Google announced during its Spring event in São Paulo, Brazil that audio-only calls would be coming soon to Duo, its one-to-one video calling app for iOS and Android. Today, the company pushed a small update to Duo for iPhone that enables this feature (which first rolled out to users in Brazil) for everyone. Available free of charge on App Store, Google Duo version 9.1 brings out VoIP audio calling along with unspecified bug fixes and product improvements.
In the official Reddit app for iOS, gray vertical lines of varying heights appear between comments underneath posts. They’re intended to help lead the eyes, making it easier to differentiate between responses, but the gray isn't exactly easy for everyone to see.
A new free jailbreak tweak called ColorComments by Ben Giannis lets you add a splash of color to those lines, not only for improving the efficiency of how your eyes distinguish between each one, but also making the app look more unique in the process.
As previously announced, Starbucks today updated its iPhone app with the ability to send gifts through Apple’s iMessage system and pay for them with Apple Pay directly in the Messages app. Named Starbucks Gifts, the software requires you to set up Apple Pay on your device before you can purchase gift cards in $5, $10 or $25 denominations. Today's update also brings notifications, a store location filter for the Nitro cold brew and other perks.
Facebook has been caught testing a new kind of feed on its mainland mobile app, designed to surface relevant posts from people and pages that you haven't befriended or liked. According to Mashable and Wired, some users noticed a new rocket-shaped icon at the bottom of their News Feed. Tapping it displays content from an alternative News Feed.
Labeled Explore, it's focused on posts, articles, photos, videos and other content from people, media organizations and pages you're not following.
Facebook is currently testing this feature with a small subset of users and could pull it any time it wants. We'll be making sure you're among the first to know when, and if the new Explore tab launches to everybody.
Available on App Store free of charge, Primate Labs' refreshed Geekbench app now lets you measure the performance of mobile GPUs in iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Mac devices. Geekbench 4.1 brings a new Compute Benchmark to iOS and macOS. Written using Apple's new graphics API, Metal, it measures the performance of the GPU at executing common compute tasks such as image processing and computational photography.
Developer Feral Interactive announced Monday that it will be releasing a Mac port of Codemasters' official game for the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship this coming Thursday, April 6. The game takes advantage of Apple's new graphics API, Metal, so it should squeeze every bit of power from your Mac's GPU. It includes various online multiplayer game modes that let you compete against up to 21 players on any of the 21 Grand Prix circuits.
ESPN today refreshed its app on App Store with an overhauled user interface on Apple TV and other features. Renamed from WatchESPN to just ESPN, the free of charge universal binary now works across your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV and Apple Watch. It now supports auto-playing live streams, replays and full episodes of on-demand content. The app is rolling out today so check back later if it's not live yet on your local App Store.
While the FCC fought hard to keep your internet browsing data safe from third parties, it appears the United States government has other interests in mind. That said, your internet service provider (ISP) may soon begin selling your personal internet browsing data to third parties, putting your privacy at risk of exploitation.
On the other hand, there's still a way you can protect yourself and your data. Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) will keep your internet browsing data hidden from your ISP, which in turn keeps it from being sold to third parties.
It's the weekend again, and that means it's time for another episode of our Apps of the Week roundup. Today's selections include a digital travel agent, a new podcast client, an app that alerts you when cool things are happening, and of course we've picked out two new games for you to try.
In a blog post today titled “Rethinking our default profile photo”, Twitter announced that accounts without a profile image will now show a new, more generic avatar rather than the old icon resembling an egg. Twitter recently added new features to its mobile app in the form of notification filters that let you filter out “egg” accounts, as well as mute words, phrases and more in your timelines. The original egg profile image has lasted on the service for full seven years, but it's now run its course.
Apple is giving away Panols for a limited time, a $1.99 savings, but only through its official Apple Store app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Created by Juan Arreguin, Panols allows you to share the panoramic photos taken with your iPhone, as well as other photos stored in your photo library, with Instagram users everywhere. Taking advantage of Instagram's profile grid, Panols showcases your panoramas to their full effect in the standard three-across display view.
You can edit the name, description and geolocation of all your photos and be assured that your original photo will remain intact as the app uses a copy for all edits.
Phil Schiller, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing and the guy in charge of all App Stores at Apple, announced on Twitter this morning that the company's iOS App Design and Development Accelerator in the Yelahanka area of Bengaluru in India is officially opening. Bengaluru is the home of India’s startup scene. The populous country has some of the most vibrant and entrepreneurial iOS development communities in the world.
Apple also published useful resources at developer.apple.com/accelerator, including information pertaining to local iOS development scene.