App Syncing - How to avoid?

Hi All,

Using iOS5 on all of my devices (iPhone & iPad) which are both synced with my MacBook Air using iTunes. I like to avoid having to sync as much as possible (hate that podcasts don't automatically download on either device) and given the limited HD space on the MBA I want to store as little as possible on it.

How the heck to I avoid having to store apps in iTunes? I want each device to manage its own apps right from the device and download updates when they pop up - I would like to be able to remove the app sections from iTunes empty.

I un-tick the option on iTunes for both devices but it ticks itself when trying to sync - what am I not doing?