How the iphone and ipad make them better dancers

Hough: “Because I’m choreographing the dance and I’m also in it, I need to see what we’re doing. I need a third eye. Using the iphone or ipad to record is crucial. After I teach her the routines, I can view the video to see what I can’t see when I’m dancing with her, and e-mail her the video. I used to use a video camera, which now seems so old-fashioned, because the iphone can do much more. It’s with me all the time, it’s high-definition, and I can e-mail directly from the device.”

Menounos watches the videos at the end of the night, while relaxing in an Epsom salt bath. “It’s a learning tool. I say, ‘Why did I bend that leg? The arm is supposed to be somewhere else.’ ”

The pair make frequent iphone videos, which are posted online, aimed at getting viewers to vote to keep them in the Stars competition.