50 Must-Have iPad Apps

Entertainment

Hulu PlusHulu Plus (Free): Hulu Plus subscribers can now watch their favorite shows on the iPad in up to 720p HD resolution. ABC, Fox and NBC have made your favorite shows available for streaming at any time – even shows no longer on the air.

Search or browse for a particular show, start it on your iPad and Hulu Plus will mark your spot so you can pick up the rest of the episode on your computer or iPhone later on. It’s TV whenever you want it wherever you want it.

TiVoTiVo (Free): The TiVo app for iPad puts more than just a TiVo remote in your hands – it’s like having a TiVo on your iPad. You won’t be able to watch shows on the device, but you can see what you’ve recorded, how much space you have left, search for content with a full QWERTY keyboard and play a recorded program with one tap.

You can also browse the guide and see who’s starring in the show or movie you’re currently watching. Other features include setting up individual recordings and season passes from the iPad, dragging to different playing positions instead of fast-forwarding through the commercials, and commenting on what you’re watching through Facebook and Twitter.

Instacast HDInstacast HD ($4.99): Podcast addicts rejoice – your favorite app on the iPhone is now on the iPad with a unique interface and iCloud syncing.

Subscribe to your favorite podcasts within the app, download recent episodes automatically, view show notes, mark certain episodes as favorites and share them over email or social networking sites.

And your playing position and subscription preferences are synced with the iPhone version over iCloud, so you don’t have to worry about starting over on a new device.

Pandora RadioPandora Radio (Free): The famous DIY Internet radio service seems right at home on the iPad and with all the extra space, you’re able to view song lyrics and artist information all on one screen.

Create stations, add variety to others, thumbs-up and down songs as they play – everything you can do on the website can be done within the app, making for a rich and fun listening experience on the iPad.

GarageBandGarageBand ($4.99): Most reactions to GarageBand on the iPad are, “Whoa.” And when people see the price, the reactions change to, “WHOA.”

For five bucks, you can create a song anywhere with eight tracks, dozens of musical instruments, nine amps, 10 stompbox effects, a mixer, and over 250 professionally pre-recorded loops. Trim and edit your songs on the iPad when you’re done, then export them to iTunes on your computer.

You also get Smart Instruments that let you play chords and songs without having to worry about learning the instrument before hand, as well as dozens of multitouch musical instruments to play around on.