The Best iPad Apps Of The Week

The AppAdvice iPad App Of The Week: Back to the Future Episode 4 HD Released June 2 ($6.99); article Today Telltale Games released the fourth episode in their five-part point-and-click adventure series based on the world of Back to the Future. To drum up a little excitement for this latest release and give those of you who haven't had a chance to experience this unique time traveling adventure, Telltale has also decided to make the first episode available for free for a limited time. Back to the Future Episode 4 - Double Visions takes Marty McFly all the way back to 1931 in order to try and convince a young Doc Brown and Edna Strickland that they aren't meant for each other, because if he doesn't, the world as he knows it in 1986 will cease to exist. Back to the Future Episode 4 HD for iPad, like all previous episodes, is available in the App Store for $6.99. Expect to see the final episode in this time traveling adventure hit the App Store sometime next month. If that $6.99 per episode price tag has been keeping you from giving Telltale's latest adventure series a try, today's your lucky day. Back to the Future Episode 1 HD for iPad is now available for free and will remain that way until July 31st. New Releases Instamap Released May 30 ($1.99); article Instamap is a recently released application for the iPad, which allows users to view Instagram photographs and subscribe to to images by locations or tags. Currently, the app is available to download for $1.99. As mentioned Instamap allows users to "subscribe" to Instagram images via location or tag. Once subscribed, images will appear live within the app as they are uploaded to Instagram. Users of the app can also "like" or add comments to images from within the app, as well as view Instagram users' photo streams. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 for iPad Released June 2 ($9.99); article EA has finally decided to grace iPad owners with a native version of its very popular first-person shooter based on the long-running PC and console franchise. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 for iPad is now available on the App Store and looks to be the same game as the iPhone version, with visuals modified for the larger screen. If you are new to the game, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is an FPS that offers both a single-player campaign and online multiplayer. The game stands out from most other iDevice shooters because it also allows you to control vehicles in combat. You can battle on foot, or with tanks and helicopters. The game also offers explosives, like RPGs and grenades, to hurl at enemies. Jon Lester Hardball Ace Released June 2 (free, universal); article Today, we have a treat for baseball fans, especially those of the Red Sox. Jon Lester Hardball Ace is a tribute to acclaimed pitcher Jon Lester. Players must bat against Lester in an attempt to make as many runs as possible. Jon Lester Hardball Ace provides both practice and league modes, where a player can choose to be identified as a Rookie, a Minor league batter, or even a Major Leaguer. Lester will be throwing out nearly every pitch in the book to strike you out, and you must find a way to combat his fastballs, sliders, and more to make anything from an infield single to an all-out home run. There's even an occasional taunt by Jon to keep you on your toes. Updates OmmWriter for iPad Released May 30 ($4.99); article OmmWriter for iPad is a new application that promises to make writing relaxing, easy and enjoyable. Currently, the application - which is iPad only - is available to purchase in the App Store for $4.99. Essentially, the app offers a stripped-down writing experience, which is void of cluttering features, allowing users to concentrate on writing, and writing only. Furthermore, the app provides users with audio and visual effects (including "dynamic chromatherapy techniques") to enhance their writing experience, and promote concentration. A Knights Dawn Updated June 1 ($.99, universal); article If you are a fan of tower defense games and want a unique game of that genre, check out A Knights Dawn. The game has recently been updated to version 1.001 with various bugs sorted out. This is the best time to grab it as it is a universal app and a new take on this overdone (on the App Store) genre. Instead of enemies coming up to your castle on a side-by-side 2D plane, the game has them come up stairways (or other pathways) from multiple levels. There are also a wide variety of backgrounds to play on, ranging from brick-and-mortar castles to forests and mountains. GarageBand Updated June 1 ($4.99); article First posted by MacStories (and surely noticed by several readers since), Apple has updated two more of its flagship iOS applications (the first batch being the iWork suite): GarageBand and iMovie. The former received the most substantial set of feature tweaks, while the latter's improvements are strictly bug-related. GarageBand, in addition to getting some bug fixes of its own, now supports audio output over AirPlay. Additionally, Bluetooth devices are now supported, as is HDMI-out (via the Apple Digital AV Adapter). Most useful, however, is the app's newfound ability to process imported AIFF, WAV, and CAF audio files (along with 16-bit Apple Loops) and its clipboard support for copying and pasting music files from other compatible iOS apps. AroundMe Updated June 2 (free, universal); article AroundMe (free), the popular information-finding, location-based iPhone and iPod touch app, has recently been updated. Now, the app is universal - meaning iPad owners can join in on the fun! The latest version of the application (4.2.0), which hit the App Store yesterday, adds only one feature: "iPad support." Previously, the app was updated and received support for the Retina display, and more recently it gained an augmented reality mode. As outlined in the app's release notes:

AroundMe quickly identifies your position and allows you to choose the nearest Bank, Bar, Gas Station, Hospital, Hotel, Movie Theatre, Restaurant, Supermarket, Theatre and Taxi. AroundMe shows you a complete list of all the businesses in the category you have tapped on along with the distance from where you are.

TOTALe Companion HD Updated June 2 (free); article Rosetta Stone is now on the iPad. The leading provider of technology-based language-learning solutions unveiled today its TOTALe Companion HD app at an event in New York City. It is the company’s first iPad app. Already available as an iPhone/iPod touch app, TOTALe Companion is Rosetta Stone’s innovative, comprehensive language-learning solution. It teaches others a different language using a combination of lessons to online sessions with native speaking tutors. iA Writer Updated June 3 ($4.99); article iA Writer, the popular and highly acclaimed writing app from Information Architects, has just been updated to version 1.3. The utility's App Store landing page lists the following changes:

New accessory input keyboard for German, Russian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and English
UI fixes and new icons
Dropbox sync repairs
Various bug fixes

Most of the tweaks are under the hood (and should go without much notice), but the app's new icon is shockingly bad. I much prefer the original artwork, and this obelisk-like alteration seems wholly unnecessary. Aesthetically, it's just too bright and gaudy compared to the first iteration, and, though simpler, it's far more bold. I use iA Writer every day, but staring down at that plain, blue logo is giving me the blues. What do you think of our picks? Leave your comments below. The Best iPad Apps Of The Week is published each weekend; a companion piece, The Best iPhone Apps Of The Week, is published separately.