Are you a Doctor Who fan? Of course you are because you have access to the Internet! If you’ve not jumped on the Doctor Who bandwagon, here’s the deal: Doctor Who is about a guy (The Doctor) who is one part time traveler, one part alien. He travels in his TARDIS, which on the surface looks like a ‘60s-era British police box, but it’s actually a time machine. He’s got some companions that travel with him as they try to save the world, and fix what’s bad. It aired for about 30 years, then went off the air for a few very dark years, and now it’s back and has taken over the web with memes and TARDIS sightings.

We are diehard Doctor Who fans in the Intel AppUp® center and so of course, we had to add two Doctor Who apps: Doctor Who: City of the Daleks and Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock. But we’re not stopping there. Oh no! We really, really want AppUp users to help the doctor and his companion River Song save the universe and time itself so we’re having a discount on The Eternity Clock for the whole month. This awesome app is 60% off! That’s right, for a limited time, you can unravel the mystery of the eternal clock for just $3.99.

Players are equipped with the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver, River’s blaster and other Whovian gadgets while traveling through four time periods and alien locations. But it’s not all wine and roses; players will also face monsters, including Silurians, Cybermen, Daleks and the Silence. Those who destroy foes and solve puzzles will succeed in saving themselves and the rest of civilization.

Okay, that’s a lot of Doctor Who, but I know the Doctor’s fans can’t get enough. To celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Doctor Who, play Clock Quest—prizes include an Ultrabook™ and 100 copies of The Eternity Clock. All you have to do is play Clock Quest to be entered for your chance to win. Go now!

You don’t need to be a Doctor Who devotee to save the world with The Eternity Clock game. But you do need to act quickly to take advantage of the awesome deal on this app and to play Clock Quest for a chance to win an Ultrabook. Get to it!

Spring break is so close that I can taste it. Well, maybe I wouldn’t go that far, but the days are getting longer and my grill is looking at me expectantly from the garage, like, “hey buddy, remember me?” You know what all that means? Spring break is nearly upon us! And we all know what spring break means…no not that. It means travel!

The Intel AppUp® center has you covered with travel apps that will get your spring break off to an excellent start.

Start Planning with TripAdvisor

So you have a precious amount of free time coming up. Where to go? Get reviews, opinions, photos and maps of locations all over the world from the TripAdvisor community. The TripAdvisor app boasts more than 40 million reviews of hotels, restaurants, and attractions. All by real travelers like you.

Book It for Less with KAYAK

Okay, you know where you’d like to go, now it’s time to book your travel. KAYAK allows you to compare hundreds of travel sites all at once to find the best deals. Book flights, hotels and cars using KAYAK and it saves your trip itinerary to make bargain travel even easier.

Travel Safer with eWallet

You’re ready to hit the road, but no matter what you do, you’ll still stand out as a tourist. Protect your money by using the app eWallet. eWallet saves all of your important information in a secure, easy-to-access format. Collect all of your credit cards, calling cards, health info, PINs and usernames in one place. This app runs on Windows* desktop, laptop or netbook.

And you’re off on the best spring break you’ll have this year. One more thing – take me with you!

I’m not saying I’m like Gonzaga, but I totally am. You see, Gonzaga is a small school ready to topple the big schools that dominate March Madness year after year. When I play Hoops Arcade, I feel like I’m channeling this little Washington school that could, taking on the major programs of college basketball. See, when I was a kid, I have a distinct memory of playing basketball in my driveway for hours on end, all the while imagining playing in the Final Four or National Championship. Until I accidentally tossed my basketball on the roof and then couldn’t get it down. For years.

In other words, my basketball career ended early, but the app Hoops Arcade lets me play like a pro. Okay, an arcade pro, but whatever. You get a minute to make as many shots as you can, and even better, this one works with touch screens. My best score so far: 42. Okay maybe that’s not great, but it doesn’t stop me from raising my hands in the air and mimicking the whoosh of the crowd when my high score goes up.

So that’s me. I’m this close to being just like Gonzaga. Rising above my circumstances, the David to Duke’s Goliath. I will rise up and be the National Champion … of Hoops Arcade.

Thanks to the Internet, learning something new every day is no problem. But do we really want to learn much of what the Internet has to offer? Do I really need to learn more about Ben Affleck’s career trajectory? (Hint: he’s now a director. Also, remember Bennifer? Oh the aughts!)

When I catch myself deep in the mind-numbing Internet trivia hole, I snap out of it with education apps from the Intel AppUp® center. This week I’m all about history, science, and dissecting frogs:

McGraw-Hill U.S. History Quiz Set 1

I didn’t exactly ace my AP History test, but I can try again (and again!) with this app. It assesses what you already know about U.S. history and asks questions that will challenge you without putting you off. It’s all about minimizing frustration and maximizing learning by keeping track of progress and allowing the user to skip questions. It’s a great way to learn more about our country and it’s perfect for teenagers who are facing history exams. After all, McGraw-Hill is the publisher in charge of all of those textbooks.

eTutor Science 4

This app is a great place to learn more about biology. It teaches kids and adults about respiration, growth, stimulus response, and photosynthesis, to name just a few topics. The games are good for all levels and include multiple choice questions, “fill in the blank,” and “true or false” questions. Kids can brush up on their biology studies when they have a few minutes to spare, or if they want to sit down and study for a few hours.

Frog Dissection

No frogs were hurt in the making of this app. This is scientifically accurate and friendly to both the user and the frog. Users dissect a chloroformed specimen with digital instruments like pins, scalpels, and forceps. This app is perfect for kids or adults who want to know more about dissection but don’t feel comfortable taking out a frog to do it. And it’s all touch enabled – perfect for Ultrabook™ users.

I know that you’re reading this post, and I’m happy for that. But may I make a gentle recommendation? You’ve learned enough random stuff from the Internet for today. Head to the Intel AppUp store and download education apps there to learn from the experts.

So The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim* is in the Intel AppUp® center. I’m going to calmly type that as if I didn’t stand up on my desk and do the Harlem Shake when I first got the news. Beware of clicking on that link. There’s a very real possibility of falling into the Harlem Shake YouTube rabbit hole and never returning. And you have to return because Skyrim is now in the Intel AppUp center.

Skyrim is all about people like you (and me!) defeating the dragon Alduin, who is out to destroy the world. All the while navigating a pending overthrow of Empirical rule. It’s a wild time in the realm, to be sure.

In The Elder Scrolls V, you start off as a prisoner trying to get into Skyrim. You’re about to be beheaded, but a dragon appears and destroys everything, sparing you! Is this dragon friend or foe? Why are you about to be beheaded anyway? And who will you escape with? The starting sequence of this game is just so rad.

Those are just a few of the questions you have to answer (or not) in this open world role-playing game. Or you can roam through the country and simply admire the awesome game play and fantastic graphics if that’s your fancy.

When I play Skyrim, I’m all about the dragons. I love seeing them in flight and doing battle. Of course, they’re a fierce enemy, but why are they the enemy? That’s part of the pleasure of the Skyrim games—the story behind the game play. It’s like living in a really excellent book.

Are you ready to jump into the world of Skyrim? Give it a try in the Intel AppUp center. When you purchase the game, you’ll receive a code, and the Steam* client will begin to download onto your device. After that, enter the code and away you go, into Skyrim. Don’t forget to watch out for dragons…

I’m having a little problem, blog readers. Here’s my problem: there aren’t enough hours in the day. I know, I know. You’re having this problem too. But maybe there’s someone we can all speak with about it? The folks who manage Greenwich Mean Time perhaps?

Pretty sure there’s a solution to this challenge, just like there was a solution to the challenge of getting more games into the Intel AppUp® center. We solved that one pretty awesomely in my opinion, by partnering with Nexway Games. Oh, you know these guys. They’re the ones who distribute titles like Skyrim, Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Borderlands 2 to name a few.

And you know what? Intel AppUp users now have access to these excellent games and so many more at competitive prices. High fives all around!

I know the game to play is Skyrim, so I headed over to the Intel AppUp center where I bought the game. I copied the license key that popped up. (This is also available in your transaction history if you want to come back to it.) After that, the Steam client began its download on my Ultrabook. I created my Steam account and entered my license key and then I had access to Skyrim.

Easy enough right? Now here’s where the real challenge comes in: finding time to play all of these awesome games. This brings me to my original question. Who do I talk to about adding some hours to the day? I know I would appreciate the extra time, as would all of the other Intel AppUp users who will soon be playing some great games.

I love skiing. I really do. And though I’m still learning, I’ve been known to fall down the Internet rabbit hole of GoPro snow videos. Here’s why I tell myself I’m watching all of these videos: I’m picking up pro tips. Yes, there’s some part of me that believes I will get better watching these amazing athletes in action.

I know. I know. But really, can’t you just see yourself flipping and jumping and doing all of those other awesome moves these people do? Not only do I want to land the moves, I want to shoot those cool videos too.

To get started, I picked up a GoPro camera and shot a couple of videos of me doing some things that aren’t even close to those stunts the athletes are performing (think me on my bike jumping off curbs in my neighborhood- extreme, I know).

To edit the videos, I downloaded the Corel VideoStudio Pro X. It’s an all-in-one video editor that lets me get creative with my editing. I’m using this one to add music, to tweak the color, and splice in some of my better shots. While I’m not a pro on my bike doing stunts I did much better when I was 12 years old, and the editing tools sure make me look better than I did in the rough cut. The app is intuitive and very fast, which means I’m learning more on video editing faster. Now I just need to transition from the asphalt to the slopes.

I also tried my hand at Movie Studio Platinum Suite 12. This app allows users to create movies in AVCHD and stereoscopic 3D. Audio editing is courtesy of Sound Forge Audio Studio and this one allows you to upload movies to Pixelcast and burn to DVD or Blu-ray Disc. This software is perfect for amateurs ready to level up to the pros.

The only thing missing from both of these apps was the Matrix-like mind-melt that would turn me into a pro athlete worthy of these great tools. I’m heading up to the mountain this weekend and hooking my GoPro camera up to my helmet (just like the pros do!) and heading down the slopes cautiously and with enough speed to make it seem like I’m living dangerously (or I could just speed up my footage in video editing). That’s okay. These video editing tools are so good, I can edit something together that makes me look like a better skier than I am. Thank you technology! Next stop, YouTube!

Sit still, close your eyes. Now picture these two words: Snow. Day. Between you and me, there’s only one word to follow those two: Eek! Keep that eek between us. I’m not really one to share that word out loud.

Snow days are those rare days in winter when we get an unexpected day off, and you know what to do when there’s snow on the ground and no school or work, right? Hit the mountains, of course! But not every day is a snow day, unfortunately. So what to do when there’s no snow, but you want a snow day? Hit the Intel AppUp® center for these three great apps:

Snowboard

The free app Snowboard gets you ready to shred. Use the mouse to steer through the course and grab packs for health, and flags for points. In my head, I believe I’m a pro snowboarder, but my bruises and bumps tell a different story. This app lets me live the life of the pro with jumps and ramps while daydreaming of a day out on the slopes.

TripAdvisor

There’s nothing wrong with a little armchair travel, especially when the weather won’t cooperate. Use TripAdvisor to plan your next trip to the snow. Or if you’ve had enough of the cold, plan your escape somewhere tropical. This free app allows you to browse more than 40 million reviews of hotels, restaurants, attractions, vacation rentals and destinations. You can check out photos from fellow travelers and add your own thoughts.

Accuweather

Is a snow day in your future? Of course it is! You just need to know when. The free app Accuweather will tell you with its detailed current conditions, 15-day forecast, hourly weather details, and exclusive lifestyle forecasts. This one is great for planning your snow day or planning your getaway to a sun and beach day.

What are your best memories from snow days past? Tell us in comments!

According to the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford, 21 percent of all couples, meet on social networking sites.  And according to ABC News, 33 percent of divorce filings contain the word “Facebook.” Social media gives and it takes away, am I right?

This Valentine’s Day, it doesn’t matter if you’re in fickle Cupid’s profit or loss column, because social media is there for you. If you have an Internet connection, I want you to download the following apps from the Intel AppUp® center. They will either help you find your soul mate or give you the power to get over that jerk who decided his soul mate was actually the girl who dumped him after Homecoming 15 years ago. (He’s a total jerk and you can do so much better!)

BlueBirds

We’re all ready for a Twitter tabula rasa and the BlueBirds Twitter app will give your social media interactions a fresh look. The brand new ‘small world’ feature brings categories of news and information to your desktop. Its sleek design allows you to easily scan your tweet stream for potential love interests. Once you find Mr. or Ms. Right, follow them and get started with the witty banter.  BlueBirds also offers easy accessibility to direct messages: the perfect way to ask someone out, and to gossip about exes with a friend.

Tango Video Calls

Okay, you’ve found your future love but maybe you can’t coordinate your schedules for a few weeks, or worse, the apple of your eye is across the country (happens all the time in social media). Easy solution: suggest a video conference call with Tango. This free app offers free calls between Windows Phone, Android and iOS phones, tablets and PCs. Tango allows you to find friends who are already using the service and you can invite friends by text or email. And if you’re about to break up with someone, but a phone call seems too cold, try a video call. You’ve got the face-to-face connection, but with the beauty of stopping the call (and relationship) when it’s time.

I have a recurring nightmare. It goes like this: YouTube and inexpensive digital video cameras existed when I was in middle school. That’s pretty much the whole nightmare but most any adult that experienced the tragedy of early ‘90s middle school style and music knows exactly what I’m talking about.

But then the grown-up me realizes that along with the possibility of creating a whole channel of air bass renditions of every song on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Mother’s Milk album, these advances in video technology mean that amateur videographers and photographers of all ages can make some pretty great things.

Now discounted by as much as 50% in the Intel AppUp® center, Corel Software is the perfect place to start getting creative with video and photography.

With Corel VideoStudio Pro X5 users can edit videos, apply advanced effects, record screen grabs, and create family movies, slideshows, and anything in-between. I like to believe middle school Zach would have edited existential art house films about ennui, but I would have likely just gotten my buddies together and made a movie that was edited to make us look like football players worthy of the Super Bowl. Corel’s effects tools are that good. Corel VideoStudio Pro X5 is on sale, discounted 50% to $39.99.

Corel PaintShop Pro X5 is a powerful photo editing tool. The effects and the HDR technology rock on the Ultrabook™ for lightning-fast photo editing. Corel has updated the software with some great features, including face recognition, and mapping photos to locations. I know exactly what I would have used this one for: touching up my school pictures. Goodbye scrawny dude, hello muscle-bound heartbreaker. Corel PaintShop Pro X5 is now $39.99 in the Intel AppUp center.

After we’ve all created these excellent videos and photos, what do we do with them? Share them with others, of course. WinZip 17 Pro by Corel is there to make the sharing easier. It’s some of the best compression software around and it directly connects to all the important websites. With easy organization and backup features, WinZip 17 Pro is absolutely necessary for today’s video and photo sharing. It would have also been perfect for me to hoard all of the embarrassing videos and photos of friends and then unleash them on the Internet now that we’re all so much older and wiser, but probably not much cooler. Grab this one for $29.95 at the Intel AppUp center.

Head to the Intel AppUp center now for Corel Software. These tools are professional grade with the intuitive design perfect for amateurs. I’ve already downloaded them and I’m currently editing videos of me lip-synching to “Higher Ground.” What. It’s going to be really cool, I promise.

Remember the promise of smell-o-vision? Okay, that happened in the 60’s so maybe you don’t. I wasn’t alive then, but the legend of it lives on in my mind. I wish there was something like smell-o-vision for the Internet. Wait… On second thought, no I do not. But I do wish for some sort of try-it-for-yourself feature on the Internet. With this cool feature (try-o-vision?) you’d be able to really try out a Windows 8 tablet with the Intel AppUp® center – with your hands!

Sadly, the Internet is not yet powerful enough to either read my mind or make this a reality. But we really want you to see how smooth the Intel AppUp center is, so we did the next best thing to try-o-vision. We made a video!

We grabbed a Windows 8 tablet, loaded up the Intel AppUp center, easy peasy, and then started the video camera rolling. Have a look!