Facebook has been adding Snapchat-like features to its mobile apps over the last several months, but new reports now point towards yet another app that could help make Facebook the go-to service for teenage users.
The iPad's Picture-in-Picture feature can really come in handy—when it works. Unfortunately, some pages such as YouTube use custom video players that don't have a dedicated PiP button, rendering the feature useless. That's where the app PiPifier comes into play.
PiPifier lets you view every HTML5 (which is basically every web video on iOS) in Picture-in-Picture mode. It uses a Safari Action extension, so all you have to do is open Safari to your preferred web video, tap on the Share Menu, and select the Run PiPifier option.
As you can see in the screenshots, doing this puts your video into native PiP mode. This allows you to watch your clip in a resizable window that you can place virtually anywhere on your iPad's screen, all while performing other tasks, such as replying to emails and texts.
PiPifier is available for free.
Learn how to prevent the Mac's Mail app from downloading all email attachments locally and taking up a lot of unnecessary space.
Apple today announced a significant update for its iPad app Swift Playgrounds. The app, which is geared towards teaching beginners to code in a fun and interactive environment, will soon work with robots, drones and musical instruments.
Scheduled to be released next week, Swift Playgrounds version 1.5 will support programming a slew of new devices including the Sphero SPRK+ ball, UBTECH Jumu Robot MeeBot Kit, Wonder Workshop's Dash, Parrot drones and LEGO Mindstorms.
“More than 1 million kids and adults from around the world are already using Swift Playgrounds to learn the fundamentals of coding with Swift in a fun and interactive way,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “Now they can instantly see the code they create and directly control their favorite robots, drones and instruments through Swift Playgrounds. It’s an incredibly exciting and powerful way to learn.”
“Today we’re combining efforts with Apple to provide even more students around the world with the opportunity to learn how to code,” said Esben Stærk Jørgensen, president, LEGO Education. “We’re pairing the familiar LEGO bricks and our hands-on approach to playful learning found in LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 with Swift Playgrounds' powerful learning platform so now anyone can program their LEGO MINDSTORMS creation with real Swift code.”
Swift Playgrounds 1.5 will be a free update for the app and will be released June 5.
Source: Apple
Microsoft on Thursday unveiled a major redesign for its Skype video conferencing app. Rebuilt from the ground up, the company says the new app vastly improves the ways you can connect with your favorite people, putting chat front and center.
Early reactions to the new design have pointed out that the interface has kind of a Snapchat vibe. Group chats are more lively, expressive and personalized, and there's a new Stories-like Highlights section that allows you to share a photo or video.
Highlights can be decorated with emojis and text, and they remain available for a full week instead of the usual 24 hours. They can be viewed by anyone who follows you on Skype, or you can choose to send your Highlights to a specific group or user.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU9w41tPXyc
Other new features include Facebook-like reactions to Highlights and chats, in-video chat overlays for emojis, text, stickers and photos, and the addition of smart assistant Cortana. Skype is also adding bots from Bing, Expedia, YouTube and others.
The Skype update hits Android first, later today, iOS within the next few weeks, and Mac and Windows devices within the next few months.
Source: Skype
Plex on Thursday announced that they're rolling out support for live TV to their various Plex apps. They're starting with Android TV and iOS, and say updates for other platforms like tvOS will follow suit.
The live TV feature is built right into the Media Server, so you'll be able to stream everything from game shows to sporting events in real time, from pretty much anywhere in the world.
The app is also getting other improvements: in-app DVR management, meaning you can now browse the program guide and manage recordings directly from within the app, and expanded tuner support. Last September Plex announced support for the HDHomeRun tuner line, and now it's opening up to tuners from Hauppauge, AVerMedia and many more.
Plex Live TV and DVR are available immediately for Plex Pass users only. The service costs $5 per month, $40 per year, or $120 for life (20% off for a limited time). It's a bit pricey, but it's definitely worth looking into if you're thinking about cutting the cord.
Source: Plex
Apple announced Thursday morning that developers all over the world for its platform have generated over $70 billion in total revenue, a new record since the launch of the App Store almost nine years ago in 2008.
The number 70 appears to be Apple’s lucky number this year, as app downloads have also soared 70% in the last 12 months, illustrating interest in numerous new app titles that took the App Store by storm.
Google is rolling out a small update to its mobile YouTube app for iPhone and iPad, bringing out an all-new Activity tab where you can easily find and control all of your notifications.
Now you can see your notifications, opt-out of receiving alerts from specific accounts and more—all in one central place just a tap away no matter where you happen to be in the app.
The new tab joins the app's existing tabs: Home, Trending, Subscriptions and Library.
Before today, accessing notifications was a multi-tap affair: you were required to tap your profile picture in the app's top-right corner, then hit Notifications (see the screenshot below).
Functionally, nothing has changed drastically—the new Activity section still shows notifications from your favorite accounts in the order they were received.
The old way of managing your YouTube notifications was a multi-tap affair.
Tapping the three dots next to a notification allows you to hide that particular notification, just like before, as well as elect to turn off all future notifications for that account and more.
Tapping the option See All Settings takes you to settings where you can turn notifications on or off for any recommended videos, choose whether you'd like to be notified about activity on your comments or others' videos, select how you'd like to be notified and more.
The new Activity tab requires YouTube for iOS version 12.20 or later.
Grab YouTube for iOS for free form App Store.
Twitter is rolling out a new inbox section which it says is designed to separate direct messages from people you do and don’t follow, making it easier to accept or delete unsolicited chats.
“If you’ve opted-in to get Direct Messages from anyone, messages from people you don’t follow will go into Requests in the Messages tab,” wrote the company in a tweet yesterday.
New group chats you’re added to by people you don’t follow will also appear in Requests.
Upon entering the chat, you'll be asked to either Delete or Accept the message. Accepting the chat moves it to your inbox, allowing you to continue the conversation with that person.
“Please note that they will not know you have seen the message until you have accepted their request,” said Twitter. All media will be hidden prior to accepting the message.
If you wish to view any hidden media, tap the View Media option.
https://twitter.com/Twitter/status/869608493548011520
Conversely, deleting the message removes it from the inbox although that account is still able to message you in the future unless you block or report it. These new features are available on the mobile Twitter app for iOS and Android and on twitter.com.
TUTORIAL: How to find Messenger chats you didn't know existed
Facebook-owned Messenger introduced a similar feature back in October 2015, replacing the “Other” inbox with a Message Requests section that brought all the messages from people you’re not friends with on Facebook in one central place, separate from your regular chats.
Grab Twitter for iOS for free from App Store.
Apple today updated its WWDC app for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch with curated video playlist, interactive venue and street maps and other content ahead of the June 5 keynote.
“We’ve made several app updates to improve your experience in 2017, whether you’re attending or following along remotely,” reads the changelog accompanying the download.
Bumped to version 6.0, the app lets you watch curated video playlists focused on featured themes, as well as view interactive venue and street maps of San Jose McEnery Convention Center and access other important venue information through the new Venue tab.
Unlike before, you can now use all app features without signing in.
Lastly, Apple has given the app an Apple Music-like facelift with bold headings, larger images and simplified navigation, as evidenced by the screenshots.
The WWDC app supports all form-factor iOS devices natively and includes a sticker pack for iMessage and an Apple Watch component.
You can download it free on App Store.
The keynote will be live-streamed through the Apple Developer website and on the WWDC app.
The Cupertino giant could unveil its own Siri speaker at WWDC and potentially unveil hardware updates to the iPad Pro lineup and a next-generation Apple TV with 4K video support.
Check out our WWDC 2017-themed wallpapers for your Apple hardware.
Even if you plan on watching the keynote, be sure to join us here at iDownloadBlog that Monday as we’ll be covering all things WWDC throughout the entire week.
Apple could open an app development center in Jakarta, the capital and the most populous city of Indonesia and home to an upcoming Apple research and development center.
According to a source who spoke with Japanese outlet Nikkei, Apple's app development center will open in suburban Jakarta as early as October, allowing the company to start selling its newest phones in Indonesia.
The Cupertino technology giant currently relies on a network of resellers to push iPhones in the country as the devices are unavailable through its online store in Indonesia.
But what do apps have to do with hardware sales?
Nikkei explains that Indonesia in 2015 imposed regulatory rules requiring phones sold in the country to use at least 30 percent locally procured components by 2017. Apple did not set up local production in the country, but last year the government had a change of heart and now counts locally developed mobile apps as “locally produced” content for smartphones.
Sensing an opportunity, Apple is now set to open an app development facility in Jakarta.
However, the policy change has drawn the ire of Samsung, which in 2015 established a smartphone production line inside its existing manufacturing plant in suburban Jakarta.
“Had the rule on app development come earlier, the South Korean company could have saved a lot of money by using Apple's approach,” added Nikkei. “Policy shift means Apple can meet the quota with a smaller investment,” reads the article.
Similar sourcing requirements for foreign goods have prevented Apple from selling iPhones directly to customers in India. Recently, however, Apple and the Indian government have come to terms of doing business locally, paving the way for iPhone SE production in the country.
This week's edition of our Apps of the Week roundup includes an app for preventing parking tickets, a musical meme-maker, and an off-road GPS app. And as usual, we have two great new games for you to check out this weekend.
SpotAngelsThis isn't a new app, but it's worth checking out for those who aren't familiar with it. SpotAngels detects when you park and sends you alerts if and when you have to move your car. It does this by using your phone's motion sensors and Bluetooth (as it disconnects from your car) to know that you've parked, and then it checks your location against its data base of trouble spots. These include meters, to away zones, street cleaning, permit parking and other rules in dozens of major cities like New York, Dallas and Portland. The app also helps you find free parking around you, and since it's crowd-sourced, anyone can submit an update. SpotAngels is available for free.
DittyHere's another not-so-new app that you might find fun to play with this weekend. It's called Ditty, and it allows you to make goofy songs and music videos using a mix of GIFs, photos, videos and more. The app will actually sing anything you type, and there are tons of famous songs to choose from, with new content added weekly. Add your friends to follow their feeds, or post a Ditty yourself for a chance to be featured in the app. Ditty is available for free (with some IAPs).
Gaia GPSEstablished GPS apps like Apple Maps and Waze do a nice job of getting you around the streets. But what about getting you around off road? That's where Gaia GPS comes in. This app features a beautiful and well-thought out interface that makes navigating the backcountry simple. Features include worldwide topo, road and satellite maps, syncing of photos, tracks and waypoints, a database with hiking trails, parks and other natural sights, and several customization options. This is a freemium app, and unfortunately most of the features are tucked behind an in-app purchase. But, Gaia has a great track record in this space and the app is getting rave reviews. If you need something like this, check it out. Gaia is available for free (with some IAPs).
Zombie Gunship SurvivalThe long-awaited sequel to Zombie Gunship is here! Zombie Gunship Survival has you as one of the few survivors in a devastating zombie apocalypse. To stay alive, you must take the gunner seat aboard a heavily-armed AC-130 ground attack aircraft and blow up the undead in this intense, high-definition shooter experience. You'll build up your remote airfield as a base for operations, defend that base, deploy your troops to annihilate the undead, and try to survive one of the most hostile environments ever. This is another freemium title, so there are a lot of in-app purchases, but the game itself has nearly a 5-star App Store rating on 1,200 reviews. Zombie Gunship Survival is available for free.
Goat Simulator PAYDAYThe goat is back! Goat Simulator: Payday is the most criminally realistic goat simulation ever! There are 3 new thugs, including a flying flamingo that can control people's brains, a wheelchairing dolphin that can climb almost any surface, a spitting camel, and of course the goat. You can meet up with your Pranknet crew, buy masks to disguise your identity, carry out "jobs" to collect cash to buy things, and you can even steal and drive cars. There's no real elaborate story line here, just a GTA-style open world adventure game that encourages you to inflict the maximum amount of destruction. Goat Simulator PAYDAY is available for $4.99.
More apps to check out Apple’s free app of the week: klocki You can now drag and drop files on iPad between Readdle’s productivity apps 1Password’s Travel Mode protects your private data from unwarranted searches Not to be outdone by Instagram, Snapchat unveils custom Stories of its own Duet Display brings even more desktop power to your iPad drawing experience YouTube TV app gains AirPlay support New Pokémon game is based on Magikarp, the weakest Pokémon ever At long last, Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 hits App Store