The Best New And Updated iPad Apps This Week, November 20-26, 2011
November 27, 2011
The AppAdvice iPad App Of The Week
Instacast HD, Released November 23, $4.99
Instacast HD Is A Great Way To Catch Up On Podcasts From Your iPad
Instacast HD by Vemedio is the iPad version of one of the best podcast apps for the iPhone.
Let’s face it – it’s a hassle to listen to podcasts via iTunes. You have to download each episode, which means that precious hard drive space must be used. Then you have to sync it to your device, granted, WiFi sync has made this a little easier, but it’s still a nuisance.
Ever since I've discovered Instacast when it was first released in March, I've never looked back. On the iPhone, streaming and downloading podcasts has never been easier. The interface on the iPhone is clean and simple, and looks as if it was something Apple had designed themselves. Instacast on iPhone was just perfect for my needs, and when I heard that they were working on an HD version for the iPad, I could not contain my cries of joy.
New Releases
Wolfram Flight Information Reference App, Released November 21, $1.99 & Universal
The Wolfram Flight Information Reference App Launches On iOS
Less than a week after updating its search functionality to include real-time flight information about planes flying overhead, the folks at Wolfram Alpha LLC are including the technology in a new iOS app. The Wolfram Flight Information Reference App is available now for the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad.
Available for $1.99, the universal app could very well become the only flight tracking app iOS owners ever need going forward. The Wolfram Flight Information Reference App includes real-time data on flight arrivals and delays worldwide, plus scheduled and actual times for takeoff and landing. In addition, users can track details for each flight, including maximum altitude, cruising speed and aircraft information.
Updated
Google Search, Updated November 21, Free & Universal
Google Adds Better Search Result Browsing For iPad And Full-Screen For iPhone To Their Universal iOS App
The Google Search app has been something of a mixed gift for iDevice owners, offering only minor to no benefit when compared to accessing the company's web apps from an iOS web browser. However, it appears Google is still attempting to satisfy iPhone users by providing the option of a full-screen mode and iPad users by adding features already available through web browsers, such as Google Instant and Instant Preview, plus a few others that actually go beyond, such as a new image browser.
Hitpad – See What’s Up, Updated November 21, Free
The Popular News App Hitpad Releases An Impressive Update In Version 2.0
Hitpad, a popular newsreader app, has just received a wonderful update. Several months ago, we wrote a review of Hitpad and overall felt it was a decent app. Now, it is even better. Based on feedback from both AppAdvice readers and other users, the developers have listened and made some significant changes to their app.
Just to review, Hitpad provides a way for you to see what is going on in the world today. You are given a snapshot of the most recent news, sports and social networks, in an easy to navigate column format.
The new update brings Hitpad to the U.K., Canada and Australia. Now, topics and news will be pulled from local information, instead of being focused on stories from the U.S. More countries will be added soon.
The Best iPad Apps Of The Week is published each weekend; a companion piece, The Best iPhone Apps Of The Week, is published separately.
Attention developers: If you would like your app to be considered for one of our “Best Of” lists, please let me know by sending a tweet @bryanmwolfe. Note: Your app must have been new or updated in the last week to make the current list.