This week we celebrate the 4th of July – Food, fun, drinks, and of course – fireworks. Your iPad can help in that regard by helping you create your own Fireworks show with 2 apps that I found.
The first app is called Fireworks Arcade by Big Duck Games and actually has been around for a couple years now – so it should work on your older iPads. The app simply allows you to tap the screen and display fireworks.
Call up a song in your library to choreograph the event. I am a big progressive rock fan, so I took a couple Rush tunes, Yes, Styx, and created some great fireworks.
There is also a games feature including a speed firework game, whack-a-mole style, Fruit-ninja style (where you can swipe the dots for fireworks) and more. Level up while you ohh and ahh at some of the fireworks.
You can also tilt and shake the iPad to produce random fireworks!
Fireworks Arcade features different types of fireworks including smiley faces, checkboxes, hearts, and more. The app is free, with .99 cent in-app purchase to remove the ads.
The second Fireworks app I looked at called Musical Fireworks 2 by WebGames3D. This app has a bit more to it as you can choose the types of fireworks you want to display. There is also a record mode that you can set to music. Create your fireworks and display on the Apple TV.
the app is free to load on your iPad. In app purchases remove ads, enable recording, and even give you a 3D city which rotates as your fireworks go off.
It’s a fun little app and can really show off your show designer skills.

4th of July Apps: Fireworks Arcade, Musical Fireworks 2 - iPad365 - iPad App Show [Video]

iPad app show: Geek host Jeffrey Powers loves his iPad, and will talk best apps, iPad prices, reviews, cases for iPad, and what apps are best for Retina Display. Jeffrey also talks iPad news, iOS news, and tricks to keep your iPad in play, and if it all works for your iPhone or even Android OS. iPad365 comes out with new episodes daily. Business apps Mondays helps keep you on the right track, and games Tuesdays explores new games. iPad Utilities Wednesday gives you useful iPad apps, and Productivity Thursday keeps your iPad working. Show can be found at http://www.geekazine.com/ipad365

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Pinnacle studio is no stranger to me. When I first started making Geekazine videos back in 2008, I was using their software to produce shows like “The 5 Tech Things You Should Know.” I since moved on to other software, but still have Pinnacle for “just in case moments”.
Now we have Pinnacle Studio for iPad by Corel Inc. – a video editor software that can rival iMovie. In fact, all video is being post-produced using this software so you know what you are getting.
To start, this is a single-video, multi-audio editor. That means you can’t do layers for video but you can do a picture in picture and layer audio tracks for music and voice-overs.
Lower 3rds can be added via the effects options within the app. You also have some very interesting transitions, too. Like this one:
As you may have guessed, this part of the review is not being recorded from the iPad – which I could easily do. I wanted to show you the ability to import your videos using your favorite cloud device.
This is something that iMovie doesn’t do – connect to Dropbox, Box, or other cloud services to gather video, audio, pictures and more. So I could easily record something on the camera, move it to my iPad in MP4 format and mix down from there.
I could also record everything from the iPad or iPhone camera and mix together. I could have 3-4 people with iPhones recording, then have them move the video to Dropbox where I upload and put into one video.
I can start a project, then save the file to Dropbox where I can then import into the full version of Pinnacle studio and finish the work. That means I can start a project on the road and finalize it when I get back home. iMovie has that same feature, but once again – going through iCloud.
There is a lot of versatility to this software, but it also comes with some annoyances, which we will talk about next.
So if you want to make a simple movie, montage or maybe get some scenes so you can upload as a “Citizen journalist”, Pinnacle studio is a great way to do that. You can record, edit and send final videos in every MP4 video format: from 4:3 to 1080p.
There are a few issues with this software. For one, I found that some MP4 video I imported via Dropbox was refused by the software. It simply said “Not an accepted format by iPad” which I found to be un-informative. Especially since I could download right from the Dropbox app into my device and not have problem.
The outdoor montage I created even had problems importing into the app. I had to close out and go back in to finally have Pinacle recognize it.
By the way – the software is $12.99, but if you want to connect to Dropbox you will need to spend another $4.99 for a companion app that allows you to do that.
The interface is not completely intuitive. This was the big problem I had with their main software, too. The learning curve is easy, but it seemed clunky on how you do certain things such as use the transitions they supply.
If you want to use this software with the desktop companion, then you either need a PC or run Parallels or boot camp on your Mac. The main software is only for Windows.
Nonetheless, if you need something to make quick edits and get it out to a producer or even store for a video podcast or something else, Pinnacle studio is a quick and easy way to get something out.

Pinnacle Studio for iPad: Record video or Download to Edit - iPad365 - iPad App Show [Video]

The school season is fast approaching for some – unless you live in Hawaii or go to private school where there are no summer solstices. Nonetheless the 2014 school season is fast approaching. That means pencils, books, teachers dirty looks…
Wait. Maybe we don’t need any more pencils or books. Not if you have an iPad.
Lets take a look at some great apps you can get to make an iPad purchase more justifiable.
The most important apps might just be those office apps you can use to take notes, build presentations and more. For that, I am going with the tried and true apps of Microsoft Office 365 like Microsoft Word. The best part of these apps is you can easily move to a PC at home to continue working if needed.
I switch between computers all the time. More important, I send documents to others on a regular basis. This morning I just filled out a Word document form for an event I’ll be participating on.
If anything, Word and PowerPoint are going to get their use on an iPad for school. If anything, OneNote is free and useful in its own right.
Evernote is another app which you will get great use from. Especially for those who like to take pictures of the teacher’s writing – Add a Dropbox account to this and you have a powerful note taking device.
How does that work? Load Dropbox on your phone and tablet. When the instructor brings up a slide or fills the chalkboard with tons of facts, snap a picture with your phone. The phone then sends the image to Dropbox which you can then use IFTTT to send the image into Evernote.
This process can also be done with audio snippets. So you can put together a whole lecture in one Evernote document.
Wikipedia is a great resource but sometimes you need more. That is where the Encyclopædia Britannica can jump in. Over 80,000 articles curated and edited, you can find what you are looking for.
Could you imagine what our yearbooks would have looked like if Instagram and Google Enhancement were around back then? It is estimated we will take almost 900 billion photos with our mobile devices in 2014. From pictures of friends, slides on the overhead, or just those fun pictures of cats.
If you use Jostens for your student Yearbook, you can download the Yearbooker’s Field Kit by Jostens, Inc., which organizes your photos as you go.
As for textbooks – there are a series of apps that can get your book electronically. Kindle, iBooks and more. One of these groups is called Kno Textbooks. You find your book then pay the in-app purchase price (which can be just as expensive as a physical textbook).
The best part about these books is you can highlight and share your notes with others that have kno textbooks as well. They have a library of over 200,000 books from kindergarden to college.
Another app I like a lot is Phoster by Bucket Labs. This app allows you to make posters for events, school elections, dances and more.

Back to School iPad Apps Make Your iPad a Useful Learning Tool - iPad365 - iPad App Show [Video]

If you haven’t used If this than that – otherwise known as IFTTT.com – then you might be surprised as to what it can do. The app creates recipes so you don’t have to repeat building the wheel hundreds of times.
Lets step back a quick second to 2007. We had Twitter, MySpace and Facebook. 3rd party apps came out that allowed you to write once and post to all. It was great, but soon other networks came out that didn’t have open APIs to do that.
Further, you might want to send information to another channel – such as an email or dropbo document.
Enter in IFTTT. They create recipes so when one thing happens, it sends to another. I have a few recipes out there. One in particular is a recipe that sends certain posts with keywords into an Evernote document. I can then review the document to see whats new.
Some popular recipes include backing up contacts to a Google spreadsheet, email new iPhone photos, change your Twitter profile photo when your Facebook photo changes, and more. You can even have your phone mute when it identifies where you are. That way your “Sexy and I know it” ringtone doesn’t go off during that important meeting…
IFTTT can also be accessed via website, but the app caters to your iPad use. You can also get it for iOS and Android devices.
If you don’t have a personal assistant, this is a great way to organize and automate your life.
It’s rumor time as the new iPads will be coming out soon. The expected date is around October – which I actually think its a little late. They poise for a christmas purchase but totally miss the back to school crowd, which might be more lucrative.
Nonetheless, in October we are going to expect iPad to start biting into the notebook department with a 12.9 inch iPad. More screen for multiple applications.
I love my iPad, but I also love the notebook for two reasons – keyboard and a larger screen. One window on the left, the other on the right so I can search on information to add to my articles.
Now keep in mind this is only a rumor. We actually talked about this a year ago. But I am expecting this to become reality because this will add more than just the notebook group.
Just recently we learned a little bit about the Sapphire screen – a glass face that withstands scratches and more. This can make an iPad tougher so it can also be used as a kiosk on a wall.
Even if the kiosk iPad doesn’t add interactivity with customers, you can now put devices embedded in walls with a screen large enough where people can see it.
As the rumor mill continues to churn, I’ll keep you abreast of what is being said.

IFTTT for iPad, Rumors on 12.9 Inch iPad - iPad365 - iPad App Show [Video]

Today, Google announced one of their flagship games is now available for iOS devices. Ingress by Google, Inc. is an augmented reality massively multiplayer online pervasive game created by Niantic Labs, a startup within Google. The game allows you to head to locations and place your marks down to keep the portals within your team.
There are two teams – The “Enlightened” Green team and the “Resistance” Blue team. You basically pick a side, then find portals – which are usually landmarks around the city – to place your offensive or defensive items on. You can overtake a portal for your team. But be warned – it can be taken back pretty quick.
Little blue dots are collected while you walk around to bring your life back up to reinforce and repair your portals. You can quickly find yourself needing more if the portals in your area get some heavy damage.
Why Ingress Works Better on iPad Air (or even iPad mini)
One big problem with Ingress is its a power-sucking game. I try not to play it on my phone while on travel due to the battery dropping quick just through my normal use. The iPad Air could be a better option with the 8,827 mAh battery – as opposed to the 1,560 mAh battery in an iPhone or 2,800 mAh battery in the Samsung Galaxy S5.
The iPad mini can even beat the phones with their 4400 mAh battery. The best battery phone out there is the DROID RAZR Maxx with a 3300 mAh battery.
Once the iPad is low on battery, switch to your iPhone or Android to continue while a battery backup charges it up. Remember to close all your other apps for optimal life.
Another issue is triangulation. Sometimes you could be sitting right on the item and the device has you across the street or just too far away. It can get frustrating if you are trying to hack a portal, but keep getting whisked around because the towers cannot triangulate you properly.
Technical details aside, this is a game of conquest while going out to get some fresh air. The graphics are really nothing to boast about and the sounds can become somewhat annoying.
Still, its like playing PONG, or a retro game from Atari days. Even 8-bit games are popular on the iPad, as Tiny Death Star proved.
If you love strategic battle games and enjoy going out and walking around, Ingress will help fulfill both needs. It did get me to walk around the cities I visited in the last year – Vegas, Detroit, Austin, along with places in Madison I haven’t been to in years.
And it gets better when you meet fellow players – green or blue. There are major fanatic boards out there which you can get into the conversation, bantor, and have fun.
Will it Run on iPad1
The program will download and install. If you try to launch, the app crashes instantly. I double-checked using my older iPhone 3GS. The same crash occurred.

4th of July Apps: Fireworks Arcade, Musical Fireworks 2 - iPad365 - iPad App Show [Video]

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