Bamboosa, a well-known U.S. manufacturer of unique consumer products, has acquired the exclusive rights to manufacture and distribute a new product designed to make the everyday use of iPads and similar devices a more comfortable experience. The Lap Log  tablet holder is already in production at Bamboosa’s Andrews, SC facility and will be distributed worldwide.“More that 50 million tablets and eReader devices were sold through December 2011,” said Mindy Saintsing, Partner at Bamboosa. “Now consumers are looking for a more comfortable way to use them without holding them or propping them on their laps or knees. We think this product delivers on that promise better than any other we have seen.” (more…)

Profile of Phonological Awareness (Pro-Pa) Developer: Smarty Ears, LLC Price: $29.99 Download from the App Store User Ratings: In recent years, clinicians and educators are beginning to recognize that fostering phonological awareness skills in children helps them to learn more effectively once they become aware of the sounds within their language. As phonological awareness skills relate to literary development and speech sound, studies have shown that these foundational skills contribute to children’s early success in reading, writing, and speech and language development. The first step in this process is to measure the children’s skills to determine the type of treatment needed and which areas should be the main focus.Developed by Canadian Speech-Language Pathologist, Tanya Coyle and published by Smarty Ears, Profile for Phonological Awareness (Pro-PA) was created to evaluate and describe the phonological awareness skills in children with speech, language, and/or reading difficulties. Pro-PA aids speech therapists and teachers in collecting information and gives them the ability to choose which areas of skill development to target and measure their student or patient’s treatment effectiveness and skill growth over time. (more…)

Until recently, the only way to earn an MDICD credential was to go through the entire training program. Now qualified developers can take a practical exam to obtain the certification. The Information Technology industry thrives on certifications. For most technical positions within the business community, academic degrees from 4-year universities are less relevant than practical, hands-on skills that potential employees must possess to perform their work. Certifications such as the CNE, the MCSE, the CCIE, the CISSP, have been an indicator of professional achievement.With the growing strength of the mobile software market, a certification is needed to demonstrate app-building skills using current technologies. The Mobile Development Institute Certified Developer (MDICD), a professional title issued by On The GoWARE, is gaining recognition as an indicator for developers in this field.  (more…)

aFinance Budget 3 Developer: Roman Alyoshkin Price: $4.99 Download from the App Store User Ratings: Budgeting in the current economic times is essential to making every dollar count, but tracking every one of those dollars can be cumbersome. Sure, we all know we should budget, but let’s face it, it’s not the most exciting task. One app that makes it bareable is aFinance Budget 3 and almost makes number crunching fun. Not really, but it’s super helpful.If you’re new to mobile budgeting, aFinance Budget 3 is very intuitive and takes the guesswork out of setup with an easy-to-use user interface that walks you through it one step at a time. One of the most important features is the built-in calendar tab that provides a simple way to input recurring income or outcome. It can also be set to specific frequencies such as a one-time payment or repeat at various time periods. It also allows you to set it up as a silent alert directly within the app. I love this feature since it removes the step of having to go into settings.  (more…)

iStopMotion for iPad Developer: Boinx Software Ltd. Price: $4.99 Download from the App Store User Ratings: Boinx Software is pleased to announce that iStopMotion for iPad has garnered two important industry awards for its big debut at Macworld | iWorld 2012 — the 2012 Macworld | iWorld Best of Show from Macworld Magazine and Editors Choice Award 2012  from the Mac Observer. “I am incredibly proud to have iStopMotion for iPad recognized by Macworld magazine and the Mac Observer (TMO) as one of the best new products for 2012,” says Oliver Breidenbach, CEO, Boinx Software. “We worked very hard to reinvent the flagship iStopMotion Mac product for the iPad 2 and our efforts paid off. iStopMotion for iPad was an instant hit with Macworld | iWorld 2012 show goers of all ages and skill levels. My thanks to the editors at Macworld and TMO for recognizing iStopMotion for iPad and to the entire Boinx team for a job well done!” The busy Macworld | iWorld 2012 exhibition provides developers a global stage to showcase the most innovative technology and gear for the Mac community. Breidenbach adds, “Receiving the nod of excellence from such influential media organizations sets a very positive tone for the future of iStopMotion for iPad.”  (more…)

Zwoor Event HD Developer: Twoor LLC Price: free Download from the App Store User Ratings: For paper hungry Board Meetings, there is good news ahead. What used to be affordable only for Fortune 1,000 Corporate Boards will be made available, starting February 1st , 2012 to School, City, Townships and Community Boards, at very affordable price points, from Zwoor.com.  Paperless Board meeting materials at Board Directors’ fingertips, on iPad, Kindle Fire or other fine tablets.Board Meetings iPad functionality that used to cost several thousand dollars for a corporation will be made available during the month of February at very attractive price points – with plans for a School, Community Board or City Council meeting starting at $19.99, and even free plans, supported by ads. (more…)

Global Feed Developer: Sovereign Dynamics LLC Price: free Download from the App Store User Ratings: Sovereign Dynamics, an independent software company, has launched “Global Feed”, an intuitive, slick app designed to stream news based on Geo-IP location and completely configurable by the end user, onto the iOS App Store. It is designed to take the effort out of finding local news and gives users an edge.Global Feed is an app that was designed with end users in mind. Instinctual and function filled, it works on the iPhone and gives users unparalleled support for seeing news spreading from a source - not only can you see where news originated, but it also uses location support to tailor that information to the area that the phone is situated in. Relevance has never been easier to attain, and has a new edge that users can leverage. With the world rapidly designing itself around knowledge sharing via twitter, Facebook and other social networks, it is important to stay up to date in an accessible, effortless way. (more…)

What’s your secret? What’s your terrible vice, your one bad habit that you just can’t seem to drop? Everyone has at least one, and whether it’s smoking too much, swearing too frequently, or forgetting to put on pants, help is only a download away. Perhaps, you just need the right goal tracking app to turn it all around! Use the new year or your birthday or the nearest holiday of your choosing as a milestone. Say to yourself “Self, henceforth from this International Migratory Bird Day (the second Saturday in May) you will no longer leave shopping carts in parking spaces at the supermarket, but instead will take them to the cart return like a civilized human being.” Ahem.If you’re having trouble sticking to your goals, tracking your progress with your iPhone or iPad can be a great way to stay motivated. Use it as a high-tech reminder of your goal or a journal for tracking success. Check out these goal tracking apps from the App Store, and start on the path to becoming a new you.[tsm-slidesjs][app 457726323]Have you ever used a swear jar to collect your pocket change every time you cursed at the Yankees or your neighbor’s horrible dogs? SinJar pulls that concept into the digital age, giving users both a “Sin Jar” and a “Goal Jar.” As you slip up or accomplish goals, enter your actions into this app to deposit animated tokens in the jars. Sin Jars accumulate angry faces, while Goal Jars fill up with smiling encouragement. Train your brain to do the right thing by keeping track of your slips. Both jars can be adjusted for size depending on how copiously you plan to be sinning. Let your integrity be your guide!@slide:[app 362036274] TraxItAll is built around the premise that nothing will happen without motivation. This app’s clear, concise interface lets you track your “life stats” in one easy-to-read window. Chart your progress on work goals, diet commitments, and bad habits and reward your successes with happy faces and stars. A record of your accomplishments will keep your mind on the right track, and before long you’ll replace your bad habits with the good habit of checking TraxItAll! Read our review of TraxItAll .@slide:[app 301068353] Using the inspirational words of America’s seventeenth President, this app- wait, let’s start over. From the app’s description, “Andrew Johnson is a Clinical Hypnotherapist based in Ayrshire on the West Coast of Scotland,” and his therapy program targets the habits that surround the act of smoking. By eliminating these habits through passive suggestion, smokers can let go of the nicotine more easily. Dr. Johnson’s app can be used before sleep or during any portion of your day that includes some quiet time. It’s expensive therapy at an App Store price.@slide:[app 393159800] Sometimes you want to start up a positive habit rather than shed a negative one, and Way of Life is a great tool for the job. Its simple interface allows you to graph your habits and watch your week’s successes stack up. Simply enter the habits you wish to encourage and then set each day to red or green depending on whether you stuck with your goal. This completely free app can also export your data to external programs such as Dropbox, enabling you to sync your accomplishments across multiple devices.@slide:[app 316925674] Inviting you to “CRUSH YOUR GOALS IN 2012!” the enthusiastic Habit Factor team want to help you on your way to accomplishing your new year’s resolutions. The Habit Factor is a truly all-in-one solution; you can write yourself a motivational lecture as easily as you can add photos of your goal to get fired up for success. The app’s calendar tracks your streaks and lets you watch as your posture improves or your weight declines. The Habit Factor is absolutely packed with features and allows you to configure just about everything. When you’re serious about your habits, start here.@slide:[app 477962317]Designed to counter one of the most common vices out there, kickit is an app to help smokers give their habit the boot. This brilliant reminder list updates routinely with good news about your body’s progress in healing from the damage caused by cigarettes. Accompanying these reassuring messages are a quit counter and a funds calculator that displays the amount of money you’ve saved by quitting smoking. Kickit relies on incentives to make it worth your while to quit. Tracking your saved money and taking pride in your accomplishments helps you make the change permanent. This app is really important for your health![/tsm-slidesjs]

Just days before Apple’s recent educational announcement, one toymaker was busily demonstrating the AppCrayon classroom stylus to a conference of California’s Kindergarten teachers. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive and the verdict was clear. Teachers want a stylus. This was not entirely surprising for the folks at DANO Toys who designed the AppCrayon with input from professional educators and beta-tested it in classrooms across the globe for almost a year.”By pairing a stylus with letter-writing, drawing, note-taking and other apps, DANO Toys has found a way to meld the new, forward-thinking iPad education program with traditional educational methods,” says DANO Toys Education Director Chelsea Monahan. “Despite using a touchscreen device, students are still able to hold a pencil-like stylus to develop the motor skills that are necessary for printing, cursive and drawing.” (more…)

Cinderella – Nosy Crow animated picture book Developer: Nosy Crow Limited Price: $7.99 Download from the App Store User Ratings: Independent children’s app publisher Nosy Crow is pleased to announce that its Cinderella app for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch has won the Publishing Innovation Award for Best Juvenile App .The Publishing Innovation Awards recognize excellent publishers and authors, encourage new thinking, and improve the reading experience in the digital age. The awards were created by Digital Book World, organizers of the Digital Book World Conference and Expo, in response to a need for best-in-class designations. (more…)