Category: Product Reviews

iPhone/iPad/iPod app: MathGirl Number Garden (for preschoolers)

I really like the concept of MathGirl Number Garden: make iPhone/iPad/iPod math games that appeal to girls. And it is really appealing to girls with graphics and music that are very sweet.  But I find it to be an incomplete math app.  I mean, I LIKE the idea of pre-addition — number grouping and counting.  The app has girls counting items  flowers and fingers (well, gardening glove fingers).  The faster you get the answer correct, the more points you win.  There is a indication of speed with a bunny for fast counting, a bee for medium speed, and a snail for slow counters.  The answer choices are buttons that you select.  Faster but correct garners you more points that can be cashed in later for your virtual garden.  This gaming feature is very nice.

I also like how the answer selection is not multiple choice but buttons with a broader selection of numbers which limits random guessing.

The levels of difficulty are:

  1. Counting 1-5
  2. Counting 1-10
  3. Tricky 10′s (the items are grouped in a trickier and less obvious grouping)
  4. Tricky  5′s
  5. Counting 11-15
  6. Counting 16-20
  7. Power 20
  8. Tricky 10′s
  9. Trickier 5′s
  10. 20-50

This is what I don’t get:  at level 6,  you have to skip count by 5′s to get the answer even moderately fast.  Skip counting is pre-multiplication and division which is 2nd or third grade at my school.  And yet this app does not cover sequence counting to 100 nor addition or subtraction and all of a sudden we need to skip count by 5′s?  That’s like asking the player to jump from kindergarten to 3rd grade in order to move up the game levels.

Maybe the app expects girls of many different ages to play the game at their appropriate level but then why do they make each player go up from level one before allowing them to advance to the next level?!  And yet, it would take a genius 5-year-old who is happily playing at the first levels to stay stuck in a particular level.  Won’t that be frustrating for girls?

I would have preferred for the app to stay within one or two grades in difficulty rather than apply a math concept over such a broad range of ages in such a narrow topic.  For example, let the app be age appropriate for preschoolers through kindergarten.  Cover grouping and counting 1-20.  Teach addition for numbers 1-10.  Cover counting in sequence 1-20 with advanced levels counting to 100.  Teach skip counting by 10′s.  And stop there!

Nevertheless, the app is sweet and appealing to sweet, little girls.  It has gaming features that make math fun.  Pre-addition number grouping is a useful thing.  Skip counting is also the basis for multiplication and division so it’s great that it is introduced early BUT you might have to coach your child on the side to help her advance if she is young.  It has a great platform to launch new games and I noticed that an addition version is coming out soon.

At $1.99 , this is worth trying out for any little girl who is learning to count to five.  It’s appealing for preschoolers and also has something to offer elementary school girls.  Better yet, pair up the siblings together while you wait for your meal to be served at a restaurant.  It will be the most peaceful meal you’ve had in a long time, or at least, here’s hoping!  If you want to check out the app, please click on the first image at the top to view at iTunes.

This is the home screen for the app.

This is a sample question for level 6.

This is the screen where you can redeem your points for flowers to decorate your garden.


Sep 09, 2010 | 0 comments View Post

iPhone/iPad app: Nigella Quick (easy recipes for what’s on hand)

GingerbreadHouse has a great post on an iPhone/iPad app featuring my favorite cookbook author, Nigella Lawson.  The app, apparently, has great easy recipes with 6 or less steps and lets you find recipes based on what you have on hand.  Wow!  Perfect after an overly zealous trip to the farmer’s market!  Check out the app by clicking here to go to GingerbreadHouse‘s great blog or click on image to view it at iTunes.  Happy cooking!

Sep 07, 2010 | 0 comments View Post

iPhone/iPad/iPod app: Math Ninja (really fun math facts game)

My five-year-old son has been hogging my iPhone and the family iPad all last week while we were on vacation.  He loaded tons of “free” games which ended up costing us $10 — (my husband: “Does he know how to read ‘free’?”  Me:  ”Yes, he reads it as ‘fee.’  Hence the charges!) — and we had to yell at him to turn off the screens.  Except when we noticed he was playing Math Ninja.  True, he’d try to cheat and slyly ask us what 9 + 6 is but we were on to him.  It turns out to be a fun game for all my kids including my 10-year-old and 8-year-0ld, both girls.  And I turned out to be bad at it.

So today I sought the help of my kids to learn how to play Math Ninja.  It begins with a short narrative (great for reluctant readers!) that draws them into a story about what the game is about, i.e. you, the Math Ninja versus Them, the animal bots.  Then, based on points (or dollars really) that you earn, you can buy weapons to defend yourself.  The fun begins as the bots come and you must defend your tree house.  Turns out I am really bad at this portion of the game AND my kids excel at it and do not need a tutorial like I did to figure out what to do.  (“Mom, it’s obvious if you play enough video games!).  Point taken and obviously I did not acquire these skills as child.

Once the onslaught is over and the points are earned, the game then turns into a math fact drill session.  The facts include addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.  While there are three levels, this relates to the difficulty of the video game portion NOT the math portion.  I asked my kids why was I getting easy subtraction (3-1= ?) when I set it to Ninja which is the hardest setting.  They said that the math drill portion is based on the history of the player who happens to be my five-year-old and that you can’t control the math difficulty but that it will get more difficult as you progress.

These are the features I like about the math portion of the game:

  • To answer a math fact problem, you must type in the number from a “calculator number pad” so YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO KNOW THE ANSWER!  You can’t guess!  There is NO multiple choice!
  • The app tracks what you get correct and incorrect and then, I assume, works that into the next round of questions.
  • There is a time limit per problem.
  • You can set the types of problems you want to be drilled on by turning off or on the choices of addition, subtraction, multiplication or division.
  • My kids actually think it’s a really fun game so they want to play it!

Math Ninja is $1.99 at the iTunes store.  Click on the image above to go to iTunes.

Sep 05, 2010 | 1 comment View Post

Top 10: Apps to Make You Awesome in College (from BosInnovation.com)

From BostInnovation.com.  The post says:

“College kids, here are ten apps to help you be smarter and more efficient with your studies so there’s more time for dollar drafts, creating the next Facebook, three dollar tequila shots or whatever it is you do for fun.”

Their Top 10 (but click here for details):

  1. GoodReader – for viewing documents in an iPhone, iPad, iPod
  2. Evernote - for taking notes using an  iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Palm OS, Win Mobile
  3. DrinkingGamesFree – speaks for itself (hide from your parents) for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
  4. RememberTheMilk – to do lists for iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, BlackBerry, Win Mobile
  5. RateMyProfessors - to get the good classes using your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
  6. TheElements.   A visual version of the periodic table.  Yes, you liberal arts majors  still have science requirements!  For iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad.
  7. Skype.  Phone home.  Works on iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, Symbian.
  8. iStudiezPro.  The secret to success is organization.  Learn it now.  Benefit forever.  For iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad.
  9. UniversityMaps.  For visiting friends at other colleges or for you Freshman.  Don’t get lost on campus.  For iPhone, iPod Touch
  10. EZRead.  Spark Notes on Phone, iPod Touch
Aug 30, 2010 | 0 comments View Post

FREE iPhone/iPad/iPod Test Prep ebooks Kaplan (Aug 24-30th)

I found this from BooksOnTheKnob:  Apple and Kaplan have teamed up to give away iPad ebooks from Kaplan through iTunes iBookstore.  These titles are available:

The complete list of titles offered:

  1. Call To Nursing
  2. Collected Writings
  3. Corpus
  4. Crime: Its Cause and Treatment
  5. Evolution of Modern Medicine
  6. First Year Nurse
  7. First Year Teacher
  8. Get Into Graduate School
  9. Get Into Medical School
  10. Impaired
  11. Kaplan 101 Algebra Practice Questions
  12. Kaplan 101 ASVAB Practice Questions
  13. Kaplan 101 Biology Practice Questions
  14. Kaplan 101 GMAT Verbal Practice Questions
  15. Kaplan 101 GRE Quantitative Practice Questions
  16. Kaplan 101 GRE Verbal Practice Questions
  17. Kaplan 101 MAT Practice Questions
  18. Kaplan 101 SAT/PSAT Critical Reading Practice Questions
  19. Kaplan 101 SAT/PSAT Writing Practice Questions
  20. Kaplan ACT Strategies for Super Busy Students
  21. Kaplan AP Biology 2011
  22. Kaplan AP Macroeconomics/Microeconomics 2011
  23. Kaplan CCRN
  24. Kaplan GMAT Math Workbook
  25. Kaplan GMAT Verbal Foundations
  26. Kaplan GMAT Verbal Workbook
  27. Kaplan GRE & GMAT Exams Writing Workbook
  28. Kaplan GRE Exam Advanced Math
  29. Kaplan GRE Exam Advanced Verbal
  30. Kaplan GRE Exam Math Workbook
  31. Kaplan GRE Exam Subject Test: Psychology 2009-2010
  32. Edition
  33. Kaplan GRE Exam Verbal Workbook
  34. Kaplan MCAT Biology Review
  35. Kaplan MCAT General Chemistry Review
  36. Kaplan MCAT Organic Chemistry Review
  37. Kaplan MCAT Physics Review
  38. Kaplan MCAT Practice Tests
  39. Kaplan MCAT Verbal Reasoning and Writing Review
  40. Kaplan Medical Internal Medicine Question Book
  41. Kaplan Medical USMLE Master the Boards Step 3
  42. Kaplan Medical USMLE Step 1 Qbook
  43. Kaplan Medical USMLE Step 2 CK Qbook
  44. Kaplan Medical USMLE Step 3 Qbook
  45. Kaplan NCLEXPN 20102011 Edition
  46. Kaplan NCLEXRN 20102011 Edition
  47. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Civil Procedure
  48. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Conflict of Laws
  49. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Constitutional Law
  50. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Contracts
  51. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Corporations
  52. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Criminal Law
  53. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Criminal Procedure
  54. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Evidence
  55. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Family Law
  56. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Property
  57. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Remedies
  58. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Torts
  59. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Trusts
  60. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Wills
  61. Kaplan PMBR: Multistate Performance Test (MPT)
  62. Kaplan PMBR: Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam
  63. (MPRE)
  64. Kaplan Portable GMAT
  65. Kaplan Portable GRE Exam
  66. Kaplan Portable SAT
  67. Kaplan SAT Critical Reading Workbook
  68. Kaplan SAT Math Workbook
  69. Kaplan SAT Score-Raising Dictionary
  70. Kaplan SAT Subject Test Chemistry 2010-2011 Edition
  71. Kaplan SAT Subject Test: Biology E/M
  72. Kaplan SAT Subject Test: Mathematics Level 1
  73. Kaplan SAT Subject Test: Mathematics Level 2
  74. Kaplan SAT Subject Test: U.S. History Edition
  75. Kaplan SAT Writing Workbook
  76. Kaplan SSAT & ISEE
  77. Law School Labyrinth
  78. Lives in the Balance
  79. Manual of Surgery
  80. Math for Nurses
  81. MBA Fundamentals: Accounting and Finance
  82. Med School RX
  83. Memorable Thoughts of Socrates
  84. Notes on Nursing
  85. Paralegal’s Handbook
  86. Path of the Law and The Common Law
  87. Routine Miracles
  88. Saving Lives
  89. Sharp Vocab
  90. Sharp Writing
  91. Socratic Dialogues
  92. SOS: Stressed Out Students’ Guide to Dealing with Tests
  93. SOS: Stressed Out Students’ Guide to Handling Peer Pressure
  94. SOS: Stressed Out Students’ Guide to Saying No to Cheating
  95. Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands
  96. Reflections on Doctors
  97. Real Life of an Internist
  98. New Lives
  99. Meditations on Hope
  100. Final Moments
Aug 24, 2010 | 0 comments View Post

Gorgeous Tulip Bulbs Remarkably Cheap (shh!…): BUY THEM NOW!

A little reminder:  Now is when I hunt down the cheap tulip bulbs and store them in my garage until November.  I get mine at the Christmas Tree Store.  Buy them now.  Store until your garden dies down.  Then plant.  And enjoy tremendously next Spring!

——————

My friend, DesignTrackMind‘s husband GreenCollarGuy outed me at our last blogging meeting (http://coffeeshopbloggers.com) as being rather cheap.  I was raised never to pay full price for clothes, this is true.  But it’s not that I’m a  crazy frugal kind of person; it’s that I don’t think I should be spending $ on my blog when it’s not generating much $$.  He has this really great Twitter aide to help grow your Twitter following and it costs a small amount (like $40), but I use a free Twitter aide that also wastes a lot of time to use.  For every free widget I struggle with, I know that there is a Cadillac version out there.  But his blog is a real business, and I have an expensive and time-consuming hobby, so someday!

I do admire frugality.  I’ll admit that I was envious one day in the checkout line at the supermarket when a mom clutching a large fistful of coupons managed to check out a pretty full cart of groceries for, like, $40.  We all cheered in line.  It was remarkable.  But I tried excessive couponing once and I didn’t end up saving a bundle;  I ended up with a ton of spam.

But this is my best deal ever!  Yes, the bulbs on this post are the ones growing in my front yard (yay Spring!). I buy these bulbs every August and keep them in my garage until November when I do one or two hours of frantic planting in order to get this gorgeousness in the Spring.  And, shh! … my secret source for these gorgeous bulbs is ……  The Christmas Tree Store.  Yes, this discount retailer will have a cardboard box in front of the entry at the end of the summer and these bulbs can be had for a song.  Precisely, I think I remember $6.95ish for 16 bulbs.

This past summer, I stocked up on these bulbs.  I think I need about 250 bulbs for my front yard.  I buy the mixed tulip bulbs because I like that crazy chaos of color.  I neglect the side of the driveway and the backyard.  I stick to tulip bulbs; there are daffodils also in the bin but they were a little sad looking.  If you love daffodils, I’d splurge on these beauties:   double petaled daffodils (Winston Churchills)  that are amazing but also amazingly expensive at $2 a pop on sale!  But worth it!

So, I guess I’ll be seeing some of you out front at the Christmas Tree Store this summer.  But then we all get to enjoy beautiful Spring in the form of my favorite flower, the tulip!  And at less than $50 a bulb, we can enjoy the beauty and bask in our frugal achievement!  So, GreenCollarGuy, let’s carpool to the Christmas Tree Store.  We can save on gas that way!

468 X 60 One Step Ahead - Baby Safety Products

Aug 23, 2010 | 2 comments View Post

Top 10: Reasons Why I Love My Android (from TuesBlog)

I am the last person to adopt new technology which is why when I was talking to a Mom Friend about blogging she said that the thing that struck her the most was that I was actually blogging and I had not a shred of technical ability.  (She assumed, incorrectly, that I was a techno person).  It’s been only 8 months since I bought my iPhone and now I can’t live without it BUT my five-year-old is more adept at it than I am.  My husband started obsessively bidding on Quibids which is how I came to own an iPad which I do love especially for $135, but again my kids and husband seem to 1) use it more, and 2) get it to do stuff besides surfing the web or playing ebook apps or educational games.

My techno Mom Friend just got an Android, likely right from the get-go.  She loves it but  I am in no hurry to try it.  But if you are thinking of getting an Android, Valerie P from TuesBlog just posted on 10 Reasons Why I love My Android.  I hope this is helpful to you new technology adopters!  More power to you!  (And I’ll be bugging you in time to have you explain how to use my Android.  When I get one.  In, say, 2015.)

——————–

There was a lot of controversy when I got my G1.  Everyone insisted I get the iPhone. Seeing that I didn’t want to change carriers I went against all of my friend’s recommendations and bought the Google Phone. I haven’t regretted the decision once!!!

Here are my top 10 favorite features:

  1. Google Maps! These great free features come standard on Android:
    • Assisted GPS – Navigate in real-time whether you are driving, walking or biking and it can even get you bus/metro routes!
    • Street View – Access the same panoramic street level imagery that is available on Google Maps online.
    • Compass – Pan left, right, up, down – all around. You can explore locations and destinations all over without moving a muscle!
  2. The widgets are amazing! They are basically small web apps that display live data. For instance, I downloaded the Weather Channel application that comes with a widget. I can put this widget on my customizable home screen and see the current temperature at all times. No need to open the application! I can even start playing music from Pandora with a quick tap of the play button from my home screen.
  3. Similar to widgets, there are also Live Folders, which display real-time data. I use mine to view upcoming events in my calendar at a quick glance.
  4. My Android also comes equipped with a physical and virtual keyboard. One hand, two hands, no hands. It’s all up to me!
  5. I have the option to record videos and share via email, MMS or upload directly to YouTube.
  6. The G1 also has a completely customizable home screen! The possibilities are endless you can download font packs, icon packs and more.
  7. There are tons of apps to choose from – many of which are free! I found things I didn’t even know I needed until I downloaded them.
  8. My Android is also built to last. I’ve dropped my phone millions of times and she’s still a beauty.
  9. Quick and easy built-in mobile instant messaging with Google Talk let’s me keep in touch with people on the go.
  10. Last, but of course not least, is my Google search bar… Need I say more?

All these features are great, but I’ll let you in on the secret that has me dancing in the streets over my G1. I’ve got the power to send incoming calls directly to voicemail on a contact to contact basis. That technical verbiage does nothing to get across how great this feature is… so imagine that there is that one, two or possibly several people in your phonebook who won’t stop calling you (even though you never pick up their calls). That’s where this little baby comes in handy! Simply check a little box in their contact information and they will forever be sent directly to voicemail! Here’s the kicker, you can tell that they called you 100 times in a row because it still shows up in your call log, and they probably just assume your phone is off. Oh, the simple pleasures in life!

Disclaimer: I wouldn’t dream of using this feature on anyone who has, will or might read this article.

Aug 21, 2010 | 0 comments View Post

iPhone/iPad/iPod Dr. Seuss eBook apps: All are Awesome and Teach Kids to Read!

I have posted on the Dr. Seuss ebooks for iPhone/iPad/iPod apps by Oceanhouse Media previously (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss ABC, The Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, The Lorax and Oh The Places You’ll Go) and how much I think their apps are the gold standard for ebooks.  Here’s why:

  • You can’t go wrong with Dr. Seuss!  Beloved now as much as when they first came out!
  • The stories are still relevant and appealing to kids!
  • The narration of the stories is spot-on!  The voices are exactly what I would have imagined for the “perfect voice” – Green Eggs and Ham is a great example.  Sam is a friendlier voice that is slightly higher than the guy who won’t eat the eggs and ham — his voice is lower and grumpier.
  • Every page has interactivity meant to engage the kids and make the words leap off the page — literally.  If you click on an image, the word lights up and floats over to the image.  If the story is not being read, you will also hear the word.  My son thinks making the words appear is really fun but I love it because it is helping him learn to recognize words.
  • As the narrator reads the story, each word lights up.  This helps teach kids to read.
  • You have the option to read the ebook to your child, have the narrator read the story and turn the pages, or have the narrator read the story while your child turns the pages (and plays by pointing to the images on the book).
  • At $3.99 an app, the ebooks are less expensive than the actual book.

These are the latest books:

Green Eggs and Ham.  A true classic and the perfect story for children who need to be encouraged to try new foods. [ages 2-6]

Hop on Pop.  A nice rhyming book that subtly teaches kids phonics through silly rhymes.  [ages 2-4]

Yertle the Turtle.  An autocratic King of Turtles gets his comeuppance.  [ages 3-6]
Gertrude McFuzz. A young girl bird who wishes that she had a fancier tail has her wish come true.  Be careful what you wish for!  A nice story especially for girls that teaches them to accept themselves for who they are.  [ages 3-6]

The Big Brag. A wise earthworm teaches a rabbit and a bear not to brag.  [ages 4-7]

Aug 20, 2010 | 0 comments View Post

Top 25: Educational Apps for Android (from OnlineDegrees.org)

Lest you worry that I am leaving out apps for Android users because I am not a new technology adopter, here is a list I found for 25 best Education Apps for Android from OnlineDegrees.org.  These look especially good:

Urban English:  An English to English dictionary for parents to understand their children’s slang.

Capital Quiz: Test your knowledge of countries of the world, as well as their capitals, flags, and currencies.

USA Quiz:  Test your knowledge of the capitals, flags, nicknames, cities, and more of the states of the USA.

Geo Quiz: The GeoQuiz app from Brain Café tests your knowledge of the planet Earth and all its wonders.

KidDroid:  For kids ages 2-5.  Helps them recognize and match shapes which is an underlying skill for letter, word, number and pattern recognition.  Plus it’s fun!

Kids Numbers and Math:  Preschoolers can get help learning their numbers and developing basic math skills with the help of this app. Addition, subtraction, and learning numbers are the primary features, but there are also optional advanced exercises. Language options include English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Russian.  Best of all, it’s FREE!

Math Wizard:  Kids can use this app to learn basic math skills: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Pocket Knowledge:  Have a question? This app has the answer. Ask it whatever you want, and it will generate an answer that you can then store for later use. Topics include math, culture, sports, weather, physics, chemistry, socioeconomic data, nutrition and more.

Formulas Lite:  Can’t remember the formula for acceleration or quantum mechanics?  A handy app that has most formulas for math, physics and chemistry.

Aug 19, 2010 | 0 comments View Post

iPhone/iPad/iPod app: iLiveMath Speed (word problems for ages 6-12)

iLiveMath Speed uses race cars, sail boats, jets, the Space Shuttle, and more to teach Distance = Rate x Time, ratios, km/hour, mph, knots and speed of sound terms such as Mach, supersonic, and hypersonic in a word problem format!  I really like this app because it introduces Physics as a multiplication word problem appropriate for older elementary school students.

I don’t know about you, but I really struggled through Pre-Med college physics and had to get friends to help explain basic concepts to me (i.e.  see how we are walking at the same pace?  That’s speed.  Speed = distance X time [miles per hour or mph or km per hour].  Now we are walking faster.  Acceleration is the increase in speed.  The formula is acceleration = force / mass.  Force = mass X gravity.)  Yikes!  It gets complicated quickly so it is nice to introduce these concepts in a fun way such that it becomes intuitive rather than a memorization of formulas.  This app doesn’t actually cover acceleration but by teaching Distance = Rate x Time, it’s an appropriate and intuitive introduction to physics for an elementary school student.

The format of iLiveMath Speed is similar to iLiveMath Trains so click here to read that review that goes over some nice features in both apps such as the roll-y answer bar and the number sentence for correct answers.

Here are the levels for iLiveMath Speed with a sample problem pulled from the app.

Level 1:  Addition and Subtraction

A lead pack of 13 Formula One cars drafted in a line and as they rounded a turn 2 zoomed ahead.  How many are left behind?

Level 2:  Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication (speed, rate, distance and time)

If sailboats raced at an average speed of 16 knots, how many nautical miles are traveled in 2 hours?  (1 knot = 1 nautical mile/hr).

Level 3:  Advanced Addition, Subtraction and Multiplication (with speed, rate, distance and time)

If a Maglev train journeyed at an average speed to 223 mph, how many miles are traveled in 7 hours?  (Distance – Rate x Time)

Again, like iLiveMath Trains, there are appealing photos of things that go fast as well as fun sound effects.  Here are some screen shots:

This app is appealing to boys but I would try girls out on it as well!  The app is $3.99 and can be purchased at iTunes.

Aug 15, 2010 | 1 comment View Post
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