10 apps for the iPad not to be overlooked

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    I admit I am addicted to good apps, and these 10 are as good as any. Most of them are not very well-known so most everyone should find a few to add to their list. They cover all genres, including one new game that is occupying far too much of my time. All but two of the apps listed are free.

    Catch the full mobile tech coverage by James Kendrick on ZDNet Mobile News.

    Caption by: James Kendrick

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    A good RTS is always a welcome find, and this new one is particularly suited to the touch interface of the iPad. The graphics are great, and while the gameplay is simple the levels of strategy go very deep.

    It is typical for the genre, with resource gathering and building construction required to build offensive and defensive units. The gameplay takes place in early Japan, with Ninjas, Samsurai and other units at the player's disposal.

    This is a great way to spend time on the iPad.

    Total War Battles -- $6.99

    Caption by: James Kendrick

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    The Retina Display of the new iPad makes it great for editing photos, and this app uses a fantastic touch interface to make that as easy as possible. The interface is very intuitive, and the app has tools to judge the editing process from start to finish.

    The loupe tool lets you zoom in on specific areas of the photo, and the compare button toggles the before and after view of any editing process.

    While iPhoto from Apple is a good editor, Snapseed is even easier to use.

    Snapseed -- $4.99

    Caption by: James Kendrick

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    Budding interior decorators will find this app great for laying out floorplans that make the most sense. It uses the camera to accurately lay out the walls on a room, with dimensions calculated for you. The app has video tutorials for getting the most out of the camera.

    Once the room's walls and doors are defined you can decorate to your heart's content.

    MagicPlan -- Free

    Caption by: James Kendrick

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    We all know that tablets are media consumption devices, and watching TV certainly qualifies. This app pulls the best clips from a wealth of online TV sources and presents them in an attractive, easy to use style.

    Finding something good to watch for a few minutes is as simple as swiping through the thumbnails and firing up the clip.

    TouchTV -- Free

    Caption by: James Kendrick

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    Hotels.com is a good way to find and book hotels for trips, and this app puts a nice HD interface on the process. You search for the dates and destinations of interest and the app presents the available hotels in a format that makes it easy to decide what's best.

    Once you decide on a hotel you can book the room right inside the app. This app is a must-have for frequent travelers.

    Hotels.com HD -- Free

    Caption by: James Kendrick

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    Sports fans need to grab this app right now. It pulls a wealth of information, including video clips, about all of the user's favorite teams. It presents it in a good format for keeping up on the local teams.

    You can enable notifications so you'll always get the latest information in real time.

    Team Stream HD -- Free

    Caption by: James Kendrick

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    Keeping up with current events and finding interesting things to read is a great way to use the iPad. The popular apps like Flipboard and Zite are nice, but this app has a twist that makes following the news really cool.

    While the app pulls news of interest from popular online sources, it also lets you connect to your Twitter account. This lets you pull news that is being read by the people you follow on Twitter. You click on a friend's Twitter avatar and instantly see the news articles that your friend is reading.

    The news is presented in an attractive format that takes full advantage of the iPad display.

    News.me -- Free

    Caption by: James Kendrick

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    Watching movie trailers for new releases is great on the Retina Display. This app pulls all availabe movie trailers from the iTunes App Store and presents them in an attractive format that makes it easy to find the right trailer.

    Spinning through the trailers is a simple operation, and watching the trailer as easy as tapping on the thumbnail.

    iTunes Movie Trailers -- Free

    Caption by: James Kendrick

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    The iPad is perfectly at home in the kitchen, and budding chefs need to check out this app. It presents recipes using an nice format, and even offers video showing exactly how to prepare each recipe.

    The app comes with a set of recipes, and more can be purchased inside the app. 

    Given the size of apps with lots of video, this one intelligently leaves them out of the app. You simply click the download button if you wish to watch the video for a recipe.

    Appetites -- Free

    Caption by: James Kendrick

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    The Post-It has become a part of our culture, and this app brings a digital version to the iPad.  The user takes simple notes which are stuck on the app's screen as a reminder. The font and note color is configurable, which is useful for leaving a bunch of notes on the iPad.

    This simple app is useful for leaving the iPad standing next to the computer with all of the notes on display. Finally you can stop sticking sticky notes all over your computer monitor.

    Sticky Notes -- Free

    Catch the full mobile tech coverage by James Kendrick on ZDNet Mobile News.

    Caption by: James Kendrick

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Hotels.com is a good way to find and book hotels for trips, and this app puts a nice HD interface on the process. You search for the dates and destinations of interest and the app presents the available hotels in a format that makes it easy to decide what's best.

Once you decide on a hotel you can book the room right inside the app. This app is a must-have for frequent travelers.

Hotels.com HD -- Free

Caption by: James Kendrick

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