Once Upon a Time...

A number of parents have asked if Scholastic's Storia app could be installed on the nabi 2 Tablet.  It's currently only available through the Google Play Store, but since it is a free app and thanks to Fan-a-Tech Nikki, parents in the United States can now install Storia and begin enjoying the wide selection of books that Scholastic has to offer children ages 0-13+.

Here's Nikki's review. " This app is amazing!  Picture the Kindle or Nook app just for kids!  It has your typical Scholastic books, including Diary of a Whimpy Kid and Harry Potter!  And the prices are great!  This will also give credit to your classrooms so your teacher can still get their free books!  You can also set up different bookshelves so each child can have a bookshelf filled with age appropriate books.  Also any book that has a lightning bolt next to it means its an interactive!  Like one of the books it comes with has a little game on one page that asks the reader to find 3 things that start with the letter "S"!  My son loves it!   You also get 5 free books that includes Goosebumps and Clifford!  One of our new favorite apps! "

It is highly recommended that you register for a Scholastic account, prior to installing the app on the nabi 2 Tablet.  Click on the Register link in the top right corner of the Scholastic homepage and enter the required information to create an account.

SCHOLASTIC STORIA APK

1. Power on the nabi 2 Tablet.

2. Log into Mommy/Daddy Mode.

3. Launch the Browser app.

4. Type everythingnabi into the address bar and hit the Enter key.

5. Click on the Everything Nabi! link.

6. Click on the Once Upon a Time... post and scroll down to Step 7.

7. Click this link to download Scholastic Storia v2.1.

8. When the download is complete, launch the apk installation.

9. When the installation is complete click on the Open button.

10. Sign into the app using the e-mail address and password you used when registering.

11.  Dismiss the Download the Storia Dictionary pop-up window by clicking on the Download Later button.

12. Click on the Go Now button when the Set Up Your Bookshelves pop-up window displays.

13. Select the number of bookshelves you'd like to create, then click the Next button.

14. Enter the first name and birth month and year of each child being assigned a bookshelf, then click the Next button.

15. Assign the 5 free books that come with the app to the appropriate bookshelves or if they are not age appropriate, leave them Not Assigned. Click the Next button.

NOTE: A book can only be assigned to one bookshelf at a time.

16. Click the Close button to exit the Bookshelf setup process.

17. Click on the desired Bookshelf button.

18. To access the Bookshelf settings, click on the icon in the top left corner.

19. Click on the View option to choose a Bookshelf or Detailed look.

20. Click on the Sort option to sort by Author, Last Read, Newest and Title.

21. Click on the Wallpaper option to pick a different color scheme.

22. Click on one of the free books to begin downloading it to read.

23. The lightning icon indicates some sort of interactivity within the book.  

This can include comprehension questions and videos.

24. Exit out of the bookshelf, by hitting the Back key.

25. Click on the Settings icon in the top right corner.

26. Click the Shop for eBooks button in order to access the Scholastic Storia store.

27. Shopping by Grades makes it easy to find books that are age appropriate. 

28. Make your selection, check-out and your new eBooks will sync with the tablet after you hit the Sync Your Account button.

Happy Reading!

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REVISED - Amazing Apps for the Rest of the World!

For those of you living outside of the United States, you have probably found it somewhat aggravating not being able to download free or purchased apps from the Amazon Appstore.  This post will provide you the information necessary to fool the Amazon Appstore into letting you get those apps.  In order to utilize the Appstore, you are required to have a user account that has a registered US billing address, phone and credit card numbers.  Second, you need to be in the United States, in order to order the apps.  Seems kind of impossible, but once you've followed the few steps to create or update an account, you'll be able to easily install any compatible app from the site.

If you have a valid US gift or credit card, then proceed in setting up a real Amazon.com account and skip down to Step 22.  The rest of you will need to proceed with the following steps.

NOTE: Amazon has recently setup App Shops in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.  If you live in one of these countries, then you'll want to skip over to Step 5 of the the Installing & Configuring the Amazon Appstore post.

SETUP AN AMAZON ACCOUNT

1. On your computer, launch your preferred web-browser. 

2. Navigate to www.fakenamegenerator.com.
3. Click the Generate button.  This will provide you a phone number and credit card number to use.  This information is just randomly generated and does not correspond to a real person.  This information is generally used for testing computer applications & databases. 

4. Copy the information into a text document, so that you can refer to it in the future, if needed.
5.  The US address provided is also randomly generated and does not correspond to an exact address.  To ensure that Amazon will accept this information, you need to fine tune it using Google Maps.  Locate the town/city and Zip Code provided. Choose an existing street address that falls within the Zip Code.

6. Launch www.Amazon.com in a new tab in your web-browser.

7. Click on the Sign-In link.

NOTE: The following steps assume that a new Amazon.com account is being created.  At the end of this process we need to have at least one fake and one real billing address assigned to the Amazon.com account.  If you already have an account that you use to purchase products with or a fake account that you setup to get apps with; you need to decide if you want to update them or create a new account all together.  Only perform the following steps necessary to achieve this.

8. Enter your e-mail address.

9. Check the No, I'm a new customer option.

10. Click the Sign in using our secure server button.

11. Fill out the required information and enter a password.

12. Click the Create account button.

13. Click on the Your Account pull down and select Your Account.

14. Choose the Add a Credit or Debit Card link, under Payment Methods.
15. Complete the required fields using the fake credit card number, your name and a 2018 expiry date.

16. Complete the billing address using the address found using Google Maps and the fake phone number.

17. Click the Use this address button.

18. Click the Your Account link to return to the Account Options page.
19. Repeat Steps 14-18 this time adding a proper credit card number, billing address and phone number.

20. Scroll down to the Account Settings heading and choose the 1-Click Settings link.

21. Click on the Turn 1-Click On button.  Ensure that the fake account as the current 1-Click default address.  Also ensure that the payment methods for each account are selected appropriately.

Amazon checks your IP address when you launch and login to their Amazon Appstore.  For those of us not living in the United States this has meant an inability to purchase apps for our Android devices.  So we need a way to get around this IP address check.  This can be done using Proxies, VPN or DNS services all of which make your device appear to be located in the US, allowing you to view and download US content.  The best services generally come with a monthly or annual fee.  This might be of interest to you if you'd like to view all of the video content that the nabi 2 Tablet links to, but if you're just looking to get free and purchased apps that would be a bit of overkill.  Unblock Us is a VPN that I have been referred to as a good option, though be sure to take them up on their 7 Day trial before subscribing to ensure they can provide you with the service you are looking for.  For those of you that just want to download apps continue below.

DOWNLOADING FREE APPS

22. Ensure that you have installed and configured the Amazon Appstore app, following the instructions outlined in my previous blog post, before proceeding.

NOTE:  If you have the Amazon Appstore already installed and you want to change the logged in account, go into Parent Mode > Settings > Apps > Appstore and select the Clear Data button.  You will be prompted to enter your new login information the next time the app is launched.

23. In Mommy/Daddy Mode, launch the Browser app.  Alternatively, you can go through this process on your computer using your default web browser.

24. Navigate to http://www.h1de.net, an pop-up ad-free free web proxy.  

NOTE: Alternative ad-free free proxy options include: http://www.findaproxy.com, and http://www.hidemyass.com.

25. Click the Favorite Star and then the OK button to bookmark this site.

26. Type amazon.com into the address field and hit the Browse Anonymously.

27. Click on the Shop by Department drop down menu.

28. Click on the Apps link located under the Appstore for Android heading.

29. If you are looking to pick-up the Free App of the Day, click on the Sign in to get this app button. If not then you can search for the app you are looking for and click on it.

30. Sign in using your Amazon.com account information.

31. Click the Sign in using our secure server button.

32. If prompted, choose the Remember option for your password.

33. Click the Get App button.

34. The Free app has now been added to your account.

DOWNLOADING PURCHASED APPS

35. Search for and select an app that you want to purchase.
36. Click on the Buy now with 1-Click button.

37. The app has now been added to your account, but has not yet been purchased.

38. Click on the Your Account option.
39. Click on View Your Digital Orders.

40. Click on the Invoice link related to the app that you are wanting to purchase.

41. Click on the Retry or edit credit card button.

42. Choose the real credit card and hit the Continue button.

43. If requested select your proper billing address by hitting the Use this address button.

44. The app has been purchased and is available for installation.

45. Exit out of the Browser app by hitting the Home soft key.

INSTALLING AMAZON APPS 

46. Launch the Amazon Appstore.
47. Click the Menu soft key.

48. Choose the My Apps option.

49. Choose the Cloud option.

50. Click on the Refresh button.

51. Click on the Download button.

52. Click on the Install button.

53. Click on the Done button.

54. Back out of the Amazon Appstore by hitting the Back soft key.

55. Launch Add Apps.

56. Check the box beside the app you just installed in order to make it available in nabi Mode.

57. Back out of Add Apps by hitting the Back soft key.

58. Launch nabi Mode.

59. Click the All Apps icon in the top right corner.

60. Locate the newly added app and press down on it, in order to copy a link to it on one of the Home pages of your choice.

Remember to do your due diligence when choosing apps for your child to use.  Read the reviews, check the permissions and if you decide to install the app, be sure to play it in nabi Mode, to ensure that it works properly and is appropriate for your child.

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