iBooks 2 Is It The 21st Century Digital Textbook Revolution ?

In its first major announcement since the death of Steve Jobs, Apple Inc has recently released iBooks2 and iBooks Author.It seems like Apple is planning to radically transform the digital textbook market. iBooks 2 which is an updated version of the company's iPad e-reading app that supports interactive textbooks, is a complete reinvention of the textbook as we know it.

There are several reasons why Apple is trying to revolutionize the textbook world and among these :

•  1.5 million iPads currently used in education
•  more than 20,000 educational apps are now available
•  Traditional textbooks are expensive and not interactive
•   Major educational publishers including Pearson,, McGraw-Hill and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt have already partnered with Apple to develop iBooks Author.

This is Apple's video to promote iBooks 2.

Educational technology experts and curriculmum designers see this move as the beginning of the end for the " big backpack" and a major step in taking advantage of the device's portability and cost-effectiveness. Roger Rosner, VP of Apple's iWork, said " Clearly, no printed textbook can compete with iBooks2 interactive digital texts."

Some features of iBooks 2

Here is a list of the main features that iBooks 2offers to its users:

• It is free
• It has a user friendly interface
• It is easy and simple to use
• It allows for highlighting and note-taking
• Books can be owned forever and re-downloaded at any time from the cloud
• It offers a more dynamic user experience

This is all awesome and promising and yes iPad with its ability to play video and combine informatio from many resources has definately positioned it as the lead of the evolution of the digital textbook but the question that remians unanswered is that both Students and schools will need  iPads to use iBooks but who is going to afford the cost of this digital transformation ?

Here is a hands-on video to learn more about iBooks2

Head over to iTunes Store to download iBooks 2

Here are some screenshots of iBooks 2

Appgravity A Great Search Engine for Apps

Appgravity is a great web service. It is a sort of search engine for mobile apps. For the time being Appgravity pulls in all its results from Android market but will soon include other third party participants such as Amazon. You might argue that you could as well search directly on the Android Market but Appgravity has more filtering options and offers a cleaner, intuitive and user-friendly interface. As it develops further, there will be further reasons to use this service, for it will offer price comparisons, best places where you can buy an app, Widgets and plugins for the likes of Blogger, Wordpress, Eclipse and Netbeans.

You can use Apgravity to search for apps by  name or by keywords. The results it fetches are organized in categories and are selected according to : order of relevance to the query made, age, rating and number of downloads. When you find the app you are looking for , a button allows you to send a link to the Download or  ( for paid apps) purchase page on the market.

Head over to Appgravity and give it a shot.
Check out The Best of Mobile Technology for apps review and tutorials.

Easily Send Docs from PC to Kindle Using Send to Kindle Tool

Send to Kindle is a cool application that allows users to send documents from their computers to their Kindles  or other devices such as iPad and iPod provided they have Kindle app installed on them. This is a great service by Amazon and is completey free. It works on Windows XP or Windows Vista or Windows 7.

When you install Send to Kindle just right click on a document or file and send it. It is very easy to use and has no complications.

If you have a Kindle device and want to send the documents you have on your computer to its library then you install Send to Kindle and you will have this service at the tip of your fingers.Head over to The Best of Mobile Technology to explore more interesting apps.

Android Trojan – Learn how to secure your Android

I have just read an article written by Adrian Kingsley Hughes in ZDNET talking about an Android Trojan. Honestly speaking , i never thought that the Android’s security system might be affected with such kind of malwares but it is the virtual world and everything is possible.
The Trojan was discovered by Security Firm Ca. This malware can log calls, record conversations and even send them away to undesired people. It is really a serious security failure from the part of Android makers. There is only one way to protect your phone and secure your calls and private info, it is knowing how this Trojan works.


When you start receiving multiple requests for granting permissions to certain apps then this should raise a red flag for you. Once the malware is installed then ‘it installs a configuration file that contains remote server access information.’ The microSD card in AMR files where the conversations are stored is now completely open to the malware which means that your calls will be tracked.

The best way to protect yourself is to make sure to which request or app you grant permissions. Some of us when installing an app keeps clicking on next and next and next till it is done. Now you need to change your mobile habits and stay alerted to what you are installing on your android.

“As it is already widely acknowledged that this year is the year of mobile malware, we advice the smartphone users to be more logical and exercise the basic security principles while surfing and installing any applications.” said Security Firm Ca.

Check other free  Android news and apps

Skype for iPad is available now

To all Skype lovers, the mobile app you were waiting for to  run Skype on your iPad is right here. It is available for download now and for free in the Apple App Store. This app allows its users to Call, video call and instant message anyone else on Skype for free. You can also use Skype Credit to conduct calls towards mobile devices as well as landlines for low rates.

Some features of Skype

Here is a list of the main features that Skype offers to its users:

• It is free


• It has a nice interface


• It is easy to use


• It allows you to run Skype on your mobile and make calls and video call all for free


• You can call Skype contacts for free on 3G* or Wi-Fi


• You can save on calls to Contacts or any phone number


• High quality sound for Skeype to Skype calls

Webkey – Access your Android from any web browser

Webkey is a nice mobile app for Android. Like LazyDroid and Android Screencast, Webkey offers its users the possibility to view and control their phones through web browsers. Many people are not yet used to the mobile interface of phones and find it hard to manipulate phone screens but with tools such as Webkey they can now transform the mobile experience to the web.

Some features of Webkey

Here is a list of the main features that Webkey offers to its users:

• It is free


• It is easy and simple to use


• It has a user-friendly interface


• It lets you to remotely control your android phone.


• It also let you  control the phone through your web browser.


• It lets you download, upload files, get GPS location, read and write SMS, export contacts, messages, call list, notify SMS, calls,

How can i get started using Webkey ?

It is very simple. Just head over Webkey main page and install the app. Once installed it then provides you with a web address. You can use this latter to access your android from any web browser.
You can also check other free Android Apps to explore other utilities you can benefit from.

Android Screencast – Control your Android through computer

Android Screencast is  a cool Android app. It allows its users to control their phones right from their computers. It resembles the other app i covered in an earlier post named: LazyDroid- Access your Android from your computer. Now if you think your phone’s display screen is too small for you then apps such as Android Screencast can do a great job . It is mainly a Java-based application that work on Windows/Linux/MacOS with any android device.

Some features of Android Screencast

Here is a list of the main features that Android Screencast offers to its users:

• It is free


• It is easy to use


• It has a user-friendly interface


• It lets you control your android through your computer


• It Supports mouse and keyboard control.


• It Supports video recording.


• It Supports basic file browsing.

How to install Android Screencast ?

Here are the guidelines on how to install This app as featured in Google Code:

1. Install the android sdk (download here)


2. Connect your device through USB cable and ensure it's detected with "adb devices"


3. Make sure you have Java Runtime Environnement 5 or later installed


4. Click HERE. You can launch it by typing "javaws <jnlp file>" from a command line.

There are plenty of other free Android apps that are very useful for your mobile learning , check out Free Android Apps to learn more.

LazyDroid – Access your Android from your computer screen

LazyDroid is a cool web desktop  mobile app. It allows its users to remotely  access phones from computers. If you are the kind of person who spends long hours in front of computer then checking the phone from time to time can be sometimes very annoying  especially when the incoming calls or SMS are not worth interrupting your online work. LazyDroid will relieve you and bring you your phone right into your computer allowing you to check your messages and calls and do everything else you can do on your mobile interface. Here is an excerpt from Android Market :

LazyDroid Web Desktop turns your Android into an innovative web interface An incredible web application that allows to take the control of you mobile phone from Wifi/Internet/Usb connection, simply using your web browser and accessing a website.

Some features that LazyDroid offers to its users

Here is a list of the main features that LazyDroid offers to its users:

• It is free


• It is easy to use


• It has a user-friendly interface


• It allows you to remotely access their phones from their computers


• It lets you send SMS, handle calls, access your contacts, access the camera,


• It also lets you  view your phone screen remotely, access the phone sensors, see and check the phone clipboard, and manage your phone’s files.

How can i get started using LazyDroid ?

Here is a short video tutorial to show you how to use LazyDroid

Application of LazyDroid in education

As an educator this mobile app can be very important for you. Install it to save time and benefit from a full concentration on your computer work . I know once you try it you will like it just remember that it is still  in beta version which means that you would encounter some bugs from time to time but it is worth the try.

Three Great Facebook mobile apps for iPad

Facebook is probably one of the best social gurus of the net and millions are using it on a daily basis. The iPad users are not yet happy with Facebook because this latter has not yet released an official mobile app for the iPad. There were rumors that such an app will soon be launched but nothing is sure. So if you are an iPad user and want to enjoy your  Facebook experience in an interface that is native for the iPad then here are three mobile apps that can help you do so:

Facely HD

 

 

Facely is similar to Facebook in that the profile page is organized in the same way as Facebook one. You can write status updates or upload pictures from your iPad. The only problem is that there is no way to share links. It has two version one is free and the other costs $0.99 and is ad free.

MyPad

 

 

MyPad is a great mobile app for facebook. In fact it connects with both Facebook and Twitter so i would consider it better than Facely. MyPad allows its users to to view content, write status updates, attach a link and even publish your  update to Twitter automtically. There are also many other interesting features that you can find once you visit the app’s page. MyPad is free but MyPad+  costs  $0.99.

 

FriendCaster

 

 

FriendCaster is a great app for Facebook. It does work in the same way as Facebook but with some lacking features like sharing a photo or a link from the status update box. On the other hand FreidnCaster lets you  view shared photos or videos from within the news feed, view the news feed in a stream, download pictures, “like” them or comment on them and many more other features.

If you ask me about my favorite app then i would opt for MyPad.

The best ways to use phones in the classroom

Phone Technology has rapidly grown that almost everyone has  a mobile device. This mobile technology boom has tremendously affected  the 21st century education. Teenagers are using phones on a larger scale but not all of them are using them for educational purposes. Our role as educators is to help them use their devices as learning materials and not just as socialising tools. In this regard, i want to share with you a great slideshow that summarizes the ways we can use Phones in the classroom. The ideas are consice and to the point. I highly recommend this presentation for you.
This presentation is taken from the wonderful website Ideas to Inspire and by the way if you have no idea about what this website is all about then i am sorry to tell you that you are missing on a huge educational resource. Check out the Ideas to Inspire you will definately love it/ It provides awesome presentations and slideshows about how to use technology in education and many more things.

Click on the Picture to read the presentation

LookMobileOnNet – Access your Android contacts, calls and messages from anywhere

LookMobileOnNet is a great mobile app. It allows its users to remotely access their Android phone information like calls , text messages, and contacts information. The biggest problems with mobile devices is when you forget them. We have grown to be addicted to them and our life depends a lot on the calls and contacts we make using them. But when you forget your phone at home and you go somewhere far then that is the real disaster. You will miss important calls or text messages and you would not be able to get your contacts information and that is exactly why LookMobileOnNet has been created.

How does LookMobileOnNet work ?

It is very simple.  Head over to LookMobileOnNet and install the Android application then connect your facebook account with it. Now whenever you want to access your Android information including calls, text messages and contacts you need to log in to LookMobileOnNet using your facebook account and you will  view all these info just like if you have your Android between your hands.

Some features of LookMobileOnNet

Here is a list of the main features that LookMobileOnNet

• It is free


• It has user friendly interface


• It allows its users to access their Android phone information online


• It lets you remotely access your phone’s call information, messages, and contact information.


• It is compatible with  Android 2.2 and later.

If you want to check other Android apps that are just as important as LookMobileOnNet you can visit Free Android Apps.

Apple released iOS update 4.3.5 for iOS devices.

If you have an  iOS device then this is an unexpectedly good piece of news. Apple has released iOS update 4.3.5 for iOS devices. I called it unexpected update because it was just on july the 15th that Apple released a security update for iOS that fixes the exploit used for easy jailbreaking of devices.Something is going on there.
This time Apple is making this update to ”Fixe a security vulnerability with certificate validation.” I do not know really what they mean with certificate validation , does it mean that Apple has issues with security system?



Anyway, Apple is one of the best leader in the domaine and has a worldwide reputation of great quality and better performance. I would think that Apple with latest update is trying to confirm that it is still climbing the ladder towards  the top.

This update applies to:

• iPhone 4 (GSM model)
• iPhone 3GS
• iPad 2
• iPad
• iPod touch (4th generation)
• iPod touch (3rd generation)