If you were lucky enough to get an iPad over the holidays, you’re probably wondering which apps should you download.
Our geek girls have gathered a few of their favorite picks to get you started.
Start Your Morning Off Right
Night Stand HD
The iPad doesn’t come with an alarm clock out of the box. This app has stunningly unique clock designs, multiple alarms, world clock mode and a stop watch.
$0.99
Accuweather
Detailed weather reports, 2-week forecast, videos and weather maps make this rich app a bargain. You can opt for the free version but you’ll have to put up with some annoying ads.
$0.99
Kickstart Your Daily Routines
Home Routines
This app was built by a mom to manage her busy homestead. Capture routine home keeping checklists by day, week, month and home zone, or add one-time projects. Check-off items as you go and lists will auto-refresh to save your sanity.
$4.99
Chore Pad HD
This app lets you set up kid chore charts with gold reward stars. Kids love checking off their to-dos and the iPad format means more room on your fridge for art projects.
$4.99
Get Your News Fix
Of course, you’ll want the big news apps like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, but here are a couple less obvious apps that are also worth your time.
NPR
This app is more than a portable version of NPR’s website. Layered content includes audio clips and videos that supplement the articles. Built-in social media tools make sharing easy.
Free
BBC
Quick access to news reports from around the globe in a slick dual-panel view that takes full advantage of video and rich media to tell a story. Visual navigation makes for easy headline skimming.
Free
Pulse
Pulse takes your favorite websites and transforms them into a colorful and interactive mosaic of news. Simply copy and paste the RSS feeds from your favorite news sources and it does the rest. Works with Google Reader for easy import!
Free
Check On Your Social Networks
Flipboard
Flipboard turns your Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Google Reader feeds (and more!) into a stunning personal magazine to flip through. Elegant, seamless and one of TIME’s top 50 innovations of 2010. If you only download one iPad app, this is the one!
Free
Twitter
Twitter finally released its own Twitter client and it’s a solid app with helpful previews of links in posts and quick tools for following, messaging, re-tweeting and marking favorites. Works seamlessly with the web client.
Free
AIM
AOL’s Instant Messenger works like a charm in this app. Access your buddy lists and run multiple chat sessions. New lifestream feature attempts to pull in facebook and twitter data from your buddies; disable it for a better user experience.
Free
The Dossier
Working from your iPad’s contact list, Dossier creates one entry per person, which you can then fill in with notes, photos, personal details and a Twitter feed. Dossier will have you feeling like Magnum P.I.
$2.99
