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Macworld's 2011 App Gems Awards

We honor our favorite iOS apps from the past year

In the three-and-a-half years since Apple opened the App Store’s virtual doors, App-mania shows no signs of abating. The concept of an Apple-managed software store has become so widely embraced, that the company even created a Mac version of the App Store this past January.

But the original iOS store isn’t ready to cede the spotlight, not even to its Mac counterpart. And that’s readily apparent as we unveil the 2011 edition of our App Gems Awards. A quick glance at the 32 winners of this year’s honors reveals that developers continue to roll out stellar software that pushes the limits of just what your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad can do. And with half-a-million apps to choose from in the App Store, we expect plenty of good things still to come on the iOS front.

The App Gems Awards recognize apps released or updated between November 1, 2010 and November 1, 2011. Here are our favorite iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps from the past year.

Macworld's 2011 App Gems Awards

It was another banner year for iOS apps. Find out which ones top our list as our favorite apps from the past year, as we hand out our third annual App Gems Awards.

App Gems: Top productivity apps
Two of our favorite iOS productivity tools improve upon built-in apps that Apple includes with the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. The other two add new capabilities to your mobile device.
App Gems: Top communication apps
From coming up with ideas to relaying them to others, we pick a trio of iOS favorites -- iThoughtsHD, Textastic, and Tweetbot -- that help you get your message out.
App Gems: Top photography apps
Our picks for the top photography apps from the past year include an all-in-one offering that promises to take care of most of your photographic needs, a versatile image editor, and an editing app that focuses on a particular task. We also highlight an app that takes video-capture capabilities in exciting new directions.
App Gems: Top music apps
Our three favorite iOS music apps -- Animoog, Capo, and GarageBand -- should appeal to everyone, whether you're an experienced musician or someone who's hardly ever picked up an instrument.
App Gems: Top reading apps
Our favorite reading apps from the past year include a tool that ushers comic books into the digital age, and two children’s books that make the most of the iPad’s interface.
App Gems: Top news apps
From a personalized news app to one that delivers streaming video straight to your iPad, our favorite news apps for 2011 cover every angle.
App Gems: Top games
The App Store contains a wide variety of games for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Not coincidentally, so do our choices for the best mobile games of the past year. We just can't get enough of Tiny Wings, Zombie Gunship, Toca Tea Party, Real Racing 2 HD, Super Stickman Golf, and Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP.
App Gems: Top education apps
It's little wonder why the iPad is becoming a more popular classroom tool when you consider some of the education apps available in the App Store. We honor a pair of favorites from the past year with our App Gems Awards.
App Gems: Hall of fame apps
Some apps are perpetual contenders for our annual App Gems Awards. To recognize their ongoing excellence, we've created the App Gems Hall of Fame and inducted five mobile offerings into our inaugural class: 1Password Pro, Flipboard, Instagram, Instapaper, and MLB.com's annual At Bat offering.
App Gems: Honorable mentions
We had a lot of worthwhile contenders to consider for this year's App Gems Awards. Here are the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad offerings that just missed the cut, but still deserve your attention.