Something I’m hoping to make a tradition is to write about my favorite apps at the end of every year.
I come into contact with different apps all the time – as someone that builds them for a living, I like to check out a wide variety, even if I’m not sure they’ll find a permanent place on my phone.
Here are a few apps I’ve used this year that I recommend:
* Instacast & Instacast HD – I listen to a lot of podcasts and as anyone else that does will surely tell you, iTunes support for podcasts is lacking. Enter Instacast, a powerful podcast client with versions for both iPhone and iPad. Subscribe and update on the go, sync those subscriptions via iCloud and even read show notes without leaving the app. A great podcasting client for iOS.
* Tweetbot – I spend a lot of time on Twitter and when it comes to the iPhone, I use Tweetbot. I like the little animations and polish that you find, plus the fact that it supports the full range of Twitter features. Gestures make it easy to see replies and conversations.I hope we’ll see an iPad version one day.
* Find My Friends - Since the introduction of iOS 5, I use this app all the time to figure out where my family members are. Did my wife already leave the office on her way home? Now I don’t have to call to find out.
* Instagram – This mobile photo community has earned a spot on my home screen. Between cool filters and easy sharing, Instagram can be a hell of a lot of fun. Apple named this the top app of 2011.
* Prompt – This one has a niche appeal but if you need to SSH into remote servers, it’s awesome. Well designed by the geniuses at Panic, it runs on iPhone and iPad.
* Verbs – Since joining Foraker Labs, I spend a lot more time on IM. This client, for iPhone and iPad, allows me to stay in contact with my colleagues no matter where I am.
* 1Password – I’ve written about this app before but it’s so good, I can’t help but mention it again. I need a secure way to store all of my passwords and 1Password is it. Great app!
* New York Times – The latest version of the NYT app for iPad includes a bunch of new gestures to make it easy to move around between sections and articles. The subscription price is a bit higher than I’d like but I read religiously every morning, especially since the app now includes Newsstand support.
* Flipboard – Apple’s most popular ‘news re-imagined’ app for iPad is now on iPhone as well. A fun way to visualize the Web, Facebook, Twitter and more.
* Politico – As a political junkie, I love having this news source available with a single tap on iPad. Great stuff.
* HBO Go – Want to watch all of your favorite HBO shows and movies on the go? The app does exactly what you think it’d do. You need an HBO subscription through your cable provider.
* iA Writer – The app used to write this post, the latest version includes iCloud sync so that your iPad and Mac are always up to date. We’re told an iPhone version is coming soon.
That’s it for now – the links above will take you to the App Store page for each app. Check ‘em out and enjoy! What are your favorites?
Oh, and make sure you also have Vegas Mate! It’s really great!