Daily iPad App: HowStuffWorks for iPad
If you love learning the details that explain how things work, then the HowStuffWorks app for the iPad is perfect for you. The app takes the best of the How Stuff Works website and packages it into a convenient, tablet-friendly format. It's chock full of content and features and will keep you engaged for hours on end.
The app launches to the main screen which provides a preview of content. Included on this page are select articles, quizzes, and podcasts from the How Stuff Works website. A few informative and inspirational quotes are thrown in for good measure.
Tapping on the book icon in the top right toolbar takes you to the reading library. All the posts are organized by category which includes everything from animals to money to tech and science. Each article is as full-featured as the website version and often includes an image gallery and links to other similar content in this category. You can also tweet, Facebook, favorite, print or email an article that you enjoy. The ability to change the font size and jump from one part of an article to another easily from the menu bar is another handy feature.
Besides written content, the app lets you listen to podcasts and read quick posts from the hosts of each show. The shows include Tech Stuff, Car Stuff, and Stuff You Should You Know among others. Just like the articles, you can share these resources on Twitter or Facebook as well as favorite them. And the podcasts support Airplay so you can stream the media to your home theatre system.
Lastly, you have a quiz section that tests your knowledge of scientific topics. Each quiz logs your score and sends it to the iOS Game Center. If you get an answer wrong, the app will explain the correct answer which is a nice touch some developers forget to add.
The HowStuffWorks app is a perfect addition for those curious about the world around them. It's not a quick read, but is a perfect reference for those times when you have 20 minutes or so to digest an article. The HowStuffWorks for the iPad is available for free, but it does include small banner ads at the bottom which some may find annoying. You can download the app using this iTunes link and check it out for yourself.
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