New Blog!

Im working on a new version of the blog skippblog.wordpress.com and am keen to know which you prefer comments or tweets to @nskipper .

Videolicious

Videolicious Turn raw video clips and photos into tightly edited masterpieces to share with your friends, in just three simple steps. Thanks to @lizziemcke for this recommendation

Choose Your Shots
Select the videos and photos you
would like to include in your movie

Tell Your Story
Film yourself and talk about the
videos and photos in your movie

Choose Your Music
Choose one song to
enhance your movie

Very easy to create a video story from video clips and photos you have on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad 2. Great for trips out of school providing students with a simple way to add a commentary to their work.

epub converter

Great resource for creating epub files from existing document 

The Free Online ePub Converter

2EPUB allows you to convert PDF, doc and other types of documents & books to ePub format, the standard format for ebooks, supported by almost every reading device including iPad, iPhone, iPod, Sony Reader, BeBook, Nook, Kobo (for Kindle use .mobi).

Input formats: doc, docx, epub, fb2, html, lit, lrf, mobi, odt, pdb, pdf, prc, rtf, txt.

Output formats: epub, fb2, lit, lrf, mobi

Teacher training should take place before iPad Deployment

This is a very useful article confirming what we all know but very rarely put into practice. Providing iPad CPD is more essential as many staff wont have experience of this technology either personally or a classroom technology. Follow Link to read more Another issue is the use of email which is an area that can expand rapidly Follow link to see more A case study worth reading is that of Essa Academy Bolton Empowering students with iPod touch.

In addition to allowing staff acesss to iPad/iPod devices early its wise to provide guidance on apps to start with, there are currently over 13,000 so know where to start and what is the primary focus is vital to a successful implementation. Below is a guide to some apps that i would think are a good start, remember not too many to begin with and remember to group them or place specific subjects on seperate pages. A further matter is that of content ebooks, videos, documents, podcasts etc whcih can be managed easily from an iTunes Playlist this can be much easier to manage that Syncing.


My Must have Apps:

Free	Paid
iBooks	Pages
Evernote	Numbers
Dropbox	Evernote
Shareplus Lite (if you are using Sharepoint with your LP)	Book Creator
Idea Sketch	I am Learning
iMathematics	Sketch
Sketchpad Explorer	GarageBand
SketchBookX	iMovie
Wikipanion
MotionPics
Historypin
Twitter
PhotoGene

Sketchpad Explorer for iPad (Free)

Great Maths App and its free, based on the award-winning software The Geometer’s Sketchpad®, the Sketchpad Explorer app allows you to interact with, and investigate, any document created in Sketchpad. With a simple, powerful multitouch interface, Sketchpad Explorer puts mathematical comprehension at your fingertips." Content can be downloaded from Sketchpad SketchExchange including teachers notes, Worksheets and Student Sketch activities. the activities can be saved in Evernot or Dropbox to use ofline.

 

Download it now its free!

Tinkerbox App

Tinkerbox HD from Autodesk

If you can imagine it, you can build it with TinkerBox this is a great app for DT and Physics students can create engineering projects with conveyer belts switches etc to solve problems.

TinkerBox is a fun, free-to-play physics puzzle game. While it is full of interesting science facts and teaches basic engineering concepts, TinkerBox is more than just educational.

 Also from the same provider is SketchBook Express its also Free and is an excellent drawing/painting app for the iPad.

10 essential ios 5 tips for your ipad

10 Essential iOS 5 Tips for Your iPad


After months of anticipation, iOS 5 has finally arrived. Boasting over 200 new features, the mobile operating system is faster, more intuitive and decidedly more social. In addition to adding new multi-touch gestures, iOS 5 introduces iMessage for IM chats with other iOS device owners, a new notifications menu, and a tabbed browser for the Safari web browser. Here is a compiled a list of practical tips to help you master the ins and outs of iOS 5.

1. Setting up iCloud
2. Set Up iMessage
3. How to Use Notification Center
4. Mirroring Via AirPlay
5. How to Navigate Safari
6. Set-up iTunes Wi-Fi Syncing
7. Take Advantage of Twitter Integration
8. How to Use New Multi-touch Gestures
9. Use the iPad 2′s Camera Like a Pro
10. Game with Your Friends in GameCenter

50 Tips for using iOS 5 on and iPhone

50 tips for using iOS 5 on your iPhone CNET UK
50 Tips on iOS 5 showing you why its worth upgrading your device! do remember to transfer your purchases and back up using iTunes.


Backing up, Transferring Purchases and managing data using playlists!

Right click on your iPod/iPad/iPhone in the iTunes and you will get the options as shown above. Transfer purchases will copy all your Apps, books, video, music that you have purchased into iTunes on your computer so that you can restore them or copy them onto another device (Up to 5 devices are allowed simultaneously)

Backup will copy all your data and purchases against the name of your device.
Restore from Backup will restore your device to the last time you did a backup if you should loose data. This will also enable you to make a master image and copy this to several devices. 
eg if setting up a class set of iPod Touch's you want them all to have the same apps which are grouped in the same way. 
Copying data to your device. If you want all devices to have the same data e.g. iBooks (ePub files), PDF files, Podcasts (Audio and Video), iTunesU, Movies and TV Shows. 
Follow the steps below:

1. Create a new Playlist Folder from the file menu
2. Select the folder and add a new playlist for each type of media as shown below

Copy files into each playlist by dragging from iTunes or from Finder eg PDF files into Books, mp3 files into Music etc.


When you have compiled your content drag and drop the playlist onto the iDevice. The content will be copied into the relevant app area eg iBooks will have iBook (epub) files and PDF's Music will contain music and podcast files etc. 


The playlist can be updated and copied to multiple devices and if a master device is backed up the content will be copied when you restore to a new device.

• 
  

iPad Myths

iPad Myths
There are so many myths out there about iOS devices (iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad) that im trying to dispel and show that these devices can be used in education this is a great site by Apple Distinguished Educator David Baugh. iPad Myth

Video to Panorama App

Video to Panorama iOS app is currently free. Turn a video into a panoramic photo: http://t.co/NRAzOAmc Great little app for creating panorama from existing video or take video with the app to convert..it's free for now!!!

Top 20 Photography Related Twitter Users

The are some great twitter photographic references here many of which I already follow. If you want good tips and advice on how to improve your photography. Also check out my photography page for great podcasts...

Instagram v2.0.1

Instagram v2.0.1 is now available in the App Store. Take a look at the new features and updates in this release: http://t.co/r7jvtSyZ This is s great app for playing with tilt and shift effects...

Open University iTunes U service 'breaks world record'

The Open University has hit what is believed to be a world record for downloads on the iTunes U service, which allows students to download free video and audio recordings of lectures. The Open University has reached 40 million downloads - with the increase driven by mobile devices such as iPads. If you haven't looked at iTunes U get on there now and check out the OU the many other world wide university sites. So much material to support learning and available on iOS devices.

Interactive whiteboard App

Use iPad as an interactive whiteboard with MediaSlate Pro app for iPad. Free for a limited time: http://t.co/uvmWbWXt

Myths about iOS, iPads, iPhone and iPod Touch

Myths about iOS, iPads, iPhone and iPod Touch
Found this fab Blog recently it dispels so many of the myths about apps and licensing for education. 
More to come soon on managing your iOS devices from iTunes!

iPad App fo the Day

PicCollage 

A great free creative App which enables you to create collages of photos from your camera, saved pics or Facebook photos. Works on all iOS devices. Save or share your collages by email or facebook.

RM Education BSF Hull sponsored cycle to work for Downright Special school

History pin

What can you do on the Historypin app, watch it on Youtube.

A Great app for iOS devices and Android phones provides photos and links to historic places. You can take recent photos of places and contribute.

Historypin is a way for millions of people to come together, from across different generations, cultures and places, to share small glimpses of the past and to build up the huge story of human history.

Everyone has history to share: whether its sitting in yellowed albums in the attic, collected in piles of crackly tapes, conserved in the 1000s of archives all over the world or passed down in memories and old stories. 

Each of these pieces of history finds a home on Historypin, where everyone has the chance to see it, add to it, learn from it, debate it and use it to build up a more complete understanding of the world.

Facebook as a study tool

Distractions Begone! Facebook as a Study Tool

Protecting student safety has been the rationale behind the recent spate of laws restricting teachers’ and students’ communication via social networking. The laws call into into question once again the educational value of these sorts of online social tools: Why do teachers need to talk to students on Facebook? Shouldn’t students be studying? Isn’t Facebook just a waste of time?

There are many arguments for using social media in education. (For example, here are 50 reasons to allow Facebook in your classroom.) One of the most powerful arguments is simply because Facebook is, and has been since its creation, a Web site that students want to use. Remember, though its audience has exploded to 750 million, Facebook was created exclusively for college students.

See also Dropbox and Evernote great productivity products for iOS, Palm, Android, windows phone Mac and windows.

Skip Blog: iOS Devices in Education

Skip Blog: iOS Devices in Education: An Incredible Way To Teach Music Using iPads In The Classroom http://edudemic.com/2011/09/ipads-in-classroom/

BJP for iPad

The British Journal of Photography (BJP) is now available free as a quarterly app, created bespoke for the Apple iPad. “The BJP app gives readers the highlight features of our print editions together with extra features, photos and a raft of new multimedia and video content, including a moving image cover created by New York-based artists Reed+Rader,” BJP says. The first issue, available now on iTunes, includes exclusive interviews, a special report on the role of photojournalism since 9/11, a trend report on the new fashion for “character culture”, a Q&A with legendary




 BJP for iPad

50 really useful iPad 2 tips and tricks

This is an absolutely brilliant post and there is something for everyone, even me!
50 really useful iPad tips and tricks an article by John Brandon and Graham Barlow from
MacLife on 30th March over at TechRadar. This could  become your iPad manual from here on in.

iPad 2 tips and original iPad tips - get 'em here!

With great new features like two video cameras, a faster processor and a thinner design, the

iPad 2 is the world's best tablet device.

• iPad 2 review

It's also fully capable of running the latest version of Apple's iOS operating system and great apps like
iMovie and GarageBand. Here we present 50 really useful iPad 2 tips. We cover everything from customising
your Home screen through to getting more from built-in apps like Mail and Safari. The vast majority of these
 tips will also work on the original iPad, so owners of the first generation device shouldn't feel neglected.
For 50 more iPad tips, check out a new iPad app called 100 Tricks & Tips for iPad 2.

1. Create folders

iOS now supports folders. To create a folder all you need to do is tap and hold on an app until they all
start to jiggle, then drag the app over another icon and release. Your iPad will create a folder with both the
apps in. The folder will be named according to the category of the apps it contains, but you can rename it
as you like.

2. Access all running apps

Double-clicking the Home button shows you all the apps that are running on your iPad in a bar along
the bottom of the screen. To switch to a running app just tap on it here in this bar. Just swipe the screen
downwards to remove this bar.

3. Orientation Lock or Mute?

The internet got mightily upset when Orientation Lock was replaced with Mute on the iPad during the
last iOS update. Apple listened, and now you can head to Settings > General to choose between Lock
Rotation and Mute.

4. Passcode Denied… DELETE ALL!

If you're carrying around sensitive data, you can now enable a feature that'll erase all the data on the
device if someone inputs the incorrect passcode 10 times. Navigate to Settings > General >
Passcode Lock > Erase Data.

5. Home Sharing

First, turn on Home Sharing in iTunes (Advanced menu) and on your iPad (Settings > iPod and enter
your Apple ID). Next, launch the iPod app on your iPad. In the left column, find the little house with "Library"
next to it. Tap on that and then on one of the Shared Libraries. It might take a few minutes to update, but
then you can watch and listen to all of that Library's media on your iPad.

6. Control iPad notifications

Have you ever played Tap Tap Revenge on the iPhone? Good, then you know how annoying notifications
can be. These messages pop up on the iPad as well. but you can control them. Go to Settings, Notifications,
and configure which alerts (and accompanying sounds) will appear.

7. Go VPN

The iPad supports a VPN connection. To configure it, go to Settings, then General > Network. Select
 the VPN and move the slider to On, then add a VPN configuration with your server and account details.

8. Stop asking to join Wi-Fi networks

If you're fed up of getting bugged by messages asking if you'd like to join this or that Wi- Fi network all
the time then head to Settings, Wi-Fi and turn off Ask to Join Networks. You can still join any network that
will have you from this same screen, it just won't bug you constantly when the opportunity arises.

9. Turn battery percentage off

Do you find the battery charge percentage distracting? The good news is you can turn it off very easily.
Go to Settings, General, Usage and you can turn it off here.

10. Quick volume mute

When the iPad first launched, there was no dedicated mute button anywhere on the device. However,
 with iOS 4.3 Apple has given you the choice of using the lock switch to mute the sound or lock the
iPad's orientation. Either way, a good tip for quickly muting your iPad is to press and hold the
Volume-down button.

11. Use an Apple keyboard

Missing a real keyboard? Any Apple Wireless Keyboard will work with the iPad. In fact, your iPad will
work with any Bluetooth keyboard. Some iPad cases have a keyboard built in, which can be handy.

12. Connect to an HD TV

You can connect the iPad 2 to your HD television using Apple's new Digital AV Adapter (which connects
 from your 30-pin Dock adaptor to a HDMI port) or a plain old Apple VGA Adaptor. Both are available
from the Apple Store. The iPad 2 supports video mirroring, so your entire Home screen will appear
on the TV, not just the videos you play.

13. AirPlay: Stream movies, photos and music

Whenever you see the AirPlay icon on your iPad it means you can stream whatever media you're
viewing to your Apple TV, which is usually connected to your living room TV. All you need to do is
tap the AirPlay icon (which looks like a rectangle with a triangle in it) and it starts playing automatically -
it's so simple!

14. Take an iPad screenshot

You can take a screenshot on your iPad by pressing Home and then the Sleep/Wake button. The
screen will flash and you'll hear a click, indicating that a photo has been taken. Your screen shots
are saved automatically in your Photos gallery. Here, you can view or email them as you see fit.

15. Avoid underpowered USB docks

The iPad does not charge when you connect it to some USB docks or even certain ports on some
notebooks. Instead, plug in to a high power USB port (check you computer's specs, or use a powered
USB dock). On some PCs, USB ports on the front of the computer are lower power, so you will need
to plug into one on the back.

16. Use Multitasking Gestures

Multitasking Gestures, which utilise four and five finger gestures, are available in Settings only to iPad
owners who have installed Xcode on a Mac. You need to buy Xcode from the Mac App Store ($5/£2.99)
and install it, then from the Xcode homescreen, select your iPad and click on the Use for Development
 button. You'll be asked for your developer account details, but if you click on Cancel at this stage it still works.

17. Restrict your Spotlight searches

Swipe left on the Home screen to reveal the Spotlight search. By default it searches everything
including songs in your iPod, podcasts, apps and events. To restrict the areas it searches, since
you may not want all these categories included, look in Settings > General > Spotlight Search.

18. Add a Google Calendar

Want to add your Google Calendar to the iPad's Calendar app? No problem. In Settings open Mail,
Contacts, Calendars. Add an account and tap on Other. Tap on Add CalDAV Account and enter
your Google Account credentials (the Server is www.google.com). Exit the Settings app and tap
on the Calendar app and all your events should appear. By default all calendars are displayed,
but you can tap on the Calendars button to choose which ones are shown.

19. Find My iPhone (or iPad) is now free

Apple's Find My iPad works for MobileMe subscribers, but you can set it up for free on your iPad.
In Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars tap the Add Account button and select MobileMe.

If you have an iTunes or MobileMe account then enter it here. Alternatively, tap on Create Free
Apple ID. You may need to check your inbox and verify your account now. Return to the MobileMe
screen and switch on Find My iPad. Now sign into me.com to see your iPad on a map, or install
the Find My iPhone app from the App Store.

20. Use AirPrint

Thanks to AirPrint you can print right from your iPad, provided you've got a compatible printer, of course.
If you've got an AirPrint ready printer then you just choose Print from the Share menu for virtually any
open document. AirPrint works with the new range of printers from HP, and you can use a Mac app
called Printopia (www.ecamm.com) to print to any printer connected to a Mac.

21. Use a Smart Cover

Apple's new iPad Smart Cover (from £35/$39) is a must have iPad accessory - it's not just a dumb cover.
When you draw it over the iPad's screen it puts it to sleep for you, and wakes it up when you open it. Also,
 it latches onto special magnets built into the side of the iPad 2, so it's a perfect fit.

22. Share from Pages

Transferring Pages documents from your iPad by syncing with iTunes on your Mac or PC is a real hassle.
It's much quicker to use the Share menu to email the finished document to wherever you need it to be.
Also, you can email it as a Word or PDF document if you like.

23. Turn iPad caps lock on

To type a capital letter on the onscreen keyboard you first tap the left or right shift key, then the letter.
If you need to type a whole word in caps this can be painful. Save time typing in caps by turning the
caps lock on. To do this double tap on either shift key.

24. Copy and paste

You can quickly copy and paste text by tapping and holding down, and then choosing Select to select
the exact portion of text you'd like the copy. Next tap Copy, then go to a different app, and tap and hold
down again, then tap Paste from the menu that appears. Top tip: To select an entire paragraph of text
you need to tap four times.

25. Replace a word

When you hold down on a word to copy it, choose Select, then you will see a new option: Replace.
Tap this and, you can see suggestions for alternative words that have similar spellings. It's a good
way of quickly correcting typos.

26. Hidden apostrophe key on the keyboard

This is a great tip for any app, such as Notes, Pages or Mail, that you type into using the iPad's 
virtual keyboard. Rather than having to go to the second screen of the keyboard every time you 
want to type an apostrophe (which is a real pain) just tap and hold on the ! key and a hidden 
apostrophe option will appear - then just slide your finger up to access it.

27. Quick quotes

You don't have to move the iPad's second keyboard screen to enter a quotation mark either. 
Simply tap and hold over the ? key and a quotation symbol appears, which you can select by 
moving your finger upwards.

28. Add a full stop

Another great keyboard tip for typing in apps such as Pages, Notes or Mail is to doubletap the 
space bar at the end of a sentence. This adds a full stop and a space for you, which can be 
enormously time-saving when you're writing long articles.

29. Dim your iBooks

You can lower the brightness setting down to a low level using the Brightness option under Settings. 
But the iBooks app has its own brightness slider, which you can use to lower the level down more 
conveniently.

30. Change days

There's no way to swipe to change between days in the Calendar app, but don't forget the navigation bar 
along the bottom of the screen - this can be used to switch to different days (or weeks/months, depending 
on the view you've chosen). The current day is always shown in blue, or you can just tap the Today button 
to return to the current day.

31. Street View in Maps

The Maps app running Google's Street View is one of the coolest features of the iPad, yet accessing 
it is so confusing few people even know it's there. To access Street View you need to have dropped 
a red pin on the map (which happens when you do a search). You then tap the red and white icon 
of a person to enter Street View.

32. Directions in Maps

There's no free sat nav for the iPad, but directions in Maps are a substitute if you're walking, driving or 
taking the bus. Just tap Directions on the top left of Maps and the iPad even works out where you are 
right now, then takes you step-by-step through each stage of your journey.

33. Display PDFs

There are two ways to display PDFs on your iPad: you can either email them to your iPad, in which 
case you get an Open in iBooks button appear, or you can sync PDFs from your Mac or PC via the 
Books tab in iTunes. To do this just drag and drop the PDF into iTunes, then when you sync your iPad 
click on the Books tab and select the PDFs you'd like to sync. In iBooks you click on PDFs in your library 
to see the PDFs you have ready to display.

34. Camera focus and meter

In the Camera app, tap on your subject to both focus on and meter the light properly. In this shot, notice 
how the chair is dark and the boy outside is properly metered. You can reverse that by simply tapping 
on the chair.

35. Get a grip

You'll probably hold the iPad by its sides, but it'll rotate to put the shutter button at the bottom, making 
you wobble when you reach for it. So use the orientation lock to put the shutter where you can easily 
thumb it, then just rotate your images or videos afterward in an image editor.

36. Take charge in FaceTime

Once you've started a video call, you can move the picture-in-picture window that shows you by simply 
dragging it around with your finger.

37. Photo Booth fun

Sure, you're great, but Photo Booth is even more fun if you point it at friends or family. Simply tap the 
'twirly camera' icon in the bottom right. to use the camera on the back You can also snap stills by hitting 
the shutter button, but Photo Booth doesn't do video.

38. Download photos straight from your camera to your iPad

You can't plug an SD card from a digital camera straight into your iPad to view the photos, but you can 
purchase the iPad Camera Connection kit from Apple. With this device attached you can transfer photos 
straight from your camera's memory card. Get it from the Apple Store online.

39. Quicker websites

Save time typing web addresses in Safari by using the iPad's ".com" key when typing in a URL. A 
little-known timesaver is that if you hold down the .com key you get access to a menu that offers a 
.co.uk and other options too.

40. Quick Safari scroll

You can jump up to the top of any web site - indeed any list - by tapping on the top of the title window. 
It's much faster than scrolling by hand.

41. Zoom in on websites

You can zoom in on any website by pinching out with two fingers on the screen. This also makes it 
easier to select words and tap links. To zoom out again, just pinch in with two fingers. Double-tap on 
any text or image to auto-zoom so it fills the screen.

42. Turn on Bookmarks bar in Safari

We all know you can tap the bookmarks icon in the Safari toolbar to access your bookmarks, but you can 
significantly cut down the number of taps it takes to get to them by turning on your Safari Bookmarks Bar 
permanently. In the Settings app, tap Safari, then turn Always Show Bookmarks Bar to ON.

43. Clear browsing history in Safari

Need to cover your tracks online? You can delete your Safari browser history in a flash. Just open the 
Settings app, then tap Safari and tap on Clear History. Note you can also wipe your Cookies and clear 
your Cache here too.

44. Open Safari links in a new page

You can open links in a new Safari window, rather than always opening them in the current one. Just tap 
and hold on the link and a pop-over menu appears giving you the option to open the link in a new page.

45. Find text on a page

You can search for a particular word on an open page in Safari. Type your word into the Google search box. 
You'll see a list of suggestions appear, and near the bottom you'll see "On This Page", showing how many 
times that word appears on the page. Tap the Find option to go to the first instance of the word.

46. Turn off iPad email alert chimes

You can turn off the chime for new emails. Go to Settings, then General, then Sounds and turn off the 
New Mail sound. You can also adjust sound levels here.

47. Preview more of your emails

The iPad's Mail app defaults to previewing two lines of each email before you tap on it. Sometimes 
however it would be handier to be able to see more of an email before loading the whole thing in, 
especially if you are on a slow connection. To do this open the Settings app, then tap on Mail, 
Contacts, Calendars and change the Preview options to add more lines.

48. Turn off iPad push mail

Most mail accounts default to Push as a delivery mechanism, if available. This automatically 'pushes' 
any new emails your way as soon as they are available. If you find this annoying or distracting you can 
set your Mail accounts to check for new messages at intervals, or manually so they only check for new 
messages when you tap the Refresh button. To turn off Push, select the Settings app and Mail, Contacts, 
Calendars and choose Fetch New Data, then turn Push on or off.

49. Make an iPad backup

If you want to make sure your iPad's data is properly backed up then you can force iTunes to back it up. 
When you're conencted to your Mac or PC, open up iTunes and right-click on your iPad in the Devices list 
and select Back up.

50. iPad is flat and won't charge

If your iPad battery is completely flat then it can take a while for the red battery symbol to appear when 
you plug it in to charge, indicating that it is charging. Don't panic, just leave it plugged in and wait - the 
charging symbol will appear eventually.