As promised, Angry Birds maker Rovio on Thursday launched its brand new game for iOS and Android devices, The Croods. Basically a movie tie-in based on The Croods, the upcoming CG animated feature film by DreamWorks Animation, the game follows the movie storyline and features nice looking landscapes, a bunch of creatures and puzzles that will put your gray matter to the test… Read More
RokDock is the new iPhone throne [review + giveaway]
By Jim Gresham on Mar 12, 2013
Rokform is quite a regular on the review stream around these parts and it should come as no surprise. Before you assume, no, this is not a sponsored post. Simply, Rokform makes extremely quality products and I am always impressed by them.
The most recent chunks of T-6061 aircraft grade aluminum that Rokform CNC machined into a usable hunk of metal is the RokDock. The heaviest accessory on my desk, the three pound dock is a hyper-masculine throne upon which my iPhone rests. The RokDock is just awesome, no need to complain about my open love affair with their products… Read More
HiddenApps lets you disable iAds and hide stock Apple apps, no jailbreak required
By Christian Zibreg on Mar 11, 2013
Occasionally, an app escapes the watchful eye of Apple’s review team and gets released on the App Store despite ignoring Apple’s stringent rules for third-party iOS development. HiddenApps by David Goelzhaeuser, a 15-year-old German iOS developer, is one such example.
The whole point of this free application is to let you hide Apple’s stock apps from your Home screen, like Passbook, Newsstand or Stocks – no jailbreak required.
It can also disable Apple’s iAds altogether and give you access to a Field Test mode which gives you precise readings of your cellular signal strength. You better download as it’s going down in 5, 4, 3, 2… Read More
Rovio to air Toons series through Angry Birds apps
By Christian Zibreg on Mar 11, 2013
As we told you, Finland-based Angry Birds maker Rovio continues to milk its franchise with the announcement of an animated series titled Angry Birds Toons. It’s premiering on the weekend of March 16 and 17 and today Rovio revealed that it will be airing the episodes directly via its Angry Birds apps, in addition to other more traditional distribution channels.
That’s a clever move considering more than 1.7 billion Angry Birds downloads across devices and operating systems. If they offered a standalone Toons app, I don’t think many people would download it. The first episode titled ‘Chuck Time’ will be airing in the Angry Birds Toons channel this Sunday, March 17, with a trailer for it included right after the break… Read More
Apple rules the skies: 84% of in-flight Internet use comes from iDevices
By Christian Zibreg on Mar 8, 2013
In-flight Wi-Fi provider GoGo yesterday released an interesting infographic based on its real-world data on what devices passengers are using to access its service and what they are doing online. Apple’s iPhones and iPads dominated 2012 with a commanding 84 percent share, which sounds about right even if the figure is a bit higher than Apple’s other web usage stats.
Android is gaining some ground in the air, so to speak, and in 2012 accounted for sixteen percent of in-flight Internet use, sharply up over just 3.2 percent in 2011. Apple’s share in 2011 was 96.8 percent so clearly the company lost some ground to Android.
Five Apples for every Android on Gogo’s networks is in stark contrast to other surveys highlighting Android’s unit sales lead. Nonetheless, this is a real-world data point, therefore suggesting that either other market share estimates are inherently flawed or that Android-totting passengers are just not as fond of using their devices on a plane as their Apple peers are… Read More
The fantastic Fantastical update hits the iPhone, we go hands-on
By Christian Zibreg on Mar 7, 2013
I’m a long time fan of Fantastical, a tremendously useful and well-designed calendar and to-do software for the Mac from Flexibits.
Therefore, it goes without saying that I was tingling with expectation after the team had teased an iPhone experience in early-November 2012.
And now, less than three months since its iPhone debut, developers Thursday pushed the first major update. It’s a must-have as it addresses a few omissions while expanding on core functionality with some nice enhancements that will admittedly boost your productivity.
These include time zone support, multiple event alerts, even faster natural language parsing, handy user interface tweaks and of course “staggering number of other improvements, parser enhancements, and bug fixes.” If you’re a fan of the app, we’ve got you covered with detailed observations of what’s new and how the changes affect your daily workflow… Read More
The original Angry Birds game goes free for the first time on iOS
By Christian Zibreg on Mar 7, 2013
It appears as if Angry Birds maker Rovio is changing strategy lately and switching away from paid downloads to free ones. Having briefly experimented with a massive 99-cent sale of its iPad titles last month and adding free, ad-supported downloads to its puzzler Amazing Alex, today the company has made the game that started it all – the original Angry Birds - free for the first time ever on Apple’s mobile platform. Unlike free Angry Birds downloads on Android, this one doesn’t come with in-app advertisements and Rovio also has added 15 new levels to keep you going… Read More
Six premium Gameloft games slashed to 99 cents each in a limited time sale
By Christian Zibreg on Mar 6, 2013
French publisher Gameloft has some of the finest games for the iPhone and iPad available on the App Store. The “problem” is, the company’s triple-As are not free to play like Electronic Arts’ Real Racing 3 is, for example. And more often than not, these best-sellers will set you back north of five bucks each.
That’s why I’m so excited about Gameloft’s new promotion which slashes five hit iOS games to just 99 cents, including Unreal Engine 3-based Wild Blood, Iron Man 2 and The Dark Knight Rises – which, as you may have guessed, is based on the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. If you’re a hard-core gamer like I am, it’s a no-brainer, really… Read More
Facebook Messenger improved with updates to group chats
By Christian Zibreg on Mar 6, 2013
Facebook has just updated its Messenger iOS app with a few new features and “other improvements and bug fixes.” The new Facebook Messenger version 2.3 is all about enhancements to group conversations, says the social networking behemoth. It contains one feature I’ve been yearning for ever since the program’s debut on the iPhone: you can finally name a group by tapping on the top of your active conversation.
And just like Facebook’s main iOS client (and a growing number of other third-party apps for the Apple platform, for that matter), you can now get to your active group conversations by swipe left, which reveals them in your sidebar. I’ve included a few screenies along with other nice tweaks right after the break… Read More
Twitter refines iOS app search, but also removes Vodpod, Posterous and Mobypicture
By Christian Zibreg on Mar 6, 2013
After discontinuing its mobile TweetDeck apps for iPhone and Android in favor of the web client, the micro-blogging service Twitter today refreshed its iOS client with better search, refined layouts, support for traditional Chinese and other perks.
Unfortunately, this update also kills off support for external video services like Mobypicture, Vodpod and Posterous as the company supposedly is building a rumored video uploading service of its own.
Note that Posterous, a micro-blogging platform Twitter bought a year ago, is shutting down for good on April 30. Twitter also recently acquired Vine and launched a corresponding brand new app for recording and sharing short 6-second clips that can be easily tweeted out and viewed in-line on Twitter. With this update, TwitVid and yFrog are now your only video uploading choices in Twitter’s iOS app… Read More
Google Maps for iPhone updated with faster local search, Google Contacts integration and more
By Christian Zibreg on Mar 5, 2013
Google Tuesday morning pushed a new version of its native Google Maps application for the iPhone and iPod touch. It’s the first update since the Internet giant released a standalone Maps software for Apple’s platform in December 2012, racketing up ten million downloads in just two days and becoming the App Store’s top free iPhone app in no time. New features in Google Maps version 1.1 for iOS include integration with Google Contacts, local search icons that make finding places of interest faster and easier and more… Read More
Temple Run: Oz slides its way into App Store ahead of Friday’s flick release
By Christian Zibreg on Mar 5, 2013
Imangi Studios, the brains behind the popular endless-runner game Temple Run, is no stranger to movie tie-ins. Just last June, they released Temple Run: Brave which uses content from Disney’s Pixar animated feature film, ‘Brave’. A much-improved sequel to Temple Run hit the App Store in January 2013, quickly becoming the fastest downloaded mobile game in history.
Today Imangi’s second Hollywood tie-in is available for download as a universal build for iPhones and iPads. As the name suggests, Temple Run: Oz ties nicely with ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’, an upcoming fantasy adventure film directed by Sam Raimi and due to hit theaters this coming Friday, March 8… Read More
iPod touch being used as a friendly ticketing system at Walt Disney World
By Christian Zibreg on Mar 5, 2013
Walt Disney World is piloting a trial program which replaces the old turnstiles with something more in line with the 21st century: Apple’s iPod touch. The media player is being used at the Central Florida theme park as a friendly ticketing system as the resort’s costumed staff members use the device to scan the tickets of visitors as they arrive, a new report has it.
They are using a special accessory case and accompanying software similarly to how Apple Store employees have phased out the good ol’ cash register by using the iPod touch to scan people’s credit cards. A Disney representative warns the program is in its trial stage so the company may or may not deploy it on a large scale… Read More
Chrome for iOS with Messages sharing and back button history now available
By Christian Zibreg on Mar 4, 2013
Google on Monday announced a new version of Chrome for the iPhone and iPad containing two new features. In addition to the obligatory stability and security improvements and bug fixes, Chrome build 25.0.1364.86 has brought out the ability to re-visit previously visited web pages by long-taping the back button.
This invokes a drop-down menu listing a history of the web pages you visited in the current session. The feature is also available on the desktop version of Chrome as well as on desktop and mobile version of Apple’s Safari browser. Another nice-to-have enhances Chrome’s Sharing menu with a new option for sending a web page via Messages… Read More
The Croods: Official game hitting iOS on March 14
By Christian Zibreg on Mar 1, 2013
We have decided to stop telling you about Angry Birds content updates because of the excessive franchise milking, but this brand new game is worth mentioning. So Rovio teamed up with DreamWorks Animation on the official game for The Croods CG animated feature film.
The game is due for release on an Apple and Google app store near your on Thursday, March 14 and follows the Croods as they hunt and gather their way through “spectacular new landscapes as they tame fantastic and never-seen-before creatures,” or so says the blurb. The above teaser highlights custom animation from DreamWorks and I’ve also included gameplay clip right below… Read More
Files hits iOS: manage all your files in one app
By Christian Zibreg on Feb 28, 2013
One of the biggest iOS drawbacks (or blessings, depending on your view) compared to other mobile operating systems is that users cannot mess with the file system directly. That Apple doesn’t provide an app to pull all your documents together in one place doesn’t help either. Enter Files, a new app German developer Sonico Mobile created with the very specific purpose of tackling this issue.
It’s available now at a special introductory price of 99 cents, optimized for all your iThings, including the original iPad. I’ve been playing with the software for the past couple of days and will be posting a thorough review over the weekend. In the meantime, here’s how Files makes your mobile computing easier… Read More
The Etre Fivepoint gloves add a touch of tech to touch tech
By Jim Gresham on Feb 27, 2013
Inevitably, we all need to use our iPhones in the cold and our tiny little fingers hate the cold. Thankfully, technology entered the clothing world and taking off our gloves to use the phone is a thing of the past. Etre entered the scene after successfully establishing themselves as a web design company. Turning toward fashion, they promise “each piece is lovingly crafted in the British Isles, using responsibly sourced, time-honoured British materials.“ There are many implementations of the “connected” glove and some companies get it right, others do not. Today, we take a look at the Etre Fivepoint gloves, and thankfully, these guys got it right…. Read More
Star Wars Pinball arrives via Zen Pinball update
By Christian Zibreg on Feb 27, 2013
As promised, Star Wars Pinball from Zen Studios has arrived on the iOS platform, launching today as an add-on to the company’s Zen Pinball (a free universal binary download). Celebrating the launch, developers have released a new teaser trailer which highlights the intergalactic bounty hunter Boba Fett.
The previous trailer covered a table on the main deck of a Star Destroyer, based on the Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back movie. Each of the three tables is available as a separate $1.99 purchase from Zen Pinball. Zen Studios has pledged to release the game as a standalone download and we’ll update the article with a link to that version as soon as it hits the App Store… Read More
Facebook launches free or discounted Messenger access in 14 countries
By Christian Zibreg on Feb 25, 2013
Facebook on Sunday announced a new promotion that will allow users of Messenger for iOS and Android to exchange instant messages for free or at heavily discounted data rates in select international markets. Partnering with more than eighteen operators in fourteen international markets, the social networking giant said Facebook for Every Phone, basically a bare-bone service for feature phones that is now optimized for chat, is also included in this promotion.
The move arrives just after the company flipped the switch on the in-app VoIP calling feature in its mobile client for iOS and Android devices. Facebook first rolled out VoIP calling in Canada earlier this year, and some parts of the US, via the Messenger app… Read More
Another try at group photo sharing: Albumatic
By Christian Zibreg on Feb 21, 2013
A new iPhone app called Albumatic hopes to succeed where the likes of Color and Highlight have failed, to make sharing between groups of people easy and fun. It has a clean minimalistic interface that lets you easily start an album and add photos for others to see. Whenever you add a new photo, all the folks you’ve shared an album with get notified.
Folks nearby can join the album and add photos of their own and those that are farther away are only allowed to view the album, but not interact with the photos (likes, comments, etc.) We’ve seen this location-based photo sharing focus before and it didn’t work out well (hint: Color), but Albumatic nonetheless bets party-goers will use it to share embarrassing cocktail snaps between themselves, Galaxy S III style… Read More
