Back in Time (iOS software)

Last updated
Back in Time
Developer(s) Landka
Initial releaseiPad
September 22, 2011
iPhone
December, 2011
Platform iOS
Available inEnglish, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish
Type Education Book App
Website landka.com/apps/back-in-time   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Back in Time is an education book app for iOS about the history of the universe, earth, life and mankind that uses a time analogy to explain different timescales. [1] Released on September 22, 2011, it was developed by the software company Landka in collaboration with scientific institutions such as ESA/Hubble Space Telescope. [2] The app was featured worldwide in the App Store and rapidly became a success, reaching the top sales of iPad book apps in 38 countries. [3] [4] Back in Time was distinguished by The New York Times and selected for the top 10 apps of the year. [5] [6] In 2012 it was recognized with a World Summit Award (UN based initiative). [7]

Contents

Features

Back in Time is a cross between a history textbook and a multimedia encyclopedia. The app presents 50 key events since the beginning of the universe until the present day covering different timescales such as the chronology of the universe, the geological history of earth, the evolutionary history of life and human history. [8] [9] In order to better understand these timescales, the app proposes a time analogy where the entire age of the universe (13.7 billion years) is scaled into a 24-hour clock. Navigation is possible by browsing several timelines or by rewinding the pointers of a clock to go back in time. [2] The text of each chapter is complemented with images, videos, interactive timelines, animations and trivia. The app's soundtrack was produced by Rodrigo Leão. [3]

Time analogy

Back in Time uses a time analogy where the entire age of the universe is scaled into a 24-hour clock. According to this analogy life on Earth emerged at 5:20 pm. Screenshot of the history app Back in Time.png
Back in Time uses a time analogy where the entire age of the universe is scaled into a 24-hour clock. According to this analogy life on Earth emerged at 5:20 pm.

Back in Time presents the most relevant events in history using a 24-hour clock as a time analogy. This analogy scales the entire age of the universe (13.7 billion years) into a single day (24 hours) so that the beginning of the universe (Big Bang) started at 0:00h and at present time the imaginary clock reads 24:00h. Back in Time uses this analogy as a method to visualize and compare key events in the history of the universe, of earth, life, and human history. This analogy was originally proposed by Astronomer Bob Lambert from the John J. McCarthy Observatory as a tool for helping students visualizing large timescales. [1]

Key events in History presented using the 24-hour analogy (excerpt from Back in Time)
24-hours

analogy

ChronologyEventDescription
Universe
0:00
13.7 billion years ago
Big Bang Creation of the Universe
0:21
13.5 billion years ago
First Stars First stars were born
8:35
8.8 billion years ago
Milky Way The Milky Way takes the shape of a galactic disk
15:56
4.6 billion years ago
Solar System Formation of the Solar System
Life
17:20
3.8 billion years ago
Life on Earth First traces of life on Earth
23:02
545 million years ago
Cambrian Explosion Sudden increase in sea life diversity
23:10
475 million years ago
Land Plants First records of land plants
23:35
230 million years ago
Rise of the Dinosaurs Dinosaurs became the dominant terrestrial vertebrates
23:53
65.5 million years ago
K-T Extinction Mass extinction (massive asteroid impact)
Humankind
23:59:44
2.5 million years ago
Cradle of Humankind Australopithecus
23:59:59
200 000 years ago
Homo Sapiens Last known link in the evolution of humanity
-442 ms *
70 000 years ago
Human migrations Homo Sapiens migrates out of Africa
-76 ms *
12 000 years ago
Cradle of Civilization Rise of civilization
-32 ms *
5 000 years ago
Writing Beginning of recorded history

* milliseconds before midnight

Development and release

Back in Time was developed by the Portuguese software company Landka over a period of 10 months. [3] [4] The iPad version was released on the App Store on September 22, 2011. The initial version included 44 chapters and was available in 5 languages (English, Spanish, German, French and Portuguese). Subsequent upgrades included additional chapters, translation into two more languages (Chinese and Japanese) and support for retina display. [1]

A dedicated version for iPhone was released in December 2011. [10] In June 2013, a version of the app for Microsoft Windows was released as a result of a collaboration between the developers and Intel with the purpose of showcase the capabilities of Windows 8. [11]

Reception and awards

Upon release, Back in Time was featured in the App Store worldwide and rapidly became a success, reaching the top sales of iPad book apps in 38 countries. [3] [4] The app received generally positive reviews from the users (4.8/5.0 rating score on the App Store) and press. [6] [8] [9] [12] Back in Time was featured by The New York Times for the top 10 apps of the year. [5]

The app was selected by the American Photo Magazine for the top 10 Photo eBooks of the year, distinguished by BBC as one of the 10 best history apps, and was recommended by several education publications. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] In 2012, Back in Time won a World Summit Award (UN based initiative) for Learning and Education. [5] [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple Inc.</span> American multinational technology corporation

Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California. Apple is the world's largest technology company by revenue, with US$394.3 billion in 2022 revenue. As of March 2023, Apple is the world's biggest company by market capitalization. As of June 2022, Apple is the fourth-largest personal computer vendor by unit sales and the second-largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world. It is considered one of the Big Five American information technology companies, alongside Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hubble Space Telescope</span> NASA/ESA space telescope launched in 1990

The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most versatile, renowned both as a vital research tool and as a public relations boon for astronomy. The Hubble telescope is named after astronomer Edwin Hubble and is one of NASA's Great Observatories. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) selects Hubble's targets and processes the resulting data, while the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) controls the spacecraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galaxy cluster</span> Structure made up of a gravitationally-bound aggregation of hundreds of galaxies

A galaxy cluster, or a cluster of galaxies, is a structure that consists of anywhere from hundreds to thousands of galaxies that are bound together by gravity, with typical masses ranging from 1014 to 1015 solar masses. They are the second-largest known gravitationally bound structures in the universe after galaxy filaments and were believed to be the largest known structures in the universe until the 1980s, when superclusters were discovered. One of the key features of clusters is the intracluster medium (ICM). The ICM consists of heated gas between the galaxies and has a peak temperature between 2–15 keV that is dependent on the total mass of the cluster. Galaxy clusters should not be confused with galactic clusters (also known as open clusters), which are star clusters within galaxies, or with globular clusters, which typically orbit galaxies. Small aggregates of galaxies are referred to as galaxy groups rather than clusters of galaxies. The galaxy groups and clusters can themselves cluster together to form superclusters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple TV</span> Home media receiver device made by Apple

Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is a small network appliance hardware that plays received media data such as video and audio to a television set or external display. Since its second generation model, it is an HDMI-compliant source device and can only be connected to an enhanced-definition or high-definition widescreen television through HDMI to function.

Rodrigo Costa Leão Muñoz Miguez, known professionally as Rodrigo Leão, is a Portuguese musician and songwriter. He became known in the 1980s as a member of the Portuguese groups Sétima Legião and Madredeus. In the 1990s, Leão launched his career as a solo artist, with multiple albums reaching number-one in the Portuguese album charts.

iOS Mobile operating system by Apple

iOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes the system software for iPads as well as on the iPod Touch devices. It is the world's second-most widely installed mobile operating system, after Android. It is the basis for three other operating systems made by Apple: iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS. It is proprietary software, although some parts of it are open source under the Apple Public Source License and other licenses.

iPad 2 Tablet computer made by Apple (2011–2014)

The iPad 2 is a tablet designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. Compared to the first iPad, as the second model in the iPad line, it gained a faster dual core A5 processor, a lighter build structure, and was the first iPad to feature VGA front-facing and 720p rear-facing cameras designed for FaceTime video calling.

iCloud Cloud storage and cloud computing service by Apple

iCloud is a cloud service developed by Apple Inc. Launched on October 12, 2011, iCloud enables users to store and sync data across devices, including Apple Mail, Apple Calendar, Apple Photos, Apple Notes, contacts, settings, backups, and files, to collaborate with other users, and track assets through Find My. It is built into iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS and macOS and may additionally be accessed through a limited web interface and Windows application.

500px is a global online photo-sharing platform that is a subsidiary of Visual China Group. It is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was co-founded by Oleg Gutsol and Evgeny Tchebotarev on October 31, 2009.

iPad (4th generation) Tablet computer made by Apple (2012–2014)

The iPad is a tablet computer produced and marketed by Apple Inc. Compared to its predecessor, the third-generation iPad, the fourth-generation iPad maintained the Retina Display but featured new and upgraded components such as the Apple A6X chip and the Lightning connector, which was introduced on September 12, 2012. It shipped with iOS 6, which provides a platform for audio-visual media, including electronic books, periodicals, films, music, computer games, presentations and web content. Like the third-generation iPad it replaced, it was supported by five major iOS releases, in this case iOS 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. iOS 11, which was released on September 19, 2017, does not support the fourth-generation iPad as that update does not support 32-bit devices and apps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diogo Morgado</span> Portuguese actor and model

Diogo Miguel Morgado Soares, is a Portuguese actor who may be best known for his portrayal of Jesus in the History Channel epic mini-series The Bible and in the film Son of God.

iPad Air 2 Tablet computer made by Apple (2014–2017)

The iPad Air 2 is the second-generation iPad Air tablet computer designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced on October 16, 2014, alongside the iPad Mini 3, both of which were released on October 22, 2014. The iPad Air 2 is thinner, lighter and faster than its predecessor, the first-generation iPad Air, and features Touch ID with the height, width and screen size the same as the iPad Air.

iPad Mini 3 Tablet computer made by Apple (2014–2015)

The iPad Mini 3 is the third-generation iPad Mini tablet computer designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced alongside the iPad Air 2 on October 16, 2014 and released on October 22. It uses primarily the same design and hardware as that of its predecessor, the iPad Mini 2. Its new features are the addition of the Touch ID sensor compatible with Apple Pay, differing storage sizes and being available in a gold color, as well as the previous colors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snapseed</span> Photo editing app by Google

Snapseed is a photo-editing application for iOS and Android that enables users to enhance photos and apply digital filters. It was created by Nik Software, and is now owned by Google.

TouchArcade is a mobile games journalism website. It was launched in 2008 as a sister site of MacRumors by its founder Arnold Kim and Blake Patterson. TouchArcade also hosts a forum and a weekly podcast.

<i>Kiwaka</i> Educational game about astronomy

Kiwaka is an educational game for iOS, macOS and tvOS designed to teach children about astronomy. The app was developed by the Portuguese software company Landka in collaboration with scientific institutions such as the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landka</span>

Landka is a mobile software development company focused on educational apps. Notable products include Back in Time, Kiwaka and Art Legacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pre-installed iOS apps</span> Apps pre-installed on the Apple iOS operating system

Pre-installed iOS apps, referred to in the App Store as 'Built-In Apps', are a suite of mobile applications developed by Apple Inc. which are bundled with iOS and installed by default or through a system update. Many of the default apps found on iOS have counterparts on Apple's other operating systems macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS, which are often modified versions of or similar to the iOS application. As each app is integrated into the operating system itself, they often feature greater support for system features than third-party alternatives and are quick to adapt new features of iOS.

References

  1. 1 2 3 LANDKA. Back in Time. App Store. ISBN   978-989-97421-0-9 . Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  2. 1 2 Usher, Oli. "Educational App with ESA/Hubble Content in New York Times Top 10 Best iPad Apps". Hubble Space Telescope | ESA. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Coentrão, Abel (2012-01-24). "Portuguese app reaches top sales in 38 countries". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese).
  4. 1 2 3 "Portuguese app in the US top sales". Jornal Expresso (in European Portuguese). 2012-10-01.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. 1 2 3 "iPad Apps - the Best of 2011 - App Smart". The New York Times. 2012-01-05. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  6. 1 2 Tedeschi, Bob (2011-10-06). "Watching Stars Fall | App Smart". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  7. 1 2 "Back in Time | WSA 2012 Winners". World Summit Awards. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
  8. 1 2 Panarelli, Liz. "Back in Time - App Review". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  9. 1 2 Chan, Casey (2011-10-06). "Back In Time For iPad: See The History Of The Universe In 24 Hours". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  10. Back in Time for iPhone. App Store. 26 June 2022. ISBN   978-989-97421-0-9.
  11. Totura, Nathan. "Redesigning 'Back in Time' from an iPad* to Windows* Store App - Case Study". Intel. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  12. Dredge, Stuart (2011-09-26). "Apps rush". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  13. "10 Apps for Teaching History". BBC | Active. Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  14. Crager, Jack (2012-12-06). "The Best Photo Books Of 2012". American Photo Magazine. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  15. Anderson, Rane (2012). 110 Amazing Apps for Education. Shell Education. p. 106. ISBN   9781425808471.
  16. "See what's APPening in education" (PDF). Microsoft.
  17. "12 Good History Apps for High School Students". Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. Retrieved 2018-10-30.

Official website