A fantastic list this week, jam-packed with highly original & useful tools, and plenty of fun, inventive games!

AntiCrop

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
A clever app that smartly and quickly creates a “content-aware fill,” so you can un-crop any photo. Could be a life-saver!

Biobots Under Sea Rescue

for iPad
Price: $2.99
An intriguing educational tool, where you learn about sea creatures by building a rescue robot based on their physiologies.

Caylus

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $4.99
In the tradition of Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne, this German-style board game has you build up a castle and a village surrounding it.

Earth Now

for iPhone
Price: FREE
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory created this little app that gives you current/recent data about the global climate.

Fingle

for iPad
Price: $.99
A 2-player game that’s like Twister for your fingers. Some of the finger positions are a bit suggestive, so it’s recommended only for adults.

GroupShot

for iPhone
Price: $1.99
Photography app that lets you combine the best parts of multiple pictures, with the intention of creating the perfect family portrait.

iTunes U

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Apple spun-off iTunes U into its own app this week, adding the ability for teachers to create courses of any kind and offer them for free. Comes with extensive study tools.

LEGO App4+

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Fun adventure game for kids with buildable LEGO objects.

Niko

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE ($1.99 in-app to unlock full game)
Combines the mechanics of Angry Birds-style slingshot action with a traditional platformer.

Order Up! To Go

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
Build your restaurant empire — one dish at a time. Cook in your kitchen to serve customers, and then move on to a different restaurant and a bigger challenge.

Puzzlejuice

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $.99
An inventive, frustrating, wildly addictive puzzler that combines Tetriswith word-building.

Smash Cops

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $2.99 (unlock full game in-app)
Chase down bad guys and crash into everything around you in this simulation of TV-broadcast cop car chases sporting incredible graphics.

Soul Caliber

for iPhone & iPad
Price: $11.99
A great port of the classic fighting game, but the price tag is mighty steep.

Triple Town

for iPhone & iPad
Price: FREE
A unique match-3 puzzle game where you’re charged with building the biggest city you can while outwitting giant bears who want to stop you.

TurboTax 2012

for iPad
Price: FREE
The annual release from Intuit that makes filing taxes without an accountant easier.

WikiView

for iPad
Price: $.99
Attractive Wikipedia viewer designed for the iPad.