Year: 2014

Scanbot 2.0 brings iPad support and smart QR code scanner

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 12, 2014

Scanbot is an awesome PDF scanning utility that allows you to create high-quality PDF or JPEG scans with 200 dpi and higher. You can then upload the images to a number of cloud storage services, share them online and what not.

It's an indispensable productivity tool for paperless office aficionados and good for just about anyone who needs to scan those receipts, contracts, print outs and other document types. Plus, it's now available on the iPad.

The new Scanbot 2.0, available as a free update for those who've purchased it, is now a universal binary whose UI has been specifically tailored for both the tiny iPhone screen and the iPad's larger canvas.

Filed as Germany-based Doo GmbH's biggest release yet, the refreshed software also brings out a smart QR code scanner (more on that later), an improved grayscale filter and a host of other improvements and bug fixes...

Broken Age, Tim Schafer’s first graphic adventure in 16 years, lands on iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 12, 2014

Graphic adventures used to be all the rage until talented programmer and game designer John Carmack and his id Software came along and spoiled us with the Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake series of first-person 3D shooters.

Compelling adventures that challenge your gray matter are few and far between in the App Store so fans of the genre will have a lot to love about Broken Age.

Created by Tim Schafer's Double Fine Productions and available for $9.99, it's a full-blown graphic adventure in which you can freely switch between a pair of teenagers who find themselves in familiar situations, although set in different worlds...

Worms creator Team17 releases cute iOS game, (R)evolve

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 12, 2014

A British games development studio, Team17, has made a name for itself in the golden age of home computing back in the 1990s with its Worms series of amusing artillery strategy games.

Today, they have released a brand new iOS game that I think deserves your attention. Called (R)evolve, it was prototyped in just 48 hours at 2014’s Great British Game Jam and came in first place.

The free-to-play title challenges you to save cutesy alien creatures from meteor showers by spinning their planet. I know, it sounds simplistic, but aren't all addictive games supposed to be simplified to the bone?

Duracell installing wireless Powermat chargers in Starbucks stores

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

Duracell and Starbucks announced today that they have reached a partnership that will see wireless chargers installed into several Starbucks stores. The chargers will use Duracell's Powermat technology, which works with a number of devices—including iPhones.

Stores will be equipped with 'Powermat Spots,' which are designated areas on tables and counters where customers can place their devices to charge wirelessly. Starbucks believes this will be far more convenient for its customers than having to hunt down outlets...

Apple posts video showing off new Japan retail store

Cody Lee ∙ June 12, 2014

Last night, Apple posted a video to its official YouTube channel showing off its newest retail store in Japan. The store is located in Omotesando, Tokyo, and it includes a brushed aluminum staircase and other unique architectural features.

Photos of the outside of the store surfaced in May, showing what appeared to be a power-saving green curtain of foliage draped down one wall. But this new video from Apple takes you on a brief virtual tour of the entire multi-floor building...

Rovio’s new ‘Angry Birds Epic’ game launches worldwide

Cody Lee ∙ June 12, 2014

In February, Rovio teased a new game for its Angry Birds franchise called Angry Birds Epic. A month later it soft-launched the title in a handful countries, and players quickly discovered that this isn't your typical bird-slinger.

Believe it or not, it's actually an adventure role-playing game with turn-based combat and an extensive crafting system. It features epic battles, epic worlds, and it's now available around the globe on both the iPhone and iPad...

Flickr app updated with new sharing and tagging options

Cody Lee ∙ June 12, 2014

Yahoo's Flickr has updated its iOS client this morning, bringing the app to version 3.1. The update brings about a handful of useful additions, including new options for sharing, tagging and describing your photo albums.

As for the new sharing options, users can now send their albums to Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter, as well as Mail and SMS. They can also now add and edit both tags and descriptions for their photos from within the app...

Amazon launches ad-free Prime Music service

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

As rumored, Amazon has launched a new streaming music service today, and it's [unsurprisingly] calling it 'Prime Music.' The service features over a million songs and hundreds of pre-made playlists, and it's free for paying subscribers of Amazon Prime.

Prime members have unlimited access to the service, and will be able to either play music from one of the aforementioned playlists, or create their own. It's completely ad-free, and comes with standard affair like mobile clients and offline playback support...

Let’s Talk Jailbreak 60: What’s on our iPhone

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Episode 60: Could Apple be opening up iOS even more than we initially thought? Sebastien Page and Cody Lee discuss the recent revelations concerning the potential iOS 8 Control Center customization and iOS UI themes. The guys also talk about the tweaks they have installed.

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Hidden split-screen feature in iOS 8 shown off in video

Cody Lee ∙ June 11, 2014

Back in May it was reported that Apple was working on a new split-screen multitasking feature for iOS 8. Designed specifically for the iPad, the feature was said to allow two applications to run side-by-side simultaneously while the tablet was in landscape mode.

But as expected, Apple's WWDC keynote came and went without mention of the split-screen feature, so we have yet to see it in action. That changes tonight, however, as a new video has been posted that shows the feature running in the iOS 8 iPad Simulator...

Apple seeds OS X 10.9.4 build 13E16 to developers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Apple has seeded the second beta of OS X 10.9.4 to registered Mac developers this afternoon. The update comes almost a month after Apple released OS X 10.9.3 to the public, which included improved 4K display support and more.

Today's new 10.9.4 build is available to developers via an update in the Mac App Store or as a download on Apple’s online developer center. It does not, however, appear to be out in Apple’s new public Mavericks Beta Seed program yet…

Amazon said to be launching ‘Prime’ streaming music service this week

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

The New York Post is reporting today that Amazon is ready to launch its new streaming music service this week. The outlet says the e-commerce giant has 2 of 3 major record labels on board, and we could see the service as early as tomorrow.

It's being described as a 'truncated' version of Spotify, allowing users to access a limited catalogue of songs that will not include recent hits. And, as previously report, it sounds like it's going to only be available to subscribers of Amazon Prime...