Official Facebook App for iPad – Review

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Syed Hassan

Introduction to the new official Facebook App:

It is hard to imagine an iPad without the official Facebook app running on it, no? Well, that is how it was until not so long ago. But guess what, after somewhat excruciatingly long spells of speculations and waiting, the official Facebook for the iPad is finally here. The release of this official Facebook app follows its release on iPhone and iPod Touch and oh, let’s not forget that there have also been updates for already released version of the official Facebook app on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The new Facebook app might not be too much of an exclusive iPad app, since it is a universal version of the official Facebook app, formerly released for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Hot on the heels of the former version of the official Facebook app on the other two Apple devices, the new Facebook app seems to have found a happy home in the iPad. How? Let us prepare ourselves for a sneak peak.

Facebook App Basic Layout

Starting off with the main layout of the new official Facebook app for the iPad, they aren’t quite an ice-breaker; yet, the simple and fluid appearance is a definite plus. The four buttons at the top-left of the new Facebook app include: the Menu button, Friends button, Messages button and the Notifications button. While Menu opens up the usual dark grey tray of choices between Messages, News Feed, Events, Profile, Friends, and an Account option that merely deals with basic account options that you usually see on any Facebook application.

As far as the Notifications button on the new Facebook app is concerned, it is your go-to source for viewing new messages, see who has just added you to his/her Facebook account and also view a few witty comments on a page that you just shared.

Oh, and did I mention that the new Facebook version for the iPad opens notifications in a new pop-up window? Say goodbye to losing track of your Facebook account just because of viewing some new arrivals. Not to mention, the search options are also an avid improvement, since the search functionality on the official Facebook app just got better.

Facebook App Interface

Starting off with the login screen, developers have stuck with somewhat the same login screen that the former version of the official Facebook app donned. Being less complicated, less cluttered and a clean fresh blue colour, the appearance actually impresses with its high level of simplicity and sleek design. More importantly, it seems that the large screen size of the iPad was always on the minds of developers; hence, a very suitable redesigned interface has come into being.

Easy navigation is even made easier this time with a new menu design that allows sliding in from left part of the screen to scroll between different pages. Of course, with the big screen comes the freedom to view high resolution pictures with ease and grace, coupled with the simple-looking drop down menu designs that simply add a whole lot to user-friendliness of the new Facebook app for the iPad and make it shine a whole lot more.

Facebook App Chat Functionality

It would surely not be wrong to say that chatting has gone an extra mile with the all-new Facebook app for the iPad. Being even more fluid and responsive this time around, the chat feature on the new Facebook app works like a charm on the iPad (Especially if you are connected over Wi-Fi). The chat mechanism isn’t a complicated one, yet again (Sorry for making that sound like a complaint): all you need to do in order to start a chat is, click on the person’s name and the conversation commences in the same window. Yes, the new Facebook app does allow for multiple chat conversations, simultaneously but you will only just have to switch between separate windows.

Rest assured, you are not going to miss a thing as sound has been enabled even on the iPad version of the Facebook app. Say, if you get any messages on a different chat window the application will automatically play a sound to inform you of the latest development.

Facebook App Games/Applications

There might have been a few people not expecting wonders from Facebook app for the iPad in the gaming scheme of things. However, this new Facebook app does seem to be a really interesting development in this regard. I had personally enjoyed Facebook games in my time (No reference to my age here) and I , for one, realize that they keep atleast casual gamers glued to it for quite a while.

As far as other applications go, the new Facebook app does allow access to third-party applications, compatible with the iPad, altogether. While compatibility might even be seen as quite a bit of a snag by most, as you are automatically taken out of an app and directed straight to the App Store upon clicking a non-compatible application, it possesses quite a lot in the kitty to keep you entertained for long.

Official Facebook App for iPad (Final Word)

While it may not be its desktop counterpart-killer, the official Facebook app for the iPad genuinely depicts vast improvements over the previously released released versions on various other platforms. The less clunky, yet fluid design, smoother controllability and simplistic and user-friendly functionalities of the new Facebook app for the iPad give other Facebook versions, eg. Facebook mobile, a run for their money (If they were ever priced, that is).

We intentionally left this for late but for your eyes and ears, the link to the free Facebook app for the iPad is available here.

If you find this article helpful, you can always subscribe to our RSS Feed or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google + for more.

Guide On Cleaning the Screen on Your Apple iPod and iPhone

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Syed Hassan

So you own an Apple touchscreen product, huh? If yes, you most probably also realize how important it is to be regular about cleaning it. Ofcourse, with possession comes responsibility. The full glass screen on the Apple iPod and iPhone is a pretty sight, no doubt. However, it is absolutely no surprise that the pretty thing is a dust-cum-fingerprint magnet (It only sounds fancy, trust me).

Fear not, it takes merely a few minutes to bring back the shine on your beloved Apple iPod or iPhone and get it to look like a gleaming brand new handset yet again. Beware, taking things for granted almost always results in a disaster; therefore, we would recommend you to not try to be too over-confident and take our short guide on how you can clean the screen on your iPod or iPhone. Just so that we are sure you won’t try anything otherwise, let us emphasise that cleaning the touch screen in an improper manner can easily give rise to scratches on the screen and damage your idevice.

Squeaky Clean:

First thing’s first, be very careful as you remove your iPod or iPhone from its protective casing and make sure that you do this very gently as the highly sensitive glass screen on the touchscreen can be easily scratched upon impact, as mentioned before.

All the cleaning products that are required for the act include: a lint-free cloth and an ammonia-free glass cleaner (Yep, that’s about it). If you are the perfectionist sort, we suspect that you won’t mind spending a few extra bucks on a special iPod or iPhone cleanser which, in fact, is easily and widely available in most computer retail shops.

As far as the process goes, start with spraying the cleanser on the glass touchscreen. In doing so, make sure that you do not target the connector block or the speakers which doesn’t take any time in causing a ruckus. Moreover, the Home button is another part on the iPod and iPhone that you need to watch out for. The crevices on the Home button can easily intercept moisture to the internal parts of the device, which is why you need to be extra careful while trying this. Moving on, take a cleaning cloth and wipe off traces of any dirt and oily fingerprints, that there may be, off your iPod or iPhone. With this done, you will not need to worry about minor scratches resulting from persistent friction with the dust settling on the glass screen of the device.

Ending Note:

We do honestly hope that your iPod or iPhone lives, and lives long. It is; therefore, necessary for you to keep it squeaky clean and how you do that has already been thoroughly discussed in the aforementioned guide. Do it right and you shall surely reap rewards with a fresh look on the face of your iDevice. Just in case, if you wish to prevent scratches on your gadget, you may also purchase a brand new case for it. All in all, we wish you and your iPod / iPhone a prosperous life together.

If you find this article helpful, you can always subscribe to our RSS Feed or follow us on Twitter & Facebook for more updates.

Tips On Calibrating Your Mobile Device (Android Phone/iPhone)

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Syed Hassan

Introduction:

We all love our mobile handsets, don’t we? Be it an extremely bland looking mobile phone or a power-performing stylish looking hunk of a mobile device, your mobile phone is always your darling (Wifeys beware, you are in for a scare). With all sorts of mobile phone technology flowing in the mobile market, competition seems to have gotten the best of most. Amidst all the fight for high specifications, battery life has become a stand-out feature for most mobile phones. It’s true that priorities change and so do people, but surely, battery life has become part of mobile buyer’s foremost preferences. However, the focus of today’s post is not the usual ‘how to increase your phone’s battery life’. Instead, it focuses on how to calibrate your mobile device.

What is Calibration?

We understand that there are plenty of people who are unaware of what calibration exactly is. This is precisely why we feel the urge to create awareness among most regarding what it is and how it benefits your mobile device. To put it simply, calibration implies discharging the battery power life of your mobile device, be it an iPhone, Android phone or even a laptop or Macbook for that matter, to the full until the device is not bootable. Since we are so generous and want to fully educate you on what we convey to you, the act of calibration is extremely handy if it is done once a month. However, it all depends on the device usage to be honest. If you are just a casual user and only use your mobile device to make occasional phone calls and send text messages on special occasions, you may only need to do this once every six months (We hope you realize the impossibility of such an incorrect fact). On the contrary, a heavy power-user should really calibrate his/her mobile device once every month. Now then, let us directly move on to how to calibrate your mobile device with our step by step calibration guide.

How to Calibrate?

Step No. 1. Fully drain the battery life of your mobile device until it completely powers off on its own.

Step No. 2. Switch your device back on and allow your mobile device to power itself off yet again.

Step No. 3. Connect the battery charger to your mobile device and allow it to charge for atleast eight full hours while the mobile device is powered off, mind you.

Upon trying the aforementioned calibration methods, users will definitely experience a noticeable increase in the battery life of their mobile devices. Surprising as it may sound, this increase in battery life will also be evident with relatively heavy usage.

Ending Note:

This one is a tried and tested method on most Android phones, laptops and the iPhone and we must admit that it really does work. With that said, we can safely recommend this to each one of you, especially those of you who have either an Android or an Apple device. So then, enjoy calibrating!

If you find this article helpful, you can always subscribe to our RSS Feed or follow us on Twitter& Facebook for more updates.

Top Five iOS Games (Apple iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch)

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Syed Hassan

Overview:

There is no denying the fact that Apple has, over the years, warmly welcomed tens of millions of iOS games developed for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Although we did talk about how the Apple iPad ‘revolutionized’ the tablet market and presented before you a list of quality gaming applications for your eyes in the not-so-recent past, we now decided to prepare a list of five best iOS games that really managed to prove their worth to date and still manage to draw gamers back to the action (which isn’t quite a battlefield; only just an IPS touchscreen but oh well). Yes, it is certainly not tough to find games on the App store (duh!) but amidst all the competition that goes it is surely a pain in the backside (of the head I mean) to enlist the best in the business. So then, let us do the favour and you sit back and admire as we present before you the top five iOS games for Apple iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch.

Here we go..

1. Cut The Rope: Experiments

For a game that that is becoming the fastest iOS game to manage a milestone with one million sales, surely there is no mention necessary (although we did mark it for your sheer convenience). Yes, you got that right-Cut The Rope: Experiments is the name of the deal. Already having set a number of records in the App store, Cut The Rope has made its mark as a potential breakout hit in no time, for sure. Speaking a little about the visuals and layout/model, ‘Cut The Rope’ seems to have quite alot in common with the previous best ‘Angry Birds’ in this regard; however, it seems that the former might just have managed to edge past the latter by a whisker (although it is seriously arguable). While the adorable mini-monster and nice,fluid visuals keep casual gamers interested for a good amount of time, loud and crisp sound and pick-up-and-play control schemes simply take the game to a higher level. Apparantly, your job in the game would merely be to escort a piece of candy from a flimsy dangling rope into the mouth of an Omnom (sounds like nom nom, I know). Evenly paced, this physics-based puzzler will keep you glued to your devices and will definitely make your moneys worth.

2. Real Racing 2

For all those of you who highly rate car racing simulations and even a handful of those who dare to belittle the iOS for making a mess of handheld gaming, Real Racing 2 is here and it is here to stay (as long as it doesn’t crash). Sequel to the original Real Racing for the iPhone, Real Racing 2 brings with it some stunning visuals, some licensed vehicles and an overall life-like racing experience in High Definition which is absolutely great watch. The game features a promising career mode along with a terrific online multiplayer mode that easily adds ten more hours of gameplay than usual. The tilt-and-touch driving mechanics coupled with adjustable thresholds and automatic breaking really adds to the breath-taking atmosphere as you pimp your ride on the racing tracks. A must buy really for all racing fanatics out there.

3. Infinity Blade

Epic Games and Chair Entertainment managed a feat that took the shape of a stunning, addictive and surprisingly deep epic fantasy hack n slash game among the best of the lot. This baby was named, the Infinity Blade by developers (what guardians, eh?). Undoubtedly, the game has been one of the most discussed gaming titles on the iOS and manages to immensely satisfy with its stunning visuals (courtesy of state-of-the-art Unreal Engine 3 development technology) cum unique, cyclical storyline as well as the masterful control scheme. Upon donning the suit of the warrior, feel free to take the stage and parry, block, dodge enemy attacks and swing your mighty sword to take down anyone who hinders your path. With a fancy story set in place, Infinity blade will offer some good replay value and keep you interested for long.

4. Fruit Ninja

So, you love Street Fighter, eh? No, unfortunately Fruit Ninja won’t be catering for your Street Fighting needs; instead, what Fruit Ninja would be allowing you is to slice and slash through sweet, juicy fruit with no mercy whatsoever. Plus, you need to watch out for those bombs that keep coming up at random to mess your brains. Slice through the bomb and you shall have a piece of your own medicine (GAME OVER!). Yes, that is the main idea behind Fruit Ninja. Although the whole scheme sounds relatively simple compared to some other hardcore comes on the App scene so far, Fruit Ninja pleasantly surprises with its addictive gameplay and the sort of punch it delivers courtesy the game design and easy-to-use controls (a swipe on the screen-yes, that’s all it takes!). Being refreshing title for most casual gamers out there, Fruit Ninja is easily a must-buy for all and sundry.

5. Asphalt 6: Adrenaline

It takes some longevity to make it to a collection of merely five titles categorized under THE finest, part of which is a racing game already (Up at the top, there!). There is no reason why Asphalt 6 should not have made five of the finest on iOS. Although far from realism, or more conventionally known as simulation, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline combines elements of next-gen games like Ridge Racer and Split Second to produce an overall peach of a racing game. Cash bonuses and alternative routes hang in as some great incentives in the arcade title. There might not have been too much focus on the physics of the game; yet, the need for speed seems to be the main element in question as gamers blast their way at hyper speeds while causing a few collisions here and there. With an appeal of its own, Asphalt 6 complements our list of the top five iOS games that are, without a hint of doubt, worth your hard-earned cash (Well, even black money would do).

If you find this article helpful, you can always subscribe to our RSS Feed or follow us on Twitter& Facebook for more.

Best New Features in Apple IOS 5

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Syed Hassan

Overview:

There is absolutely no doubt that Apple never fails to make the headlines; this year is no different. Hot on the heels of their predecessors, the Apple iPad 3 and the iPhone 5 are arguably the most awaited devices. While there has not been any proper announcement for the Apple iPhone 5, the word in the media is that Apple’s iPad 3 is expected to release as early as Autumn, 2011. In the meanwhile, we decided to bring to you the five most significant and best features (out of many) about the Apple’s recently announced operating system whose developer preview had been released immediately after its announcement. It is important to note, though, that the official release of the iOS 5 is only expected until ‘some’ time in fall. Anyway, here is the list of five most significant pointers that we would really want to draw your attention to…

1. iOS 5 Notification Center

Despite the virtually no visual changes in its core interface, the iOS 5 enjoys some deserving support from the notification center. The iOS 5 Notifications allow users to access updates absolutely anywhere on the go. Notifications will include things like new incoming text messages, missed calls, calendar update as well as application updates ofcourse (we are assuming you do not know a thing about the word ‘notifications’-kind I know). Without posing even a hint of interruption to the user, the notifications appear in the top half segment of the screen, ever so conveniently and can be viewed with both, the lockscreen and the homescreen on. More noticeable is the pull-down Notification Center-a feature that not only quite closely resembles the Android mechanic; infact, it performs like one too. Not to mention, the widget support in the notification center certainly beefs it up.

2. Newsstand

You may safely say goodbye to the hassle of keeping all your collection of reading material stacked up in your room because your iDevice will do the favour from now on. Yes that is right-organizing your magazine and newspaper application subscriptions, the iOS 5 allows access to your favorite publications with ease and grace all around. With separate room especially made for newspaper and magazine subscriptions on the Apple store, Newsstand automatically becomes a go-to service for amenities such as these (Almost makes me wonder how early inventions like these would put hawkers out of service!). Yes, spot on-almost exactly the same way you have newspaper delivered on your doorstep.

3. iOS 5 Camera

Cameras are a striking feature on mobile devices these days, there is absolutely no denying that. To be honest, that genuinely strengthens the case for the iOS 5 camera that comes with the all new operating system. A great new addition in its own self, the iOS 5 camera allows users to take pictures using the volume buttons, and also a camera button on the lock screen has been provided this time so as to access the camera feature directly without having to dig deep into the UI. Ofcourse, the iOS 5 camera is incomplete without the photo editing features but no worries there as features like crop, rotate, enhance and remove have also been made part. More so, pinch to zoom while taking a picture simply complements the entire scheme of things.

4. iOS 5 Twitter Support

“It’s such a small world, no?”, “Wow, I got a new follower, see!”, “Guess what, this dude just joined my hash tag and ruined it with his bullc*ap just so that he could get a better clout score, hmph!”..If you haven’t heard or spewed any of this before, it won’t be long before you do. Why? Well, simply because Apple has natively introduced the once rumoured Twitter into its latest operating system, and with a one-click option this time around. It’s a late goodbye to slow and delayed tweets (very much in the Poets of the Fall fashion) now that the new iOS5 has made tweeting easier and quicker on the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Once signed in via the Settings menu, users may tweet directly from Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube, or any application for that mater-meaning thereby no more constant signing in to every new application that is downloaded to the device. Oh, and do not forget to use the ‘add a location to my tweet’ feature if you really care.

5. PC Free

Who does not like freedom in this whole wide world (assuming we got the right answer)? The iOS 5 devices are no different, not even by a stretch. Good news is, gone are the days when Apple devices were not a one-time investment as users no longer require a personal computer to operate an Apple handheld (iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch). The devices now enjoy the freedom to be set up independently (of both, PC and wires) as updates can now be downloaded directly on the device itself. In addition, creation of back up and restore feature is only a matter of a few minutes using the iCloud.

Here’s how Apple introduced the IOS 5 features:

IFRAME Embed for Youtube

If you find this article helpful, you can always subscribe to our RSS Feed or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google + for more.

Apple finally gets Flash Video for iPads and iPhones

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Syed Hassan

At last, the wait is over (if there really was any). Jokes aside, the news comes as quite a surprising development following the release of Flash Media Server 4.5, for the Apple exclusive iOS mobile operating system, by Adobe. Surprising this is because if I can recall correctly, Mr. Steve Jobs (the one who needs absolutely no mention) was quite critical of the Adobe flash and always seemed to be extra keen on backing the exclusion of Flash on the Apple devices with reasons. Hence, this makes for a really interesting ‘tech-corollary’ like this.

Brief Overview of Flash Media Server:

So much for the new Flash induction, let us now shed light on the Flash Media Server itself. Adobe’s not-so-old software was made available in December, 2010 as a pay-as-you-go option, a package that allowed customers to stream videos using using MPEG4 fragments, in the F4F file format. Come 2011, the latest version of Flash Media Server now enjoys support for a different protocol, HLS. Although the Flash Media Server detects no Flash support on the client device, it does detect Flash content in MPEG 2 stream, courtesy the HLS format. Plus, browsers with HTML 5 capability support the HLS format; thereby, aiding most broadcasters win a larger audience.

How it will work:

Now the question is, how does this work and more specifically how effective this proves in the long run. Well, to be honest the latter may not be answerable as this is a little too early for any sort of any judgement but we can certainly, although briefly, enlighten you on how this ‘revamping’ is planned to work out. So far, all that has been said about it is that broadcasters will now be allowed to stream Flash-based video content in an Apple-derived format, HTTP Live Streaming (HLS). It is important to note, though, that Flash Media Server 4.5 will only allow Flash video streaming to most Apple devices; yet, there will be no cherry for Flash-based games, animations and advertisements.

Conclusion:

As most would already know, Microsoft has been trying its level best to get Silverlight-based content to Apple devices for long now. In light of this, the induction of Flash Media Server 4.5 seems like a significant development which may well pave way for various such developments in the near future. For now, it would be interesting to see how users react to this new flavour in their Apples. Besides, the best selling iPad app is Flash based.

If you find this article helpful, you can always subscribe to our RSS Feed or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google + for more.

Reasons Why The Xoom is Better than the iPad

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Shobz

It is a well established fact that the Apple iPad is the king of the Tablet Market and has been doing really for itself. There was a lot of talk about competition from Android Tablets but so far they have not been able to create a niche for themselves. The Motorola Xoom came close to being the next big thing but was badly let down by its price and lack of good apps. This does not mean that the Motorola Xoom is a bad tablet in any way. In fact, there are several ways where the Motorola Xoom is better than the iPad.

Note: The Comparison of the Xoom and iPad is based on the current operating systems available for it.

You don’t need a PC to set up your Xoom

The most annoying thing about the iPad is that you need to connect it to your PC or Mac with a USB cable to activate it through iTunes. The idea of a Tablet was that one can use it anywhere and not depend on a computer. The Xoom trumps the iPad as you can easily setup without having to connect it to a computer. This is a great feature which is missing in the iPad and is one reason why people should opt for a Motorola Xoom.

Widget Support

The best thing about Android is that it supports widgets. That is what differentiates it from iOS and gives it an edge. Widgets make it easy for the user to do tasks without having to open the application. It’s a pity that there is no support for Widgets in the current version of the iPad, though there is talk that Apple will be introducing the feature in Ios 5. The fact that this feature already exists on the Xoom and not an iPad is another point in the Xoom’s favor.

Notifications

The worst thing about the iPad is its notifications feature. Apple may have come up with a great design but it totally sucks when you are doing something important and a notification comes up and ruins your flow of thought. The Motorola Xoom’s Android OS ensures that notifications do not interrupt your thought flow. All notifications come up at the bottom of the screen while letting you go on with what you are doing. This feature is a huge plus point for the Xoom. On a side note it is interesting that Apple is copying the notifications feature in its upcoming Ios 5.

Multitasking and Navigation

It is quite easy to multitask on the Motorola Xoom and switch between apps. The interface is built in such a way that one can switch between email, photos or videos by simply pressing the button on the left side of the Xoom. The whole process is straight forward and is way better than pressing the home button twice to select a list of active apps on the iPad.

The Xoom also comes with proper navigation buttons on the screen which makes navigation much easier. It certainly helps having a navigation button (even if it’s virtual) to find your way around. It is way better pressing a virtual button to return to the home screen or to go back to a previous task. The iPad requires the Home button in order to return to the home screen and that’s what put it at a disadvantage.

Updates

Xoom Updates are a piece of cake and do not require any rocket science. All updates are done over the air and do not require the Xoom to be tethered to a computer in order to download the update. The horrible thing about the iPad is that you have to connect it to a computer and download the Ios update. The cool thing about Android is that you are notified about the update while iPad users have to connect their devices via iTunes to find out.

Sharing

It is a lot easier to share things on a Xoom than an iPad. If you want to share a web page on the Xoom, you are given the option of sharing it via a selection of apps which make sharing easy. The Xoom gives you a lot of freedom to access and share information with others while the iPad is limited as it merely gives you the choice of sharing via twitter, adding it as a bookmark, printing or mailing it as a link. It sucks that the iPad is so limited when it comes to sharing but at least the Xoom gives you plenty of sharing options.

App Updates

The Xoom has a great system for App updates. It gives you the options of automatically updating your apps or to be notified if there is an update available for it. All notifications are unobtrusive and let you carry on with what you are doing. It is way better than the iPad where one has to visit the App Store to find out if there are any updates available.

Conclusion

The Xoom may not be like the Apple iPad but it sure has a lot going for it. It’s a pity that there aren’t many apps available for the Xoom otherwise it would have been able to get a good share in the market. If you want a Tablet with ease of use and more flexibility then the Xoom is the Tablet for you.

If you find this article helpful, you can always subscribe to our RSS Feed or follow us on Twitter & Facebook for more.

15 Free Apps For The iPad

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Shobz

It is a well known fact that Apps for the iPad are pricier than apps for the iPhone. It is easier to find more free apps for the iPhone than it is for the iPad. One can find free apps for the iPad but the quality leaves a lot to be desired. Fortunately there are still some good apps which are available for free for the iPad. We have combed the internet to search for some of the best iPad apps for you.

1. Dictionary for iPad

Dictionary is one of the best quality apps for the iPad. It is way better than the other Dictionary apps. It also provides offline access and allows for access to around 2 million words and 90,000 thesaurus entries. The fact that there is no need to go online to search for words is a huge bonus though you do need to go online if you want to find daily content, check the word trends, do a voice to text search and use the audio pronunciation feature.

2. Evernote (universal)

Evernote is a really efficient note taking app which has made waves for allowing users to save ideas in the form of documents, images and web clips. Evernote is a universal app and will work on both the iPad and iPhone. In my experience Evernote works better on the iPad as it looks better on the iPad’s big screen and makes it easy to take a look at all the saved material.

3. Kindle

The Kindle app is a great solution for all those people who do not have a Kindle Unit. It is termed as an alternative to Apple’s iBooks. The great thing about this app is that it gives you access to Amazon’s Kindle Store. The eBooks downloaded from the Kindle Store can also be read on the PC, Mac , iPhone,iPad and even your Kindle Reader. The only catch is that you have to be logged on with the same account you bought the books with. One more benefit of using the Amazon Kindle Store is that one can choose from a selection of over 950,000 books so you can’t go wrong with the Kindle.

4. Epicurious

I find the Epicurious app for the iPad to be really useful. There is something so great about this app that I drool each time I search for a recipe via this digital Cookbook App. It is like reading a large cook book which will be able to present any recipe you search for (or any recipe in its database). It gives you access to a large library of recipes and also helps you prepare a shopping list of recipes once you have decided. The iPad was truly made for drool worthy apps like these.

5. Twitterific

There are so many Third Party Twitter apps for the iPad so that it’s tough to make a choice. Earlier the best apps were Tweetdeck and Twitter’s Official app for the iPad. Those days are over as Twitterific is the best app I have seen so far. It has a beautiful simple interface which is total eye candy. It is very intuitive and allows for a pleasant tweeting experience. The only catch is that the free version has ads but then they are not pop up ads and tend not to be a distraction.

6. eBay for iPad

Everyone knows that eBay is the best place on the web to bid for and sell stuff. The eBay for iPad is beautifully designed so that the user does not need to use a browser to enjoy his/her eBay experience. The app is beautiful to look at and allows for fast loading. There aren’t many features available but eBay promises to implement more features in the future.

7. The Official Marvel Comics App

The iPad has proved itself to be a good e-book reader due to the sheer number of apps available for it. The Marvel Comics app is a great digital comic reader for the iPad. The resolution on the iPad is far superior to the iPhone. There are a few free titles available for the Marvel Comics app while the rest are available for a free. This is strictly for fans of Marvel Comics Characters.

8. Shazam

Shazam is the iPad version of the song identification service. There is no difference between the iPhone and iPad version except that the iPad version is free for a short period of time and that the resolution on the iPad is better. It is a good bargain for all those who don’t want to spend money buying the paid version of the app for unlimited tagging.

9. Flipboard

Flipboard is one of the most elegant apps for the iPad. it did so well that it was named as Apple’s App of the year. Its basic goal is to gain access to your social networking tools and turns them into magazines. All your tweets and updates are presented like they are in a print layout. It also does wonders with RSS feeds by presenting it in a magazine format. It is no wonder people have gone gaga over this app.

10. Google Earth

Google Earth is so popular that there is also an app available for the iPad. Even though it lacks the 3D effects of its PC compatriot it still does a great job on the iPad. It is quite handy looking at maps via Google Earth on an iPad than an iPhone any day.

11. Wikipanion for iPad

There is a reason why it’s great to have a dedicated app for certain websites instead of simply loading them via the browser. The Wikipanion for iPad is a great app which allows users to access Wikipedia on the iPad in a simple and efficient manner. The fact that there is a two pane landscape view which permits easy access to history and to save bookmarks makes it a winner. PS. You need to be online to gain access to Wikipedia.

12. Friendly for Facebook

Facebook has taken forever to create an iPad app. People tend to use their iPhone Facebook Apps on their iPad but then the fact that it is not a universal app which is optimized for the iPad leaves a lot to be desired. Fortunately for us Friendly for Facebook is here to fill the gap by making the iPad experience a joy. It may not be the official app but it is quite speedy and allows for multiple account support and customizable colors. The only catch is that it is ad supported as most free apps are. There is also a paid version of the app which does not have any ads.

13. Dropbox

Dropbox is termed as a service which lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere. You can simply install Dropbox on any of your devices such as the PC, Mac or iPhone and share any of the files in the folders. The files are automatically synced and can be accessed from any other device with Dropbox. Dropbox accounts are free and come with 2 GB of storage space. If you want more storage space you need to pay up for it. the fact that you can easily move files from one place to another makes Dropbox an essential app.

14. Adobe Photoshop Express

Adobe Photoshop Express is a great app which allows users to go around doing simple stuff like With basic edits (crop, straighten, rotate, flip, levels and lighting adjustments), and applying a few effects. The great thing is that this app is free. It is really fast, does not crash and is very useful if you need to edit a picture on the fly.

15. WordPress

The WordPress app works well on both the iPhone and iPad. it is the official app from WordPress and is easier to use on the iPad. However the only limitation with this app is that it will let you compose text based posts and not work on any visual posts. On the bright side this is a handy tool which allows for editing existing content and managing comments.

If you find this article helpful, you can always subscribe to our RSS Feed or follow us on Twitter & Facebook for more.