My favourite iPad apps for home entertainment

There are a few apps that I find handy around the home, I’ve chosen a couple to highlight here which I tend to use a bit.

Apple Remote
This is a pretty simple app, as it’s basically a remote control. But pair it with your Apple TV on your home WiFi, and it’s a great way to drive your home audio. You can use it simply as an alternative Apple TV remote (much better than that fiddly little grey one that keeps hiding under the cushions), or to play your iTunes music (on your PC or Mac) through your Apple TV or Airport Express. (Just as an aside, the Apple TV is one of my favourite gadgets – I also use it to play videos or show photos on my TV directly from my iPad).

Flixter
Watching a movie and can’t wait til the credits to find out who the main actor is? Want to know which movies are currently playing in your local cinema? Find yourself at a dinner trying to remember what year a certain movie was released? These are some of the uses I have put this app to.

Splashtop
I use this app to control my home PC with my iPad. Load the software on iPad, load the software on the PC, pair them through your WiFi network and you then see your PC on your iPad. You can then control the PC through gestures, or with the keypad. This is one way to watch Flash video on your ‘pad’.

Photogene
This is a photo editing app. It covers the basics pretty well, like cropping or reducing red-eye – as well as other effects and borders. You can also upload to various Social Media sites from the app – such as Twitter or Facebook.

Any more apps that you find useful at home? Feel free to add your own comments.