Japanese Language Apps

[mongrelmonkey]

Have you guys checked out CueBrain? It's pretty cool! Has a drum machine and leaderboards to keep you entertained, and lots of vocab.

Check their site www.aephid.com

[attemptress]

Alllllriiight . . . If you're looking for a list of kanji learning software, hold on to your stylus!

Currently on my PE, I have:

1, 2, 3,000 Kanji (mostly a big-long list with definitions and such)
aedict (awesome, of course)
Elementary Kanji (separated by grades 1-6. Good for drilling on an kun readings)
Jishop (decent radical-based dictionary that is really helpful for finding compounds as well)
Kana Quiz (self-explanatory)
Kanji Companion (separated by JLPT level, contains flashcards, multiple choice, and writing modules)
JLPT practice (I especially like the "Kanji of the Day" widget)
Write Kanji (writing practice)
YomirenFF1 (more advanced, gives kanji, you write in readings and meaning)
AzureRuby (reader, lots of free reading material available . . . kinda like Guttenburg Project)
NubiNews (not japanese-specific, but I have it set to automatically download the daily news from Asahi Sinbun--I also have an app for the Mainichi Eigo News)

I've got a .jar for Pocket Sensei, but don't have it currently installed.

I have had in the past Japanese Talker (text-to-voice app), but as I recall it was a paid app with a trial period, so I ended up removing it. I also had Chikara, but ended up removing it as well.

For desktops, check out Slime Forest Adventure (www.lrnj.com) It's a fun little adventure game where you run around saving princesses, killing slimes, and drilling kanji meanings (a little weak on the readings, though).

Regarding Styli and ease of writing: if you don't want to plunk down $50 for a fancy wacom pen, you can stick the standard stylus (or a spare replacement) into almost any plastic pen or .7-.9 mm mechanical pencil casing. All you have to do is remove the guts, and maybe open the end a bit with a drill bit or a grinder. I've done it twice now, and quite like the results. This way, I can pick whatever pen is most comfy for me. Note: pens/pencils with metal tips don't work (at least, they didn't for me).

Happy learning, everyone!

[ivanjt]

Originally Posted by attemptress

Regarding Styli and ease of writing: if you don't want to plunk down $50 for a fancy wacom pen, you can stick the standard stylus (or a spare replacement) into almost any plastic pen or .7-.9 mm mechanical pencil casing. All you have to do is remove the guts, and maybe open the end a bit with a drill bit or a grinder. I've done it twice now, and quite like the results. This way, I can pick whatever pen is most comfy for me. Note: pens/pencils with metal tips don't work (at least, they didn't for me).

In reply to your Note - by putting the small stylus in anything that will put metal round it you detune the circuitry in it so it will never work.

On another note see https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...=132878&page=9 post #123 and #128

[tarvoke]

yeah you don't want to shield the signalling coil, here's a little autopsy I did a while back, of the cheapest pen I could find (sounds like anything "penabled" will work with the EE/PE digitizer)
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=50740