Get today’s first app worth downloading, Ken Burns, which uses clips from documentaries to give an illustrated look at American history.
Ken Burns (iPad) (Free)
What’s it about? Using scenes from the many work of documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, the app bearing his name looks to convey U.S. History in a visual, dynamic way.
What’s cool? With a large number of documentary films under his belt on a number of topics, it’s fair to say that filmmaker Ken Burns has an interesting and far-reaching view of American history. Taking those films and that view and creating a way to browse common themes through the years is the goal of the iPad app called Ken Burns, which uses clips from Burns’ films to create playlists on various elements of history, presenting them through a slick interface and with dynamic, streaming video. The clips are arranged by their different themes, such as Innovation, Art, Politics, Race and War, and each group illustrates “common patterns” in the history of the nation. The Innovation playlist comes free with the app, and the rest can be unlocked with an in-app purchase of $9.99.
Who’s it for? Anyone interested in a visual , illustrative take on American history should give Ken Burns a look.
What’s it like? You’ll find more interesting ways of paging through American history with American History Interactive Timeline and American Experience: Mapping History.
Everyplay (Free)
What’s it about? Share game videos and replays with friends using Everyplay, a mobile game community found within an app.
What’s cool? Everyplay is a bit similar to services such as Twitch and Ustream, but based on mobile games rather than console and PC titles. The app lets you surf through and find videos from players for about 100 different iOS games, and you can easily stream the videos, as well as interact with the players behind them. Everyplay makes it easy to follow the players you like best, and you can also enter discussions about different games with players and reshare your favorite videos.
Who’s it for? Avid mobile gamers will find new games, fun videos and like-minded fans with Everyplay.
What’s it like? Connect with more gamers and talk about games with GameOn Forums.
Cloudbreakers (Free)
What’s it about? Arcade title Cloudbreakers has players endlessly climbing higher and higher up a cliffside, using a hook to cling to rocks and use them to swing ever upward.
What’s cool? It’s climb or die in Cloudbreakers, a vertical scroller in which players find themselves falling off the side of a cliff with only a hook and some rocks to save their lives. Players are tasked with flipping themselves up the side of the cliff by holding down a button that sets their character swinging in a circle by the hook; letting go sends you flying in whatever direction your momentum should take you, and then you’ll need to snag a new rock with the hook before you fall to your doom. The higher you get, the more points you score, and players can also unlock new characters and upgrades by snagging coins before their inevitable plummet to the ground below.
Who’s it for? Fans of casual games that require skill and timing, but are easy to pick up and learn, should try out Cloudbreakers.
What’s it like? Do more physics-based swinging with Super Knights, and find another quality vertical arcade scroller in Knightmare Tower.
