Eyes Wide Open

Want to peek in on the cats while you’re away? Make sure the neighborhood teens aren’t pool-hopping in your backyard? A couple of Dropcams can be your eyes and ears while you’re on vacation. They set up in seconds and sync to your iPhone or Android so you can watch a live feed and get alerts when there’s activity.

Vacation Caretaker

You might not have the cash to do a full-blown home automation install, but a few pieces of the Belkin WeMo system can help you use your smartphone to run the house from wherever you are. With this system, you can do everything from making sure you turned the curling iron off before you left to turning the lights on in the evening so it looks like you’re home.

Mapping Memories

For a fun keepsake, when you get home from your vacation, use the Trevi app to organize your photo memories like a passport—by location. Trevi scans your phone photos and puts them on a beautiful map so you can see what pictures you took where.

Home, James

Headed to the airport? You don’t have to be a celeb to have a personal driver pick you up. Install the Uber app, and you can dial one up on your smartphone. A town car will show up within minutes. Available now in cities around the world, Uber is an affordable luxury—a bit more than a standard taxi but below the typical fee for a driver in a dark sedan. The best part is that you don’t have to fumble with cash or deliberate a tip: it’s all handled through the phone.