Year: 2014

Speedtest.net app, now with iPad UI and landscape mode

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 27, 2017

Speedtest.net, a free broadband connection analysis service founded by Ookla in 2006, has a nice mobile app for various platforms.

This nifty little piece of software lets anyone easily measure the speed of their Internet connection, be it cellular or Wi-Fi. Released back in January 2009, the app used to run natively on the iPhone and iPod touch only, but not anymore.

Thanks to the latest version 3.2 update, Speedtest.net now runs natively on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad and has support for landscape mode on the Apple tablet. This version of Speedtest.net, available free of charge in the App Store, also comes with a few minor tweaks, listed below the fold...

Sprint’s Ting adds support for the iPhone 5

Cody Lee ∙ March 12, 2014

Sprint's MVNO Ting has announced that it now supports the iPhone 5. The carrier previously only supported the iPhone 4 and 4s, and a handful of Android devices, so the additional choice should make its customers happy.

For those unfamiliar with Ting, it's essentially the T-Mobile of the prepaid/MVNO world. It's mission is to disrupt the way users are billed for their cell phone usage, by only charging for minutes, messages and data they use...

Marvel announces ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ coming to iOS in April

Cody Lee ∙ March 12, 2014

Marvel and Gameloft have announced this week that they are teaming up to bring The Amazing Spider-Man 2 to smartphones and tablets this spring as the official game for the film of the same name. Both are slated to land in mid-April.

For those that didn't play the original Amazing Spider-Man, it was actually quite successful—it has a rating of 4.5 stars on the App Store. And version 2 appears to offer similar gameplay with better controls and graphics. Here's the trailer...

Users are now warned of 15-minute in-app purchase window in iOS 7.1

Cody Lee ∙ March 12, 2014

Apple released iOS 7.1 earlier this week, and among its many other changes is a new warning message for users regarding the 15-minute in-app purchase window. The window allows you to buy IAPs on an iOS device for 15 minutes after a password is entered without authorization.

The move is likely part of Apple's efforts to make good on its settlement with the FTC regarding a lawsuit over IAPs. The company told the commission that it would issue refunds to those affected, and modify its in-app billing system to make the whole process more clear for users...

Eddy Cue and Phil Schiller on hand for Apple’s SXSW iTunes Festival

Cody Lee ∙ March 12, 2014

Apple's SXSW iTunes Festival kicked off last night at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas. The 5-day concert is the first that the company has hosted in the United States, and will feature performances by a number of high-profile musicians.

London Grammar kicked off the Festival last night, followed by the Imagine Dragons and Coldplay. And a couple of Apple execs were on hand for the show, including SVP of Internet Software Eddy Cue and SVP of marketing Philip Schiller...

iTunes Radio now the third most popular streaming music service in US

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

A new report from Edison Research says that iTunes Radio has become the third most popular streaming music service in the US. The marketing research firm says that Apple's Radio service, which is less than 6 months old, just surpassed Spotify to take the #3 spot.

According to the data iTunes Radio now sits behind Pandora, who has 31% of the US streaming music market, and iHeartRadio, which has 9%. Then it comes in at 8%, Spotify at 6% and both Google Play All Access and Rhapsody come in at 3% and 2% respectively...

ProWidgets: a groundbreaking widget suite with multitasking features

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Cydia has been the originating point for lots of groundbreaking ideas over the years. Copy and paste originated here, card-based app switchers began here as well. And let's not forget Notification Center and Control Center — each had its roots firmly planted in Cydia before debuting in stock iOS.

It goes without saying that Apple has been keen on seeing many of the developments unfold by some of the brilliant minds that make up the jailbreak community. It's even hired ones because of the work they've done with jailbreak apps and tweaks, and iOS hacking in general.

Today, we're happy to reveal the next big blockbuster tweak for jailbroken iPhones and iPads. Hopefully, it will help generate ideas for Apple's next big feature in iOS. Today, we'd like to introduce to you a brand new upcoming tweak called ProWidgets. We've got the very first exclusive hands-on coverage of ProWidgets, and we think you'll agree with us when we say it's one of the best looking jailbreak tweaks we've seen in some time...

Fantastical gains WhatsApp and 1Password integration, new alert sound and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 24, 2018

Fantastical by Flexibits is arguably the most advanced calendar and to-do application on the iPhone - my daily productivity is now dependent on it running on my iOS devices and Macs.

If you're not familiar with the app, it features natural language processing so you can just type in something like 'lunch with Dad in two weeks at Mom's place at 1pm' and it'll automatically create a reminder or an event for you. And yes, it integrates with your iOS Calendar and Reminders database.

Fantastical is even better on the Mac and developers should be praised for keeping their user base loyal by expanding on the feature set with regular refinements and new capabilities. In today's update, now live in the App Store, Fantastical brings out a whole bunch of tweaks and improvements along with a few new features.

Notable highlights include an option to send text messages in WhatsApp, support for opening links in 1Password and the Mercury web browser, a new custom sound they've made for event and reminder notifications and lots more.

The full changelog is right below the fold...

Apple to open small stores in India with a focus on low-end iOS devices

Cody Lee ∙ March 11, 2014

Citing sources familiar with the company's retail plans, The Economic Times is reporting today that Apple is working with local distributors in India to set up small shops in larger cities to push some older-model iPhones and iPads, as well as some lower-end Macs.

The initiative is part of Apple's ongoing efforts to make inroads into the country, where its iPhone only accounts for about 2% of the smartphone market. These new shops, according to the report, will focus on cheaper devices like the iPhone 4 and 4s, and the iPad 2...

Star Trek Online MMO is now available for the Mac

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 28, 2017

Today's a good day to be a Mac gamer. First, Blizzard unleashed Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, its free-to-play fast-paced strategy card game set in the Warcraft universe, and now this. Avid gamers will be quick to point out that PC users have been privileged to enjoy Star Trek Online since its release back in 2010.

Unfortunately, as developers Cryptic and Perfect World originally failed to introduce the Mac edition alongside the PC version, it's taken them three long years to produce the Mac edition of Star Trek Online, with a little help from conversion specialists TransGaming and its Cider technology.

Now available on a free-to-play basis, Star Trek Online is a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game set in the 25th century, in the original Star Trek universe.

It's awesome that all of the familiar themes, sides, races, locations and vessels are in there, including the embattled Federation, the mighty Klingon Empire, the Romulan Empire, the Dominion - even the Borg Collective is included.

Who's ready to explore strange new worlds and seek out new life and new civilizations in a vast, expanding universe? Good, I've included more tidbits after the break so read on...

Blizzard releases free-to-play Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft on the Mac

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Following a brief public beta period, the acclaimed games maker Blizzard Entertainment (a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard) on Tuesday released its Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft on the Mac (Windows, too).

Now available on a free-to-play basis from Blizzard's website, Hearthstone is a strategy card game set in the Warcraft universe which pits you against your Battle.net friends and aims to “evoke the spirit of a friendly match played beside a crackling tavern fire”.

Each player starts with a deck of thirty Magic-style cards, with additional cards becoming available once you win battles or buy new cards through the in-app purchasing mechanism (that's why they call it a free-to-play game).

There are hundreds of unique cards to choose from. Each player’s card deck focuses on a hero representing one of nine Warcraft classes - customized with a set of minions, spells and weapons - and features iconic characters like Jaina Proudmoore, Gul’dan, Uther the Lightbringer and Thall...

24 hours later, iOS 7.1 adoption hits 5.9 percent of active devices in North America

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 11, 2014

In its first 24 hours in the wild, Apple's new iOS 7.1 software is now on 5.9 percent of active devices in North America, research firm Chitika reported Tuesday. The figure was derived from "tens of millions" of iOS-based online ad impressions generated within the Chitika Ad Network in the United States and Canada from March 9 through March 11, 2014.

By comparison, the number is comparable to the crucial iOS 7.0.6 update which fixed a nasty SSL security exploit, with iOS 7.0.6 users generating six percent of all iOS 7.0.6 traffic 24 hours post-release (or a nice 13.3 percent adoption in 48 hours)...