MindMeister in Google Docs - Concept Mapping App

MindMeister is a concept mapping app add-on for Google Docs.  It works when you have bulleted lists.  I can see it useful for nursing students who are learning to see relationships of diseases to pathophysiology, medications, assessments, and diagnostic testing.  It is really easy to use.  First, download it from the Add-ons menu.  Activate it.  Afterwards create a bulleted list.  Highlight the list and click Insert as Mind Mapp from the Add-ons menu.  A YouTube video displaying how the Add-one works is below.

UberConference for Google Docs

I discovered a very interesting app, UberConference, this afternoon.  The only problem is that it is not working right now.  I will have to try it later.  It has lots of potential for group work.  Essentially, the user can establish a webinar connection to collaborative work.  The app is free.  If you have Google Docs open, click Add-ons > Search for UberConference.  Once it is downloaded, click it to activate the app.  When the app works correctly, it should display a phone number for collaborators to use.  You can add the email addresses for others and the app will send an email to the users with the phone number.
After I activated the app, I received an error message stating that the app could not connect with the server.  I tried it again and UberConference appeared on the right side of the window, but it was blank (indicating it did not connect with the server).
A YouTube video displaying how the app "should" work is below.

Google Sheets -- Mapping Sheets App

I read a very interesting article about the Mapping Sheets App for Google Drive Sheets.  Essentially, you can input a list of addresses into worksheet cells and then the Mapping App will display the addresses on a map.  I can see the app very useful in a variety of education settings.  For example, in nursing, you could input the addresses of hospitals, healthcare providers, diagnostic testing centers and pharmacies to display for a community assessment.  The app is very easy to use.  The first thing you want to do is to open a Google Sheets worksheet.  Then select Add-ons > Get Add-ons from the menu.  Search for Mapping Sheets.  Afterwards, activate the Mapping Sheets Add-on.  Afterwards, the Mapping Sheets menu will display on the right side of the window.  You can click a demo video and/or download sample data. 
A YouTube video displaying how the app works is online and displayed below.  

Sickle Cell Anemia Apps - Empowering the Healthcare Consumer

I was talking with a student who plans to research sickle cell anemia for the course project.  That conversation prompted me to look at the Android and Apple App stores.  There are a couple of apps that may be helpful:

SiKL is an app designed as a personal health record for those affected by the disease.  It is free.  It include personal details, medical contacts, sickle cell history, other medical history, medications, and an emergency summary as well as sickle cell basics and health living advice.

Sickle Cell Disease Resource Locator is a free app for the Android and Apple devices.  The app assists patients/families to locate resources for sickle cell disease. 

Both apps have very good ratings. 

Apple - Find My iPhone Update

The Apple Find My iPhone app was updated on December 11th to include driving directions to the lost device!  I was curious to see how the app worked. To see the update changes, open the Find My iPhone app.  Click on the Devices button in the top left corner to select the device. You should see a green icon with a car (Driving Directions button)  to the left of the iPhone name.  Click on the button and Apple maps will open.  Click on the Direction button (top left corner) for driving directions.

I realize that Apple maps are still not perfect.  I have been using the Driving Directions app with Siri audio, just to test the app.  The other day, Siri instructed me to turn right on a particular highway number, but had the number wrong (off by one digit).  Fortunately, you can report map problems to Apple.  When you click on the curled paper on the bottom right corner of the Maps window, you can click on the Report a Problem link.  Caution - the Report a Problem is at the top in dark gray on gray font - so almost invisible :-).  

Angry Birds Free for a Few Days

If you don't have the game Angry Birds Season or Space for the iPad or iPhone - you might want to download the apps this week.  They are both free until Thursday.  Angry Birds is a game where you try to get rid of all of the pigs.  You see - the pigs were stealing the birds eggs.  Okay - it is silly, but fun for kid of all ages (even gray haired wrinkled kids).  The game is a nice way to take a 5- minute mental vacation.  Enjoy!

Skype vs Oovoo for Video Conferencing

When reviewing an article about how cell phone preferences are changing from Blackberry to iPhone and Android in Washington DC, I noted that there was an increasing demand for the use of Skype and Oovoo video conferencing apps.  The article noted that Blackberry is great for text-based messaging, but many of us prefer audio and video.  The article sparked my interest to compare Skype (which I have used for years) with Oovoo.  A brief comparison of what the two apps have in common is noted below. Both:

• Have a free version
• Allow video conferencing
• Can be used with Macs, PCs, the iPad, and mobile phones

That is about where the similarities end. The free version of Oovoo also allows users to record and send video messages to friends with video calls or emails.  With Oovoo, you can send files up to 5 MB in size. You can also embed a video chat room in a website and do 6-way HD video conferencing with the free version.

Using Skype, you now can do desktop sharing (such as I use with http://join.me) with one person with the free version.  Oovoo allows that feature only with their premium version. 

Like Skype, Oovoo has the potential to enhance the teaching/learning experience when working online.  There was a comment by a voice music teacher for a blog comparing the two apps, noting that her students preferred Oovoo. I will have to experiment with the stability of a 6-way video conferencing call.  It certainly opens new opportunities for web conferencing.

More Android Apps

A Lifehacker article has a listing of more Android apps at http://lifehacker.com/5827518/lifehacker-pack-for-android-our-list-of-the-best-android-apps

Some of the favorites still include Dropbox (cloud storage), Evernote (word processing, notes, pics, voice synced to the cloud), Kindle, and Pandora (music). 

Apps for the Smartphone

A few weeks I posted a request to hear from those using smartphones, especially the Droid, favorite apps.  Tracy - I know that you must have missed that blog :)

Anyway, the August 2011 has a very nice article, Essential Apps for Every Smartphone.  It includes apps for the Droid, Blackberry RIM, Apple, and Windows Phone 7.  You can read the article online at http://www.pcworld.com/article/230629/essential_apps_for_android.html

Would like to hear your comments - what you liked and what might have been missing from the list. 

What are Your Favorite Droid Apps?

I want to hear from you!  What are  your favorite apps for the Android phone?  Why? 

iPad Apps for Education

Martha shared a gem of  resource - a listing of iPad apps for education.  I am copying the list below.  Hope that you find one or more of them helpful!
1. Teach with Your iPad
http://teachwithyouripad.wikispaces.com/  

2. Apps for Education - Assistive and children
http://www.connsensebulletin.com/2011/01/apps-for-education-update/

3. 26 Apps to Up Your Productivity
http://adrianbruce.com/teacher-toolbox/26-ipad-apps-to-up-your-productivity-learning/

4. iPadSchools
http://ipadschools.wikispaces.com/

5. iPads in Education
http://ipadineducation.co.uk/iPad_in_Education/Welcome.html

6. Apple's Rewind 2010 - Best Apps
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMultiRoom?fcId=402041463

7. IEAR App Awards (Science and Math apps)
https://spreadsheets.google.com/lv?key=0AoiJs2gxg9KmdE1RQmtoanZpdnBlT0Vvam5jRDEwVWc&hl=en&authkey=CK6twdsC  

8. 40 iPad Apps That Librarians Will Love
http://www.onlinecolleges.org/40-ipad-apps-that-librarians-love/

9. Top 140 Best iPad Apps
http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/top-100-best-ipad-apps-681998?artc_pg=1&resize=003304d3-204d-4884-898f-f8350835c7ca&oldsize=160x600

10. HC iPad User Group favorite apps (Mobile, History/Geography/Economics, Sharing, Art/Drawing/Brainstorming, Bible, Voice Recording, News/Podcast, Reading/Books, Science, Math, Physical Education, Brain Games, Applications for Finding Apps, & General Apps)
http://walden.hollandchristian.org/groups/hcipadusergroup/wiki/19d60/Favorite_Apps.html

11. 30 Useful IPad Apps for Business and Presentation
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/useful-ipad-apps-for-business-presentation/

12. Apple's Recommendations - Check Both iPad and iPad/iPhone links (English Language Arts, English Language Development, Math, Science, History/Geography, Art/Music/Creativity, Health/Physical Education, Language)
http://www.apple.com/education/apps/

13. Escondido SD App Spreadsheet (A listing of apps by pertinent school grade levels)
https://spreadsheets.google.com/lv?key=tenru11ELMGfma9kDka2moQ&type=view&gid=0&f=true&sortcolid=0&sortasc=true&rowsperpage=250

14. Acalanes SD App List
https://sites.google.com/site/learningcontinuity/with-ipads

Searching for Apps

A. AppAnnie Top 500 Charts
http://www.appannie.com/top/

B. App Guide from MacWorld - iPad
http://www.macworld.com/appguide/browse.html?compat=iPad

C. Appolicious
http://www.appolicious.com/

D. AppShopper Top 200 Education
http://appshopper.com/bestsellers/education/free/?device=ipad

App That Closes Droid Phone programs

Tracy shared this:
http://www.droidapps.org/advanced-task-killer-free-kill-an-app-save-a-phone/


She said "I love this app. Closes down any apps you may have forgotten to close &
saves on your battery life. This is the link for the droid version. Check to see if there is an iphone version."

PS - Am still catching up on the wonderful tips shared by my "personal RSS readers."  Thanks, Tracy!