The 50 Best iPad Games

Whether you're a casual or hardcore gamer we've picked the best iPad games for you.

Contents

• The 50 Best iPad Games
• Arcade Games
• Action Games
• First- and Third-Person Shooter Games
• Puzzle and Board Games
• Strategy, RPG, Tower Defense, World Building
• Sports and Racing Games
• Fighting Games
• Music Games
• Adventure Games

It's amazing how quickly the gaming industry changes. Just a few years ago, no Apple device was viewed as a viable gaming platform, but the rise of iOS, the rapid App Store growth, and the sheer number of iDevices that are in consumers' hands has given Cupertino the muscle to snag a portion of gamers' dollars in the mobile space. In fact, Apple stated that it sold an incredible three million new iPad units within the tablet's first three days of availability. That's a lot of iPads out there, which means lots of people are looking to play games.
The iPad's large, gorgeous display gives gamers a more open, visual experience that isn't as restricted as the DS/3DS/PlayStation Vita's relatively small displays. This makes it an excellent device for any number of games, but it especially benefits those with large footprints, such as Words With Friends. There is one significant drawback, however: Unlike traditional video game portables, the iPad lacks physical controls, which can prove less than intuitive when playing certain titles that weren't built from the ground up with iOS in mind or demand intricate controller inputs. In those circumstances, ThinkGeek's Joystick-It Tablet Arcade Stick can come in quite handy.
Many iPad games fall into the casual and diversionary realm (Angry Birds Space, Quarrel Deluxe HD), but an increasing number of the best games are aimed at the dedicated, or "core," gaming demographic. 9MM, for instance, brings gun play and mature content; Infinity Blade 2 is a high-octane action-RPG with console quality graphics; DoDonPachi Resurrection HD is a 2D shooter (or "shmup"—short for shoot 'em up) that will obliterate the Fruit Ninja crowd. Apple's iOS has titles for gamers of all types.
Most iPad games fall within the $5 to $10 (Sonic CD) range, but you can find titles that are free (Temple Run), or carry price tags just shy of $20 (such as the $13.99 Espgaluda II HD). Still, that's about the half the price of your typical DS/3DS/PlayStation Vita title.

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If you're ready to iPad game, check out our story to discover what we consider to be 50 can't-miss games that will keep you entertained at home or on the road. The majority is dedicated iPad games, but we also include a few iPhone games that look great when played in 2X mode. If you want to check out our other video game recommendations, click the links below. Think we missed a game? Be sure to let us know in the comments so we can consider it for our next update!
Note that you can read the story in a multipage format (see the Table of Contents, above) or as a slideshow.—Next: Arcade Games >

The 100 Best iPhone Apps

What's an iPhone without apps? Here are 100 of the best apps of all time, apps that every iPhone owner should consider installing.

Contents

• The 100 Best iPhone Apps
• Browsers and Reference (1-10)
• Organization and Productivity (11-22)
• Utility (23-30)
• Communication and Social (31-40)
• Games (41-52)
• Music and Video (53-61)
• Photography, Hobbies, Finance (62-70)
• Health and Cooking (71-77)
• Reading (78-87)
• Shopping (88-95)
• Travel (96-100)

Need new iPhone apps? Maybe you're new to the iPhone, or perhaps you're a long-time iPhone owner who has too many apps and needs to find replacements that are more multi-purpose than the single-purpose apps currently cluttering your phone. In this article, we round up the best 100 iPhone apps we know of.
Before you start downloading more apps willy-nilly, make sure you've updated your operating system to the latest version (iOS 5.1 at the time of this writing). There are features in Apple's own mobile operating system that are as good and useful as any app on this list—especially true since iOS 5's release. For example, iMessage now bypasses SMS texting charges by using Wi-Fi when it's available for iOS-to-iOS messages. That helps you save money. Other Apple apps, like Find My iPhone, require iOS 5 to work.
Plenty of amazing apps can be found in the App Store. Word-of-mouth advice from friends is useful in helping you decide which ones you might like, but we at PCMag spend thousands of hours each year scouring iTunes, speaking with developers, reviewing the best apps we find, and hunting for hidden gems. If there's an app that makes owning the iPhone more worthwhile, we find out about it.

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The 100 apps that made the cut for this list are the ones that have shown outstanding performance, have been almost universally liked by users young and old, or have had a solid history of being among the first apps we'd recommend new users download. Many of the apps listed here are free, a few cost a couple of dollars, and the priciest one on this list will only set you back about $10.
Missing from this list are apps that come pre-installed on the iPhone, although they are certainly not to be overlooked. The YouTube, Maps, and Clocks apps in particular should not be ignored, while the iTunes, iPod, and App Store apps typically see a fair share of well-deserved usage, too. iPhone 4S users may love (or loath) Siri, which is not on this list—but alternatives to Siri sure are.
The Apple App Store is expansive, and certainly, we don't know about every hidden gem of an app that's out there. If there's a great app you love, please tell us and other readers about it in the comments at the end of the article.—Next: Browsers and Reference (1-10) >

The 35 Best Mac Apps

Whether you're a Mac newcomer or seasoned veteran, these 35 apps will make your OS X experience more fun and productive.

Contents

• The 35 Best Mac Apps
• Creativity Apps
• Productivity Apps
• Utilities Apps
• Syncing Apps
• Browsers
• Audio and Video
• Communication

According to data analyst firm Gartner, the Mac's market share reached 11.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011. In fact, Apple was the only personal computer vendor in the United States of America to see growth. The upshot of both these factoids is that there are more new people exploring the OS X platform than before. If you count yourself among the new Mac users group, you're probably wondering which apps are the ones you should check out. And, even if you're a longtime Mac user, you can always use a few helpful suggestions for improving your Mac experience. Regardless of your affiliation, we have a must-read list for you.
The 35 Best Mac Apps highlights the software that you should download to your OS X desktop or laptop right now. The apps will help you express your creativity, be more productive, browse the Web, communicate with others, and much more. Some of the apps are exclusive to the OS X platform; others are cross-platformers that you'll find on Windows and Linux. One of the apps even lets you run Windows and Linux within OS X, opening the door to even more apps than what the Mac natively supports. Note that there's one big category that we've left out here on purpose: games. We'll handle Mac games in their own story at a later date.

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Click on the slideshow to get started or check out the category menu on the right to see the 35 best Mac apps indexed by category. Do you feel that there are some high quality Mac apps that we've missed? This is our first cut at a story that we plan to keep expanding, so we're very eager to hear your suggestions in the comment section below. Who knows? Maybe your suggestion may end up in the next version of this story.—Next: Creativity Apps >

Best Games for windows and mobile

The 30 Best Windows Phone Games

Windows Phone is coming into its own as a gaming platform—here are the games you must play now.

 

Contents

• The 30 Best Windows Phone Games
• Adventure
• Arcade
• Arcade (cont.)
• Strategy
• Puzzle
• Racing and Simulation

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise: While virtually no one was looking, Windows Phone 7.5 has fast become a great gaming platform. A few key developers—notably Zynga and OMGPOP, among others—aren't on board yet, but many of the big ones are. Windows Phone is even racking up some exclusives you can't get on Android or iOS. The best part: All the games listed here look great and play smoothly. Don't let Windows Phone's current lack of support for dual-core CPUs get to you.
It's only going to get better from here as well. Thanks in large part to Nokia's buy-in with Windows Phone, both EA and Angry Birds-developer Rovio have committed to accelerated Windows Phone releases that will closely match those of Android and iOS phones. Upcoming titles from EA include Madden NFL, NBA Jam, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, FIFA, and Mirror's Edge, among others.
Then there's the Xbox Live connection, which you can only get on Windows Phone devices. If you've already got an Xbox 360, don't miss Xbox Companion, a free app that lets you search for games, music, TV shows, and movies, and then cue them up on your Xbox from your phone. Several of the games below include the ability to link up the Windows Phone version to the comparable Xbox 360 title in order to unlock additional gameplay options. And recently, Windows Phone Marketplace hit 100,000 total apps. Not all of those are games, but that's a significant milestone, and yet more proof that this platform has legs.

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But all of that is aside from the main point: Gaming. Here are the best 30 games we've found for Windows Phone 7.5 devices. At this point, including Angry Birds ($0.99) is almost like cheating, so we won't. (It's great; just get it if you don't have it.) I tested every game on a Samsung Focus 2 ($79.99, 3 stars), which has a 4-inch screen and a 1.4GHz processor, and runs Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango). Most Windows Phones cluster right around these specs, so yours should be just fine.
Note that you can navigate the story either by clicking through the slideshow, or by reading it as a multipage story, via the Next links or the above table of contents. And feel free to make suggestions in the comments section—we really want to know what you think.—Next: Adventure >

Best Antivirus for windows

The Best Antivirus for Windows 7

There are several significant security improvements in the Windows 7 operating system, including tools that improve network security, privacy, parental controls and even integrated protection from malware. But even with the heightened security, a separate antivirus software or internet security suite is a must-have. Microsoft admits that the built-in OS security is only the first line of defense, and they certainly encourage users to install additional security software from a third-party. So of the scores of security software apps available (almost all of which now support the new OS), which is the best antivirus for Windows 7?

 

In general, the actual level of protection from antivirus software won’t vary across operating systems. A security suite that is equipped with advanced threat detection and stays up-to-date will be sufficient regardless of whether it’s deployed on Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7. So the best antivirus for Windows 7 is also the best antivirus for any modern Windows operating system.
If you are satisfied with your current antivirus software and are planning on updating your OS or purchasing a new computer, chances are that your favorite security software will work well on Windows 7. Of course, if you’re not completely satisfied with your antivirus software, or would like to try something new, now would be a great time to start fresh.
Still, while all the major security software vendors have products that are compatible with Windows 7, they aren’t necessarily optimized equally. Some of the best antivirus software apps have unique tools and features specifically designed for Windows 7. Here are the top 5 best antivirus software for Windows 7, and some of the unique Windows 7 features they have.

The new user interface of BitDefender Antivirus was designed to look right at home in Windows 7. The software is effectively organized and designed in a way that is both aesthetic and easy to use. BitDefender antivirus is rock-solid security software, and it's our preferred antivirus software for Windows 7.

Not only is Kaspersky Antivirus completely compatible with Windows 7, it also has integrated support for the new features and functions of Windows 7. If you’re using Windows 7 you can also take advantage of the unique Kaspersky Desktop Gadget. The small desktop widget gives you an at-a-glance security status and quick access to the main features of the antivirus software.

Webroot AntiVirus is another antivirus software app that’s compatible with Windows 7. It’s got all the right features and solid security. Webroot AntiVirus performed very well in the most recent VB100 test, which specifically tested antivirus software on the Windows 7 operating system. Webroot AntiVirus received high marks in both reactive and proactive detection.

Not only was Norton AntiVirus’ new edition designed from the ground up to be completely optimized for Windows 7, the company has also provided several resources to help users successfully migrate to Windows 7. Particularly on the business front, Symantec has the tools and resources to help businesses quickly and painlessly migrate to Windows 7.

ESET Nod32 Antivirus was developed with help from Microsoft to ensure that the newest versions of ESET Nod32 Antivirus and ESET Smart Security were not just compatible with Windows 7, but optimized for it. ESET Nod32 Antivirus works with both the 32-bit and 64-bit configurations of Windows 7.
Windows 7 is a much better operating system than its predecessor, with better usability, performance and security. To keep your PC running like new you need to install the best antivirus software for Windows 7 to keep your system protected. The best antivirus software for Windows 7 will have proactive protection methods to keep you safe from digital dangers (some specifically designed to compromise Windows 7). But more than just protection, the best antivirus products for Windows 7 are also optimized for performance and usability.
See our side-by-side comparison and comprehensive reviews for more specifics and head-to-head competition of the best antivirus software for Windows 7. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™