Google+

Google+ has finally landed on the iPad, via a recent update to the app. Friends' posts are presented in an image-heavy grid for easy browsing. Or put your iPad's front-facing camera to good use, and video chat via the Hangouts feature.

The graphic-heavy interface is surprisingly smooth, although it does feel as if it's designed more for consuming others' posts than it is for sharing your own.

Next Issue

Lauded as a "Netflix for magazines," Next Issue lets you choose from a selection of participating titles and read as much as you want.

Currently there are 39 magazines on offer, including Esquire, Fortune, and Popular Mechanics, but more are expected to be added from participating publishers.

Next Issue is free for 30 days, then there is a $9.99 monthly fee for continued access. A premium level offers The New Yorker and a few other weeklies for $5 more.

The Early Edition 2

This updated second version of The Early Edition turns your RSS feeds into a cleanly-designed personal newspaper. You can sync Early Edition 2 to your Google Reader feeds, or run the app in standalone mode and chose from a variety of sections pre-populated with feeds.

Searches are a tap away, and you can save frequently-used search terms to quickly zero in on the content you need most.

The Early Edition 2 is also extremely social, with onboard integration for everything from Facebook and Twitter to Evernote, Pinboard, and Instapaper.