Product Doceri (SP Controls, Inc.) Category Whiteboard and screencast recorder Overview A really great app for remote control of a computer, screen annotations on an image/whiteboard, or dynamic recordings—voice and annotations. Rating (5 star scale) Cost: Free.

The Doceri interactive whiteboard and screencast recorder app, like the Splashtop app I reviewed earlier, is useful to anyone wishing to remotely control a projected image from a connected computer, make screen annotations on what is displayed (you can make the annotations on a displayed image or a whiteboard), and send your creation for others to see. The thing I liked the most about using Doceri is the ease with which recorded audio and screen annotations can be made and the ability to send/post the finished product to a LMS or similar system for students to access. This app can save you the expense associated with costly classroom whiteboards and the controls in the app are easy to navigate.

Screencasting is gaining popularity among educators and Doceri makes these screen recordings a breeze. Simply tap the record button to begin a recorded session, pause, restart, or stop your recording. The created screencast can be saved as a high-quality video or in low or medium resolution, if desired, and then e-mailed or shared on YouTube, Facebook, or to your Camera Roll. It’s a great way to create tutorials to be used either as prompts for out-of-class discussions or to provide clarifications after class.

The app is robust! Establishing a connection to the desktop or notebook computer is a cinch and the app nicely priced—free! There is, however, one catch: a watermark is present on recordings or projected images. For $4.99 you can get rid of the watermark made on iPad recordings. Images projected from the controlled computer also shows a watermark which can be removed by purchasing a desktop license for your computer. I like free stuff but understand that the app developers need to be compensated for their work. However, what makes paying the $30.00 license fee palatable is the fact that I can transfer the license from computer to computer when I go to different classrooms—something I wish more app developers allowed! I also like the fact that there is no subscription fee for using Doceri, which is a biggie for me! Why would I want to have to pay additional or ongoing fees for a product? Some software titles have made this switch and I really hope that apps do not begin to make this a requirement in order to perform an upgrade.

There are two screens on Doceri which does double duty. In the ‘control mode,’ the bottom screen serves as a place to control a remote computer while the top screen allows for a highlighted pointer to draw attention to a section of the projected content. A nice feature is the ability to change the pointer, its orientation, or the color of the pointer for better visibility. If you press any point on the top screen with one finger, you can use the other finger to change the color of the arrow or change the pointer to a hand. An optional feature of the pointer is that it can be rotated to one of four diagonal positions or quadrants. This is really neat!

Toggling between the drawing and control screens require a tap on the pen tool. Touch the pen at the top left of the bottom screen to make screen annotations—drawing mode. Tap it again and you are back to the control mode. One very noteworthy thing here when working between screens is that Doceri allows you to preserve drawings before going back to remote control of your PC. In fact, you can easily toggle between control and drawing with either: the pen, a resume button, or a miniaturized button of your screen drawings. And, as mentioned earlier, drawings created can be sent to any number of destinations. Oh, before I forget; I like the fact that Doceri supports my selected screen resolution and does not change it to something else. I like having lots of real estate on my screen and resent any app simply making resolution changes when I do not wish it to!

As you work with Doceri, you may want to consider file size—a longer recording will result in a larger file size. This is not a big deal because disk space is cheap, however, from an attention grabbing and e-pedagogical perspective, you may want to keep all screencasts to a reasonable length, say 3-5 minutes. Richard Meyer and John Medina speak to this in their respective texts, Multimedia Learning and Brain Rules. Keep in mind that less is better as you work to strike a good balance of text and images. Too much of one or the other and screencast designers can lose the effectiveness of their created piece, including their audience. This latter is worth considering relative to the amount of textual content I see being used in PowerPoint slides. If all you are going to do with your screencast is provide narration over text—narration of the very text being projected—then what is the value added piece to viewers?

Doceri pointer options and tool bar

Doceri whiteboard feature

Doceri settings

Summary:
There is a lot to like about Doceri: Easy connection; screencasting option; natural flowing ink when making annotations—this is a huge factor when writing on a screen that some apps just do not have. Plus the app features a nice array of tools and has a really good help section. Doceri can easily become your desktop or notebook control/annotation tool of choice! I think you will agree that this app has just about everything you will ever want from creating tutorials to directing attention on a projected image. There are other apps around: Splashtop has separate whiteboard and screen control apps; their Desktop Remote app is $14.99 and their Whiteboard app is $19.99. This same company (Slashtop and Desktop Remote) have different license or subscription options for those interested. Educations, ShowMe, and Screenchomp are other free apps but they do not have a remote or screen control feature. This makes Doceri a much better option as a two-for-one app—something that is very hard to beat!

Dave Yearwood is an associate professor and chair of the technology department at the University of North Dakota.

Product ScreenChomp (TechSmith.) Category Education Overview Provide clarification on course assignments, develop tutorials, share ideas, peer-teach, and collaborate. Rating (5 star scale) Cost: Free.

ScreenChomp is a free, yet highly intuitive and powerful app that you and your students can quickly master. To use ScreenChomp you simply touch the record button; draw on the whiteboard using the available pen or markers; and provide a running narrative. ScreenChomp records your voice and drawing and then allows you to upload your creation to ScreenChomp.com. After uploading your project, you will be provided with a link which you can share via e-mail, Twitter, or on the clipboard. Nothing could be easier than that!

Here is a quick recording that I made to describe how ScreenChomp works: http://www.screenchomp.com/t/bogVMQkXmtrN

ScreenChomp also allows you to make annotations on an image or photo in much the same way you will on the whiteboard. The “Erase Ell” feature is a neat option when you need to write new information on the board or want to create a new page. However, there’s also an eraser that allows you to clear just parts of the screen. It would be nice if ScreenChomp had an “Undo” option to make it consistent in appearance to other apps; however, you shouldn’t miss it much if you remember that you can simply use the erase tool to accomplish basically the same thing.

A quick visual guide to using ScreenChomp

Summary:
This review was by far one of my shortest I’ve written and it’s because of how easy ScreenChomp is to use! Take a look at the recording I created – it only took a couple minutes to complete — and I am sure you will agree that mastering ScreenChomp is within the grasp of anyone. So, put your creative mind to work and soon you to will be using ScreenChomp with your students, colleagues, or just about anyone who you wish to show something to while providing voice instructions. Other apps you may wish to look at include: Whiteboard by GreenGar Studios (free), this app also allows for Internet collaboration; ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard by Learnbat, Inc. (free); and Educreation’s Interactive Whiteboard by Educreations, Inc. (free).

Dave Yearwood is an associate professor and chair of the technology department at the University of North Dakota.

A colleague pointed me to Goodreader for the iPad. This app is incredible for working with PDF documents. Using the app, I was able to highlight a document, underline, add squiggly lines, all using multiple colors. I also could add my personal notes at any point in the document. Goodreader allows me to connect to various server types like Dropbox, Google Drive, and SugarSync so I am able to store files in folders on those drives. I then bring the files down onto the iPad in the same folder structure. Goodreader also can sync documents with the server so if you are reading in multiple places or devices, you will be using the most current version.

After I have completely marked up a journal article, Goodreader can email a summary of the annotations along with the article, just the annotations or just the file. I chose to send myself a copy of the annotations, which appears in the body of the email. Each annotation is marked according (example: Highlight (yellow) [date] [author making annotation]: [annotated copy]) by page. The subject line and first line of the email provide the document title. I discovered it is best to provide the article title for the name of the document although one could use the author instead.

An article marked up with Goodreader.

Once I have the email, I copy the information into a Google document. I can then use Google Research feature, which is part of the “Tools” palette, to get a full citation in MLA, APA or Chicago style using Google Scholar search. What I am left with is a document with complete, correct citation and notes from the journal article that I did not have to type manually. This has saved me countless amounts of time to focus on writing my research instead of gathering information for my research. If I want to quote from a particular article, the quote is in my notes along with the citation information that I can plug into my document (either using Google Docs or Microsoft Word).

But what about books? Although not all books are available electronically nor will be purchased for your research, I have a few that I purchased through Amazon. Again, using my iPad, I read the books using the Kindle Reader app, highlighting and placing notes as I read. Once I completed my reading and wanted to get my notes out of the app, I went to the Kindle page for my device, found the book and looked at the annotations I had made, which is displayed on one page. I then highlighted all the notes and copied them into the Google document I had started for my research notes from above. I have not found a similar workflow for other electronic book readers.

One drawback to using this process is you are given the Kindle location instead of a page number. If you view your annotations in the Kindle desktop app, you will see the page number on which the annotation appears. Also, you cannot color code annotations in the Kindle app so this information would need to be added later. Unfortunately, Goodreader does not allow markup of other types of files such as Word documents. You can read the files but you cannot annotate, which is not helpful for most researchers and professors.

Using this process, one could use a color scheme for note-taking on articles such as yellow=quote, red=citation, green=results, etc., so that those notes could be grouped together in your notes or simply recolored in the document for easy location. This workflow leverages technology to the fullest and allows the researcher to focus more time on one’s own research instead of trying to keep track of the information undergirding that research. This also could help research become stronger by not missing or misplacing data from other relevant research. As technology continues to improve, this type of workflow will get easier and easier.

Jonathan Messer is a Ph.D. candidate at the College of William and Mary and an Academic Technology Consultant at the University of Richmond.

Product PickMeBuzzer (Groupics.com Inc.) Category Buzzer Overview A good way to introduce a game-like activity to teaching and learning. Rating (5 star scale) Upgraded from 2 stars in previous review Cost: Free for a limited time

Back in July I reviewed PickMeBuzzer and concluded that, while the app has a lot of potential, it needs some work to make it more intuitive and stable. (See review here)

Well, after working with the PickMeBuzzer app designer, I can tell you that I am now very pleased with the app and have in fact used it a couple times in my class with great success. Here are step-by-step instructions for using it with a Jeopardy-like class activity.

Key to operation is that all devices must be connected to the same wireless system. If you do not have access to a wireless device in your classroom then I have something that will work for you: Apple’s Airport Express (AE). I create a simple password just for this device to allow students to login (you can use it without a password, but this gives some small measure of backdoor privacy within the class).

This ad hoc network works because now everyone is on the same wireless network and it also has the added benefit of preventing student access to the web because the AE is not connected to an Internet jack. Once everyone is on the ad hoc network, you and your students can launch PickMeBuzzer.

Step-by-step instructions

Instructor:

• Select “Create Game” on his/her device.
• Tap, “Start Game.”

Students:

• Select “Enter Game” on their device and select, “??? iPad pickme’s game” as the host (??? is the name of the instructor device. This can be found below the image of the raised hand in the PickMeBuzzer app).

Instructor:

• Tap the red button to reset the system after all students have joined the quiz/Jeopardy session (note: “Buzzer Ready” appears on the screen after each reset).

Notes to Students:

• Students have the option of selecting how they will respond: “Motion Mode” (simply wave your device to register an input); select “Big Red,” a button on your device; or select “Choice” which provides an option for selecting answers to a multiple choice question.

That’s pretty much it for setup. All that is left now is for the instructor to begin asking questions.

Some tips for using the game—more play options:
Instructors have several options on their device:

• Basic Buzzer—a big red button serves as a reset switch and the message, “Buzzer Ready” is displayed when the game is reset (name of the first player who responded is displayed if the system has not been reset).
• Auto Reset—buzzer is automatically reset 2 seconds after someone has buzzed in.
• A Broadcast option, which allows everyone to see who buzzed in. However, if a player selects the “Choice” option, which works well for a multiple choice question with answers A thru E, then the instructor and players who buzzed in will see the selected answer.
• Selecting the “Scoreboard” option allows the instructor to enter scores for up to four teams on the iPad.
• The Game List takes you back to the menu and ends the game.

For iTouch, iPad, or iPhone players: you can verify or change your name by going to “Setting” > “General” > “About” and click on “Name.” What appears in the “Name” area of your device is the name that will be seen by the instructor when students buzz in.

Special note: Your iOS display will remain on as long as the PickMeBuzzer app is running (it will not go into sleep mode), so you may wish to monitor battery power accordingly.

If you would like to receive a copy of the Reverse Jeopardy game I used in two of my classes, please send me an email at yearwood@und.edu. I am happy to share it.

Dave Yearwood is an associate professor and chair of the technology department at the University of North Dakota.

Product CloudOn (CloudOn, Inc.) Category Productivity Overview A great Office-like suite. Learning Curve Rather easy especially if you use MS Office or similar products. Rating (5 star scale)  A good productivity suite for just about anyone. Cost: Free

Cloud users have a variety of options for accessing content as well as the option of using any number of apps to create content, e.g. documents, spreadsheets, and presentations just to name a few. Many of the available apps in the iTunes store and Google Play even mimic computer application programs that most of us use on a daily basis and CloudOn is one such app.

Many individuals use Microsoft Office as a one-stop application program for any number of every day tasks, so it is not surprising that someone figured out a way to provide iPad and Android users with the ability to read and edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.

CloudOn is attractive for precisely this reason and the app makes it possible for uses to do the same kinds of things that are possible in some of MS Office’s applications programs. Launch CloudOn and you can use Dropbox, Box, or Google drive to access files and to save your creation. CloudOn has a banner similar to what you would find in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and this familiar interface makes it a natural selection for creating your documents, spreadsheet, or presentation on the iPad.

Here is an example of that banner:

The user interface in CloudOn is fairly simple and straightforward. Here is an example of what I mean.

With CloudOn you can access and save documents to one of these three storage areas: Dropbox, Box, and Google Drive. Best of all, the cost of using CloudOn is free, assuming you stay within the allotted space or storage limitations of your cloud storage provider!

Summary:
There are many ways to work in the cloud and it is really a matter of choice, not to mention storage options, rather than anything else. DropBox provides 2G of storage space; iCloud, Box, and iDrive Sync gives you 5G; and Microsoft’s SkyDrive provides a whopping 7G of storage. Free is good, so have fun using CloudOn and any free cloud storage provider. One thing to keep in mind, at the time of this review CloudOn only appears to provide access to Dropbox, Box, and Google Drive. Do you have a favorite cloud provider? Please share in the comment box.

Dave Yearwood is an associate professor and chair of the technology department at the University of North Dakota.

Product GoFlex (Seagate) Category Productivity Overview Wireless access to data on an external drive. Learning Curve Surprisingly easy Rating (5 star scale) Finally, easy access to portable external storage, 500G worth, without cables—no power cable and no wired connection to the iPad! Cost: Free app; drive costs $199.99

What is the biggest frustration you have with your iPad? Oops, forget that I ever asked that question! Really, I think most individuals like their iPads. However, there are just a few things we all wished that Apple would include on the iPad, like a USB port to give us access to our ‘stuff.’ Everyone has, at some time, experienced one or two things on portable devices: 1. You never have enough memory, or 2. Your data is not all in the same place! For iPad users, unless you have access to cloud storage, there really is no convenient way (outside of using iTunes on your computer) to get data into your iPad to work on because of the lack of a slot or port that will allow you to access external storage units.

Well, the latter is history with Seagate’s GoFlex Satellite. With the GoFlex powered wireless external hard drive (and its accompanying free app) you simply power up the drive, select it from the list of available wireless devices in your iPad, and you now have access to all of your data! Nothing could be more simple! The 500 G drive cost $199.99, and to me, this is well worth the price given that plug in drives can run $120.00 or more.

I have been using GoFlex for about two weeks now and it has become one of the best technologies I have purchased because it does double duty: It allows me to take my data with me to and from the office and it keep the data updated on my home machine. Yes, I know about and use cloud storage, but I really do not like having all of my ‘stuff’ out there somewhere. Additionally, there have been times when I did not have wireless access and this was very frustrating. There are numerous work arounds, like using my smart phone or a mifi unit but I always have my portable drive with me and GoFlex just made things that much easier.

Once you purchase the GoFlex drive, you’ll want to download the GoFlex Media app is available in the iTunes store or Google Play. You should also download ‘Seagate Media Sync’ from Seagate’s support link.

There are really two options for synching your data with GoFlex Satellite and both options require that the drive be connected to your computer. Seagate’s Media Sync also has an automatic feature for synching your data that is a really nice touch and is very fast even with USB 2.0 (data transfer is much faster with USB 3.0). Alternatively, you can turn on/off the automatic sync if you prefer doing it manually. The other sync option is to use ‘SyncToy’ (free) from Microsoft which I have been using for a long time now to sync data on my portable drives. Both sync operations require some initial setup but once this is completed syncing works flawlessly.

Seagate Media Sync screen on a Windows PC

Select media sync screen settings

I wanted to see how well GoFlex would handle streamed video content so I cued up three different videos on two iPads and an iPod touch to be streamed from GoFlex simultaneously and I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was no lag or picture quality deterioration! One thing to keep in mind, however; you will be limited to playing video files supported by the iPad and as a result, you may need a video converter to play non Apple supported formats. One additional feature that I really liked is the fact that Seagate allows a pass through to the Internet while being connected to my GoFlex drive—this is really huge because I do not have to disconnect GoFlex in order to access the web!

The Seagate GoFlex Media app as seen on the iPad

Summary:
What is there not to like about GoFlex? Not much really, but Seagate might consider using a Solid State Drive (SSD) instead of the traditional platter spin drive since platter spin drives use more energy and there is always the possibility of these drives crashing. Retrieval or access time on the GoFlex was never an issue for me, however, SSDs are faster than platter spin drives and can be bumped without any concerns. It would also be nice to have some kind of battery status information about the remaining charge left on the unit. Seagate claims 5 hours of battery life but I have been able to eke out more than five hours a couple times while working on the unit before I decided to recharge it (granted, I was not tasking the unit a lot). Yes, the initial cost of GoFlex is a bit high at $199.00 but this is well worth the convenience of finally having the one thing I always wanted from my iPad—access to external storage and a device that has a decent form factor—smaller is always better! One last thing; Seagate has a few accessories for the drive which is well worth the investment, e.g. a padded case for the unit with room to hold all of the plug-ins; extra plug-ins; a bumper sleeve to slip over the GoFlex unit, etc.. Well, you now know how I use my GoFlex, what uses do you see for yourself with this unit?

Dave Yearwood is an associate professor and chair of the technology department at the University of North Dakota.

Product Socrative (Socrative, Inc.) Category Classroom assessment, student response Overview A real-time feedback tool to gauge student understanding. Learning Curve Fairly easy to use Rating (5 star scale) Very useful tool but with potential for distraction. Cost: Free

There is nothing quite like real-time feedback to determine if students really got it! Just about every faculty experiences that look—students’ eyes indicating that they understand or do not understand the explanation given or the conclusions just drawn. But how do we really know that our students are not merely acting the part when they nod in agreement, trying to get us to believe that they understand something when they do not? I have no idea what is really taking place behind those eyes or what is going on in a students’ brain so this is where Socrative comes to the rescue.

Socrative, which runs on tablets, smartphones, and laptops, is an interesting app because it allows me to pose a question and have students respond in real time to my inquiry. I can assess on the fly and best of all, students can use their portable media to provide me with near instant feedback. Clickers do this but the benefit of Socrative is that students do not have to buy anything and I do not have to spend a lot of time developing quizzes using any certain format.

There is, however, one challenge for anyone wishing to use Socrative and that is managing students’ use of their personal portable devices. I well remember reading a blog in The Chronicle of Higher Education where the author said that allowing students to use their portable devices in the classroom is like giving them permission to bring their entertainment center to class. Interesting! That being the case, if you plan on using Socrative or similar apps, you will need to have a plan for how, when, and where during class that you will allow their use. Purposeful use of technology is one thing, but unplanned and unstructured use is an invitation to possible distraction. That being said, finding a way to obtain feedback, using the feedback to create opportunities for expanded discussions, and having the feedback influence students learning is one of the benefits of using a tools such as Socrative.

OK, enough of the preaching; more to the point of using the app. There are two versions of Socrative—a student version and an instructor version. Upon logging in, students enter a room number. The instructor can then see how many students are in the room (he/she can also clear the room), and begin posing questions to the students. The different question options range from multiple choice, True/False, or open-ended questions. Socrative also compiles all the answers and presents it to you on your screen or via email.

Summary:
How should you use Socrative? When would the app prove to be most useful? What guidelines need to be in place to ensure that the focus is on the task at hand and not somewhere else? These are questions that faculty will have to consider prior to using this interactive app. Socrative is a really neat tool and one with a lot of potential as faculty gain experience using it. There are other ways to obtain feedback, e.g. Twitter, e-mail (sounds strange but yes this can work), Blackboard, and another app that I recently found— BaiBoard HD—and need to spend some time with. Best of all, the app is free for both students and faculty (a teacher and student version) and it works well with existing Wi-Fi systems in college classrooms. Best of all, it’s not just for Apple products, there is a version of Socrative for Android users as well.

Dave Yearwood is an associate professor and chair of the technology department at the University of North Dakota.

Product Noteshelf (Ramki) Category Note-taking Overview An excellent app for iPad fence-sitters contemplating a move to digital note taking. Learning Curve Intuitive and very easy to use Rating (5 star scale) Cost: $5.99

I have a lot of apps. That is not surprising because as anyone knows, few apps are capable of doing everything they promise much less doing everything well. So, given the number of note-taking apps I already own, why am I still looking for that perfect note-taking app? Well, I have a confession to make: my penmanship is not the best but, at least, I can read it and what I am really after is an app that makes my handwriting on the iPad look and feel like what I write using pen/pencil and paper. That, more than anything else, has been the biggest impediment to me making the switch to total electronic note-taking.

Oh, a few of the apps I already use do a great job of note-taking and some even have a conversion tool; however, Noteshelf’s intuitive feel, the natural free flowing ink, and the very normal feel to writing is truly remarkable! What can you do with Noteshelf? Frankly, just about anything you can do with traditional pen and note pad. But best of all, writing in Noteshelf feels very much like writing on paper. My electronic notes look like my usual scribble or chicken scratches on paper and that is really important to me. The “no difference” feel and look is what sets Noteshelf apart from other note-taking apps. Other notable features include: the bookshelf look for all my many note pads; the self-adjusting wrist protection for my palm (a feature that automatically adjusts as you write), and a simple but functional toolbar that provides access to all of the app’s features.

Noteshelf, like other similar apps, has a close-up writing mode that allows you to write in a larger format on the bottom half of the screen but have your notes appear in a normal size. There is also a guide that tracks your writing from left to right and down the page as well. Noteshelf allows you to adjust the thickness of the line or text and moving from page to page is a cinch. You can use a keyboard to enter text into Noteshelf, but I really prefer to use the app more for note taking and creating the occasional drawing, because what I am after is an app that simply allows me to make notes anytime, anyplace, and provide a look and feel of the pen and paper that I have been using for so many years!

Summary:
Noteshelf does not claim to be all things, but it is a functional replacement for traditional note taking. It’s an electronic substitute that saves you the trouble of having to look for pen and paper whether you need to take a lot of notes, jot down a to-do list, draw and label a diagram, or simply make entries into a diary. Up until Noteshelf I was uncertain that I could ever ditch my attachment to pen and paper. Now I know I really can and I will be able to do it without feeling like I am missing anything.

Some of Noteshelf competition include: Penultimate ($0.99); Notes Plus ($4.99 a more comprehensive package that I use alongside Noteshelf); and Notebook for iPad ($8.99). I really do not have anything to complain regarding Noteshelf’s ability to do what I expect of it because it gives me the feel of writing on paper and providing a look to my scribbles similar to what would normally be created using a traditional pen and paper.

Dave Yearwood is an associate professor and chair of the technology department at the University of North Dakota.

Product Whiteboard (Splashtop) Category Productivity Overview A really neat way to wirelessly connect iPad with PC or Mac. Android tablet version coming soon. Learning Curve Intuitive Rating (5 star scale) Great way to become mobile in the classroom. Cost: $19.99

I have been looking for a reliable iPad app that would allow me to remotely connect and control my PC or Mac and I finally found one that works well! The app is Whiteboard by Splashtop and the wireless connection between iPad and PC/Mac is seamless and dependable. Connection is a HUGE issue when working with wireless technologies because the last thing that any presenter wants is to spend time figuring out technical glitches. Configuring Whiteboard requires that both iPad and Mac/PC are connected to the same WiFi, which admittedly can be a problem on most campuses for security or other reasons. My simple work around is to use an ad hoc network (an Airport Express will do just fine) if all I want to do is have wireless control of my PC or Mac from the iPad. Another option is to use a MiFi assuming you have one.

Podium presenters may not have much of an interest in Whiteboard, but if you like the freedom to move around the classroom, being able to solicit or encourage direct audience participation with what is being projected, then you will find that there is much to like about Whiteboard. My first experience with wireless control of the PC/Mac was with Splashtop’s Remote Desktop ($4.99) but I was soon sold on Whiteboard because it allows both control of my computer and the use of a virtual whiteboard thus making the app a two for one value! Using Splashtop’s Whiteboard, unlike one of its competitor’s, does not require that you perform any sort of technological gymnastics to connect iPad and computer; Whiteboard just does it and nothing could be simpler!

The cost of Whiteboard is rather high ($19.99), however, when you consider that the plug-in for all computers—Mac or PC—is free and you get rock solid reliable operation then what’s not to like about the whole package? I also like being able to use my iPad on two computer systems, PC or Mac. However, one of the things that I would really like is mirroring capability so that I can project what is on my iPad. It would also be nice if users could have a presentation mode with the ability to blank out the projected screen but still have the option of seeing content on their iPad. This would be a really neat way of allowing presenters to go paperless with their presentation notes on the iPad and then be able to switch to presentation mode as needed, something I am able to do with Apple’s Keynote app.

Here are some ways to use the Remote Desktop app.

• Launch previously labeled graphical files on Mac or PC for examination and discussion.
• Launch a brain storming or concept mapping application; give a student your Bluetooth iPad keyboard and have them enter text into maps as a way to order ideas being generated.
• Launch the virtual whiteboard (touch the pen icon in Splashtop’s Whiteboard) to create a diagram, solve a problem, or label an illustration. There is a bit of a delay here so you will need to take this into consideration.
• Want to divert attention away from a PowerPoint slide in order to facilitate some conversation? Click on the virtual keyboard while in Splashtop’s Whiteboard touch the letter “B” to make the screen go black or blank. To resume your presentation, simply touch any area of the screen to un-blank and reveal your projected slide.

Okay, you get the idea. Now it’s your turn to experiment.

The Competition
There are a few different products available to help you connect to your PC remotely. One is GoToMyPC, but who wants to pay $9.95 a month or $119.40 a year? Desktop Connect ($14.99) appears to be a viable option but like Air Display ($9.99), I really do not want to fuss with connection issues and IP address. Other issues for connecting iPad to PC or Mac appear to be related to Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and Virtual Network Computing (VNC) which few iPad users understand and want to fuss with. I recently heard about iTeleport ($24.99) but I am not sure I want to spend that much just to ‘try’ something unless it is significantly better. For now, I think I will stay with Splashtop’s Remote Desktop or their Whiteboard version.

   

Dave Yearwood is an associate professor and chair of the technology department at University of North Dakota.

Product PickMeBuzzer (Groupics.com Inc.) Category Buzzer Overview A good way to introduce a game like activity to teaching and learning. Learning Curve Confusing instructions. Rating (5 star scale) Great idea but sporadic operation Cost: $.99

I enjoy working with students and believe that learning can be a fun activity. Today there are some interesting ways to introduce elements of fun into classroom activities using stand-along buzzer systems—wired and WiFi—but these can be very expensive and a bit bulky.

Several years ago I was looking for something that was interactive and easy to use and, after not finding anything affordable, I decided to build a unit from scratch. After about 11 years, I still use that unit today to play a Jeopardy like game using PowerPoint. I have tried incorporating it into TurningPoint (TP) clicker systems, since I use clickers in my classroom, but could not get the slide presentation to work well with the hardware, so I simply went back to my creation.

Recently, I came across an iPad app called PickMeBuzzer, which, on the surface, appeared to be just the thing that would do the trick. Unfortunately, it didn’t work as well as I had hoped. Setup was a bit of a challenge and requiring students to purchase the app was really not an option that I wished to explore.

The app works nicely if you can keep track of buzzers by sound—individuals can buzz in and each buzzer has a unique sound. While this operation does not require WiFi, it poses a problem when two or more individuals/groups buzz in at the same time. How do you distinguish who buzzed in first? Those of you who know me well, know that I enjoy experimenting and can pick up on things rather quickly but this app is not very intuitive and the instructions leave much to be desired.

The physical version of buzzers sold by the maker of PickMeBuzzer (approximately $150.00) might be a better investment for a department because then it would be free to students and it seems to have a nice computer interface with PC and Mac. In addition, I imagine that it could be somewhat portable. But it would really be nice to have an iPad version that works well. After purchasing three versions of PickMeBuzzer for testing purposes, I am still not convinced that this is the way to go yet, at least as of my last attempt to get it working the way I want.

In the end, this app has potential but it could do with some fine tuning and it should be free. As a teacher and a workshop presenter, I do not want to ask people to purchase an app that they may not use outside my classroom or workshop. As an option, the folks at Buzzer.com might consider a paid version for instructors and offer a free version of buzzer apps to students or workshop attendees. However, it must work flawlessly. That would make PickMeBuzzer more attractive to a wider audience. In fact, I just might write them to offer that suggestion.

I am always looking for ways to introduce fun in the teaching and learning arena but I would like to do this without having to think about whether the technology will work and work well.

Summary:
PickMeBuzzer has a lot of potential but it needs some work to make it truly intuitive and it should work all the time every time. There are few other apps in this category and therefore, I think the app maker is on to something. I play games like Checkers, TicTacToe, and Dominoes with family and friends and those work rather well by allowing us to play via WiFi so why not PickMeBuzzer? Great idea for an app but not yet ready for prime time.

Dave Yearwood is an associate professor and chair of the technology department at the University of North Dakota.

Product NatureScenes (Red Hammer Software) Category Relaxation, Meditation Overview A simple but powerful app that allows you to experience the outdoors no matter where you are. Helps relieve stress. Learning Curve Extremely easy to use. Rating (5 star scale) Cost: Free (base version)

NatureScenes is a simple but elegant app that all iPhone/iPad users should have in their collection to provide a sense of calm during stressful times or when you just need to relax. The words “simple” and “powerful” are not just clichés — the app is indeed simple to use and powerful in terms of what you can do with it! There are several themes and each is customizable. Added to that are the stunning photos which can be used to enhance the selected sounds you hear! The basic version of NatureScenes is free, but a paid version (just $0.99) provides added libraries of sounds.

Here are some of options you will enjoy using in this app:

• You can set a night timer or quick night timer to stop the playing of selected sounds either at a specified time or after several minutes.
• You can set a wake-up timer to start you on your day or use the snooze timer to extend the visualization experience.
• Themes can be customized—touch tools in the lower left to set desired features.
• Create your own custom mix of sounds using the soundboard mixer.
• Create your own playlist and add music from your iPod library.

Summary:
NatureScenes is a great work companion if you are someone who likes to listen to background sounds. The nature photos, which are stunning, can be enjoyed with associated sounds or by themselves as a sort of wall display with a built in clock. The mixer icon which brings up the Soundboard is perhaps my favorite feature for combining a variety of sounds and themes in an effort to maximize the experience.

Competitors, some of whom offer versions for Android users as well, include: Natural Sounds ($2.99); Ambiance ($2.99); Nature in Harmony ($1.99); to Relax Melodies HD (free). There is a paid version of Relax HD which is rather nice but not sure I want to pay $3.99 for the extras. I occasionally use NatureScenes as students come into the classroom much like I would use a musical interlude.

How do you see yourself using an app like this? Please share in the comment box below.

(Click images to see full screen.)

(Click images to see full screen.)

Dave Yearwood is an associate professor and chair of the technology department at University of North Dakota.

Product iAnnotate PDF (Aji, LLC) Category Productivity Overview A great app for working with PDF documents. Learning Curve Fairly easy to use, a great user friendly tutorial to help explain available options. Rating (5 star scale) Cost: $9.99

iAnnotate PDF is an excellent, full-featured app for marking-up or making notations on PDF files on your iPad. The app handles PDF files in such a way that you will feel as if you are working on your desktop or notebook computer. iAnnotate is well designed, provides a wide range of tools that can be arranged in a customizable manner, and is loaded with editing options.

Indeed, there is little that you cannot accomplish in iAnnotate! Touch a blank area of a document and you are provided with a neat set of standard tools from note, pencil, signature, typewriter and other features. Touch a word and a different set of tools pop up that allows you to copy, highlight, strikeout, etc. One day, while experimenting I even came across an option that allowed me to make a brief recording. This added feature is a great option that provides audio notes to serve as a reminder. Uploading and/or synching iAnnotate documents with Dropbox or some other account is a cinch. Several of my colleagues use iAnnotate to evaluate students’ work which they then e-mail. I use the app to mark up articles or take notes on the agenda at departmental or other meetings. Features such as multiple undos, deleting all annotations made—the entire document or just those on a single page—and obtaining a summary of annotations really places iAnnotate high on my selected list of apps!

Here is a short listing of what you can do in iAnnotate: You can search, bookmark, add annotations, insert images, e-mail, or open an image of what you are working on in some other app. The latter is a nice touch but the rolodex to select where to open the image is a bit too small for large fingers. You can customize the tool bar (there are a lot of icons that provide many functions to choose from—think customizable tool bar like you have never seen before); and best of all, you can decide to flatten the changes or simply remove them all. A typed sticky-like note can be attached to handwritten notes and all notes are fully editable. One of the challenges for anyone new to the iPad is controlling the size of handwritten text. I wish iAnnotate had a zoom feature that allows handwritten text to appear more normal in size. A signature option can be used as a fix but it is just that. Zooming in to make your notation and then zoom out is really not a usable option. I find that the “note” function an easier way to make typed notations and this option still leaves plenty of room to make markups.

iAnnotate responds well to many of the gestures that you have come to appreciate when using the iPad. Tap and hold, single and double tap, swipe, and drag, just to list a few. iAnnotate is one well designed app and I think that you will find that it will handle just about anything you can throw at it!

(Click images to see full screen.)

Summary:
iAnnotate is a very robust app that you will come to appreciate every time you use it. I read a lot of PDF files from research articles, departmental documents, to students’ work and iAnnotate comes in handy as a good tool for anyone on the go or anyone wanting to go paperless. Some of iAnnotate competition includes: Notability ($0.99); Sundry Notes (free); Catch Notes (free); Note Taker HD ($4.99); Notebook for iPad ($8.99); and WhiteNote ($3.99). I like free apps but I really cannot complain about paying $9.99 for an app that just about does everything with a PDF file.

Now it’s your turn. What are some of the ways you work with PDF files and do you have a favorite app for doing so?

Dave Yearwood is an associate professor and chair of the technology department at the University of North Dakota.

Product MapMyWalk (MapMyFITNESS) Category Health Overview If you’re looking to improve your health by doing more walking, why not track your progress? Available for iPhone, Android and Blackberry. Learning Curve Very easy to use. Rating (5 star scale) Cost: Free

If you’re a person who walks regularly for exercise, or if you’re a dog owner whose pooch likes to get out and explore the neighborhood, the MapMyWalk app can help you get more out of those walks. It’s available for for iPhone, Android and Blackberry users.

With this free app, you’ll find out precisely how much time your walks take and the distance traveled. The app also provides elevation statistics from start to finish. It uses GPS technology to calculate your pace, estimate calories burned, etc. It also provides you with a real-time map of your route. The controls are easy and the display is splendid.

Voice feedback is also included. If you have the volume on your mobile turned up, you’ll hear feedback on your pace and speed at a time or distance marker you set. So lace up your walking shoes, put a leash on your dog and start the app when you walk out the door. Or, take a walk around campus. You may be surprised how far you travel.

When you are through with your walk you can save your all of your stats as well as the map. This helps you challenge yourself to become healthier by picking up the pace and burning more calories on your next walk. A social networking component is also included with the MapMyWalk+ version, so you can invite friends to use the app, and share details of your fitness activity with friends on Facebook and Twitter.

If you live in a hilly neighborhood, like my neighborhood on the west side of Madison, Wisconsin, you may be surprised at the variety of terrain you walk. I was when I first used the app while walking Gaston, our perky Bichon Frise. Our walk ended up being 1.47 miles at an average pace of 3 miles per hour. It took just over 28 minutes and I burned an estimated 102 calories.

MapMyWalk also includes a nutrition section, where you can track your food and water intake and your weight. You get a daily calorie budget and once you enter your food consumption it lets you know how many calories you have remaining for the day.

The MapMyWalk app and website also let you share your walk route or find other walks nearby. For example, this is 3.14 mile walk near downtown Madison:

Summary: MapMyWalk is super easy to use and has great features for keeping you on track regardless of your fitness level. As you become more health conscious, you may want to explore other MapMyFitness apps for Run, Ride, Fitness and Hike. All are fun, healthy and motivating.

 
Tom Vodak is the technology coordinator of Magna Publications, the parent company of Faculty Focus.

Product Sketch Pad (Catalystwo Limited) Category Sketching Overview An excellent sketching app that can serve multiple purposes. Learning Curve Very easy to use. Rating (5 star scale) Chock full of nice features. Cost $.99

The Sketch Pad program is a must for several reasons: it is very easy to use, has several features, and it is very nicely priced. All of the tools can be controlled from their home location at the bottom of the screen or be made to float and positioned anywhere they are convenient.

I use Sketch Pad as a sort of Whiteboard but I wish it had a selection feature for ‘an erase all’ function. There is, however, a workaround for fast erasing: pinch the image to the smallest size possible and a few passes with the eraser will clean up the board rather quickly.

Sketch Pad uses the standard pinch-in, pinch-out gesture for zooming in and out. There are four pen size options, a color swatch that is customized by simply double-tapping one of the primary colors, and there are lots of emoticons that can be added to your drawing. The program has a selectable palm rest that can be positioned on the bottom right or left, or it can be resized to your liking. There is also a track pad that can be used to position the image anywhere on the canvas.

Like all iPad apps, Sketch Pad allows you to e-mail and print your creation. You also can save your canvas as a photo to the photo library, or send it any of several other apps. The preference is chock full of options from Autosave, spell-check and Geotagging, to synching to the cloud with Dropbox, iCloud, Google Docs, Evernote, etc.

A free version of Sketch Pad called Sketch Pad 3 is available and it appears to pretty much do most of what its $.99 brother/sister will do with one exception: Sketch Pad 3 has an advertisement banner running at the top that some of you might find distracting. There are two ways to deal with this: 1. Turn off your Wi-Fi and the banner will disappear. 2. Place the floating tools on top of the ad banner to cover it up.

Summary:
I like this program a lot and I think you will to! From drawing simple sketches, to doodling, or creating annotated drawings, I think you will agree that the program has just about everything you will ever want. Catalystwo Limited, the designers of Sketch Pad and Sketch Pad 3 also offer two other sketching programs: FastFinga ($1.99) and Fast Finga 3 ($2.99). Other similar available apps are: Drawing Pad ($1.99); Sketch Pad HP ($0.99); and SketchBook Pro for iPad ($4.99). One last thing: you will be productive with Sketch Pad in no time because using it is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Dave Yearwood is an associate professor and chair of the technology department at University of North Dakota.

Product Pages (Apple) Category Word Processing Overview A Word Processing app that has a nice, somewhat intuitive but simple feel to it. Pages provides all of the basics and a bit more. Learning Curve Rather easy and feel almost natural to use. Rating (5 star scale) Nice share and print features but needs a more direct route to Dropbox. Cost $9.99

Users of Apple’s Keynote should be right at home working in Pages, at least in the way it displays documents, creates or opens new documents, the location of menu items, the way folders are created and deleted, etc. And for good reason; Pages is part of the Apple’s iWork suite, which includes Keynote for presentations, Pages for documents, and Numbers for spreadsheets.

To get started in Pages, tap the “+” symbol or “Documents” in the menu area to either create a new document or to access documents. There are 16 templates to choose from when you create a new document and adding text is a breeze, although I prefer using an external keyboard. Tap anywhere in the text box to insert, add, or edit text and the typical ribbon display found in a desktop document creation program appears (font selection, size, character, etc.).

Tap the “X” on the upper right-most part of the screen and the ribbon display disappears for more screen real estate (tap the ruler just below the main menu and the ribbon reappears). The double arrows also allow users to toggle the menu display on/off. Word prompts appear to help with typing and you can even see the word count if desired (turn on from within “Settings”). Like Keynote, there are options for sharing and printing, find/search, document setup, and settings. As with most other apps, holding a document until it shakes provide options for deleting, duplicating, sharing or copying. One of the things you will appreciate in Pages is the ease with which you can make changes to the style of the document in terms of font, character attributes (bold, underline, etc.), text justification and headlines. You also can change the layout and insert various objects (photos, tables, charts, etc.) for graphic-rich reports or newsletters.

Naming a document or folder is as easy as Taping the title area.

I especially like the option of working in portrait or landscape mode. A good document app should have the feel and response of desktop word processors and that is what you will come to appreciate in Pages. It is intuitive and allows you to work seamlessly with MS Word and other document creation programs.

Summary:
You can do a lot with Pages and the export/import feature makes it a breeze to move documents. Some competitors to include: Office 2 HD—$7.99; Quickoffice—$14.99 or Quickoffice lite—free; Documents to go—premium $16.99; Documents to go suite $9.99; or Smart-Office—$9.99. I like the feel and functionality built into Pages—it just feels natural and works flawlessly. So what is there to not like? The price!

Dave Yearwood, associate professor and chair of the technology department, University of North Dakota.

Product Notes Plus (Viet Tran) Category Note Taking Overview A feature-rich note taking, handwriting, drawing, and voice memo app that you will find yourself using every day. Learning Curve Fairly easy to use and there’s a good tutorial that explains available options. Rating (5 star scale) Hard to beat for the price and functionality! Cost $7.99

Notes Plus is one neat program! In fact, it is one of the few iPad apps that I use frequently when I attend meetings or need to make notes to myself in either handwritten or typed format. What I really like about this app is that I can do a lot of things all without ever leaving the app. I can draw, insert diagrams and photos, paste, insert new pages at different places in a notebook, and best of all I can add a voice memo!

Use the erase swipe to delete text, or draw a circle around any object on the screen to: group, delete, convert to text (will need to purchase the handwriting module for $1.99), arrange items, copy or to change text styles. Another neat feature is the ‘palm pad,’ which allows your hand to rest comfortably without interacting with the screen. Without this “moveable a neutral zone “ I would have accidental pen marks all over my page because I have a hard time trying to write without putting the heel of my hand on the writing surface. The ability to edit PDF files is a handy option as well.

A really cool feature is the close-up writing mode. Hold one finger on the page and a box comes up (this is adjustable) that allows you to cram more notes on a single page while still writing normally!

You have to play with Notes Plus to really appreciate how much you can do with it. I would have preferred to access the pen and text style from the tool icon for obvious reasons—grouping of all tools. However, an argument can be made for ‘styles’ being in the ribbon area for quick accessibility. Either way, once you start using Notes Plus you will not have any trouble locating and using this feature-rich app.

Summary:
Notes Plus is one great app that should be on every iPad! It has numerous options that allow it to be a good notebook replacement and frankly, there is not much to dislike about the app. The tool features, the audio record option, the palm rest, and the close-up writing mode leaves me wishing that all apps were as multifunctional and easy to use. I cannot say for sure that I will ditch all paper notations but Notes Plus brings me closer to full electronic note-taking! Some of Notes Plus competition include: Notability ($0.99); Sundry Notes (free); Catch Notes (free); Note Taker HD ($4.99); Notebook for iPad ($8.99); and WhiteNote ($3.99); The only thing I dislike about this app is that I often forget how to access the ‘redo’ function—you need to hold the undo to get to the redo function—a bit awkward. Other than that, there is much to like about this app. I’ve tried a few similar products but always come back to Notes Plus.

Dave Yearwood, associate professor and chair of the technology department, University of North Dakota.

Product Beautiful Widgets (LevelUp Studio) Category Utility Overview Customize your device’s home screen. Learning Curve Easy. Rating (5 star scale) Cost $2.70

If you’re looking for a way to spruce up your Android device home screen and stay on top of the time and temperature then a good place to start would be Beautiful Widgets.

It is a simple and nicely designed app.

Beautiful Widgets allows you to customize your device home screen using a variety of different images. It also includes a display for battery life, a handy clock and weather conditions. You may use a variety of toggle buttons to make frequently used phone features available right at your fingertips. There are buttons you may choose for Wifi, Bluetooth, Plane mode, Brightness, Silent with Vibrate, GPS, and more.

The weather is geo-located so it’s specific to your location. It’s provided by either Accuweather or Google. The weather animations that appear are also based on the current weather conditions at your nearest reporting weather station, so if it’s raining you see a rainy image or sunshine, for a sunny day you see a sunny scene, depending on what it’s doing outside. You can also add multiple forecasts for multiple locations to keep track of weather in other cities.

The look is customizable. There are several different skins to choose from. If you’re daring and adventurous, design your own skin by downloading a free development kit.

This app has also been developed for new Android tablets running Honeycomb and features larger screen displays.

You might also want to check out a new widget designed for tablets, SuperClock 4×3, which offers a dynamic display to enable you to place your tablet on its home station, then put the home station on a table or desk for use as a real clock.

Beautiful Widgets isn’t free, but it will go a long way in helping you customize your home screen and stay on top of changing weather conditions.

Tom Vodak is the technology coordinator of Magna Publications, the parent company of Faculty Focus.

Product Idea Sketch (Nosleep Software) Category Concept Mapping Overview A no frills concept mapping app that allows for brainstorming. Learning Curve Very easy to use. Rating (5 star scale) Cost Free

Idea Sketch, as the name implies, is a way to capture ideas and organize them in some hierarchical manner — such as in a concept map or flow chart. Idea Sketch is a no frills app, rather intuitive, and best of all it is free! There is an upgrade option for $3.99 but if all I am going to get are a few more shapes, colors, and fonts, I am not sure that I would opt for a paid version. The free version, which works on the iPhone and iPad, includes a check spell option when typing but the app does not include a way to spell check the entire work when completed.

Here are some of nice features you will find in this app:

• You can create a map with straight lines, curved lines, or right angles connecting lines with or without directional arrows. This option is available when you create a new map or after creating using the ‘i’ symbol in the menu bar.
• The displayed concept map can be re-arranged by using a two-finger swipe feature—up/down, right or left.
• To move individual shapes, simply press and hold and when the shape is enlarged, then move it to a desired area of the page. The entire map can be moved by holding a blank area of the screen and dragging to a new location.
• Tap the document symbol at the top right to switch from map display to outline format.
• Tap the ‘+’ sign to add shapes and the ‘Ideas’ (top left of menu) to add a new file. Importing and sharing is easy and so is the help section.

Summary:
Get Idea Sketch app if you are looking for a basic concept map that is easy to use when you need to brainstorm and if you like free apps. The undo feature is nice but there is no redo option. Idea Sketch has the basic action and decision symbols. Adding a new child (idea bubble or box), notes and shapes is easy, and switching between outline and map view is a breeze. Other similar available apps are: iThoughtsHD (mind mapping ($9.99); Maptini ($5.99); Simplemind (free) and Mindo ($6.99). Idea Sketch will do the job of organizing your thoughts into maps or an outline.

Dave Yearwood, associate professor and chair of the technology department, University of North Dakota.

Product Any.DO Category Productivity Overview Provides a quick and easy way to create, synchronize and share notes and other content. Learning Curve Easy to use. Rating (5 star scale) Cost Free

If you’re driven by to-do lists and have been searching for a productivity app that will be up to the task, you need to consider Any.DO for your Android device.

This is one of the top Android productivity apps of the past year, and it was just released in November 2011.

You’ll find it has a clean interface and is very functional to help keep you organized. The setup couldn’t be easier. From your homescreen with the Any.DO widget you can quickly check your tasks.

When you are on-the-go you will love the voice recognition component. You just touch an icon and you can talk into your device and tell Any.DO what you need to get done. It readily converts your words into text, and does so very well.

It also has a nice missed call feature, if you miss a call it will create a task to let you know. Its predictive features try to predict what you need to do when you start typing a task. There’s even a fun way to mark a task complete, just shake your device to delete completed tasks. How cool is that?

File setups are a breeze and the app’s sharing capabilities are excellent. For a work, friends, or family calendar all you need to do is set up a shared task. The app notifies you and others anytime a shared task is updated. That’s very useful when collaborating on a project at work or even when your spouse updates a shared grocery list. You may also use Android Beam to send an Any.DO task to your friend on enabled devices with Android 4.0+. Any.DO also synchs with Google Tasks and you can backup all of your tasks to your SD card. The developers are working on updates to sync to a number of other apps including Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft exchange, so stay tuned. The company has plenty of venture capital funding, so I expect it will be around awhile, especially once the app becomes available on the iPhone. I have no timeline as to when that will be — the website simply says “coming soon.”

On the downside, the app currently doesn’t allow you to setup yearly repeating tasks and reminders, like birthdays. It does allow you to add daily, weekly or monthly repeats.

Tom Vodak is the technology coordinator of Magna Publications, the parent company of Faculty Focus.

Product Dragon Dictation (Nuance Communications) Category Speech-to-text conversion Overview A good app designed to convert what you say to typed text. Learning Curve Intuitive and extremely easy to use! Rating (5 star scale) No special training and the software does well with different accents. Cost Free

I have never been truly impressed with text-to-speech software but I was mildly surprised with the Dragon Dictation app. Dragon Naturally Speaking software for the PC has been around for some time and I well remember spending a lot of time training the software to recognize my voice and speech patterns, something I do not care to do again.

In the case of this app, however, that was not necessary. I downloaded the app, started speaking and the translation to typed text was a fairly accurate representation of what I said. It was not 100% correct but close enough for me to continue using the app. The onboard microphone worked well but I had better performance using a USB microphone plugged into Apple’s iPad Camera Connection Kit (keep in mind that Apple does not support USB microphone connection to their dongle but other testers had the same result I did, the USB mic does work).

The app is really easy to use. Tap the app and you are presented with a ‘record’ button at the center of the screen. ‘Tap and dictate’ and Dragon starts recording your voice. Tap the same area to stop and, after processing your recording, Dragon spits out the text conversion. You can add to a recording, make a new recording, delete recordings, e-mail, copy, change settings or post to a couple social networks. Editing text is fairly simple, touch a word and Dragon offers suggestions or the option to delete the word. The interface is quite simple but you will have to put up with a Dragon banner at the bottom of your screen which cannot be covered up or turned off—something you have to live with for a neat free app. Oh, one last thing, Dragon will only run with Wi-Fi enabled.

 

 

Summary:
Dragon Dictation has a fairly clean interface and the app is very easy to use. No voice training is required. The app has a helpful set of tips for using Dragon Dictation—new paragraph, new line, equal sign, etc. Best of all, the app is free! Speak and Dragon Dictation converts your speech to text. There are language options for non-English speakers and I found that the app worked very well even with my accent! There are several text to speech apps and a number of voice recording apps. However, there appears to be few speech to text apps available.

Dave Yearwood, associate professor and chair of the technology department, University of North Dakota.