Emily is a freelance writer who loves discovering new apps whenever she can pry the iPad away from her children or husband. You can contact her via Twitter: @whatwentwrite
Many iPad fans consider Apple’s products to be the perfect unity of technology and great design. The iPad’s high resolution touchscreen also makes it a great way to explore museum collections, so save the plane far and never leave your arm chair as you enjoy some of our favorite museum apps.
While it’s common for iPad users to stream music to their devices with apps such as Spotify or Slacker radio, or listen to their own music libraries through Apple’s native Music app, the iPad is also an excellent way to explore new musical genres or learn about Classical, Jazz, or even Opera at any age.
When Twyla Tharp said, “Art is the only way to run away without leaving home,” she probably wasn’t referring to artCircles, the free iPad app from Art.com — yeah, that’s right the people who sold you posters for your dorm room just made an iPad app, and it’s impressive.
In partnership with Hot Studio, Art.com created an app that will make the user feel (sort of) like a gallerina while lounging at home with this tricked-out art app.
Despite our love of all things digital we at PadGadget are still fans of old-school books. You know, the ones with paper pages. Even if you do nearly all your reading on an iPad, there are still ways to celebrate the printed page. For example, how about ordering an iPad case made out of a book? The founders of StacheBook hope iPad bibliophiles everywhere will pledge to help them create lovely, bespoke cases for iPad.
If you like audiobooks, chances are good that you love audiobooks. As a group audiobook listeners are likely to be well-educated, exercise frequently, and spend a lot of time in the car. They are, in other words, a group that merits publisher’s marketing efforts because they are not afraid to spend a little cash on entertainment.
Despite their enthusiasm and buying power, many audiobook lovers who want to listen on the iPad — or any iOS device — have met with frustration as iOS updates continue to complicate the process of downloading and listening to audiobooks through iTunes.
Pretend play goes digital with Beck and Bo. While it’s being marketed as a game, it’s educational too. Kids can explore 12 different interactive scenes that range from the familiar, such as a trip to the grocery store, to the imaginatively far-fetched, like a jungle safari.
Beck and Bo’s aesthetic is playful and clean. The game’s splash screen has 12 icons that resemble stickers displayed on a background that was designed to look like corrugated cardboard and paper grocery bags. These inviting graphics are sure to pique a child’s curiosity.
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Adults of a certain age probably remember felt boards. I know I do. Felt boards were always the province of the teacher, who them to tell stories to a group of seated children. I always wanted to get my hands on those felt shapes and now, decades later, I can. Only after using Felt Board for iPad, I prefer this modern version.
Felt Board for iPad is exactly what you think it is: a digital play space with countless backgrounds, colorful figures, clothing, animals, spacesuits, and magic wands. Felt Board brings back “no batteries” style play, making the iPad a device for creating an endless number of different tableaux.
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In honor of the upcoming Presidential election this week we are highlighting ways to use the iPad to keep up with politics and elections, we’ve brought you a breadth of choices for keeping up with political news, teaching kids about government, following White House events, and even how to have some politically-inspired fun whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican.
Now that we’ve shared these resources it’s time to zero in on a few apps and accessories that will help you keep up-to-date with the latest election news, and stay engaged in the political process.
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The iPad does many things well, but I’m partial to its ability to reinvigorate a reader’s interest in a classic tale whether it’s Frankenstein, “The Tell-tale Heart“, or a fairy tale, the iPad helps developers create new interpretations of familiar stories. So it is with Brian Main‘s Lil’ Red.
Lil’ Red brings a modern aesthetic to the well-known story of Little Red Riding Hood. As Lil’ Red’s creators know, they probably aren’t introducing readers to Red for the first time, so they get to have a little fun by creating beautiful streamlined graphics that tell the tale without a single written word.
While the iPad is never going to become a perfect substitute for irreplaceable teachers like U.S. History Teacher Mr. Murphy, who opened every year’s class with the same lecture — “Farmers are debtors, my dear children…” — it can make educating kids about exactly what government is and how it works more fun.
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