: It's frankly hard to do a social-networking app that lets your friends know you're nearby : The free Glympse app for iPhone and iPad tries to solve the problem by putting users in total control of who sees their location and when; It offers tools to send friends a notification of their location (via email, Twitter, Facebook, and text) and how long they'll be there. When the timer on that notification expires, the user's location is no longer visible to the public. This week's update lets users request Glympse notifications from each other, and also allows multiple users to form "Glympse groups" for common activities.

: If you love indie comics--and the artists who make them--you should check out the free app for iPad; it lets those artists display and sell their work (issues start at $1 apiece) while letting the artists retain the right to sell the same work elsewhere. Readers get a chance to see the work of up-and-coming creators, as well as odd and eccentric voices that aren't showcased elsewhere. Everybody wins.

: The advent of iOS 6--and Apple's much-discussed decision to replace the formerly native Google Maps app on the iPhone and iPad--has been a boon to makers of mapping and GPS apps. , a $5 navigation app for iPhone, might be greeted happily by users waiting for Google to release its own mapping app for iOS: The app uses Google Places to power its routing instructions, but displays them overlaid on Apple's own maps. If your purpose isn't navigation, but simply to enjoy the glory of a well-made atlas, --a $10 offering for iPhone and iPad--offers beautiful imagery and detailed information by locations all across the planet. The app is compatible with the iPhone 4 or later, or the iPad 2 or later.

: Another week, another top-flight music-making app from IK Multimedia. This time it's , a $20 iPhone app that contains a dozen vocal effects to help get the best out of your lead singer's vocal tracks. This week's update offers a number of new features, including the ability to export tracks to SoundCloud or an FTP account. Happy singing!

: added Passbook support ... debuted as the newest way to, um, check the weather ... launched your favorite hedgehog on a new adventure ... updated for compatibility with iOS 6 ... and  is now available on the iPad.