Lory Gil

Writer of all things app related, traveler of the space-time continuum, baker of really great cookies. Follow me @appaholik

CloudOn for iOS review: use Microsoft Office on your iPhone and iPad

Lory Gil ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Microsoft has been hinting at the possibility of bringing its suite of productivity applications to iOS for a long time now. We’ve heard that Microsoft may bring Office to the iPad next fall. We’ve heard that the software giant is holding out until Apple agrees to take a smaller cut of the profits. What we haven’t heard is that Microsoft is officially bringing Office to iOS in its full capacity.

Most of us have figured out workarounds that make it possible to access Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents on our iPad or iPhone. But nothing will beat the original. If it ever happens.

CloudOn is a universal app that brings Microsoft Office to your iPhone or iPad. CloudOn lets you manage your cloud-based files, plus edit, create, and present Microsoft Office documents. That’s right. You can now use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on iOS...

Get ready for warm weather with these top apps for the great outdoors

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

This past week was National Parks week. I hit the road with the Ol’ Man and visited the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It was a great outing on a beautiful day. Nothing makes me feel more alive than spending an entire day breathing in fresh air.

As spring gets underway and the days grow longer, it is time to star thinking of what you will do this summer in order to take advantage of nature’s gift. Whether you take the family on a camping trip to the mountains, study local plant life in the hills behind your house, or simply fire up the grill and have a couple of brews with friends, we’ve got a list of our favorite apps for the great outdoors...

Keep track of multiple packages with Delivery Status touch

Lory Gil ∙ May 1, 2013

I run a small independent record label. I visit my local U.S. Postal Service just about every other day. I also order a lot of things online. Last Christmas, I only went outside to do my shopping twice. Everything else was purchased through Amazon. I sell items on eBay and have various promotional items delivered to me for product reviews. I am on a first-name basis with my postman.

Needless to say, I keep track of a lot of packages. Whether I’m sending or receiving, in any given month, I’ve got a list of items that I am tracking to someone’s front door.

Delivery Status touch is the perfect app for people like me, people who track multiple packages most of the time. Using your order number or tracking number, you can follow the path that your package is taking until it reaches its final destination...

Vendetta Online now available on iPad [review]

Lory Gil ∙ April 30, 2013

When I got my hands on an iPad more than three years ago, the first thing that crossed my mind was how to get World of Warcraft onto it. Even though Apple has improved the gaming capabilities of their tablet, Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) game developers, like Blizzard, tend to steer clear of the platform, somewhat of a disappointment for a decade-long fan of the epic fantasy game.

Lucky for fans of space-themed player-versus-player (PVP) MMO gaming, Vendetta Online has taken the leap into iOS and is now available on the iPad. If you are already a subscriber to the all-encompassing sci-fi game, welcome to the pocket version. If you’ve never played Vendetta Online, but fancy yourself an experienced simulation space trade and fighter, you are in for a real treat...

How to share Reminders lists with others

Lory Gil ∙ Updated April 20, 2018

I have to admit that ever since I discovered Wunderlist, I stopped using my Reminders app for the most part. I love Apple’s Reminders application and had used it for a while on all of my devices. I think I just wanted to try something new when Wunderlist came out and it satisfied my listing needs.

When Sebastien asked me to write a how-to guide for sharing Reminders on iCloud, it rekindled my love of the simple list-making app. Not only is it easy to create and edit reminders, but you can also share and collaborate on lists with anyone else in the world, even if they don’t have an Apple device with them. All they need is their iCloud account.

Update: While still correct, this article is slightly outdated. We have published a new tutorial on how to share reminders from iPhone, Mac, or a web browser. Click on that link for the most up-to-date way to share reminders with others.

Looking for inspiration? The iPhotography Assignment Generator app can help [review]

Lory Gil ∙ April 25, 2013

It’s not secret that we love iPhone photography. We love it so much that we even have a special guest in our midst who likes to pop in and visit every once in a while.

Learning how to take amazing pictures with your iPhone is one arduous task. However, photographers suffer another dilemma when it comes to capturing stunning images from everyday life. Getting out there and doing it can sometimes be the most difficult part of photography. Maybe 6:45 a.m. is too early in the morning for you, but nature doesn’t sleep in and the Golden Hour won’t be back until sunset.

The iPhotography Assignment Generator is a useful app for photographers that are having a hard time coming up with ideas. Sometimes, creativity just sits in a corner and waits for someone else to light the fire. This app is the spark that your creativity needs to get going...

Six new cities get the AT&T 4G LTE treatment

Lory Gil ∙ April 24, 2013

AT&T is making good on its promise to blanket the country with its 4G LTE coverage. Earlier this month, the mobile carrier said it plans to spread its service to more than 200 million new customers by the end of 2013. Just last week, AT&T added five more cities to the list of LTE-covered places. Today, the company has announced the addition of six new cities, plus the expansion of service in four more cities, to its list of areas supported by LTE...

Want to have coffee with Tim Cook? It will cost you $50,000

Lory Gil ∙ April 24, 2013

Have you ever wondered how Apple CEO Tim Cook drinks his coffee? Does he take it black, or with cream and sugar? Is he a cappuccino man, or an espresso drinker? If you have a few thousand dollars to spare, you could find out.

TechCrunch is reporting that the Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, with the help of charity marketing firm CharityBuzz, has just launched an auction that will give you the chance to sit down with Apple’s CEO for a cup of joe and the chance to pitch him your ideas for the next big thing...

Amazon is planning on introducing a set-top box this fall

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Amazon has been working hard to become a player in the tech hardware market. Not only has the Kindle tablets seen multiple redesigns in an effort to compete more closely with the iPad, but the online retail giant has also been rumored to be working on developing a smartphone. Today, Businessweek is reporting that Amazon will introduce a set-top box to compete in the living room arena...

Concept video shows what iOS 7 could look like without skeuomorphism

Lory Gil ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

In October of 2012, Apple’s senior vice president of iOS software, Scott Forstall, was relieved of his duties. Some have speculated that, under the watchful eye of lead designer Jonathan Ive, iOS will lose the skeuomorphic design that both former CEO Steve Jobs and Forstall championed. Instead, Apple’s mobile operating system might take on a sleeker, minimalistic theme as Ive asserts his industrial design aesthetic.

Today, Brazillian fellow Rafael Justino published a trailer for the concept design he believes iOS 7 could adopt at the hands of Ive. Check out his entire concept video below...

AppShopper Social brings networking to the app discovery service [review]

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

When I first heard that AppShopper was pulled from the App Store for clause 2.25, my emotion could best be described as “outraged.” How it is that Apple thinks their app aggregate service is “similar to or confusing with” the App Store is beyond me. Of course, AppShopper remained on both of my devices and is used on a daily basis to find new apps, discover sales, and find out what is trending.

Yesterday, when I heard that AppShopper was back in business in the App Store, I was overjoyed, to say the least. While there have been some changes made and some of my favorite features are still not available, I’m getting used to the new social aspect.

AppShopper Social is an app aggregation service from AppShopper.com. It automatically updates you with the newest apps, the most popular lists, and all price drops. Instead of simply being a port of the website, this app features a social networking aspect that allows you to follow what your friends are discovering, too...

The best note-taking apps for iPad

Lory Gil ∙ Updated September 10, 2024

The iPad can be a workhorse for your productivity needs if you know how to use it. Whether you are building a business network, making your way through college, or just trying to run a brick-and-mortar record shop, the iPad can be one of your greatest allies.

The iPad is the perfect sized tablet for taking notes. If you are in a meeting, listening to a lecture, or coming up with ideas for your next masterpiece, you can find an app that will accommodate your needs. We’ve got a list of the best note-taking apps for iPad that we think rise to the top. Feel free to add your own favorites in the comments section.