The 10 best iOS apps of 2011

Those who find an iPod Touch, iPad or iPhone in their stocking this Christmas will be needing some apps. Shane Richmond picks his favourites of the year.


1 Flipboard for iPhone; iPhone and iPad, free
Released earlier this month, Flipboard for iPhone goes straight in at No1. This “social magazine” draws in stories from links your friends are sharing on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere and combines them with others from preselected feeds. The iPad app looks great on the large screen. Flipboard has been rethought for the iPhone’s smaller display and the app is blazingly fast.
More: Flipboard for iPhone - full review


2 Charlie Brown Christmas; iPhone and iPad, £4.99
This seasonal entry is so good that it might well remain on your iPhone or iPad. The app takes the 1965 cartoon and turns it into a picture book narrated by Peter Robbins, who voiced Charlie Brown. It’s beautifully designed, with characters that pop out, along with games and extras. In short, a wonderfully appealing app that you will want to show off.
More: The 10 best children's apps of 2011


3 Infinity Blade II; iPhone and iPad, £4.99
The original Infinity Blade sword-fighting game demonstrated the high-quality graphics that Apple’s iOS devices are capable of producing. Infinity Blade II pushes the limits even further. It’s more than just the graphics that make it special, though: the control system is ideal for a touchscreen. Swiping across the glass to deliver a slashing attack with your sword feels just right and is enormously satisfying.


4 Sky+; iPhone and iPad, free
The fact that this app lets you set your Sky+ box to record from wherever you are would be enough to recommend it, even if it had no other features at all. However, it has plenty more to offer. The Sky+ app, which was given an improved design this year, is also a great television guide in its own right. The Showcase section provides a pleasing visual guide to the highlights of the next 24 hours, while the television guide gives more depth. You can view details of programmes for the next seven days, filter channels by genre and even set up your own favourites.

5 The Waste Land; iPad, £9.99
This has everything you could want in an iPad version of a poem as significant as TS Eliot’s The Waste Land. There is the verse itself, of course, along with detailed, informative, line-by-line notes, which will be helpful to students and anyone else who may be interested in understanding the work in more depth. In addition, there are six readings of the poem, including two by Eliot himself and an excellent one by Sir Alec Guinness, plus a picture gallery and a facsimile of the original manuscript. Topping it all off is a selection of video commentary and analysis by the likes of Seamus Heaney, Jeanette Winterson and Faber & Faber poetry editor Paul Keegan. It’s pretty difficult to argue with that kind of quality.


6 Tweetbot; iPhone, £1.99
There’s no shortage of Twitter apps, and while the official one has just been revamped, there are plenty of options for those who would prefer an alternative. Tweetbot is easy to use but remarkably powerful. Avid Twitter users will love the customisable navigation and configurable smart gestures, yet novices won’t find themselves overwhelmed by features. Tweetbot describes itself as “a Twitter client with personality” and that’s apparent in the sounds and animation. However, you can turn off the audio if you like.

7 The Original Tale of Peter Rabbit; iPhone and iPad, £1.49
Beatrix Potter’s classic children’s story has been turned into a lovely app by Penguin Books. It features the original text and illustrations from the book, which celebrates its centenary next year. Subtly animated, the pictures are accompanied by sound effects and music composed by Carl Davis. Beyond the story, the range of games includes Hungry Bunny, in which Peter has to catch falling vegetables in his basket. The app also allows children to colour in scenes from the book.

8 W.E.L.D.E.R; iPhone and iPad, £2.49
If word games are more your style than action titles such as Infinity Blade, then W.E.L.D.E.R could be the ideal way to kill a few hours. It’s a simple enough concept: swap letters on a grid to make words and clear the tiles. Some tiles cannot be moved until you have built a word around them; others offer bonus multipliers and the key to reaching a high score is in combining these. The game soon becomes very challenging indeed and it’s easy to lose whole evenings poring over a particularly tricky puzzle. Integration with Apple’s iCloud means that you can save a puzzle from your iPad and pick it up on your iPhone, or vice versa.

9 Huddlestones; iPhone and iPad, £1.49
This set of children’s flashcards is an absolute delight, from its beautiful design to its brilliant simplicity. All the app contains is the letters A to Z — in upper and lower case — and an illustration for each, but it’s the design that makes it special. The cards are drawn to look like an old-fashioned children’s toy, complete with faded textures for the background and wooden toys among the illustrations. Navigation is very simple: swipe horizontally to flip a card over, and vertically to move to the next or previous one.

10 Photoshake for iPad; iPad, £1.49
The App Store offers plenty of photography apps to suit almost every need. One of these, Photoshake, makes it simple to combine photographs and create new images. It offers a range of themes and all you need to do is pick one and then add your photos to create a collage. From there it’s easy to share them via a social network, such as Facebook or Twitter, or to email them to friends. If you want a random selection of images, this can be achieved simply by shaking your iPad — hence the name of the app. There is an iPhone version but that is a separate app and costs a further £1.49.



SOurce: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

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