How long have you been sitting behind a computer today?

Your desk job and screen time could be killing you. A recent study found a significant increase in death risks in people that spend more than eight hours sitting every day.

To help AppNewser readers cope with this major medical problem, we’ve found five apps that will help you get up and move every day. Links to Amazon, Android and iOS apps follow below–add your suggestions in the comments section.

Read more

Do you screen your phone calls? If you are looking for a newer and more exciting way to do so, check out the YouMail app.

The app gives you details about the caller like their photo, name and location, even if they are not in your address book. You can also use it to create personalized outgoing voicemail messages that incorporate the caller’s name into the greeting. One of the best features is the “caller ditching” tool that lets users forward unwanted callers directly to voicemail where they are told that the number is disconnected. You can also tweet out voicemails using the app.

The app is supported by various carriers including: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint). It does require you to forward all unanswered calls to YouMail. It’s available for free for Android and iOS devices.

The popular photo sharing app got an update today which adds a feature which I would have wanted long ago. You can now use the app to share links to your photos, thus removing the need for the recipient to have the app.

This two-year-old app first captured everyone’s attention by offering a unique method for sharing. As you can probably guess from the name, you bump two smartphones together. Both have to have the app running, of course, but this is still a unique physical way to carry out a common act.

Bump has been used to transfer over 630 million pictures in the past couple years, and Bump expects that to only grow thanks to the new update. “One of the comments we always hear is ‘I wish my computer worked just as well. I wish there was Bump on my computer’ so we decided to build that,” Dave Lieb, co-founder and CEO of Bump told Mashable.

The process for transferring photos to your computer is supposed to be simple, but the Bump website doesn’t quite seem to be working right. It took me several refreshes before it loaded properly. But when it works you’ll have a link that can be emailed, tweeted, or shared with anyone who has an internet connection.

iTunes

Google Play

Think there’s no money in self-publishing? Think again. Lulu.com has produced an infographic exploring some key metrics about self-publishing and it is pretty compelling. According to the graphic, Lulu.com authors have earned a total of $36 million in 10 years.

We’ve embedded the whole infographic below–all publishers should be aware of the growing business of self-publishing.

Check it out: “Who’s making the money? [Out of] authors earning over $25K, 56 percent of authors earned more than $25,000, 28 percent earned more than $50,000, 15 percent earned more than $100,000.”

Read more

Apple released a couple new videos yesterday featuring John Malkovich and Siri. As much as I like the fellow, his commercial isn’t nearly as entertaining as the many parodies that have been made.

Take, for example, the following video, which was created by Jest. It makes fun of Chris Brown. Okay, it’s more insulting than funny, but he makes an excellent punching bag. The conversation in the video is NSFW so I am putting it after the break. Read more

The first thing you’ll notice about this app is that it’s not your parents’ Paint program. Autodesk has released a number of paint apps, and this one lives up to their reputation.

SketchBook Ink lets artists create drawings of any size – resolution be damned. They can either start from a blank canvas or they can work from a photo taken by the iPad’s camera.

Read more

Yahoo is taking a new approach to search through its new app Axis. The HTML-5 based app serves up page previews rather than just plain links for searches. So for example, if you are searching for the “world’s best surfer,” you’ll see images of pages featuring surfers, rather than just a page of links.

The app is available for desktop computers, the iPad and iPhones. Interestingly, your searches can be synced across devices. So for example, if you begin a search on the iPhone and continue it on your iPad, you can click “continue from iPhone” on the app to pull up your most recent search.

We’ve embedded Yahoo’s demo video above so that you can see how it works. (Via Computer World).

Kindle is the bestselling free eBook app for the week, according to research from AppData. Amazon’s eReader app includes books for purchase as well as free public domain eBooks.

Below, we’ve listed the top free iOS eBook apps of the week. The list links to Inside Network’s research about the individual apps, including historical charts, developer information and download information.

To prepare for Mediabistro’s upcoming Publishing App Summit on December 4, 2012, we spotlight the top free apps every week–helping our readers discover, enjoy and analyze successful content. Read more

Cooking can be so fun, but it can also be a drag when you’ve worked all day, the family is hungry and you’re uninspired. Thankfully, there are plenty of apps available to help you get delicious ideas. We’ve put together a list of five apps with links and descriptions that will help you break out of the same old rut. Our list includes apps for Android, iOS and the Kindle Fire.

1. CookWell: “A sausage and egg biscuit from the drive thru for breakfast, a candy bar from the vending machine for lunch and then pick up a pizza on your way home from work. Does this sound like a day you’ve had recently? Obesity rates are skyrocketing, and processed packaged convenience foods are a primary contributor to this trend. Spending just a little time at the beginning of your busy week to plan what you’re going to eat can save you not only money and time, but a ton of calories too.”

2. Recipe Guru: “A world of sumptuous cuisines beckons you at Recipe Guru where you can find absolutely anything and everything that your tongue craves for. We have thousands of created and  professionally tested recipes from famous cookbooks,magazines and chefs. From continental to Japanese and Mexican to South Asian mouth watering delicacies just a click away.”

3. Whole Foods Market Recipes: “Looking for healthy and delicious food? Search Whole Foods Market Recipes for recipes featuring the finest natural and organic foods. You can search recipes by ingredients and dietary preferences such as gluten-free, low fat, and vegetarian/vegan. Every Whole Foods Market recipe includes nutritional information and cooking instructions. You can also enter up to 3 items you have on hand to find recipes using those ingredients.” Read more

Facebook used to be where the place to share photos from last night’s party, but the fact is that nowadays your Mom and you boss are on there, and Facebook changes its privacy settings too often.

For those looking for a new place to connect with friends and bond over how many beers you drank last night or how awesome Steve Aoki sounded, then About Last Night is the app for you. The app combines photosharing with location and lets users use GPS to find local parties. You can also follow other party goers (including celebrities) and vote on your favorite nightlife photos. Read more