Communication / Information Apps

This week's theme is Communication / Information apps.

Push - available only for iOS this app allows you to select keywords and phrases from a multitude of news sources. It alerts you when a news story, blog post, website feature, etc. mentions your keywords / phrases. You can delete them if you are not interested.

Drop - available for both Android and iOS the app alerts you to news stories using keywords and phrases you determine. It has less sources than Push but it has a better interface.

Skype Qik - made with mobile in mind, Skype which is now owned by Microsoft has come up with a compact version that focuses on sending video messages to a person or group of people. Instead of the full blown Skype you just send and receive video messages instead of conversing in real time. The app can import your Skype contacts and it has an extremely slick, easy to use, mobile friendly design.

Wut - one of the new popular apps with young adult social media crowd, the app is a group chat / text where users are anonymous, it will only show the last 40 messages and then they are disappear (I believe they actually overwrite the data to try to make it secure)

Sobrr – a social media app where you are anonymous, you post pictures and comment on others pictures. You can set up a chat if you find someone you like. Everything you post or chat deletes within 24 hours. It is popular in Europe and in some big cities. It’s like Instagram and Chat Roulette had a mobile app baby

Snowball – Android only it combines all of the most popular messaging apps into one platform: Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Google Hangouts, Twitter, LINE, WeChat, SMS (texting), and Slack. It has a really nice interface and it comes from a group that spun off from Google.

Talko - this app is meant for those who still like to use their phone to talk. From former Microsoft Chief Technology Officer Ray Ozzie, this app allows you to talk up to 4 people at once like a conference call but you can also send pictures and video. You can also choose to select one person from the group and speak only to them. The app also notifies you if the person you are speaking to is walking or driving so you can decide if you should wait to talk again later or make your discussion brief. The app's focus is on voice so they are focused on making calls extremely clear.

Google Now - more than just a search app, this app competes directly with Siri and Cortana to take the position of virtual assistant on every device. You can tell it where you work, live, travel and it will tell you how long it will take to travel there with current traffic conditions. It knows your calendar so it can tell you when you need to leave. You can program your favorite sports teams and it will tell you the scores. Weather, reservations, public transit, tickets (movies, events, flights), time, and so much more. You can set place reminders so it will tell you to remember something when you get there. It will tell you where you parked.

Google Hangouts – Easy to use, gives you free person-to-person calls, 12 people can video chat at once, allows for instant messaging

Viber – You can send text messages or make phone calls using your tablet, phone, or computer, free!

TextSecure – encrypted text messages makes sure things stay private, both sender and receiver have to use the app for it to be secure.

Media Creation / Production Apps (plus extras)

Today’s theme is Media Creation / Production (and some extra stuff)

New Adobe apps:

Photoshop Sketch -allows for drawing directly on mobile devices using special new built-in brushes, and can ship content back and forth between Photoshop CC and Illustrator CC

Photoshop Mix - updated to work with the iPhone as well as the iPad, and Lightroom Mobile adds comment capabilities for better collaboration, allows GPS tagging

Illustrator Draw -  a vector drawing experience with full support for Adobe’s Ink and Slide hardware stylus and ruler on the go. This is more of a sketching / canvas tool.

Illustrator Line - a precision drawing app that adds options for sharing shapes while they’re working. This is more of a precision drafting tool.

Premiere Clip - a lot like Apple’s iMovie app in terms of function, the features are more for the creative professional, it has full workflow integration with Adobe Premiere Pro CC so the projects can be begun on mobile and completed with a comprehensive, fully professional editing suite.

Brush - allows you to take a picture of an object or surface and upload it so you can use it as a custom brush design in Photoshop, Illustrator, or Illustrator Sketch

Shape CC - allows you to use convert any high resolution photo into a vector drawing; from fonts to cat pictures can then be used in Illustrator or uploaded to your Creative Cloud

Color CC - allows you to create custom pallets based on colors you choose in photos you have taken then upload the pallet so it can be used in your other Adobe programs

All of these apps are a way to get people to get more use out of their Adobe Creative Cloud accounts and their flagship programs Photoshop and Illustrator.

New Evernote apps (if you aren’t using the note-taking / organizing app it’s amazing):

Scannable - document scanning app. When the app is running, you simply put documents in front of your smartphone’s camera, and the app captures them automatically. You don’t have to press the camera button. The app will also categorize documents by type, it can do this because it knows the difference between items like business cards, receipts, magazines, etc.

Penultimate - tablet sketch app, you can draw with three different points with 8 colors, it knows not to mark the page with your wrist, automatically uploads to Evernote. It has been completely redesigned to be “more simple and elegant". I really like it.

Web client - the web version of Evernote has been simplified and streamlined. Options fade away if you are using them but will come back if you mouse over them. It has been designed to reduce distractions and have a clean look.

Flic - helps you manage photos stored on your phone, swipe to the right to keep or swipe to the left to delete. If you don't access the app for a while it will prompt you. It will also help you decide on keeping or deleting pictures on your iCloud account.

Other media  apps:

Camera51 - helps setup great shots, by analysing background and your photo's subject

Line SnapMovie -very popular in Asia (20 million users), shoot and edit video, share on their social media platform: Line or export to Facebook or Instagram

Treehouse -teaches programming, over 1000 video, quizzes and challenges

 A Hodgepodge of apps:

Digiduck's big decision - for kids 3-7 and their parents, teaching them how to stay safe online and when using mobile devices

My Singing Monsters - a very cute game where you collect monsters on different islands who have different musical abilities and styles. It's like creating a monster orchestra or choir. The game reminds me of Farmville and other games where you collect, build, and develop; there are seasonal characters / decorations and activities that require time. Ashley at South Holiday asks that you connect to her if you download the app.

NHL - follow your favorite teams, get detailed player information, game highlights and update clips are free, but Game Cast is a subscription service; slick and considered a vast improvement from the previous app the NHL had. GO BOLTS!

AtMyLibrary – this app is kinda clunky but it has been provided by the State of Florida library through their Florida Electronic Library. It has 52 Gale databases everything from Academic One File to the War & Terrorism Collection. It has research sources for business, cooking, health, students… so many things. They can e-mail the articles to themselves for printing or later reading. This is definitely a resource you should tell your patrons about because there is nothing else that provides this number of citable professional research resources and it’s FREE to the patron.

Great Miscellaneous Apps

Hike – this may be one of those apps you hear get bought up for a ton of money, it has more privacy settings, works on low-end smart phones, instead of using data it sends using SMS messaging, 20 million users, developed by a 15 year old in India

Humin - an app that remembers all the tiny details about how and where you met someone. All you need is someone's number, and Humin will do the rest. You'll then be able to search through your contact using phrases like "met last month" or "lives in St. Petersburg".

Paper by 53 - iPad only and it is just as beautiful as it is useful. The app lets you draw out ideas and you can store them away in various virtual notebooks. It knows not to include your hand when you rest it on the screen. It comes packed with a variety of brushes and pens for your ideas, and there's even an official Pencil stylus that responds to the pressure of your input (super expensive at $59 but is really cool). Free, but you'll have to pay extra for more brushes and tool s.

Vesper  - a note-taking app that makes organizing your thoughts a breeze. Tag each entry so you can search for a specific thought by keyword. Notes are synced to your free online Vesper account. Reorganizing your notes is simple just a hold-and-drag motion, and if you want to prevent a cluttered collection, a simple swipe archives your entry, storing it until you search for it. Price: $2.99

Timeful - an intelligent calendar app mixed with a to-do list. The app's algorithm learns how you get stuff done and smartly suggests ways to build new habits and get things taken care of in a timely fashion.

Sunrise - another slick calendar app that pulls directly from LinkedIn so you can see the picture and profile of who you're meeting with. It supports multiple Google Calendars in addition to iCloud, Facebook, and Exchange. Integrates with Google Maps and makes adding events easy.

OneDrive  cloud storage for all of your documents, photos, and videos. Usually  you get 15 GB of free storage when you sign up, but right now if you enable photo backup on your mobile device they are giving 30 GB of data. Also talking about photo storage did you know that Flickr will give you a TERABYTE of free photo storage(a good idea if you max out your One drive).

Note Plus - for fans of old-fashioned, pencil-on-paper notes. The app's intuitive vector-based system turns your handwritten notes into text, and you can select multiple drawings and notes together by simply drawing a circle around them.. There's a built-in web browser that you can swipe right to access, which makes grabbing images and details a cinch.

Secret - lets you and your friends speak freely with each other and the world, but you'll never know whose secret you're reading. People post and comment anonymously, and you can now easily ask "Yes or No" questions that people can respond to. It gives you access to Flickr's photo library for background images making it visually more appealing. Unfortunately recent articles have pointed out that it is possible to find out a person’s identity and secret is not 100% fool-proof so don’t go confessing to any murders or anything.

Bandsintown – an app that scans your iTunes, Spotify, Rdio, or Pandora account to figure out your favorite bands and artists, and then informs you when they are playing nearby. You can browse upcoming tour dates, set up notifications from your favorite artists, and even buy tickets using the app.

Hearthstone -  a card-battling game from "World of Warcraft" creators Blizzard and it takes place in the Warcraft universe. It's easy for beginners to learn and start to build up their deck, but really get fun when you compete against other players online.

TwoDots - a simple but addictive puzzle game that is the sequel to the wildly popular original Dots game. The same connect-the-dots strategy returns, but there's 137 new levels and some interesting new abilities when you connect two dots together

Timber - an incredibly simple 8 bit games that will drive you nuts. The faster you chop the longer you stay but you have to avoid the falling branches.

Angry Birds Stella – the newest version of Rovio’s popular lineup of Angry bird games takes place in a tropical rainforest. There are a lot of different birds with different skills, and it will really give your problem solving skills a real workout. Beautiful graphics, fun levels, and cute characters make this game appeal to kids and adults.

Bonus: A recent article stated that the following games showed off iOS 8’s new features and Apple’s great mobile displays: Asphalt 8, Beach Buggy Racing, Defenders, Epic Zen Garden, Modern Combat 5, Mr. Crab, and Plunder Pirates.

Homework Apps

After a recent webinar by Kira Smith KiraDemo@Kdace.com I learned about some of the Best Homework Apps. I looked at each of these apps tried them out and selected the ones that I thought were the best from her webinar and my experience.

Study Skills

iTooch (free; additional features $4.99) – large exercise database, meets common core standards, fast child-friendly interface, calculator and blackboard features, grade-specific content, syncs when web connection is available, badges, 3-5^th grade Elementary School app and 6-8^th grade Middle School app.

Quizlet (free; additional features $4.99) – create your own flashcards, 18 different languages, learn mode tracks correct and incorrect responses to emphasize areas you need help, spelling tests, math quizzes, typing program, voice recording for notes, the interface and content is definitely more middle school appropriate.

SAT Up and ACT Up (free; $4.99-9.99 premium features) – diagnostic questions help determine what you need help with and what you’re strong on, supports 12 languages, subject specific workouts, customized quizzes, games that help build skills, gives users a lot of feedback.

SimpleMind (free; PRO $4.99) – helps organize thoughts; create mind maps, flow charts, bracket charts, diagrams; add notes; works and syncs with desktop / other devices, the PRO version allows collaboration, sync to Dropbox, e-mail, icons, and much more.

MindNode ($9.99-19.99) – similar to SimpleMInd it has a slicker display / interface, more uploading options and display options, some user reviews express frustration with desktop version.

Assignment Trackers

myHomework (free; $4.99 additional features) – track assignments, schedule, projects, tests, and notifications; join io teacher classes, sync between devices, reminders, premium allows for file attachments, upload assignments, teachers can push out no ads, rewards

iStudiez (Lite Free, PRO $2.99) – calendar, collaboration, upload to iCloud, great layout, easy to use, track projects, assignments, and grades;

iHomework ($1.99) – extremely similar to iStudez with better upload / sync capabilities, integrates with Questia, has a reminder function, you can sort assignments different ways.

inClass (free) – video, audio, photo notes; schedules, assignments, repeating assignments, collaborate, share on Facebook.

Note Taking

EverNote (free, $5 month premium features) – the king of note taking apps it allows you use photos, video, audio; integrate different notes into portfolios; makes text in photos searchable; share via: Facebook and LinkedIn; the premium fee gives you PIN lock, offline mode, integrate with companion apps;

GoodNotes 4 ($5.99) – you can draw / sketch notes; use a stylus, finger, or keyboard; syncs automatically to cloud services; you can choose: graph, ruled, or plain paper (background); write on or highlight PDFs; iPad only

Learning to Read

Learn with Homer (free) – listening and drawing activities, Pre-K – Elementary, reading comprehension questions, customizable, great feedback, 30 free lessons, and it is so cute

Endless Alphabet ($6.99) – letter sounds, vocabulary, phonics, entertaining monster characters, very slick design, downside is large file size and doesn’t progressively get harder

Spelling & Vocabulary

Spelling City (free, $29.99 year) – lots of words by grade, schools use it, extremely popular, the subscription saves your progress, keeps a record, syncs your account across devices

The Opposites (.99) – brother and sister characters are opposites, cute engaging graphics, fun game, kid-friendly design

Winning Words (free) – memory match style game, four different game boards, changeable difficulty, up to 4 players, for 4 years and older, create compound words.

Geography

Tiny Countries (3.99) – children capture evil characters by answering geography questions that help children learn about 75 countries their capitals and major cities; 15 missions allow children to review information about countries before they begin.

BrainPOP (free, $4.99-6.99 a month) – third grade and up videos with quizzes about 7 subject areas; free gives you one free video and quiz a day; Explorer $4.99 give 4 additional videos with quizzes a day, and $6.99 gives unlimited access; the content is highly acclaimed by multiple parent and educator groups; the website gives you a lot of free games and videos.

News-O-Matic (free 10 issues then .99 weekly or $1.99 monthly or $19.99 yearly) – articles about sports, animals, news, etc. that have been written by written by professional children’s writers and reviewed by a child psychologist before publication to ensure emotionally safe content; quizzes, puzzles, and games accompany each issue.

Stack the States (.99) - learn state capitals, shapes, geographic locations, flags and more; tracks progress with your own map of the United States filled in with the states you have learned.

Science

Kid Weather ($1.99) – math and science skills, plot weather information, graph data, track multiple locations

Human Body ($2.99) – nervous, muscle, skeletal, system; uses microphone, camera, and light to demonstrate; beautiful artwork, urogenital system is an extra in-app purchase that can be made;

Plants ($2.99) – three biomes but they are adding more; see how different animals and insects interact with their environment; have the seasons change or introduce a fire to see how that affects things.

NASA (free) videos, photos, internet radio, mission details, history of the space program, this app is on my list of best apps for adults also – it’s that good.

Solve the Outbreak (free) – middle school and older audience this app has been created by the CDC to teach about how epidemics spread and how public health responds to those crises; lots of STEM education in a game format.

Math

Pet Bingo ($1.99) – for ages 4-10, it helps learn addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions; not timed, supports common core, tracks progress, and gives you a report card; you get pets for completing different levels and you feed them by answering questions correctly.

Sushi Monster (free) – for ages 9-11, you put in the correct number that fits each equation; a correct answer feeds the monster sushi; it is timed and has distractions; 12 levels of increasing difficulty with 14 questions each level.

Dragon Box Algebra ($5.99) - innovative educational app that through gameplay teaches kids concepts relating to solving algebraic equations. The app includes links to the developer's website as well as the app store, but does not require a user account or other online access

Language

Duolingo (free) - makes learning languages a games; has five languages

MemRise (free) – Learn languages, geography, history, science, and pop culture through crowd-sourced courses

English Monstruo (free) – through extensive analysis Cambridge has developed an app that teaches English to native Spanish speakers and emphasizes the phrases, grammar, and vocabulary that they most often encounter problems

Mango Language (free but need library card number) – teaches in a way very similar to Rosetta Stone, it has 26 languages and teaches you a lot about the language you want to learn. The library pays for it and it has ESL courses.

Resources

There are a lot great sources to find reviews of apps for children and education.

These are some of the best: (magazines) Horn Book, Kirkus, PC Magazine, School Library Journal

(websites) Common Sense Media, Edumic, AASL, Moms with Apps, Little eLit