Learn arithmetic with Bubbling Math for iPad [Kids Corner]

Bubbling Math is an educational iPad app for children to refine their arithmetic skills. It aims to make math fun by making it a game with levels and rewards. It also breaks down the child’s results in the parents section so you can know how your child is progressing.

As a math educator, I firmly believe that the irrational fear and hatred towards mathematics begins at young age and I hope that apps such as Bubbling Math will help give children a positive attitude towards math that carries over into adulthood. I have tried many children’s math apps, but not all of them make the cut and remain on my iPad. Bubbling Math has earned permanent residency.

Your child will love to do math tasks – because this is a game – complete with levels, goals, nice graphics and music. Your child can practice all the elementary math operations, and you, as a parent, can set what task to practice.

• 9 different graphic levels with nice music and sounds – will make it difficult for you to stop your child from solving math tasks
• Task configuration – easy, but powerful – to help you set what your child will practice – based on his age and skill
• Parents section – with detailed results – you will know how many tasks your child has finished and you can even view which tasks your child finished incorrectly
• We are motivating – not only to learn, but motivating to continue with additional tasks, because when each new level is unlocked, your child can also get 3 cups for every level (Bronze, Silver, Gold) – and it is not easy to get a Gold cup!

Bubbling Math is available on the iPad for $1.99.

[App Store link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

Native Gmail App Coming Soon?

MG Siegler reports that Google is preparing to finally launch a native application for Gmail. This is great news as even though the Gmail web app is one of the best web apps, we’ve been waiting for Google to launch … Continue reading →

Google readying native iPhone Gmail app?

MG Siegler, blogging on his own parislemon site says multiple sources are telling him that the stars have finally aligned for a native Gmail iPhone app>

Perhaps the biggest issue with using Gmail through the iPhone’s native mail client is that Gmail is not Push-enabled. Yes, you can hack it to work through Exchange, but then you lose other functionality, such as the ability to star messages via flags. The native Gmail app will likely bring other key functionality as well: like Priority Inbox and one-click starring of messages. Other possibilities include some of the stuff Google is about to roll out for Gmail proper: like contact icons, better threading, and deep searching functionality. Maybe there will even be some Google+ integration, which Google is also hard at work on for Gmail.

While Google’s Gmail has handy features, they’ve never made it play nicely enough with regular IMAP or Exchange mail to have Stars translate to Flags, and Labels to efficiently correlate the Folders. Because of this, Android has annoyed me for years by having separate mail apps for standard email and for Gmail. A real unified inbox across multiple accounts, Gmail and non-Gmail alike is compelling. For power Gmail users, however, a native iOS Gmail app is likely even more compelling.

Let’s see how well Google can pull it off.

Source parislemon

ZENandTECH 21: Review II

Georgia and Rene circle back around and review taking care of yourself, working on passive relaxation, setting goals, dealing with negative thinking with positive counter-statements, the importance of play, helping others deal with death, and getting better at communications. This is ZENandTECH!

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Hosts

• @GeorgiaTiPb (Georgia)
• @reneritchie (Rene)

Contact

You can reach all of us @ZENandTECH, via email at podcast@zenandtech.tv, or leave a comment below!

Thanks everyone, you’re the best community on the web and we love having you with us!

Disclaimer

While Georgia is a therapist, she’s not YOUR therapist. Everything said or implied on this show is for informational and entertainment purposes only. And shouldn’t be taken in any way as a replacement for proper, professional care.

Credits

Music is Peace on Earth by wellman.

Report: iOS and Android apps fighting for retention, not discovery

The latest Flurry report has an interesting insight for app developers. Over the last few years, as apps have gained more and more attention and users, discovery has been one of the biggest issues developers face: Most devs spend a lot of their time post-release just trying to tell as many people as possible about their app, so they can actually find it in the store and buy it. But Flurry now says that because of the growing amount of tools out there for app discovery, the biggest problem faced by apps isn't getting found anymore. It's trying to get customers to stick around.

As you can see above, app user retention drops off sharply after the first month of usage, and only gets worse from there. Based on my own experience, I can agree with this assessment -- while I probably use more apps than the average consumer, even my favorite apps really only hold my attention for a few weeks at the most before I find something else I really like and move on. That's not a judgment on app quality -- there are just so many apps out there and apps always coming out and dropping in price and going free that there's always something shinier to move on to, no matter how great the app is.

Especially with models like freemium, app retention becomes more and more important for developers. Presumably, then, the next tools developers need should not only work towards discovery (things like Game Center and OpenFeint have helped immensely with this kind of thing), but also should be aimed towards keeping users interested in the apps they have. The new Notification Center may help with something like that, or maybe a "Recently Used" folder on your iOS device, that pushes you back to apps you've used lately. It's fascinating to see that as the app ecosystem grows and ages, developers are facing new and different problems reaching users.

Report: iOS and Android apps fighting for retention, not discovery originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Report: iOS and Android apps fighting for retention, not discovery originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TiPb celebrity iPhone and iPad sightings for October 31, 2011

Hello everyone and welcome to a little feature we like to call the TiPb celebrity iPhone and iPad sightings roundup! Time to take a little break from your daily routine and relax with a little gossip from the world of the rich and famous. What do all of these celebrities have in common? They all were spotted with an iPhone or iPad, of course. Check out a ton of pictures after the break, and if you spot a celebrity rocking an iPhone or iPad, drop us an email at so we can include them in the next roundup, next week!

Please note: Some pictures may from time-to-time be NSFW (Not Safe For Work) so use discretion when viewing.

Adriana Lima makes a call on her iPhone while at the gym.

Amanda Seyfried chats on her iPhone while out and about.

Courtney Love with her iPhone.

Eva Longoria checks her phone while out shopping.

Gwen Stefani attended Kate Hudson’s Halloween party this weekend, dressed as Cinderella. No princess is complete without her iPhone, and Gwen threw in some Tic Tacs for good measure.

Jennifer Love Hewitt looking.. well, frumpy. She has a red case on her iPhone, at least that looks nice.

Jessica Alba, looking beautiful as always in a casual summer dress, chats on her iPhone.

I don’t know much about Jodi Gordon, but she looks hot soaking up the sun on the beach with her iPhone.

Twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon look ready to party!

Rashida Jones dressed as a Blow Pop for Halloween. I hope she didn’t get her iPhone sticky.

Here is Rumer Willis in Beverly Hills with her white iPhone.

Andy on The Office, just as he receives word on his iPhone that the boss is coming the Halloween party!

Screen Grabs: Palm Pre-iPhone hybrid appears on Grimm, doesn’t look half bad

Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com.

Anyone who caught the series premiere of Grimm, NBC's new fairy-tale-and-crime-procedural would have seen another sort of unearthly fusion: a Palm Pre device ringing like an iPhone. The phone then switches to the typical webOS interface we've long admired, picking up reception on AT&T along the way. We're torn over whether they're using a Pre 2 or another Palm family member, though the screen looks too dinky for it to be the mythical Pre 3. But in a world of monster hunters and big bad wolves, we guess anything's possible.

[Thanks, Ben]

Screen Grabs: Palm Pre-iPhone hybrid appears on Grimm, doesn't look half bad originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beer Pong HD for iPhone and iPad

Now you can play Beer Pong – with virtual beer! Not only does Beer Pong HD follow the official rules of the World Series of Beer Pong, it uses realistic physics algorithms and also uses the camera to simulate being drunk. Oh, and you better watch out if you play against the AI, as they will trash-talk you throughout the game in an effort to throw you off your game.

Although this is a virtual game with virtual beer, no one says you can’t be drinking a real frosty beverage while you play! Drink responsibly.

Be sure to check out the promo video below!

“Beer Pong HD” is the long awaited sequel to the only officially licensed Beer Pong game on the App Store: Beer Pong. It has improved graphics, more realistic physics, it uses the OFFICIAL rules as used in the World Series of Beer Pong, and best of all it is totally FREE! Throwing balls has been made very easy; it uses a similar mechanic as seen in Angry Birds : Pull the ball back, aim and shoot. So you”ll still be able to pick this game up if even when you had a few beers yourself. You can also play the game with your friends ONLINE or offline and share your highscores through OpenFeint and Game Center. You’ve messed with the rest – now try the best! And why not, it’s FREE!

• Best looking visuals and most realistic physics of any beer pong on the market!
• Easy to pick up throwing mechanism similar to Angry Birds
• Beer Pong HD features the OFFICIAL BPONG.COM rules, used in every single match of every single World Series of Beer Pong
• ONLINE multiplayer makes for the cleanest, most mess-free game of Beer Pong you’ve ever played with your friends in your life!
• Over 15 different tables and cups to choose from
• Online leaderboards and achievements through OpenFeint & Game Center, for the best social gaming experience
• Prepare your ego as both male and female AIs will verbally assault you with a barrage of voice-over trash talking zingers!
• See if you can hold on to your phone while the camera simulates you being drunk
• The game has a counter for the number of cups scored globally!

Beer Pong HD is available on the iPhone and iPad for free.

[App Store link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

Classic Elite, Interplay titles coming to iOS

Touch Arcade has some good and bad news for fans of classic PC RPGs out there. The bad news is that the expected Elite Collection (which was set to come out last week and round up some of old developer Elite Systems' best games on iOS, has been delayed due to some rights issues. One of the companies involved that had previously agreed to share its games decided instead to claim a trademark at the last minute, which will hold up the process for a while, perhaps only a week or two.

The good news, however, is that that extra time will allow the folks behind the apps to add in some extra titles, which TA presumes are some really amazing Interplay games, including The Bard's Tale and the great RPG Wasteland. That would be awesome -- almost all of Interplay's old titles are classics, and it'd be great to get those up and running on iOS devices.

We'll see -- Elite is still working on getting everything together, but as I said, news should be out in the next couple of weeks. Here's hoping iOS gamers get their hands on this great collection soon.

Classic Elite, Interplay titles coming to iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Classic Elite, Interplay titles coming to iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to buy more iCloud storage space

Backing up multiple devices or maybe you want to keep a copy of your Camera Roll and the tons of videos that come with and, and you’re wondering how to buy more iCloud storage to contain it all? Well you the good news is, Apple makes it incredibly easy.

• First off go to Settings on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch
• Tap on iCloud in the left hand column

• Tap on Storage and Backup

• Tap on Buy More Storage

• A new box will now open up offering your three options.

You can now select to increase your storage to 10GB, 20GB or 50GB per year. Once you select one, you will be billed for that year; although Apple will offer refunds within 15 days or purchase. The picture above shows the costs in UK Pounds. The US equivalent will be $20, $40 and $100 a year.

A point to note, before you go for extra storage. Any music, apps, or iBooks that you bought through iTunes is stored for free in iCloud, as is your Photo Stream. So make sure you really need more before upgrading from the free option.

Apple Store App To Be Updated With Self-Checkout Option?

Apple’s retail store iOS app already does some pretty cool stuff. It lets you buy Apple products and get them delivered right at your doorstep. It knows when you walk into an Apple store, more specifically which Apple store, and … Continue reading →

Apple ‘Questioning’ the Future of its Mac Pro Line?

Late last week, we noted that with pricing information on Intel's upcoming Sandy Bride E Xeon processors surfacing, Apple's options for a potential "Early 2012" Mac Pro have begun to clear up. The Mac Pro has not been updated since mid-2010, and delays in Intel's new chips have pushed their availability out from late this year to early next year.

But despite the new processors now being in sight, AppleInsider reports that Apple is reportedly "questioning" the future of the Mac Pro line and whether it will even release updated models.

Although the Mac maker has reportedly developed a revision to the existing Mac Pro that may or may not see the light of day, people familiar with the matter said management as far back as May of 2011 were in limbo over whether to pour any additional resources into the product line.

According to these people, the consensus among sales executives for the Cupertino-based company was that the Mac Pro's days -- at least in its current form -- were inevitably numbered. In particular, internal discussions were said to focus around the fact that sales of the high-end workstations to both consumers and enterprises have dropped off so considerably that the Mac Pro is no longer a particularly profitable operation for Apple.

The report's source indicates that with Intel's new Thunderbolt connectivity standard making its way across all of Apple's Mac products, those products now have enhanced flexibility to assume some of the tasks that have historically been handled the Mac Pro. Combined with a continuing shift towards notebooks that has seen the desktop share of Apple's Mac business fall from 70% ten years ago to under 30% today, the increasing power of Apple's other Macs has resulted in the Mac Pro becoming only a minor portion of Apple's product lineup.


Speculation in the report suggests that Apple could elect to offer higher-end versions of its iMac or Mac mini models in an attempt to appease those buyers looking for the power of a Mac Pro. Those smaller form factor machines are, however, unable to match a number of the Mac Pro's other features, although Apple apparently believes that Thunderbolt could serve as a means to bring some of that expandability from the Mac Pro to other Macs.


Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• Media Server Plex Releases Major Update
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RunKeeper App Updated; Gets Auto Pause, Heart Rate Zones & More

RunKeeper – the must-have fitness app that makes it easy to track, measure and improve your fitness has just received a major upgrade. The latest version of RunKeeper gets new features such as auto pause and heart rate zones. It … Continue reading →

Brazilian iPad production may be more costly than expected

A Reuters story in the New York Times yesterday noted that iPad producer Foxconn's plans to move iPad production to Brazil may be slowed by higher than expected production costs in the South American country.

Brazil had touted the fact that they had lured Foxconn to the city of Jundiai to build Apple's tablets. This would allow the country to start developing a technological industry similar to that of Korea and Taiwan. However, Brazil has some issues -- a largely unskilled labor pool and poor infrastructure -- that keep it from moving quickly into high-tech.

The result is that the Foxconn plants in the country will start by simply being assembly points for devices that are built from parts manufactured elsewhere in the world rather than being "home-grown." Brazil is also plagued with a top-heavy bureaucracy and high taxes that tend to drive businesses away.

Foxconn is producing iPhones in the country already, and hopes to start constructing iPads by the end of the year for sale within Brazil. The Brazilian government is making concessions, such as reducing tariffs on imported components, and is also rumored to be working with Foxconn on priority customs access, tax breaks and subsidized loans from a state bank to get the company to begin producing larger, more complex devices in the country.

But labor costs in Brazil, part of the value added to the materials used to construct Apple's products, are almost double what Foxconn pays employees at its facilities in China. That could stymie further expansion of Foxconn's plans in Brazil unless other costs are lowered enough to cover the difference.

Brazilian iPad production may be more costly than expected originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Brazilian iPad production may be more costly than expected originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In-Store Pickup for Apple Online Store Orders Expanded to New York City

Earlier today, we noted that Apple is planning a number of enhancements to its online and retail store shopping offerings, perhaps most notably allowing retail store customers purchasing shelf-stocked accessories and other items to utilize a self-checkout option through the company's Apple Store iOS application.

One other enhancement that first rolled out last week is the ability for customers to place orders through Apple's online store and have them shipped to a local Apple retail store for pickup. The new feature is convenient for those who have difficulty receiving shipments at their homes or who wish to not utilize home or office delivery for some other reason.

The in-store pickup program launched as a pilot program at the three Apple retail stores located in San Francisco, but quickly expanded to include all sixteen stores in the San Francisco Bay Area.


As noticed by AppleInsider, the program has expanded yet again, now offering support for Apple's four stores in New York City: the iconic Fifth Avenue store as well as the Upper West Side, West 14th Street, and Soho stores. The Soho store is currently undergoing renovation and expansion, and Apple is operating a temporary store a block and a half away from the permanent Soho location in the meantime.

Apple has given no indication on exactly how quickly it will expand the pickup program to all stores in the United States, and perhaps internationally. But with the program already expanding to include 20 stores in less than a week, it's clear that the company is rapidly filling out the pilot program with an eye toward offering in-store pickup at as many stores as possible heading into the holiday shopping season.


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Daily Deal: Ventev PowerCELL for iPhone, iPad only $29.95

For today only, the TiPb Store has the Ventev PowerCELL for iPhone, iPad on sale for only $29.95!. That’s an external lithium-ion battery with 1700mAh delivers hours of additional talk and playtime on your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad or any USB device. Get them before they’re gone!

Shop Ventev PowerCELL for iPhone, iPad now!

Using Siri and MailShot Pro to send email to groups

One of the more useful features of Siri on the iPhone 4S is the ability to send email messages by asking Apple's intelligent assistant to do it. Telling Siri to "Email [name or nickname] about [subject]" produces a nicely formatted, but empty Mail message that Siri asks you to complete via dictation. This works fine with sending email to individuals, but what about sending to groups?

Erica Sadun and I pondered this question as we were writing our popular ebook "Talking to Siri: Learning the Language of Apple's Intelligent Assistant." We found the answer in a US$3.99 app called MailShot Pro.

Installing the app on your iPhone 4S lets you create custom groups which Siri can use to send emails to several recipients at once. With a quick tap, you can import individual names from the Contacts app or groups from Address Book on your Mac. You can also add names and email addresses manually. The groups end up in your Contacts list, accessible to Mail (via Siri or directly), FaceTime, Messages, and any app that can use an address from Contacts.

For the OCD folks out there, MailShot Pro includes a nice touch -- being able to sort the names in your group. If you only have a few groups with a handful of people in each group, you might wish to check out the free version of the app -- MailShot. Should you need more groups or have a lot of people in each group, MailShot Pro is available in the App Store with a tap.

Using Siri and MailShot Pro to send email to groups originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Using Siri and MailShot Pro to send email to groups originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad Live 80: Wonder Vader, dammit

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It’s Halloween, so join Wonder Georgia, Seth Vader, and Rene, dammit to talk iPad vs. Kindle vs. Nook, Newsstand blues, 3D mapping, making apps with apps, Apple TV Jailbreak, and Steve Jobs’ final words. This is iPad Live!

Meta

• Introducing Mobile Nations, our new community network brand!
• TiPb TV 22: iHelicopters dogfight
• Top 10 tips and tricks for new iPhone and iPad users

Discussion

• iPad vs. Kindle vs. Nook — which one’s better for you?
• Paying for magazine apps that have ads in them?
• iPad etiquette pro-tips

News

• Apple acquired 3D mapping company, C3 Technologies?
• >a href=”http://www.tipb.com/2011/10/24/apple-updates-ipad-2-smart-covers-kills-orange/”>Apple updates iPad 2 Smart Covers, kills off orange, adds dark tray

Steve Jobs

• OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.

Apps

• Codify lets you build iPad apps on your iPad
• TiPb Picks of the Week for October 29, 2011
• App for That: How to wirelessly send videos from your iPhone to your iPad

Jailbreak

• FireCore updates aTV Flash (Black) to RC1, huge improvements for Apple TV [Jailbreak]

Addenda

• Microsoft Office team shares vision of the future

Contest

• We’re giving some stuff away

Hosts

• Georgia (@GeorgiaTiPb)
• Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie)
• Seth Clifford (@sethclifford)

Credits

Thanks to the TiPb iPad Accessory Store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Music Hear me Roar by iPad Live theme song contest winner, DieselJesus!

Coolest Halloween Costume Of 2011 Using Two iPads

This is the coolest Halloween costume that we’ve seen so far. YouTube user onemeeeliondollars has posted a video of the Halloween costume that makes use of two iPads to make a gaping hole in his stomach. onemeeeliondollars writes: A description … Continue reading →

Color Profiles: Jailbreak App Allows You To Add Custom Color Themes To Your iPhone, iPad And iPod Touch

Even though iOS 5 comes with more than 200 new features, we were disappointed that it did not include the ability to customise the look and feel of our iOS device. Thankfully, we have jailbreak tweaks and apps like WinterBoard, … Continue reading →