Year: 2014

The best icon packs for OS X

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated January 19, 2023

As a follow-up to our recent article on how to change app icons in OS X, we've scoured the internet for the best icon packs for Mac apps in existence. The result is a beautiful assemblage of icons that is certain to give your Mac a fresh, new look.

In addition to large, themed icon sets, we've added several individual icons of third-party applications that have received an early update from independent graphic designers, who took inspiration from iOS 7, OS X Yosemite, and Apple's pre-Yosemite designs for iBooks, iLife, and iWork...

Apps of the week: Red Ball 4, Dragon Raiders, Ninja Up!, and more

Lory Gil ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

As summer starts to heat up, we try our best to stay cool. One way to beat the heat is to keep out of the sun. Stay indoors, play some mobile games, and veg out with your various gadgets.

Whether you need help with tracking your freelance work, are getting excited about Marvel’s new movie, or just want to dig into some good old-fashioned fun, we’ve got a list of apps and games to keep you sheltered indoors this weekend…

Gameloft posts new Modern Combat 5 trailer ahead of launch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

After more than a year of waiting, Gameloft is finally ready to release Modern Combat 5: Blackout. The studio announced earlier this month that the game will launch for iOS and Android on July 24th, which is next Thursday.

To hold you over until then, Gameloft has posted an official Launch trailer for MC5. While we've seen videos before, this new clip is over a minute long and offers an entertaining look at the game's graphics and gameplay...

Infographic offers overview of iPhone 6 rumors

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

With so many leaked parts, mockups and insider reports raining down each week, it can be hard to keep up with the iPhone 6 rumor mill. Luckily, our friends at Nowhereelse.fr have compiled an infographic that offers an overview of the latest chatter.

The following image lists some of the more popular iPhone 6 rumors we've heard thus far, and the likelihood that they'll materialize. The data used to create the graphic comes from various tech outlets including AppleInsider, BGR, and of course, iDB...

New scratch test video suggests iPhone 6 front panel may not be sapphire

Cody Lee ∙ July 19, 2014

The consensus thus far has been that the iPhone 6 will feature a sapphire-covered display. Apple recently opened a plant to produce large amounts of the material, and we've seen videos depicting purported iPhone 6 panels as virtually indestructible.

But a new scratch test video suggests that the leaked iPhone 6 front panels floating around may not actually be made of [pure] sapphire. In the clip, YouTube veteran Marques Brownlee puts the panel to the test using Mohs scale of mineral hardness...

Launch of 12-inch Retina MacBook may be pushed back to 2015

Cody Lee ∙ Updated September 28, 2016

Taiwan's Economic Daily News is reporting tonight that the launch of the 12-inch MacBook with Retina display may be pushed back due to Intel processor delays. The long-rumored hybrid laptop was expected to finally launch later this year.

The problem is, the new MacBook, said to strike a better balance of performance and portability, is believed to be tied to Intel's 14-nanometer Broadwell chips. These chips have been delayed several times, and now may not land until 2015...

Ultratext is a fun app that will spice up your iMessages

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 29, 2018

I'm not big on messaging. I don't do Snapchat. I don't do Whatsapp. I barely use Twitter DMs. However, I'm a pretty big iMessage user, the messaging platform introduced by Apple along iOS 5 in 2011.

iMessage is great because it allows you to communicate with any iOS user in a very simple way. There is no app to download, no account to create, and no password to remember. Oh, and yes, it works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac too.

While trawling the App Store earlier today, I found Ultratext, a fun app that lets you send GIF messages to your contacts, giving iMessage a little more spice and colors...

BigBoss repo allegedly hacked [updated]

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

BigBoss, one of the default repositories for jailbreak tweaks in Cydia, has allegedly been hacked by an individual or a group of individuals whose identity is still unknown.

The attackers were apparently able to gain access to all packages (paid and free) that are available in the BigBoss repo, and made the deb index and database available for download. The assailants went as far as creating a new repo which can be added to Cydia to download all BigBoss-hosted tweaks.

As is always the case when this type of security breach happens, jailbreak users should be cautious and stay away from this.

Square Enix announces ‘Final Fantasy Record Keeper’

Cody Lee ∙ July 18, 2014

Square Enix and developer partner DeNA have announced a new game for the mobile Final Fantasy franchise. It's called Final Fantasy Record Keeper, and you play as Deci, a bright student to Dr. Mog in the history department.

Dr. Mog serves as the record keeper for all previous Final Fantasy games, and his department is filled with paintings of famous battles and other scenes. And if you happen to see one you like, Dr. Mog can use magic to send you in...

Celebrating 40 years of synthesizers, 8 Yamaha music apps go free

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 29, 2018

Good news for all of you aspiring musicians out there. In celebration of 40 years of Yamaha synthesizers, the company is offering a number of its iOS apps for free. This includes some smaller titles, like Set List Organizer, and more prominent ones like Cloud Audio Recorder.

We've listed 8 of the apps below (there may be others), which are normally priced between $1.99 and $15.99. Admittedly, many of them were built to compliment actual instruments, but some, like Mobile Music Sequencer, are fun to tinker with on their own as standalone apps...

RideScout will get you around your city fast

Andrew Kunesh ∙ Updated January 29, 2018

From bike share to rail to ride sharing, if you live in a big city, chances are there is a ton of transportation options to choose from. And with so many options come different pricing, routes, and timing, so it can be tough to pick what works best in each situation. That's where RideScout comes in.

RideScout is a relatively new app that takes multiple forms of transportation into account when searching for directions. The app compares cycling, driving, taxis, ride share, and public transportation to give you the best options in regards to timelines, cost, and health. Read my full Ridescout review to learn more.

Novation Launchpad is a simple but powerful music maker

Jake Underwood ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

Let's cut to the chase: creating music on an iPhone or iPad isn't as easy as it should be. The gold standard, GarageBand, almost requires some knowledge of an instrument, which drastically whittles down the amount of users that can create on the platform. However, the complexity of the music-making process isn't specifically limited to GarageBand, as it is something music-creating apps have struggled with throughout the history of the App Store. Wouldn't it be nice to just press buttons and watch a creation form in front of your very eyes?

Novation Launchpad sure would seem to think so. The app, created by developers Novation, is as simple as it can get, but the results don't suffer from the ease-of-use. Read on for a full Novation Launchpad review...