Best Manager Secrets ($1.99)

Version 1.0

Part and parcel with business management are the myriad books on different business management philosophies.  We’ve all seen books by the likes of Zig Ziglar and Donald Trump.  Business managers and the like also read books like The Art of War by Sun Tsu and The Book of the Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, which are detailed works on fighting and waging wars, not business management.  In any case, there’s a new author to add to the mix.

Best Manager Secrets is an ebook app by Ziv Aviv, written to share his knowledge of business management and what he does to encourage and inspire loyalty, dedication and a positive work ethic in his employees while also making sure that his bosses know he’s the right man for the job.

Divided into 10 chapters, his management philosophy might best be described as brand management, with you (and, by extension, the team you manage) as the brand you’re managing.  As such, each of the 10 chapters discusses a different aspect of that; bringing your employees on board and getting them happy to be a part of your team, and getting your team noticed by others in the company to help on your own rise through the company.

The ebook itself is short, clocking in at 51 pages, making it a quick read.  And at $1.99 it is one of the cheapest business management books you’ll find around.  Unfortunately, I can’t really say how good his ideas are as I’m not a business person myself, but considering that businessmen and women spend thousands of dollars on books and courses on becoming a better manage, it certainly seems like a drop in the bucket.

The app is solid and easy to use, but plain, with very few features.  For example, while it will remember the last place you left as you were reading, there is no way to bookmark or highlight passages to re-read later.  With 10 clearly marked chapters, and with each chapter being only about 5 pages, it’s not that difficult to re-find a section you want to re-read, but it would be much more convenient to have bookmarking available.

Another problem is that there seems to have been no proofreading whatsoever; there are numerous grammatical mistakes and strange word choices; the title itself, Best Manager Secrets, is indicative of some of the odd-sounding English used.  However, it doesn’t detract from overall understanding, and the simple English and conversational tone macke it much easier to read and more accessible to a wider group of people, including someone like me whose eyes glaze over when looking at a management book.

But since I’m not a business manager, I don’t know that I’ll ever need the information in this ebook.   On the other hand, if you are one or considering becoming one, you might find this to be the best $2 you ever spent on career building.

- Mike Masse

Download Now!

Best Manager Secrets – Umbrella Business Development Ltd.

Developer – ZIV AVIV

URL: http://www.i-apps.co.il

© 2010, MikeMasse. All rights reserved.

version 1.2.1

FREE!

AppZapp has been around for quite a while and has brought us apps like “Do Not Press The Red Button”, and many more. They have somewhere around 20 apps in their catalog for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, and they have released a new app to try and sort through it all: Discover the App Store.

AppZapp has released a new app to easily guide you through the AppStore. “Discover the App Store“ is an easy walk through all the apps has to offer, with a simple easy interface. AppZapp also has a “PriceAlarm“ function, that will always inform you of sales or promotions of certain apps you love. You just set up a free account, and select the Apps you want to monitor.

“Discover the App Store” is a great tool to help you find what your looking for in the App Store. It features the same great descriptions and details you’ve come to know from the App Store. It supports App Stores in the US, UK, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

AppZapp Features:
- App offers, free apps and new apps at a glance
- Detailed overview of the apps with pictures and videos
- The feature “Preisalarm“ informs you about markdowns of selected apps
- Watch list for apps
- All changes and updates at a glance
- Browse through all the AppStore categories
- Top 100 list of the most popular apps, sorted by “iPhone“, “iPad“, “Paid“ and “Free“ Apps
- Browse the various AppStores
- Price chart history for each app (30/60/90 days)
- Share Apps via Facebook / Twitter / SMS / eMail

This is a great app for monitoring the App Store. Something the is missing from the actual App Store. Being able to keep an eye on certain apps that you may find a little pricey, and know when there are going on sale, is a terrific feature, that will probably never be included by Apple. The “Changes and Updates at a glance” feature is great, if you’re interested in knowing what has recently been updated, or want to ignore updates and focus on new releases only. Seeing as this app is free, there is no reason we cannot recommend this app.

You can get AppZapp: Discover the App Store now for free, in the App Store. Get it now!

© 2010, Davidh. All rights reserved.

Version 1.0

Are you in school studying for your MBA and still searching for that perfect study aid to help you with completely your degree? If that fits your description then you may find Pocket MBA Full Course (Part 1) an app would reading about.

This app is developed by Intersog and is similar to taking a course at your own pace. It is really nice, clean, in depth, and does a great job of offering something for different learning styles.

First of all you’ll notice when you launch the app that it has a great interface to it. It defaults to the main menu, which lists out the different courses that you can choose from, with a brief summary of each one. From here you will pick the subject you are interested in studying and proceed to Launch that course.

Once you choose and go into a course you’ll see it’s even broken down into chapters. After that it goes into pre-course expectations, which I think is great, so you will know what to expect to learn from each chapter. In addition, if you look along the bottom you’ll see that they offer the chapter in modes to read the text, study through flash cards, and even to take an exam.

A few things worth noting about this app ..

1. You can bookmark your progress or just any sections you would like to refer back to.

2. You can search for topics throughout the app through a handy search button.

3. There’s a handy glossary (specific to the application) so you can look up new words quickly and easily as you encounter them).

4. The app is quick, smooth, really clean, and just overall very nicely laid out. You can tell the developer put a lot of time into fine tuning this application.

My thoughts? If you’re studying for your MBA and need a great tool to give you that motivation and push to do well then this app is definitely worth looking at. Yes, it’s pricey but so is your education, right? Those Master’s classes aren’t cheap, trust me I know!

If doing well and not repeating courses is important to you then this app may be worth the investment. It’s very nice, seems very in depth, and may be what you need to give your education that extra boost, so check it out in the App Store today!

- Chris G

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DAILY APP GIVEAWAY

Each Day we give away promo-codes so you can get FREE apps!! Check
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If you have any questions, or are unsure how to redeem promo codes, please check out the following link on Apple’s website! — http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1917

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© 2010, ChristinaG. All rights reserved.

Emergency & Critical Care Pocket Guide ($9.99)

Version – 1.0

Review – “Great critical care reference for any medical professional!”

A lot of medical professionals carry pocket guides that contain various information that they might need in the field. For years Informed has been a large provider of these small pocket-sized guides, and now they are bringing these great resources directly to your mobile device!

Previously all of these medical resources were released in a simple PDF format much like a lot of digital book formats like you see today. While it was not a bad format, Informed is now releasing all of their apps in a way that allows you to interact with and search for the material that you’re looking for!

When you open up this app the first screen you’ll see is the Topics screen. This is a great way to quickly find information. Touching any available topic will bring up all of the related information. For example, touching the “Medical Emergencies” topic will bring up a list of items to choose from that include Abdominal pain, Abuse, Childbirth, Choking, and many more.

Once you find what you want and open up you’ll find that the information in this app is not just boring data, it is laid out with all kinds of caps, punctuation, bullets and even pictures in some cases. You’ll even find links to things within the app when applicable. For example, in some of the articles you’ll find links to the poison control center. Touching these links will place a phone call to their headquarters for you.

You’ll also find a variety of different calculators in this app. It includes everything from a simple conversion calculator that handles temperature, weight, volume and length, down to a variety of different Pediatric calculators. The interfaces for the calculator’s were very easy to understand and use, and they also work very quickly!

The third button in the menu at the bottom of the screen is the “Search/Bookmarks” button. Touching this brings up a list of all your current bookmarks to choose from. Touching any of them will take you directly to the page that you were on when you created them.

In the upper left corner of the “Search/Bookmarks” screen you’ll see a little magnifying glass. Touching this button will open up a search bar where you can search for anything. This is a great feature that will allow you to quickly find the exact information you are looking for. The searches work in real time as well so there is no waiting to load search results.

If you find yourself carrying a paper version of this or a similar emergency reference then you’ll definitely want to check out this app. If you’re just not that present that usually carries around a reference maybe this would be a good time to start! It’s certainly a good deal at just $10. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and head to the App Store and check it out today!

- David H.

Download Now!

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Developer – Informed Publishing

URL: http://www.informedguides.com

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DAILY APP GIVEAWAY

Each Day we give away promo-codes so you can get FREE apps!! Check
our posts daily or subscribe to our FREE spam free feed.

*** Today’s Promo Codes ***

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If you have any questions, or are unsure how to redeem promo codes, please check out the following link on Apple’s website! — http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1917

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© 2010, Davidh. All rights reserved.

(only available for the iPad)

Are you an avid reader looking for a way to organize your future reading material? If so then you may enjoy My Reading List for the iPad. This app was developed by 59thirty LLC and is not only a catalog but also an integrated purchasing tool.

The app has a clean and simple interface to it. When you open the app it defaults to your Reading Wish List. In this menu you can see which books are on your list, preview the book cover (by clicking on the cover icon), rearrange or delete books, and even purchases books through amazon.com

In the upper left hand corner you can edit your list .. i.e. remove books you’ve already bought and even rearrange books within the list.

In the upper right hand corner you have the option to add new books to your list. You can add a book either by searching for the name of the book or the author’s name. Once you do that it populates a list of book options where you can select the book you were looking for.

Once a book is added to your list you have the option to buy it, using this app and Amazon.com. Simply click on the “Buy” button and it will pull the book in question up within amazon.com’s website and from there you can select the reading format you are interested in and place your order.

My biggest suggestion for this app would be to incorporate a means to track books that people have read, because that seems to be a common trait among avid readers. That could be as simple as a long, uncategorized list or as nice as breaking it out by genre (possibly pulled from amazon’s website as well), author, or similar categories / ordering.

All in all if you are an avid reading looking for a quick and easy way to keep track of your future reading list you may want to give My Reading List a look. It’s currently on sale in the App Store for $2.99 and currently is available as an iPad only version.

- Christina G

© 2010, ChristinaG. All rights reserved.

App developer: Intersog
Website: http://www.intersog.com/

Pocket MBA to go is a learning App for those who want to learn about Business Management quickly, but don’t have the time to spend in-class or online. It’s a knowledge rich learning program which is both easy to use and comprehensive.

The app developers have several learning program apps, and have previously published for the iPhone and iPod touch, nut now bring their apps to a better setting on the iPad, as they are now easier to use and see on the larger display.

If at any point you need to save your place , there are bookmarks built in and you can add one or several, and easily access them from anywhere with in the app in the top right hand corner.

There is also the option to register yourself to receive updates on the products that this developer launches, and a handy in-app guide to the entire series of learning to-go apps offered by them.

While I cannot speak to the quality of the content within the app I certainly wouldn’t know the difference between good info and bad info on this subject), what I can say is that there is no lack of information and it seems very detailed and simile to read. The knowledge behind the app is there, created by a professor and you can certainly understand why this would be a great study too for those who would need it.

If you are looking for an in-depth MBA course you can take with you and study, and are interested in a good, on the go, study aide, I would certainly recommend this one.

~ChantelleJoy
Tweet Me: @ChantelleJoytwt

DOWNLOAD NOW

© 2010, ChantelleJoy. All rights reserved.

Doing Good Works (Free)

Version – 1.1

Review – “Learn to be a better person with this free app!”

If you’ve ever wanted to change things for the better, but felt powerless to do so, you might want to check out the Doing Good Works app for your iPhone. This app is a book that packaged into an easy to access app for free! It has some basic tools to help you navigate through it quickly, and it offers a link to their website where you’ll find more information about the book and it’s Author.

The app starts up pretty much instantly and offers a couple of different options at the menu screen that pops up. If you touch anywhere on the screen that is not a button you’ll start reading the book either at the beginning, or if you’ve been reading it before, at the place where you left off when you were reading it last.

In the center of the screen you’ll notice two small buttons: “Chapter Select,” and “More Info.” Touching the chapter select button will bring up a scroll bar at the bottom of the screen with a list of all the chapters that are available in the book. To skip straight to a chapter all you have to do is select it with the wheel and then touch the top half of the screen. If you touch the more info button you’ll shown a screen that basically directs you to the website for the book. You’ll find a variety of information, as well as find out how to purchase physical copies of the book if you’d like to give one to somebody you know.

The book reading interface is pretty simple, although it is a little different if you’re used to the interface of most book reading apps such as the Kindle app or the iBooks app on the iPad. Instead of turning pages from left to right, in this app you scroll down as you read the book. Something that is pretty nice though is that the book is separated into the actual physical pages of the book. In most electronicformats the “pages” are determined by what font size that you are reading the book at.

Another thing that I did notice is that, because the book is divided into the actual pages from the book, that the font is extremely small in portrait mode. Thankfully the latest update for the app will allow you to read it in landscape mode so that you can zoom in a little more on the text. It’s still a little bit smaller than I would have liked but it is definitely readable at this size.

Overall, the message of the book seems to be positive. It focuses a lot on taking an honest look at what you have and at what you can give easily without much effort. I have not read the entire book, but what I did read seems to be pretty on target. If you’ve always wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, but never really sat down and thought out how then what are you waiting for? Grab a copy of this normally $14.99 book from the App Store for free!

- David H.

Download Now!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Developer – Multimedia Marketing LLC

URL: http://www.doinggoodworks.org

——————————————————————————-
DAILY APP GIVEAWAY
Each Day we give away promo-codes so you can get FREE apps!! Check
our posts daily or subscribe to our FREE spam free feed.

*** Today’s Promo Codes ***

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If you have any questions, or are unsure how to redeem promo codes feel free to comment on this post, or email me at david(at)appshouter.com!

——————————————————————————-

© 2010, Davidh. All rights reserved.

Simon Graham and the Extraordinary Timepiece ($1.99)

Version – 1.0

Review – “Fun strategy game that will stretch your intellect!”

My wife loves to play games on the internet. There are a lot of games that make you think of words, or piece things together, or find things out there. What Simon Graham and the Extraordinary Timepiece does is take a lot of those different game concepts, and tie them all together with a storyline. The end result is a creative strategy game that forces your brain to be firing on all cylinders!

The game loads up very quickly, and the main menu is very well done. It looks nice, but is extremely simple and functional. There is the option to start a new game, continue your game if you have played it previously, open up an options menu, or view the games credits. The only “Option” in the menu is to turn the music on or off. While the music at the menu is alright, it does get a little bit old after a while of playing so it is nice to be able to turn it off if you want to.

Once you get to the actual game the first thing you’ll see is a pop up box that will start to tell the storyline of the game. The basic story is that a child named Simon Graham’s grandmother has been kidnapped and he has to find her! She’s left him clues along the way and so you’ll have to use your deductive reasoning skills if you want to rescue her!

I found some of the games to be easy to figure out quickly, while others required me to think about them for a while until I was able to find a way to complete them. While most of them I was able to figure out without too much trouble, there were a couple that had me stumped for quite some time!

The controls are very simple. While they will change from game to game, you are given instructions that will make them easy to learn quickly. A few of my favorite games types in this game were the word puzzles, and the math ones. With that said, they’re all a lot fun. Although it definitely would have been nice to have some kind of a “hint” feature for when you get really stumped.

All things considered the only really negative things I have to say about this app are that the music gets old pretty fast, and that if you do get stuck on a puzzle for a while it gets boring fast because of the linear nature of this game. With that said, ifyou are a fan of puzzle games, this one will keep you busy for a long time! It offers plenty of variation in gameplay, and it has a lot of different puzzles. Simon Graham and the Extraordinary just entered the App Store yesterday evening, and it is just $1.99. So if you like puzzle games then what are you waiting for? Check it out for yourself in the App Store today!

- David H.

Download Now!

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Developer – The App House, LLC

URL: http://www.extraordinarytimepiece.com

© 2010, Davidh. All rights reserved.

EggHead1 ($0.99)

Version – 1.0

- USER REVIEW -

Here is a story filled with fresh characters that a child can befriend, learn from and have fun with, and a parent can feel proud of. Egghead is that most lovable, proper and quintessential one among all his friends. He is the one they can count on, he is the one who binds them together, he is the ever-smiling one, he is the `little intellectual’, he is humble, sweet, sensitive, sensible, caring….in essence, he is the hero. He is not strong and proud like Burrah, the grasshopper, or vain and mischievous like Cracker, the squirrel, or whining and complaining like Yana, the caterpillar or always working and thinking like Reni, the ladybird.

He is the one who makes a difference in their lives, so that they can all be together and have fun. Oh, Egghead is the cutest. He is a star!

My child looks at him as that hero, who has simple but great ideas, who talks of friendship even when he is so small and who loves everything about this world. I would love to have my child, learn this from Egghead.

Egghead and his friends, are such a visual treat, too. The illustrations are colourful and the crayon effect is lovely. There are very few such well-illustrated stories in the market that also talk of basic things like friends and having fun. The story – A Game of Adventure – is simple and easy to understand. It weaves around small animals, very rarely mentioned in the current rage of cartoon characters. The qualities that the characters have are so humane and normal, and not extraordinary. And the story goes on like a true thriller for children aged 3 to 6 years. Loved it! I can’t wait to get some more stories from The Egghead series.

- Manish T.

Download Now!

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Developer – Dipali Vaidya

URL: http://www.nanogems.info

© 2010, Davidh. All rights reserved.

Version – 1.0

Review – “Spend some time with your kids and your iPhone!”

There’s probably nothing better for your children than when you just spend time with them. One way to do that is to spend time reading to them, and this app is a great way to do just that! You can read it yourself, have it read to them, or even view all the illustrations in 3D using 3D glasses!

When you open the app the first thing you’ll see is a simple menu. On the right side of the screen you’ll find buttons to read the book in 2D or 3D as well as buttons below that to set whether the book will read itself or not. If you’d like to read the book in 3D but you don’t have any 3D glasses there is also a button that will take you to where you can order some from their website in the upper left corner (they’re only a dollar with free shipping).

Once you’re ready to start reading all you have to do is select whether you want to read in 2D or 3D and you’ll be taken to a simple instruction page. As you read you’ll find that you can zoom in at any time by double tapping or “pinching.” Once you’ve read these brief directions just touch the arrow in the bottom right corner.

If you choose to have the book read to you there will be some nice background music to go along with it. The narration is very natural and expressive. I had no problems understanding what was being read, but more importantly, it was read with plenty of emotion. The book has a creative storyline and will keep any small child interested.

The developers sent me a pair 3D glasses to test out the 3D aspect of the app, and I must say that it does add a fun element to reading the book. The glasses are only $1 for one pair, or $0.75 each if you buy more than one. The price includes shipping and handling as well! With just these cheap 3D glasses it does take your eyes a few seconds for your eyes to adjust, but your kids will love it!

This book will be particularly interesting for smaller children because of the upside down artwork. The app suggests that you turn your device upside down to see everything from a right side up perspective. This adds to the fun, as the images look much different from another perspective.

The iPad and iPhone versions of this app are very similar, but I will say that if you are reading it on an iPad that the iPad version would definitely worth it if they were the same price. With that said, the iPhone version is $2 cheaper for a limited time (I’m not sure what it will be when this offer runs out) and so I would probably stick with that version. Especially if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch as you would be able to view the app on either device! The main difference with the iPad version is that it has a much higher resolution, and it also fills the entire screen.

So to sum it all up, if you have small children they’ll love this book. The experience of reading it or having it read to you on your “iDevice” adds an extra element of fun! If you’re reading this review and you’re even considering still buying this app there is no better time than right now because there’s no telling how much longer the sale on the iPhone version will last!. So what are you waiting for? Click one of the links below and go download your copy from the App Store today!

- David H.

Download iPhone Version Now! ($0.99)

Download iPad Version Now! ($2.99)

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Developer – Arseniy Banayev

URL: http://www.arseniybanayev.me/Arseniy_Banayev/Tessellate.html

© 2010, Davidh. All rights reserved.

Fighting Fantasy: Deathtrap Dungeon ( $2.99)

Version 1.0

REVIEW – ” Choose your own Adventure comes to the iPhone in a whole new way.”

I remember the days when I was a kid and I would visit my grandmother and spend time reading old Choose Your Own Adventure books, I always thought they were immense fun. Fighting Fantasy: Deathtrap Dungeon is the second installment in the Fighting Fantasy series which is a choose your own adventure type story for the iPhone.

As one would expect this means that you are basically reading a novel and then being allowed to make choices about which way to go and what to do. Don’t expect great writing or even a great storyline but then that probably isn’t the reason why you would pick up this app.

After a few rather tedious pages of intro you get into the point where you finally get to start making decisions. The decisions you make can affect your character’s health (which is chosen by a roll of the dice when you start the game), and they can affect what tools you have and what potions you have access to.

But deciding whether to go right and left or whether or not to drink the contents of a vial, is not the only interaction you have with this story. When you come across an enemy you get to do actual battle with them. This is done in the way you would with most tabletop RPGs, simply with you and you enemy rolling the dice in order to find out how strong your attacks are.

The game warns you that you might not get very far at first and that you might need to take a few tries to get through and survive the game. I so far have not died but that isn’t to say that my character did not take quite a beating, and currently there is no end in sight.

The great thing about this app is that there is immense replay value because even if you survive all the way through, there is usually a way to do it better, and even if there isn’t, it is always fun to see the ways in which your character can die.

I think this is a great way to encourage to encourage kids to read, specifically young boys. There is some violence but so far nothing that is really inappropriate for preteen or teenage children. Adults might have fun with the concept as well but the writing and the story could be better, but that isn’t to say that the Choose Your Own Adventure books were ever brilliantly written.

The story focuses on the main character (you) who has decided to enter the Trial of Champions for the mere fact that no one has ever survived and you are one cocky hero who thinks you can succeed over all others.

This is the second in the series but I was easily able to understand and get through the story even though I had no previous experience in the series.

Stephanie S.

Download Now!

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Developer – Big Blue Bubble

© 2010, StephanieS. All rights reserved.

The Cat in the Hat ($.99)

Version 1.03

REVIEW – “This delightful book comes to life on your iPhone.”

While I normally do not review books, for the simple reason that their features are usually quite obvious, The Cat in the Hat takes the extra steps truly stand out. It becomes a great way for your child to not only enjoy a great book but improve their own reading skills.

This app features all the beautiful and unique drawings that really make Dr. Seuss books stand out. The app even allows for you to pan and zoom through the pictures so that kids can get a closer look at the pictures, even on a small screen.

Even better is that this book has both a read aloud feature and a read by myself feature which is great for younger and older kids so that they can get the reading experience they want. Your child may even learn to read the book all on their own and then really feel accomplished.

But there is even more to this app which simply shows that all the touches have been added to make this a truly unique app for children and it gets them even more involved in the story. When children touch something in the picture, such as the net, the word will show on the screen. It appears large next to the object and is even highlighted everywhere that it appears in the story. Even better the word is said aloud to help children associate the object with both how the word looks and sounds.

Even beyond simple reading of the book each page features background sound to bring the story to life even more.

Personally I am not sure that anything will replace the feel of an actual book in my hands, but with all the features this app was just created with children in mind from start to finish.

The Cat in the Hat is perhaps the most memorable of the Dr. Seuss books but a wide variety of books are available for the iPhone so you can keep your children engaged and eager to read.

All of these books are currently onsale so grab them while you can before they go up to the $3.99 price, which is still worth it for this app.

Stephanie S.

Download Now!

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Developer – OceanHouse Media

© 2010, StephanieS. All rights reserved.

Classics (Free)

Version 1.3

Review – “Have some of the greatest novels ever written right at your fingertips!”

I love being able to showcase great apps when they become free and Classics is one such app. Free for a limited time this app allows you to read those classics novels you always meant to read but never got a chance to.

This app is great if you have always meant to get around to reading those classic novels but never had the free time. Now you can have all the greats such as my personal favorites, The Count of Monte Cristo and Dracula. But there are more than two dozen more like Treasure Island, Pride and Prejudice, Hound of the Baskervilles, Paradise Lost, The Odyssey, Alice and Wonderland and Frankenstein. Some of them even have the added bonus of being illustrated like A Christmas Carol and Through the Looking Glass.

The look of this app is perfect. When you first open it, you see all the books lined up on the shelves displaying them like the works of art they are. All you have to do is tap the book you want to read and you are taken right to the first page. The page looks like a real book and when you slide your finger across the screen, the pages turn like a real book as well.

You can click the button on the top right to see all the chapter headings, just in case you want to go to a specific part of the novel. Perfect for anyone that has read the book before and just wants to go through and quickly get to all of their favorite parts.

Perhaps one of my favorite features is that when I click the top left “home” button it places a bookmark right where I left off. Then when I reopen the app and return to the book it opens up right where I left off.

This is perhaps the closest you can get to recreating the feeling of holding a book in your hands and reading it, without having the book with you. I think the interface, the look and just the overall feel of this app and the selections it offers is perfect.

I would like to have the option to choose the font size and look of the pages. That way I can choose whether I want the text large or small (which is a relative term considering the size of the screen). But other than that I truly believe that you should grab this app before it goes back up to the $2.99 price tag (which would still make this app a great deal).

Stephanie S.

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Developer – Andrew Kaz & Phill Ryu

URL: http://www.classicsapp.com/

© 2010, StephanieS. All rights reserved.

Milly Molly (5.99)

USER REVIEW

Version 1.01

REVIEW – “I give it a 9/10! Awesome app.”

It is more than a book aimed at children that help kept my cousins occupied for ages! Don’t be fooled to thinking this is just an ordinary eBook this is unique. It has a great combination of reading, games and coloring in using the touch screen!

The read along touch made the game very easy for them to go through and they could do it at their own pace, where they could use their fingers across the words so they are read aloud and then hold down the word to hear it spelled out. It made it not only a book but it could be used as educational to help kids learn.

There were two mini games included in where a kids word find and memory pair that had two levels easy and hard. Also the ability to color in the pages was great as it just added another aspect to it. Never seen an app. that uses the touch screen to read along as well, which is cool.

I think this app is very descriptive but it should be tried before giving a verdict. I give it a 9/10! Awesome app. And it would be interesting to see more titles come out!

Kaleb

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Developer –KIWA International Ltd

URL: http://kiwamedia.com/products-a-services/qbook/milly-molly

DEVELOPERS NOTES

QBook™ is an interactive read-along digital color picture book designed by Kiwa Media for young children.

QBook combines a narrators voice with original picture illustrations and touchable text that is synchronized to highlight and sound when the word is touched. There are great puzzles and games to enjoy as well.

QBook™ es un libro digital interactivo a color para niños, con tecnología de lectura simultanea diseñado por Kiwa Media. QBook combina los dibujos originales con la voz del narrador, la cual está sincronizada con el texto y que al tocarse pronuncia el sonido de la palabra. También contiene otros divertidos pasatiempos para seguir jugando.

QBook™, c’est un livre digital interactif, créé par Kiwa Média pour les petits enfants. L’originalité de QBook, c’est un écran tactile parfait pour les doigts des petits. Quand ils touchent le texte, je parle. Je raconte l’histoire, je répète les mots et je les épèle. Et aussi, pour bien s’amuser, il y a des super puzzles et des jeux.

The hugely successful Milly, Molly series of books relate the adventures of two little girls from different ethnic backgrounds with their multi-cultural friends. The books have been written to promote the acceptance of diversity, sound values and the learning of life skills. “We may look different but we feel the same.”

In this book building a tree hut changes Milly and Molly’s friend Maxter for life.

Features:

• Personalize each book with ‘this book belongs to …’ page.
• Swipe-to-Read™ the words to hear and playback the story at your own pace.
• Touch-to-Hear™ individual words spoken.
• Touch-to-Spell™ to hear the letters that spell each and every word.
• Auto Play to enjoy the narration.
• Use the My Narration function to read and record the story yourself and customize your book.
• Use the Color Palette to paint each page and save this to customize your book.
• Choose the Easy/Hard Word Find puzzle to find words from the story.
• Choose the Easy/Hard Memory Pairs game and match the card pairs.
• Save your high scores and advance up the levels.
• Includes the Milly, Molly song.

Multi-Language QBooks

QBook™ offers a true multi-language experience and is a great tool for learning new languages for both young and old. This QBook includes the narration, text, games and user interface in these languages:

US English
Spanish
French
Maori

Requirements:

Compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch (Requires headset mic for recording features)
Requires iPhone OS 2.2.1+ or 3.1+

Patent Protection 532174
Patent Pending – All rights reserved

Kiwa Media produces multi-language digital content, creates IT solutions and develops products and services for the digital publishing and entertainment industries.

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© 2010, Angelina. All rights reserved.

The Merck Manual (9.99)

Version 1.0
REVIEW – “the life-saving advice that is contained within this app has no price tag.”

Before there was medical insurance, before the internet, before all of the technology that we currently have, there was The Merck Manual. First published in 1899 as Merck’s Manual of the Materia Medica, present-day it has come full circle and is now an iPhone app entitled The Merck Manual Home Edition. With a range of topics from the common cold to bee stings; cardiac arrest to STD’s and everything in between, The Merck Manual is the ultimate guide to any medical question you may have and the iPhone app is the ultimate solution to carry around wherever you may go.

The home screen of the app allows you to search by a specific category: blood disorder, cancer, skin disorders, etc; by the index; or probably the most convenient category: emergencies and injuries, which has things like choking, poisoning, burns, etc. The home screen also allows you type anything into the search bar and a list of articles and related topics will come up. In addition to all of the search options, a random fact is displayed where you will also have the option to learn more about that particular topic. The searching options on this app are great. Whether you want to search by name, index, disease, etc – all of the options are covered and they make it very easy to find what you are looking for.

I particularly liked the Emergencies and Injuries section. Any common household will have the need for this app. Shortly after I downloaded this app, my mom was stung by a bee so I searched the related topic, took a screen shot of what it said and emailed it to my mom. It was easy and quick and did exactly what it needed to do.

In addition to all of the search options and information that The Merck Manual has, you can also add any of the articles as a “favorite” so that you can easily search at any time. All of the favorites are stored as a list and easily accessible at any time.

The Merck Manual is a great buy for anyone who has ever looked up a medical term, condition or symptoms. It’s similar to searching the internet but instead of filtering through your searches to find something that is relevant, you can search The Merck Manual and have only things that are relevant. You may be thinking that 9.99 is a little steep, but the life-saving advice that is contained within this app has no price tag – it is worth every penny, especially on the off-chance that you save someone’s life.

angelina r

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Developer – Agile Partners Technologies, LLC
URL: http://agilepartners.com/support/?app_id=4

DEVELOPERS NOTES
Based on the new Merck Manual Home Health Handbook, the content of the Merck Manual – Home Edition application is written in everyday language by more than 300 worldwide medical experts. It is a “must-have” resource because it puts the trusted medical reference always at your fingertips, whenever and wherever you need it … while on the soccer field, a family vacation, a business trip abroad or getting ready to see a physician.
Designed specifically for the iPhone and iPod touch, the app has an easy-to-use interface for finding the right information quickly. In particular, an “Emergencies & Injuries” section that is accessible from the home screen was developed expressly for this application. The app enables users to quickly and easily access the Home Edition’s comprehensive and understandable medical information.
FEATURES: 
- Access the content anywhere (Internet not needed) 
- Find information on Emergencies & Injuries quickly 
- Navigate through sections, chapters and topics easily 
- Use the full index of the Home Edition 
- Perform full text searches 
- Resize text for easy reading 
- Email a link to any topic 
- Bookmark favorite topics 
- Automatically records the history of topics you viewed 
- Remembers the last topic you were on
The Home Edition application is essential for anyone who needs clarification of a diagnosis, wants a quick reference to a medical term, or would like to communicate more effectively with a healthcare professional.
Written in easy-to-understand language, the Home Edition contains virtually the same information as the professional version of The Merck Manual which has been trusted by doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals for over a century. Respected around the world for its unbiased information, The Merck Manual Home Edition medical reference book is a New York Times bestseller that has sold over 4 million copies worldwide.

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© 2009, Angelina. All rights reserved.

Mad Libs Lite (Free)

Version 1.1
REVIEW – “The bright colors, funny pictures and whacky stories will jog old memories and create new ones.”

When I was a kid, there were no iPhones, PS3’s or any of the other cool gadgets that there are now. For entertainment, the kids on my street rode bikes, played hide-and-seek or on a rainy day, there were board games, coloring or Mad Libs. For some reason when I think of Mad Libs, I remember long road trips with everyone throwing out adjectives like they were nothing – which, in the Mad Libs world, they were just another means to an end – an end to my incessant chatter, as my brother would say.

As I child, I talked a lot. I liked to read, ask questions, write things and boss people around; it’s what I did. My brother was a lot quieter and usually kept to himself. When the Mad Libs book came out, it was always a guess of whether or not he would participate in the noun/adjective/verb-ending-in-ing guessing game that I loved so much. But don’t worry, if he didn’t participate, I always had my mom to bug.

As far as I am concerned, Mad Libs have been around forever, so why not take a classic and revolutionize it? Besides, you would be hard-pressed to find a kid nowadays with a pen and Mad Libs tablet in his hand. So whether it was Price Stern Sloan or Penguin Group who came up with the idea to add Mad Libs to iTunes, I say bravo. The revolutionary, tech-savvy kids of the new millennium can still experience the classics of the old-country… the 1900s, that is. And now they don’t have to worry about their handwriting being legible.

Mad Libs Lite has four categories (but an infinite number of possibilities): How to Enjoy Yourself on the Beach, Vacations, Letter to a Friend Back Home and Driving in the Car. Each Mad Lib has anywhere from 14 to 20 blanks that need to be filled out. When you decide on the story in which you wish to embark on a crazy journey with a buddy or two, you will be given a pop-up that asks for an adjective, verb, place, etc. As you type in the corresponding word, the next will pop up and so forth. When you have finished, your completed story will be available for an outloud read that is sure to have everyone ROTFLOL (☺).

Each Mad Lib can be as funny/crude/sweet as you would like it to be – and don’t worry, if you get stumped, all you have to do is press the “hints” button on the top right and a list of possibilities will scroll the screen so that you can have something to choose from or just jog your memory. Mad Libs: The World’s Greatest Word Game is now available to play on your iPhone or iTouch and it’s free – that’s cheaper than buying a pencil and tablet to play the old-fashioned way. Download it now for hours of fun with your friends, kids or your own personal enjoyment. The bright colors, funny pictures and whacky stories will jog old memories and create new ones.

angelina r

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Developer – Penguin Group USA
URL: http://www.madlibs.com/

DEVELOPERS NOTES
Mad Libs is now available in a fun, new interactive AND digital platform! In this sample version of Vacation Mad Libs you can test your fill-in the-blank skills for FREE on your iPhone or iPod touch. Then, get all the silly stories and crazy word game play in the complete version with the Goofy Mad Libs iPhone App.
Share your outrageous Mad Libs story creations with friends and family with just the touch of a button using this fun and interactive mobile application!
Mad Libs Lite App features include:
• New interactive platform for unlimited game play for children and adults
• Email option allows users to share their silly stories with friends and family
• Interactive fill-in the blank type-pad and hints help to educate and entertain simultaneously
• Summer fun story to play over and over again!
Additional versions of the Mad Libs Application include:
PAID: The Goofy Mad Libs Application offers over 20 silly, goofy and crazy Mad Libs stories for hours of fun!

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© 2009, Angelina. All rights reserved.

Anorak Magazine (.99)

Version 1.0

REVIEW – “I discovered so many great things that I have yet to find on any other app.”

Before I downloaded this app, I had never heard of the UK based Anorak or it’s magazine. Now that I have discovered this app, I have seen that it is so many things all rolled into one and if I had a kid, I would definitely have this app to help entertain them when I run out of ideas. With stories, games, activities and a wealth of educational information, Anorak Magazine is the solution to any bored child’s day. After playing around with this app, I discovered so many great things that I have yet to find on any other app. If you have kids, this app is definitely worth the money.

The Anorak Magazine app has four different categories, each containing several different options for your little one to discover. The first, “Read Stuff”, is colorful, fun and can be completely controlled by the reader. It has seven different books that can be read, discovered and even the option of one of them to be read to you. For your little ones that can’t read, this is a great option and for the ones who can, it is an even better option because they can follow step-by-step, word-by-word and practice their reading while still being entertained and learning a few things too.

But reading and education aren’t the only tools that Anorak has to offer. The “Play Stuff” option has two games: Cycling and Whack-Anorak – both are entertaining games with Cycling being a little more challenging than the other. While riding your bike, you tilt the screen to increase momentum and move up and down the hills trying to reach your destiny without falling. Whack Anorak is like the game in the arcades where you whack the gophers in their hole only this game teaches kids to distinguish between color and the “Anorak” that they are hitting.

Anorak has done a great job of integrating fun and learning within this app. In addition to the bright colors, fun fonts and cool games, everything is narrated by kids and the explanations are simple and direct. There are options to color, write, draw, word search, play games, read – you name it, Anorak has integrated it into this app. Everything about this app is kid-friendly and educational. With all of the learning tools that are out there, Anorak can definitely holds its own. Expose your child to a fun way of learning and maybe you can get a few minutes of peace and quiet while they keep busy.

angelina r

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Developer – Oksar Ltd

URL: http://www.anorak-magazine.co.uk/

DEVELOPERS NOTES

Anorak Magazine is fiercely proud to be a paper magazine. But when the wonderful iPhone & iTouch turned up, our pals at On Sea said: ‘You have to make an iPhone app’, kids will love it!’. We said: “Yeah?” to which they replied: “Yeah!”

A few weeks later they showed us the first prototype; we were bowled over and were firmly convinced that Anorak Magazine could do wonderful things on these platforms too.

And here we are, after a few months of touching, prodding, doodling, poking and coding, and much hard work from On Sea, Anorak Magazine is now a Happy App’ for Kids! This is our first chapter, with stories, games, word search, drawings and even the chance to whack our blue fellow or cycle to eternity!

Anorak Magazine, the happy app for kids is available to buy from iTunes Store. Here. And you can see a demo here. We hope you enjoy our new adventures in digi-world.

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© 2009, Angelina. All rights reserved.

Lula’s Brew ($1.99)

USER REVIEW

Version 1.0

REVIEW – “Delightful in every way!”

Delightful in every way! My 4 year-old daughter and I both loved this charming picture book about an inventive young witch. It is narrated, written and illustrated by the enormously talented Elizabeth O. Dulemba.

This app is presents a sweet, engaging and funny tale with bright, full-of-heart illustrations and easily-maneuvered page turns. It is wonderful for occupying a little one, as I have. It is adorable – a treasure you’ll be glad you have many times over.

JD L

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Developer – RhodeSoft

URL: http://rhodesoft.com/

DEVELOPERS NOTES

“Lula’s Brew” is a picture book written, illustrated, and read by award-winning author Elizabeth O. Dulemba. Her most recent book, as author and illustrator, is “Soap, Soap, Soap (Jabón, Jabón, Jabón),” published by Raven Tree Press. Now, she’s brought her magic to the iPhone and iPod Touch!

As the reader swipes the pages, Elizabeth brings the story to life on the voice track.

About the story:
Lula’s Aunties want her to be a witch just like them. But Lula hates to fly on a broom and prefers to study cookbooks rather than spellbooks — she wants to be a famous chef. In desperation, the Aunties insist she try to make one last potion. Lula secretly adds her cooking flair and in true witchy fashion ends up creating a brew that bewitches the entire town, and maybe her Aunties too!

This fun rhyming tale transcends the typical Halloween story to appeal to cooks and “foodies” throughout the year.

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© 2009, Angelina. All rights reserved.

Wild Things (Free)

REVIEW—”A childhood classic comes to the big scree!”

21-years-old and hopelessly excited about going to see Where The Wild Things Are. It’s a classic. Yeah, so it’s only 10 sentences long. It’s a book that defined a childhood, a generation. Thats’ why a massive group of 20 somethings will be flocking to the theater this October and November. In fact, in the newsroom, a friend of mine was calling around town to see if any of our local theaters were having midnight showings. I kid you not.

The app is fairly simple. More informational than exciting, but very interactive. You can browse through photos from the film, characters, and media. You can also read about the film itself. In media, you can buy posters, preview songs on the soundtrack and even play them as background music as you peruse the rest of the app.

There are two posters you can preview and save as photos in your photo library. Perhaps you might want to set them as your wallpaper in the future. All the cool kids are doing it. You can also view trailers from this app as well. There two trailers in the app, and there the option to view more videos. If you opt to choose more videos, Wild Things lets you know that you will be redirected away from the site to preview movie clips outside of the app itself.

Perhaps the most amazing thing you’ll find here is you ability to interact with Carol; everyone’s favorite wild thing. You can put Carol to sleep, wake Carol up, or tick Carol off. Then you might get your screen punched out. It looks real too, sound and everything. This app is absolutely informational and adorable. Please, please download it and reclaim your childhood!

— Yantézia P.

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Developer – Warner Bros.

URL: http://www.warnerbros.com/

DEVELOPER’S NOTES

Academy Award® nominated director Spike Jonze collaborates with celebrated author Maurice Sendak to bring you one of the most beloved books of all time, Where the Wild Things Are, to the big screen. Now Warner Bros. invites you to escape to where the Wild Things are on the iPhone™ and iPod touch®. Meet and play with Carol and explore the forest to discover additional content from the film. Unleash your inner Wild Thing and let the wild rumpus start!

Where the Wild Things Are opens October 16, 2009.

Features:

Interact with Carol – Have a dirt clod battle, watch him dance to your music and see him eat up your photos and contacts. But keep him happy or he’ll run wild.

Photos – View photos of the movie and your favorite characters and save them as your personal wallpaper.

Video – Watch the trailers and additional clips from the movie.

Music – Listen to the motion picture soundtrack featuring original songs by Karen O and the Kids while exploring the app.

Posters – Official movie posters are also available within the app.

—Due to the large size of the Wild Things app, it is recommended that you power down and restart your iPhone or iPod touch before playing.—

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- “Custom Drinks” feature lets you enter your own recipes
- Even more ways to choose random drinks
- No banner ads

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© 2009, Yantezia. All rights reserved.

I, Robot #2 (Free) 

REVIEW – “Would you trust a Robot who kills humans, but chooses not to?”

I, Robot #2 is a comic based on a robot who could kill humans, but chooses against it. I would not recommend this comic for children due to its infrequent fantasy violence and mature, suggestive themes. This app would be great for those who are fans of the first I, Robot as well as those who love futuristic themed comics. This comic is a remix of a previous futuristic comic and is drawn by Erich Owen. This app downloaded quickly and upon opening this app, I was greeted with a graphic of the original comic that this is based on. The graphics of this comic were extremely well drawn and came across nicely on a mobile format. Each page of the comic did take a little longer than most comics to load, but I would attribute that to the high quality of the graphics.

I found the story to be very interesting and became a page-turner during the climatic fight scenes. I could zoom in on each comic to get a better view by double tapping the screen or pinching it to achieve the zoom I wanted. Tapping on the tap left screen would navigate users to the screen list as well as the ability to go back to the beginning of the comic. Since this comic is a bit lengthy, I would have liked the ability to save my place with a bookmark. Also, this app is missing the ability to move quickly through pages instead of individually swiping through each page. All in all, I thought this app was great for comic lovers, especially those who love intense futuristic battles between humans and robots. The graphics were great and the interface focused solely on the comic strips.

-Alyssa Z.

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Developer – Hermes Pique

URL: http://www.robotcomics.net

Developer’s Notes:

Second and final installment of the comic “I, Robot”. Please read I, Robot #1 first.

Would you trust a robot that can kill humans and chooses not to?

I, Robot #2, a comic written by Dara Naraghi, drawn by Erich Owen, based on a short story by Cory Doctorow (“Boing Boing”, “Little Brother”).

Originally published as the Creative Commons comic, “Cory Doctorow’s Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now” by IDW Publishing, “I, Robot” is remixed by Robot Comics to create a version specifically designed for mobile devices.

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© 2009, amy. All rights reserved.