Sleep tracking, calorie counting, outfit monitoring and fitness recording are just a few of the ways people have been utilizing life-tracking technologies. Designer Nicholas Felton even developed a life-tracking app that turns mundane daily activities into beautiful visualizations. Now, new happiness-tracking apps are emerging to help people recognize and record their good moods in order to potentially capitalize on the elements influencing them.

Happstr: Finding a ‘happy place’ has never been easier, thanks to Happstr. Developed during a SXSWi hackathon, the app aims to spread positivity among friends. As one of its creators explained in an interview with The Atlantic, “There are studies that have shown even a third degree friend with a higher happiness level improves your own happiness by 6 percent.” To put the statistic into action, Happster users check themselves in during their happiest moments. Similar to Foursquare, an icon pinpoints their locations on an interactive map, which can be tracked over time. It also displays check-ins from other nearby users, encouraging people to share the exultant moments happening around them.

For many, panic sets in as the “red icon of death” looms in the background of an important phone call or crucial GPS directions. And with 3 million new iPad owners, constant connectivity is a necessity. Since electrical outlets aren’t always readily available, new portable battery rechargers are relying upon natural resources like water, wind and fire to keep users powered up.

PowerTrekk: While water may seem like a cellphone’s mortal enemy, the PowerTrekk case actually harnesses it to revive lifeless devices. When filled with good old H2O, the proprietary PowerPukk fuel cell converts the hydrogen into electricity and recharges any gadget in the same time it would take to do so through a wall charger. The power generated from each ‘puck’ is the equivalent of four AA batteries, enough to fully charge a smartphone. PowerTrekk was designed with outdoor activity in mind, so it’s ideal for campers, hikers and bikers who might otherwise fret about losing access to their GPS, email, or, dare we suggest, Angry Birds.

From South Park to Star Wars, stop motion has been a force behind some of the most culturally important TV shows and movies of all time. The laborious process of adjusting a character’s expression and position manually was one of the only means of animation in the pre-CGI era, but iOS applications are reviving the nostalgic form of entertainment with apps suited even for the most amateur animators.

iStopMotion: DIY stop motion videos have sparked creative interest among Gen Ys, and now iPad app iStopMotion is introducing the technique to younger “Z”s. With the help of a yellow, spike-haired claymation assistant, the app demonstrates how to create simple 12-frame per second animations. To make a video, users simply set the stage, take a shot of the scene, slightly adjust the characters, and take the next picture. Once all the frames have been captured, a movie is rendered instantly. iStopMotion caters to novice animators, flaunting options like Camera Overlay which shows a live image of the previous picture so that changes can be monitored as they’re created.

Every time a gadget company unveils another affordable way to shoot beautiful HD video from your pocket, YouTube receives a fresh upload of snooze-worthy videos. Now more than ever, in the age of validation, mobile videos demand expert editing in order to yield the “likes” and love that their makers so desperately crave. Armed with these video editing tools, smartphone auteurs will be well prepared to bask in retweet glory.

Magisto: For those who have suffered through hours of video editing, any app that claims to do it for you must be an act of magic. Following the lead of other apps using prestidigitatorial technology, Magisto asks for a self-shot video, a snappy title, and a song selection, then – presto! – it conjures up a short and sweet edited version of the footage. The Magisto algorithm recognizes faces and camera movements to ensure the most visually compelling narrative possible. A few cuts and transitions later, the results are downright heartwarming. As with any good app, Magisto’s final chef-d’oeuvre can be shared on the creator’s social networks.

SOPA and its Senate counterpart, PIPA, are two controversial bills currently moving through the ranks of US government. With all of the buzz surrounding yesterday’s interweb blackouts, some might be wondering if it’s the second coming of OWS. Despite the White House now shelving SOPA until further notice, hundreds of websites still moved forward with protests, effectively demonstrating the looming threat of censorship. But now that the blackout is over, what’s left? Here are some notable protest projects and tools worth mention.

Dan Bull’s “SOPA Cabana”: Gen Ys are no stranger to political melodies. So, when Dan Bull, a self-proclaimed geeky rap artist from the UK, released his cheeky protest tune “SOPA Cabana”—a parody to the tune of “Copacabana”—it immediately went viral. A crowdsourced collaboration between the musician and 86 individuals found over Twitter, Facebook and other social networks, the video features protestors holding up lyrics and handwritten notes reflecting their collective thoughts on the proposed legislation. While this isn’t Bull’s first foray into web-distributed comedy, the “dystopian future” that “SOPA Cabana” warns viewers of is no laughing matter.