Showing posts with label Learn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Learn. Show all posts

Sunday, September 11, 2011

iPad for Kids: Using the iPad to Play and Learn

iPad for Kids: Using the iPad to Play and LearnWith the right applications, the iPad and iPad 2 can become more than just devices for watching videos, listening to music, and reading electronic books. Your iPad can be a device that's used for teaching and imparting knowledge to children in nearly any environment. This ability to teach anywhere opens up a wide range of knowledge for children. The iPad has apps that are specifically designed to build skills in reading, math, and writing. How many apps? Thousands. Some are good, some are not so good; this book sorts through the clutter and tells you about all of the best educational apps that are available. Many of the apps featured in this book are free, some cost no more than $10, and many are somewhere in between. IPAD FOR KIDS is for all of you who want to get started using the iPad as a teaching tool for your kids. Think of this book as a personal tutorial, a one-on-one class with an expert user of the iPad. You get to stay in the comfort of your own home or school and learn how to familiarize yourself with the iPad controls and interfaces, connect to the Internet with the iPad using WiFi or a cellular connection, add apps and multimedia content to your iPad, print documents from the iPad, teach kids from toddler-age to fourth grade how to read--and then read better, explore and practice mathematic concepts, discover the world of art and music., and create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations for advanced school work. Written by technology expert, educator, and parent Brian Proffitt, this book will help you discover and configure the best educational iPad apps for your child. From toddler to tween, you'll find the perfect app for every child in your life in minutes!

Price: $19.99


Click here to buy from Amazon

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Learn iPhone and iPad cocos2d Game Development

Learn iPhone and iPad cocos2d Game Development

Learn iPhone and iPad cocos2D Game Development provides a rock-solid introduction to the cocos2d iPhone game engine and related tools. It focuses on the process of creating several games made entirely with cocos2d and little-to-no iPhone SDK and OpenGL code. By creating 2-3 sample games over the course of the book, you'll learn key concepts of the cocos2d game engine and relevant tools like Zwoptex (TextureAtlas), ParticleDesigner (Particle Effects), and others.

The example games are modeled after popular App Store games so that they are relevant, recognizable, and immediately fun and inspiring. The games increase in complexity and highlight common recurring cocos2d beginner questions. As you move along, you'll learn about possible stumbling blocks and how to navigate them successfully. As you move from beginning to advanced, you'll encounter general game programming wisdom, tips for performance improvement, as well as pointers to alternative implementations and further reading.

It is assumed that the reader has previous programming knowledge but not necessarily with Objective-C. Related topics such as Xcode, Objective-C, the iPhone SDK, and OpenGL are only discussed where absolutely necessary.

What you’ll learn

  • Familiarity with the core cocos2d game engine API and the Box2d physics engine
  • Understanding of the process and best practices of game development, in the context of cocos2d and its related tools
  • Enthusiasm and excitement to create your own games paired with a realization that you are able to create games which can compete on the App Store
  • Where to go from here: further information and alternative implementations

Who this book is for

The book is aimed at beginning game developers looking for an easier and even more powerful way to create compelling 2D graphics using OpenGL and Objective-C. It is assumed that the reader will have some knowledge of object-oriented programming and the Apple and iPhone/iPad developer environment.

Check out the forum for Learn iPhone and iPad cocos2D Game Development: http://cocos2d-central.com

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Getting Started
  3. Essentials
  4. Your First Game
  5. Game Building Blocks
  6. Sprites In-Depth
  7. Scrolling with Joy
  8. Shoot ’em Up
  9. Particle Effects
  10. Working with Tilemaps
  11. Isometric Tilemaps
  12. Physics Engines
  13. Pinball Game
  14. Game Center
  15. Out of the Ordinary

Price: $39.99


Click here to buy from Amazon