By Karen and Erica 

It seems like every second of every day there is a new and better app. Hard to get your arms around what's out there. Thankfully, we have friends and family who curate the latest and greatest and keep us posted on the best. Some are useful, some exciting and some are both. We started a list of our recent non-shopping favorites and finds:

If you like photography, Artifact Uprising helps you use your photos to make gorgeous photograph prints, albums and creative gifts.  “Off your device, into your life” is their pretty great motto. We, however, are both just awful at taking photographs. If we were better, we would use Snapfish to print them on everything. And, of course, you can print someone else’s good photo too. And then there’s Pinterest with photos of just about everything. We use it for shopping, for decorating, for a way to remind ourselves of things we like and may want to go back to.  

Scripted.  We like to write, but not everyone does. This site will connect you to writers who will write for you, and even do research on a topic of your choice. 

Pager. A doc and nurse at your doorstep at the swipe of your fingers. You request, they call, they show up. Wish it existed when a parent called panicked because he couldn't find his pulse. Daughter used it for some shots she needed for exotic travel.  Doctor and nurse who showed up at her apartment were both first class. A great service, especially when you don’t want to bother your fancy doctor for something that is probably nothing--but just want to make sure.

If you use the Starbucks app, you can avoid the lines by ordering before you arrive. Then you can just grab the coffee and go. The Infatuation points you to cool new places to eat and drink that are perfect for what you are looking for and where you want to be. Venmo allows you to immediately split the bill. Really convenient for restaurants, taxis. Pay people immediately, from any bank.

BarkBuddy is Tinder, but for dogs. No, not for canine dates but to match you with the perfect pet for adoption. You can filter by age, activity, size, etc.  

Evernote helps you remember your great ideas, or your to do list, or what your niece wants for her birthday. LastPass helps you remember and secures your passwords. Who doesn’t need that? 
 
We actually really like paper invitations, beautifully written, received via snail mail. But except for weddings who has time? Paperless Post lets you create invites, sends them asap, without stamps, and provides rsvps. Party on!  Need flowers for that party? Farmgirl Flowers is your place. They deliver almost everywhere. You don’t choose the arrangement, they just come. Lots and lots of the freshest, in season flowers for you to arrange as you like. 

There is all sorts of fun and timely information about global art and design on Blouin ArtInfo. You get visual art, architecture and design, performance, lifestyle, food, parties. Galleries and Museums. Expert commentary. And gossip. Then go see it. Artsy tells you about all the upcoming art fairs, new gallery and museum shows, and auctions, and what is in each of them.  Whether you are a collector or not, and whatever your budget, they’re fun. Our favorites: Frieze and the Armory Show. Dpages is a beautiful design blog. Art, architecture, technology...all sorts of lovely places, rooms and things. Inspiration on many levels.

NY Yimby.  We love knowing what is going on, especially new real estate developments, in the metro area. Yimby tells you about projects like John Nouvel’s 53 West 53rd Street. And if you love all things real estate, Curbed feeds your addiction. 

Dark Sky. Worried it might rain but don’t want to carry an umbrella? Dark Sky is pretty accurate about actual downpours.

Shazam lets you point your phone at any music source and find out the name of the song being performed, and the name of the performer.  CamFind recognizes almost any object! Just point your phone at the thing--like a flower, a tree, whatever--and it tells you not only what it is but something about it. Use 8tracks and choose among millions of curated playlists.

One Fine Stay. For travel to a big city--Rome, Paris or London, New York and LA--this website is worth checking out. Not only do they have lovely homes to offer and towels and linens and cleaning service, but they also provide a local representative with local recommendations and a 24/7 help desk. A bit of service and upgrade to an airbnb-type experience. But if glamping is more up your alley, try Venue Report. 

What are your favorites? We will definitely check them out.