KODABLE:teach your kids basic principles of coding

★ ★ ★ ★ ★= VERY GOOD
*SurfScore’s idea for its Kodable app is simple: a family of fuzzball aliens have crash-landed and need your help to navigate through a series of mazes. You do this by using some of the simple commands and logic concepts that underlie computer programming. The commands are all drag-and-drop, so just a little trial and error will get you by means of, earning rewards and getting to grips with the fundamentals of coding. Our 12-year-old assistant reviewer was initially scathing of the simple, colourful interface, but half an hour later had worked through the entire fi rst world, completely engrossed. The fi rst level teaches the basics: how to go forwards, up and down, and conditional statements: ‘if this, then that’. The diffi culty then increases with a repeat button, coloured squares as part of the instructions, and loops. The second world (available via an in-app purchase) adds more complexity and more fuzzes. A third world, which will focus on debugging techniques, is in development. Kodable is fun to use, challenging and educational, in addition to many of us look forward to additional.

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top jailbroken apps should you wish jailbreak your iOS or root your Android smartphone

FOLDERENHANCER iPhone | iOS 4.0 | Free | vN/A If you are a serial app downloader, then sooner or later you are going to start having to use the folders option on your home screen in order to keep your iPhone looking neat and tidy. And, of course, to prevent you from having to swipe through endless pages in order to get to your latest downloads. However, the limit of the amount you can store in folders – currently set at 20 apps, means that in some cases, especially games – you nd yourself with more than one folder. This app removes this limit, allowing users to put up to 320 apps in single folder.

 UNDELETE FOR ROOT USERS Android | OS 2.1 | Free | v2.1.3.6 An app designed to counter a problem that all of us have had at some point or another, as it allows you to recover deleted les from your SD card or internal storage. The app adds a folder to your device that saves everything you delete, meaning you can recover them easily should you accidentally hit Delete one day.

SBSETTINGS iPhone+ | iOS N/A | Free | v5.2.2 Open the screen gestures and interactivity of your device with this app, which allows you to edit the Noti cation Center layout and what appears in it. You can also change the theme of your device away from the native Apple setting, as well as alter how and where you access and view the Noti cation Center.

 F.LUX  iPhone | iOS 4.0 | Free | v0.983 An app designed to put an end to the days of checking your phone in the middle of the night, only to nd yourself blinded by the brightness of the screen. This app automatically adjusts the brightness of your screen to match that of the lighting conditions around you, preventing eyestrain.

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the best apps to Find and access safe Wi-Fi networks quicker than ever

 
 NETWORK ANALYZER ● iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99 | v3.0 A very in-depth app that allows users to visualise the entire route of a request through servers. However, our interest lies in the ability to check the speed of your Wi-Fi network, with tests for both download and upload speeds. Get all the information you need to nd the quickest and best Wi-Fi network for your usage.

WI FI FINDER ● iPhone+ | iOS 3.2 | Free | v2.9.2 ● Android | Varies | Free | Varies This app contains a seriously impressive database of Wi-Fi hotspots, both free and paid, and being available on both iOS and Android means you can locate one no matter which of your devices you’re using. The app also allows you to search by provider should you have a preference for internet use.

WI FI ANALYTICS TOOL ● Android | OS 2.0 | Free | v1.08 With a cool interface and some useful features, this app is must for any Android users looking to streamline their Wi-Fi experience. As the name suggests, the app can be used to analyse your various Wi-Fi channels, showing speed, channel clarity and other aspects in graphs, so users can select the best network for them.

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best apps for Manage and monitor the space on your device to get it running smoother than ever

BOX ● iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | Free | v2.8.2 ● Android | Varies | Free | Varies Box is a seriously impressive cloud service where not only can you store your les, but it is also possible to edit all manner of documents direct from your phone. The app gives you a healthy 5 GB of storage space, and there is an almost social aspect to the app in that you can leave comments on les for others to see should you be sharing an account.

SYSTEM STATUS ● iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$1.99 | v3.5 An in-depth memory and system analysis app that also covers battery life and data usage; this is an ideal app for giving your phone a boost. From within System Status you can view and analyse how and where your memory is being used, and you can even release system memory in order to free up space. The app contains a comprehensive monitoring system for your memory, with real-time updates and stats for free and used space, so you can see how and where you can make improvements and ultimately better organise how your memory is put to use.



GOOGLE DRIVE ● iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | Free | v1.2.1 ● Android | OS 2.1 | Free | v1.1.470.15 Google Drive o ers 5 GB of storage and the ability to make items you upload available o ine, so they’re accessible even when you don’t have an internet connection. The app also has Create settings, so you can write documents and take photos from within the app, in addition to uploading them to the cloud.

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battery life on iphone (apps)

BATTERY LIFE PRO ALL IN 1 ● iPhone | iOS 4.3 | Free | v1.3.7 Battery Life Pro is incredibly heavy on information, and as such makes monitoring your battery and keeping it healthy a much easier process. The app has multiple interfaces to choose from when it comes to displaying the remaining life in your iPhone, and you can swipe through a detailed breakdown of battery life that gives you a reading on how long remains depending on how you want to use your iPhone. The app also includes reports on your memory usage that you can email out from the app, should you wish to go through them in more detail at some point.

TTERY DOCTOR ● iPhone | iOS 4.3 | Free | v3.6 ● Android | OS 2.1 | Free | v2.1.4 Built around a smart interface, Battery Doctor is impressively detailed, even containing a ranking system to show users which aspect of their device is draining the most battery so you can adjust accordingly. The app also gives you tips on how to extend the life of your battery, suggesting features to turn o and how much battery this could save.

BATTERY HD+ ● iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | Free | v2.28 Smart and simple, Battery HD+ is centred on an animation showing your remaining battery life, as well as remaining times for all the di erent activities you do on your iPhone. You can set alerts and push noti cations for when your phone is fully charged to avoid overcharging, and potentially damaging the battery. This is a relatively simple app, but nonetheless one that is useful and e ective.

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