With the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War 
fast approaching, it probably won’t come as a surprise that PBS has plans to rerun Ken Burns’ acclaimed series on the War Between the States.
What might be a bit more unexpected, though, is that the network plans to offer a free stream of the series’ first episode to showcase its PBS App for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The stream will become available March 24 for a 10-day window.
There’s no doubt that Apple’s latest iteration of the iPad
is a hit with consumers. Day one sales are estimated at 500,000 or above and people are still lining up outside their nearest Apple store to get their hands on one.
But the iPad 2 is entering a much different world than its predecessor. And while Apple still holds a commanding market share position, it may be in for a much tougher fight this time around.
Don Bluth will be the first to tell you 
he’s a filmmaker, not a game maker. But despite the fact that he has just two titles to his credit, the Hollywood veteran has still managed to make a lasting impression on the video game industry.
Dragon’s Lair, in some ways, was the front runner for the modern graphics era. While Dirk the Daring & Co. were hand-animated, the title let players and developers know that games could be just as eye-popping as works on the big screen.
As Apple ramps up the hype machine on 
the iPad 2, app publishers are hoping to ride the coattails to higher sales.
Developers both small and large are slashing prices on popular apps in hopes of capturing the attentions of people who can no longer resist Apple’s tablet device. And Electronic Arts is leading the charge.
Nothing was going to keep Steve Jobs a
way from the introduction of the iPad 2 – not even his health.
The CEO of Apple, who has been on a medical leave of absence from the company since late January, surprised attendees at the tablet computer’s unveiling in San Francisco Wednesday, taking the wraps off of a redesigned version of its popular gadget, which will hit stores next Friday, March 11.
As it does with so many of its titles, Shadow 
Guardian HD is Gameloft’s attempt to clone Uncharted, a hit PlayStation 3 fanchise, for iDevices. And while on some technical levels, this app succeeds — the graphics are gorgeous for the iPad platform and it has the requisite blend of jumping, action, and puzzles — it ultimately falls short. What holds the Uncharted series together is a nuanced story with characters you care about. That’s not present here and the game’s flaws are enhanced because of it. The pacing is fine and the combat’s not bad, but without anything tying them together, Shadow Guardian HD ultimately is a mere shadow of a much better title.
Take Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica and Star Fox, put 
them in a blender and stir and you’ll probably come out with something like Star Battalion HD. The game doesn’t have an ounce of originality, but as a space shooter it’s not a bad title. Graphics, as they generally are with Gameloft titles, are well done, and the action is well paced and solid. Getting used to controlling your ship with the iPad’s gyroscope is a bit tricky, but players can shift to a stick control if it proves too distracting. There are also a wide variety of environments. The lack of competitive multiplayer is something of a drawback and some control bugs drag the game down a bit, but ultimately, this is an app that will appeal to anyone who enjoys a solid space combat game.
When the makers of Cartoon Wars set out to make a sequel, 
they decided not to simply copy the formula that was successful the first time around — and that bet has paid off with Cartoon Wars – Gunner. The game is feature-rich and blends action and adventure with role-playing elements, as you decide which weapons to upgrade and which to buy. The inclusion of magic items helps shake up the nonstop shooting, but only a little bit. Ultimately, the gameplay does tend to wear thin as you do the same thing again and again — only with different weapons. Also, while the controls are acceptable, they tend to get stuck occasionally, which is frustrating. The game is a fun diversion and good for short play periods, but not something you’ll want to play for hours at a time.
Chicken Math is based around a pretty simple concept, but 
that simplicity is a big part of what makes the game work well — and on so many levels. Children who are just learning to count can learn to do so in a fun, non-stressful way, but parents who want to put their own math skills to the test can ramp up the difficulty enough to keep them on their toes. The onscreen animation is very rudimentary, but the gameplay makes it easy to look beyond that. And the fact that this is an educational game that doesn’t feel like it’s forcing you to learn makes it a good tool for parents looking to help their kids grasp the concept of complex addition.
Somas Games has already made an Olivia game that targets very 
young childen with Olivia, so it’s nice to see them aim a little bit older with OLIVIA the Great. The game won’t be too challenging to anyone over the age of eight, but younger kids will enjoy the search for hidden objects and the tricks Olivia performs when the mimic-the-finger-swipes shown on screen. The early puzzles are easy even for younger kids, but later puzzles tend to be a bit more complicated, which might frustrate some children. However, the varied difficulty makes the game accessable to a wider age range of players.
Chris Morris: Journalist 