas HD delivers many of the little things that make it special such as tap on ornaments to jiggle them, steam rising from a cup of hot cocoa, frost on the windows and that personalized feeling you get when adding one of your own photos to the mantle photo frame.

As a live wallpaper, this app is wonderful. The high quality graphics and animations are eye-catching, the transitions from screen to screen are smooth and the customization and continuous animations make this app well worth the $1.99 price tag.

Download Christmas HD for Android

Snowfall free live Wallpaper

If you like winter, but don’t want all the holiday bells and whistles that go along with it for your live wallpaper, there is Snowfall free Live Wallpaper. This live wallpaper is simple but pleasing. The continuous snow fall is extremely soothing and is an excellent way to decorate your mobile device for the season. The live wallpaper depicts evergreen trees across a field covered in snow. The weather forecast for this app is snow and lots of it, as it displays an ongoing snowfall.

Snowfall does offer a premium version of the app which provides access to settings that can adjust things like the amount of snow falling.

Download Snowfall free Live Wallpaper for Android

Touchnote

Sent out those Christmas cards yet? Still searching for that one address that every year seems to elude you? Ugh, the process can be exasperating! In steps Touchnote to answer your prayers. Touchnote is a greeting card sending app that uses your own photos to help you create cards and then send them to your recipients.

Touchnote cards are inexpensive at an average of .99¢ per card, holiday cards are slightly more. You design the cards through the Touchnote app, determine the greeting and card to use, then Touchnote gathers your recipients from contacts or requests addresses from Facebook friends on your behalf. Photos can be chosen from Facebook or your phone camera.

Touchnote is an excellent way to get out your holiday greetings without a lot of hassle and the simplified process means you don’t worry about stamps, address hunting and card selection.

Download Touchnote for Android
Download Touchnote for iOS

AnyList

Grocery shopping is a chore and at the holidays it can be even more taxxing. AnyList is an app that attempts to alleviate some of the headaches associated with remembering the grocery store list. Available for iOS only, AnyList stores grocery lists as well as specific dishes with ingredients so that users don’t forget that one oddball item from the recipe. Images help to pretty up the app and the ability to share the list with others means shopping is a cooperative event.

During the holiday rush to bake and cook meals, AnyList is an awesome way to get the family to help with shopping and ensure you don’t forget anything.

Download AnyList for iOS

Out of Milk

Are you in charge of cooking this season? Well Out of Milk can help get you set for the holiday blitz in the kitchen. Think of Out of Milk as your pantry away from home with the added benefit of being a shopping and to-do list. With Out of Milk users can catalog their pantry to keep them informed about what ingredients they have and don’t have. How many times have you wondered whether or not you have a spice at home, but purchase it anyway because you can’t remember? With Out of Milk you won’t have to remember.

Beyond the wonderful Pantry feature, Out of Milk is a list manager as well. Shopping lists grow quickly and remembering all those items can be frustrating, especially during the holidays when there are more items to remember. Out of Milk not only gives users a platform for creating a list, but offers features to list a description of the item, quantity needed, price, coupon availability, tax-free, notes and category for the item.

Out of Milk even has a built-in barcode scanner feature to easily add items to your list and Pantry. Sign-up for a free account to share and sync lists across devices. For holiday cooking planning, Out of Milk is the go-to app.

Download Out of Milk for Android
Download Out of Milk for iOS – Coming soon!

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The post 2012 Holiday App Roundup first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.