A few months ago, our corporate offices created an awesome app called radioPup that allows you to listen to 106-1 KISS-FM anywhere on the planet through your smartphone or tablet computer. But wait, it gets better. This is a FREE app! Pretty sweet, right?

To help get the creative juices going when it came to creating the commercials to help promote the app's launch, our corporate team offered a brand new iPad to whoever had the best spot. Guess who won?

If you guessed, The Rob...you'd be wrong. If you guessed Kat Mykals, Nino, or Big Boy...you'd be wrong three more times. Believe it or not, it was me who won the contest (if you haven't figured that out yet). In case you haven't heard it on the air, here's the "award-winning" commercial:

I had actually forgotten about it until one Saturday afternoon about 2 weeks after I submitted my spot when my boss sent me a text telling me I had won. I even had to reply back asking what it was I had won. This will sound cliche, but I don't usually win things like this. In the rare instances I do win something, it's free combo meals from some chain restaurant. Which, don't get me wrong, I like to eat so a free meal is always a welcome gift, but coupons are a one-time deal and once you use them, they're done. At least with the iPad, it's something my family and I can enjoy for years to come.

After what seemed like an eternity, my new toy finally showed up at the station last Wednesday morning. As anxious as I was to start using it, I had to wait a few more hours until I got home to mess with it because the first thing you have to do is sync it to iTunes which I don't have on my office computer. Once I had it synced, I went straight to the App Store to start loading it up with pretty much anything I found interesting. I even filmed a video with it at our recent Putt Fore Life fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at Midget Links. See?

What I didn't expect was the shear volume of apps available, both free and paid. I have no idea what's good and what's not, which is where you come in. What apps do you have or have you heard of that are pretty cool either paid or free? Everything I've downloaded so far has bee free. Here's what I have:

Games & Entertainment

  • radioPup (obviously)
  • Angry Birds
  • Fruit Ninja
  • Cut the Rope
  • Skee HD Free (Skee-ball game)
  • UNO
  • Drums Lite HD
  • Frisbee
  • Angry Birds / Rio movie edition
  • Hello Crayons (drawing app for the kids)
  • MyPad (Facebook integrated app)

News & information

  • The Weather Channel*
  • ESPN ScoreCenter XL
  • USA Today

*I initially looked for a weather app from one of the local TV stations, but none of them had one for the iPad yet. The only one's they had available were designed for iPhone's and iPod touches.

Shopping

  • Amazon.com app

Let me know what else I need in the comment box below.

UPDATE (June 27th): I've been taking suggestions during my show today and here's what's been suggested so far:

  • Crackle - Watch full movies and TV shows
  • Shazam - Find out the name of a song and what album it's from
  • Hangin' with Friends - Hangman type game similar to Words with Friends
  • The Red Bulletin - E-Zine from Red Bull
  • Zite - Create your own e-zine to share with the world
  • Furry Friend - Speak into the iPad and the furry little monster on the screen recites what you said in a whacky voice (good for kids)
  • ShopKick - Gain points by visiting local stores and exchange your acquired points for gift cards

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