A Stress-Free Holiday Is Only One App Away
Special to CNBC.com
Myibidder Sniper for eBay
Available for iPhone, Android
Winning an eBay auction without resorting to the Buy Now option can take commitment — and another commitment is the last thing you need during the holidays.
Myibidder Bid Sniper for eBay helps you avoid the bitter taste of defeat and unshackles you from your computer desk. Enter items you want to bid on, and Bid Sniper will automatically make last-second bids, up to a specified dollar amount. The developer doesn't guarantee that you'll win, but it does boost your odds of snagging the perfect piece of memorabilia and other hard-to-find gifts.
The Pro version, available for $4.99, includes group bidding, which allows you to bid on multiple auctions for the same item, so you have a better chance of winning. The app will stop bidding on items in the group once you've won the number of auctions you specified.
Bid Sniper is in its beta version and does not support real-time updates or push notifications yet.
CardStar
Available for iPhone, Android, Windows, Blackberry, Nokia
Rather than fumble for worn-out loyalty cards on your key ring or in your wallet, reach for your smartphone and open CardStar.
The app lets you capture digital versions of your cards with your camera's phone. You can browse your cards by store name or category, or use the search function to jump right to a retailer.
This app edges out other loyalty card scanners with a few added features. It provides merchant information and store locations, and calls up the store's website with one touch — so you check for deals online, too. CardStar also delivers deals based on the cards you've uploaded.
