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- iLearnWith Poko: Seasons and Weather! HD – Promo Code Giveaway
- PadGadget Daily App Deal – 16 iPad Apps on Sale
- College iPad Usage Grows Faster Than Expected
- Camera Boost – iPad 2 App Review
- NBA Jam for iPad Available Now
- Final Fantasy III for iPad Just Released
- Dog Pile HD – iPad Game Review
- iPad and iPhone Location Tracking: Apparently Just a Bug
- Writings 1.2 for iPad – App Review
- Real Racing 2 HD 1080p Video-Out Update Available Now
- Robot Tycoon- iPad Game Review
| iLearnWith Poko: Seasons and Weather! HD – Promo Code Giveaway Posted: 21 Apr 2011 09:59 PM PDT
Kids learn facts about the weather and seasons as they listen to clues and identify different situations and conditions. When players start the app, they are instructed to pick the photo album (level 1), camera (level 2) or calendar (level 3). Each of the three levels focuses on a different subject like identifying weather conditions, recognizing inappropriate clothing or matching weather conditions with activities. The iLearnWith Poko: Seasons and Weather! HD is a great educational tool for young kids. Not only does it help them learn to identify different weather situations, but teaches them appropriate clothing and activities for a range of conditions. iLearnWith features include:
If you've got three to six year-olds interested in learning about weather and having some fun while doing it, iLearnWith Poko: Seasons and Weather! HD is a great choice. You can download it from the App Store for $2.99. We have 5 promo codes to give away and entering our contest is easy! Just follow the directions below and maybe you’ll be a winner. Enter via Twitter in two easy steps
Five lucky winners will be selected at random to receive a iLearnWith Poko: Seasons and Weather! HD promo code. You can enter as many times as you like and the contest ends Saturday, April 23rd @ 11:59pm Central Time. » Related posts:
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| PadGadget Daily App Deal – 16 iPad Apps on Sale Posted: 21 Apr 2011 08:59 PM PDT
For today’s Daily Deal we’ve found 16 great apps to add to your iPad collection. We have a productivity app, an entertainment app and 14 games in today’s bundle. We used our PadGadget Apps Tracker to find these great deals and we’ll continue to look for the best app deals as they pop-up. Some of these apps are up to 90% off, so be sure to check them out because they are on sale for a limited time.
We use our PadGadget Apps Tracker to constantly monitor the App Store to find the biggest price changes on iPad apps. Our editorial team goes through the data, picks the best deals on the most interesting apps and then brings them to you on a regular basis. All app prices are checked at the time of posting but prices are subject to change without notice. When developers put their games on sale it’s usually for a very limited time, often 24 hours or less, so be sure to check pricing on iTunes before making a purchase. » Related posts:
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| College iPad Usage Grows Faster Than Expected Posted: 21 Apr 2011 07:13 PM PDT
The report written as a result of the survey informs us that although e-books, textbooks specifically, are rapidly growing in popularity, they are still not part of the typical students' backpack. Of the 655 college students surveyed, 75% still prefer using physical textbooks over e-books (National Association of College Stores, March 2011). Surprisingly however, the use of the iPad and other similar devices as an e-reader has grown faster than expected, almost doubling in the past few months. Although the most commonly owned e-reader was the Amazon Kindle, the iPad and Kindle split the interest of students looking to buy a new device. As a college student myself, I have some insight into the inner workings of the modern textbook dilemma. Personally, if I was presented with the choice to have all of my textbooks on an iPad, I would say "What's the catch?" My choice is, of course, biased because of my nerdy nature, but before reading the study done by OnCampus Research I would have ventured a guess that more college students would want all their books on an iPad. The reasons that could prohibit the seemingly desirable portability and ease of e-textbooks probably include availability and lack of knowing the option exists. Most college classes are extremely specific about which edition of textbooks they require. Although there are an increasing number of books on the iTunes store, the availability factor for a 7th edition astronomy textbook may not be as big of a concern as something like Moby Dick, at least not yet. To add to the cause of the low numbers, many students don't even consider using iPads as a way to have all their textbooks in one place, but rather purely for their entertainment value. It will take time for students to seriously regard iPads as dedicated e-readers as well, and the data presented by OnCampus Research shows that this day is rapidly approaching. Photo credit: Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame » Related posts:
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| Camera Boost – iPad 2 App Review Posted: 21 Apr 2011 04:59 PM PDT
The thing that makes this app so special is that it allows you to enhance your image in real time. There is no need to make the adjustments in post-processing. You can see what your image will look like before you take the picture. If you don't like what you see, you can change the effects or move to a more suitable location to take your photo. I've taken pictures with my iPhone that were too dark and assumed I could adjust later with one of my many camera editing apps, only to find out that increasing the brightness didn't fix the problem. With Camera Boost, you can adjust the brightness first and relocate yourself or your subject in order to get the perfect shot.
You can save the picture to your photo album, email it, add it to your Flickr stream or post it to Facebook. The images save in the app and do not bog down your camera roll with failed attempts. You can easily delete the duds without having to leave the app. What I liked: The features are easy to use and fun to play around with. If the subject of your photo is either a very patient person or an inanimate object, you could spend hours trying out all of the features. The camera loads just as fast as the native iPad camera app and does not lose any of the precious-little pixels of the camera technology. The zoom alone is worth turning this app into your main camera app. What I didn't like: You can't select more than one photo at a time, which could be a time saver if you want to send multiple pictures at once. Also, there is no support for the video camera, which, in my opinion, would be a lot more fun than still shots. To buy or not to buy: At only $2.99 this is a must-have for iPad 2 owners. There is no reason this app should not be in your photography arsenal.
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| NBA Jam for iPad Available Now Posted: 21 Apr 2011 04:32 PM PDT
The original NBA Jam is a basketball arcade game developed by Midway in 1993, which set the mark for a whole new genre of sports games back in the 1990s. Now, that same action-packed game-play joins the iPad. NBA Jam has been a blast to play on the iPhone. But, on the larger iPad display it will be even better to play. In case you’re not familiar with NBA Jam, the key feature has always been the exaggerated nature of the game-play. NBA players play way above the normal level, jumping many times above their own height, throwing down slam dunks that definitely defy the laws of physics. The game is pure action. There are no fouls, normal violations or free throws.
Get ready for the full action, amazing graphics, the over-the-top, high-flying, 2-on-2 arcade basketball action just like you should remember it from the classic arcade game days. EA has also added local multi-player support, so that you can go head-to-head against your friends on iPhone/iPod touch or iPad via local WiFi and Bluetooth. I can honestly say that NBA Jam was great on the iPhone, but with the iPad larger screen it becomes a must download. If you’re not sure about getting the game, you can always download the recently released lite (free) version and give it a try. NBA Jam for the iPad is available now for $9.99. » Related posts:
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| Final Fantasy III for iPad Just Released Posted: 21 Apr 2011 03:24 PM PDT
Turn-based role-playing games fans, rejoice, as Square-Enix just released the iPad version of its 1990 hit Final Fantasy III. Final Fantasy III was the first title of the Final Fantasy series to sell a million copies, and helped popularize turned-based, japanese-style role-playing games across the globe. The story of the game revolves around four orphans drawn to a crystal of light, that grants them some of its power, and instructs them to restore balance to the world. The gameplay of Final Fantasy III combines elements coming directly from the first two Final Fantasy, as it keep the same turn-based combat system. The game is also the first one to feature an auto-targeting system, for physical attacks after a friendly or enemy unit is killed. As usual with a Final Fantasy game, expect an extremely rich story, with several plot twists. The game will keep you entertained for 20+ hours, thanks to a large world to explore, many quests to complete, the ability to summon powerful creatures such as Ifrit and Bahamut, and most importantly, thanks to the game’s unique job system that allows you to change the classes of your characters, including Knight, Thief, Ninja, White Mage, and many others.
The iPad version of the game also takes advantage of the device’s added real estate and 3D capabilities, and the game is simply stunning, especially when compared to the original NES version. Final Fantasy III for iPad will set you back a $16.99 – not exactly cheap, but still much cheaper than the original version, which cost more than $50 back in 1990. » Related posts:
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| Dog Pile HD – iPad Game Review Posted: 21 Apr 2011 02:35 PM PDT
Dog Pile is an amalgamation of Plinko and match-three games. The game uses tilt controls to help guide your furry friend down the board. You drop your fat little dog from the top of the screen and watch it fall, pinball style, down to the bottom where a pyramid of other fat little dogs are waiting to be matched up and removed from the board. Along the way, your dog makes cute little grunting noises while music plays in the distance. Each level increases in difficulty and adds a variety of obstacles to make it exciting.
There are two stages with nine levels each, Carnival Challenge and Space Challenge with a promise to add more stages soon. This is exciting news because this game has a serious replay factor. You can retry levels over and over again, trying to get the most points, trying to get all the doggie bones that are in your path and trying to beat each level in the quickest possible time. There is a store for you to use your collected doggie bones to unlock items, like glasses and hats. You can even unlock a whole new set of dogs or even an Easter pack with bunnies and baby chicks.
Saying that Dog Pile has a "cute factor" might be a bit misleading. It is not the kind of cute that girls giggle over while boys roll their eyes, it appeals to everyone. It isn't overly cute and the cuteness isn't so important that it gets in the way of the fun of the game. You won't get sick of seeing their round mugs as the dogs roll around on your ten inch screen. Dog Pile is available for the iPad or the iPhone and there are lite versions of each so you can sample the wares before buying.
What I liked: Pretty much everything. The game is easy to play without being boring there is a definite replay value to it. What I didn't like: Game Center integration would be a nice addition. To buy or not to buy: Buy! Buy! Buy! This game is cheap and fun and promises future updates. It is sure to work its way up to one of the top slots in the iTunes store.
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| iPad and iPhone Location Tracking: Apparently Just a Bug Posted: 21 Apr 2011 01:58 PM PDT
As it turns out, it would appear that the issue is nothing more than an iOS bug. According to John Gruber over at Daring’s Fireball, the tracking file was never meant to store as much data as it actually does, and a bug is preventing iOS from purging older location information.
While the location tracking file was discovered some time ago, it didn't get much coverage until the Guardian published a piece about it yesterday. For some unknown reason, GPS-enabled iOS devices such as 3G iPad 1/2 and iPhone save the location of their owner on a regular basis, in a file stored on the device, and transmitted to iTunes each time the device is plugged into a Mac or a PC. While the purpose of the file is unknown, it appears that it was introduced alongside iOS 4, earlier this year. Data extracted from an iPhone location file – Credit: Guardian According to Gruber, the next version of iOS will most likely fix the issue, as we predicted yesterday. Users concerned about their privacy can also erase the file, thanks to a free iOS app called untrackerd, available here (jailbreak only). » Related posts:
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| Writings 1.2 for iPad – App Review Posted: 21 Apr 2011 12:02 PM PDT
Syncing with Dropbox was tricky. While it was seamless to send a document from the iPad to Dropbox on the computer, the reverse was a bit difficult. It took several tries before I found a version of .txt that Writings would accept. I had created a Microsoft Word document, and saved it as “text with page breaks,” but Writings couldn’t read this format. I didn't receive an error message. Instead the document was blank. I saved the document again, simply as "text," and was able to import my original document. After an e-mail consult with Writings tech department I learned that, "Writings supports and opens .txt documents saved with UTF-8 encoding." I created a new document on Writings and e-mailed it to myself in the body of the e-mail and as an attachment. In both cases the e-mails looked more professional when I viewed them on the iPad than they did when I viewed them on my PC, which is something users might want to keep in mind if they plan to e-mail documents to users who read e-mail on a variety of platforms. Transferring documents via iTunes file transfer was simple, but that type of transfer lacks the convenience of Dropbox or e-mail. Writings’ expanded keyboard boasts an extra row of utility keys that one can turn on and off through the tools menu. These include useful keys such as parentheses, quotes, and a tab key. There is an undo key on the numerical section of the keyboard that becomes a redo key if you move into the symbol section of the keyboard. The cursor will go just about anywhere you tap. Writings offers pinch-to-zoom adjustment of font size, something that a simpler text editor, such as iA Writer, lacks. Using pinch-to-zoom changes the size of the font throughout the entire app. Writings also allows users who have already installed Text Expander, a typing shortcut utility app from Smile Software that is available for $4.99, to integrate their snippets into Writings. What I liked: The app features an elegant layout. Pinch-to-zoom and tapping to move the cursor are both convenient options. Writings' tech support was friendly and quick to respond. What I didn’t like: Syncing with Dropbox was not foolproof. It seems unnecessary to allow a user to change fonts and colors that will be lost as soon as the file is sent out of the app. There is little documentation available to help users. Sending an e-mail to the developer was the only way to get answers to relatively simple questions about the program. To buy or not to buy: It depends on how much functionality you need in a text editor. Anyone who needs folders will find the workspace option very useful. For users who want to change fonts or background colors during the work session, Writings offers those options. However, if you only plan to edit documents that will be read on another machine or by another person, then a program such as iA Writer is a cheaper solution that offers all of the basics for $0.99. Writings is available in the app store now for $4.99.
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| Real Racing 2 HD 1080p Video-Out Update Available Now Posted: 21 Apr 2011 07:38 AM PDT
As expected, Firemint has released the highly expected update for their new hit Real Racing 2 HD game. The new update adds full support for 1080p HD video output on the iPad 2, enhanced visuals and several other improvements to your gaming experience. The new Real Racing 2 HD game, v1.10, provides new enhanced visuals and other fixes that makes it possible to enjoy an amazing 1080p graphics experience. Firemint has included new visuals for Alkeisha Island and San Arcana tracks on iPad 2, as well as new memory optimizations to minimize crashes. The full HD video out will support full-screen anti-aliasing, high-detail objects and surfaces, and a fantastic gyroscope support for exceptional steering and handling. Trust me, the game experience is amazing. Keep in mind that when the iPad 2 was announced, Apple talked about the new HDMI adapter that would allow you to use your HDTV or projector as a bigger display for your iPad. In other words, you can mirror your iPad 2′s screen to a larger HDTV or monitor. But, the iPad 2′s maximum resolution is 1024×768, which means that even though you can mirror your iPad 2′s screen to a bigger HDTV or monitor, you will most likely see those weird black bars on the sides of the video image. This is why Firemint worked hard and spent the time perfecting their new game to make sure you actually get true 1080p HD video support while playing on the iPad 2. The game supports true 1080p while real-time racing telemetry is displayed on the iPad 2, avoiding those weird black bars on your HDTV. The Real Racing 2 HD update is available now on the App Store. The game is available for $9.99. This is a great download for your iPad 2. Editor’s Note: If you want to take full advantage of the new 1080p video out feature, you will need to use an iPad 2, an HDMI cable, Apple’s Digital AV adapter, and of course a 1080p HDTV. » Related posts:
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| Robot Tycoon- iPad Game Review Posted: 21 Apr 2011 04:47 AM PDT
Your job, as a young entrepreneurial, is to convince the buying public that they need robots, and that you have just the robot they are looking for. As time goes by, you can go from door-to-door salesman to proprietor of your own brick-and-and-mortar store, to running a successful factory. You increase your workforce, manage inventory decisions and boost your profits.
The mentor is a help guide to understanding business and learning certain terms. The mentor section will offer tips as to how to best manage your inventory and how to best utilize your newly acquired assistants. There are short videos that explain how to read financial results and how to turn a profit. It is explained very simply and educationally
What I liked: The game is simple. It does not demand much of your time at all. If you are looking to play a quick tycoon game, this one is the way to go. What I didn't like: There is no pause button in the game. If you want to "stop the clock" you have to close the game or enter one of the other windows (performance tab or mentor tab). There is also no way to save your progress. If you close the game in multitasking, you lose everything and have to start over. This can be very frustrating since the game had a glitch and shut down more than once while I was playing it. Speaking of which, the game has a fairly annoying problem of shutting down on you every once in a while. I'm sure it will be fixed in an update, but it makes it harder to enjoy. To buy or not to buy: If you have a youngster in the house that is learning business, this is a fun and educational way to understand the effects of profit and loss. If you just want to play a tycoon-type game, this will be a disappointment.
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iLearnWith Poko: Seasons and Weather! HD is the second in a series of life science educational apps for preschoolers and early elementary school students. Created by Tribal Nova, the developers of PBS KIDS PLAY!, this iPad app teaches kids about weather, dressing appropriately dress for the elements and fun activities for each season.
One of the main discussions surrounding all the new tablets, especially the iPad, is using them as e-readers. Whether it is a casual Shakespeare novel or a "hot off the press" newspaper, people are starting to use their iPads more and more to read their favorite previously paper-made products. Recently, OnCampus Research conducted a 
If you are one of the lucky few that got your paws on the much sought after iPad 2, Camera Boost is exclusively for you. This new, iPad 2-only app is a revolutionary camera enhancement that is unlike anything in the App Store at this time. While you may still be wondering why the iPad even needs a camera (other than for Face Time, of course), Camera Boost may just be the thing that puts it all in perspective for you.
There is a front-facing and back-facing option and, besides the image correction features like sharpness, brightness and contrast, the app includes effects features so you can have a little fun with your shot. You can adjust the hue, add a color wash or remove color entirely, you can posterize, make it a negative or reverse-negative, show thermal-vision or any combination of the above. The options are practically limitless. Additionally, Camera Boost has zoom, something the iPad's native camera app does not even have.
Just in time for the NBA playoffs, EA has released an extremely popular and classic arcade game. That’s correct, NBA Jam joined the iPad frenzy today.
Time wasting games are some of the best perks of mobile devices. Whether you are standing in line at the DMV or trying to avoid that tedious data spreadsheet at work, simple games that don't take a lot of focus are sanity-preservers. Dog Pile HD takes that simple game play, tacks on a cute factor and punches out an amazing game that is fun for everyone.
An article 
Billed as a plain text editor for iPad that makes writing "distraction free," 
When there are so many "something tycoon" apps available for the iPad, it is amazing that companies are still making these games. There must be a profit in it somewhere because new ones just keep coming. Robot Tycoon by 
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