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Quikthinking Software Blog
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    0 Thanksgiving Story 2019

    • Holidays
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 11/26/2019

    Thanksgiving is wonderful. Family, friends, food, travel, and shopping. Thanksgiving. The quintessential American holiday. What's a good celebration theme appropriate for an annual tradition? How about a great story! Here is another video update revision for 2019 this time produced in high definition 1920x1080 with a couple of minor tweaks and a fixed typo. In 2018 we added the full captioning for those who may not have the sound turned on to hear the voice of the featured bard. Get ready for an entertaining version of the Thanksgiving story full of satire spelling out the historical truth according to our informed storyteller. Originally recorded in 1974, the sometimes tongue and cheek prose was written and voiced by Bama, The Village Poet.  Watch the 3 minute 49 second Thanksgiving Story video. We first produced it in 2007 and update it as needed. Hear Bama's take on the holiday in his own words. His opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect our own beliefs. While you are in the holiday mood, grab our Thanksgiving Match 3 Game and crush it!

  • 0 App Game Jam Video

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 11/25/2019

    Some mobile games hold you hostage for your time invested over hours. Other mobile games are created for fast fun on the run. Hopefully they all put you in a good mood. If time is on your side, just relax, and play! We not only create them. We play them! I tackle 4 of our engaging game apps in this video. We played them back-to-back in real time and then put the production together. We start with the easier entertainment and end with a game that is more challenging. Follow along as I describe all of the action!   

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    0 Santa Jump Game App with AAeMojis

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 11/12/2019

    Can Santa (or you) have party fun, fun fun jumping from one pole to another pole? Yes! And we had a blast working on this endless mobile game app for Android. Concentrate and you'll leap for joy playing Santa Jump Game featuring our AAeMojis in an app that adults and kids will love playing at anytime. Hop to a pole but don't touch the charming owls. You'll feel happy busting the right moves hanging with the Santas.  As your best score gets higher, you'll automatically unlock more Santas! Play with your favorite Santa or play with them all. This game is perfect for all ages. Santa Jump Game on Google Play. Check out the 30 second video...  

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    0 How to Caption Emojis

    • Apps
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 10/24/2019

    In early October, 2019 we received an email from Albert G. who asked "Is there any way to add different comments to the emojis?" The stickers Albert was referencing are called AAeMojis for iPhone and Android. This is our app. AAeMojis are 137 African American emojis. Three weeks later after his suggestion, we've come up with a brand new sister app for AAeMojis called AAeMojis Comments Editor. This is a working title and may be changed before release! The app is finished and is in extreme testing for an Android release. It couldn't be any easier to add your own comments or caption to the emojis. There are 6 emojis included in the new app that are not in the original AAeMojis. If you grabbed AAeMojis for Android, the app creates a custom gallery in your phone (if you completed that optional step). Now in the new app AAeMojis Comments Editor you can load an emoji from the app (6 included) or from your phone gallery and add you own comment or shout out using different built-in type fonts! Super cool! Here is a screen shot example using an AAeMoji from the original collection (loaded from a gallery) with a caption added: Big bonus. You can use your camera inside of the app to take pictures, then add emojis to the picture. You can also grab any image from any gallery on your phone you want, customize, save, and share. These are only a few of the app benefits. We kept things really simple without going crazy with mindless features.  If you have AAeMojis on your phone (Android) you will get an instant notification when the comments editor is available for action. Look for the release of the free AAeMojis Comments Editor in early November 2019. We'll also produce a video showing you how to use the app. ** Update October 28, 2019. Final app name is AAeMojis Caption Editor. After testing on real phones and tablets using Android 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 we have released the app! If you have an older phone, no problem! Go creative crazy using AAeMojis Caption Editor on Google Play Watch the two how-to videos below:  

  • 0 How Audio Book Apps Help Students Become Better Readers

    This is a guest article written by Russell Emmental... Children that struggle with poor reading skills may suffer low self-esteem in school, and fall drastically behind. Those that are not proficient readers by the 3rd grade are 4 times as likely to drop out of high school. It’s crucial for parents to consider options that can help their kids improve their reading ability before it's too late. Audio books are proven to enhance reading skills. They have benefited learning-disabled students, second-language learners, non-readers and those who are struggling with poor reading abilities. With the onset of tablets and smartphones, more audio book apps have been developed to make reading easier for those behind. Minimizes Working-Memory Deficit For students who have problems with reading, their brain mainly focuses on sounding out the words. This makes the learner not concentrate on memorizing and understanding what they are reading. Since audio books don't require much decoding, the reader can concentrate on understanding whatever information they hear. You might notice improved response to questions and confidence once your kid gets accustomed to audio books. The Simplicity of Reading While Doing Other Activities Whether you are in a car, at home or just walking, it's possible to listen to audio books from your phone or tablet. With the right app, all you need is to download your favorite book and play it from your tablet or phone. Parents can also help their children become better readers by listening to audio books together. This can happen when winding your kid down for bedtime or even when you are in the kitchen cooking. It's a better way to bond and motivate your kid to become a better reader. Improves a Student's Exposure For students who are not very good at normal reading, being allowed to use audio books can help them open up. This gives every student a fair chance to use their most preferred reading method to compete with their peers. It will also help to expand the student's knowledge base because they will learn more vocabulary through audio book apps. Promotes Educational Independence Students perform better when they are given the opportunity to use their most preferred form of learning. For instance, it might be easy for a child to understand what is verbalized to them than what they read directly from printed books. Audio book apps give students the independence to choose the reading method that they can understand better. This makes every child feel included and appreciated. It can be a way to improve peer relationships and self-confidence. Fosters a Natural Love for Stories One of the best ways to make your child enjoy literature is through audio books. The use of audio book apps diversifies your kid's knowledge base, which can make them enjoy listening to stories. With time, they will be able to get lost in good stories and books like other students. They are likely to become motivated to read on their own if they enjoy the story. Reduces the Anxiety of Decoding Printed Word The reason most students fail to concentrate or understand things they learn in class is due to the pressure that comes with reading. Since audio books enable the student to concentrate on the meaning rather than the sounding of words, the learner can easily be immersed in what they are reading. It also helps struggling readers avoid the lag time of decoding information. Final Thoughts The main aim of reading is to understand written information. Therefore, audio book apps minimize the hurdles that are presented by printed books. They eliminate anxiety and the difficulties of decoding. About the author: Russell Emmental is a finance journalist and ex-banker. Here are some of our Free Audio Book apps for iPhone and Android from Quikthinking Software for the mobile phone: https://quikthinking.com/black-history-audio-book3.html  

  • 0 Halloween QuikMoji Emoji Game App

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 10/10/2019

    Have some fun for the fall season or anytime with the Halloween QuikMoji Emoji mobile game app. This is the new brother/sister companion game to our original QuikMoji Emoji app released in 2017. Can you score big time, high point totals as the spinning costumed emojis keep your fingers or thumbs busy? Watch the video below for an overview of both apps. Grab from Google Play https://bit.ly/35rla0P

  • 0 Superhero Flyer Game App

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 10/08/2019

    Discover how to play the endless Superhero Flyer mobile game app on you iPhone, iPad, or Android using these tips: https://quikthinking.com/superhero-flyer-app-breakout-126.html and watch this video to meet the superheroes:  

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    0 Black History Inventors App

    As a young graduate student he was the only black American of his time with advanced training in scientific agriculture. He was the first nationally know African American scientist. Who was this Tuskegee Institute legend who remained at the school for over 50 years and was honored with a U.S. postage stamp in 1948? If you guessed Dr. George Washington Carver, you were right. We were recently surprised that the iPhone version of our Black History Inventors mobile app was at the top of one of our popularity charts. For Dr. Carver's story and more, see what others are discovering and download the free Black History Inventors app for iPhone or Android http://onelink.to/ebqvvu  

  • 0 Hip Hop Quiz App Expands

    • Quiz
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 09/19/2019

    (Public Enemy's Flavor Flav with Hugh Smith at Kelsey's in Atlantic City, NJ) More than any other hip hop group, we've seen Public Enemy most often all over the place including The Apollo Theater in New York City, the Convention Center in Atlantic City, NJ and the Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC. We took the photo below at the Lisner in 2015. Dive into the world of hip hop and test your knowledge with a new, updated version of our mobile app Hip Hop Quiz trivia game. Discover new questions, new levels, and a new score card. Watch the video, and enjoy!   

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    0 Black History Quizzes Expand

    Six years ago we released the Android app Black History Quiz Deluxe. In 2013, this multiple choice brainteaser was well received. Thousands of downloads later our knowledge based trivia review quiz continues to gain fans. Black History Quiz was also our first iPhone - iPad app released in January, 2018. Thanks to loads of feedback and requests, we've updated the Android version of the app by popular demand. You'll find more of a game feel to version 2 of Black History Quiz (Android) to match the fun of the iPhone version. Multiple choice questions are presented across 12 levels. There's an in depth score card to analyze how you've done. You can also reward yourself by watching a video at certain points in the quiz game. Both versions of the quiz (iOS and Android) have received lots of new questions. Watch this video for a very quick glance at Black History Quiz (Android). Next in the pipeline for release during September 2019 are Android app updates to RnB Music Quiz Soul and Hip Hop Quiz. Both are completed. We'll also add an iPhone - iPad version of Hip Hop Quiz. Below are screens from new Android versions of Black History Quiz, RnB Music Quiz Soul and Hip Hop Quiz.    

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    0 Superhero Flyer App Breakout

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 08/12/2019

    How can you get all the way through into the top level of the scrolling action mobile app game Superhero Flyer? Follow along for more insider tips. In October, 2017 we released Superhero Flyer for Android in Google Play and Amazon. Now in August, 2019 we've added an iOS version for iPhone and iPad. Game action is identical across all the levels in all versions. There's a Game Center leaderboard for iPhone - iPad and a Google Play Games leaderboard for Android. Using the leaderboard is optional. What makes this game so unpredictable is the changing life span of certain superheroes. You have to decide how much risk to take while using strategy to score the most points. Scout in the yellow mask must avoid all rockets at all cost. Scout touching a windsock, the sun, or moon can power-up to call Blue (blue mask). Blue can wipe out the little rockets, but not the big ones. Blue must power-up by touching a colorful balloon to call on Trax, however Blue scores higher point totals than Trax. Trax can knock out all the rockets. Her screen time is limited. Thump (purple costume) and Bambi (red & light blue) take care of business busting big time moves on all rocket enemies plus they can pulverize the drones. Bambi with Thump team up in level 5 and 6. These two ladies stay around as long as you are scoring. You have to get to the upper game levels first to use their talents! They love balloons so seek out the balloons in the upper levels to score big time. The eagles know that along with the sun and moon Scout will touch a drone to call on Blue (power-up). Warning. In some of the upper levels, the eagles will attack all drones and knock them out of the sky! No, you won't hurt the eagles in this game. They usually take cover when the weather gets wet! Here's the help screen on the iPhone: In the game you have to score a certain number of points in the early levels to continue. If you use the pause button, you can take a game break, but even though the count down timer is paused, you'll have to wait until all of the game characters come back on screen when you resume play (potentially wasting valuable time).   We are happy to share these tips with you! Find out much more about Superhero Flyer in these previous features: * Superhero Flyer App Soaring video  * Superhero Flyer Game Adds Levels, Leaps, and Leaderboard * Superhero Flyer App Cheats * Superhero Flyer

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    0 Game Devs of Color Expo 2019 A Success

    • Expos
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 07/29/2019

    "Summer night in Harlem, man it's really hot..." to quote singer Bill Withers who was right on time describing the Saturday, July 27 heat wave in the neighborhood where Game Devs of Color Expo 2019 took place even though it was sunshine in the daytime. Indie game developers along with some well known players gathered at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture to mingle, network, and show off some of their creations. This expo is billed as a safe place for diverse people with diverse project themes to express themselves "without fear of judgment or harassment." Catt Small @cattsmall (below) is a Senior Product Designer at Esty. She welcomed the approximately 600 in attendance. Later in the day in the Schomburg auditorium Catt did an excellent presentation on how she developed her web game SweetXheart using the Phaser.io software development kit. SweetXheart is a "slice-of-life visual novel about microagressions, race, and gender." In the game you act as Kara, a 19-year-old girl from the Bronx who attends an art college and interns at a tech company. We were very impressed watching several people play the game in a separate area of the expo. Catt is one of the founding organizers of the Game Devs of Color Expo. Here I am below hanging out with two members of the Nintendo team. Congratulations if you received one of our AAeMojis app tee shirts that I'm wearing! We gave away quite a few at the expo. This view is from the second level looking down on one of the three areas where attendees could play lots of developer games. Geneva Heyward @gensuta (below) is a game developer pursuing a BFA at NYU (one of my many alma maters). Because of the visuals I was attracted to her Windows - Mac - Linux game Skate & Date that is "a roller derby rhythm ga(y)me where you play as Maggie, the lead jammer of the Rockin' Rollergirls" who has a crush on one of her opponents. Remember roller derby? I loved watching it as a kid. The graphics in this game are simple and straight forward. The story moves along with an element of roll playing using some on-screen visual dialogue to complement the action packed skating scenes. We also liked the Windows - Mac - Linux hyper casual game HyperDot created by Minnesota based developer Charles McGregor @DarkaysTG (Tribe Games). See HyperDot in action by watching the preview: Game Devs of Color isn't just about discovering or playing the games. There were engaging panels and micro talks. The one below, "Hip-Hop and Video Games" moderated by Shawn Allen @anuchallenger presented a timeline about how both art forms have combined to influence game development. A lot is jammed into only 7 hours for this one day expo. There was no question and answer time after any of  the auditorium micro talks or panels. You had to track down the participants if you wanted some follow-up. This is fine for the manageable size of the current Saturday afternoon crowd at the Schomburg, however as #GDoCExpo grows this element should be worked into the schedule.  

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    0 Game Devs of Color Expo 2019

    • Expos
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 07/23/2019

    The Game Devs of Color Expo is coming to The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, New York City on Saturday, July 27, 2019. This gathering is an inclusive games expo and conference putting creative developers of color at the forefront, showing off their games, building conversations, and pushing games forward as an art. Here's a Schomburg FAQ: the institution is a research unit of The New York Public Library. Opening in 1925, the repository began with the vast collections of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, a Puerto Rican born black scholar and book lover. His holdings included more than 10,000 items. Today, The Schomburg holds more than ten million items. The Center has collected, preserved, and provided access to materials documenting black life in America and worldwide for over 90 years. Watch the video below about the 2018 Game Devs of Color Expo, and join me (Hugh Smith above) on Saturday, July 27 at the 2019 expo if you are in the New York City area. Find me and I'll give you an exclusive Quikthinking AAeMojis tee shirt while they last! (I'm modelling one)

  • 0 Name Game App Confusion Video

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 07/15/2019

    What's wrong with this picture? Confusion. We software - app people generally know that many of our treasured users who love our games or other entertainment novelties sometimes overlook reading the product details. If it's a free app, no pain, no gain. Not much is lost. Even when there is cookie jar money involved some folks just do not read the easy to scan summaries after looking at screen shots. Recently a three word comment "Don't Get It" came in about one of our games that motivated me to produce a video explaining more. Perhaps this person meant "I don't get it" and not "don't get it" (the app). Watch the video to check out how to correctly play the Black History People Name Game that uses word association with an interesting twist. It's all about remembering the people.    

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    0 Pizza with Apples Forever

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 06/24/2019

    "I would never win an award for not loving pizza" so says actor - former wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. We don't do awards here, but we love pizza too. We love it so much that we've created a "new" game for it.  Pizza Burger Crush for Android is our match-3 game introduced on a lark in October, 2015. Read more about Pizza Burger Crush. The app was so well received that it was always in the back of our minds to do a version for iPhone and iPad. Follow the story of how it all came together within the closing weeks of the 2nd quarter of 2019. These demos were all fully functioning iPhone versions of the app (but never released). This first version (with one game level) worked well enough with lots of cool digital effects. We felt the game play wasn't quite fast enough so it was shelved. Demo Version 1: For Version 2 (with multiple game levels) we also included lots of sparkling special effects but after lots of evaluation we decided it just didn't cut it! Demo version 2: We killed the cupcakes, went back to the original demo version, added mustard with ketchup, made multiple changes, tested it on different iPhones and iPads, and decided that version 3 was just right: The final version above has several game levels with varying degrees of difficulty. We enjoyed working on this iPhone and iPad version. We slowed the pace down from the Android version which is fast paced and wild. The iOS versions have no time limit so you can play forever as long as you keep winning. This allows you to use strategy to maximize the score across the game levels. Long live pizza, burgers, chicken, hot dogs, and fries with special thanks to our artist Julia Liberali who drew the food items for the version 2 Android upgrade using watercolors! (She didn't draw ketchup/mustard). Release date in the App Store for Pizza Burger Match-3 for iPhone and iPad will be Monday, June 24, 2019. Watch the game video with both the iPhone/iPad/Android versions for a public service laugh below!

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