Image by Rob Schultz/Macworld
This week’s roundup includes two new apps that let kids make a close study of animals in the world around us. Read on!
Image by iBiome-Ocean
iBiome-Ocean ($3, iPad only) is a sequel to the iBiome-Wetland, which was a much-loved educational game. The new offering lets users explore hand-drawn ocean habitats with Professor Bio as their guide. It’s aimed at kids ages 7 through 12, and they can build their own ecosystems and study humanity’s impact on the oceans.
Image by Mammals by Tinybop
Back on land, Mammals by Tinybop ($3, iPhone and iPad) teaches children science literacy by letting them take a close look at the lives and bodies of tigers, bats, kangaroos, and more. This is in-depth stuff: Users can study the skeletal, muscular, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, urogenital, and digestive systems of each animal—and that’s just the beginning of the informational content in this app aimed at anatomical explorers.
Image by Callblock
Callblock (free, iPhone only) lets you block calls from telemarketers. A $2-a-month subscription—$20 a year—lets you block 3 million telemarketers from more than 100 countries; this week’s update gives the app a new look and feel, improved VoiceOver support, and has fixed its compatibility with Adblock Fast.
Image by Kami 2
Kami 2 (free, iPhone and IPad) is a “calming yet addictive puzzle game” featuring more than 100 puzzles: The object? Flood each puzzle with a single color—in as few moves as possible—to claim a “Perfect” sticker. Be warned: There are plenty of tricks and obstacles along the way to prevent you from obtaining that perfection.
Image by Orphan Black: The Game
Orphan Black: The Game ($5, iPhone and iPad) “chronicles the mystery surrounding a sestrahood of clones who find themselves part of a global conspiracy pushing the boundaries of experimental science technology and ethics in human cloning.” In iOS form, at least, it’s also a puzzle game with more than 80 levels.
Image by Pavilion
Pavilion: Touch Edition ($4, iPhone and iPad) is a “a fourth-person puzzling adventure” in which you “guide the mysterious main character through a surreal dream-like place where reality clash with fantasy.” A little bit of Legion, a little bit of M.C. Escher, and a little bit of the finished final product: This app is Chapter One of a two-chapter story—the second half due later this year.
Image by Untitled
Ready to make some movie magic? Untitled: Screenwriting Notebook ($5, iPad only) helps you “turns your notes and ideas into a fully formatted screenplay automatically.” Features include a “focus” mode, iCloud syncing, and the ability to export your notes as TXT, PDF, or HTML.
Image by Uptime
Uptime (free, iPhone) appears to be Google’s—the developer, Area 120, is a “workshop for experimental projects within Google—attempt to build a social network around its YouTube videos. The app lets users share and watch videos together with friends, interact with each other while watching the videos, and get daily video recommendations from friends and people you follow.
Image by Chroma
IFTTT now supports your iOS calendar … Google Calendar is now available for iPad … Chroma (pictured) has been updated with four new textures for coloring.
Author: Joel Mathis
Joel Mathis is a regular contributor to Macworld and TechHive. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and young son.