Do you ever wonder why food at restaurants is so much better than what you make at home? Honest chefs will tell you that, outside of skill and knowledge, they just have better tools at their disposal. In lieu of spending a fortune on buying your own mandolin, beurre mixer and a really expensive set of chef knives, check out some of the top apps for chefs and foodies. You will be on your way to creating culinary masterpieces in no time.  ($4.99 -- iPad) Raw food is terrific for you. Raw food is also very difficult to make right if you want to do more than just gnaw on carrot sticks all the time. Chef Matthew Kenney has a new iPad app that takes you through the basics of raw food preperation. There are 12 full-length videos (like, how to crack a coconut, which is a lot harder than you might Read More

By Lisa Caplan on February 8th, 2012 A look at four great iOS apps for a happy Valentine's Day Ah, Valentine’s day. That wonderful day where those in relationships set huge expectations for perfect romantic escapades that can seldom be met by their partner and singles wish they could share in the homage to Hallmark and Cupid. Finding the right thoughtful token or date locale doesn’t have to be an expensive ordeal, however. As always there are a bevy of holiday-themed apps that claim to help make the day either more special or more commercial depending on your point of view. We have collected our favorite four apps for singles and couples looking to make the most of February 14 without waking up broke on the 15th. Build-a-Card Cupid Edition Heartfelt words, to a lover, relative or friend, can make them feel special and cherished. Greeting cards are the most traditional Read More

Summer is just round the corner with vacation fever filled in the air, specially for the kids who have spent the whole year studying. Many of you might have already planned on how to spend this year’s vacations, for those looking forward on planning one and you need your new iPad to assist you, you sure are in luck as the shiny gadget would help you out with your travel plans. Ever since the launch of the Apple iPad, the iDevice has appealed to a massive audience with the bulk of its profit based on apps that it features, letting users make full use of it. For all you iPad owners, we roll up a great new plan for you to take advantage when thinking about summer travel. The iPad is surely your travel companion, keeping you glued and helping you out when discovering new places, finding restaurants, searching the best Read More

Summer is here and thoughts are turning to vacations, traveling and leisure activities. It’s a time for heading to the beach or across the globe to experience new places. Some folks may be staying close to home this year and looking for new things to do nearby. Or perhaps a virtual vacation is in the cards, using the power of the web to experience exotic places from a distance. The iPad is an apt companion for all of these summer activities, if the right apps come along for the journey. . Traveling means booking flights, and in this economy finding the best deal is a must. Kayak is a good way to search for flights that meet specific criteria and book them. The app also handles hotels, so you can plan your travel and accommodations in one place. Free. . One of the great joys of vacations is sampling local delicacies Read More

Summer is here and thoughts are turning to vacations, traveling and leisure activities. It’s a time for heading to the beach or across the globe to experience new places. Some folks may be staying close to home this year and looking for new things to do nearby. Or perhaps a virtual vacation is in the cards, using the power of the web to experience exotic places from a distance. The iPad is an apt companion for all of these summer activities, if the right apps come along for the journey. . Traveling means booking flights, and in this economy finding the best deal is a must. Kayak is a good way to search for flights that meet specific criteria and book them. The app also handles hotels, so you can plan your travel and accommodations in one place. Free. . One of the great joys of vacations is sampling local delicacies Read More

Welcome to the first of two late-breaking editions this week of iPhone + iPad Gems. Once again, we’re taking a rapid-fire look at a big collection of recently-released applications across a wide collection of different categories. Eight of the apps are either iPad-exclusive or developed solely to run on the iPad, while the other two are iPhone and iPod touch applications. Our top picks of the week are Amazing Animals: Savanna for iPhone, Photogene for iPad, and TiltShift Generator for iPad. Read on for all the details. Developed solely as an iPhone application, Tapitu’s new edutainment title Amazing Animals: Savanna ($2) still manages to look quite good when upscaled to the larger display of an iPad. Conceptually, Savanna is extremely simple, presenting you with an ultra-wide panning landscape filled with baboons, ostriches, zebras, elephants, antelope, and the like, allowing kids to scroll left or right through the collection, touch any animal, Read More

Attention iPad users! Urbanspoon has just let me know that their app is now LIVE in the Apple App Store! Available now for free, this latest variation of the Urbanspoon app brings forth some pretty cool new features, including these highlights: Specifically designed for the iPad – The large display and touch screen lets you explore thousands of restaurants all the restaurants in your city. Zoom into your neighborhood on an interactive map. Restaurant information is available on the device enabling instantaneous search and offline access. Reviews, menus and information – Read reviews and see ratings from local newspapers, bloggers and fellow eaters. Compare restaurant picks with your friends. Whether you’re in the mood for a local diner or a seven-course meal, Urbanspoon for iPad helps you find top picks in your hometown or on the road. Searching for the best meal in town has never been more fun. Spin the Read More

MG Siegler is a general partner at CrunchFund and a columnist for TechCrunch, where he has been writing since 2009. His focus is on Apple. Prior to TechCrunch, MG covered various technology beats for VentureBeat. Originally from Ohio, MG attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. He’s previously lived in Los Angeles where he worked in Hollywood and in... → Learn More Before there was even an App Store, I knew there was something to UrbanSpoon. Several million downloads and a sale to IAC later, I can safely say I was right. Now the team behind it is trying to capture the magic all over again with its new free iPad app. On the face of it, UrbanSpoon for the iPad may not seem as useful as it is for the iPhone. After all, most people don’t just whip out their iPad on the street when they’re looking for Read More