Having grown up watching science fiction, I’ve always wished I could somehow travel through space and time. Although I love the way special effects can transport you from one world to another, I’ve always secretly wanted to take over the controls, to travel to locations of my choosing. Now we can all do that thanks to the Solar Walk app by Vito Technology Inc.

The Solar Walk app allows you to explore the solar system in stunning 3D. In fact, this Vito Technology creation is the iTunes App Store’s first product to features real 3D TV compatibility. Hence, this feature is only compatible with 3D enabled televisions and as a result cyan-red 3D glasses are required.

With the Solar Walk app, the solar system is yours to explore. Navigate your way through space and time to survey planets, moons and other points of interest in our heliocentric system. The 3D Solar System app depicts heavenly bodies with mind-blowing detail including atmospheric disturbances traveling across planetary surfaces. Once more, you’ll learn about various points of interest on each and every planet in the solar system including its inner structure, trajectory and history of exploration.

I’ll be the first to admit that looking through a telescope has a charm all on its own. That being said, the Solar Walk app allows you to tour the solar system in a way not possible from Earth. With the 3D Solar System app you’ll rocket across the heavens to beautifully rendered planets accurately depicted in breathtaking detail. The spectacular graphics accurately simulate both the texture and color of the planets. Furthermore the app allows you to both witness and trace the orbital paths of the planets. Lastly, the adjustable clock enables you to travel through time to reveal the position of planets at various points in history, including the future.

This app combines intuitive finger control, smooth animation and luscious 3D graphics. With the swipe of a finger you can circumnavigate an entire planet, or position yourself to observe celestial bodies from all sides and angles. Use 3D mode for an even more realistic experience. With the 3D Solar System app, the sky’s NOT the limit. Why not zoom out and take in the entire galaxy. For those suffering from a God complex, you can also use your finger to spin the entire galaxy.

If only the office workers knew the power in your… little… finger. Ah ha ha ha ha ha! *Maniacal laugh*.

In short, the Solar Walk app makes exploring the universe safe, fun and slightly disturbing. Plus, the Solar Walk app does not require an Internet connection.

The latest version of the app contains virtual 3D models of well-known, man-made satellites, including their real time trajectories. Here’s a list of some of the big hitters:

• The International Space Station
• The Hubble Telescope
• Suzaku
• Envisat, and more

The 3D Solar System app also includes a breathtaking simulation of flying over the Earth on a satellite. Coolsville Daddy-O.

3 New Educational Movies, Including:

• Tidal Phenomena
• Major Circles of Latitude
• Zodiacal Constellations

Fly to a Planet:

If a planet is viewed in the distance, simply tap on its image and you’ll be instantly transported to it.

Locations:

An arrow indicates your geosynchronous position above a planet or moon. Moreover, it also identifies major points of interest on numerous celestial bodies including those on Venus, Mars, the Earth and its moon. When in Earth’s “orbit”, the app pinpoints and identifies most of the world’s major cities.

Information:

This feature contains facts and figures relating to each planet, including its:

• Name
• Mass
• Radius
• Distance from the sun
• Internal structure (Including diagrams and science missions)

Moons of Individual Planets:

By selecting a planet you’ll be able to observe its moons and their corresponding orbits. “Tap” on a moon to call up its dossier. Here you’ll discover fascinating facts and figures relating to the individual celestial body.

Lastly, although Pluto is no longer considered a planet it has once again been included in the solar system model. Hooray! People were upset, so… it’s back. Quick! Get your Solar Walk app before they exclude Pluto again.

iStudiez Pro makes today’s hectic lifestyle a wee bit easier to manage. Whether you’re a student, parent or teacher, iStudiez Pro provides you with tools necessary to manage your dizzying schedule. You can organize a host of wide-ranging activities from coordinating your schedule to tracking your GPA. The unique built-in planner makes it easy to list tasks, enter deadlines, plan homework and tackle assignments. With iStudiez, you need never miss a course, lecture or lab again.

As stated on the iTunes Preview page, iStudiez has won numerous awards, including:

• 2009 Best App Ever Award Winner in Education category
• 2010 Best Young Adults App for iPad
• 2010 Best Parenting App for iPad

The iStudiez team recognizes that today’s schedules can vary greatly. With this in mind, they’ve designed the app to accommodate and manage all types of schedules, including:

• Classic
• Alternating (A & B weeks)
• Rotating
• Block schedules

Once you use iStudiez Pro it’s sure to become your primary resource for keeping on top of classes, arranging your scholastic schedule and organizing homework. Its intuitive navigation makes it easy to do all of the following:

Organize Your Schedule:

iStudiez Pro comes complete, with an expansive array of custom designed icons allowing you to differentiate scholastic endeavors from extracurricular activities. “Virtual” labels allow you to color-code courses.

When it comes to scheduling this app truly shines. It accommodates the inclusion of additional holiday periods. Moreover, you can remove activities due to scheduling conflicts or cancelation. iStudiez Pro also accommodates extensive data entry. This critical feature allows you to take note of common course details, including instructor names. You can also include related information such as phone numbers, email addresses, office hours and affiliations.

Following up with Your Homework:

Designed to keep you on top of your course load, this iPad app allows you to organize your tasks in several ways. Prioritize your homework and/or assignments under any of the following headings:

• By date
• By course
• By priority

You can also sort assignments under the headings “Pending” or “Completed”. In short, this app provides you with a myriad of organizational options.

Summarizing it up for you:

Once your schedule is uploaded, classes and tasks are automatically displayed under the heading “Today”. Here, you’ll see a list of the day’s events, including assignments. Also included are specifics such as locations, instructor names, number of tasks pending and upcoming deadlines. iStudiez Pro also keeps you abreast of upcoming events, whether social or scholastic. Courses listed under the heading “Today” can be easily modified, including details relating to that day’s agenda. The “Today” icon always shifts forward to stay in sync with the current calendar date.

Tracking your Grade/GPA:

This feature allows you to prioritize assignments based on their overall value in the grading formula. Evaluate the value of an assignment, whether it’s weighted or non-weighted. Also included is a GPA calculator. This feature is applicable to both current and past semesters. Lastly, this app supports most worldwide grading scales, including letter grades, percentage and points.

Keeping you Alert:

iStudiez Pro keeps you up to date with pending tasks, upcoming events and classes. It boasts a “Push Notification” feature allowing you to set individual alarms for classes, assignments and homework. Smartly integrated into the interface of the app, the alarm feature is quick and easy to set up.

Guarding Your Data:

There’s no need to worry about losing your data. With the simple tap of a button you can back up your data by sending it to your e-mail inbox.

Overall, iStudiez Pro is a handy app for keeping your scholastic life together. Its versatile features are a boon whether you’re surviving grade school, college or university. Put this useful app to the test and et yours today.

Ever look back on your hand-written notes and wonder if perhaps, you weren’t half asleep when you wrote them? I mean, what… exactly… does that say? I… think… I was writing in English. Let’s face it; in some cases even chickens would be offended if someone referred to your hand writing as chicken scratch.

For students, taking notes is a requirement. Sometimes the worse thing about compiling notes is having to organize, decipher and paw your way through them in a desperate attempt to find that one thing you’re pretty sure you wrote, somewhere… maybe.

Well, those days are no more thanks to CourseNotes by Dear Panda LLC. When installed on your iPad, CourseNotes enables you to record, organize, print and share your notes with ease. For example, you can share notes peer-to-peer, via email, or with other CourseNotes junkies, through mediums like Bluetooth, or a local network. Furthermore, you can upload your notes to Facebook, or email them to yourself for full-time access regardless of your location. Why not make Facebook an all-access informational hub? Now classmates can submit and access information from any device, at any time. With CourseNotes, sharing information doesn’t have to be a one-way street. Others CourseNotes jockeys can send you their notes. It’s ‘bout time!

With CourseNotes, information is primarily entered through the iPad’s virtual keyboard. So, say goodbye to random notes scribbled on crumpled pieces of paper. Now everyone will be able to read your notes, including yourself. Thanks to CourseNotes, your script will be entirely legible. This is due to the fact that your notes are typed, not hand written. Once more, CourseNotes enables you to format your text, i.e. bold, italics and underline etc…

Another clear advantage is the ability to easily organize your notes. Start by creating subject “folders”, i.e. math, chemistry, basket weaving, etc. Now you’re free to start taking notes. While you’re at it, you can also do all of the following, on the fly:

• Start a new note, including a quick session
• Review your last note session
• Access a lexicon of terms and definitions for each subject
• Copy sessions from other devices
• Create and maintain a unified ToDo list for each subject

In short, CourseNotes turns you into a scholastic multitasking machine. This ferociously versatile app allows you to review notes, not only by subject matter but also by individual class sessions. Furthermore, it allows you to sync your assignments with the iPad calendar. That’s not all, you can also access the integrated study sheets and other educational content.

Finally, it should be stated that this app fully supports iOS 5.0. Therefore, it also enables over-the-air printing via AirPrint. Is there anything this app cant’t do?

If reading’s your thing, check out the Kindle app by AMZN Mobile LLC. Optimized for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, the Kindle app offers unprecedented access to over 950,000 Kindle books. Also at Amazon Kindle, you’ll find dozens of newspapers and a myriad of weekly/monthly magazines. Now you can finally access all your favorite literary works all on one beautiful & easy-to-use interface.

The Kindle app includes Amazon Whispersync. This feature monitors your progress and automatically bookmarks the last page read. This takes place regardless of the format of the reading material. When you resume reading, Whispersync automatically forwards you to the location you left off, even if you’re using a different device.

So, whether you’re reading a book, newspaper or magazine, get the best reading experience possible on your iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The Kindle app also gives you access to the following:

New releases: Including 107 of 111 New York Times Best Sellers. While more than 950,000 books are available on Amazon Kindle, approximately 610,000 are priced at $9.99 or less.

Selection: Visit the Kindle Store and peruse a staggering selection of over 100 newspapers and magazines, all renowned for their high-resolution color images (selection and price may vary by country). Not surprisingly, Amazon Kindle carries some of the biggest names in the industry including Newsweek and Time. Publications can be purchased individually or as a yearly subscription. Monthly/weekly editions are automatically delivered electronically.

Free Book Samples: Read the first chapter at no cost and decide if it’s for you. There’s no obligation to buy.

Customization: Enhance your reading experience by customizing options such as font size and background color. You can also switch between portrait and landscape format.

An Instant Dictionary: This feature gives you immediate access to over 250,000 entries and definitions. Simply tap and hold a word and the definition will appear. The Kindle app also provides Google and Wikipedia links to get even more information.

Content Search: The Kindle app allows you to search the contents of a book to find specific information. You can search for items such as characters, topics, and even specific sections that you’d like to revisit.

Ease of Use: Simply tapping or flicking either side of the screen can turn pages.

Versatility: Your Kindle books can be read on numerous devices, including the following:

• Kindle
• Kindle 3G
• Kindle DX
• PC
• Mac
• BlackBerry
• Android-based devices
• Windows Phone 7-based device

As stated on the iTunes Preview page:

Time Magazine selected “Graphing Calculator” as one of the top 10 back-to-school iPhone applications.

Attention science geeks! Hold on to your pocket protectors and slide rulers, ‘cause this is about to get heavy. We’s layin’ down the schizzle, ‘bout the 411, on the L.L.C… YO! Or, something like that. I don’t know! GET OFF ME! I ain’t street…

Graphing Calculator is a high-resolution, multitasking, two-in-one app. First, it’s a powerful, yet easy-to-use scientific calculator. That being said, it serves equally well as a function plotter. This highly versatile app comes loaded with a slew of features. The custom keyboard speeds up the process of entering equations. In terms of function, Graphing Calculator supports the graphing of polar and parametric equations including graphing inequalities.

Graphing Calculator can be used in either portrait or landscape mode. Furthermore, graphs can be displayed on a multitude of devices including TVs, projectors and/or external monitors. This is accomplished via Apple’s VGA adapter (iPad, iPhone 4 & 4s, and 4th gen iPod only). Graphing Calculator doesn’t stop there. You can also use it to take screen shots and/or email graphs to others including yourself.

In short, Graphing Calculator gets it done. Check out this impressive list of functions (as stated on the iTunes Preview page).

With, you can do the following:

• Quickly plot and trace multiple equations on the same graph
• Pinch to zoom and drag/slide for scrolling the graph in real time
• Evaluate your graphs at any x value using the calculator screen
• Find the exact (x,y) coordinates for roots, intersections, minimums and maximums using the trace mode
• Provides conditional statements allow the user to restrict the domain and graph piece-wise functions

BTW, if I knew what any of the above meant, I’d like TOTALLY get one. Get yours today, smarty pants!

What better way to starts your child’s education than with an understanding of the elemental building blocks of the universe? The revolutionary Elements eBook from Touch Press has been developed specifically for the iPad. Built from the ground up, it takes the periodic table to unprecedented levels. No longer a static chart consisting of letters and numbers, the Elements eBook starts out as a “living” periodic table. Every element is depicted as a smoothly rotating three-dimensional object. Of course, each object fittingly represents the nature of the element.

So, if you want to learn about gold, tap the gold icon in the periodic table. In an instant you’ll be met with a large high definition rotating image representing the element. To the right of the screen you’ll find a column of facts and figures, each of which can be tapped to provide even further detail. There, you’ll also find the embedded Wolfram|Alpha computational knowledge engine. Tap the Wolfram|Alpha button for gold and you’ll get up-to-the-minute market prices, as well as dozens of other facts about the element.

The information does not stop there. You can delve even deeper by clicking your way to an element’s second page. There you’ll find even more facts about the material, including a series of carefully photographed objects representing the element. Every one of these “virtual” objects is freely rotatable, and thus, enables you to examine them from all sides. You can spin the objects one at a time, or simultaneously. Every “virtual” object is completely under your control. Double-tap any object and the image expands to fill the screen. Tap the image again and it splits into a pair of stereo 3D images.  With the purchase of a pair of inexpensive 3D glasses available here, you can rotate and view all 500 objects in 3D.
 
Experience for yourself the beauty and fascination of the elements. Although you may start out looking at the pretty pictures, once you start reading you’ll be drawn in by the fascinating facts and fun stories relating to each element. With the Elements eBook, you’ll marvel at the building blocks of our universe in a way you never have before.

Although the Elements eBook was specifically developed for the iPad, it does have real world heritage. It’s based on Theodore Gray’s best-selling hard cover edition of The Elements. While this particular version of the eBook is in US English, you can also get fully translated versions in the following languages:

• French
• German
• Japanese
• British English

As the saying goes, it’s not what you say; it’s how you say it. I personally am all about five-dollar words. Words like “cat” and “pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis”. Why not give your kid a leg up by building their vocabulary? Well, now you can with Vocabology; the easy to use app that helps you and your child build your vocabularies.

Vocabology brings together “words of the day” from various sources on the Internet. You’ll learn new words from sites like Dictionary.com, Wiktionary, and Merriam-Webster.

Together, you and your child can review the words, and together, practice your pronunciation. After all, the best way to learn a new word is to use it repeatedly. Vocabology encourages this learning behavior. It also allows you to test your newly acquired knowledge. Vocabology features an addictive quiz game that tests you with the words you’ve just gleaned. It’s also multi-lingual. You can learn words in the following languages:

• Spanish
• Portuguese
• German
• Italian
• French

Now, with version 4.6, it’s even easier to share your “words of the day” via email, Facebook, and Twitter. Get yours now.

Lets face it; as children our first exposure to math begins with counting. In Kindergarten, we’re taught addition and subtraction. Once these are mastered we move on to multiplication and division and so forth. Each lesson builds on the other. Therefore, it’s vital for your child to have a solid grip on the fundamentals of math. Of course, some grasp these concepts more easily than others. So, if your child is struggling or just starting out, MathBoard is a fantastic app for learning the basics of mathematics.

MathBoard is an interactive math-learning tool for your iPad. Designed with school children in mind, MathBoard makes learning fun. It’s just as appropriate for children in kindergarten as it is for children in later elementary school. Once more, MathBoard is designed to grow with your child. As they learn increasingly complex concepts, MathBoard extend its usefulness by providing increasingly difficult arithmetic drills.

In the beginning, your child can use MathBoard to learn simple addition and subtraction. As skills and confidence grow, they can move on to multiplication and division. With these mastered, they can move on to squares, cubes, and square roots.

The MathBoard app is also highly customizable. For example, you can control the range of numbers within which you plan to have your child work. Number ranges are configurable from -10000 to 10000. MathBoard can also be programed to include specific numbers within a given set of problems. Once more, you can control the amount of questions per quiz, as well as the amount of time designated to complete it. Timing can be displayed as either elapsed time, or as a countdown timer.

MathBoard also includes the following features:

• Random problem generation (up to 250 questions per quiz)
• Intelligent “wrong” answer generation (making guessing more difficult)
• The ability to omit negative answer
• Quizzes can be saved. Instructors can replay a quiz, or choose a similar quiz for a later date
• Answers can be reviewed. This feature displays both the correct and incorrect answers, as well as the equation
• Generate a quiz from questions answered incorrectly
• Problem Solver for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems
• Quick reference math tables for Addition, Subtraction and Multiplication

While there are numerous apps to turn your iPad into a GPS device, what happens if you want to know more than simply how to get from point A to B? What if you want to know details about the country in which you now find yourself? In Europe for example, countries are much smaller than those in North America. What if you want to familiarize yourself with the nations bordering a specific country? Where exactly in the world are you, or where exactly is it you’re going? In times like this, you’ll want access to an atlas.

Few organizations are as well renowned for their maps and atlases as the National Geographic Society. And why not? National Geographic produces some of the best, most beloved collections of maps in the world. Their award-winning atlases combine accuracy, artistic beauty and rich detail. For World Atlas HD, the National Geographic Society coalesced their high-resolution, press-ready images into one comprehensive, dynamic and great looking app.

The new and improved World Atlas HD is specifically designed for the iPad. Thanks to recent improvements, now you can browse the world with an interactive 3D globe. Rotate, spin, pan and swipe your way across the globe. Want to learn more? Continue zooming to reveal unprecedented detail about countries around the world. World Atlas HD also features 3 styles of world maps. Explore the world in Classic (blue-ocean), Executive (antique-inspired), and Satellite image.

Combine World Atlas HD with an Internet connection and you can dive even deeper. Descend through continent-level maps into detailed Microsoft Bing maps. You may even be able to spot your own home. How cool is that?

World Atlas HD is more than just a collection of pretty maps; it’s also an expertly researched flags and facts database. It contains concise geographic and socio-economic data. With World Atlas HD, you’ll receive up-to-date facts and figures relating to countries (and territories) around the world, including illustrations of their flags. Simply touch-and-hold your finger to reveal a country’s flag-and-fact page.

This educational app doesn’t stop there. It also allows you to bookmark your favorite places with pushpins and notes. You can center a map to your present location. Lastly, you can find places by name using the built-in index of major world cities. If that’s not enough, you can even search online for approximately 7 million different locations.

Got good diction? Is your book-learnin’ a wee bit sketchy?

Good news. Dictionary.com is now available on the iPad. Sweet! Awesome! Magnificent! Resplendent! Sublime! Splendiferous! Refulgent, and other words I’ve learned on Dictionary.com!

Now you can amaze coworkers and classmates with your sesquipedalianism (Look it up). The Dictionary.com app delivers trusted definitions, synonyms and antonyms from both Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com. It comes fully loaded with nearly 2 million words. Therefore, its dictionary and thesaurus features run entirely independent of the Internet. With an Internet connection the app can perform a voice-to-text search and also features audio pronunciation. The Dictionary.com app is rounded out with the ever-popular Word of the Day and Hot Word blog.

Here’s a list of other features offered by the Dictionary.com app:

• Spelling suggestions
• Phonetic pronunciation
• Example sentences
• Non-standard uses
• Word origin and history
• Favorite words list
• Recent search history
• Custom backgrounds

An Internet connection is required for the following features:

• Daily content
• Word trends
• Voice-to-text search
• Audio pronunciation
• Spelling suggestions
• Real-time popular, trending, and nearby word searches
• Voice-to-text search (for the most accurate results, please enunciate clearly and speak slowly)
• Daily content, including Word of the Day and our new Hot Word blog