It is that time of year again and the mainstream media are covering the Halloween fun that most children look forward to each year, and the procrastinators’ among us are in a rush to find pumpkin carving patterns, stencils, and tools to get the job done in time for Halloween. There’s not long to get everything ready considering tonight is the night that the scary looking monsters knock on your door, and we hear the words “Trick or Treat“.

We’re sure most of PR’s readers are well prepared but for those of you that are not, we have taken a look for some of the best Halloween pumpkin carving stencils and patterns, which allow you to use a simple template that you just print from a website.

One of the best websites we found can be viewed here, which is a page that includes free pumpkin carving patterns with titles like Flack Jack, Grim Creeper, Treats 4 Me, Smiley, Haunted Kill, and more. There might only be 10 pumpkin carving patterns in total but these deliver, which are attained by simply clicking a download link that reveals a PDF file with all instructions and the template.

You can see an example of pumpkin carving tools that this website recommends, although this might not be needed for the more skillful carvers. You can also see an article from 2 years ago here, which detailed some free pumpkin carving templates, patterns, and designs for ideas that are still available in 2012.

If you have already carved your pumpkin then let us know how it went, and if not then see the links above to something you can print right now. Happy Halloween and stay safe.

First up we have 100 Horror Stories, Sounds, And Scares for owners of iOS devices. This is a fun filled application that promises to have everything you need for a terrifyingly fun Halloween. It has 100 of the scariest stories and a soundboard with more than forty scary sounds. There are then some great pranks to scare your friends, and much more. The app is available worldwide on the App Store for $0.99/£0.69.

That 3D Mask App 1.0 is a fun way to generate a 3D mask and is available for the iPhone and iPad 2. It uses Augmented Reality and has a total of 12 masks for users to enjoy. It will generate a 3D mask in the device viewfinder, which includes the likes of zombie, demo head, witch, demon girl, and more. That 3D Mask App 1.0 is available worldwide on the App Store for $1.99/£1.49.

Halloween Trick-n-Treat 1.1 is available for owners of the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. This fun application will let you play fun Halloween pranks on your family and friends. Ask someone to take a photo of you and the application switches from the devices rear facing camera to the forward facing one.

This is where the fun begins as there are some great Halloween icons to scare up the photos, and results can be shared via email, Facebook, and Twitter. Halloween Trick-n-Treat 1.1 is available worldwide on the App Store for only $0.99/£0.69.

With the doorbuster deals you can save yourself up to 40 percent on home and office laptops. However, to be able to get that huge discount you will have to enter the eCoupon code: BLACKFRIDAYOCT. There are 8 deals in all on the special sale page, with the lowest price starting at just $399.99. This offer is for the IdeaPad G560; the normal cost would have been $849, that’s a saving of $450.

However, the biggest saving is on the IdeaPad Y570, as the retail price is usually $1,599.00, but with the sale and using the eCoupon code you will just have to pay $999.99, that’s a saving of $600.

If you thought those deals were good, then you will be amazed and what Lenovo has in store for you over Halloween in Canada. There are four laptops on offer; these are the ThinkPad X220, ThinkPad T420, ThinkPad Edge E420s and also the ThinkPad T520. The standard prices for these are as follows: $1,814.00, $1,815.00, $1,518.00, and $1,539.00. However, after using eCoupon Code: CAPHALLOWEEN those prices will fall to $946.28, $860.18, $629.10 and $751.73 respectively.

With deals like these you have to wonder what Lenovo has planned for Black Friday?

Apparently 3,400 frog masks for children have been voluntarily recalled by Target, no injuries have been reported, however the masks lack proper ventilation, therefore pose a suffocation risk. You can see the mask in question below:

The masks were sold by Target from August through to September and cost just $1, the UPC is is: 06626491474. If you have one of the masks you should return it to any Target store for a full refund, if you want to contact Target regarding the recall you should call (800) 440-0680 or check out this link.

While we are hear we thought we would point you in the direction of some other Halloween masks, making your own is always fun, but a lot of people lack the artistic flare which is sometimes required, so here are some templates which you can print, alternatively if you are adamant that you want to dress as a frog why not buy this kermit mask.

Lots of other Halloween outfits and accessories can be seen here, ToysRUs also have a lot of costumes, we particularly like the group costume offerings.

Feel free to share your Halloween mask ideas and tips below.

First up for owners of the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad is Pumpkin Cookbook that has more than twenty pumpkin recipes. It has recipes that even allow you to use pumpkin to start the day with Pumpkin Coffee Cake. Other recipes include pumpkin stew for that cold autumn evening to warm you and your friends up. Users of the application have given it favorable reviews and is available on the App Store for $2.99.

Maud’s pumpkin recipes contain fifty different recipes for users of iDevices to enjoy for their Halloween celebrations. The recipes have been adapted so users can easily prepare and cook the dishes that include sweet, savory, and jams. Pumpkin is a low calorie food that only has 21 calories per 100g with a variety of vitamins and minerals. Again this can be found on the App Store for only $0.99/£0.69.

An application that contains over 170,000 recipes is BigOven for iDevices, which contains recipes for many occasions including Halloween. Users can even get ideas what to do with any leftovers, and items can even be checked off a grocery list. Recipes can be viewed offline and the free application is available worldwide on the App Store.

Now the food is sorted Pocket Cocktails + Halloween will get you into the spirit of the occasion. The application has recently been updated and features over 500 popular cocktails and is available on the App Store for $0.99/£0.69. For owners of the iPad there is a HD version that has over 600 food and cocktail recipes, and again can be downloaded via the App Store for $0.99/£0.69.

Finally for our friends in Germany is Happy Halloween Recipes that contains a variety of recipes to celebrate Halloween. Be it freaky meatball spiders or delicious squash recipes there are plenty to try. All the recipes have been created by expert chefs, and recipes can be chosen by category. To find out more and to download hit the App Store. This application is only available in German.

Some people planning a party will just do the normal food that we have come to expect, but why not go all out on All Hallows’ Eve and come up with some wicked recipes? The first app that we have found for you is called “Happy Halloween Recipes” and has a huge range for you to choose from. It’s not only food though, as you can also learn how to make some fiendish cocktails. All recipes are from expert chefs, which are sorted by category to make it easier to search. The cost is just $1.99, more details can be found on iTunes.

Ever wanted to know what to do with all the good stuff that gets carved out of your pumpkin each year, well “Maud’s Pumpkin recipes” can answer that for you. People do not realize that the inside tastes really good and can be used as a jam, or even make a range of cakes and other sweet recipes, which the kids will love.

However, you can go for the more healthy option, as the pumpkin has just 21 calories per 100 grams. There are 50 recipes in this app, and the best part is it’s free. Get more details from iTunes.

We thought we would throw the “Halloween Kids Party And Wallpaper” app in for good measure, as it has everything you need to throw a good Halloween party. Not only are there eBooks and wallpapers available, but also recipes, craft ideas, songs, activities and so much more. Again this is a free app, with more details being available on iTunes.

What do you have planned for Halloween?

With this app you will be able to track more than one child at a time, and if a child has veered away from their allowable perimeter or when they arrive at school or home you will be sent a notification. Children will moan that their parents do not trust them, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

The latest version of this up comes with a number of updates, but the one that stands out is the inclusion of Iconosys’ Guards Up and Latchkey Kid. These geo location technologies will allow for more precise tracking of your child. This does make sense to have something like this installed in your offspring’s handset, as most of them have a smartphone with them at all times.

Trick or tracker is not just for Halloween though, as it can be used throughout the year, but it is that time of the year where you worry about your child the most. The price of the app is just $4.99; we know that this is more expensive than other apps, but you cannot put a price on your child’s safety. However, if you visit www.trickortracker.com on Halloween you can download the app for free.

iPhone Rumors managed to point us in the right direction when it comes to these scary 5th-genertaion iPhone cases, and we now have two sources supplying them, Case Mate and DS Styles. Now the former is more for those on a tighter budget, as they are a more practical price at $24.99. There are just three to choose from, which you can see in the two videos that we have embedded for you below.

DS Styles is another story, as they not only cater for the lower price Halloween cases, but also go up in price for those who are a little easier with their cash. There is a choice of 42 scary iPhone 4S cases. Prices start from just over $17 to just over $200 – a bit of a difference wouldn’t you say?

We have two favorites, one is the Halloween Swarovski Crystal Phone Case at $71.95 and the other is the Murk Series Skull Case, the price is just $17.19.

What does Halloween really stand for, and when you dress up should you not wear a costume that comes from a horror movie? Nightmares are funny things, we’ve all had one and it could’ve been you wearing a fruit bowl on your head, or maybe your hand on a cat and that scary feeling when touching them, and for the smartphone gamer that has just gone cold turkey on Angry Birds, seeing someone walk in to that Halloween party wearing an Angry Birds costume could be the most scary thing they’d ever see next month.

Last year we remember many of our readers wanted to find an Angry Birds Halloween costume for their kids, this year everything has changed. The children can forget about getting that costume, the adults want them now and dressing as a strange red bird or green pig could never be so cool, although those of us who spent those hours doing something more constructive rather than playing Angry Birds would think it’s a little crazy.

The fun part comes when you get to watch those people in the Angry Bird costume trying to drink their favorite juice at the party. Will you be an Angry Bird this Halloween? Product Pages here.

In each title listed below, we will provide a link to each game via the iTunes App Store so you can easily download it just in time for Halloween. If this was trick-or-treat, consider this our “treat.”

Pumpkin Ninja – In all honesty, i’ve never heard of a pumpkin ninja before, so that must mean they are good at keeping in the shadows, although this game could potentially force them out in to the wild this Halloween. Anyway, the idea of this game is to swipe your fingers at falling pumpkins on the screen to become a “true ninja.” 3 fails and it’s game over.

iDrakula – This quite innovating application once downloaded, will send text messages and voicemails to your iPhone that re-tell the story of Dracula, but in a more imaginative kinda way. For instance, one morning you might wake up to find a text message from your “friend” Lucy Westerna complaining that after hanging out with the Count last night, she woke up with “a wicked hickey.” Maybe not one for the Bram Stoker enthusiast, but fun non the less.

SceneIt? Horror – If you don’t know what SceneIt? is, you must have been living under a tombstone for the past decade. SceneIt is a movie triva game that uses media, quotes and puzzles to test you on your film knowledge. This special halloween version will test you on all the greatest horror flicks ever made. Perfect for you horror fans and also great for parties.

Halloween Soundlab – This one is great for those of you who are hosting your own halloween party this year. Forget searching around for last years ‘Halloween Sound Collection CD’ or spending hours finding and downloading a compilation of sounds from the internet. This nifty little app comes with loads of spooky sounds from screams and boiling cauldrons to scary organs, rocking chairs. All you have to do is hook it up to your stereo and you’re done.

Parents Carve-a-Pumpkin – For those of you new to pumpkin carving, you can try out this new app which will show you how to mix and match several design ideas via a virtual pumpkin before trying them for real. You can also send and share your ideas via Facebook and Twitter when you are finished being creative.

True Blood Comics – Currently only a limited series of six issues, the True Blood comics are based on the HBO vampire series and have been adapted for use on the iPhone and iPad. If you are a fan, check these out.

Zombie Smash! – Probably one of our favourite picks this halloween, ZombieSmash! is a survival comedy game that does exactly what it says. You use a range of destructive implements to smash the “living” daylights out of zombies. A perfect stress reliever, or time waster. This one has fun written all over it.

DOOM Resurrection – For those of you who remember DOOM and how much of a big game it turned out to be, this one is for you. Remade for the iPhone, this FPS will have you blowing away all sorts of menacing enemies just by using your smartphone. What a long way we have come since DOOM first appeared on our PC screens.

Halloween Postage – Great app for sending photo’s with a Halloween themed ‘postcard.’ Capture all those glorious moments over Halloween, whether it be your child s first trick-or-treat or a rather embarrassing moment at a drink-fuelled party. This app certainly adds to the occasion.

HauntFinder – If you don’t want to stay at home this halloween and would rather do something a little more ‘realistic,’ look no further than the HauntFinder. An application that hordes an entire online database of the best ‘haunted’ tours or haunted hayrides. Made especially for the halloween extremists, this app will give you haunted locations within a 200-mile radius of your current location.

What is your favourite Halloween app?

Source: PC World