There was a vast profusion of cool stuff happening across the 148Apps network this week, but the top of the top was the culmination of our 2011 Best App Ever awards. Head honcho Jeff Scott writes, “It was an amazing year. With over 1.5 million votes cast (over three times the number cast last year) and a record number of nominations, we now have the winners of the 2011 Best App Ever Awards. Thanks to all that voted, nominated, and made these fantastic apps!”

Read the full list of winners, and our own Carter Dotson’s take on them, on 148Apps.com.

Kid-friendly GiggleApps featured a review of Fun Clock-Learn to Tell Time. Reviewer Amy Solomon writes, “Few apps actually tackle explaining the true concept of telling time they way this app does. After watching the included video in Fun Clock – Learn to Tell Time, children will be will well on their way to understanding how to read a analogue clock. As a parent, I don’t think I could have explained this better myself, also wishing that this video had been around when I was a child.”

Take the time to read the full review on GiggleApps.

$1.99

Fun Clock for Kids - Learn to tell time

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-09-22 :: Category: Education

Finally, over at Android Rundown, Carter Dotson took a closer look at Apple’s recent iBooks education initiative and evaluated it for what it could mean for the Android platform. Dotson writes, “It may not have been the sexiest announcement, but Android supporters – manufacturers and users alike – should not underestimate Apple’s education gambit. Their big push into education with iBooks 2 being optimized for textbooks (both the reading and selling thereof) and iTunes U offering deeper integration with college courses could be the necessary roots they have to lay down for long-term success at the expense of Android.”

Read the full commentary on Android Rundown.

FREE!

iBooks

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-04-01 :: Category: Books

And that’s the week that was. Don’t forget to read a full list of Best App Ever winners at www.bestappever.com, and keep following us on Twitter and Facebook for all the contests, news and reviews you can eat. I’ll be playing Jetpack Joyride non-stop until next week, but I’ll see you back here then.

Newly released on the app store comes CountCon, an app with a pretty neat feature. CountCon enables users to have a countdown timer on their homescreen icon, thus reducing the need for them to open the app to see what time is left.

Using the local notification system, CountCon ensures that users can set seconds, minutes, hours or even days for their countdown timer. It’s the kind of idea that makes it easy to wonder just why such an idea hasn’t been tried before. Extra customization comes in the form of the ability to set custom ringtones for when the countdown ends.

Ultimately though, CountCon can be a pretty hands off app as once the timer’s set, it should be fine to leave it to its own devices. It’s not going to win prizes for looks or gimmicks. It’s just simple but to the point.

CountCon is an universal app and available now for $0.99.

$0.99

CountCon -- Countdowns on your Homescreen Icon!

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-05-21 :: Category: Productivity