Dinosaurs iPad

$3, iPad

Teaches: science, archeology, dinosaurs

CTR Rating: 72%

CTR Review

For the more serious dino-holic, Dinosaurs iPad ($3, The American Museum of Natural History Collections, http://www.amnh.org/apps/dino_ipad.php) starts with a bang: a dramatic 800-screen mosaic of photographs featuring dinosaur-related artifacts arranged in the shape of a T-Rex skull, many of which are on display in the American Museum of Natural History in New York. But that bang fades after you realize that this app is really more of an ornate annotated photo library, with no narration, search options nor language options. Interactivity is limited to zooming in or out, tapping on an individual photo to read a paragraph, and swiping to move to the next photo. You can also send photos by email, read or leave a comment. The photos, mostly a tribute to the history of the museum's dinosaur collection exploits, are fun to explore, and could help an aspiring paleontologist understand how difficult it must have been to collect dinosaur bones. Featured in many of the photos is legendary dinosaur collector Barnum Brown, responsible for finding many of the artifacts on display today. There are many WWI-era photos of Brown and his team at work, digging dusty bones out of the sand. As a reference, this app is limited. There is no directory or ability to search by keyword. Besides the 13 "stories" (specific slide shows that deal with one museum exhibit) that have no sound or actual story, use of this app is limited to random exploring. It was created by Mosaic Legends and the www.AMNH.org. If you're looking for a dinosaur app with more bite, consider the Ultimate Dinopedia: The Most Complete Dinosaur Reference Ever for iPad ($6, National Geographic). Note that the app is part of a 2011 exhibit called the World�s Largest Dinosaurs designed to highlight Sauropods, which grew up to 150 feet long. The exhibit will include a life-sized model of a 60-foot Mamenchisaurus that you can walk inside. Other apps from the museum include Cosmic Discoveries (a 1,000 image mosaic) and American Museum of Natural History Explorer, designed as an �indoor GPS� which pinpoints a user�s location within the Museum and offers turn-by-turn directions.