I'd thought that Swype was a pretty good keyboard replacement, and I still think so. Unfortunately, it's not compatible with the Nook HD, so someone recommended I look at SwiftKey. My first impression wasn't positive. It's not nearly as good at swipe entry as Swype, and I'd gotten used to swiping. Beside, it looks totally cool when taking notes in a client meeting, especially if I'm using a stylus. I've gotten lots of raised eyebrows and "What's that?" while using Swype. But Swiftkey has a lot going for it, especially if you're willing to retrain how you perform data entry. Its text...

As you’ve probably guessed from previous posts, I’m a big fan of Pocket Informant for task and calendar management. But sometimes an app like Informant is just too much. Or perhaps you want to keep track of certain tasks separately. I’ve found Astrid Tasks to be a good option for those times. It has many features of a full-function task manager, but it can also be used for the simple things. Besides, who can resist the cute octopus? I use it for grocery lists, meal lists and packing lists for camping. Sure, there are apps out there for all of those, but I’m comfortable with task...

Now that Amazon is buying Goodreads, I'm guessing lots more people are going to be using the site, so it seemed to make sense to write a review of the app. Goodreads has an app for both iOS and Android. It's also available in the Amazon Appstore for the Kindle Fire. Oddly, that version is listed as not compatible for my Nexus 7. There doesn't seem to be an app for Windows 8 or Blackberry. Both versions are easy to use and fairly self-explanatory. I have a mild preference for the iOS version, but because I do most of my reading on...

No, dictionary apps aren't sexy. But for the avid reader, they are a useful addition. Sure, most e-reading apps and e-readers have integrated dictionaries, but sometimes it's nice to be able to look up an unfamiliar word anywhere. That's how I use the Dictionary.com app on my Nexus 7. It's always been a functional app, but it looked like a phone app spread out on a tablet screen, not an uncommon occurrence in Android apps. Today, however, Dictionary.com updated its app, optimized for Jelly Bean, and they completely refreshed the user interface. It's now a nice looking as well as functional...

This evening, everyone in the tech world is talking about Google Keep, Google's answer to Evernote. So if I were reading, I'd want to know how it compares to Evernote. Fortunately, right now Keep is a really simple app, so the question is easy to answer. The biggest difference right now between Keep and Evernote is device accessibility. The only devices right now that can take full advantage of Keep are those running Android 4.2+ (Jelly Bean). To run it at all requires at least Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). So if you're running an iOS device or an older Android device,...

Have you ever run across a solution looking for a problem? Unfortunately, that's my reaction to Perdrix TXT, a new e-reading app for iPhone and iPad. The developer contacted me over the weekend and gave me a promo code for a free review copy, and I gave it a look. Here's what they say about the app on their site: Getting closer to the real book experience… Focused on book immersion, this app features innovative design such as book side views, life-like bookmark and a separate Search screen. Read free e-books and plain text files. At a quick glance that sounds good. The app...

At the end of January, I wrote an article on the Overdrive overhaul, and how users weren't completely happy with the new interface. To follow up on that, I decided to try the Overdrive Media Console app and see how it fares as an e-reading app. My verdict? I want to like it. I really do. But I can't quite warm up to it. Why do I want to like it so much? Because it's an easy way to get library books on my Nexus 7. The more I use the Android Kindle app, the less I like it, so EPUB is a...

With tablets becoming part of the classroom, new apps regularly arrive on the market to aid educators. One of the newest releases for Android devices is Nota, an app that allows users to add videos, links and images to the pages of textbooks. Nota could aid a wide range of people, providing a comprehensive way for students to learn that goes far beyond mere words. “Cost has been a disruptive factor in education, with soaring student debt and escalating tuition causing many families to wonder whether they can—or even should—pursue a traditional degree,” Nota Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Ray wrote on the company's blog....

Remember how I wrote that Whispersync was so important that I'd put up with a less feature-full app to have syncing between my Touch and Nexus 7? Oh, how things change. After Moon+ Reader was reinstated in the app store, I bought a copy to play around with. I figured it would be like other e-reading apps I've tried: I'll use it for a couple of books, but find it's just not compelling enough to make me switch from the Kindle app. Not so with Moon+ Reader. It's a great app, and worth taking the extra step of manually syncing between my...