This week at 148Apps.com, we celebrated the release of Tweetbot, version 2.0. Blake Grundman and Jennifer Allen broke the news, then Carter Dotson wrote the full review. Dotson says, “There are very few apps that someone could say ‘this has been released!’ that I would buy immediately. Tweetbot for iPad was apparently on that list, because as soon as I saw on Twitter that the iPhone/iPod touch Twitter client was now available on iPad, I went out and bought it sight-unseen with an urgency unlike the way I approach many other things in my life.”
Released: 2012-02-08 :: Category: Social Networking
Meanwhile, on Giggleapps, reviewer Amy Solomon took a closer look at interactive storybook The Gnat and the Lion. She says, “My kids (ages 10 and 7) and I listened to the read-aloud story and watched the animated short film together before bedtime. We liked the animation, and watching African animals such as the lion and the rhino encouraged a discussion about African grasslands and the animals that live there. We liked the fact that the words are highlighted as the narrator reads them, which is very helpful for children who are learning to read. We also liked the narrator’s voice and accent and how it tied into the African-themed story.”
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-02-03 :: Category: Books
Finally, at 148Apps.biz, writer Brad Hilderbrand reported on the explosion of app usage during last week’s Super Bowl. Hildebrand states, “Sunday night’s Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and New York Giants was a classic, but according to a new report from Flurry most viewers were just as likely to be staring at their smartphone screen as they were the game. The company used analytics software built into many popular apps to surmise that of the 111 million people watching the Super Bowl, an estimated 98 million spent at least some time futzing with an app.”
Another week down, but don’t forget to stay on top of all things related to the app-nation through us. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest news, reviews and contests right out of the gate. In the immortal words of Garrison Keillor, be well, do good work, and keep in touch. See you next week.
This week at 148Apps, we took your New Year’s resolutions seriously and started our “Health and Fitness” month. Editor Rob LeFebvre writes, “We’ve already taken a look at some apps that help us all acheive our goals, and we plan to continue that trend for the entire month, with personal stories from our crack writing team, continued reviews, and focused features like our Favorite Four.”
Our apps-for-kids site, GiggleApps, offered a review of Odd Spotting. Reviewer Amy Solomon says, “Odd Spotting, developed by Micromicon Media Limit, is an “odd one out” game with 144 levels, the goal of each being to spot the object that is different from all the others in the group. As I began to explore how Odd Spotting works, I couldn’t help but to remember the lyrics from a classic Sesame Street song, “One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn’t belong.”
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-09-21 :: Category: Games
Finally, on 148Apps.biz, writer Jeff Hughes commented on Apple’s recent (and quiet) changes to app categorization on the App Store, saying “Just like Google, when iTunes makes the slightest change to their App Store search algorithm, it has an impact on how many people see your app. The recent changes to the category ordering have also impacted sales for many app vendors for better or worse. Some developers have been helped because their app is now in a category that is displayed higher on the mobile screen…Other developers may be adversely impacted due to the decrease in exposure for their app because their category now appears further down the list.”
And that, my friends, completes our rundown of happenings across the 148Apps network for the week of January 9-13. Keep track of all the latest news, reviews and contests by following us on Twitter or Liking us on Facebook. See you in a week!
Griffin, well known accessory manufacturer, and Crayola, the preeminent name in kid’s crafts, have teamed up before to offer young iPad users some neat stuff. At CES 2012, they are paired up again to showcase cases for iPod touch specifically as well as products for the whole iDevice line.
There are two new Crayola-branded headphones coming for kids: Crayola MyPhones Earbuds come in bright colors with padding for small canals, and MyPhones Headphones sport traditional over-the-head design, come in multicolored options with stickers for customization.
Also in the way of accessories are three new iPod touch cases. Crayola Case Creator sounds like the most fun. Slated to go on sale this spring, at a price of $29.99 the product is part app, part case. The child designs the skin using an app that allows for drawing and other creative tools and then prints out one-of-a-kind art that slides into a Griffin case that affords protection.
Crayola Color Clickers, at $24.99, will offer kids mix-and-match striped pieces, 28 in all, to create a protective and unique look every day. Crayola Crayon Classic Cases make iPods look like very wide flat crayons with the traditional Crayola striping available at the same price.
On the app front, Crayola Lights, Camera, Color HD is already on the app store for $1.99 – it allows kids to take photos and turn them into custom coloring pages, which can then be adorned digitally with crayons, colored pencils, markers, even stickers. Yet to be released, Crayola Sill Face Swaps HD will come with coloring pages, and kids can use existing photos or ones snapped with the iOS device to fill in faces for silly creative fun.
This week at 148Apps.com, we opened the floodgates for the 2011 Best App Ever Awards. Site founder Jeff Scott writes, “In its fourth year, the Best App Ever awards is a people’s choice awards for apps. Last year over 500,000 votes were cast in the quest to find the best apps, not just the best selling. This year it’s back bigger and better than ever. In a big change this year, not just iOS but also Android applications and games are up for nomination in the awards competition. Users can nominate their favorite apps and games in any of the multiple categories by heading to the app nomination page and choosing a category.”
Over at GiggleApps, our site dedicated to reviewing the latest apps for kids, reviewer Amy Solomon took a closer look at the new Charlie Brown Christmas App, saying, “It is lovely that children can decorate their own tree with included ornaments and other decorations, as well as a few that must be earned by finding all the hidden items as accomplishments. This area is found on the first title page of the book and can easily be overlooked as one starts to read. Please look for it. I am also smitten with the last page of this app where the characters are all shown with image and name, and a tap letting readers hear the line they are most noted for in this story, a great section for me to go over with my son as he is new to these characters.”
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-11-17 :: Category: Entertainment
Finally, AndroidRundown writer Carter Dotson published a commentary regarding the recent CarrierIQ revelations. Dotson says, “Some of the fallout is settling from the explosive Carrier IQ revelations – naturally, most parties involved are denying any kind of wrongdoing, or even that their tools are even installed at all on the phones. Apps to search for the existence of the tools on phones now exist. As well, apparently even Carrier IQ was found on iOS devices, although Apple has pledged to remove them in a future iOS software update. Interestingly, one researcher has found that the software likely isn’t sending vast swaths of user personal information back to carriers and manufacturers, although there are still some questions about the data that is being recorded by Carrier IQ tools. In fact, a lot of this data may be used for benign purposes such as determining where phone calls are being dropped, rather than any kind of purpose of spying on user information.”
We’re done for this week. But next week brings us that much closer to Christmas, and closer to the new year. Keep informed by liking our Facebook page and following us on Twitter. Jingle on your merry way….and see you next week.
Remember making Christmas present lists as a kid? In a way, it was the most exciting part of Christmas. All that anticipation of working out exactly what deserved to be on the list and the preciouse hope that Santa would buy all of the items.
Pen and paper seem to be increasingly going out of fashion, but now people can create personalized Wish Lists to share with friends, family and Santa via Amazon Santa! Yup, Amazon is so popular, even Santa is using it for some gifts.
Amazon Santa offers all the functionality of the Wish List feature on the site but in a simplistic way that’s ideal for children. Kids can browse more than 500,000 family-friendly toys, games, books, music, video games, movies and TV shows, adding items at the tap of the screen.
Parents can then review and edit the Wish List, sharing it via email with anyone they want such as grandparents, siblings or family friends. It’s secure too, with Wish Lists only viewable by the contacts that parents select.
Amazon Santa is a modern interpretation of a tried and tested part of Christmas. It’s out now for the iPad and it’s free.
This week at 148Apps.com was all about the US celebration of Thanksgiving, and the inevitable retail aftermath known as Black Friday. Rather than fight the crowds, 148Apps founder Jeff Scott put together a comprehensive Black Friday app sale list that continues to grow, and grow and grow. Scott says, “App sales are nothing new, but the biggest of the year is here, and we’ll be tracking the best of the sale apps right here. Expect lots of updates over the weekend.”
Jeff Scott also invited faithful 148Apps.biz readers to attend the upcoming AppNation III conference, saying, “Want to attend AppNation III? 148Apps network readers can get a 30% discount on the registration fee by using code 148APPS on the registration page.”
Meanwhile, at AndroidRundown, site editor Rob LeFebvre celebrated the release of Disney interactive’s Where’s My Water? for the Android platform. LeFebvre writes, “Android has been part of the plan since the development of Where’s My Water? for the iPhone crowd. In fact, the game was originally developed with C++, to make it easier to port to Android. The challenge, he said, is making sure the game is the same high quality experience across the myriad devices represented by Google’s hip operating system.”
Finally, on our parent-friendly GiggleApps site, Amy Solomon reviewed Don’t Let The Pigeon Run This App! Solomon writes, “I love these books. Pigeon can be cheeky, and my son has used pigeons’s one-liners, such as offering to “Give you five bucks” himself to try to stay up late. For this reason, some parents may feel that this pigeon is a bad influence on children, but I love the idea of my son practicing his ability to say “no” to this scheming pigeon as I want him to be prepared to stand his ground later in life when he is confronted by peer pressure, and I want him to recognize when he is being manipulated.”
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-10-27 :: Category: Books
And that’s a wrap for this Thanksgiving week! But don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook to get the latest news, reviews and contests. See you next time!
This week at 148Apps.com, site founder Jeff Scott welcomed the Kindle Fire into the tablet fold with an overview of his impressions of the device. Scott says, “…while the Kindle Fire is around 40 percent the cost of a base level iPad, it’s capabilities are even less. It just so happens that those capabilities match up well with what a typical consumer uses a tablet device for. Because of that, the Kindle Fire will be a strong competitive device to the iPad. When it comes down to it, it’s the cost that matters to a very large portion of the buying public, not the capabilities.”
Meanwhile, our sister site, GiggleApps, took a closer look at a new educational app for children, iLuv Drawing Animals. Reviewer Amy Solomon writes, “iLuv Drawing Animals is a nice choice for kids who are interested in learning the very basics of drawing cartoony animals that are cute and relatively easy to draw. I like how these illustrations are broken down into smaller shapes that kids will easily understand and have had experience with, and the narration is pleasant and easy to follow.”
iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-10-10 :: Category: Education
Finally, on AndroidRundown, Carter Dotson announced the public availability of Google Music, an interesting development for all music lovers, no matter the device. Dotson writes, “Most importantly, this means that Google is now in the business of one of the big pillars of media, and it addresses a gaping hole in the Android Market. With videos and books already addressed, now the store is complete with music to go along with apps. Google is directly putting themselves in competition with iTunes, and they are making their operating system much closer in terms of features to iOS devices. This was a necessary move for Google.”
As we head into the week of Thanksgiving here in the US, remember that you can still enter to win an iPhone 4S, courtesy of 148Apps and Gameloft. To enter, just become a 148Apps and Gameloft Facebook fan – www.facebook.com/gameloft and www.facebook.com/148apps.
Or you can follow both of us on Twitter as well at www.twitter.com/148apps and www.twitter.com/gameloft. Then, write the following public tweet: “Upgrade to a 4S yet? Follow @Gameloft & @148Apps & RT for a chance to win an iPhone 4S! Gameloft gaming on the 4S: http://glft.co/uIR3Y1″
See you next week, true believers! Start thawing that turkey!
We’re heading towards the holidays, and this week at 148Apps.com we premiered a new Gameloft contest for the ultimate holiday gift – a brand spankin’ new iPhone 4S. To enter, just become a 148Apps and Gameloft Facebook fan – www.facebook.com/gameloft and www.facebook.com/148apps.
Or you can follow both of us on Twitter as well at www.twitter.com/148apps and www.twitter.com/gameloft. Then, write the following public tweet: “Upgrade to a 4S yet? Follow @Gameloft & @148Apps & RT for a chance to win an iPhone 4S! Gameloft gaming on the 4S: http://glft.co/uIR3Y1″
Our GiggleApps sister site featured a new review of Transport Jigsaw Puzzles 123 for iPad from writer Amy Solomon. She writes, “Transport Jigsaw Puzzles 123 for iPad is the terrific sequel to the original app, Farm Jigsaw Puzzles 123 for iPad. Seven scenes are included here that wonderfully introduce many vehicles and means of transportation, both traditional and unique, as well as a very fun, puzzle experience with the choice of using 2 to 16 puzzle pieces per scene and include hints if needed. There is also an iPhone version of this app available with 5 puzzle scenes included.”
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-09-30 :: Category: Games
Finally, on 148Apps.biz, site founder Jeff Scott recapped his recent visit to the Sprint Open Solutions Conference, saying, “During the keynote from CEO Dan Hesse, he mentioned many times how great it was to have the iPhone on Sprint now (and to no longer have to answer the question of when they would get the iPhone). The addition of the iPhone 4 and 4S should allow Sprint to have their best year ever this year. Needing to have just one million adds to reach that record level. The iPhone should easily help them retain users and gain new ones.”
This week at 148Apps, once we were all finished with our Halloween and post-Halloween merriment, writer Lisa Caplan explored the vast landscape of camera replacement apps for the iPhone. Caplan writes, “Apple has done a lot to improve the native camera app with iOS 5 and lucky iPhone 4S owners are already taking the highest quality iPhone images ever. But, even with the tune up, many of the most requested features from manual adjustments to photo bursts, darkroom effects to more sharing options (Facebook anyone?) are still lacking. But, the app store is filled with alternatives so this week we look at our favorite four camera replacement apps.”
Over at our kid’s apps headquarters, GiggleApps, Amy Solomon took a closer look at an innovative 3D comic book called The Gwaii. Solomon states, “This app does have some 3D effects as well that are best seen as one moves the device, looking at the additional angles that this provides. The 3D here is effective but somewhat overly sensitive to touch and there have been moments that I wish I would have turned this element off, trying to keep my hand steady to minimize the screen movements. I think this effect may be a distraction for some children, while others may really enjoy this effect.”
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-07-18 :: Category: Books
Finally, AndroidRundown featured an article by Carter Dotson that attempted to address the iOS versus Android ongoing argument head-on. Dotson says, “The thing to remember, though, is that Android and iOS are different in their very natures. iOS is a piece of Apple software, following Apple principles; it is designed to run on specific hardware. That is a big part of why the experience is often smoother. Android is designed to run on many, many forms of hardware, not just what Google has intended for it to run on. Yes, Google has their stock devices that run a pure Android, but Android is meant to be something bigger, and not as something tailored to one set of hardware. That Android is on the caliber of Android is impressive.”
That is the week that was. What started with Halloween ended with the first onslaught of holiday commercials on television, so keep your eye on 148Apps.com and our Facebook and Twitter streams for the latest reviews and helpful hints to get you through the holiday season. See you next week, readers!
Crayola, the most familiar name in children’s craft projects, has teamed with accessory maker Griffin to release Trace and Draw. This accessory turns an iPad 2 into an interactive drawing studio for young aspiring artists with the help of the free Trace and Draw app.
The casing is kid-proof, allowing parents to relax if the child applies too much pressure to the screen or drops the device. This creative toy, just in time for holiday shopping, is recommended for children ages three and up and includes a black Crayola fine line marker and 50 sheets of specially sized tracing paper. A special screen shield protects it from damages and smudges, and the case becomes a storage unit when not in use.
Trace and Draw for iPad 2 can be found in Apple Stores for $39.99 and the app is currently available on the App Store. Let us know how you like it if you pick it up for a small one in your own life.
This week at 148Apps, site editor Rob LeFebvre interviewed Jeremiah Slaczka, creative director behind the mind-blowingly original (and long-awaited) Scribblenauts Remix on iOS. Slaczka says, “…I really like the iOS setup. It is concise and accessible to anyone who wants to develop for it, which has really changed handheld development. We will definitely be working more on this platform.”
Meanwhile, over at GiggleApps, reviewer Amy Solomon took a closer look at another open-ended and creative game, but this time for children. Toca Store, “Transforms one’s device into a department store where kids can take turns playing both shopkeeper as well as patron. This app opens up to a store before the doors open, giving kids the chance to peruse a catalogue of product choices that they can sell in their store, that range from food stuff – both fresh produce as well as packaged foods, home goods like a hair dryer or fabric softener, and a nice selection of toys.”
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-10-06 :: Category: Games
Last, but certainly not least, Android Rundown celebrated the arrival (at last) of universal native screen capture. Carter Dotson writes, “According to Android Police, Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) will support this function universally by tapping volume down and lock simultaneously. This will be a dramatic help to anyone taking screen captures, as I’ve even heard from newcomers to Android development used to iOS development where screen capture is a breeze that there’s just no easy way to take screenshots. No longer!”
The time has come to bid farewell to yet another week, but fortunately there’s more good stuff heading your way next week. Check in with our Facebook or Twitter feeds to get the latest news, reviews and contests. Till next week…adios amigos.
This week at 148Apps, we celebrated the release of iOS 5 in style, providing guidance on setting up the now-iCloud-friendly device in a home with multiple computers, multiple iPhones and multiple iTunes accounts. 148Apps founder Jeff Scott writes, “If you have multiple iTunes accounts, you can sign in and out of the different accounts without issue from the Store settings. That is unless you turn on automatic downloads. New to iOS 5 are automatic downloads for the iTunes Store for Apps, Books, and Music. If this device only uses the one account, it’s safe to turn on any of these that you wish. But, turning this on will lock this device to this iTunes account for 90 days. So if multiple accounts are used, do not turn on automatic downloads.”
Read all of this need-to-know info on 148Apps.com.
Meanwhile, on sister site GiggleApps, Amy Solomon reviewed an app sure to help your child become more adept with the alphabet, while also cultivating them into kiddie foodies. Solomon says that ABC Food is, “the latest and possibly greatest app from Peapod Labs’s series of ABC apps focused on both letter recognition as well as teaching about a specific topic, be it animals, music, modes of transportation or sports and includes the use of beautifully detailed photographs, videos from Youtube and sometimes fun facts as well. ABC Food includes a new feature to this series as this app contains fun interactions for each food highlighted within this application.”
Read the full review with a quick click over to GiggleApps.
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-09-02 :: Category: Education
Data was the name of the game on 148Apps.biz. Rob LeFebvre writes that, “App search company Xylogic has released 220 app download reports from 29 different countries in order to provide partners with a huge amount of data to be used in decision making process across app publishers, developers and the like. The data is sortable across countries and mobile app platforms, including iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.”
Read what all of this data could mean for you on 148Apps.biz.
That’s the long and short of it for this week. Keep watching our Twitter and Facebook feeds for lots of news, updates and contests. See you next week, crimefighters!
Simple to use, this app opens up with a row of letters, A-Z, found on the top of the screen, which can be scrolled through with a finger, tapping a letter to choose. A window center screen is the focus here, where one will view these impeccably done letter videos. The background used can also be transformed with a tap to a number of vivid patterns, bold textures, or colors each unique to itself. An artist’s easel can also be touched to bring the player to a section of the app which allows children to trace the letter in question…
It’s a problem that many parents face: how to encourage their kids to complete useful chores and tasks. The carrot and stick idea is a good one, encouraging kids to do things in exchange for eventual rewards. This is exactly why parents for years have organized sticker charts to give the youngsters a goal to attain. Once upon a time, my parents would give me a gold star every time I completed a chore with the promise of a toy He-Man: Masters of the Universe sword once I completed the chart.
Technology has moved on and so has the way that sticker charts are completed. So we come to Sticker Quest, a new app that parents and children can play together, creating daily chores and giving kids an everyday list of quests to complete such as brushing their teeth, tidying their room or simply drawing a picture of a dinosaur. Kids can then collect stickers for every task/quest they complete as well as level up to unlock new characters.
It’s a pretty fun sounding concept to me and one that kind of sounds like a child’s version of EpicWin which certainly did wonders to my motivation!
Realising that the world is a globe and thus in theory someone on the other side of the world is in the exact same spot as I am now is a very odd thing to get to grips with. Written down it sounds a little like madness so it’s no wonder that once upon a time people thought the world was flat. After all, if there’s no easy opportunity to travel the world, how could anyone realise that actually the world doesn’t stop at a certain point?
That brief, bordering on philosophical piece of rambling aside, Dig2China provides its users with the opportunity to see exactly where they would be if they were able to dig a hole through to the other side of the earth right that second. The phone vibrates as it ‘tunnels’ its way through the planet in order to surface at the other side.
Once the app pinpoints the new location, fun facts like the current time, weather and official language are shown plus there’s a Wikipedia link for further information. Dig2China makes for an ideal yet fun geography app for young and old.
This week at 148Apps.com, iOS helped all of us come just a little closer to cutting the omnipresent power of our cable companies, as TNT, TBS and NBC released full-length versions of many of their shows via iOS apps. Rob LeFebvre writes, “While (the TNT and TBS apps) may not be as earth shattering as the news from NBC, you can bet that we are witnessing a new paradigm in television viewing. Apparently, being able to create and control their own portal to their own television content has these companies, and no doubt others to soon follow suit, creating the cable-cord-free future we have all wanted from the outset. While the TNT and TBS offerings still require at least a financial link to cable television companies, the NBC announcement leaves no doubt that TV as we know it is changing forever.”
iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-09-08 :: Category: Entertainment
Over at our sister site GiggleApps, reviewer Amy Solomon took a closer look at Arthur and Charles Present Create & Play, a collection of virtual toys for children. Solomon states, “Four sections are offered in this app, my personal favorite being Face Creator, where the player builds wonderfully whimsical cartoon faces from the 178 parts offered arranged into such categories that go beyond the obvious hair/eyes/nose/mouth choices including eyewear, headwear and extras. According to the developers, over 400 billion different characters can be created and after playing with the plethora of options offered, I believe it.”
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-08-09 :: Category: Games
And finally, AndroidRundown stalwart writer Carter Dotson reported on what it takes to transition a top-grossing iOS game to the Android platform. Dotson says, “Tap Zoo has been one of the biggest successes on iOS that hasn’t really been talked about. In the past year since its release, the game has been on the top 10 of the iOS App Store’s Top Grossing charts for 48 of those 52 weeks. Now, the game is making the big jump to other platforms, and first on the list of non-iOS platforms? Android, of course! As one could probably infer, this means that Tap Zoo is now on Android!”
And with that, we end our weekly wrap-up. But fear not; there’s always all sorts of new content appearing across all of the 148Apps network of sites. Keep track of all the latest happenings (and participate in a giveaway and contest or two) by following us on Twitter and Facebook. See you next week!
This week at 148Apps, writer Gianna LaPin continued the 500,000 Apps Interview Series by chatting with Colin Lynch of Freeverse. Lynch says, “There are plenty of skill-sets that are helpful in creating great apps and great games. An eye for design, an ability to analyze the market and spot opportunities, speed of thought and action to take advantage of those opportunities, great coding skills, flexibility to work around problems or change directions when events warrant.”
Over at our kid-centric sister site GiggleApps, reviewer Amy Solomon took a thorough look at Practice Book, a new iPad app that uses a familiar connect-the-dot approach to helping children learn letters and words. Solomon writes, “Because my son is new to creating letters, this is an app we work on together. I may demonstrate the correct way to connect the dots in terms of the up or down motions commonly used to make letters or give him simple instructions that he can follow by himself. Sometimes I hold his hand and together we trace over template in the hope that his muscle memory for writing these letters will develop. We often use a stylus as well to get used to holding a pencil to write.”
iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-07-28 :: Category: Education
And at Android Rundown, Carter Dotson comments on the new that iOS superhit Instagram is coming to the Android platform…sort of…maybe…one day. He writes, “Instagram’s CEO Kevin Systrom has announced that an Android version of their photo sharing service is “on the horizon” for Android. The app is very close to being real, as they don’t even have a team assembled to develop the app for Android. That is also sarcastic.”
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-10-06 :: Category: Photography
Finally, here in the states, it’s the Labor Day weekend. That means scads of sales on tons of apps. Keep up to date with the latest and greatest changes by visiting our Huge Labor Day Weekend Price Drop Round-Up. There are great deals to be had, and some amazing games to play in between bites of char-broiled goodness.
That’s it for this week. Want to know the latest and greatest news about everything happening in the iOS world, including giveaways and contests? Join us on our Twitter and Facebook streams. You’ll be glad you did. See you next week!
Harold and the Purple Crayon is a wondrous and thoughtful adaptation of the classic 1955 children’s book of the same name that had been developed into an interactive storybook, now a universal application.
I remember Harold and the Purple Crayon from my childhood and have shared this story with my son as well. Few children’s books that I can think of beg to be turned into an interactive storybook as much as this one does, and I have been eagerly waiting for this to be developed into a universal app, knowing that at some point this was bound to happen.
I am very eager to introduce this app to readers who may not know of its existence. It is the perfect experience that I expected with every element thoughtfully conceived, making this book a joy to share with my son.
Jack and the Beanstalk by Mindshapes is a nicely done universal interactive storybook with wonderful animation and interactions included.
Based on the classic tale of the same name, the caliber of animation used here is very impressive. These images are bright and colorful, with stylings so great that they make me reminisce about the works of Genndy Tartakovsky, known for his brilliant cartoons shown on the Cartoon Network during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Lola’s Fruit Shop Sudoku is a very nice application simplifying the classic game Sudoku and adding a nice fruit theme which creates a version that kids and adults will enjoy. Both iPhone and iPad versions of this application are available, and there is an impressive choice of languages to choose from, specially English, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Finnish, Japanese, Korean and simplified Chinese.
I really enjoy this app and the changes made from the traditional game of Sudoku to make it easier and more enjoyable for kids as early as four years, as well as beyond in the more difficult sections. This application is part of the “Lola” series of apps starring lovable panda Lola, who keeps a watchful eye on the users, adding bits of narration about her love of fruit as well as encouraging the players throughout these games.
Kids want to participate in social networking as much as everyone else. After all, it’s fun. For young children though, it’s not always as safe as it should be on the likes of Facebook and other social networking tools hence the age limit that’s put in place. While parents can take the option of creating a heavily secured account and monitor their every move, a more fun alternative is something like Vikido.
It’s an app that allows kids to create audio, video or picture based content that can then be shared instantly with their parents. The parents can then choose exactly who gets to view such work. Close contacts from a limited list is possible or it can be shared via Facebook. Ultimately, it’s an app that allows kids freedom but adults the ability to protect their offspring.
Besides the publishing side of things, parents can also choose to ‘love’ rather than ‘like’ the creations and comment on things too.
Vikido looks like a halfway house towards allowing children to use more comprehensive social networking tools, and could be a great way of testing the water so to speak while keeping everyone happy.
It’s out now and it’s everyone’s favorite price: free.
Loopy Tunes is a very interesting universal musical application, allowing players to layer different instrumental sounds and the like together to create unique musical pieces.
It is nice how both individual sounds that play once when tapped are included, as well as many looping sounds and bits of music that play continuously until silenced with a touch.
This app opens to the lovely view of what is reminiscent of a vintage radio or television face, which includes a top and bottom row of sections that one can tap. The top row involves eight areas that play individual sounds with the touch of a finger. Note the left bottom of the screen where five small yellow knob-like button selections are offered. As one explores here, the top row of individual sounds will change from a series of milk jugs, piano notes, and different instrument options as well as a group of abstract sounds, all of which make a single sound when tapped.
Apolline & Leon is a lovely and fun interactive universal storybook app that kids and adults will enjoy. This app includes an impressive nine languages, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese, making this an excellent app for bilingual families or for those who may want to expose their children to the sounds of a different language. One can listen to narration or choose not to, and I like that a summary of pages is also included – always a nice addition.
Doodle Grub has carved a nice niche in the market offering Snake style action with a cutesy twist on the concept, making for an ideal game for younger players. Already offering a series of different themes and musical tracks, it’s just been updated to offer even more theme songs to listen to while playing.
Action is of the tilting variety with players helping the Doodle Grub navigate around the stage in order to eat apples and grow ever larger. It’s so cutesy that there’s even just been a new comic strip blog released featuring the adorable snake within the game. The comic is available over at Doodlegrub-comic.com and is bound to entertain kids. Updates are promised on a weekly basis
Check out the trailer for Doodle Grub below. It even features a ridiculously cute kitten!
Doodle Grub is available now. It’s a free app with a $0.99 in-app purchase available to unlock all features.
Toca Boca Robot Lab is the new and original universal app and “digital toy” that kids of all ages as well as parents will enjoy.
This new Toca Boca app allows players to create their own robot from a series of creative and interesting scrap pieces or metal and other industrial materials. Although many pieces are ultimately available to choose from, kids will have a choice of three head, body, and leg selections each session, as well as left and right arms, mixing or matching, or however the player chooses.
I really enjoy that the robot lab building area takes place in a corrugated box, and that the robot pieces to choose from are recycled bits from other machines that adults will be familiar with, such as old radios, coffee machines, sinks, the electronic eye from a surveillance camera or incandescent bulb, giving the players a way of viewing these bits of scrap in a new way, transforming them into pieces of a new robot.
This week at 148Apps, Tweetbot was on a roll, a new storybook app joined the fold, and - oops - apps broke the Super Bowl. There's more to read, so get to it!
:: WELL-BUILT MACHINE
Finally, at 148Apps.biz, writer Brad Hilderbrand reported on the explosion of app usage during last week’s Super Bowl. Hildebrand states, “Sunday night’s Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and New York Giants was a classic, but according to a new report from Flurry most viewers were just as likely to be staring at their smartphone screen as they were the game. The company used analytics software built into many popular apps to surmise that of the 111 million people watching the Super Bowl, an estimated 98 million spent at least some time futzing with an app.”
:: ENCOURAGING
Finally, on 
Griffin, well known accessory manufacturer, and Crayola, the preeminent name in kid’s crafts, have 
This week at 
Finally, 
Remember making Christmas present lists as a kid? In a way, it was the most exciting part of Christmas. All that anticipation of working out exactly what deserved to be on the list and the preciouse hope that Santa would buy all of the items. 
This week at 148Apps.com was all about the US celebration of Thanksgiving, and the inevitable retail aftermath known as Black Friday. Rather than fight the crowds, 148Apps founder 
This week at 
Finally, on AndroidRundown, 
We’re heading towards the holidays, and this week at 
Finally, on 
This week at 
Simple to use, this app opens up with a row of letters, A-Z, found on the top of the screen, which can be scrolled through with a finger, tapping a letter to choose. A window center screen is the focus here, where one will view these impeccably done letter videos. The background used can also be transformed with a tap to a number of vivid patterns, bold textures, or colors each unique to itself. An artist’s easel can also be touched to bring the player to a section of the app which allows children to trace the letter in question…
It’s a problem that many parents face: how to encourage their kids to complete useful chores and tasks. The carrot and stick idea is a good one, encouraging kids to do things in exchange for eventual rewards. This is exactly why parents for years have organized sticker charts to give the youngsters a goal to attain. Once upon a time, my parents would give me a gold star every time I completed a chore with the promise of a toy He-Man: Masters of the Universe sword once I completed the chart.
Realising that the world is a globe and thus in theory someone on the other side of the world is in the exact same spot as I am now is a very odd thing to get to grips with. Written down it sounds a little like madness so it’s no wonder that once upon a time people thought the world was flat. After all, if there’s no easy opportunity to travel the world, how could anyone realise that actually the world doesn’t stop at a certain point?
turned into an interactive storybook as much as this one does, and I have been eagerly waiting for this to be developed into a universal app, knowing that at some point this was bound to happen.
Jack and the Beanstalk by Mindshapes is a nicely done universal interactive storybook with wonderful animation and interactions included.
I really enjoy this app and the changes made from the traditional game of Sudoku to make it easier and more enjoyable for kids as early as four years, as well as beyond in the more difficult sections. This application is part of the “Lola” series of apps starring lovable panda Lola, who keeps a watchful eye on the users, adding bits of narration about her love of fruit as well as encouraging the players throughout these games.
Kids want to participate in social networking as much as everyone else. After all, it’s fun. For young children though, it’s not always as safe as it should be on the likes of Facebook and other social networking tools hence the age limit that’s put in place. While parents can take the option of creating a heavily secured account and monitor their every move, a more fun alternative is something like Vikido. 
It is nice how both individual sounds that play once when tapped are included, as well as many looping sounds and bits of music that play continuously until silenced with a touch.
Russian, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese, making this an excellent app for bilingual families or for those who may want to expose their children to the sounds of a different language. One can listen to narration or choose not to, and I like that a summary of pages is also included – always a nice addition.
Doodle Grub has carved a nice niche in the market offering Snake style action with a cutesy twist on the concept, making for an ideal game for younger players. Already offering a series of different themes and musical tracks, it’s just been updated to offer even more theme songs to listen to while playing.
Toca Boca Robot Lab is the new and original universal app and “digital toy” that kids of all ages as well as parents will enjoy.
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