Amazing Apps for Little Ones

Jinny Gudmundsen, USA Today, recommends five super apps for children. One is free and all cost only a few dollars. There’s Painting with Time for the iPad “which lets kids explore how things change over time. With this app, which was partially funded by the National Science Foundation, kids select from tubes of paint that represent different intervals of time.” For example, if landscape is selected, the tubes represent the seasons. When children “paint” with their fingers, they can transform the scene into colors of the different seasons. Other of Gudmundsen’s favorites are the stories: Hogworld: Gnats Adventure for the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, and Kindle Fire, where children engage in adventures through 3D visuals, sounds and interaction; Cinderella – Nosy Crow Animated Picture Book for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, in which the characters talk to the reader, and on the iPad2, the reader’s face shows up in all the mirrors; and Auryn – Van Gogh and the Sunflowers for the iPad, an eBook that brings Van Gogh’s life and painting to life through visuals and interaction. The app Out-A-Bout for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the iPad uses parent-child interaction as it teaches early reading skills and encourages physical play. The app involves the reader in the story through photos and recordings. All of these apps would be wonderful for preschoolers through primary age kids.

Save Money with Free and Discounted iOS Apps

Looking for ways to save money on apps for an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad?  AppShopper is a free (with ads) app for all iOS (Apple) devices that keeps you up-to-date on the latest freebies and app sales. When you launch AppShopper, you receive a list of the most popular apps that have a price drop, have been updated, or are new to the iTunes App Store (many new apps are free to introduce them to the public). One really great feature is the Wish List. Specify apps you want to purchase in the future and AppShopper will notify you if there is a price drop or sale.

Kindle’s Fire: Kids Charge Up a Storm

Oops! It turns out that one of the things the new Kindle Fire Tablet didn’t learn from the Apple iPad is parental controls. While the iPad lets parents turn off or limit kid’s purchasing power from iTunes, it is almost ridiculously simple for kids to order from Amazon. That’s because once you register the device, it comes with your Amazon account information preloaded, along with "1-Click" ordering. That means anyone who is holding that device can place an order, whether it's their account or not. No prompts appear to confirm the purchase or ask for a password. So far, there have been various reports that even toddlers are able to able to make multiple purchases. Chat rooms are full of comments about a means to get around the glitch, but so far no luck. Amazon will probably make a software correction at some point, but until that happens, keep a lookout out for errant purchases.

iPad Tops the List of What Kids Want Most

Among kids age 6 to 12, the iPad is the most-wanted holiday gift for the second year in a row, according to Nielsen Co. And why not? Kids just get it. They are intuitive devices and no one is more intuitive than a kid. A popular YouTube video shows a toddler frustrated with a magazine because she can’t zoom in on the pictures. Of course the other side of the coin is that parents are using these devices as digital babysitters. A new book called “Goodnight iPad,”is a parody of the popular children’s book “Goodnight Moon,” and reminds parents to unplug by poking fun at how much time is spent in front of computer and television screens each day.

Into the Future....

Science fiction comes to life. Have you heard of augmented reality? That’s the software that lets you view computer images on top of what you are seeing in the real world. You could use an iPhone or iPad, for example, when you are looking at a place in a city and get information on places to tour as well.  The augmented reality software, Autonomy, has now added what’s called Aurasma, which lets you use hand gestures to use the virtual content. You don’t have to touch the screen. According to MIT Technology Review (9/15/11),“You reach out your hand and the content responds.” Can you imagine how schools or special needs kids might put this type of software to use?

Stars, Birds, Chords, Puzzles

Netted by the Webbies has announced its six favorite iPad apps, three of which may be useful in getting your kids interested in music and science.  Star Walk ($4.99) is called “awesome” and “fantastic”—a perfect way to learning about the night sky. It is available in English, Chinese, Russian and several other languages.  Karajan®Pro-Music & Ear Trainer ($9.99) helps train ears to ”recognize intervals, chords, scales, pitch, tempo (bmp) and key signatures with detailed statistics.” Audubon Guides – A Field Guide to Birds, Mammals, Wildflowers, and Trees ($29.99) helps with identification and with keeping bird and nature lists.

Phone Security

With smartphones outselling computers, the long anticipated crime wave involving cell phones could be upon us. The most practical rule for protecting yourself is to start thinking of your smartphone or tablet as a PC. Android may become the prime target as Google does not check apps for security issues, but instead imposes technical hurdles to thwart malicious activity. Google does remove from its official Android Market any apps that break its rules against malicious activity. That is interesting as some people complain about the Apple App store being so controlling of what apps it allows, but Apple has so far done a pretty good job of weeding out apps that create security risks although no platform is guaranteed to be malware free.

Pogues Post on One Parents’ Struggle With a Child’s iPad Addiction

If you are wondering about the unending fascination that one (or more) of your children has a for a gadget like an iPad or iPhone and what you should do about it, you might be interested in what New York Times columnist David Pogue and his readers, through their comments, recently had to say on the subject. As for me, all I can tell you is that it is all about balance. I have been reviewing technology for children since 1979 and my two kids were exposed to it constantly growing up in the late 1990s through now. We had every new game, gadget and piece of software available at our house because I was a reviewer. Yet, I still read to them every night, they both played sports, my daughter was a volunteer at the local zoo in high school putting in hundreds of hours, and we managed to have a few serious conversations every once in a while as well. Today my oldest is in a PhD program at an Ivy League university and my son is in a good college, playing soccer, and doing quite well despite being severely dyslexic. Just trust your instincts, remember to model good technology habits and don’t forget to keep everything in moderation. Believe me - you too can let technology be part of your children's lives without being overwhelmed by it.