4 Must-Have iPad Apps

Tweetbot

Tweetbot for iPad will keep even the most hard-core power users happy. The full-featured app offers a detailed interface, sounds, animation, multiple timelines and smart gestures, among a world of other useful things you probably never even knew you needed. Tweetbot is also easy on the eyes and offers support for several services, including Pocket, Instapaper, Readability, CloudApp and Droplr.

Yelp

Love it or hate it, Yelp remains the go-to spot for local restaurant reviews. Save for the snark and chronic complainers, it’s a pretty useful source when you’re completely stumped on where to eat or drink. It’s also a wildly useful (and free!) tour guide when you’re scouring a new area. And, of course, you’ll find listings for other types of venues as well, including boutiques, salons, pharmacies and healthcare clinics, among others. Perhaps the best part about Yelp is that you don’t need an account to use it; the listings and reviews are accessible to all.

Mint

After spending so much money on gadgets like the iPad Air, it’s crazy-important to keep your finances in check. And now that you’re armed with more than one mobile device, doing so just got a heck of a lot more convenient. Ditch the old paper envelope and fire up Mint, which pulls all of your financial info into one spot, making it a cinch for you to see what’s going where. The app is especially useful when you’re trying to save money, and you can view all of your accounts, including checking, savings, investements and retirement at any given moment. Mint’s apps are free and if you’re not already a member, it only takes five minutes to sign up.

Houzz

Whether you’re considering a complete remodel of your home or you just need fresh ideas on decorating your apartment, Houzz has you covered. With a seemingly endless database of home design ideas, it’s simply impossible not to be inspired. The app features more than two million high-res photos to help you plan your dream house. You can search for images by style, room and location. And here’s the best part: You can save all of your favorites to your personal idea books for quick access later. Houzz also lists the source and pricing for many of its products, so you’ll also save time on figuring out where to find it all — now you’ll just have to find a way to pay for it.