Available on iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad

After downloading apps that promise to teach something and finding their formats neither fun nor particularly memorable, I thought I’d had it with anything containing “educational” in the description. But, it’s 2012. Why not get crazy? There have been 2 or 3 instances in the last month where a friend and I were strolling outdoors and wondered what kind of bird we were looking at. So when I saw Five Ravens’ app up for review, I figured it was a sign.




Cue My Bird World. There are 20 types of birds ready for you to win them (by way of fun games), put them in one of the available habitats and feed them. It’s almost like a bird Tamagotchi, except you have to jump through a few extra hoops to get your pet and feed it. Not that I mind. Games include tried-and-true favorites such as memory, quizzes and speed games. There is a lite version available for free, so if you test it out and are craving more aviary adventures, there’s an iPhone version and HD for the iPad. Not to mention, the realistic bird noises can really drive a house cat nuts.

This app is a pleasant, game-filled educational experience for all ages. And unlike trying to learn French, the bird skills you learn could actually come in handy. You know, so during the next picnic you can swear at that pesky, winged thing stealing your lunch by name.

From Five Ravens:
Leave a comment below and you could get this app for FREE… preference will be given to those who *promise* to post an honest review in iTunes! If you are selected to get a free code, we will send it to you via Facebook.

Exercise your brain and raise your stress levels at the same time!!

Welcome to Perfetto! Chances are you’ve probably played this game in your childhood as it is a direct copy of  the legendary game Perfection by Milton Bradley. The object of this game is to place all the yellow pieces into their respective slots before the red timer runs out. As a kid, playing perfection was five times more scary than it was fun. I’d always freak out and jump when the timer ran out and the pieces all flew out. After a week of messing around with it I shoved into my closet and never touched the thing again until I was in middle school. Luckily, when your minute runs out it doesn’t pop up into your face like the original game did. Instead, the pieces float up magically and the board resets itself.

Yes. The board resets itself! And you the player get to experience the mind numbing frustration of putting all the pieces back into place! You’ll never have the same game board when you play. Pretty nifty, eh? This makes a somewhat boring a game a bit more fun. Then again, memory games like Perffecto by GoodAppl are difficult to get into when you have a short attention span like me.

While the game play itself gets boring after a few minutes, I must admit I did feel a tad bit smarter when I get done playing. My only complaint is that while the game gives you a score at the end of your round, it fails to give me a menu button to check out my high score board. In fact, this game doesn’t have a menu at all. It’s just the game. This takes a lot of fun out of having a high score when you can’t gloat in the aftermath of beating your previous high score. Hopefully, in the next update they’ll fix this little problem.

iTunes Link – Perfetto

Version 1.0

Reviewed on iPhone 3G 3.1.3

As the father of a 5-year-old girl, I’ve become familiar with all kinds of kids programs.  Yo Gabba Gabba, Dora the Explorer, Curious George, Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Ni Hao Ki-Lan…you name it, I’ve watched it. Many, many times.  Some shows are just barely tolerable and others have me wondering what the heck those grown-ups were smokin’ when they conceptualized this or that show (I’m referring to you, Yo Gabba Gabba!).  Still others have me wishing I could claw my eyes out rather than watch even one more second of it.

Given that I watch all these programs, it would naturally follow that I would know about Super Why!, a public broadcasting kids show I’ve watched with my daughter on many occasions. I’ve always been impressed with the educational quality of PBS shows because they teach vital literacy skills.  It’s also one of the few networks where I genuinely don’t have to worry too much about inappropriate subject matter.  So when I heard that PBS Kids had released a Super Why! app, I just had to have my daughter give it a try. 

The $2.99 app features all of the main characters- Super Why, Princess P, Alpha Pig, and Wonder Red- and allows the player to practice the alphabet, writing, rhyming, and all the other things children normally get to do on the show. 

There are four components to the game, one for each character of the show.  Wonder Red has a rhyming game, while Princess P has letter-writing exercises.  Alpha Pig has a letter-recognition and sounding out segment and Super Why has sentence completion tasks that, of course, save the day.   

With each completed exercise, the player collects virtual stickers- up to 50 different ones as rewards.  The stickers can be placed on a series of virtual backgrounds as decorations. 

All in all, this was a good game.  It never failed to keep my daughter occupied whenever she played it.  But for kids, the biggest factor in their enjoyment isn’t necessarily whether they enjoyed playing a game once or twice, but whether they ask to play a game on their own by themselves.  My daughter did just that more than once.  In fact, she asked just last night whether she could play the Whyatt game.  So if you’re looking for a child-friendly app for your young son or daughter, check out Super Why!  It is indeed Super Duper!

iTunes Link – SUPERWHY!

Version 1.0 

Tested on an iPod Touch 3.1.3

As surely as fall gives way to winter and winter gives way to spring, spring gives way to standardized tests, whether placement or college entry.  One of the biggest, most important standardized tests of all is the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT, with its math, critical reading, and writing sections.  I always felt that if math was a strength for you, the chances were fairly good that you could work your way from problem to a reasonable estimation of the correct solution.  Or at least enough to where the odds of guessing the right answer were significantly higher.

The verbal section- as it was known back in my day- was a bit trickier, though.  Especially analogies and vocabulary.  Either you knew the meaning of the word or you didn’t and no amount of staring at it would change that painful fact.  I remember studying vocabulary words as though my life depended on it because I was so terrified I was going to encounter a word I’d never seen or even heard of before.  And in spite of all my studying, I did.  Although it’s been a while since I took the GRE and even longer since I took the SAT, I wish I had Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab back then.  Unfortunately, all I had was a few stacks of well-worn index cards. 

Here’s how Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab works: in addition to a database of over three hundred fifty words, Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab also incorporates word roots, mini-lessons, sample sentences, and even audio pronunciations.  The objective of the app is to help the user learn not only the definitions of various words, but also the connections between words.  If you know the definition of one word and understand its Latin or Greek roots, when you encounter other words with similar roots, you can reasonably deduce its meaning even if you’ve never seen the word before.  For example, if you know that the root “bene/ben” means “good”, then you’re that much closer to knowing the definition of words like benefactor, beneficiary, benign, or benevolent.  In essence, learning word roots can help you to increase the odds of choosing correct answers.

And with the SAT, every little edge matters.

I do think this application could benefit from an expanded word database.  359 words is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but a few hundred more would be awesome.

Still, there are so many reasons why this is a great app to own if the SAT is in your immediate future, chief of which is the fact that it just works.  Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab is well-designed, easy to use and understand, and adapts to your needs.  The value of the word roots is simply inestimable and the ways in which the app could be used go far beyond the SAT.  Anyone studying vocabulary words for a standardized test or simply seeking to expand their personal vocabulary could also benefit from it.

iTunes Link- Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab

Version 2.2

Tested on iPod Touch 3.1.3

It’s a shock to see a flashcard app that’s actually useful.

Flipside – Digital Studying made a fantastic first impression. The app’s interface is slick. The controls and options are easy to find and use. It’s a breeze finding your way around. After locating the multitude different buttons and features, the process is intuitive and efficient. JBB Productions made a fantastic app that is easy on the eyes and easy to use.

Creating and sorting your stacks is simple. Cards can be edited and manipulated easily from individual menus.

Studying the cards is just easy. Just tap to flip the card over. Slide your finger to view other cards. The process is worry-free. Individual cards can be marked for further study.

For a student, this app is perfect for getting a few minutes of studying when you’re on the subway, waiting in line, or just standing around with a few extra minutes.

A web interface is one thing this app is missing. Despite how easy it is to make your own flashcards, it’s still tedious typing it out with your thumbs on a miniscule keyboard. When it comes to the dozens of cards students sometimes have to deal with, it’s nearly impossible. However, the devs are assuring buyers that a web applet is coming soon – something I’m eagerly waiting for.

Right now, Flipside has the most potential out of all the apps sitting on my iTouch. It’s seamless, efficient and worry-free – everything I look for in a study app. With a few additions and renovations, Flipside can easy become an invaluable app for any student.

Version 1.0

Reviewed on iPod Touch 3.1.2

iTunes Link – Flipside – Digital Studying

Brush up on your medical terminology so you can convince chicks you’re a doctor! Or use it for something not evil. Up to you.

iTunes Link : Medical Terminology Aid

On deck: RiskDice Shaker (Utilities)

I hate when I miss a solar eclipse. I’m serious! They’re cool as long as you don’t look directly at them and go blind.

Total Solar Eclipses will tell you everything about every solar eclipse up to the year 2100.

iTunes Link – Total Solar Eclipses

On deck: Numbers to 1 (Games)

¡Teach the niños and niñas how to speak some Español!

iTunes Link – KidWords Spanish Learning Game

On deck: Instantaneous Memory Trainer (Education)

Create your own flashcards on your Mac or PC and then study them on your iPhone/iPod Touch. Doesn’t sound like the sexiest app out there, but it could be useful if there’s something you need to cram into your skull before test time!

iTunes Link – iMemento Flashcards

On deck: Camera Obscura (Entertainment)

Star Walk is an ASTRONOMY guide… that’s astronomy as in planets and constellations, not horoscopes! :P

iTunes Link – Star Walk – 5 stars astronomy guide

On deck: Baby Monitor & Alarm (Lifestyle)

Ok, you don’t have to be pregnant for this one! But it does help if you have a kid around to use it on… Time Smart’s goal is to teach your young ‘un some concept of time with two clocks.

One shows the time now, and the other shows the target time when something will happen (playtime ends, time to go to bed, time to make the donuts, etc.). When the two clocks look the same, an alarm probably goes off. The App Store description doesn’t specifically say that this happens, but such a grand finale would certainly make sense.

iTunes Link – Time Smart

* “POV” (Point of View) is a new feature that we’re testing out *

MediaBrand’s rating: 8.0
IAR’s rating: 7.0

Women tend to run away screaming when I approach and that makes it hard for me to reproduce, so in order to test drive MonsterABC I recruited the help of Ella, a sassy little four-year-old whose parents I’ve known since my first day of college back in the stone ages.

MediaBrand‘s app is a colorful learning tool that provides alphabet practice for toddlers by providing a word and an illustration for each letter as well as each word’s spoken pronunciation, plus there’s a fill-in-the-blank section where the child picks the missing letter in words like “kite” and “umbrella”. The spoken parts sound like they’re voiced by a child (good move!) and the artwork is top-notch, so I think it’s fair to say that MonsterABC has a lot going for it. It’s simple, it’s glossy, and it was able to hold Ella’s attention for waaaay longer than I was predicting.

There is, however, one major part of MonsterABC that Ella’s parents weren’t at all crazy about…

MediaBrand’s summary:

What MonsterABC does:

MonsterABC is more than just another flash card application. It’s the latest in childhood development tools, built specifically for the iPhone.

What this app does right:

This game features beautiful illustrations that keep kids interested throughout their tour of the alphabet.

Where this app needs to improve:

Need to improve user interaction when the game first opens – can be difficult to understand for some. Need to add more words.

Features and improvements planned for the future:

Additional words, free pc/mac version with every purchase

IAR’s take:

At startup, you can tell immediately that a lot of care went into the visual design of MonsterABC. MediaBrand is right… it has beautiful illustrations that keep kids interested. The startup screen is very basic with the only instruction being “choose!”, and this is another area where I’m in agreement with the developer’s take… it may not be difficult for geniuses like me, but if you’re just a year or two out of diapers it could be hard to figure out what “choose!” is referring to (letters or words). It’s good to see that MediaBrand is already aware of that.

I’m not around four-year-old children very often (phew!) but even I know that they’re famous for having ridiculously short attention spans. Ella picked up MonsterABC and spent a solid 10 minutes or so tapping around and listening to the pronunciations of all the words and looking at the funny green monster who sort of plays “host” to the whole experience. I heard her repeating what the app said, and for a while it seemed like she was fairly into it. The thing that drove all the grownups in the room crazy, though, was how the words get pronounced. Each word’s first syllable gets repeated several times, probably as some kind of phonics lesson, like this:

(illustration) Apple
(pronunciation) A-a-a-a-a-apple

Ella didn’t seem to mind this at all and, in fact, she was actually saying “a-a-a-apple” out loud which earned some scowls from Mom. Mom’s objection wasn’t that a phonics thing was being incorporated, it was the lack of choice that kind of got her wound up. We talked about it briefly and concluded that there should be some kind of “phonics toggle” that allows the grownup to choose the repetitive pronunciation or just hear the recorded kid say “apple” right off the bat.

Another thing on the phonic repetition that Mom wasn’t a fan of was in the Word section where the missing letter might be “L”, but the recorded voice was still stressing the first syllable, like uh-uh-uh-uh-umbrella. On the plus side, the fill-in-the-letter word thing is intelligent enough to vary the missing letters; play it now and you might get UMBREL_A, and the next time you play it might be UM_RELLA.

Overall this is a quality kids’ app, and the $1 price tag isn’t asking a whole lot by any stretch. I asked Ella if she was going to play with MonsterABC again later and she gave a moderately enthusiastic Yes, so that right there is a victory. Building in more words and offering a free desktop version are great ideas and when those improvements are rolled out they’ll add a ton to MonsterABC’s value… but, as evidenced by my test run, the current teaching m-m-m-method may not jive with all parents and that’s something I’d suggest taking a good look at. If this can be addressed successfully, I think I’d up my rating to match the developer’s 8.0.

iTunes Link – MonsterABC
MediaBrand website
Version 1.0
Tested on iPhone 3G OS3.0.1

* POV is sponsored by the developer