iPhone and iPad apps are certainly helping people. They let grown-ups manage work, home life, or simply watch a movie over the web. For kids, they offer diverse experiences in learning and entertainment. With the rise of App Store, they have started enticing people of all ages. These three apps can make your experience with iPhones and iPads more seamless.

Combat Mission Touch: This app is an iPad version of the popular PC game Combat Mission. It lets players lead American and German troops during and after the invasion of Normandy, June 1944. Combat Mission Touch can be played solo or by inviting friends through the Game Center. WEGO is the highlight feature of this app. It lets players sit and watch the battle after planning out their moves. However, it is really huge (377 MB), so it takes time to download. Combat Mission Touch is compatible with iPad 2 Wi-Fi, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad (3rd generation), and iPad Wi-Fi + 4G and requires iOS 5.0 or later. It costs USD 4.99.

Organized: It is an easy-to-use hierarchy style note taking app. This app allows users to organize their notes in folders, so that they can sort them by date, priority, long notes and audio notes. These notes can be moved from a particular project to another easily via drag and drop. As notes can also be classified under 20 different types, it helps in better identification. Let us hope that the developer would add the search feature in the future updates. Organized is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad and requires iOS 5.1 or later. It costs USD 0.99.

Simply Declare: With this app, users can save all the details about their purchases during the travel. If they set a spending limit, it would deduct the amount of their new purchases from it. It updates currencies in real time and converts the purchase currency price into home currency price. Users can also take picture of their invoices for the future reference. This app can be used as a simple budget app as well as for declaring duty. However, with it, users can keep track of only one trip at a time. Simply Declare is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad and requires iOS 4.2 or later. It costs USD 1.99.

As Apple has been doing a great job in getting developers to start writing apps for the platform, App Store already has hundreds of thousands of apps. And this number has been growing at an amazing pace every day. If you need help in choosing the right app to put on your mobile, make sure you check out these apps. As they have made several best apps lists, they can be a starting point. These apps are cool and very interesting, and I’m sure there will be more to come.

Android devices continue to grow in popularity, mainly due to their rich set of features and the ease with which they can be used. Android devices come with a basic set of utility tools, but the vast collection of apps available from the Android Market and other alternate sources can help make Android devices even more user-friendly. Quality Android apps have been built so that users can get the maximum out of their devices, whether it’s a phone or a tablet. While you can get an app to track almost anything on your Android device, there are a few very important system management tools you wouldn’t want to be without.

To access the basic Settings in Android you need to go through several steps. There are apps out there that cut it down to just one step! For example, many applications may be working simultaneously on your device. Switching between them may not be a simple task. An application, which lets you quickly switch and toggle between apps is essential on any Android device. An efficient app manager is definitely a must-have.

A volume control app is also a must-have on any Android device. Android does give you access to control all the volume settings, but who has the time and patience to go through multiple menus? Volume settings for system sounds, ring tones, notifications, call volumes, alarms and games can easily be controlled using advanced apps.

Another must-have app is one that allows you to change the mode of your Android device. Your Android phone or tablet lets you do a lot of stuff that you wouldn’t want to completely switch off. An example is the airplane mode. You can still enjoy games, music and other features if you change the mode to Airplane mode, unless of course you have been asked to completely switch it off. This mode selectively switches off the radio options so that it does not interfere with navigation systems or medical equipment. With the right app you can change the mode in just a single tap.

On any device, one major concern every user has is that of memory. You might want to check the space occupied by the apps you have installed and you might want to uninstall some of them. There are various apps, which allow you to restore, automatically back up and manage apps on your Android device. Automatic back up and batch backup are also possible. This might also come in pretty handy if you need to format your device and start clean again.

Working with an SD card is also simplified with the help of apps. This is important especially if you are depending on an SD card to increase the storage capacity of your device. Apps can also help convert your device into an FTP manager.

An app that helps you save the battery life of your device is another must-have app on your Android device. Some of these apps can save your battery without annoying you by activating a screen timeout.

Selective protection for sensitive information is also important. Get an app to set up passwords just for the apps you want protection for.

You will also need an app to quickly access and toggle between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth without having to dig deep into the settings of the device.

Now that you know what kind of system tool apps you should be looking for your Android device, you’ll be overwhelmed by the vast number of apps in each category. To add to the confusion, many of these apps have an advanced core function and other additional basic functions, which might overlap with the core functions of other apps. Getting expert advice will make it easier to cut through the clutter and get the best apps.

If you are looking for advice, Shanzai.com’s “The Top Ten System Tools for Android” is available from Amazon, Lulu and Smashwords.

With the 4th generation of the iPhone recently being released, its safe to say that Apple’s calling device has been a major success. Part of the appeal of the iPhone, of course, is the App Store. I have lost count of how many apps have been released since its inception, however I’m certain that the number is over 100,000.

This article will discuss some of the best apps that I personally have used or are currently on my iPhone.

I’ll start off by mentioning my favorite game on the phone, which is without a shadow of a doubt, Angry Birds. Created by the hit makers Rovio, this game is incredibly addicting and well worth its $1 price tag.

Another App that should be owned by everyone with an iPhone, simply for its sheer technological coolness, is Google Earth. This device lets you view satellite images anywhere in the world!

When it comes to innovative apps that you have a hard time remembering life before it existed, Shazam has to be at the top of the list. If you are not familiar with this program, Shazam allows you to find out the name of any song (as well as purchase if you want to) playing simply by holding the phone and letting it record.

When it comes to keeping up with the news, I personally choose to use the New York Times app. This device allows you to read the biggest stories of the day, which is great for subway and bus rides.

If you are not familiar with Tap Fish, you are probably a better person for it. Taking a key from the Tamagatchi craze of the mid nineties, this app allows you to create your own virtual fish tank.

Hopefully there is an app on this list that you have yet to download or would like to learn more about. All of these options are either free or offer a free trial.

The list of some of the best mobile devices in the market currently are:

We spend so much time on a smart phone or a tab that we continuously look for various ways to improve our professional life through these apps. We like to get our things done efficiently each day by using some of the best apps in the market. We would like something that can give us the financial glimpse of our business. economic market conditions, our travel itinerary or simply to access all our business emails on the go.

1) Office Mobile:

It basically helps you if you use Microsoft office a lot in your office. This application helps you to create and edit documents like power point, excel and word on the go and access it from any place with the help of cloud computing.

2) Cisco WebEx Meetings:

This app lets you have meetings where ever you are, this app lets you join any web conference through 2-way video and a camera switcher, it also has a feature which allows you to attach files such as power point, excel or word to your meeting space which can be seen by others in the meeting.

3) Tempo AI:

This application is more like a personal assistant for your smart phone, it can link your calendar events to relevant emails and attachments for any pending appointments and ques up directions to your next meeting location and pulls up email and phone info for your last minute coordination with your contacts.

4) WiFi Finder:

This app comes in handy when you need to find out the nearest free wifi zone in your city. This app is extremely helpful when you are on the move and feel the need for an immediate wifi connectivity. It provides you with the map to the nearest wifi location

5) Genius Scan:

When travelling for work means keeping a record of various receipts, business cards and other documents till the time you return to the office. It basically uses the phone camera to keep a scan record of the document for you which can also be sent via email. This app is also compatible with Dropbox, Evernote and Google docs.

6) Dragon Dictation:

This is a very handy app for the times when you are unable to type a message but still want to communicate, this app will transcribe your voice memos into text. You can quickly use it to compose emails, text messages or even update your Facebook or twitter profiles.

7) Dropbox.com

It has become a popular site for file storage and synchronization, it offers 2gb of free online storage and ability to share and sync between computers and iOS devices, it also allows you to upload music to you dropbox account to be able to listen to it from an iPhone.

8) Voice Brief:

This interesting app help you by reading out the newspaper, weather, stock quotes and even your Facebook or twitter feeds. It is ideal app for busy professionals or anyone commuting for work and wants to listen to latest news and happenings rather than reading it.

These are some of the apps which definitely helps you simplify your daily tasks and enhance your efficiency by keeping you more focused to achieve your objective at shortest possible time. However these apps soon might become outdated as newer app are being developed every minute making it one of the most profitable industries at present.

The Mobile App Development seems to be the necessity of any small scale or large scale business. There are various platforms available for this and the top contenders include- iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows.

Apple iOS: To develop an iPhone app, the iOS Developer Center provides the app developer with various tools, guidelines, debugging tests, and criteria for developing apps based on the user requirements.

Android: On an Android platform, a developer can build an app using Java by downloading the free SDK (Software Development Kit). The SDK has sample apps, source code, the developer tools, and emulators. It also provides technical articles, videos, and instructions to help develop apps. There is an initial developer registration charge of $25 so as to distribute the apps in Google Play, the Android app store.

BlackBerry: BlackBerry is yet another mobile platform which supports several apps, mobile websites, widgets, themes, etc. To provide these on BlackBerry’s App World, a fee is charged for every 10 apps that a developer submits.

Windows: Windows platform has not gained as much popularity when compared to its counterparts but the user interface makes it unique. The development program for the Windows platform provides the best practices documentation for marketing an app.

Here’s a list of some of the best app building tools

AppMakr – This is an iOS, Android, and Windows based tool which offers a browser-based platform that is easy to use. It provides features like- JavaScript, custom CSS and push notifications, and location- aware Geo RSS. Even though the tool is free by paying a monthly subscription of $79 the developer can access much more advanced features.

Mippin – This can be considered as one of most user friendly tool which allows in building apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. The tool also helps the developer to publish apps in iTunes, Windows, Google Play, and Amazon stores.

MyAppBuilder – The tool is exclusively used to create apps for Android and iOS platforms. The tool comes with a monthly fee of $29 and lets the developer submit two applications a month. One of the best part of the tool is the developer does not require a technical background.

RunRev – The RunRev’s LiveCode helps in developing apps for iPhone and Android. This is multi-platform tool, which can help in creating live prototypes and utilize the complete features of the iOS and Android OS. The RunRev’s site also offers with exceptional tutorials that help in building apps. The tool is available in the market with price ranging from $299 to $1,499.

Your android phone is not just for making calls or listening to music. It can also keep you entertained for hours on end. The key is having the right Android apps at your disposal. This is a quick roundup of Android apps which will turn your mobile into a portable entertainment center. Interestingly all of these are free apps.

There are tens of thousands of free apps in the Android Market. While the vastness of the app-store spoils you with choices, it also makes choosing the right apps a bit of a hassle. But don’t worry. We have done the research and found the best free Android apps for you.

TMZ
Are you into celebrity gossip? I admit I am not, but a lot of us are. If you happen to be one among them, you should check this out. It will keep you up-to-date with latest celebrity news. It offers little functionality beyond that. But as I said earlier, if you are really into that sort of things, this is the best app for that.

Gigbox (Free)
This is an ideal app for concert lovers. Gigbox will notify you when one of your favourite artists is playing a gig anywhere close to your current location. This application uses Google Maps to provide directions to venues. During the concert, you can enter the app’s live mode. In this mode you will be able to chat and share pictures with other concertgoers.

TV Guide Mobile
This is a must for TV junkies. It will give you an up-to-date TV guide which you can check out whenever you want to. It is also a good source of fun TV-related articles.

Fandango Movies
This is one of the best free Android entertainment apps. It will satisfy all of your movie needs no matter what they are. Download the app and you will be amazed at what it can do to satisfy the movie-goer in you.

Funny Jokes
Who doesn’t like jokes? This app allows you to find awesome jokes. The jokes are neatly classified into twelve categories. That means you don’t have to see those jokes you don’t want to.

Zedge Ringtones & Wallpapers
This free android app offers ringtones and wallpapers. There are way too many to count. Word is that Zedge has over 16 million members across the world. That means they are doing something remarkable.

Magic 8-Ball
When you were a kid you used to ask questions to that Magic 8-Ball, right? Well, this app will let you relive those experiences. Ask any tricky questions, and it will get the answers.

Are you wondering what apps you should install after you get the free iPad? There are tons of third-party apps for the iPad that allow you to use Twitter, watch movies etc. But we’ve gone through them to find 10 of the best iPad apps that we think make the most of this versatile device. Here’s a quick rundown:

1) USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times – You can read your favorite newspapers in a totally fantastic way.

2) Netflix – This app allows you to watch TV shows and streaming movies and it comes with easy to use interface. In case you decide to stop watching halfway, the app remembers the last viewpoint and resumes playing the movie from that location.

3)1Password – You might be familiar with 1Password, an app that’s extremely popular on both the iPhone and the Mac. This app organizes stores and encrypts your passwords and any other private information- from credit card numbers to pin numbers and bank account information. You can also automate signing in to your most used websites and other services.

4) Pages – One of the drawbacks in the iPad that doesn’t come with any word processing application. This is addressed in ‘Pages,’ a neat little app that offers all the basic functionality of a word processor (writing, editing, formatting text, incorporating images etc.) for less than $10. 

5) Marvel Comics – This is a fabulous application that allows you to read your favorite comics on the iPad’s very spacious screen. There are multiple viewing modes that allow you read panel-by panel if you wish and you get to read it all with just a swipe of the finger.

You can also locate comics through a very convenient comic shop locator.

6) Instapaper Pro – Let’s say you find a great article on the Net that you don’t have time to read. Instapaper Pro allows you save the article to a queue with just one click. You can recall the queue of articles later on when you are free – Very handy!

7) Photogene, SketchBook Pro, and Brushes – These are three very useful apps that allow you to create content easily.

8) Things – Easily create to-do lists with start and end dates with the ‘Things’ app. You can organize these lists into actions that need to be taken, project lists, areas of responsibility etc.

9) TweetDeck – A great way to use Twitter, this free app features a multi-column look that’s quite familiar. You can customize it to display saved searches, tweets from your friends, direct messages etc.

10) Weather Channel Max – This neat little app lets you keep tabs on the local weather forecast easily. You can also easily access sunrise and sunset times.

What do you call those little icons on your smartphone or tablet that can perform a slew of applications? Everybody knows the term for it: apps. Short for applications, apps are programs that are installed on computing devices which can perform anything from locating places on a map to watching what one eats. Although many apps are games and media tools, there are also those that categorized as ‘productivity’ tools and can perform office or work-related tasks.

There’s an app for many of the things we do on a daily basis, whether it’s work or school-related. And what do you know? There are even apps now that are designed for use by those in the mining industry. If you’re part of this industry, here are some of the top apps you should install on your device that can help make many tasks easier to perform:

Mining Terms – The full app name is actually ‘Glossary of Mining Geological Terms.’ As the name easily suggests, it is an app that contains terms related to mining, over 1,300 of them. This app is an excellent reference for both geologists and students, as well as those who have an interest in mining and geology. Aside from detailed definitions of terms, it also links to other terms for quick reference.

Mining Jobs – If you’re considering a career in mining or you’re in the mining sector but are looking for a different job in the industry, this is your go-to app. This app, offered free, provides all the latest available jobs related to mining across the land down under.

Eurotire – Available both for iOS and Android devices, this free app puts together an easily accessible tire data for large mining equipment, wherever their locations are. With this app, you can choose a tire using a tire selector, and then review its specifications – from the tread patterns and types to ply rating and load indexes.

CFMEU app – The acronym stands for ‘Construction, Forest, Mining and Energy Union.’ It offers a free app for its mining and energy division. It features news and events for mining union members. It is available on both iOS and Android devices.

FIFO RnR – This app is designed for FIFO (Fly-In Fly-Out) workers. It allows them to enter their roster and share it seamlessly with their family, friends, and service providers.

These are just some of the apps that those in the mining sector can download on their phone and make use of. Check out these apps and see which ones can make your life in the mining industry easier.

What makes for a good app? I decided to research into what makes blockbuster apps such as Angry Birds blockbuster; what formulates for a good app where minority make it big and majority flop so to speak. As a summary, this is what I found and came across:

• With so many new apps being launched on a day to day basis all having the initial potential of making it big there is no imagining for some how stiff such competition actually is for a developer. We as app buyers and users only usually see the more popular apps or apps that we have specifically searched for. Sorry to break such things to an avid app buyer; but there is probably another 300,000 apps that you haven’t yet seen or heard of knocking about on the iTunes store. So with this in mind, it is important to be different and be able to provide a unique experience that no other app offers. Is there a need or a niche for such app? Any similar apps already out there, how well are they doing? How well is the app going to be made (with regards to the developer’s skill sets and utilising the latest technology the iPhone on hand)? Is it going to have worthy functionality that people are going to want to use? These are just a few of many questions you need to ask yourself before making a successful app.
• Many developers go out to make money and for this to be their main motivator, not considering the user as a valuable consumer. Don’t get me wrong, this is all good in some cases as people do deserve to earn for their efforts and time consumed, but this is not always the right basis to initially release an app on. This is an especially good technique for smaller app developers that don’t have the preliminary wads of cash needed to make an app big. Cover Orange for example is one of the latest phenomenon’s to hit the app store. Not only was it unique in the physics puzzler genre, but originally (before 59p) was a free app to download. That is one example of a smaller app developer making it big off decisions such as that one. This along with developers that offer demo’s and lite versions of their app lure potential consumers buying if they like. Remember, not everybody wants to take the risk of maybe buying a rubbish app, demo’s and lite versions resolve any doubts the user might have, increasing the chance to snap up another sale.
• Stable, reliable with quick load speeds. If a user is purchasing an app (even for the likes of 59p) they expect it to be tested under multiple conditions for its reliability and have understandable loading speeds of a few seconds tops. Not many people are going to sit around waiting for an app to load-up for 30 seconds. People don’t have patience any more like they used to.
• Easy to use and navigate. Users like to be able to start using an app as soon as possible and not need a PhD in Computer Science in order to figure out any of its features.
• Last but not least the look and feel of an app is just as important as any of the above in this day and age. Overblown visuals, neglecting the use of the latest technological advancements such as GPS, accelerometer, retina display and other functions available are just two of the many things NOT to do in this department.

After a long and suspense-filled wait, the iPhone 4 arrived on the market to roaring cheers, universal acclaim, and a total lack of criticism of any kind. Actually, and unfortunately, it was kind of a debacle. But thankfully most of the wrinkles have been ironed out, and the early adopters are left with a pretty sweet device with multiple cameras, an LED flash, and a gorgeous display. Best of all, iPhone 4 owners get to try out some of the apps that you can’t get on any other device.

Read on to discover the best apps for the iPhone 4.

You Gotta See This! ($1.99, Boinx Software) Silly name aside, you do really have to see this app. You Gotta See This! is a camera app that takes panoramic, collage-style photos in a really fast, easy, and novel way. When You Gotta See This! starts recording, just wave the camera all over the place. The app will snap multiple pictures and record the relative place of the shots using the phone’s built-in accelerometer. When you’re finished, You Gotta See This! will stitch them all together, making an enormous image you can share with your friends. Unlike Pano, all the edges of the individual shots remain visible, but that’s part of the charm.

GyroSynth for iPhone 4 ($0.99, BeepStreet) Unfortunately, GyroSynth will not generate authentic, Greek-style gyros. While You Gotta See This! uses the accelerometer to take awesome pictures, GyroSynth uses it to make awesome music. To use GyroSynth, just waive the phone around and, just like a Theremin, the roll and pitch will translate into sound. After a short learning curve, you’ll be able to make music with a fluid series of gestures. GyroSynth comes with tons of features and recording options, so it’s sure to be a hit with amateurs and professional musicians alike.

IncrediBooth ($0.99, Synthetic Corp) Here is an app that takes the iPhone 4’s front-facing camera and turns it into something that is as awesome as it is inevitable: a retro, dive-bar style photo booth. Cram as many friends as you can in front of the iPhone and it will take a series of rapid-fire pictures, apply some nice film grain and vignetting, and save the shots as a long strip, just like the real thing. It’s not just an idea so perfect you’ll wish you thought of it, it’s a fun, inexpensive camera app that’s executed perfectly.

The Elements for iPhone 4 ($9.99, Element Collection, Inc) The Elements for iPhone 4 is an educational app that– wait, don’t run away! Sure, The Elements might teach you a thing or two, but the interface is beautiful, the graphics are stunning, and the information is gripping. Based on the hardcover book of the same name, The Elements starts with the periodic table and expands from there. Touch an element to get a cool, 360-degree view of some substance composed of it. Scroll to find some great trivia, engaging stories, and even access to up-to-the-minute information from the Wolfram Alpha computational knowledge database. You don’t need to be a chemistry major to get lost in this app for hours.

LED Light for iPhone 4 Free (Free, Jason Ting) Remember all those awful flashlight apps that flooded into the App Store seemingly moments after it was opened up to developers? They all used the screen as the light source, and some of them even had the audacity to cost money. Thankfully, LED Light for iPhone Free uses the ultra-bright LED flash of the iPhone 4 to guide your way when you need it, and it doesn’t cost a thing. There’s a paid version if you want to avoid the iAds, but this free version has all the features: strobe light, sleep timer, and a few others. It’s the only flashlight app you’ll ever need.