Tiger Woods PGA TOUR

In light of the masters that was just played, I would like to talk about an app that involves golf.  This app is very entertaining.  Obviously it is a golf app but it lets you play like the pros.  The first time I played this app I failed miserably.  It is very hard at first, and it offers a lot of challenging shots throughout the game.  The first two are three game I played I didn't make the cut, and in golf that means that you didn't do well enough in the first two rounds to qualify for the last two rounds.  After a while I learned that you can curve shots, have extra strength power shots, and have special spin on the ball to spin it right or left depending on your shot. After a while I began to excel in the game and to even win a few tournaments myself.  It is a very fun game and it is very challenging.  I have always enjoyed this app and I think you will too.

Kindle

The kindle app for iPad is pretty cool.  You can use your iPad as you would a kindle, which means countless books can be downloaded directly to you iPad.  I haven't been using my kindle app much until recently and it has completely re-opened my interest in literature.  I have read 2 books this past week, which is unheard of for me.  I usually only read about one book a year. I was just tired of having to go to a book store and paying 10 bucks for a book I would eventually read.  With the kindle app, I simply just download mostly free books, and there are thousands of free book that can be downloaded and a lot of them are very good.  Among all the cool things I can use my iPad for, I can now use it like a kindle.  I love it.

Pages

I found a new app today called Pages.  This app offers some interesting things.  It is closely similar to a word document, but it also offers 16 templates for things including: a classic letter, formal letter, resume, project proposal, term paper, a poster, syllabus, thank you cards, recipe, and a flyer.  There are other other templates available for this app as well.  It offers automatic spell check on all words typed.  It is a very useful app for a number of different projects.   I discovered this app today so i don't know a lot about it but from what I do know it seems to be a great app.

GarageBand

So we just had to turn in project 1 and my project was on learning to play the acoustic guitar.  So I thought I would talk about an app that deals with the guitar.  This app is called GarageBand.  I just learned about this app a couple days ago but I love it already.  You can literally make your own music and have it sound good without knowing anything about music! This app supplies you with the guitar, the bass guitar, the drums, and many more instruments that you may want to add.  With every instrument you can choose what note and what type of difficulty you want for a specific point of a song and let it have it.  If you do not want the app to provide the strumming or the guitarist parts for you, you can do it yourself.  There is a lot to learn about this app and I am still trying to learn a lot about it myself but I find it to be very interesting.  It is a great app and I do recommend it. 

Project 1: Learn to Play the Acoustic Guitar!

http://fs.finearts.utah.edu/~scardon/CardonS.Project1

Here is the link to my project 1 website.  If you are looking to learn some things about the acoustic guitar go and check it out.  My site provides the basic essentials of the beginning acoustic guitarist.  I am no expert on the acoustic guitar, I just taught myself to play and I thought that I could help others who want to teach themselves as well.  The site is comprised of things that I learned on my own, as well as information found online that can be useful.  Enjoy!

Bubble Ball

Bubble Ball!  This is one of the simplest games in the world but it is so entertaining! There is a ball and there is a flag and you simply have to get the ball to the flag.  The game gives you blocks, long rectangles, and triangles that you have to strategically place to get the ball to where it needs to go.  The first few levels are very easy but in the later levels it starts to get extremely difficult to get that stupid ball to the flag.  Whats amazing about this app is that it was developed by a 14 year old boy.  A 14 year old is smart enough to design an app that is one of the top free apps available in the world today.  This app is very entertaining and I do recommend it.  Enjoy!!

Remote app and apple tv

The app I would like to talk about this week week is called "remote".  This app can be used much like a remote control for a TV can.  It is primarily used for controlling an apple tv, which is fantastic entertainment system.  The apple tv is using for watching TV shows and movies directly on your TV.  It can stream movies directly from the internet on netflix or other entertainment sites, stream movies and TV shows that you have stored on your computer, and it can even access internet sites like youtube. What the remote app can do is it can remotely control your apple tv so you do not have to use the remote that comes with it.  The remote that comes with the apple tv only allows for up and down controls which take a long time to type it the name of move/tv show that you want to watch on your apple tv.  Using your iPad, you can type in the name of the show that you want to watch and control the up and down movements of the show listings that you are viewing.  It essentially turns your iPad into a remote control.  It really is a great app and I recommend it, especially if you own or are thinking of owning an apple tv.  

SoundNote

The app that I have discovered this week is called SoundNote.  This is an app that can be very beneficial for students and for others looking to take notes.  This app is a note taking app.  It allows for you to take notes directly onto the touch screen of the iPad.  There is an added bonus to this app.  Has anybody ever been in a lecture and has not been able to get down everything that the professor says or what is being presented on a power point presentation?  What is very nice about this app is that it records the lecture for you so you can review the lecture afterwards.  Now, I'm sure there are some people who would just rather by a tape recorder and then take down their own notes, but there is something else that is special about this app.  It allows for you to click on a word in your notes and the corresponding audio recording will automatically jump to the spot.  This is really remarkable.  The word that you click has to be an identifiable word that is not used excessively, however.  This is a very useful app that I have discovered only a few days ago.  Surely there are many more apps to be discovered.  I hope to discover more and more every week...every day!.

Pdf-Notes

Today I am going to be talking about the app called "pdf-notes".  This app is a great study tool for me.  It always me to make annotations on any pdf file.  This is important for a student as we constantly have to add additional information to the file that you would like.  It also allows for speedy page turning and scanning the contents of your pdf files.  You simply finger write the notes you want directly on the page, anywhere you want on the page. It is a great application and for any student who owns an iPod it is an essential.  You can also highlight and underline anywhere on the page that you want.   It has very fast and intuitive finger-writing technology and beneficial to anybody who wants to add notes to a pdf file.  This app comes in a free and paid version.  The paid version is only $0.99 but I have only used the free version, but from the reviews I have read online, the free version will get done what you need to get done.  I highly recommend this app.  It is very useful for every student.

PocketCloud!!

Who of us has forgotten school information needed for a class?  Who has left their computer at home when it is needed to access certain information?  I think we have all experiences this.  If it be for school or for work it doesn't matter!  PocketCloud allows you to access any piece of information saved on your laptop from any  location in the world.  You could be in Russia and access your information no problem!  You can be anywhere in the world and access your computer.  It is a wonderful app.  It is an innovative app that allows you do to access your personal data when you need it.  I highly recommend this app.  It is free and incredibly great!  The only downfall is that your computer has to be on in order for you to access it so all you have to do is leave your computer on to reap the benefits of PocketCloud.

iPad = Possibilities

The iPad: Seemingly Limitless

I recently have had the incredible opportunity to purchase and own an iPad.  Everyone that I have spoken to, who owns and uses an iPad has nothing but good things to say about it.  I always thought that an iPad was just an overly large iPod touch and nothing more. The little I knew about it is incredible.  I have been amazed by its possibilities.  This blog is going to be dedicated to the knew things I learn about the iPad, week by week, and some things I have recently learned.  I want to share the amazing things I learn.  I am excited about this blog because it will force me to investigate and learn more about this machine.  I will be focusing primarily on the apps that you can download to operate it.

App of the week: Angry Birds

Angry Birds is not an app only used on the iPad, it can be used on the iPod or iPhone, but it is such a fun game that it has to be the first app on my list.  This is a strategic game where you hurl birds at green pigs to try and destroy them.  The pigs have stolen your eggs and you have to rescue them.  There are many levels and you have to strategically aim your birds to destroy everything around the pigs so you can reach them.  There are boards, bricks, metal objects, and other obstacles that you have to get around, or through, in order to get to the pigs.  Each level you beat you receive stars dependent on how well you did; 3 stars indicates a high score, 2 stars an average score and 1 star just for beating the level but with a very low score.  Angry Birds is a very simple game, but it is entertaining.  I grew up playing very basic video games and so it suites me.  I enjoy a simple but challenging game way more than the complex games out there today.  If you are looking for fun but don't want to pay 50 dollars for one game, Angry Birds is the game for you!!