Author Archive for Cristi

Contact me via Twitter: @PadGadgetCristi

Violet’s The Night Before Christmas – Fun Kids iPad Story

By Cristi | November 21, 2010 | 1 comment

Continuing on with yesterday’s theme of great Christmas iPad apps for kids, Violet’s The Night Before Christmas – Interactive Story is another one to add to your children’s holiday collection. This classic holiday poem is seen through the eyes of a little girl named Violet.

Dressed as her alter-ego, Violet listens and watches as Santa arrives at her house on Christmas Eve. When he lands on the rooftop and Violet sees him next to the tree delivering presents, she gets the Christmas time surprise of her life interacting with Santa.

By Cristi | November 20, 2010 | 3 comments

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Nothing says Christmas like traditional children’s classics like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and thanks to app developer OceanHouse Media we can now snuggle up and enjoy them on our iPads.

Everyone loves the story of Rudolph and his shiny red nose! Rudolph is a little different so all the reindeer tease him and won’t let him join in any of their reindeer games. When Rudolph decides to run away and “find out what the rest of the world is like,” he begins quite an adventure and meets lots of new friends along the way. Rudolph eventually saves Christmas and goes “down in history as the most famous reindeer of all!”

By Cristi | November 19, 2010 | No comment yet

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I fell in love with Teddy’s Day (What Does My Teddy Bear Do All Day?) the moment this app began on my iPad! This adorable story is based on a best selling book written by Bruno Hachler, illustrated by Birte Muller, published by Minedition and finally brought to life by app developer Auryn.

As a kid, did you ever wonder what your toys might be doing when you weren’t at home? Teddy’s Day is a cute storybook app about a little girl who’s convinced her precious Teddy spends the day playing at home when she is off at school. So she decides to stay home from school, watch him all day and catch him in the act. Does she succeed? You’ll have to read the story to find out!

By Cristi | November 19, 2010 | 1 comment

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Park Math HD is the latest and greatest iPad app release from award winning developer Duck Duck Moose. With its recent iLounge “2010 Best Kids’ iPhone/iPod App of the Year Award,” Duck Duck Moose is poised to have another great iPad hit on their hands.

Designed for preschoolers, kindergarteners and first graders, Park Math HD teaches early math concepts through repetition and play. Kids will learn counting, addition, subtraction, sorting and more while playing with Blue Bear and his friends on the playground.

By Cristi | November 18, 2010 | No comment yet

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My husband and I are in the market for a new car and we’ve been to a few dealerships that have told us all their brochures are now only available online. Well Audi has topped both the print and online versions with its recently released Audi A8 Experience iPad App.

Experience luxury at its finest with the new Audi app and take a virtual tour of all the new 2011 A8 sedan. Find out about all the bells and whistles, including safety elements, like pre sense pedestrian motion detection, and engineering features, like Audi’s LED technology, engine efficiency, Audi Quattro AWD technology and the 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. Customers can also build and price their own custom A8, read the latest car news and reviews and take their iPad to a local Audi dealer to view even more content.

By Cristi | November 18, 2010 | No comment yet

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There are a number of newspapers with their own iPad apps available in the App Store but the Financial Times is the first one we’ve heard of that’s encouraging tablet reading from its own employees by providing money to purchase iPads. According to mocoNews, Financial Times (FT) Group CEO John Ridding issued a memo to staff regarding “a new initiative” to give staff members £300 (€350/ US$480) to buy an iPad or other tablet device.

The potential bill of £540,000 ($864,000) for new iPads is serious business, but then again so is the £1 million in ad sales FT has made since its iPad app release in May. The 400,00 app users aren’t hurting business either as it accounts for 10% of the paper’s new digital subscriptions.

By Cristi | November 17, 2010 | 3 comments

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Back in June we reported on Goatse Security’s hack into AT&T to obtain a list of emails for high-profile iPad users and now one of the group’s hackers has contacted the federal prosecutor investigating the case. According to CNET, Andrew Auernheimer sent an open letter to Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Vartan stating, ”I’m writing you to help clarify this situation we continue to find ourselves in. You seem to still be investigating me for some sort of criminal act.”

It’s clear that Auernheimer believes he did nothing wrong and pointed out the fact that Goatse merely informed customers about AT&T’s negligent security. ”Social responsibility has always been at the core of everything we do at Goatse Security,” Auernheimer said.

By Cristi | November 17, 2010 | 1 comment

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Thanksgiving is next Thursday and people around the country are planning to spend time together with their loved ones enjoying good food and good fun. At our house, half of us will be sitting around on the couch playing with our iPads and watching TV, while the other half prepares our wonderful meal with the help of cooking apps like Allrecipes – Your Kitchen Inspiration, Celebrate the Holidays with Better Homes and Gardens and Martha Stewart Makes Cookies. Of course once all the cooking is done, we’ll fill our bellies and count our blessings because the following day, WE WILL SHOP!

The day after Thanksgiving, commonly referred to as “Black Friday,” is synonymous with the start of the Christmas shopping season and lots of great deals, but is it really all it’s made out to be? According to a survey recently conducted by PriceGrabber, shoppers believe retailers offer the best holiday shopping deals over Thanksgiving weekend.

By Cristi | November 16, 2010 | No comment yet

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Looking for a unique gift for the person who has everything this holiday season? Check out the customizable iPad and iPhone cases from Zazzle.

Known for its quality custom products, Zazzle has partnered with Speck to bring fully customizable cases to iPad and iPhone owners. Consumers simply select their favorite design, image or photo and Zazzle takes care of the rest. Using proprietary technology, Zazzle prints your unique design and covers the backside of a Speck Fitted case.

By Cristi | November 16, 2010 | No comment yet

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Although Oprah plans to end her 25-year reign on TV next September, she’s just getting started in the App Store with the release of her new iPad app, O, The Oprah Magazine.

“I love the written word, and I love the iPad — to me, it’s another way to experience the intimacy of this magazine and it’s part of the future of the business,” said Oprah Winfrey. ”It’s a new way to connect with our readers, who are on a path of becoming their best selves.”

The product of her magazine’s editorial and design teams, the O app incorporates irresistible pieces from the magazine’s December print edition and special features available only in the iPad version. Readers will experience the same inspiration and information they know and love, along with embedded video, interactive animation and the ability to make purchases all from the screen of their iPad.

By Cristi | November 15, 2010 | No comment yet

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If you’re a gamer or big race fan, boy have we got good news for you! GT Racing: Motor Academy HD is on sale now in the App Store. For a limited time only, the racing app is marked down from its normal price of $6.99 to $0.99.

Back in June we looked at Gameloft’s GT Racing: Motor Academy HD for the iPad and enjoyed the exciting racing experience. It’s HD graphics, optimized controls and large car selection make this fast paced game a worth while download.

By Cristi | November 15, 2010 | 1 comment

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Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit is a wonderful children’s classic and the new iPad PopOut! version from Loud Crow Interactive combines the traditional story and illustrations with modern day interactive capabilities.

Enjoy the mischievous adventures of the very naughty Peter Rabbit as he gets into trouble eating his way through Farmer McGregor’s field. Kids will love exploring the interactive features of this tale as they pull tabs, spin wheels and play with different elements on pages throughout the book. Objects will literally pop-out onto the pages when tapped and can then be moved by tilting your iPad back and forth or dragging them around the screen with a finger. A truly unique interactive experience!

By Cristi | November 14, 2010 | No comment yet

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With the start of the holiday shopping season just twelve days away, many kids are already thinking about their Christmas wish lists. Start their holiday season off right with the Jingle All the Way iPad app, a heart warming story from Hallmark Cards, Inc.

The first Interactive Storybook in Halmark’s new Interactive Storybook & Story Buddy line, Jingle All the Way is an adorable story about a little husky named Jingle. This well-behaved little dog loves kids and spends as much time as possible playing in the school yard, but when it’s Christmas time and the kids are no longer in school, what’s a homeless pup to do?

By Cristi | November 13, 2010 | 2 comments

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We’ve reported on actual, as well as predicted, iPad numbers many times over the past several months and with the beginning of the holiday shopping season less than two weeks away, retail sales numbers are on the minds of many this time of year. So, how will things play out for Apple and its iPad the final quarter of 2010? Well, according to a report from Bloomberg, Rodman & Renshaw predicts the “iPad and other tablets may not sell as well as analysts had estimated as customers cut back spending on new technology or opt for new smartphones and laptops instead.”

By Cristi | November 13, 2010 | No comment yet

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“Be delighted. Be entertained. Be inspired.” That’s what Martha Stewart hopes for the readers of her recently released Martha Stewart Living: Boundless Beauty iPad app. Twenty years after the launch of the first print edition of her magazine, the first iPad issue enters in “a new era of media.”

Created specifically for the iPad, your introduction to this app begins with a beautiful blooming peony right on the “cover.” Created from 180 photographs taken over a 10 hour period, the illusion of petals opening before your eyes is something readers simply don’t experience in a traditional print magazine.