I wouldn’t normally copy and paste directly from a press release announcing a new app but I feel that this one is worth the exception. Emergency Voice has been described as an “app that combines the awesomeness of sparkling unicorns with the usefulness of a spoon.” Besides raising quite a smile from me, that’s actually quite a good way of describing it. For travellers who don’t know the local language while abroad, Emergency Voice certainly has the potential to be as vital to them as a spoon.

It’s an app that contains recordings and writings of 5 different emergency sentences in 80 different languages. In theory this will cover users for a wide variety of situations! Emergency Voice appreciates that there are certain priorities in life so these sentences consist of ‘I need help!’, ‘I need food!’, ‘I need water!’, ‘I am hurt!’ and ‘I need to get to the embassy!’. All the essentials basically.

Emergency Voice is only $0.99 so this is certainly an inexpensive backup plan for travellers this summer.

$1.99

Emergency Voice

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-08-05 :: Category: Travel

This Too Shall Pass is a very unique and special storybook application with versions available for both iPad as well as iPhone. This tale, based on a traditional proverb of the same name and also part of the “Classic World Tales” series by the developers at Moving Tales, is excellent. Languages include Spanish, French, as well as English, and are great for bilingual families as it is intriguing how one can select a language mid-story if one chooses, and one can make his own recording as well.

Said to be inspired by Persian, Buddhist, and Jewish sources, this is a story of a kind, yet disillusioned king who searches for words of wisdom that can relieve him of his melancholy, as he worries that his state of mind may dampen the mood of his kingdom.

Read the full review at GiggleApps.

$4.99

This Too Shall Pass iPhone Edition

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-07-13 :: Category: Books

Learning a new language isn’t much fun when it feels like you’re working. A shame really considering just how useful knowing other languages actually is. Besides being of great use to you when on holiday, it can also be fantastically useful in the workplace too. Fortunately, MindSnacks ensures that learning doesn’t feel like work, instead it feels like a game because that’s exactly what it is. Right down to offering GameCenter support.

The free version of MindSnacks comes with a few levels to ease users in gently teaching skills such as the ability to count to 20 as well as spell each relevant word. Users can then pay $4.99 to unlock the full app which provides six different mini games, 50 levels, over 1400 words and phrases as well as audio clips to help users master the pronunciation too. Crucially, none of it feels like work. It’s fun to do and it’s amazing how quickly users will notice results. I didn’t know a word of Italian and I played the numbers game and found myself quickly memorising everything.

To further encourage users, MindSnacks comes with a levelling up system that keeps track of how well the user is progressing. There’s experience to be gained upon doing well in each activity and the app informs the user of their current accuracy rate on a weekly basis. It all makes for a fantastic sense of satisfaction as users progress and feel as if they’re learning quickly.

All these features also ensure that learning a language with help from MindSnacks never feels like a chore.

The MindSnacks app is available now in Spanish, French and Italian varieties. Hopefully other languages will be available in the future.

The French and Italian app is free to try with a $4.99 in app purchase available to acquire all the levels/lessons and wordlists. While the Spanish app is $4.99 with immediate access to all levels and wordlists.

FREE!

Learn French - MindSnacks

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-02-28 :: Category: Education

FREE!

Learn Italian - MindSnacks

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-05-06 :: Category: Education

FREE!

Learn Spanish - MindSnacks

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-08-09 :: Category: Education