Eleven apps that made the iPad snap in 2010

In ten years, will anyone remember Chatroulette, the well-intentioned video chat website that randomly connects users around the world?

Probably not, but according to Google it was one of the fastest-rising searches of the year.

While Chatroulette may be only a temporary addition to the zeitgeist, this past year will long be remembered for Google's two other hottest searches: Justin Bieber and the iPad.

Bieber's name will live on well past his 15 minutes, if only through an adulthood of awkward albums. But it is the iPad that could leave a deeper impression on pop culture.

Dismissed as a frivolity when it was released earlier this year, the tablet computer has already sold more than four million units, and the creation and sale of applications – known as apps – is serious business.

IPad apps have turned any nook into a home office and every cranny into an entertainment unit.

With that in mind, here are a handful of iPad apps that are more informative than a session of Chatroulette and more enjoyable than a Justin Bieber reunion tour.

Angry Birds ($0.99)

One year after first being released for iPhone, this ridiculous and addictive game is still the second most profitable application. And the iPad's high-definition version has been just as successful. The game entails knocking down block structures by hurling birds at them. No wonder they are so angry.

Fruit Ninja ($0.99)

Someone is throwing fruit at you; you cut them in half by slashing them like a ninja. It is not a complicated game. Now you can take vengeance on watermelons while competing against a friend. Or a foe.

Scrabble ($9.99)

Nothing screams the need for a high-definition computer screen such as a word puzzle, so the greatness of Scrabble for iPad should be no surprise. It has an easy and intuitive playing style and begs for multiplayer action. You can download a free "tile rack" application for iPhones or iPod touch to keep your letters closer to the vest.

Marvel (Free, comics cost $1.99)

The problem with comic books until now was that they were too easily left behind in public washrooms. Marvel has solved that issue by publishing their work on an expensive piece of electronics, ensuring no one will ever again forget the latest issue of Silver Surfer behind.

MLB At Bat 2010 (currently free, charges during baseball season)

This all-encompassing iPad app is a one-stop shop for information on your favourite baseball league. During the season it gives immediate updates and showcases highlights from ongoing games. During the winter, it is the first place to look if an obscure minor league pitcher gets traded.

Nike + GPS ($1.99)

The same people who gave the world jogging have introduced this handy way to catalogue your successes and failures. Nike + GPS records your running pace, distance and even charts the route you take. Best of all, you can post the results online, so coworkers never again need to ask after your running results. Because they'll already know.

Epicurious (free)

Downloading Epicurious means never again wondering what to eat. Browse recipe collections or search by keyword to decide your next meal, and let the app build a shopping list for you. It does everything but boil the zucchini for you. You boil zucchini, right?

Things ($19.99)

A task manager that melds daily schedules with ongoing project lists to help even the most disorganized balance their duties. The downside is that you need to purchase separate versions if you want to sync iPhones, iPads and home computers. The upside is that Things can remind you to complain about that at an appropriate time.

Pages ($9.99)

This is the closest iPad has been to replacing a home computer entirely. This word processor lets you create reports, brochures and other things into which colourful pie charts can be plugged. If that is your kind of thing.

Star Walk ($4.99)

It has been said that earth is too precarious a basket to hold all of mankind's eggs. This app is for all those people who are interested in the other baskets. Hold your iPad up to the starry night sky for a complete breakdown on constellations, stars and planets. A time machine function lets you see the stars from centuries ago, which blows the mind to think about.

Flipboard (free)

One friend recommends an article on the popularity of skinny jeans; another tweets a photo gallery of cats dressed like characters from Mad Men. If you're like me, the number of Twitter and Facebook links you are sent could fill a magazine. Voila, Flipboard takes all those links and organizes them into your own personal publication. Let's see Justin Bieber do that.