Year: 2014

Skype for Mac 7.0 now available with revamped chat experience

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 9, 2014

Microsoft on Thursday issued a major new update to Skype for Mac alongside a new preview for Windows desktop. Available as a free download, Skype for Mac 7.0 brings out mobile-inspired look with a revamped chat experience, ahead of OS X Yosemite release later this month.

The richer chat experience allows you to chat and call simultaneously with one click and keep the conversation going across devices.

You'll also appreciate improvements to the free group video calling feature and the fact that the overall appearance of the app fits right in with OS X Yosemite.

Apple once again tops Interbrand’s Best Global Brands ranking

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated August 26, 2017

For the second year in a row, Apple tops Interbrand’s Best Global Brands ranking, an annual report that analyzes the brand value of the largest corporations in the world. Just like last year, Google scores the second place, right ahead of Coca Cola. Valued at $118.9 billion, Apple increased its brand value by 21%, while Google, valued at $107.43 billion, increased its brand value by 15%.

“Apple and Google’s meteoric rise to more than USD $100 billion is truly a testament to the power of brand building,” said Jez Frampton, Interbrand’s Global Chief Executive Officer. These leading brands have reached new pinnacles—in terms of both their growth and in the history of Best Global Brands—by creating experiences that are seamless, contextually relevant, and increasingly based around an overarching ecosystem of integrated products and services, both physical and digital.”

For more details, have a look at the 2014 rankings, as well as the methodology used.

Video walkthroughs offer detailed look at CarPlay on Pioneer’s $700 AVH-4000NEX receiver

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Though we've seen our fair share of CarPlay demos in months past, we still can't get enough of learning about the intricacies of Apple's in-car iPhone entertainment system. You may have head that Pioneer recently released a firmware update bringing CarPlay functionality to five of its 2014 NEX in-dash multimedia receivers, so people don't have to buy a brand new car just to enjoy CarPlay.

As noted by TUAW, Josh Carr of technology repair firm Fix Denver put Pioneer's new software through its paces and created several videos showing off different aspects of CarPlay, including Phone functionality, Apple Maps and various other built-in apps including Spotify, which recently updated its iPhone and iPad app with CarPlay support .

Interested? Jump past the break for more.

Weebly releases website-creation app for iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 9, 2014

To think they used to say that one couldn't do real work or create content on the iPad... Enter Weebly for iPad, a native application by the popular web-hosting service which allows users to create websites in minutes by dragging and dropping various elements in its web interface.

Although it's been available on iOS since May 2012, Weebly was iPhone-only until todays update which has brought out native iPad interface with full editing capabilities, unlike the iPhone and iPod touch version.

Weebly is available free of charge in the App Store.

GBA emulator developer talks about the death of the date trick in iOS 8.1

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

GBA4iOS developer, Riley Testut, has posted an enlightening entry on his personal blog about the history of GBA4iOS. It delves into its humble beginnings up to its current status as a lame duck emulator waiting to be largely phased out post iOS 8.1.

Testut's post is a fascinating read that explains not only the history of the uber-popular GameBoy Advanced emulator, but it also sheds some much-needed light on how the emulator was ever able to work on non-jailbroken devices in the first place. I highly recommend reading it.

WSJ: 12.9-inch iPad delayed to 2015, Retina MacBook Air entering production in December

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 9, 2014

Due to strong demand for the iPhone 6 Plus, which continues to exhibit a 3-4 week delay on the Online Apple Store, Taiwanese suppliers have reportedly pushed back plans to produce a rumored larger iPad with a 12.9-inch screen to 2015, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal Thursday.

The so-called iPad Pro was originally scheduled to enter mass production in December, the financial newspaper added. Moreover, mass production of a new MacBook Air model with “a higher resolution” screen should commence in December, as per WSJ's sources.

Spirits of Spring is a story-driven game with deep, emotional value

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

Mindless video games where players shoot at everything in sight and don’t look back are loads of fun, but games that have a subtle message can be just as fun if they are done right.

Spirits of Spring is an adventure game that explores the notion of loyalty, friendship, and understanding. It also points out just how terrible bullying can be and how it affects victims. We’ve got a game review of Spirits of Spring for you today.

Card Dungeon takes the “digital” out of digital board games

Lory Gil ∙ October 9, 2014

I am a card-carrying (pun intended) member of the board gaming community. I love a good, old-fashioned hours-long tabletop adventure with three to five of my closest friends. That’s why, any time I see a board game app, I jump at the chance to check it out and pass my experience onto you.

Card Dungeon is a basic dungeon crawl tabletop style board game that reverts back to the two-dimensional token look while still making a roguelike adventure that is fun for fans of the genre. We’ve got a full game review of Card Dungeon for you today.

New photo shows alleged 2GB RAM module for iPad Air 2

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 1, 2014

The photo above depicts what is claimed to be the 2GB Elpida RAM module Apple is using in the iPad Air 2. The origin of the part in the image, which was posted to Weibo last night, is unknown, but it appears fairly similar to the 1GB Elpida RAM found in the first generation Air.

Reports suggesting that the new full-sized iPad may feature 2GB of RAM have been bouncing around since mid-August. Many pundits believe that Apple is planning to add greater functionality to its iPad line, in an effort to better differentiate its tablets from its larger smartphones.

Reckless Racing 3 now available in the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ October 8, 2014

Great news Reckless Racing fans, the third iteration of Pixelbite's popular top-down racer is now available on iOS. You can pick up the new game, which is universal, so it'll work with both your iPhone and iPad, for $4.99 from the App Store.

The original Reckless Racing debuted in 2010, as a delightful birds-eye-view rally racing game with beautiful graphics. Reckless Racing 3 continues that tradition with dirtier tracks, better visuals, and its largest selection of cars and trucks ever.

Apple: two-step verification for Apple IDs will require app-specific passwords starting tomorrow

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

If you have two-step verification enabled and you're currently signed in to a third-party app using your Apple ID password, you'll need to adjust to a new change starting tomorrow. For security purposes, Apple is introducing app-specific passwords to access iCloud data using third-party apps.

Apple will allow users to generate these app-specific passwords via the Password & Security section of its Apple ID website. Once there, you'll simply need to click Generate App-Specific Password to create a password for the third-party app that you wish to grant access to your iCloud data.

iPad @3x assets found in iOS 8.1 hint at Retina HD iPads

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

The possibility that the iPad Air 2 could get a higher resolution Retina HD screen just got a little more likely. Developer Hamza Sood, who's no stranger to unearthing hidden goodies within Apple's code, revealed some new iPad @3x assets after doing some digging around iOS 8.1. This means that Apple is at least considering a higher resolution "Retina HD" screen for the new iPads.