The best iPad apps available now (images)

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Not sure what to do with your iPad? Here is the fall edition of some of my favorite apps that will keep you entertained for hours at a time.

The Emerald Observatory is a $0.99 app that appears as a desk clock packed with astronomical information such as sunrise and sunset for the sun, moon, and planets Mercury-Saturn.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Solar Walk is a 3D model of the solar system that is the first iPad app to utilize a 3D TV screen. At $2.99, Solar Walk, lets you view close-ups of the planets, shows points of interest, and gives information about their past and future.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
At $4.99, Star Walk lets you point your iPad into the sky and see stars, constellations, and satellites in real-time.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
A free app, Planetary, lets you fly around the universe to the sound of your favorite music. You can fly toward a planet and see its moons listed as tracks - or create your own.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Eat your friends or enemies in Jaws Revenge where you play the role of the shark trying to keep the swimmer, sunbather, and boater population under control. It costs 99 cents.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Dark Meadow is a $5.99 role-playing game that arms you with a crossbow and sword and lets you explore a decaying hospital in order to find a witch who must be killed.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Real Racing 2 HD is a $6.99 app that puts the steering wheel in you hands to race head-to-head in a multi-player game.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Shoot it out against the pros or your friends in the free Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12. You can boost your skills with 20-minute challenges or tee off on 8 PGA Tour championship courses.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Swipe to pass and tap to avoid tacklers in Madden NFL 12, at $9.99.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Apple's iPad App of the Year for 2010, free Flipboard lets you go through photos, videos and updates - and instantly send them to your social media pages.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Pulse News is one of only 50 apps in the App Store Hall of Fame. You can track your favorite items from major publishers to blogs to social media. Store the articles and read them later. Pulse is free.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Intellicast HD is a free app that lets you track and see the weather outside using photo-realistic clouds and precipitation that falls onto the screen. When the snow gets too deep, just wipe it off.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Pages is a $9.99 productivity tool for iPad that let's you create, edit and view documents. You can view and edit Pages ’09, Microsoft Word, and plain text files.

Numbers at $9.99 lets you make spreadsheets - with tables, charts, photos, and graphics - using just your fingers.

Keynote, also at $9.99, is the iPad version of Powerpoint. You can choose slide masters, animations, fonts, and style options to feature in your presentation.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
LogMeIn Ignition gives your iPad a remote connection with a PC or Mac. It lets you view, transfer or edit files using WiFi or 3G. It costs $29.99.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
BlogPress is a blogging app that intergrates with your favorite social networks: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Picasa. BlogPress at $2.99 is a text-imaging. layout editor that lets you place images or videos in your own blog - then share with friends.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Penultimate is a $1.99 handwriting app for iPad. It lets you take notes, draw sketches or annotate photos - just like in the old days when people used to use paper.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
ArtRage 3 is a set of painting and drawing tools. It even tracks how long the paint was on the canvas so you can blend colors or use a smearing knife. ArtRage 3 costs $6.99.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Inspire Pro at $7.99 is another painting and drawing tool that also lets you create effects with a wet-paint simulation and five different brushes.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
SketchBook Pro at $4.99 is another highly rated paint and drawing program for digital artists.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Brushes is another painting and drawing app. It's claim to fame is that it has created 4 different New Yorker covers.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Apple's iBooks is a free ereader app that lets you view books that you have purchaed from the iBookstore. You can read a free sample from any book before purchasing.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Kindle has a free ereader app that lets you view and purchase Amazon ebooks, newspapers or magazines for your iPad. It gives you access to over 1 million books at the Kindle store.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
You can read The Wall Street Journal daily on your iPad using this free app. But you do have to pay a subscription price.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
You can have The New York Times delivered daily using a free app for the iPad. But you do have to pay a monthly subscription fee.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
You can also read Wired on its free app. You can buy the magazine on a monthly or yearly basis.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
HBO GO gives you access to HBO shows anywhere. But you do have to pay for access through your cable provider.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Speaking of cable, the Xfinity TV app from Comcast lets you view your favorite cable on demand programs wherever you are - as long as you subscribe.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
TiVo lets you take your TV programming with you and lets you view it on your iPad.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
At $19.99 Dejay was the winner of the 2011 Apple Design Award. This DJ app mixes with your personal iPod music collection to create your own music experience. If you'd like, this app will take over the duties of DJ.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
GarageBand is a $4.99 app from Apple turns your iPad into a musical instrument - drums, guitar, piano - and lets you play and record your own tunes.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Pandora Radio lets you create your own radio stations that play your favorite songs or artists. And it's free.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady
Free TWiT Netcast Network lets you bring the TWiT TV tech network wherever you go.

Published: October 11, 2011 -- 07:37 GMT (00:37 PDT)
Caption by: Jason D. O'Grady