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HMH Common Core Reading Practice and Assessment Grade 5 is an easy to use learning and study guide for fifth grade reading subjects. Released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the Common Core series of apps helps students and teachers alike with various subjects to perfect test taking across grades K-6. This app in particular focuses on Reading for grade 5. Here is the apps full description:

Perfect for individuals or small groups, students and teachers will find a multitude of learning resources featuring Weekly Common Core reading practice and assessment with complex texts tied to weekly major ELA skills and topics. Helpful corrective feedback when students choose incorrect answers reinforces learning and builds test-taking strategies. Innovative item types that mimic PARCC and SBAC formats, including technology-enhanced items allow students to write to sources, cite text evidence, and synthesize multiple complex texts. Real time reporting to the teacher for on-the-go is included to aid with progress monitoring. The  ,Common Core Practice and Assessment App truly helps every student from grades K-6 prepare for high-stakes Common Core testing.

The app comes with 6 units, though Unit 2 is the only one available for free. $1.99 in-app purchase is required to unlock the additional units. Unit 2 comes with 5 lessons including the subjects Life Science and Values. Each lesson comes with a practice and assessment. Read the articles, then test your knowledge on what the information is about. The practice tests are very helpful with the ability to check each answer after selecting. When taking the tests, original articles are available to reference back to by just pulling down a tab from the top of the screen.

HMH Common Core Reading is very organized and easy to use. An explanation to navigating the app can be found in the top right corner by tapping the question mark.  The color scheme is bright and text is easily readable.  My own fifth grader used it with ease, and the $1.99 upgrade is well worth the additional content. For anyone who wants to give their child an extra leg up on test taking, HMH has you covered.

HMH Common Core Reading Practice and Assessment Grade 5 is available for free now in the App Store and is compatible with iPad.

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Pick1, available for iPhone and iPad through the Apple iTunes App Store, is a great way of finding shared interests and taste similarities between friends and family in a neatly visual way.

The app aims to build bridges between you and others by connecting you via shared choices and tastes, with an interesting take on what you may consider to be a quiz app. There are quiz elements to be found, but the aim is to cooperate with your friends to find interesting results, instead of competing with them as you would in quiz apps and games.

The app simply asks you to ‘pick 1′, from a variety of questions to get a better understanding of your tastes, likes, dislikes and your opinion of yourself and others, with the idea being that you then compare and contrast these results with those of your friends and family. It is done in quite a clever way, with quirky visual questions, some with famous characters and some with theoretical situations, and the task is always to pick one answer. The more you answer, the more the app finds out about you, and the more interesting the results become.

Here, straight from the developer, are the app’s best features:

One pair, two choices, pick one!

Play “would you rather …?” – Which restaurant is better? – What should I wear today? – Learn more about your followers with lifestyle preferences – Consensus for life decisions – What’s a better product? – What’s a better book? song? movie? – Who should I date? – Travel preferences for destination, airline, sights to see

Let your voice be heard!

Now, the questions and themes are all pretty fun and engaging, but the real meat of the app is in comparing results with others, and finding our who you are similar to, and who you may be surprisingly different from.

You create your profile, then follow other users and they can in turn follow you, in a similar way to Twitter. Once you finish a question, anyone who follows your profile will get a quick notification to let them know their opinion is required, and they then complete the same question. You can then take a look at what peoples preferences are compared to yours.

It sounds simple, but in practice it is actually pretty fascinating to see how your tastes and opinions stack up against others.

Pick1 is an interesting experiment, and one that I feel pays off. With a nice clean look, engaging questions and compelling social aspect, I feel that if you only pick one app today, then ‘Pick1′ should be it.

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Keeping little minds active is essential when you are a parent. It’s not only for the sake of your sanity, but for the growing mind of your child. Electronic devices have become a part of all types of learning these days, and kids are learning computers younger and younger. Luckily the app selection has catered to these new areas with apps that teach and entertain children of all ages. Mouse Tales – games for kids by Wirenode s.r.o is a game on the iPad that is doing just that.

Mouse Tales is a basic puzzle game that helps kids learn everyday objects and become familiar with where they belong in their environment. Here is the app’s full description:

Mouse Tales is a puzzle-based game for small kids.

The goal is to teach kids about new objects and what they can do with them and where they belong.

The game has no advertisements inside.

The kids need to clean different rooms, where a mouse lives. They need to move items from wrong places to the right places.

The game has more than 50 different items.

Please check out our other games for small kids as well. Each game has unique graphics and sounds.

Upon opening the app pleasant music played with a big tree house displayed on the main page. Mouse has quite the tree house which contains a total of 8 rooms to keep organized. In each room there are items that don’t belong and the narrator will direct what to do. Your child must help Mouse by finding these items and placing them in their correct place. Moving the items is as simple as tapping and dragging, very basic for any young child to easily learn. While the colorful characters and environments keep the games fun, they are also teaching simple house rules for cleaning and organizing.

There are three rooms that can be played, with the other five available with an in-app purchase of $1.99. Though the app is free, there are no ads invading the game so there is no accidental clicking of pop-up links. One thing that did bother me a little was the sound. The music was pleasant but sometimes the narrator was hard to understand. The words sounded garbled in some parts and was a bit robotic. Also, the mice like to shout, “Yippee”, when a task is done correctly. After a while, it can get pretty annoying.

Mouse Tales is a simple game that any child can master. It has a fun premise with delightful graphics and a great learning quality. Mouse Tales – games for kids is available on the App Store for free and compatible with iPad.

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This one is a bit of a corker. The first all live action video game murder mystery, this could have been awful, and is taking so many more risks than either a TV murder mystery or a traditional video game, as there were so many things that could have gone wrong.

It needed to play well and feel interactive, that the player was actually playing a part in proceeding and figuring things out, and the script, usually a secondary function in many games, needed to be spot on. The developer (and film crew) deserves rich plaudits for what they have achieved here, as they have manged to combine the two halves to form a very good piece of interactive entertainment.

The script is clever and laced with intrigue as you find out more and more about the characters, and would not feel out-of-place as an episode in a TV series. The acting, usually woeful in this sort of live action/videogame crossover, is superb with very good actors creating believable and layered characters. I won’t go into the characters too much, as I really don’t want to give anything away, as the element of surprise is important for the development of one or two characters in particular.

Here, straight from the developer, are the app’s best features:

Contradiction is the first fully interactive, all-video murder mystery adventure game. Everything you see is live-action video, with real actors in atmospheric locations. You decide where to go, where to investigate, who to speak to and what to ask. As the story unfolds you’ll meet new people, witness new events and discover new places.

The game itself is all about finding the contradictions in what the characters say and do, which helps progress the story, fill plot holes and get you ever closer to finding the truth. In reality, there are shades of Phoenix Wright in the way some of it is framed, but the contradiction function itself works well. You are free to talk with whichever character you want to and investigate any currently unlocked area. There are quite a few question options, although a few more per character would have been nice.

The game is fairly expensive, but I feel it is worth it as you are getting something truly unique here. An interactive TV show that works, has a good script, decent characters that are brought to life by good actors and an intriguing gameplay element that is far more than a menu or two.

If you like your murder mysteries, either on TV or in videogames, then you will absolutely love this.

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iSecrets is the magazine for those who want to learn more about gadgets and mobile technologies. Each issue features a large detailed overview of a chosen topic, with some spin-offs to app reviews, tests and comparisons between apps and devices. They also share with you the most important industry news and interviews.

Each issue contains
• Latest news – we cover the most important events relative to tech and gadgets
• Topic of the issue – the issue-wide problem, with detailed explanations, secrets and hacks
• iHowTo – a few secrets to make your digital life easier
• In-Depth – a pack of detailed overviews of some advanced apps or techniques
• Monthly special – we always have a few surprises for you!

*** iSecrets magazine is available on iPhone and iPad. Subscribe once and get iSecrets magazine on both devices.

Back issues and future issues are available for purchase within the App for $2.99 per issue*

Future issues are also available through the following auto-renewing subscription deals*:
Annual subscription: $11.99 (12 issues)
3-Month subscription: $5.99 (3 issues)
Monthly subscription: $2.99 (1 issue) [7-day free trial period]

• The subscription will include the current issue if you do not already own it and subsequently published future issues
• Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase.
• Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period.
• Account will be charged for renewal within 24hours of the end of the current period, and the cost of the renewal will be provided.
• Subscriptions may be managed by the user. Auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase.
• No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period.
• Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication.

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HIGHLIGHTS: 

Individual issues are priced at: £ 4,99/ € 5,99 

Issue 2/2014 is completely FREE for all readers – for a limited time only! 

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The iPad is a great tool for kids. With its big screen and ease of use, the Apple tablet is the perfect place for family orientated apps. Now, Make My Family, also available for Android, is the perfect way to bring your family together around the iPad, entertaining the kids, while also providing a few laughs for the adults.

The basic premise of the app is to allow children to create cartoon characters that resemble members of their own family. This could have been where the app easily failed, as creating an editor that was easy enough for a small child to use, while also allowing plenty of options is tricky, and I have seen many sites and services fall flat on their faces at this point. Thankfully, the developer has got this aspect just about right.

The editor allows you to customise many aspects of the avatar you are trying to create, with clothing, accessories, colours, many options for hair and even pets are allowed. It is this customisation aspect that is at the heart of the app, and it works very well. It takes no time at all to create a few members of your family, and the results are pretty good, with people being fairly recognizable by their ‘cartoonified’ characteristics.

Hint: you can find much more information about this app, and others at the developer’s site Familysteps.

Once you have created a full family, you can add them to a storybook, put them in a variety of scenes, and of course, share them to social sites and the iOS photo stream. The only problem I have with the app is the small amount of things to do with the characters you have created. I think there should be lots more stories that children can customise and put the family into. Dad becomes the evil emperor, for example. Things like that, and perhaps some mini games, would go a long way to expanding the possibilities of the app.

The app as it stands, is still a really fun way to get your children to create, and the results can be really funny, especially when they get shared around on Facebook. This can lead to some nice family moments and memories, which is surely the ultimate purpose of the app.

I hope there is more in store for the future of Make My Family, as it has a lot of potential, and I can see it really taking off if kids start to take notice of it. The idea of using the avatars as social media profile pics is a step in the right direction. The price is just about right, and it will give you and your kids plenty of joy for the small fee.

Well worth a look, Make My Family is a great app for the family.

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Epic Bug War, available for iPad through the Apple iTunes App Store, is an interesting mix of action and strategy which, while not quite getting the balance perfectly right, is a decent game with a unique feel and plenty to like.

The game uses a classic isometric viewpoint to display the action, which is always something I love, especially here, where the game has the look of ancient Amiga games. The isometric squares that make up the playfield are unshakably 16 bit in style, and when there are hundreds of units battling for supremacy, it looks like Populous on steroids.

The game plays like a strategy and action hybrid, with the emphasis more on the action, as you swipe to order your troops in different directions, usually towards the enemy bugs. You have to use your human fighters to repel an invading bug menace, with different units and items to use to help you, as the bugs will always outnumber you.

The game intelligently knows which fighters you are trying to get where, with general arrows that work well in grouping troops together. It can be tricky to get smaller groups to do different things, so I would have liked a way to micro manage troops a bit more effectively.

Still, it can be pretty impressive, watching hundreds and hundreds of units battling it out onscreen. The developer claims that there can be 1400 units on-screen at any one time, and it is easy to see that this is true.

Here, straight from the developer, are the app’s best features:

– Epic battles
– Over 100 waves of alien bugs to battle
– Easy to play, challenging to master
– Full game, no-in app purchases
– No notifications
– No ads and no tracking of personal data

The game is of the ‘pay once, play forever’ variety, which is always great to see in these days of constant in-app purchases, and there are no ads to bother you. You get 100 waves of enemies to fight against, and plenty of different troop types and items to use, as well as Game Center integration.

I like the way the game plays, so I wish there was a separate mode that was more mission based, as the game does have a lot of potential. While the waves will hold your interest, more objective based play would add some variety and purpose to the gameplay.

The graphics are good, with an impressive amount happening on-screen, and I loved the viewpoint, but as a lot of the terrain is green, it can make it tricky to make out some of the green bugs as they can blend in a little too much.

Overall, Epic Bug War is a bit of a treat, with a lot of potential to expand itself. While not perfect, the gameplay is good, and the engine works well to keep everything up to speed. If you love your strategy games with an emphasis on action, then you can’t go wrong with Epic Bug War.

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Earthcore: Shattered Elements, available for iPhone and iPad (version reviewed here) from the Apple iTunes App Store, is a deceptively simple card battling game that is actually pretty deep and offers complex layers of gameplay and strategy. What first appears to be a ‘rock, paper scissors’ game dressed in fancy clothing soon morphs into a truly satisfying romp that is probably the best card battle-type game on the App Store.

The majority of games like this tend to use the cards as an excuse for summoning monsters and minions, and build the game from there, but Earthcore is a little different, as it actually plays like a proper card game in many respects, and I believe the game is all the better for it.

Players must take turns filling out three columns of cards, and once each column is complete, the game compares the cards to see who has played the most powerful hand. Each card plays host to a different element, from Earth, Wind and Fire, as well as an interesting fourth element, dust which is weak to every other element, but can be used wisely by a canny player.

Cards can also have different powers that allow them to be copied, moved and much more, all adding to the strategic element at play. The best thing to do to learn the game is to play a few easy rounds, you will soon get the hang of it and be ready for online play and the surprisingly in-depth single player mode.

Here, straight from the developer, are the app’s best features:

ELEMENTS OF WAR
Fire burns Earth, Earth absorbs Water, Water extinguishes Fire. You use your cards’ skills to outsmart your opponent and, like in a real battle, you gamble on your life every time you use a card.

IT’S ALL ABOUT SKILLS
Strategy and later on tactics is achieved through hundreds of skills you can use in various combinations. What skills are those? Maneuver, Direct Damage, Skill Theft, Element Change, Lower Risk and more!

CARDS ’N’ GLORY
A revolutionary Card Crafting system lets you create 500,000+ unique card-combinations with powerful skills. Discover the most dangerous card combos to annihilate your opponents!

VENI, VIDI, VICTORY!
Test yourself in quick duels against friends, challenge strangers for loot, or climb the ranks of the multi-layered League that only the best players can reach! Like any good commander, all you have in the midst of battle is your army and your wits.

The single player game actually has a decent story to get into, and there is plenty of content in this mode to keep you going for a very long time. When you are ready for the PVP mode, there is a lot to like here as well.

I must warn you to make sure you have mastered the basics 100% before venturing online, as the standard of play is very high and players are absolutely merciless. However, it is the quickest way to learn advanced strategies, and slowly but surely you will start to get wins using those same strategies and become far more accomplished online than you were when you first dipped your toe into PVP.

In terms of presentation, everything in Earthcore is top-notch, with some nice battle animations and effects, decent storytelling and impressive sonics throughout. I never had any technical issues during my time with the game, and all the online features worked without a hitch. The only real problem I had with the game was in the first hour or so, as I felt things could be a bit better explained from the outset.

With intense PVP matches, an extensive single player campaign and true card based play, Earthcore: Shattered Elements is the best thing to happen to card games on the App Store in years.

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I like a clever app with a neat idea, but you know what I like even more? A clever app with a neat idea that actually manages to turn that idea into something decent and worth your time and money.

Now, apps like that are a real rarity, but I have uncovered as little gem called CariCartoon that meets the requirements above.

The basic idea behind the app is that it turns photos of real people into cartoons. Now, this has been done before on the App Store, but with less than successful results, but CariCartoon makes it look very easy, and almost magical. I would think that there is some pretty impressive tech going on behind the scenes here, but you would never notice it as the effect is as easy for the user as tapping an icon on the screen.

It kind or reminds me of the effect Nintendo uses in creating Miis from pictures snapped with a 3DS, but only on a far more impressive scale.

Once you have either taken a photo or used a suitable one from your library, the app does its magic and you can then adjust the face to make it perfect. When you have got it looking just right you can change all sorts of things about your new creation and the real fun begins. You can alter what the avatar is wearing and have them perform all kinds of acts, and even drop them into backgrounds to get some funny results.

Here, straight from the developer, are the app’s best features:

▲ Super easy and user-friendly features to turn any photos to mindblowing Cartoon Caricatures
▲ Choices of more than 70+ different scenarios including: Wedding, Celebration, Profession, and Fantasy
▲ CariCartoon is for everyone! You can choose different skin color in one tap!
▲ We develop our own sophisticated face conversion, from your photo to unbelievable realistic cartoon in a split second!
▲Choose various different backgrounds, from Beautiful Lake in Canada, Enchanting Eiffel Tower in Paris, Beautiful Wedding Chapel, to Hot sunny beach in Bali!
▲ CariCartoon is All about Customizing your very own Cartoon, Your style, Your way. Don’t worry though, as we always strive to make the experiences as simple and easy as possible.We have lists of : Different Face Shapes, Beard and Moustache, Eyebrows, Glasses, Hair, and Headwear
▲ Customize your own hair with 5 different colors : Black, Dark Brown, Red, Blonde, and Gray
▲ Add your own Text and customize it your way with different color and fonts!
▲ Save CariCartoon in High Quality resolution, so you can print these amazing Cartoons with the best quality!
▲ Share CariCartoon easily to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Email, Whatsapp, Tumblr, and SNAPCHAT!

When you have finished creating your cartoon character, you can pretty do whatever you want with the images you have created. Sharing them to Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat is a doddle, and any services not supported by the app can always be used by simply saving the image to your iPhone or iPad library.

The only thing missing here is some kind of storyboard feature, so you could create entire comic book stories using you character. Hopefully this is something the developer is looking at.

The app is currently available at a pretty impressive 67% discount, so I would suggest snapping this up right now. CariCartoon is fun, clever and priced just right, so I highly recommend grabbing this while you can.

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YouMail is a visual voicemail client for iOS, which may sound strange considering that iOS has visual voicemail built-in, but this app does so much more than the system app does that it is probably more appropriate to call YouMail a personal assistant.

With the built-in visual voicemail left to rot by Apple for quite some time, YouMail have taken the opportunity to steam ahead with an ever increasing roster of features and upgrades.

There are three tiers of YouMail available, but the free version should more than suffice for most people. With YouMail Free, you can check voicemail on all your iOS devices and your desktop PC, which for me is a fabulous feature. It means you are not tied to your phone in relation to your voicemail, which is a great thing and something that many users will not know the value of until they have used it themselves.

You also get plenty of other features for free, including call blocking, simple caller id, a clever ‘smart greeting’ and the ability to actually share voicemails over email and social networks. You are essentially, completely upgrading the visual voicemail capabilities of your phone, for free.

If you subscribe to YouMail Premium, which is $5 a month, you get some great extra features, such as the brilliant voice to text, which is another thing that you wouldn’t know you needed until you had it and lost it. You also get a dedicated voicemail number, and YouMail’s Privacy Guard feature.

There is also a third tier, aimed at business users, that provides call routing, auto replay and auto forward services, rounding off the offering from YouMail.

If all this sounds complicated, have no fear as it really is all very easy to use. If you are simply looking for an upgrade to your visual voicemail, then YouMail is an easy choice as it gives you a lot of features in its YouMail Free priceband and you won’t ever have to pay a penny for them. With an intuitive interface that will make sense to you straight away, YouMail Free will be a great offering for many people. Those who want a little more can always plump for the Premium version, and companies are catered for by the business offering.

Overall, this is a superb visual voicemail app that offers up many features other, more expensive apps simply don’t have. With excellent customer support, an easy to use interface and an industry best suite of features, YouMail is an absolutely essential app for iOS.

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What2Share, available for iPhone and iPad through the Apple iTunes App Store, may seem like a standard, if decent customisable iOS keyboard at first glance. However, like so many apps these days, taking a second look will reveal some really cool social features that will make this one of the most innovative keyboard replacements on the market, and one that social network addicts should be using as their number one choice.

First of all, the app is free, but requires a couple of extra steps to use. Once downloaded, go to your settings app, then to ‘general’ and finally to ‘keyboard’. Once you have selected the What2Share keyboard, you must click on it again to allow full access. When all this is done, you then need to click on the globe icon in your standard keyboard while in an app, then on the ABC icon and you can then use the keyboard as default for that app. It sounds complicated, but it all takes seconds.

You are then free to play around with the new keyboard and explore its wide breadth of features. The first thing you will notice is the row of new icons along the bottom of the screen, and it is here where you will be spending most of your time, as there are some really cool new ideas here.

For example, you can touch the little icon marked ‘GIF’, and the keyboard will pull down the most popular GIFs from the Internet and display them right there. You can also search the Web for GIFs, or use hashtags to find the ones you want. Once you have found one, you can save it to your camera roll, then add it to your messages or emails.

It is a great idea, and fantastically implemented. Yes, I would rather have the step of having to add things to my camera roll removed, but that is a limitation of iOS and not the developer’s fault.

GIFs are not the only things you can find and send with this keyboard. Smileys, balloons, and even screenshot collages can be found and sent with this. You can even create your own custom memes from within the keyboard and send them.

In addition to this there is the ability to edit photos and add things to them, and even select and share sounds over the app and draw your own doodles.

What this means is that the keyboard ends up being a fantastic partner app to apps like WhatsApp, Facebook and any app that uses a keyboard. Your mates will wonder how on earth you find custom memes and GIFs so quickly and just how you share doodles and screenshot collages within seconds.

I do have one criticism however, and that is I feel that too many features are locked behind a pay wall. I would rather there were some kind of trial period where users get to play around with everything for a few days before agreeing to purchase. Yes, at the moment you can look at some of the better features, but you need to pay to use them. I would also like to see a few more of the themes made free. This is a small problem though, and easily solved in the future, and shouldn’t stop you from trying this app out.

Overall, this is pretty much an essential app for social network addicts, and will also be great for those who frequent forums and Reddit. With a wealth of great features that will complement your existing suite of social apps perfectly, this is a must download for many users.

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In the world of online videos, YouTube is king. Anyone, anywhere in the world can have their own channel and broadcast almost anything they want. You can find a plethora of things from celebrity gossip to tips and tricks for make-up, or how to repair your car. If you want to look for just a subject or genre though, you could be looking through random videos for hours. So many videos to search through can make the task of finding what you are really looking for take some time. Thankfully Couchr can help.

Couchr by Couchr Inc. is an app for iPad that puts together collections of the best videos on various subjects into channels so you can watch what you are really interested in. Here is the apps full description:

Tired of constantly looking for high quality content on YouTube?

The Couchr app lets you lean back and enjoy premium content collected by area experts and smart algorithms. You can even chat with other users watching the same channel as you.

Looking for world or business news? We have a channel for that. Looking to see cool new gaming videos about Minecraft,
Battlefield, Call of duty and other popular games? We have that as well.
Want to let your younger family members enjoy an endless stream of cartoons? Try our Super Heroes and Friends channel.

Couchr has more than 100 subject specific channels that you can explore and watch.

Couchr also has the following features:

* Chat with other couchrs watching the same channel.
* Help the experts collect better content by utilizing the Up or Down voting buttons.
* Save your favorite channels.
* See what videos are coming up next on the channel’s lineup.

Launching Couchr brings you directly to a Featured Channel home page. Here the channels are a cluster of videos arranged by subject; Tech, News, Games, Baby, etc. You can log in with Facebook or Twitter but it isn’t a requirement. The main channel page shows a preview image of what is playing in each channel along with the title of the video and where it is at in the video playback. Tapping a channel will bring you into an already playing video that is streaming YouTube videos one after another, like a playlist. There is a description of the channel and you can see what video is up next, then scroll through a few of the videos that are qued in the channel.

It is an interesting concept as it isn’t live content but a live channel that is running previously recorded content. I cannot scrub through the videos or skip through, it’s just to watch like you would a live television channel. I do really like the concept for my kids, as my toddler is a big fan of the YouTube app for kids. He never really knows what he wants to watch, so the non-stop cartoons could really come in handy. I also like that there is a chat feature. My interests are primarily in tech and gadgets. Watching while reviewers analyze the newest devices and chatting with others who are fans as it plays could really be fun and adds a great interactive aspect to the app. I should mention that you do need to login to Facebook for the chat feature to work. Mark your favorite channels so you can easily find them, and thumb up and down the clips as they play to give the app team feedback on what you like to see. The ability for users to create their own channel is coming soon.

Couchr is a great app with good quality and current content in a well designed format. A great video app to check out news recaps, how-to videos or just for entertainment. Couchr is available in the App Store for free and is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

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Smart Color Path is an odd little game, but one that has really won on me over during the last few days of gameplay. The game seems to clash with itself when you first start playing, with the look and graphics not seeming to mesh well with the complex gameplay, but after a while it all starts to make sense and you realise that this is actually a gorgeous looking puzzling treat.

Available for iPhone and iPad through the Apple iTunes App Store, Smart Color Path is an initially baffling game. Yes, there is a brief text tutorial, but I really feel that there should be a more visual guide to tell you what is going on, maybe a demonstration, followed by a few very simple levels. Once you do ‘get it’, it is great, but I feel the developer could do more to teach players.

Once you do get started, the puzzles are fabulous fun. The idea is to make a line of circles across the screen, and you can drag them around to mix and match them, but they must match at least one colour in the preceding circle and also the following circle, and only colours that are either in the centre of each circle or are touching at the edge. With each circle containing between three and six colours and designed in an obtuse manner, it is very tricky.

When you solve puzzles, you get points that you can save up to get a hint for one of the tougher puzzles, although the game will deduct points for giving up on a puzzle. The game saves the score of the last game you played, but I really wish it saved all your scores so you could browse through them and remember tricky puzzles that you have completed, and it would be even better if you could replay these levels and see if you could beat your own time and moves.

There are three difficulty levels, and random level generation, giving you pretty much unlimited levels. This is great but I wish there was a way to replay completed levels to beat your own score.

I was going to criticise that game for not allowing you to back out and return to a level later, as there is a severe points penalty for doing so and the level is also gone forever, but after reflection I actually think this is a good thing. I remember the physical puzzles that my Mum would spend weeks, if not months finishing, sliding rings around for hours, and the puzzles here feel a little like that. Instead of the quick puzzle after puzzle ethos of many iOS games, here you sit and work on one big problem at a time, until the answer is just staring you in the face.

Finishing one of the tougher stages here without a hint is very satisfying, and one of the best feelings in iOS gaming. Yes, more work is needed on the tutorial, and I wish favourite levels could be kept forever, especially to challenge friends with, but the core game design here is very strong indeed.

Highly recommended for puzzle nerds everywhere, Smart Color Path is an excellent puzzle game, hence the outstanding score below.

This article Smart Color Path iPhone Review appeared first on The Smartphone App Review.

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We have reviewed a few Peppa Pig apps here at The Smartphone App Review, and have always been happy to report that they are usually fully featured and crafted with a lot of care, unlike some licenced apps on the App Store. I am pleased to report that Peppa’s Seasons: Autumn and Winter, available for iPhone and iPad through the Apple iTunes App Store, follows this trend with a wholesome feeling release that is fair on your pocket and great for your kids.

The app is priced at $2.99, which may be off-putting when there are so many free kid’s apps out there, but here the price is absolutely justified and it is a buying decision you will not regret, especially if your little ones are fans of the porky cast of characters that inhabit Peppa’s world. The fact that there are no ads and no after purchase in-app purchases will be refreshing for many.

The theme of the app is the changes between autumn and winter, with the aim being to show kids how the world changes when it moves between these two seasons. To this end, there are four games for kids to play, each with separate gameplay elements and themed accordingly.

There are decorating and creative games, which are great as educational aids, but the highlight for many kids will be the tobogganing race, as it plays really well, is just fast enough and has that ‘one more go’ quality that kids love.

Here, straight from the developer, are the app’s best features:

Four fun-filled games that help pre-schoolers understand the change between different seasons – Autumn and Winter.

• Pick seasonal fruit to help Peppa and George make jam, fruit juice or a cake
• Build and decorate a snowman using the large array of props!
• Take part in a tobogganing race
• Explore Peppa’s autumn and winter environment: control the weather; discover animals; jump in muddy puddles; and throw snowballs!

The weather element is well used in one particular game, where you can see the changes the seasons bring and even perform different actions based on the weather. It is actually a great tool to explain the seasons to children.

The app looks fantastic, with images and animation that looks like it does on the TV show. Everything is very bright, bold and colourful and has a genuine premium feel to it.

One particular little feature is the ability to collect stickers that kids can use in a scrapbook. It is a nice little tool, adding a kind of meta game to the app that helps to join all the other activities together and makes the app feel more like the completion of a vision instead of just a collection of games.

Overall, Peppa’s Seasons is a superb kids app that is at the very top end of its field. For sheer quality and content, this gets top marks, but the real plaudits go to the little touches here that the designers knew only (little) fans of the show will notice, and for this it should be applauded.

This article Peppa’s Seasons: Autumn and Winter iPhone Review appeared first on The Smartphone App Review.

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Towers Battle Pyramid Solitaire, available for iPhone and iPad through the Apple iTunes App Store, is quite possibly the most comprehensive multiplayer oriented solitaire game we have ever reviewed here at The Smartphone App Review. With over 150 levels and excellent tournament based online gameplay, this is easily one of the most addictive games of solitaire we have tried here.

I think it is as good as it is because of the inherent meta game that is involved here. You actually feel that every game you play gives you a little progress, not just in terms of learning but with rewards. The game uses power ups to enhance the play, and you will need to get the hang of them in order to compete online, with items having a real effect on gameplay.

Earning silver and gold in order to get power ups and other items is quite addictive; sure you could just spend some real cash to buy things but I preferred earning them, as it gave each use of a power up even more meaning than it otherwise would have.

Here, straight from the developer are the app’s best features:

– excellent HD graphics
– thrilling sound effects
– 150+ unique levels to play
– challenge The Globe: 1 Day, 1 Chance and Battle Tournaments gives you not only The Glory, but The Gold as well
– the game is completely free, but if you wish, you can buy any gold or silver pack to boost your experience
– all-in-one friends integration: once connected to the Facebook, you will get not only +2 to your max hearts amount, but your friends for the competition
– additionally, every your friend can help you with a hearts every hour 24/7.
– different backgrounds to reflect your emotions

There is a lot to like here, but special mention must go to the graphics as they are really very good. All rendered in HD, the cards look great, and I liked the different backgrounds you can choose from; a really nice touch.

With plenty to do and superb online options, Towers Battle Pyramid Solitaire is probably the best multiplayer focussed game of its type on the App Store, and comes highly recommended.

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I am a Hero, available for iPhone and iPad through the Apple iTunes App Store, is an interesting game for iOS. A 3D arena battler, this third person game has bags of potential and is very polished, but it needs more players.

Each fight takes place in a small arena, with the action viewed from a third person perspective. Virtual controls allow you to steer your character around, with the ability to block, dodge and perform different attacks all intelligently assigned, with even the slightly more complicated manuevers intuitive to pull off. The game plays like a small-scale combat version of Dark Souls, stripped down to the basics, and it manages to do this really well, especially considering the limitations of the touch screen.

The game has many RPG elements, as you can build your character up to play the way you want him to. Weapons, armour and more can be earned and used to fit out your trusty avatar, with each weapon feeling unique to play with. Some weapons have greater reach, but are slow to use, with others faster and able to spam attacks, but at the cost of attack power. It works really well, and after some time with the game I had enough gear to be ready for some multiplayer.

The single player mode is essentially the multiplayer but with bots and objectives, such as working as a team or collecting a certain amount of coins. These matches are fairly good, and the bots have some challenging AI, especially as you move up a few levels, and the whole mode feels pretty good but is essentially just a way of levelling up, practising and earning gear for the real game: the multiplayer.

Now this is where I have a problem as I just could not find a game during my review time, which I even extended to keep trying, and I even tried various regions in order to get a game. It is such a shame as there seems to be plenty to look forward to here, with the potential for team deathmatches an exciting prospect.

I really hope the developer has some success in convincing people to sign up, as the combat here is easily the most fluid and interesting of any game of this type on the App Store. It seems to move at 60 fps, has plenty of options mid-fight and manages to overcome the handicap of the touchscreen well.

The game is free, so I would still recommend this as a decent RPG arena combat game, and hopefully there will soon be a few more players to go online against in the lobbies, as this has the potential to be great.

This article I am a Hero iPhone Review appeared first on The Smartphone App Review.

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Amazing Stop, available for iPhone and iPad through the Apple iTunes App Store, is a quick fire action/puzzle hybrid that is simple yet addictive. The basic idea behind the game is to get a coloured ball to the end of the course. The ball flies automatically upwards through the vertical levels, and will hit any obstacle it comes across, and the only way you can prevent this is to stop the ball from moving by holding your finger on the screen.

The ball will stop, but the obstacles will continue to move in their set pattern, and you must release the ball at the perfect moment in order to get it through the course. You are free to stop the ball for as long as you like, and for as many times as you like on each course which allows you some breathing space after each level.

This makes the game very accessible to new players, and does allow the developer to create more intense later levels. However, I would like some kind of ‘hardcore’ mode added, which would limit the time spent pressing the screen, forcing players to think tactically and to plan ahead. This could even extend to the online leaderboards, allowing users to be ranked depending on how many times they stopped the ball.

Despite this, the game is still very relaxing and enjoyable, and is perfect for a play when you have a free minute or two. Once you unlock the later stages, with multiple balls and differing directions of travel, things get very hectic.

Here, straight from the developer, are the app’s best features:

Amazing Stop! Is a unique puzzle game with simple and easy, yet challenging controls. The only thing you need to do is tap the screen in order to stop. Dodge the upcoming obstacles and find a way to get to the finish line. Quick thinking, fast reflexes, and a little bit of patience are the keys to success in Amazing Stop! With intuitive stages and gradually increasing difficulty levels you won’t get bored easily.

The game features a minimal design ethos, and for me, looks great. The colours are all nicely done, and look decent on the plain background, and I feel this simplistic theming suits the game well and helps with the shorter play sessions.

There are quite a few levels to play through, with the first batch available for free and subsequent levels requiring a purchase to download. I would like a few more of the levels available for free, but the premium levels are reasonably priced, in my opinion. The addition of Game Center achievements and a leaderboard for total tries per game clear adds a bit of extra content to the game.

Overall, if you are looking for a relaxing, refreshingly simple casual puzzle game to spend some time with, then you could do a lot worse than giving Amazing Stop a try.

This article Amazing Stop! iPhone Review appeared first on The Smartphone App Review.

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There is nothing like a good mobile game that submerges you into a new world and really makes you think. In the case of the steam punk themed adventure The Aetherlight: Chronicles of the Resistance by Scarlet City Studios, be fully prepared to really get sucked in! Here is the app’s description:

Explore the world of Aethasia™, and join the Resistance in their fight against the tyrannical emperor and his army of mechanical men! Once a beautiful land, Aethasia is

now covered by a sickly pervasive fog that corrupts everything it touches.

But all is not lost. Rumors are spreading of a fledgling Resistance, who have the courage and audacity to try and restore Aethasia to its former glory, and to reinstate the The Great Engineer back to the throne of Aethasia.

And that Resistance needs you!

JOIN THE ADVENTURE: Engage with the Resistance as they begin their immense task of restarting the Great Engines to drive back the fog and finding the Great Engineer. This adventure will take you throughout the entire land of Aethasia, from No Man’s Landing, through the Snowmoors and Giant Seed Forest, right to the Ends of the Earth Falls!

CRAFT STEAMPUNK GADGETS: Discover ancient lost Engineer Technology, collect unusual items, and craft crazy steampunk gadgets to solve puzzles and help the Resistance in their struggle against the emperor Lucky.

FIGHT EVIL AUTOMATA: Lucky’s mechanical monstrosities will fight you every step of the way though! Luckily, the Resistance has at its disposal an arsenal of weaponry and gadgets. Take your pick of hammers, dueling canes, rifles, pistols and mechanical gauntlets! Upgrade and enhance your weapons to take down Lucky’s biggest and meanest Automata!

EXPLORE WITH FRIENDS: This resistance is not a solo effort! Recruit your friends, explore the world of Aethasia and battle evil automata together. Play together in real time multiplayer battles and adventures.

Join the Resistance!

••• Note: A wi-fi connection is required. Please ensure you have approximately 1GB of storage space. This game is compatible with iPad 3, iPad Mini 2, or newer. The game will not run on earlier devices. •••

To begin your journey, create a new account and character. The character can be customized with gender, hair style, eye color and outfit. Then give them an Aethasian name. Join the resistance by choosing an account username and password. This game is targeted toward young players aged 10-13, so a parent’s email is requested. The email will need to be verified and the parent can create a parent account if they would like. They have also included an online safety guide for anyone unsure of letting their child play online. Keep that login handy, as it is needed to login every time you want to play the game.

The story begins; “Lucky rules this land, Automatons rule our lives, the old Aethasia is gone, fog taints everything. Fog corrodes the world, and people’s minds. But a resistance is coming.” Help the Scarlet Man and his recruits fight the fog and the evil Automata to find the Great Engineer and restore Aethasia to its former glory.

The game mechanics are really simple, but effective as your character follows your finger through the colorful land. There are plenty of items to be found and even crafted to fight your turn based battles with the Automatons. The different quests will keep you busy so there is never a dull moment as you help other users conquer battles in this real-time, online experience. The game is great fun and I think young users will love the story and interactivity. I am also very happy to see that it is safe online game play to put parents’ minds at ease.

The Aetherlight: Chronicles of the Resistance is available in the App Store for free with in-app purchases for additional episodes.

This article The Aetherlight: Chronicles of the Resistance iPad Review appeared first on The Smartphone App Review.