New York Times: Sun Alert Lite has three dials with icons on them, one dial for skin type, one for the S.P.F. of your sunscreen, and one for weather conditions. The skin type dial provides adequate explanation of pigmentation, such as "Light brown skin, no freckles, good tanning ability,” to accurately pick your type. S.P.F. is self-explanatory, but the environment dial may require some thought.

For instance, at my downtown pool, where the chairs are on a grass lawn, do I choose "sunny urban” or "park open field?” When the dials are set, the app tells you how much time you can stay outside. Start the timer and it wi... Read more »

NPR: As the computing power of cell phones increases, more and more sophisticated mobile apps are being developed for the mental health field. They’re seen as a way to bridge periodic therapy sessions — a sort of 24-7 mobile therapist that can help with everything from quitting smoking to treating anxiety to detecting relapses in psychotic disorders.

These mobile technologies let users track their moods and experiences, providing a supplemental tool for psychiatrists and psychologists

TrendCentral: Available for just 99 cents from iTunes, Laan Labs’ Sonar Ruler may be the answer to our laser measuring dreams. The app emits sound waves, from the iPhone’s speaker, which then bounce off wherever you point it back to the phone, finally offering a measurement which can be set in feet, inches, or meters.

Should you download it, you may find yourself buying new furniture every time you hit a flea market after discovering that, yes, that chair is small enough to fit in your guest bathroom.