Best iPad Apps

Getting Zen

Best App for Chimers and Timers

Zen Timer for iPad

$2.99 Version: 3.2.1 | Spotlight Six Software

An iPad app for meditation? Isn’t that what you do to get away from the clatter of technology? Sure, but the ultra-soothing tones here are worth a listen, thanks to their easy-to-customize options and the unobtrusive way the iPad lets you tap, trigger, and then forget it’s even there. Equipped with a half dozen-ish richly rendered sounds, the app lets you set start, stop, and interval bells. If you want to tweak settings like timing (of the pause between sequential bells, for example), go for it. If you want to spend about 10 seconds on setup and then forget about this app till it’s time to touch the Start button: no worries.

SIMPLE SETUP: Audition the various tones by horizontally swiping through the photo gallery of bowl types. Use the same one for all three points (start, stop, interval) or pick different styles for each. A nice-sized Silence button appears whenever a bell rings, giving you a one-tap way to go back to blankness.

YOUR WAY: Use the Presets button to save any combo for quick summoning. Personalize the app even further by importing your own background image to occupy the screen. You can even put your iPad to sleep (press the button on the top edge of the device) ...