I am not a wine connoisseur but I am the person that goes to the grocery store in search of wine as a gift right before a dinner party. I usually go with an average priced wine with a label I like. Yes, I pick a wine based on if I like the design of the label and I have no idea what wines go well with what food. In my frustration, I happened upon this app: Hello Vino - Wine Recommendations. The app is built for me in that it helps you find, pair and gift fabulous wine. That's why it's this week's Best Free iOS App of the Week. It has some great features too. For example, it will pair a perfect wine for your meal, all you have to do is tell the app what you are eating and your taste preferences. The app pairs wines for a wide variety of food from mac and cheese to filet mignon. And yes, my meals do widely range from low to high, so I like that the app is expansive in its pairings! You know how I mentioned that sometimes I choose wines based on the label design, well with Hello Vino - Wine Recommendations you can actually take a picture of the label and the app will tell you all about the wine. Two other awesome parts of the app are that it helps with wine gifting suggestions for any occasion and it has a sommelier provide quick audio wine reviews in a manner understandable to your average person. I must add that the app does contain in-app-purchases. That said, most of the content seems to be free, the app has an 80 AppScore and the pro reviews praise it for it's huge and thorough wine database. Check out more details below and good luck shopping for your next wine.

AppScores are based on aggregating and averaging independent professional review scores from around the web.

		Hello Vino - Wine Recommendations	80
		Free: iPhone
		From the app description: "With thousands of wine recommendations, pairings, and gift choices, Hello Vino is the most comprehensive wine app available. The free app also provides wine brand recommendations with tasting notes, ratings, and label photos!" Here is a review from I Use This App about the app: "Hello Vino’s wine database is huge, so it’s sure to have info on the wine you’re looking into buying! I’ve learned more about wine from Hello Vino in one day than I’ve learned in all my life! Love this app!" (February 21, 2013)

This week's Best iOS App for Kids is a great app for little ones to learn basic motor and cognitive development skills. The app, Tappie Colorit, is an education and game app that features puzzles to teach young kids, ages 1 to 3, the basics about colors and shapes. Tappie Colorit has 8 different puzzles that become more challenging as a child advances through the app. In each puzzle, your child will learn how to match colors and shapes. For example, a puzzle may feature a red ball, blue train and white rabbit. One of the item in the puzzle will disappear, leaving an outline of the item in the color that it was. It's up to your child to find the missing object and choose the right color of the object. Pro reviewers praise Tappie Colorit for being fun, adorable and educational. The app has an 88 AppScore and a reasonable price of $1.99. Read more about it below and let us know your thoughts.

AppScore rankings are based on aggregating professional review scores from around the web. Click on an app's name to see all the professional reviews.

		Tappie Colorit	88
		$1.99: iPad
		From the app description: "Tappie Colorit is the new touch-screen application suitable for small kids aged 1 to 3 years old. Kids are encouraged to figure out simple cognitive puzzles based on shape or color." Check out a quote from I Use This App: "Honestly, Tappie Colorit is genius! It’s adorable, fun, educational and exciting. You couldn’t ask for much more from an app geared towards toddlers. I don’t want to get too carried away with my excitement about how well this app works, but if you have a toddler and you don’t have an iPad or iPhone, get one – even if it’s just for the Tappie apps! In my opinion, the purchase is nothing compared to the results you get" (May 4, 2012). Here is another quote from Smart Apps For Kids: "Bottom line: Great app to use for children who are cognitively at the toddler or preschool stage of development in order to assess and develop shape and color recognition skills" (January 19, 2012).

We are back with five apps in our Top 5 iPhone and iPad Apps of the Week series. Our first app, Recordium - Highlight & Annotate Voice Recordings, has a 90 AppScore and allows you to record audio and then easily organize and search for specific moments in your recordings. The pro reviews praise the app for its sleek and straightforward design interface. In second is an app I really need in the mornings. The app is Wake Alarm with an 87 AppScore and it's an an alarm clock where simple gestures like slapping, flipping, shaking and swiping turn off or snooze the alarm. Pro reviewers call the app simple and effective. Halftone 2 takes third place with an 85 AppScore and is a photo app that stylizes your photos to look like comic book pages. Pro reviewers say it's a great update from the original Halftone app. In fourth are two apps tied with an 80 AppScore. Workout (7 Minute Body Fitness Exercise) is a health & fitness app that provides 7 minutes of exercises. It's based on a recent article in the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal and pro reviewers call out the simplicity of this app as one of its selling points. The other app in fourth is Video Filters. Like its title says, it's an app that allows you to add filters to your video. I imagine its like Instagram but for video. The pro reviews say it's an easy buy because it offers a lot of features in one package. So there you have it, our list of top apps. Let us know what you think of the apps down below and see you next week.

Rank based on averaging professional review scores of non-games released 2 - 3 weeks ago to allow reviews to accumulate.

1.		Recordium - Highlight & Annotate Voice Recordings	90
		FREE (On Sale): iPhone, iPod touch & iPad (Universal)
		From the app description: "Recordium is a powerful yet elegant recording app designed for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Recordium lets you highlight the track while playing or recording audio, helping you focus on the most important parts of your recordings. Attachments such as notes, tags, and pictures can be easily added to any part of the recording." Check out a quote from Tapscape: "With a stunning array of features, solid tech specs, and a great interface, this superb app is a great tool for augmenting your voice recordings. Grab it while it’s free" (May 29, 2013).

2.		Wake Alarm	87
		$1.99 (On Sale): iPhone & iPod Touch
		From the app description: "Meet Wake, the most beautiful and innovative alarm for iPhone. Slap to snooze, flip your phone over to turn off alarms or Shake to wake. Get up your way with Wake! Wake combines simplicity and design into one revolutionary alarm app" Check out a quote from 148Apps: "Simple to use and covering all the relevant bases, such as recurring alarms, it’s tough to fault Wake Alarm" (May 29, 2013).

Recently I received some sad personal news. As a result, I've been in a little bit of a funk. And it's been hard for me. My friend suggested I find some inspiration to up my mood. I happened upon TED an app based on the famous TED conferences and this week's Best Free iOS App of the Week. If you have never heard of TED conferences then let me tell you a little about them. TED are global conferences built under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". The conferences featuring inspiring, innovative and fascinating presentations from individuals in the world of technology, science, entertainment, medicine, business and design. Actually the letters of TED stand for technology, entertainment and design. Past presenters have included President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Malcom Gladwell, Nobel Peace Prize winners and many more. Every speaker is given 18 minutes to present and must present in the most engaging way possible. Presentation have now been coined as TEDTalks. TED, the app, has an 85 AppScore and offers access to more than 1,400 TEDTalks. The app also provides these talks in over 90 languages. You can browse the talks by themes, tags, popularity or recency. The pro reviews praise the app's ability to make it easy to find the talks that interest you. These talks always get me going, get me excited about the future and the possibilities. I need that every now and then when I'm down. Find out more about the app below and let me know what inspiration you find through the app.

AppScores are based on aggregating and averaging independent professional review scores from around the web.

		TED	85
		Free: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch
		From the app description: "The official TED app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch presents talks from some of the world's most fascinating people: education radicals, tech geniuses, medical mavericks, business gurus and music legends. Find more than 1,400 TEDTalk videos (with more added each week) on the official TED app -- now for both iPad and iPhone. The entire library is at your fingertips to browse at any time, even when you’re not online. Watch TEDTalks with subtitles in over 90 languages directly on your device through our new video player, or use AirPlay to watch them on your home entertainment system. Curate your own playlist. Download full videos to your device and watch them when you’re offline. Listen to an on-demand playlist of TEDTalks audio at any time. The TED app updates almost every day with new talks from TED events around the world. Sort the featured library by recency or popularity. Browse talks by tags, themes, or language. Share your favorite talks with your friends. Tell us how much time you have and let us guide you through a delightful playlist. " Here is a review from Macworld about the app: "If you like Ted Talks, there’s plenty of content here, and endless ways to consume it—and if English isn’t your first language, this may be the best way to search for and watch the lectures. Ted tries to make the world of ideas accessible to a larger audience; this app certainly helps that mission" (April 2, 2013).

It's a light week for us with only one app meeting the criteria for our Top 5 iPhone and iPad Apps of the Week series. The app is Limelight Movie Library with a 77 AppScore. From the title I'm guessing you have a good idea of what the app is. Well, it is a movie library but it's also a bit of a social network tied in. In addition to organizing the movies you've seen, you can follow the movie libraries of your friends, rate movies so friends can see what you think, watch movie trailers and keep up to date on the details of movies you want to see. The pro reviews say it's "a joy to use", "is perfect for the critic who enjoys quantifying the massive number of films that they’ve seen" and has an interface that is "simply remarkable and intuitive". Sounds pretty good to me. So that's it for our non-game apps this week but if you're into games, check out our Top 5 iPhone and iPad Games of the Week series. We'll see you next week with more apps. Leave any thoughts below!

Rank based on averaging professional review scores of non-games released 2 - 3 weeks ago to allow reviews to accumulate.

1.		Limelight Movie Library	77
		$1.99: iPhone & iPod Touch
		From the app description: "With Limelight, you can: • Organize your entire movie library • Keep track of movies you want to watch, and when they're released to theaters • Follow your friends libraries, so you can always find something good to watch tonight • Rate movies you've already seen. Let your friends know if you liked it or not! • Browse thousands of movies. Find new movies to watch, and rekindle memories of ones you have already seen. You can get lost for days! • Watch beautiful trailers in our custom video player designed specifically for movie trailers. Did we mention that you can use AirPlay, too?" Check out a quote from 148Apps: "Really, Limelight is perfect for the critic who enjoys quantifying the massive number of films that they’ve seen, and dropping the hammer of judgment on them with as little effort as possible" (May 27, 2013).

My friend recently got into a car accident and was a little shell shocked. As a result, she forgot to get the necessary information to file her accident properly. I wish I was there to have helped her. Nevertheless her accident made me go on a search for an app that could have provided her assistance in this type of situation. Our Best Free iOS App of the Week will do the trick. It's called Accident Wizard and has a 95 AppScore. The app offers a step by step guide to gathering the right and necessary information after an accident. Using the app's recording system you can document car damage, witness statements, injury charts, etc. Accident Wizard then generates a report based on your recordings that can be sent to your insurance company. The pro reviews praise the app's ability to make a difficult situation and process much easier. And I don't want to forget to mention the best part of the app, it provides immediate contact to emergency personnel, tow truck companies, healthcare providers and even accident attorneys with the push of a button. Let us know what you think of the app below and hopefully its an app you don't have to use often or ever but can nevertheless give you piece of mind.

AppScores are based on aggregating and averaging independent professional review scores from around the web.

		Accident Wizard	95
		Free: iPhone
		From the app description: "Accident Wizard by Auto Accident App is the first and only mobile phone application to offer free, instant, on-the-scene, live assistance to accident victims. Even better, our state-of-the-art App also provides one-button access to emergency personnel and step-by-step guidance through the information gathering process to ensure that no critical information or evidence is missed. Use the app’s Accident Recording System to easily document and send us every detail with pictures, audio witness statements, injury charts, car damage picture documentation and much more. Auto Accident App creates a comprehensive accident report, with attached pictures into a single email that you can send out to all necessary parties (such as medical, insurance company, legal, etc). Registration is simple and quick - instead of manually entering all kinds of details about your driving info, simply take a picture of your driving documents (drivers license, vehicle iregistration and insurance), and you are done. " Here is a review from The Smartphone App Review about the app: "Overall, this is a great app and one that will only prove its worth as time goes by. For a free offering, this is superb, and should be considered essential by all wise drivers" (May 18, 2013).

I love hanging out with my young nieces because they are so imaginative. They come up with the most interesting stories and reasons for why things are the way they are. When I am with them, I feel young and alive. This week's Best iOS App for Kids is the perfect app for me to enjoy with them. The app, Lil' Red - An Interactive Story, is an interactive book based on the classic children's story of Little Red Riding Hood with a twist. The twist is that the book contains no text or narration. It's up to you and your kid(s) to make up the story. I definitely can see my nieces making up some pretty adventurous stories. The app contains 12 illustrated interactive scenes, music and little hidden surprises. One of the pro reviews calls it "Simply delightful" and another says: "What I didn’t like: Nothing!" According to the app description Lil' Red - An Interactive Story is made for kids 2 and up. The app has an impressive 93 AppScore and a reasonable price of $3.99, a small price to pay for a little imagination. Read more about it below and let us know your thoughts.

AppScore rankings are based on aggregating professional review scores from around the web. Click on an app's name to see all the professional reviews.

		Lil' Red - An Interactive Story	93
		$3.99: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch (Universal)
		From the app description: "This interactive storybook is a unique interpretation of classic tale of "Little Red Riding Hood". Everything is told exclusively through animation, music, and interactivity - so kids and parents can tell the story in their own way without the use of text or narration. Navigate through lush environments filled with enchanting illustrations and memorable music... all made with thoughtful attention to detail. Young children will also delight in helping Lil' Red discover tons of hidden surprises." Check out a quote from Smart Apps For Kids: "Bottom Line: Breathtakingly original with a universal appeal. The music and artwork tell the story better than words ever could. Smartie award winner and critically acclaimed" (February 13, 2013).

As always at AppMyWorld, Thursdays mean it's time for our Top 5 iPhone and iPad Apps of the Week! Sky Guide: View Stars Night or Day takes first place with a 95 AppScore. It's an astronomy app that anywhere you point at the sky will identify the stars, planets and constellations above. The pro reviews call it beautiful, informative and a great reference. In second is Extraordinary Jenny Jones with an 88 AppScore. It's a children's book / education app that the pro reviews say has great illustrations and interactive elements. With an 85 AppScore, our third place app this week is Hipstamatic Oggl. Hipstamatic is one of the original and most popular photo filter apps out there and this is their take at merging it with a social network. The pro reviews say it's a nice change from the standard and could become one of the best photo / social networking apps around. Our final app this week, only four met our criteria, is Story from Disney with an 80 AppScore. Its aim is to use your photos and videos to automagically create beautiful stories. The pro reviews say although it may be simplistic, it's great for novices as an easy way to share personal stories via e-mail and Facebook. That's our weekly list of non-game apps. We'll have another set for you next week. Be sure to check out our games series too: Top 5 iPhone and iPad Games of the Week.

Rank based on averaging professional review scores of non-games released 2 - 3 weeks ago to allow reviews to accumulate.

1.		Sky Guide: View Stars Night or Day	95
		$0.99: iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad (Universal)
		From the app description: "A window to the stars has never been more beautiful and easy to use. Just aim your iPhone or iPad at the sky to identify stars, planets and more in any direction you point. Experience the wonders of the night in ways you’ve only dreamed of." Check out a quote from AppStorm: "A window to the Milky Way most will never get to see with their own eyes. Featuring a stellar soundtrack and astoundingly detailed real images, Sky Guide is the best reference app for astronomers on the App Store today" (May 8, 2013).

2.		Extraordinary Jenny Jones	88
		FREE: iPad
		From the app description: "Developed especially for the iPad, the app features a combination of beautifully hand-illustrated interactive story pages and challenging hidden object puzzles. The app is a wonderful marriage between storybook and game that will provide hours of learning and entertainment for children (and adults) of all ages." Check out a quote from BestAppsForKids: "This hand illustrated app is beautiful to look at. The attention to detail is second to none, each page must be appreciated for its design. There are 50 pages each individually hand illustrated" (May 22, 2013).

AppMyWorld is all about app reviews, but what if you're looking for physical product reviews? Well, our Best Free iOS App of the Week will do just that. It's called Consumr Reviews – Barcode Scanner and has an 83 AppScore. I really like the concept - scan barcodes or search by keyword for products you're interested in to see a wealth of info like ratings, reviews and rankings. Plus you can see top rated lists (as rated by other app users), share your reviews and even get personalized recommendations. But the key question is does all of this work? Well, with an 83 AppScore the answer is yes. The pro reviews do say it's best for items you'd find in a grocery store but some of these reviews are a year or so old and the app has been continually updated since then. Either way, everyone spends a lot of time in the grocery store so a free app that helps you better understand what you're buying, which brands to choose and what unknown products you might like is good by me. The app also shows product recalls which is good for peace of mind and as far as I can tell, it is completely free as there are no in-app-purchases either. So give it a download and let us know what you think. Hopefully it makes your shopping a bit easier and more well informed.

AppScores are based on aggregating and averaging independent professional review scores from around the web.

		Consumr Reviews – Barcode Scanner	83
		Free: iPhone and iPod Touch
		From the app description: "Consumr is the People’s Product Guide. Instantly browse product ratings and reviews written by thousands of consumrs just like you. No more bad products! Just scan, search or browse to see top rated products." Here is a review from The iPhone App Review about the app: "Given the popularity of the app and the quality of the reviews, I definitely recommend downloading Consumr if you like to know what you’re buying ahead of time" (May 10, 2013).

So this week's Best iOS App for Kids is a little older having been released in late 2011. But it's from a very reputable source (PBS Kids), has a 90 AppScore and features Sid from the TV series Sid The Science Kid. With all that going for it, we think Sid's Science Fair is a worthy addition to our weekly series. The app aims to teach kids math and science through a series of mini-games. There's one about matching patterns, another about charting and a third about sequencing. It may sound a little much, but with names like Gabriela's "Collection Inspection", May's "Chart It!" and Gerald's "Time Machine", it's definitely geared towards the little ones. Just keep in mind that some of the user reviews on the App Store say they've had trouble with the sound and our guess is it's due to the app needing a quick update. Hopefully PBS KIDS will do just that but if your child loves Sid, this might be worth it anyway...what do you think?

AppScore rankings are based on aggregating professional review scores from around the web. Click on an app's name to see all the professional reviews.

		Sid's Science Fair	90
		$2.99: iPhone, iPod Touch
		From the app description: "*Editor's Choice Award Winner from Children's Technology Review* Sid’s Science Fair engages players (ages 3 to 6) in experiential learning with core science and math concepts from classification and identifying patterns to charting and sequencing. Emcee’d by Sid, from the hit series SID THE SCIENCE KID, the app presents three absolutely addictive Science Fair games specially crafted for your curious early learner(s)" Check out a quote from BestAppsForKids: "Bottom Line: An educational, fun, and easy way to engage young learners in the exploration of science skills and concepts" (June 22, 2012).