Daily Bits

iPad

The 10 best same-device multiplayer games for the iPad

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iPad owners who keep to themselves aren’t maximizing the experience. With a relatively large 9.7″ screen and support for multi-touch, Apple’s tablet PC is also great for entertaining several people.

Here we feature 10 different iOS apps that will turn your iPad (or iPad 2) into the life of the party, courtesy of some fun two- or four-player multiplayer gameplay.

All the following apps support multiple players on the same device, so no online connection is necessary. You’ll only need one iPad to have fun with friends of family members, meaning even those who don’t have an iOS device (the iPhone, iPod touch, or the iPad) can still participate.

Monopoly for iPad ($9.99)

The star attraction of this modern version of the classic real-estate boardgame? Tabletop mode, where the game orients itself to the active player. It’s this feature alone—not to mention the faithful recreation of the Monopoly experience—that makes this game worth playing with up to three human or computer-controlled opponents.

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Kindergarten Students Get iPads

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Apple head honcho Steve Jobs called (calls?) it magical. Countless people seem to agree. Some say what’s magical is that people pay hundreds of dollars for such a device. Price notwithstanding, the iPad has proven to be a very versatile device, and sales figures support the fact that people find it useful.

Now, even the education sector is lending the iPad its support. In Auburn, Maine, kindergarten students will soon be treated to their own iPads – to be used for educational purposes. The Auburn school department is blazing a new trail by making iPads available to each of the kindergarten students enrolled in the district. Just last week, a $200,000 budget was approved. The money is to be used to purchase 285 iPads that will be issued to teachers and students.

While the district seems to be the first to make such a move, the use of iPads for education is not that novel. In the past year, we have heard of countless stories of people getting the iPad for their children. The device has even been picked out for special education, with the iPad’s features being highlighted as very helpful in developing fine motor skills. With the iPad taking interactivity to a new level, children will also have a better learning experience. The goal of the project is to boost literacy rates up to 90 percent within two years. See the iPad’s use in education in action in the video below.

I can see how some people might say that this move can be excessive. Personally, I think that if the money is available, there is no reason not to make the iPad accessible to children. As long as they are indeed used mainly for educational purposes, then the kids can only benefit from this. What do you think?

Atari’s Asteroids on the iPad

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asteroidsThere is something to be said about retro consoles and games. While this sector has made leaps and bounds, and consumers are demanding more (graphics, game play, etc.), a trip back to the past is always a welcome change every now and then.

Ion – that manufacturer responsible for “high tech turntables” – has come up with a new dock that will satisfy the nostalgic feelings of every gamer out there. The dock is meant for the iPad and will turn this ultramodern gadget into a console reminiscent of the past. It will allow you to play Atari’s Asteroids and even give you realistic buttons and knobs.

Just to refresh your memory, Asteroids was released as a video arcade game in 1979. The two dimensional game has a simple premise that it easily caught on and soon became the best selling game of all time. The idea is that the player controls a spaceship that flies through fields of asteroids. Flying saucers also come into the screen. The player has to shoot at the asteroids and flying saucers with the aim of destroying them without crashing into them.

Drooling now? Watch the demo video below, and I am sure that you will be wanting the dock for your iPad.

Gorillaz’s The Fall Recorded Entirely on the iPad

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gorillazI don’t know about you, but the way I see it, the iPad is mainly to be used for playing that awesome game called Flight Control HD. (Try it once, and I’ll bet my bottom dollar that you will not want to stop landing those planes!) It also is a great e-book reader, and of course, one can’t forget the angry birds and the irritating green pigs.

If you were the band Gorillaz, though, you’d find something a little more productive to do on the iPad – such as record an entire album! The British group has never been on any of my playlists, but I am inclined to try out their new album simply because of this fact. Dubbed “The Fall”, the album was created simply by utilizing some iPad applications – a plethora of which is available. Some of these applications are Speak It!, SoundyThingie, Mugician, and Solo Synth.

Before you write this one off, watch the video of the first track in the album. You just might become a Gorillaz convert if you do!

Here’s another cool thing – the entire album can be downloaded for free at the Gorillaz’s web site. As long as you sign up for the newsletter, you can get your hands on this one of a kind production. Next year, the CD will go on sale, but why wait for that?

Engage in Real-Time Discussions on Your E-Book’s Pages

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One of the most exciting things about reading your favorite books is the discussion that ensues when you get together with other people who are likeminded. The sucky thing is the situation wherein you find yourself totally into a book, and you can’t find people to discuss the book with. Of course, there are always forums and other venues online, but sometimes one can’t just be bothered to log in to those sites anymore.

Now what if you had a platform where you can engage in real-time discussions with other people via your e-book reader? Assuming that you read your books in electronic format these days, this option should be a welcome one, as you will not have to exert a major effort to share your thoughts and opinions on what you are currently reading.

Copia is a platform which turns “e-books into we-books.” How so? People who use the platform can interact with other users straight from the pages of the book that they are reading. Think writing down thoughts as notes and then having other people see them and comment on them; and vice versa.

I haven’t used it myself, but based on what I have read, you can also create your own library, rate books, and write your own reviews.

The only thing is that it is only currently available for the desktop and the iPad. If it does take off, though, I think that versions for the Kindle and the Nook might just come out in the future. One thing is for sure – this concept adds the element of sharing to reading, and that can only make things more enjoyable.

Expert Gives Facebook Only 5 More Years

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Facebook is on a roll, isn’t it? In the past month or so, we have been hearing about all sorts of new features from THE social network platform. Some of the more recent ones include the Friendship Pages and Groups. And, just the other day, we heard about their “Gmail Killer.” So one would think that Facebook is here to stay – at least for a very very long time, right?

Not according to Dr. Jeffrey Cole, a digital consumer expert. If you’re doubting his prediction, bear in mind that this is the guy who said that MySpace would suffer the same fate (decline) four years ago. While MySpace is still around – I just logged in earlier to listen to some indie music – no one can deny that it is but a shadow of what it used to be. Oh, and check out Dr. Cole’s other credentials: Director of the Centre for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California and a director of the World Internet Project.

So Dr. Cole said that in five years, Facebook is going to be what MySpace is today. However, he states one major difference: there will not be a single social networking platform anymore. Instead, we are going to have many smaller communities.

His predictions are not limited to social networking platforms. He also mentioned that the iPad will be the last man standing in the realm of tablets – mainly thanks to the Apple brand – and that it will change the face of traditional print.

If his track record is anything to go by, we might just see his words becoming reality sooner than we think. Let me ask you though, do you think Facebook will be “gone” in 5 years?