Recent App Reviews
Infinite runners are to action games like Match 3 games are to the puzzle genre: there are a lot of options on the App Store, and so many of them start to feel the same after a while. Thankfully I like the infinite runner style of game play enough that I’m pretty much willing to try any one I can get my hands on, and occasionally I’m still surprised to find one that doesn’t feel just like the rest. Now I’m not suggesting that Ronin does anything revolutionary for the genre, or quite frankly even really evolutionary, but there’s something about it that keeps drawing me back.
"Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time." - Rabindranath TagoreAssessing higher order thinking can be tricky because you and your student may see issues from different perspectives. The safest strategy is to assess the form of the expression rather than it's content.
I never considered frogs to be a very popular subject for video games, but there really are quite a few games staring the lily pad bound amphibians and their desire to eat bugs. Thankfully Mister Frog is a different beast altogether. Yeah you’re still trying to collect bugs with the protagonist’s tongue, but there isn’t a lily pad anywhere to be seen in this game. Plus, the actual game play mechanic is different than any I’ve come across in this sort of game to date. This is another fine example of simple, fun and addictive blending seamlessly together to create a game that probably won’t get the recognition it deserves.
Apple's Airplay technology has reset the expectation bar for ubiquitous, wireless multimedia streaming. However, finding accessories that embrace and enhance the Airplay experience is a challenge. One company, AQ Audio, has entered the market with a wireless speaker that promises easy setup and great audio. Did they deliver on this promise? Read on to find out.
I've seen a number of lists of apps recommended for those lucky individuals who got a new iPhone or iPad from Santa, but CNET's listing strikes me as being the most useful. They include a number of free apps that are my favorites and that I use every day. Let's take a look at some of their recommended apps.
Flipboard — This is likely the most popular aggregator of news and content ever developed for iOS devices. Its interface is gorgeous and intuitive, and very easy to customize to your interests. Many people find it to be their favorite window onto Facebook or news or entertainment or sports, or whatever your interest is.
Google Maps — When Apple dumped Google Maps in favor of its own maps solution, many were disappointed that Apple's effort was missing some of their favorite features, such as transit directions and Google Street View. Fortunately, Google eventually came out with a full-featured version of their app for iOS devices that has almost all the functionality of their highly popular maps app for Android devices.
Well, look what we have here. I discovered this through browsing on Amazon.com. :)
You can now get an AmazonBasics Lightning-compatible cable for only $14.99.
When I upgrade to a future iPad/iPhone with the Lightning connector I am going to grab a couple of these cables. I have a few of the AmazonBasics 30-pin cables for my iPad (3rd) and iPhone 4S - they work perfectly. So, I trust the quality of this new Lightning-compatible cable from them.
“Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.” - Will DurantAssigning projects is a critical point in engaging students in higher order thinking projects with or without iPads. It just has to be done right.
"The hard part of feature design... what to leave out." - Dan BricklinNumbers is one of the most useful and powerful applications you'll use on your Mac, iPad, and iPhone. It is the spreadsheeting component of Apples's office productivity suite iWorks.
I've been asked by several of my readers to post a detailed review of, along with It's Playing and GoodPlayer, the best generic iOS media player, AVPlayer(HD). Below, I provide you with a video / audio / subtitle / container type-dependent list of pros and cons so that you can see whether the player does fulfill your needs or not. While AVPlayer is truly an amazing player, there are some things it's entirely incapable of or where some of the alternatives are considerably better. It's based on this list that you will want to decide whether the player is for you or not, at least when it comes playing back some specific multimedia formats.
Two awesome 99 cent titles this week, and likely my last WIPTW article of 2012, so a happy holidays to everyone, and here is hoping you have a great new year in 2013! Starbase Gunship is a new game from Capital j Media. A stationary 3D shooting game that puts you at the center of the action as enemy ships and incoming weapons head toward your base station. Blasting through and surviving enemy waves will allow you to build up enough creds to update your base firepower and protection levels. Angry Birds Space HD is pig busting in zero-G, and like every other Angry Birds (all of which are currently on sale), powerfully addictive.
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