Year: 2014

iOS 7: the ultimate Weather app guide

The stock Weather app is a simple pre-installed application that utilizes weather data from Yahoo. The Weather app makes it easy to quickly view weather conditions and forecasts for a variety of locations at once. It feature location awareness, meaning it can dynamically update to reflect weather conditions in your current area, even when jet-setting across the country or the world.

The Weather app isn't the most robust or feature-filled app on the block, but it's good enough to get you by in a pinch. Have a look as we walk through each of the features available in this stock application.

Apps of the week: Intake, Bicolor, Mingle, and more

This coming Sunday is unofficially called Star Wars Day around the world. To celebrate, I’ll be attending a local Star Wars convention, seeing a Star Wars-themed band, and watching the first three films in their original, unspoiled form on VHS. May the Fourth be with you.

Whether you are itching for some Star Wars action, fancy a bit of medieval architecture, or want to get in touch with someone really, really fast, we have a list of apps and games that are sure to get your Midi-chlorians pumping…

Apple acquires micro-LED display maker LuxVue

Apple has acquired LuxVue Technology, a company that makes low-power displays for mobile electronics, according to TechCrunch. Citing sources close to the transaction, the site reports that the iPad-maker has added LuxVue to its hardware innovations team.

Little is known about the deal, and even less is known about the company. Other than its big $43 million in funding, LuxVue has managed to fly under the radar. Patents reveal, however, that it specializes in micro-LED tech that could be used in future iOS devices...

République episode 2: Metamorphosis now available to purchase

Last December, we reviewed Republique, a new stealth game that really set the bar for the genre. Players followed the story of Hope as she tries to escape the oppressive and manipulative compound she has been imprisoned in. Moving from room to room, activating various cameras and turning off security features, players help Hope avoid detection as she plans her getaway.

Episode 2: Metamorphosis is now available for download as an in-app purchase. The story continues where the first episode, “Exordium” left off. Will Hope ever find justice and expose the corrupted government? With your help, maybe…

Don’t expect to see a new Apple TV or iWatch at WWDC

I don't think many folks were expecting Apple to unveil any exciting new hardware at WWDC this year. The company has rarely used the developer conference to unveil non-software related products, outside of maybe refreshed MacBooks and other Mac products.

But for those who were still holding out hope for a Jobs-like 'one more thing,' I have some bad news. According to a new report from Recode's John Paczkowski, the company has no intention of using WWDC to show off the long-rumored iWatch or revamped Apple TV...

Apple hiring ‘Buzz Marketing Manager’ to beef up its presence in Hollywood

Historically, Apple has spent far less than Samsung and other competitors on stuff like marketing and advertising. Things like product placements and celebrity endorsements came easily for devices like the iPhone and iPad, due to their initial popularity and slight competition.

But competition has stiffened over the years, and with Samsung forking out millions of dollars to get its products into the hands of Lebron James and selfie-taking celebrities, Apple needs to step up its game. So it's looking for a new 'Buzz Marketing Manager' to give it a boost...

SmartTap: unlock your iPhone just by double-tapping its screen

SmartTap is a brand new jailbreak tweak by well-known developer Elias Limneos. It allows you to use a double-tap gesture on the iPhone's screen to awaken it, and put it to sleep. You can use other gestures—like a swipe-up or a swipe-down—to unlock the device or launch applications.

The tweak is a homage to the "KnockOn" feature popularized by the LG G2 Android phone, where a double-tap on a dark screen wakes the device. SmartTap is similar, in that you can awaken your device with a "knock" gesture, but SmartTap take it a step further. Check out our video walkthrough inside after the break.

Images of alleged white and silver iPhone 6 dummy unit surface

We're adding to the stockpile of alleged 'iPhone 6' evidence this morning with a handful of new photos that purportedly show a white and silver dummy unit of the upcoming handset. The device looks very similar to the slate black unit that surfaced online earlier this week.

While the images don't really offer up much in the way of new details on the smartphone, they do help us continue to paint a picture of what it's believed to look like. Most everything we've seen thus far—from schematic drawings to case leaks—points to a homogenous design...

Wayward Souls review: a roguelike with permadeath that kills it

There is a lot of different kinds of role-playing dungeon crawl games. One of them is called “roguelike” or “rogue-like” if you prefer proper grammar. In it, players explore procedurally generated dungeons, collecting loot and slaying villains. One of the most important characteristics of a roguelike is permanent death (also know as permadeath). That means if you lose all of your hit points, the game ends and you lose all of your loot. Dead is dead.

Wayward Souls is a roguelike that sets an example for other iOS developers to follow. It is incredibly challenging, full of lootable treasure chests, and when you die, you lose it all…

1Password for Mac updated with Watchtower support

Following the update to the iOS app this week, AgileBits has posted a new version of 1Password for Mac, bringing the password manager to version 4.4. The update includes just a handful of improvements, but is notable because it adds Watchtower integration.

For those unfamiliar with it, 1Password Watchtower is a service that identifies websites that are vulnerable to known security risks, and suggest that you change your passwords. It's fairly new, emerging after last-month's 'Heartbleed' bug infected several websites...

T-Mobile looking to add iPhone to MetroPCS lineup

T-Mobile is looking to bring the iPhone to its MetroPCS brand in the near future, according to a report from Recode. The outlet recently spoke with the carrier's Chief Marketing Officer Mike Sievert, who said that they are "very interested in that," and they think that customers would be as well.

It took T-Mobile several years to officially carry Apple's flagship smartphone, due to its higher-priced subsidy and other stringent requirements. And that may prove to be even more of a challenge with Metro, as many of its subscribers many not have the money or credit to finance the device...