A wine scanner app that will up smart you from a wine pleb to a wine connoisseur

Vivino

I hope!

I don't know why I did not learn about the existence of Vivino earlier, because it is a real treat to use!

I love red wine (that's no secret), and here I can compile and compare all my wines that I love and do not enjoy!  The app is for all wines, but I have been focusing on the red.

It is as easy as scanning the front of a wine bottle to get all the information of that wine. The year, the vintage and the price. It also shows ratings by other wine lovers, which gives a good indication of what is worth buying.

The Rustenberg wine was a present, and I was not aware of how much it was worth before I scanned it. This made me realise that it gives me the chance to say thanks again, and how much I appreciate it! I think there is nothing worse than giving wine as a present, and the recipients do not appreciate the real worth of it! (The wine plebs (commoners) that we are...!)

A friend recently said she stood in front of the wine shelves in the shop and she could not decide what was good or not! This app is perfect when you don't know if the wine is worth the price and if the vintage year was a good year.

I have also scanned a wine bottle that was much cheaper than stated in the app, and it made me buy the wine immediately!

You will find me between the red wine shelves, scanning.

Or else on the app as Karen Toit.

Vivino is downloadable on iTunes
                                         Google Play
                                         Windows Phone



Disclaimer: I was not given any wine to write this review!
                  I love it!

Little Hoots of the week #littlehoots

I was very excited when the Little Hoots app finally launched in beta.
We forget these little gems so quickly! It is a great way to keep them for future memories!
I am able to create it on my iPad. It is available for free.

Photo in the first Little Hoot by Alet Groenewald, school photographer.


Related posts: 

An app that I would like right now: Little Hoots

Little Hoot of the day: You have a boring job

Afrikaans apps by Cleverkiddo: Seisoene and Olke Bolke

I was alerted by Carien van Zyl, the developer of  the Cleverkiddo series apps for preschoolers, about it's existence on my blog post about Afrikaans on the iPad.

As I love hearing about new Afrikaans apps for our children, I downloaded it and Little Missy took it for the test-drive.

Little Missy busy with the Seisoene app in the
Summer dress-up section 

The Cleverkiddo series consists of  the Seisoene and the Olke Bolke apps.
They are both R21.99 (2.08 USD) on iTunes, which is not expensive at all, and luckily I have an iTunes gift voucher that comes in very handy.

Seisoene

Seisoene (print screen)

The "Seisoene" (Seasons) app addresses the four seasons of the year, with each season having four activities: Puzzles, forms, counting and dress-up.
The dress-up sections are especially cute since it  helps the children to identify which clothes comes with which season.

The app is also available in English: Seasons by Cleverkiddo
                                 AND      in French:  Saisons par Cleverkiddo


Olke-Bolke

Olke Bolke (print screen)

The "Olke Bolke" app is an app with 6 Afrikaans songs by Elizabeth Fourie:

* Lekker om te Lees
* Tekkies
* Olke Bolke
* Feetjies in die Reën
* Hondemaatjie
* Haasbek

What makes it interactive is that there are three musical instruments available for each song that the child can shake to add to the music.

"Haasbek" (tooth missing) song by Elizabeth Fourie
(screen print)

This will keep her busy for a while.

Please let me know of any other Afrikaans iPad apps?


Related posts:

- Afrikaans op die iPad

- An Afrikaans app on the iPad: Die Drie Varkies

- What makes pirates being afraid? - another Afrikaans app for the iPad

Feed Maxi - an interactive speech-language app for children

Feed Maxi 

This guest post comes from Pamela Mandell, the creator of Feed Maxi.
She is the mom to two rowdy boys and a speech-language pathologist who has been working with toddlers and preschoolers for over 14 years. She created Feed Maxi as a means to improve language skills in little ones in a fun, creative, and meaningful way.

Pamela with her e-learning department staff: Maxi Monkey,
Marty Macaw and Freddy Frog 

"Feed Maxi is an exciting new interactive speech-language game app for iPad that is captivating toddlers, preschoolers and kids with special needs with its high quality graphics and 3D animations. Children "feed" the adorable and very hungry Maxi the Monkey requested food items from a field of one, two or three foods that are child friendly (i.e., "goldfish crackers, yogurt, etc."). Maxi responds by commenting and engaging in endearing animations to show his pleasure. During the game, children love to give "FIVE" to Maxi and they look forward to the end scene where they get to explore a rainforest and pop balloons filled with food. 

Joy when playing with Feed Maxi 

The app is unique in that Maxi the Monkey uses simple sign language combined with verbal requests to get the foods he wants. The graphics are gorgeous and the app is highly interactive and intrinsically motivating for kids. Feed Maxi is completely customizable and keeps score for up to 5 children at a time. It utilizes real-life pictures of food items that toddlers can easily relate to & identify.  Feed Maxi enhances all aspects of communication including receptive, expressive and pragmatic language skills - all in one app! Feed Maxi also helps with vocabulary, problem solving, attention span, picky eaters and emergent literacy skills. 

Speak Eazy Apps is a member of Moms With Apps, a parent friendly group of mom & dad app developers that support children's safety and privacy. In Feed Maxi, there are no in-app purchases, pop-ups or advertisements. The only links to outside sources, such as our website & the App Store, are kept behind a parent gate that only adults can enter."

------

I was given a promotional code and played around with Feed Maxi as well. 

At $2.99 it is a very reasonable app.

What struck me about the app is that it can be used for second language learning as well. 

My preschooler will definitely broaden her vocabulary of the English language, while having loads of fun. I also like the fact that the spelling of the words are shown when the right object has been selected. 

Photos supplied by Pamela Mandell. 

iPads for teachers in the primary classroom - Tal Slome

Tal Slome
iPad Facilitator at ThinkAhead Education Solutions

I was invited to attend Tal Slome's workshop about Apps in the primary classroom. It was specifically designed for teachers using iPads in the classroom.

I love attending these sessions, because I always pick up some great ideas for my own iPad, as well as great apps to download for my preschooler.

Tal Slome's Prezi is here: Subject specific apps for the primary classroom

There are great apps that are being covered for each subject. An app guide is freely available on ZA Books, the South African school books that are available for download on the iPad.


The suggestions to find great apps are a good reminder of how to proceed. How many times have I not downloaded an app, to delete it after just one use. It helps to do your homework, or to make use of  subject-specific guides.

How to find good apps:

- App or iTunes store reviews. 
Remember to check whether the review is from the developer or the user. The developer's view would of course be much more positive!

- Internet
Do a search on the Internet

- Word of mouth 
It helps to ask around and to hear what others are using. On social media, from colleagues and from professionals.



There are great resources for teachers on the web. Parents and home-schooling parents can also make use of it.

Materials and app finders:

- Teacher's Pet : the apps can be found here: Teacher's Pet: Apps & Games
These are great resources to keep handy, especially for assignments.

- Apps Gone Free:
This is a great app to use when searching for top apps that are available for free.


I am planning to play with some of the apps, and give some feedback here on the blog.
The apps are here: Tal Slome's Prezi 


iFile:

I love the suggestion of making use of  iFile. It is $3.99 on the app store, but it is worth to file all your documents and file formats in the cloud.
It accommodates Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, Box.net, SkyDrive, SugarSync, AFP (Mac Shares), FTP/FTPS, SFTP, Flickr, Picasa, Facebook, Rackspace CloudFiles, CloudApp, PogoPlug, WebDav, Amazon S3, Ubuntu One Files, ownCloud, 4Shared, also using Amazon S3: DreamObjects and UltiCloud.



Related posts:

- Connecting to the past, delivering the future - with iPads in the classroom with Joe Moretti

- Choosing iPads for your school - Fraser Speirs

- Book Creator great for learning and fun

- Book Creator adding to the learning experience in South Africa

An app that I would like right now: Little Hoots

The "Eye Looker" checked out her left red eye yesterday

I got the Little Hoots  introduction in my inbox, and was immediately excited to try it out!
It seems like such a great way to capture the things they say! Because we do forget!

It seems the app is only in the developing phase, and they are planning to launch it in April. They have a campaign running on Indiegogo, and hopefully they will reach their goal.

"LittleHoots is a mobile application designed for busy parents allowing them to capture, create, and archive all the fabulous things their kids say and do.
So what is LittleHoots?They help busy parents easily capture their memories and kid's quotes on-the-go. They also make your memories instantly beautiful and easy to keep forever. With your help, they can accelerate the development of the application so you can start easily keeping every word and every beautiful moment with your little ones. Life’s a hoot! Capture every moment.Your contribution will help them meet their $10,000 goal so they can launch in April 2014. Check out all the fun perks!"

                                                                     - Little Hoots on Indiegogo

Yesterday I had Little Missy's eye checked out at an ophthalmologist, because another child occidentally poked her in the eye. It stayed red and the teacher sent a note home as well.
It turns out she has a burst veinlet in the eye, but it will heal on its own.

Afterwards she told me that she visited the "Eye Looker" (Oogkyker in Afrikaans).

My Little Hoots could look like this. The photo with:

        EYE LOOKER = OPHTHALMOLOGIST

What makes pirates being afraid? - another Afrikaans app for the iPad

I found this cute adaptation of an Afrikaans book, "Waarvoor is seerowers bang?", as an application for the iPad.

Arrr! Everyone knows pirates aren’t afraid of anything! But when something on deck starts smelling worse than the breath of a hammerhead shark, Sanmarie suspects there might be one thing that makes her fearless pirate dad and his crew tremble in their dirty boots ... This hilarious, rip-roaring, rhyming pirate adventure by well-known children’s author Jaco Jacobs comes to life on your iPad – thanks to innovative animation, fun music and lots of interactive elements."

                                                                           - Waarvoor is seeerowers bang?

The story is written and narrated by Jaco Jacobs, with the illustrations by Chris Venter.
It was developed by Lapa and Full Circle cooperation.


There are three features available:

- Children can read the story by themselves.

- The story is read to them and they are able to interact with the animations on the screen. The animations include touch elements, flickering green arrows and an extra sidebar with extra character comments.

- There is also a puzzle game available.


This is definitely the small fee worth, especially since the hard copy is three times the price of the application.

I could not wait to hear what makes a pirate afraid!
Very cute!


Related post:

- An Afrikaans app on the iPad: Die Drie Varkies

Book Creator great for learning and fun

Moshoeshoe Primary School pupil presenting her ebook
created on Book Creator

An app that came up during the visit by Fraser Speirs about the use of iPads in schools, is the Book Creator app. It is one of the apps that is part of a suggested learning set of apps being pre-loaded on mobile labs of iPads in schools in South Africa.

Moshoeshoe Primary School is an example of a school that has implemented iPads in their school through corporate sponsors and iSchoolAfrica. They use Book Creator very creatively in the English Second Language classes.

We also played with the app. It is a lot of fun for own personal use, or maybe for that book you always wanted to write. Little Missy dictated her story to me while I recorded it. I could add the video in the book, and wrote the rest of her story, with photos attached to it. The first book is free, and after that you have to upgrade to create an unlimited number. At $4.99 (about R37) it is not a huge amount.

We will be making more...

The creators of Book Creator picked up on my mentions of Book Creator in previous posts, and asked me to write a guest post.

 

The guest post is here: Book Creator adding to the learning experience in South Africa

Choosing iPads for your school - Fraser Speirs

Fraser Speirs with Michelle Lissoos

I am passionate about iPads in schools. Especially since I have seen what children are able to do with the iPad, and the yearly iPad in Education Awards which are totally awesome!

(I do not get an iPad for saying this!
I just love LOVE my own iPad2, wishing I have the most recent one! - Hint-hint, Universe!)

 I really hope my child's school will incorporate it in their learning programme. Apparently they have a three year plan in place! I have been one of the parents asking, again and again!

Fraser Speirs toured South Africa recently, made possible through the iStore. His claim to fame is that he is involved with the first school in the world that incorporated iPads 1:1 in their school. He has a background in software development and systems administration, and has been involved daily in the classroom.

I attended a session as part of a roadshow at Kingsmead School on 12 September, where Michelle Lissoos, Head of Think Ahead, introduced him. They provide the iPad solutions to schools, from pre-primary to higher education. They have flexible iPad solutions available, which addresses budget vs vision issues. A mobile lab is one way of introducing iPads to a school learning environment.

ZA Books is the text book store for iPad. It is not only about text books, but a sure way to start on the iPad route in a school.

Education app guides are available for primary and secondary education. Schools also starts with working with a core set of apps, which helps a lot with implementation.

They have made a 12 months interest free finance plan available to schools for buying iPads, and there are different purchase plans to match schools financials.

Fraser Speirs about their 1:1 implementation at Cedars School of Excellence in Greenock, Scotland:

 "Technology must always be subservient to goal of education to be effective!"

- Internet research is available in class to everybody.
- Everyone challenged on a level that suits them.
- 100% more engagement in the class.
- Some statistics:
       - 50,000,000,000 connected devices by 2025
       - 7 connected devices per person on planet
       - The world is already 1:1
- They spent 11 years to get their teachers to use technology.
- iPads with 10 hour battery, 9.7" screen, 1.5 pounds changed the scenery.
- They have found the "sweet spot" in usability, where they have adaptability to most tasks - Tasks of medium to moderate complexity.
- Bringing your own device is not a good idea, with the following issues:
       - big players are going vertical in mobile
       - "Equally bad everywhere" problem
       - "School uniform" problem - devices should be all the same.
- They are hiding the integration cost in cost of staff effort.
- The Web is Not Enough! any more.
- Technology is as accessible as paper.
- Different stages for different individuals / learners.
- Not an ICT project, but about improving education! They are even going into the gym.
- The teacher training programme starts with:

      "It's essential that the teachers live with the iPad" 

- The way of using it in the classroom: Research, synthesize and give back to teacher with the use of apps.
- They have a remedial for children coming from other schools in place.
- The stats show consistent better results!
"Students in iPad classes outperformed every other student!"
- They have put their curriculum on iTunesU. Found it to be very useful!
- During exams they deliberately use iPads less to put in exercises where students have to write for longer periods of times.
- They use Showbie for assessments which can be annotated by the teacher.
- Google Drive also very effective.
- Student teachers are not getting technology teaching > only 1 day in training > major issue ( in Scotland).
- 2% damage and failure over a year > 7 were damaged or failed. 0% stolen and 0% lost! (where Android devices have a 40% failure rate!)
- The right case to protect corners and closes cover of screen. (Important!)
- Ownership > school owns the entire set with a lease for 3 years. It stays with the kid, but if kid leaves, it stays behind.
- Everything begins with the leaders in the school! The head teacher and deputies should be there when introducing and starting an iPad programme.
- Some apps that are great to use: Showbie, Explain everything - whiteboard, Book creator, Adobe Reader, PDF creator
- How to get parents on board? Built cost of deployment in school fees. Parent information evenings, and explaining the educational validity. Today a whole lot more of information to convince parents. University if Holland did a very favourable research study.
- Wi-fi issues and density of use can crop up > performance issues > the solution is to have enough base stations.

It is very exciting times!

Video of Tiny Tumbles classes through Animoto

Tiny Tumbles

Check out this video I made with @animoto - Tiny Tumbles #videos #apps #mobile http://t.co/QswQwQ2pnJ
— Karen du Toit (@karentoittoit) June 18, 2013

I have been playing around with applications on my mobile for an online mobile librarian course. (ANZ 23 Mobile Things).

I love this for a quick and sleek professional video made from your photos or videos on your mobile.
It is available on Android and on iOS, but unfortunately not on Blackberry.

Vine - A great app capturing those special moments

 This is one of those fun apps that also comes in very handy, capturing all the best moments of the little ones, and being able to share it immediately!
You can email, or share to Facebook and Twitter, as well as embed it on websites and blogs.

Vine is available on iOS and since June 2013 also available on Android.

It only captures 6 seconds, and it loops continuously in the playback.

I found it through librarians busy learning mobile, and are having lots of fun exploring it!

An app that makes us smile - Petting Zoo by Christoph Niemann

Petting Zoo by Christoph Niemann
(Screen print)

We have been playing now for over a week with these 21 imaginative creatures of Petting Zoo from author and illustrator Christoph Niemann.

I can't remember where I saw the link, but it mentioned specifically that it is now also available in the South African iTunes store. There is a fee of R15 involved, which is totally worth it!

It is a combination of quirky animals mixed with sound effects and music.

As soon as I think we have found all the ways the animals can move or react, Little Missy makes a new discovery.

You can also spend hours with the music incorporated in some of the animations. The crocodile loses his teeth to the most beautiful sounds, and the octopus can be played like a harp.

It is fun, and I am sure it will keep a little one as occupied as an eighty year old!
Very smart!

https://itunes.apple.com/za/app/petting-zoo-by-christoph-niemann/id618703130?mt=8

A screen print from the app on iTunes

An Afrikaans app on the iPad: Die Drie Varkies

Die Drie Varkies
iPad screenshot

Afrikaans children don't have that many choices with regards apps on the iPad, and mostly it doesn't matter. They get along just well with all the English apps and stories that are available!

I found this cute interactive story app in Afrikaans, which is worth the small fee!
Die Drie Varkies (The Three Little Pigs) is an adaptation by Abrie Byeleveld for Lapa Books, complete with the South African lanscape, objects and animals. There is even a plate of koeksisters (a sweet South African delicacy) at the end of the story.

There are three options: a read-to-me, a-read-by-myself, and a-read-and-play-option available.
The characters do somersaults when they are tapped, and blue and red dots signal the child for extra interactive activities.

The story is rewritten by Wendy Maartens, and Jaco Jacobs reads it.

There is also a game of putting a pig together again.



Related posts:

Afrikaans op die iPad

Excited about ZA Books

iPads for children #iStoreMomsandKids

Free Collins Big Cat apps

Collins Big Cat apps 

I was alerted to the Collins Big Cat apps via Dizzy C's Little Book Blog.

I have downloaded only two at this stage, but I will definitely download the rest as well.
They are very cute and interactive stories, which can be enjoyed by a toddler, as well as school-going children when they start reading by themselves.

I especially love the option to create your own stories with your own voice.
We are having fun already making our own story creations.

"Developed in partnership with Shoo Fly, all  8 apps are free to download until September 2013, and not only support a love of reading but the development of creative writing skills too. 

They feature:

• an animated, interactive version of the book
• a record your own narration feature
• a story creator tool - make your own book using characters, key vocabulary and 
  • backgrounds from the original story
• support for parents to get the most out of the book."

iPad screen print
In the Garden
(photo courtesy of Collins)

The titles are:

Around the world

The steam train

It was a cold, dark night

My bike ride

In the garden

At the dump

Playing story 

The farmer's lunch


The apps are here: Collins Big Cat apps

The best! They are free until September of this year!!

Even I can make sushi with an iPad #iStoreSA

The only relationship I want with food, is by eating it. That I love!

I hate am not fond of making food, unless on very special occasions. 

I did not enjoy previous team building sessions by my Hubby's work team where we were invited to prepare our own food at the End-of-Year function. 

But I was intrigued when I was invited to become a sushi expert with iStore and iPad. 

Because sushi is a favourite food, and because I love finding new applications with my iPad. Up until now I haven't look that much at the recipes and food applications on my iPad.

Master Chef  Mija Moto (sorry, not sure about the spelling) demonstrated the sushi app Teach me Sushi, which has step by step photo instructions, with a video demonstration added to that! 

We worked in pairs, and I was the "brain" who had to go and look at the hands-on demo of traditional Japanese sushi by the Master Chef, while my partner had to follow the same instructions on the iPad. 

She was also the one who put together our first sushi platter. (With my expert help, of course!)

Chef Karin at work!

It looks much easier than it is! The rice does not stay where it is supposed to, and the filling popped out of the sides, but we got some right! With only an hour and a half of instructions, and trying it ourselves, I don't think it looks too bad. It also tasted GOOD!

I think it is possible to become a Master Chef with an iPad!

(If you wanted to!)

The iStore supplied a whole list of recommended iPad apps in the kitchen:

- Epicurious (free)

- Allrecipes - Your Kitchen Inspiration (free)

- How to Cook Everything

- Vegetarian How to Cook Everything

- The Photo Cookbook

- Table for Two

- Jamie Oliver (free)

- Green Kitchen

- Teach me Sushi

- Grill It!

- Martha Stewart makes Cookies

- Divine Chocolate HD (free)

- Hello Cupcake (free)

Thank you, it was a great afternoon!

Related posts:

Afrikaans op die iPad

Excited about ZA Books

Apple in Education 

Excited about ZA Books

ZA Books

ZA Books launched yesterday.
It is the eTextbook solution for South African education!

South African school pupils are able to download all their textbooks on an iPad, with much less cost to them, and a lot of flexibility with regards manipulation of taking notes, highlighting and search within a textbook.

It is possible to put this into each child's hand, even in rural South Africa where there already are solutions to power these devices by solar.

Taryn Hyam at iStore, Sandton

Taryn Hyam announced the launch of the ZA Books website, as well as how much inroads Apple has made already with regards education in South Africa. 

80 000 educational apps are available through the iTunes store. App guides were release last year to help parents and students with choosing the right apps. It is divided into the various grades, for primary and secondary school. 

180 schools in South Africa have already implemented iPads, of which 120 are private and government schools. 60 of these schools are iSchoolAfrica sponsored. There are a variety options available of how to implement the iPads: 1 to 1 programmes or mobile labs.

A nice video presentation of the schools that are already using iPads are available on the ZA Books home page: 

Watch the South African iPad in Education video

I love how teachers are responding: The children "brighten up!" (Ndlelenhle Primary School) or that "Nobody wants to miss an iPad class." It is "engaged learning!"

The observations that are forthcoming from the use of iPads: engagement, motivation, discipline, differentiation, reward and re-mediation are significantly higher!

It "allows the teachers to feel like rock stars!"

The global trends are the same, where the digital solution has become a simple choice!

The results are:

Increased interest in reading;

Cost saving;

Homework completion up;

Accessibly for special needs;

Personalised learning;

No more heavy backpacks!

Linda de Klerk
ZA Books

Linda de Klerk gave more clarification on ZA Books and how it is being implemented. 

ZA Books includes CAPS aligned titles, as well as normal reading titles. Teacher's manuals, handbooks and workbooks are available. 

It is already available in 6 languages, and 33 subjects are launched, with 600 titles available. More are being made available on a daily basis!

I checked: There are quite a number of Afrikaans books available already!

Schools can start registering at ZA Books to get a volume licence, and purchasing are done on the website. Individuals can also register.

The ZA Books app is available to download for free.

There is going to be two phases of implementation: Phase 1: school licensing; and Phase 2: individual purchasing.

The pricing is a minimum of 25% cheaper than the physical printed title!

ISchoolAfrica addresses schools in more rural environments by way of corporate sponsorships.

There are tailored solutions for each school.

I also enquired about how I can get my child's schools to adopt this type of learning. 

I was introduced  to Michelle Lissoos of Think Ahead Education Solutions. They help with talking to the principals, the selection of the right solutions for the school, the training of the teachers and implementation.

They have implemented these programmes into Afrikaans schools as well!

I am so excited about this! I will be the parent this year who will go and pester talk to the principals of my child's pre-primary and primary schools. If not this year, then the following year!

I will keep you updated, and on how easy this process is!

Do your children use iPads at school, and what are your thoughts about it?

Related posts:

Apple in Education

iPads for children #iStoreMomsandKids

Apps & More: The Best Tech Tools for Healthy New Year's Resolutions

A new year is a time of taking stock and trying anew to be the best you can be!

I realize that not all people want to make New Year's resolutions, and some say that it is pointless!

I find that it directs my thoughts and my actions and some of my goals I actually DO accomplish!

I don't sweat those I don't reach, and put it again on my new list. Or I take it off, when I feel that it does not serve me anymore!

Health and fitness are definitely staying on my list!

 

As we are way on holiday, a guest post is in order:

For a long time, people have been making New Year's resolutions about their health. Fortunately, a lot of people have recently been able to use technology to help them keep their resolutions. In fact, a concerned resolutionite can use technology to help keep track of any of their goals related to fitness or health. So, here are the five best tech tools to help you accomplish your New Year’s resolutions.

Wii Fit

Even though the Wii Fit is a video game console, it is a brilliant piece of fitness equipment. All over the world, people have started using the Wii Fit to get into shape. It's actually specifically designed for this goal, and when you start out with your Wii Fit, you can easily weigh yourself and check your BMI. Then, there are countless games built in to get started, such as tennis and bowling. Once you get the hang of it, you can buy from a selection of dozens of games that help you get in shape. You then can track your progress on a daily basis to see how you are doing. Basically, the Wii Fit is a great piece of technology for anyone wanting to work on their health and have fun.

Fitbit Smart Scale

So many people get caught up in losing weight, when in reality, they need to understand that body mass percentage is a more accurate indicator. The Fitbit Smart Scale is a powerful tool that measures the dieter’s body mass index and fat percentage. By knowing your body fat percentage, you will truly know how in or out of shape you are - your actual weight can be quite deceiving,

Basis Band

When making changes, it is important for an exerciser to monitor their progress. The Basis Band helps an exerciser monitor their progress by providing data on their heart rate, sleep patterns, and calories burnt. The idea is to wear the Basis Band 24/7, as the makers created the watch to be waterproof and lightweight. Anyone wanting to monitor their vitals should take a look at the Basis Band, as it can be a great tool.

Runtastic

Do you like to jog? It is important for all runners to measure their progress. Thanks to Runtastic, joggers now have an app that measures their calories burnt, how far and long they ran and more - at highly accurate levels. There are multiple versions available, including an app for both mountain biking and road biking, if that's more your style.

Spark Recipes

Anyone who wants to live well needs to plan their meals in advance. Spark Recipes lets users search and browse thousands of recipes. You can search based upon your available ingredients to come up with the perfect meal plan that's healthy, affordable and relatively easy to pursue.




Jenna Hayes writes about technology, self-help & health. Her most recent work helps readers find the best Masters in Health Administration Degrees in the US.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Top 5 Apps for Busy Moms

I am always checking out new apps and got this guest post suggestion which I am happy to publish. Especially if it states  that it helps "busy moms.
(Although, I think it is an oxymoron! Do we get moms who are not busy?)

I have linked to the iTunes stores, but see most of these apps are avaliable on all devices.


The Top 5 Apps for Busy Moms

Our lives are much busier than they were even 20 years ago, and moms are busier than ever.
Many moms raise kids, work, and run their households, all while trying to live their own lives. Fortunately, cell phones are helpful for anyone with a life on the go. They help people stay connected, and with apps, help people complete their day to day tasks.

Thousands of cell phone apps exist that help people accomplish their goals, and here are the top 5 apps for busy moms like yourself.

The Weather Channel

It is pertinent for a busy mother to be prepared for anything. Every single mom should have the Weather Channel app - this is the perfect app to open up first thing in the morning. It allows you to display the current temperature, as well as the short- and long-term weather forecast. The app also allows you to get the weather forecast from wherever you are. Any busy mom who runs around all day needs to know the weather forecast in order to plan their (hopefully dry) day.

Cozi

This is a wonderful app for anyone who has a lot on their plate, but especially mothers. It's so useful that you may even end up grabbing for this app more often than you need the phone itself! It's great for making to-do lists, setting reminders, shopping lists & also the family calendar - this one is key too, because notice that it's for the family. This is different from most calendars, which are only meant for one person and their appointments.
 
Grocery iQ

This app is GREAT for mothers, especially because it's basically available on every platform you can imagine. It allows you to scan prices of products when shopping so that you can get clued in on what you're getting for your money. Is that cereal a bargain, or simply a crafty way of making it look like you're getting a steal? Find out with this app!
 

Whole Foods Market Recipes

Whole Foods Market Recipes is a terrific app for anyone who wants to enjoy a healthy diet. The best thing about this app is the ability to sort based upon dietary preference. The user can sort for gluten free recipes, high fiber recipes and many other types. Kids are picky too, so luckily this app can make everyone happy, especially a busy mom cooking for many.

Kindle

The Kindle app is a great app for the busy mom. A lot of times moms do not have time to enjoy themselves. With the Kindle app, a mom can read her favorite books while waiting to pick up her kids or in those few precious minutes of alone time. The Kindle app is also great to read recipes, pdf files or magazines. Anyone on the go should look into the Kindle app, and perhaps the best thing about is that if you skip buying hard-copies of books, you have more room for storage and less to clean!

Thousands and thousands of applications exist for all phone platforms. There are also apps for all types of users and preferences. Nobody knows the importance of time management more than a single mom.

These apps will not only save a single mom time, they will also save her money!


Jessie Hughes writes about parenting, working from home and more. Her favourite piece is on the Top 10 iPhone Apps for Teachers.


Do you have any apps that you cannot live without?

Timeout in Review

Timeout

This week I downloaded  the third disciplining app of  10 iPhone apps that help with discipline, Timeout - Ultimate Discipline Tool.

This is a very simple and easy app to use.

As it is also not the ultimate disciplining route that we want to go, this won't be used very much in our household.

It is only as a very last last last resort!


Steps to use the disciplining app:

1. Select the time that time-out should last. Usually a minute for each year of age of the child. Press the button "Start". (I don't think it should be more than that?)

2. The next screen is the one on top of this post.
The time starts ticking off with the car going forward. The settings can be changed here, and the time added on. (Although, I don't think we should go that route!)

3. As soon as the car reaches the end, and the time has clicked off to 0:00, it goes to the third and final screen on the app.

4. A smiley face with the sound of cheers!


> I think this will help Mom and Dad, more than the children, to keep to the required time-out time, and not to keep the children in suspense.

>> It will help to redirect negative energy. The mere fact that we change the scenery for a few minutes with the help of an app that gives a "cheer" at the end!

>>> 4 minutes (the time I will use for my toddler of 4) is a very long time when you look at it.
It is more than enough time to break the spiralling negativeness.

>>> I paid $0.99 (R7,99) for this, which is very reasonable.


I give this app a rating of  6/10 for the cute car driving forward, and for the cheering when time-out has been completed!



Related post:

10 iPhone apps that help with discipline

KidChart - disciplining app number 2 under investigation

KidChart

I downloaded KidChart, the second of 10 iPhone apps that help with discipline.
I have to download the apps on my iPad, since I don't have an iPhone, but it seems to work just as well!

- KidChart is a very simple and easy app to use on the go!

- As a parent who like a more positive parenting approach, I would only try to focus on the smiley face, but the user could use it both ways.

- I like the fact that you can add behaviours as you go along.

- The app generated a very nice certificate which I like, attached with the specifics in a next view.

- You are able to share the accomplishments via email or Facebook.

- What I don't like is that you only get the wording when you share. Not the attached certificate. It would have given it an extra edge. It would also ensure that other people know where it is coming from. Now you only get an update with no explanation.

- You are also able to link it to DropBox, which helps to keep the accomplishments safe.

- It stores the "certificates" and "warnings" by date so that it is possible to reflect on it later. That gets a thumbs up from me!

I don't think I will use this app that much, but I will let you know in future when I change my mind.

I have send feedback to the developers about including the certificate with more information.

I give this app a rating of 5/10


Related posts:

- 10 iPhone apps that help with discipline

- Caught being Good - List