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8 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | DECEMBER 2016 By Steve Benoff It's my intention to devote this column to serious smartphone apps. But there are many apps that are just fun. And since this is the holiday season, how about looking at Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa apps. I didn't find a single Kwanzaa app at Apple App Store, but I found three at Google Play. The two free ones don't look very good, but the one called Kwanzaa, which costs 99 cents, looks quite interesting. This is not a children's holiday app. It's serious in its orientation to European culture, and it goes into some detail regarding the principles and history of Kwanzaa. For those with such an interest, it's easily worth the cost. There are many Chanukah (or Hanukkah if you prefer) apps, both Apple and Android. Since the eight nights of Chanukah fall on different dates each year, there are many apps geared to how many candles to light on which days. Like most things in Judaism, there are rules. Do you light the menorah (or more properly the chanukiah) from left to right or right to left? Do you light one candle on the first night and add one each night, or start with eight and work down? There are many apps to help. Many have lighted Chanukah candles burning; you can even choose how long you want the candles to last. And there are many apps with Chanukah games and coloring books. Two in particular caught my interest. Chanukah Guide and Menorah-Chanukah. These apps have the history and practice of Chanukah as well as prayers in Hebrew and English and transliterations. They are excellent apps for the holiday. When it comes to Christmas, there are endless apps. There are Christmas countdown apps, holiday game apps, photo apps for Christmas where you can take a smartphone picture with holiday overlays, cooking apps, and sing-along Christmas carol apps. I found three that interested me. On Apple there's Gift It – Christmas Shopping List. It's an easy way to keep track of your gift purchases. You can have multiple lists. You create a list name and add descriptions and amounts for each entry. There's a total at the bottom of each list. This is a handy free app, but it does come with the occasional annoying ad. On Android I found two Christmas music apps that may interest you. Christmas Radio gives you a selection of radio stations around the world. If you tune in early, you're not likely to hear much Christmas music, but you can hear topical radio in various countries. I assume that there will be plenty of Christmas music closer to the holiday. However, this app is a good example of one so loaded with ads that it may not be worth even a free download. Christmas Songs & Music has over 30 musical selections, including eight renditions of Jingle Bells. Unlike Christmas Radio, ads are discreetly placed in this app. I also found a fun little app that lets you play Christmas carols yourself. Christmas Carols Piano on Android (there's Christmas Piano Songs on Apple) displays a one-octave keyboard. You select a carol and it lights up the keys. Tap the lighted keys in sequence and you're making music. Add to your holidays with amusing, enjoyable, and/or educational apps. Do you use an app you'd like to share with others? Let me know at steve.benoff@verizon.net. There's An App For That

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