Software

A good math-training app for the iPad needs a few things to really engage a child. It needs to be colorful and well designed, easy to use, and it needs to provide immediate positive feedback whenever a math problem is completed successfully. There are dozens of apps that try to do all three, but few manage to do it successfully, which is why Math Fractions: Addition & Subtraction is a commendable app.

Combining a number of popular gaming conventions, Math Fractions creates an inclusive experience designed to engage children as they learn their fractions. The game starts by asking them … Read more

Fractions have always been a problem for calculators. Before conversion to a decimal, a fraction is hard to enter into most calculators - even those with functions or keys intended to support doing it. Converting back from a decimal to a fraction is even more troublesome. So Math Tool - Fraction Calculator is a very useful tool for anyone currently studying fractions or using them on a daily basis on the job.

Math Tool - Fraction Calculator is exactly as it sounds - a simple calculator tool built into a calculator interface. Everything looks normal except for the addition of … Read more

The iPad is a perfect study aid for children at just about any age. It's easy to use, loaded with thousands of educational apps, and kids are always eager to use one. Not all study aid apps take full advantage of this, however, making it hard to find options that are both engaging and effective. Math 'n Me, while not a very attractive app, is loaded with practice quizzes and exercises, making it a perfect fit for children studying early math concepts.

Math 'n Me has quite a few features, all of them free and easy to use for … Read more

Math for Kids is the newest in a line of educational apps that have been flooding the App Store in recent years - apps designed to help children learn basic math concepts in visually attractive or game-based ways. This particular app focuses mostly on the math functions themselves, but it does so in a way that is both attractive and easy to use, a good fit for many young children.

The style of Math for Kids is the first thing you will notice. This is a well-conceived and designed app, using hand drawn graphics and playful fonts that are fun … Read more

The first thing most people will think of when they see an index card is studying for a test. But the genius of the Index Card Magic app from Evergreen Ruby LLC is that it is open ended. The format and layout of this app is perfect for creating to do lists, flash cards, or project boards on which you can visualize data fairly easily.

The basic interface for Index Card Magic is fairly simple and will take some time for students to get used to. You must create categories and then projects to fit into those categories before creating … Read more

It's hard to say what's more surprising - the fact that someone made a heads vs. tails coin flipping game with high production values or the fact that it's actually quite good. Either way, Heads vs. Tails manages to take the least skill based competition on the planet and create a compelling and engaging game out of it - albeit one that will not entertain for too long.

When you first open Heads vs. Tails the options are limited. The higher-level "game" components remain locked until you've flipped the coin at least 20 times. … Read more

With so many low quality, often times lazily made apps on the App Store for young children, it is always nice to find one that goes above and beyond, even in small ways. Such is the case with Fruity Matching HD. While not a particular ambitious app, it is well designed and, when combined with the numerous other apps featuring the same characters - almost all free - you have a nice mixture of fun experiences for preschool aged children and toddlers.

When first opened, Fruity Matching HD shows you a mixture of all the different apps that are available … Read more

The purpose of eGallery Lite is to help users create a digital, interactive gallery in which they can store and track items. The concept is smart and the tool (the iPad) is a perfect one for it, but the execution of this particular app leaves quite a bit to be desired.

To start, eGallery Lite is unnecessarily hard to use. It opens to a blank item entry and offers no clear direction on how to fill out the boxes on the screen. You must create a category, then load that category, then create an item, load that item, and finally … Read more

The growth of city building and management apps on the iPad is due in large part to the touch and play interface that the device allows. A few simple taps on any object or tile on screen and you can manage your city. Combined with notifications and a powerful processor with online connectivity (meaning social sharing), games like Dragon City Mobile are ripe for explosive popularity.

Dragon City Mobile is one of the finer made city management games on the App Store. While not wholly different from many of its contemporaries, it is fun to play and incredibly deep in … Read more