Free IPad Apps: Top Hits And Hidden Gems

Free IPad Apps: Top Hits And Hidden Gems, You may have a few of these on your device already – but not all of them. It’s the hottest tech toy of the year, thus far, and for good reason: Apple’s latest iPad builds upon what made its predecessors so popular – an intuitive touchscreen interface, smooth integration with iTunes and 10-hour battery – but have added a high-resolution “Retina” display, better cameras and faster graphics processor.

Finding and downloading applications at the App Store is also a cinch compared to other tablets, and with nearly 800,000 to choose from — including support for apps designed for iPhone and iPod touch.

In fact, not only are apps relatively affordable — only a buck or two apiece, for the most part — but many tens of thousands of them are completely free to use, as well.

If you’re looking to fill up your iPad with awesome apps that won’t cost you a dime, consider these following suggestions — ranging from the über popular to the obscure, but all worthy of your attention.

Skype for iPad
Ok, so this one might not be much of a shocker. iPad 2 and new iPad owners can video chat for free with friends and family anywhere in the world – as long as they’re using a Skype-enabled device, too, such as a tablet, smartphone, computer or television.

Using a Wi-Fi network or cellular connectivity (if the tablet has it), you can see who you’re talking to and they can see you, plus you can tap to change to the rear-facing camera for them to see what you’re looking at (such as a home renovation, as you walk around the home). Another great video calling app for iPad is Apple’s own FaceTime, which works over Wi-Fi but not cellular connectivity.

Planetary
Music lovers, listen up. The free Planetary is a beautiful way to explore and listen to the music stored on your tablet. As the name suggests, Bloom Studio’s app delivers a 3-D rendering of space — but the stars are the artists in your music collection, the planets that rotate around them are the albums and the moons that rotate around the planets are your songs.

As you listen to your tunes, the camera slowly pans around the beautifully animated celestial scene. Not only does it look great on the iPad’s 9.7-inch screen, but you also can connect the tablet to a big-screen TV (via an optional HDMI adapter) to wow your friends during a house party.