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Arr.. There Be Pirates In These Parts..

digitalchristopherrobin — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 23:16:51 +0000

The recent launch of our app Build A Train has been a roller coaster ride.

Our first attempt to launch Build A Train was delayed because of the last-minute discovery of a bug in the distribution build of our app. Certainly the only thing more fun than waiting through the app store approval process is waiting through it twice – especially when the wait is your own fault.

But we recovered from this setback and have had good initial success with Build A Train. Shortly after launch it was named a New & Noteworthy app by Apple, and since then has ranked among the top 10 educational iPad games and the top 40 educational iPhone games. It has even been ranked as the #1 educational iPad game in both Slovakia and Latvia – our first #1 ranking anywhere, for any of our apps. Sales have been solid, but not spectacular. And the launch hasn’t gone without bumps – we’ve been told in iTunes reviews by one of our dear customers that our app is “a big sack of sh!t”. In addition to this feedback we’ve also received more, um, constructive requests for feature enhancements (a horn and bell for the trains) and additional depth – more tracks and more sophisticated game mechanics. We are actively listening to this feedback and happily planning how to expand the app and grow it into something with extended appeal beyond our initial intended audience of 2-5 year olds.

That said, recent events have given us pause. This is what happens to your daily new users when your app is cracked and pirated:

This is new territory for us, but upon reflection, we’ve come to a couple of conclusions from all of this –

1) If our app is good enough to be worth stealing, we’re doing something right
2) There is a demand for a free/trial version of our app (We’re working on it!)
3) There is demand for deeper game play by older users (We’re working on it!)

As far as the piracy goes, it seems like a mixed bag. It’s great to get extra exposure and new users (we hope you all like the app!) but to be honest, if we’re going to give our software away, we’d like to do that on our terms and not see links to a cracked version of our hard work dragged through every link farm scheme on the internet just so that somebody else can make some AdWords cash along the way. So we’re working on a free version. And if you, dear users, are looking for that, please just hang on – we’d love to help you out.

On the other hand, if you’re simply looking to steal our app, there is a cracked Build A Train .IPA file for your jailbroken iPhone here. But hurry! We did send a takedown notice and we’re hoping that they’ll comply in short-order. We don’t harbor any illusions that we can truly keep our software from being pirated indefinitely – but we can be clear: we’d rather give away a free version of the app ourselves on our terms, and avoid having potential customers resort to piracy. So please hang tight – there’s an official free version coming soon so you can try before you buy without jail breaking your phone..

Hope this doesn’t come off as sour grapes – we really are all about giving away free stuff. The FREE version of ABC 123 Blocks is currently among the top ten free education iPad apps. And if you haven’t seen it yet – we’re giving away FREE iTunes gift cards as part of our Santa Countdown app. So we really are happy to give our time and our skills – we believe it’s not just good business but also the right thing to do. But we are also trying to provide for our families with our code. Please keep that in mind when you run cracked versions of our apps..

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

Free App Magic Features Build A Train

Christmas Apps and Contests

digitalvictor — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:04:36 +0000

the ikids blog update

If your kids are like mine, they have been chatting about Santa nonstop for weeks. I have also been leveraging the power of the nice list to get improved behavior out of my 3 year old

Our blog has fallen off the radar a bit because we have been focused on a Santa contest, and some soon to be released updates to our site.

The Santa Countdown is a FREE iPhone app, a website, a blog, a twitter page, a youtube channel and most importantly it gives you a chance to get on the nice list while winning over $350 in prizes!

The website currently features two games, with a final one on the way. The Santa Countdown app will be re-released either today or tomorrow, updated with two games (and therefore two chances to win prizes!). Grab a copy and go for the prizes, or the nice list…

more contests

The makers of Little Cook (review here) have informed us of a ‘Little Critics’ contest with a chance to win one of three prizes. Because we so enjoyed their app, we are sharing a link to their contest here.

more Christmas apps

We are soon to have reviews for Night Before Christmas By Louise Grant, and X Mas Crackers.

Non-Christmas reviews are also in the works. Cheers,

the ikids blog

New Tools To Market Your App

digitalvictor — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:56:12 +0000

November has been a busy month for the the ikids blog, even though the blog posts have been few. We have numerous pending reviews, so if you have requested one please continue to monitor the site. Remember, this site is a labor of love!

More importantly, we are creating a marketing platform for app developers to promote their products. This new tool will also give app users and educators a chance to weigh in on their favorite apps and to continue to improve the educational benefits of the iPhone.

Thank you for your visit and please stay tuned!

-us

App Review: Animal Music

digitalchristopherrobin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:47:47 +0000

The same thing that I love about Animal Music is also the same thing that leads me to hesitate a bit in recommending it — the app is incredibly simple. Upon loading the app, you get a single screen with six animals faces floating against a landscape background.

Each animal head corresponds to a note played on a flute-like instrument reminiscent of the sound of Ocarina. Together they form a major pentatonic scale, which means that a toddler can bang away on the app without producing any dissonant intervals. This simplicity does open up the app to the littlest learners, as does the face that the buttons are big and easy to push for fingers that may not yet have adult-level coordination. That said, it’s tough to love the graphics of this app – they just feel like clip art. Without a doubt, there are other apps out there that give you more bang for your buck — but if your kids don’t seem to focus on the graphics of an app and you think that they’d love to play with a super easy-to-use instrument, then Animal Music may be perfect for you. You can get it here if you’re interested.

Apple Releases Top 10 Toddler Essentials List

digitalvictor — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:08:10 +0000

Currently, if you visit the App Store on your computer you will see an icon for “Apps for Toddlers” which directs you to Apple’s top 10 essential toddler apps:

There are certainly several good ones left out but this is a pretty solid list. Thoughts?

App Review: Peakaboo Barn

digitalchristopherrobin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:46:51 +0000

Peakaboo Barn is an easy app to love. The user interface is simple, the animations are cute — and it’s among my toddler’s favorite apps. She keeps coming back to this one, which is part of what pushed it to the top of the ever-growing list of apps to review.

The app itself is simple — upon start-up a barn animates in on a country landscape while “Old McDonald” plays.

The barn then hops on the screen and makes animal noises until you touch it — the doors then open, and you get to see the animal inside the barn.

Peekaboo Barn

The name of the animal is displayed until you touch the screen at which point your view zooms out to the barn again. From there, the app repeats in a loop of 10 or so animals. There are pigs, horse, donkeys and more. There is a bit of a twist when the scene turns to night – but I’ll let that be a surprise for those of you that end up getting this app.

One aspect of this app that really helps my daughter connect with it is the fact that the audio is actually kids saying the names of the animals. It makes her feel comfortable to hear voices that sound like hers, and she usually repeats the animal names as she goes through the app.

In my mind, however, the biggest reason this app succeeds is because of the simplicity of the interface. It’s great to see how naturally a child can flow through this learning experience simply by continuing to tap the screen. The simplicity of it all definitely delivers a sense of being in control of the experience – and what toddler isn’t excited about that?

If this sounds like the perfect iPhone app for the kid in your life, you can get it here.

Mobile Devices In The Classroom

digitalchristopherrobin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:16:14 +0000

@smeech recently asked my thoughts on a post from @coolcatteacher that makes the case for cell phones in the classroom. Among her more compelling reasons for why cell phones make sense in the classroom:

- Cell Phones Can Save Us Money
- Cell Phones Can Help Students Be More Organized
- Cell Phones Speed Up Information Retrieval
- Cell Phones Allows Us to Teach Kids Digital Responsibility and Citizenship

In my book, these are all reasons for embracing what cell phones can bring to the classroom. Text books and computers are not cheap and integrating mobile devices into the classroom can be a more cost-effective way to connect students to information. Productivity tools and information retrieval services are a staple of the newest handsets — and teaching kids to use these tools in a responsible fashion seems like an important part of developing the digital fluency that will be critical for success in the techno-forward world that the rising generation will work and live in.

One great example of the potential for impact here is how mobile devices facilitate learning in rural areas in India. Because good English teachers are rare in many parts of the country, mobile phones have filled in a gap and allowed students access to instruction that they wouldn’t have otherwise had.

This has got to be a good thing.

Closer to home, additional evidence of the benefit of mobile devices in classrooms comes from teachers happy with the impact on their own students. Paula White, a third-grade math teacher who has been using iPod Touches with her students, shares her take on their value on her blog:

“Once again, the iPod Touch motivated them to stay engaged and involved in the learning task. The tool here provides an avenue for learning that allows them to gather data quickly, and easily see results. The tool here engages the student. AND, the tool here entices the kids to stay engaged.”

Seems like experience with the devices has shaped her perception of their value as an educational tool.

She’s not the only one coming to that conclusion either. A pilot-program with high school students in Australia also supports the idea that mobile devices will be a key part of education in the future:

Preliminary research on the program found school attendance increased, students were more willing to come to school and they did more homework using iPods. They also used the devices more than laptops or desktop computers.

Let’s also not forget the fact that many kids just love technology. Shouldn’t we take advantage of this interest to instill a love of learning? Personally, I love the idea of my kids learning on an iPhone in class. Why? Because I know it will hold their attention — and that is a critical requirement for real learning to take place.

Other classroom benefits seem likely as well – consider a class comprised of students with varying knowledge levels and skill sets. Tracked classes are one solution here, but the fact that mobile devices makes individual learning possible seems like it could help any teacher that is challenged to ensure all students are getting the information and instruction that they need – while still keeping kids of diverse abilities in the same classroom to promote cross-learning.

The point is simple: there are many potential educational benefits mobile devices offer. Those who would ban cell phones in school need to acknowledge that, at the very least, there is the potential for the integration of mobile devices in the classroom to benefit kids. My take is that as educators and parents we all have a responsibility to investigate this potential rather than just shutting down to new ways of doing things.

We also have a responsibility to integrate this technology in a way that makes sense. As always, the devil is in the details, and many questions must be definitively answered. Which handsets should be used? Do all kids need their own device? Or just access to a device? Which software should be used? How can you ensure that the devices are used as a learning tool and don’t just wind up being another distraction? What policies already exist around school access to social media and the internet in general? How does introducing mobile devices impact all of this? And – perhaps most importantly – what does a curriculum look like that truly leverages the best of what mobile devices have to offer?

I would love to hear from others that are exploring the answers to these questions, whether on a personal level or as part of more formal pilots. I believe the potential of mobile devices is clear, and that what’s needed is broader research into how to actualize this potential. In the interim, I will continue to use my iPhone with my own daughter as an educational tool for one simple reason — she’s learning at an incredible rate. And that is a beautiful thing to watch.

Emma’s Favorite Apps

digitalchristopherrobin — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:38:31 +0000

So — my wife handed me her phone tonight and wanted to know how to rearrange her home screen icons. Apparently our two-year old daughter had rearranged everything to her liking. Guess she’s got some favorite apps.

Check it:

Emma's Home Screen

You can get Emma’s favorites here:

Suzy Dress Up
Teach Me Toddler
Letters A to Z
ABC 123 Blocks

And yes, she really did this on her own. Blew my mind.

A review on Letters A to Z will be forthcoming — we’ve already covered the others in her top four.

NEW!! NEW!! NEW!!

digitalchristopherrobin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:24:55 +0000

The tale of a kid asking their parent for a trinket is an age-old story, but lately I’ve found myself living the digital version of it — my daughter Emma is two, and she has recently taken to grabbing my iPhone, navigating to the app store and handing it to me with an expectant declaration of “NEW!”

I cringe less when she asks for a new app than when she wants a glass of Coke, a bit of chocolate or some other indulgence. Many of the apps help her learn, challenge her, and occupy her. A new one is much cheaper than a trip to Toys R Us or Target. And as a parent desperate for a moment of sanity, the apps are a godsend for me. They are always around, whether you’re at the doctor’s office, in the car, or at home.

Some of them she loves, some of them bore her quickly, and some are just too demanding for a two year-old. But by and large they are an entertaining and educational part of her rhythm.

As for me, it’s fascinating to watch her shape her concepts about how to interface with a machine and what you can do with one. It’s a computer – wait – it’s a phone – wait – it’s a camera, it’s a stereo, it’s a map – and on it goes… When I was a kid, music came on vinyl, stories happened in books, and code lived inside of my Commodore-64. She has more flexible ideas about where content comes from and how you can play with it.

I do believe that acquiring this digital fluency early will prepare her for the world she will live in, and yet still will admit to the occasional concern regarding the amount of screen time she gets at such a young age.

But my bottom line is that as long as she’s learning, having fun and it’s part of a balanced life, then it’s a good thing.

Check it….

And if you happen to be looking for a new app, you can get the one Emma is playing with here..