There was lots of good stuff in the iTunes App Store this week for the iPad. Travel guides, cool games and a great tool for students and academics all make an appearance on the list this week, along with a physics game for your entertainment.
Chicago Travel Guide Offline ($3.99)
Cityscouter.com released several guide apps this week, including Chicago Travel Guide Offline ($3.99) that can be used offline—a must if you’ve got the Wi-Fi-only iPad and want to explore your destination. The app includes a handy map with several buttons—museums, shopping, entertainment, restaurants, and more. Tap a button and category-specific pins pop up on the map. A “Transport” section gives you everything you need to know to find and use public transportation lines in the city.
The “Events” calendar can be updated whenever you are online, and accessed offline; it lists “Today’s Events”, events that are happening today near your location, and events by date, category, venue or name. The “Home” section includes an overview of the city, must-see sights, and several of points of interest listed by category. Tap “Accomodations,” and you can even check availability and prices of hotels (by location if you so choose), and allows you to book a room via booking.com or priceline.com.
Social for the iPad ($1.99)
It’s long past the time when Facebook should have released an official iPad app. The latest to attempt to fill the void is Social for the iPad ($1.99). It’s the closest I’ve seen to mirror Facebook via the web. Categories along the bottom include: “News Feed,” “Profile,” “Friends,” “Notifications,” “Requests” and “Messages.” Tap “More” to access your Groups, Pages, Events, Photos and even Chat, though Social’s Facebook chat is still in the“experimental” stage. In a test, it worked OK for me, though it was slightly slow. Future planned updates should make Social even better.
Supermarket Management HD ($4.99)
The trend in time-management apps seems to have shifted from restaurants to supermarkets. This week brings Supermarket Management HD ($4.99). The main character, “Kate,” graduates from college and gets a job managing a grocery store. Your goal is to guide her toward keeping her customers happy. The challenge becomes more difficult as the levels progress. We’re not breaking new time-management ground here, but the game is nicely done. Share your accomplishments on Facebook.
No, Human ($1.99)
Simple graphics in No, Human ($1.99) don’t reflect the challenge of this physics game. You’re the universe, battling the pathetic humans who are trying to take over. Throw comets at the humans’ space junk, bouncing off space particles where necessary. It takes some planning and forethought to figure out the best direction — and speed — to hurl your comets, so proceed thoughtfully.
TermPaper ($1.99)
Perhaps the best writing app to hit the iTunes App Store, TermPaper ($1.99) makes it a cinch to write a paper, including citations. Add your citations from books, periodicals, the Web, or other sources, such as interviews and films. Simply choose the citation type and fill in the blanks. TermPaper lists the citations at the end of your paper using MLA format, and allows you to easily add references throughout the work. Tap “Formatted” to see how your paper will appear once printed, and also email or export as a .pdf. For $2, TermPaper is a bargain, and will help to make the iPad a necessary tool for any student.
