One of the most interesting ideas I have seen come about since the release of the iPad is interactive textbook apps, presenting reference information alongside multimedia and interactive content to take the learning experience to a new level. One such app is Ultimate Sharks ($4.99, App Store Link), Discovery Channel’s recently released compendium of knowledge on ten well-known sharks, featuring videos, interactive displays of shark movement and attacks, and more.
Overview
Discovery’s Ultimate Sharks is a beautiful, well-designed and visually rich way to learn everything you’d ever want to know about sharks, bringing you detailed videos and interactive models of 10 of the deadliest sharks known to man.
Anybody who has a significant interest in sharks or is looking to expand their knowledge of the ocean’s deadliest and most powerful creatures will find Ultimate Sharks an invaluable resource, even if the content within is a bit graphic at times.
Interface
Ultimate Sharks for iPad is driven by a beautiful and efficient interface. It’s easy to get started with the app, to navigate between the various sharks, or to pull up information on any of the sharks within the app. Simply tapping on a shark sends it swimming towards your screen, displaying facts, video, maps, and an interactive model of how the shark moves and attacks.
Spending just a few minutes with the app will show you how easy it is to learn a great deal about any particular shark, with the flow of the interface and the available interactive and multimedia elements granting you speedy access to all sorts of knowledge that you’d otherwise have to spend three times as long to learn from a traditional reference book.
Multimedia / Interaction
Perhaps the most unique and notable feature of this app is its interactive 3D shark mode, which displays a beautifully rendered 3D model of the shark which you can interact with – you can rotate the shark, as well as watch how it swims, hunts, and attacks its prey from nearly any angle.
The app also includes a wide variety of video content, showing clips on shark attacks as well as on the habits and predatory natures of various sharks. The videos are all of acceptable quality, and provide stunning, brilliant displays of cinematic skills typical of the content shown on the Discovery Channel.
Besides the video and interactive elements of the app, there are also more than 250 remarkable high-resolution photos taken by talented and experienced wildlife photographers.
Information / Content
The app provides a huge assortment of knowledge about the ten sharks it features, including size comparisons, maps, infographics and photographs, all of which blend seamlessly with the videos and interactive content included within the app.
The app does have a mature rating, as many of the videos are somewhat graphic in depicting shark attacks, and one video even shows and describes a shark attack on a child in significant detail. These videos are included for education purposes, and some graphic content is necessary to truly understand the nature of sharks and the damage that a shark attack can cause. Nevertheless, some parents may want to preview the videos in the app before letting their child have free run.
Verdict
Ultimate Sharks is a creative and visually stunning app that lets you explore sharks like never before, and does an excellent job of showing just how good interactive textbooks and information resources can be.
The interface was smooth and easy to navigate, and everything within the app works as expected. I did not encounter any bugs, interface difficulties or frustrations while using this app, and was thoroughly impressed at how well the app shifted from one area to the next.
I was a bit disappointed that only ten sharks were featured within the app, but considering the richness and high quality of the content and the app’s $4.99 asking price, I felt that the app provided an good amount of information and content for the money.
Despite a bit of graphic content, which is arguably necessary to properly convey the full truth about sharks and their natures, I felt that the app was an excellent information resource that could be enjoyed by children and adults alike, and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in sharks or marine life.
Rating & Information
Rating: 5/5[rating:5]
Ultimate Sharks is one of the most well-designed iPad apps I have ever used, the interface is exceptional, the content it provides is both plentiful and appropriate, and the uniqueness of some of its features, such as the 3D interactive sharks, makes it a truly notable app that can really showcase the value of multimedia and interactive elements in an educational title. As such, I award Ultimate Sharks 5 out of 5 stars.
My experience with Ultimate Sharks was extremely positive, with the only negative comment I could make being that some of the graphic video may not be appropriate for all ages, although Discovery Channel covers their bases on this by granting this app a mature rating in the app store.
It’s difficult to find anything not to like about this app, except the fact that it leaves you wanting so much more. From the videos to the incredible interactive features to the amazing photography, this app is absolutely worth its $4.99 asking price and then some.
For more information, or to purchase Ultimate Sharks for iPad, head on over to the App Store ($4.99, App Store Link).
