All kinds of apps providers are issuing press releases today to make sure everyone knows that yes, they’re going to be available on Apple’s iPad when it hits stores tomorrow.
According to early reviews, the iPad can run nearly all existing iPhone apps as well as specially designed iPad apps, of which Apple expects to have 1,000 at launch. Judging by the slew of releases coming out yesterday and today, it would appear to be hitting that mark.
Netflix is just one of the apps available for free on the App Store, allowing Netflix members to watch an unlimited number of TV episodes and movies streamed from Netflix to iPad. Streaming to iPad is no additional cost to Netflix members on plans starting at $8.99 a month. Here’s a short rundown of some of the other apps.
• The free Yahoo! Entertainment for the iPad allows consumers to explore entertainment content, television listings, videos, news and more. The company says it is leveraging the features of the iPad to create “one of the most interactive and personal experiences possible.” The app takes advantage of iPad’s geo-location functionality to pinpoint consumers’ locations to deliver relevant, local television listings and content.
• MTV Networks (MTVN), a division of Viacom, announced four new apps for iPad, at various prices, from MTV, Nickelodeon and VH1 Classic. The new offerings include MTV’s “Beavis and Butt-head;” Nickeodeon’s “Dora the Explorer Coloring Adventures!;” and “Daily Jigsaw;” and “VH1 Classic Presents: Intellivision for iPad.”
• Warner Bros is bringing games and movies to the iPad, including a game based on the newly released “Sherlock Holmes” in Blu-Ray and DVD. Sherlock Holmes: Mysteries is an immersive game that leverages the 1024×768 screen resolution.
• EA Mobile offers five game titles at launch for the iPad, including Need For Speed SHIFT and Tetris. EA Mobile had four of the five top selling games in the App Store last year.
• Shazam’s app for iPad is lets users identify new music and get a music discovery experience that uses some of the unique features of iPad, such as its multi-touch display. The company says it has accumulated more than 15 million users on iPhone and iPod touch since the summer of 2008.
• Smule, creator of Ocarina, Leaf Trombone and I Am T-Pain, designed Magic Piano specifically for the iPad. The limited sale of the app for $2.99 expires on Mozart’s birthday.
• Nuance Communications says its Dragon Dictation for iPad will be on the App Store for free for a limited time. With the newest addition to the Dragon Dictation family, iPad users can speak their e-mail messages. The app also includes a new Dragon Dictation Notes feature that lets users speak and save drafts of documents, e-mails, to-do lists, social media status updates and more.