This has turned into one heck of a great week for new iPad apps and updates to some top iPad apps. The latest is a great new update for the Google+ iPad app, to Version 4.0. The app has had some UI tweaks and looks very good, and even easier to work with.

The big new feature in this update is support for Communities. Communities are a fantastic new Google+ feature that just went live a week ago. They’re a way to get engaged with specific topics of interest on Google+, along with or instead of keeping up with the main stream or even your circles. It’s a feature that lots of us had been hoping to see for ages and it’s already becoming a favorite part of Google+ for me, while Google+ itself is becoming my favorite social network to spend time on.

Here’s the full change list for the 4.0 update:

- New feature: Google+ Communities
- Ability to subscribe to any circle for notifications
- Ability to indicate how many guests you’re bringing to an event
- Support for time zones in Events
- Basic profile editing
- New compose UI for easier sharing
- New visual stream design
- Discover people and topics more easily using ‘Find people’

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Communities since they launched last Friday night. I’ve joined some for dog lovers, bloggers, smartphone photographers, Mac fans and more. I’ve also created a few myself. If you’re a Google+ user you may want to check these out:

iPad Apps: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/109535057767699014065

iPad Accessories: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/113282961350308045894

iPad Tips & Tricks: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/104222764401182876031

iPad Art: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/115685703707279973907

I’m hoping these iPad focused communities will become a great place to share ideas and get some good discussions going. They’re off to a good start so far.

Here’s an App Store link for Google+ for iPad; it’s a free app and a universal app designed for both iPad and iPhone.