1. iFrogz (rfroggcom)

The originate iFrogz Ire of cases for the trust iPad has a two-piece construction that is easy to irtstah with attractive two-tone col or schemes. For nPad 2 owners, the Pad 2 Summit Case ($59.99, shown left) rs e style— is and innovatice choice

2. Speck Candy Shell ($34.99, speckcroductscom)

It I have to stretch a cover to get it on my IPhone, I vent it to be sturdy enough not to tear, and Impact-resistant enough to withstand a fall. The candy she|I IS that product, and I recommend IT tor any flavor of iPad, IPod, or iPhone

3. Otterb0x Defender (For iPad: $89.95; for iPhone: $49.95, otterx.com)

The Otter box Defender cases for both the iPhone and the iPad of fer a generous amount of rugged strength protection. Otterbox’s case design still allows easy access to your device’s core functionality, and the high—quality polycarbon ate shell is sure to make your case (and device) last for along while.

1. Sonos Play:3 ($299, sonoscoin)

This is a portable, straining· capable speaker system that supports wireless or wired playback of your iTunes choice tin. Wrapped in an appealing svelte and techie took, the PIayr3 can be positioned horizontally or vertically and paired with a second Song Play for true Left/ Right separation of sound,

2. StemTimeCommand ($99.95, sternrririoyetion.corii)

lf you are looking tor an alarm clock and dock with audio punch, an integrated app with nature sounds, and even the ability to turn down your bedside lamp, consider the TimeC0mmand, Shaped like a large hockey puck, this little powerhouse does it all, and has superior sound

3. Speakal Cool iPig ($l39 99, sepakal com)

One of my favorite vendors at CES was Speak. The Cool epilog can Break earclrums, has a detachable rechargeable battery, and motion sensing control. It also looks cute and is completely Mobil

1. Rock-It ($50, origaudiocom)

This tiny little guy is magical, Roughly the size of a lip» stick, the Rock-lt will tum any device into a speaker sys tem. It works by converting the sound from your device into vibration sequences, and then transferring those vibrations onto the surface of any object. Obviously, the more hollow the object, the better the sound quality. lt is perfect for traveling, and it packs superior sound power.

2. Otterb0x Defender (For iPad: $89.95; for iPhone: $49.95, otterx.com)

The Otter box Defender cases for both the iPhone and the iPad of fer a generous amount of rugged strength protection. Otterbox’s case design still allows easy access to your device’s core functionality, and the high—quality polycarbon ate shell is sure to make your case (and device) last for along while.

3. PARROT MKi9200 ($299.99, parrot com)

The Parrot MKi920O is a Blue-tooth hands-free system that comes with a wireless remote control that attach es to the steering wheel or dashboard of your car. You can control conventional telephone functions such as pica<»up, hang—up, and handle multiple calls through voice recognition, and listen to your digital music col lectern. It even synchronizes with your phonebook  automatically||y.This device is at the top of its class.

You’l| need more than oust access to phone and email to be successful in this world 0f split-second communication. Elves being available via instant messaging and regularly touching base with your professional contacts is critical.

Meebo (Free, app2.me/4l68)

If you’ve obtained work from a number of organi cations or individuals, you’|| need to stay in touch with them. Meebo much like its web counterpart, keeps you connected to all your contacts (it even lets you know via a notification when your connection eventually times out so you can reconnect). It integrates seamlessly with a host of networks~Facebook, AIM, Google Talk, and the like~so you never miss an important conversation.

Linkedln (Free, app2.me/2634)

Half of your job is writing; the other half is net working. Linkedln keeps you connected to past and current colleagues and provides you with ample opportunities to make new ones.The app is not as functional as we would like, considering you can’t update your profile in-app, but it has a gorgeous interface and makes it fun to browse for new leads and keep up with industry news Keep an eye on your inbox, as you never know who might view your profile and take an interest in giving you a new contract

1. Angry Birds Eric ($2.99, app2.meB9G3; pied version: $2.99, app2.me/3964)
They’re in Rio de Janeiro, and they’re engraver! his sequel to the wildly successful franchise includes elements and twists from the Fox motion picture, Rio. A must-have if you already own the origina

2. Tiny Wings ($.99, app2.me/3739)
This fun little game knocked dove Angry Birds from the top spot in the games section earlier this year. Simple, beautiful and addict rye.

3. Flight Control ($.99, app2.me/103)
This App Store classic is a steal at $.99, and new updates communally refresh the fun. Just touch and drag planes to their landing zones and watch the hours fly by.

Free Games

1. Stickman BMX Free (Free, app2.me/3966)
The sequel to StickmanSkater delivers at the samelevel es the original. It features 60 scrolling levels, real Bl\/IX tricks, hidden paths, and re—engineered physicsLn

2. Mr Giggle 2 HD Lite (Free, app2.rneB967)
Fun, addictive, and simple.Seville the blocks to match them up by color and rack points beforethe time runs outline game helps you find combinations until you leave thebeginner level.

3. Texas Hold’em Poker (Free, app2.me/3968)
Great graphics, a user friendly interlace, andplenty of Opportunities for socializing The app also includes tutorials and two types of in—game currency

1. Air Display ($9,99, )
Air Display turns your iPad into an additional LCD monitor that connects wireless to your Mac or PC

2. OmniGraphSketcher ($4.99, app2 me/3939)
With this app you can either create great-looking graphs manually, let the program generate high—quaIity graphs by itself, or edit a combination of the two

3. Penultimate ($1.99, app2.me/32l2)
Use your finger to take notes, create sketches and organize notebooks You can show your work as a presentation with this award winning handwriting app.

3. Splashtop Remote Desktop
This app is an inexpensive and efficient remote desktop solution. Aloes your computer from your iPad and edit presentations, watch flan video, listen to music, play 3D games and more

2. TeamViewer HD (Free version, epp2.me/3942; Pro version: $139 epp2me/3943)
This app is super easy to set up and gives you fest end secure remote access to Windows, Mac, end Linux systems.

3. Wyse PocketCloud (Free, epp2me/3944; Pro Version, $14.99, epp2.rne/3945)
Use your pied, iPhone, or iPod touch to access any Windows desktops over Wi-Fi and 3G/AG networks. The app has two eesv options for set-up

4. Jump Desktop ($l9.99, app2.me/3946)
Jump Desktop is compatible with both RDP and VNC, and is secure, reliable, and easy to set up on your PC or Mac.

1. Keynote

2. Dragon Dictation (Free, app2 me/111)
Simply tap record and speak away Your words will transform into text for emails or personal notes. Dragon Dictation also supports Facebook and twitter integration.

3. Splashtop Remote Desktop
This app is an inexpensive and efficient remote desktop solution. Aloes your computer from your iPad and edit presentations, watch flan video, listen to music, play 3D games and more

4. QuickOffice Pro ($19.99, pa;12 n ie/2534)
Easily create, edit, and share Microsoft files. The app also supports PDF creation, AirPrint, and all the major cloud storage solutions

1. Kindle (Free, app2.me/2482)
Amazon’s Kindle app is my absolute fa~ vortex. lt lost a few points from me when they removed the dedicated Kindle Store button, but they had to in order to comply with AppIe’s rules. It is still very easy to purchase books, organize and read them, and it is especially enjoyable on the iPad, lf you were to choose one app this year, this would be it.

2. iBooks (Free, epp2nwe/2403)
Apple’s iBooks boasts a strongemphasis on design and aesthetics, and even though the tit selectionisn’t as robust as Amazons, the convenience of purchasing siring throng the app is nice.

3. Overdrive Media Console (Free, app2.me/3685)
Find your local library, anterior library card number, and check out a digital title in print or audio book format. The titles get “returned” automatically at the end of the lending period. Cents saved!

4. Stanza (Free, app2 me/2l
Still one of the most popular free reading apps, Stanza taps into a vast selection of libraries with free books and electronic titles from old classics to nevi gems

5. Free Books ($1.99, app2.nte/3767)
This app has 23,469 classics, and you’re basically paying for access to all of them without download limits

1. Kindle (Free, app2.me/2482)
Amazon’s Kindle app is my absolute fa~ vortex. lt lost a few points from me when they removed the dedicated Kindle Store button, but they had to in order to comply with AppIe’s rules. It is still very easy to purchase books, organize and read them, and it is especially enjoyable on the iPad, lf you were to choose one app this year, this would be it.

2. Netflix (Free, app2.me/2968)
If you have a Netflix account with access to online streaming, this app is a no—brainer, This is probably the app I use the most. Somehow the movie andTV show suggestions look more enticing when l see them through the app, instead of my computer. You canʼt go wrong with an app that turns your device into your own portable movie player.

3. Keynote ($9.99, app2.me/2481)
I talked about this app so much that it be came a running joke at iPhone Life head quarters. As someone who loves public speaking and creating presentations, I was just blown away by the versatility and functionality of the Keynote app. And even though it still doesn’t have all the features of its desktop counterpart, it is a must·have if you ever work on presentations.

4. Mint (Free, app2.me/2711)
U I This app is a neat little companion to Mint. com’s free financial tracking service. l’ve found it incredibly useful to have this app with me. I can check my balances with one glance, I can get useful reminders about when bills are due, and l can know instantly if l’m going over a specific budget Iʼve set up.

5. Flipboard (iPad Only: Free, app2.me/3473)
For iPad users, this app is a must»have. I love using Clipboard to read the latest news, see myTwitter and Facebook feeds in a new layout, and browse through interesting con tent. |t’s amazing how much we’Il keep reading if the information is presented beautifully. I could make jokes about how youʼ flip” for this app, but |’m pretty sure the pun police just pulled up to my front door.