Best iPad apps of the week

It’s high time to take a butcher’s at the best iPad apps to have just graced the iTunes Store with their presence. You’ve splashed a big wedge of cash on Apple’s tablet, after all, so why not spend a few quid more on some killer software? At the same time, you don’t want to chuck money away on the latest generation of fart apps – our weekly guide to the best iPad apps will ensure you avoid the chaff and get stuck into the wheat. Get stuck in!

Wired Magazine (UK)
£2.39 per issue iTunes
The Yank edition of Wired has long been considered one of the best iPad apps, at least when it comes to digital magazines, and now the UK version is also available for tablet perusal. Packed with compelling tech and science stories, winning design and lashings of lovely interactivity, the app is cheaper than the on-shelf cover price of the print mag (£3.99) but pricier than a subscription (£2 per month). And don’t feel left out if you own a non-Apple tablet – non-iPad editions of Wired UK are planned for rival models

Lights, Camera, Capture!
£5.99 iTunes
Are you an enthusiastic amateur photographer looking to take things to the next level? No, we don’t mean glamour model photography, you dirty-minded so-and-so – we’re talking about snapping photos like a pro, but without the huge outlay on lighting gear. Using interactive video exhibits, Lights, Camera, Capture! steers you through the process of taking eye-popping studio quality pictures with a minimum of lighting equipment. We’re talking the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, ISO and whichever lens you’re using, plus the key points about lighting your photos properly. Easily one of the best iPad apps for photography, even if that’s not saying much while Apple’s tablet itself lacks a camera.

Words with Friends HD
£1.79 iTunes
The Scrabble-esque iPhone game (described as “the new Twitter” by none other than guitar-noodling serial swordsman John Mayer) has been jazzed up with fancier graphics for its iPad release, which nevertheless remains compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch versions of the game – so you can play a game across different devices. It’s turn based, so you can take on several of the millions-strong Words with Friends community simultaneously, or just play your real life friends by passing round the iPad once you’ve placed your letters.

Fruit Ninja HD
£2.99 iTunes
Everyone knows that ninja love to slice fruit in their time off from assassinating shogun and sneaking around on rooftops, and now you can feel just what it’s like to pare a watermelon in twain – in lovely iPad HD graphics! Like Words with Friends, Fruit Ninja was something of a “phenom” on the iPhone, and now it’s dropped silently and stealthily onto the iPad, letting you carve up various fruits by swiping your digits across the screen.

Harden’s Restaurant Guide 2011
£5.99 iTunes
Do you consider yourself a “foodie” who would sooner gouge out your appendix with a blunt spoon than eat at a Nando’s? Then this, my gastronomic friend, is the best iPad app for you – well, it is if you live in the UK, anyway. The guide features reviews and ratings for the finest eateries in the realm, works offline and thanks to the iPad’s GPS talents can show you the nearest quality restaurant to your location. Bon appetit, etc.

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