songbird ombudsman: iMore Editors' Choice: Badland, Soundcloud, Veronica Mars, and more

iMore Editors' Choice: Badland, Soundcloud, Veronica Mars, and more

Every week, the editors and writers at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This week's selections include an app that lets you check the coverage of major US carriers, a refreshing runner game, a music app, a TV show, an app for a popular auctioning service, and an app that lets you bookmark your favorite locations.

Coverage? - Joseph Keller

Whether I'm planning a road trip or writing an article about a carrier for iMore, Coverage tells me where the four major carriers have their various networks deployed, from 2G to LTE. Currently, Coverage provides data on a carrier's roaming areas and its 2G, 3G, "4G", and LTE networks. If you want to look at just one or two networks, you can turn their filters on and off in the top right-hand corner.Coverage uses the reports of each carrier, and it's proven reliable enough for me to count on its information. The only real downside of Coverage is its need for an app update to become current after a network turns on towers in more cities. It's a universal app that costs $2.99, so pick it up if you want this sort of information on hand wherever you go.

$2.99 - Download Now

Badland - Simon Sage

Badland is a refreshing new runner game that does away with the idea that you have to be out of the game as soon as you hit anything. In Badland, you control this odd little creature trying to flap its way through a treacherous forest. Debris falls in your path, and odd machinery peaks through the brush and occasionally knocks you around, but the really interesting part are the power ups you pick up. Some types make you smaller, and able to fit through tiny crevices, while others make you larger and massive enough to push aside obstacles. You can play local multiplayer and try to nudge opponents off the edge of the screen, which moves gradually forward as you progress. What really got me about Badland is the altogether polished art style. It's certainly dark, but a little whimsical too. Definitely check this one out if you're looking for something visually refreshing.

$3.99 - Download Now

Soundcloud - Chris Parsons

These days, I find myself listening to all sorts of different music. One reason for that is the fact I not too long ago signed up for a Soundcloud account. Rather then listening to the same music over and over, I now just let Soundcloud play on in the background let it pick some music for me. Then, we I hear some stuff I like, I favorite it. My use case is fairly slim in comparison to what Soundcloud is capable of as a whole, but if you're looking to check some new music or even podcasts then it's certainly worth a look. From indie bands to top acts, you'll find them all offering free content on Soundcloud and best of all, the app itself is free.

Free - Download Now

Veronica Mars Rene Ritchie

Veronica Mars was a post-Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series that used a similar formula -- small, young, precocious, blond, snarky, lady hero raised in a single family home positively cleaning the clocks of big bad forces all around her. The setting wasn't super natural, but the stories smart, the characters well rendered, and the mix of humor, hope, pain, rage, suspense, and triumph remarkably well balanced and well executed.

Series creator Rob Thomas is currently using Kick Starter to fund a movie spin off. I backed it within moments of it going live and it's now at somewhere around $4.5 million. More money will mean a better movie, however, so if you haven't backed it yet, check it out.

The original three seasons are available on iTunes. They're all good, the first is spectacular.

$49.99 per season - Download now

eBay - Ally Kazmucha

We did some spring cleaning around The Pod Drop office and found lots of old iPhones, iPads, damaged logic boards, and pretty much everything you could imagine. To get rid of all this stuff, we frequently use eBay. I'd never really managed eBay auctions from the native iPhone and iPad app but decided to give it a try. I have to say I'm actually pretty impressed.

If you're selling items or bidding on other items, you'll get notifications pushed directly to your iPhone or iPad if you're outbid or when someone places another bid on one of your items. You can literally do almost everything you can on the web based version of eBay through the mobile apps. It's a huge time saver for answering buyer questions on the go. If you use eBay quite often and own an iPhone or iPad, it's hugely convenient.

Free - Download Now

Rego - Leanna Lofte

Rego is an iPhone app that lets you bookmark your favorite locations. For each locations you can attached photos and notes to remember why it is that you like that location. As a photographer, I'm using Rego as a way to save great photo shoot locations and make notes about lighting, specific areas of the locations, and other helpful details. Rego lets you save up to 10 locations for free and an unlimited amount for $0.99.

Free - Download now

Your choice?

Now that we've chosen our favorites for the week, we want to hear yours! Did you pick up a killer app, accessory, or game this week? Let us know in the comments below!