Plants vs. Zombies, a tower defense game originally published by PopCap Games for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, hit Apple's iOS platform in February 2010. The title has some ardent following and though I've never been a huge fan, it's true that the iPhone and iPad versions helped the game take off in a big way. PopCap announced today that a sequel, unimaginatively titled Plants vs. Zombies 2, will be launching early this summer...
...but you probably won't be able to take advantage of them because native Push Notifications are still in beta so developer Iconofactory had to limit the much-needed feature to the first thousand users, as determined on a first-come, first-served basis.
The system is very similar to the reservation tickets in the Mailbox app. Luckily, I was able to reserve my spot on time so my copy of Twitterrific version 5.2 has native push alerts turned on.
Tucked away under the app's settings, push alerts can be turned on and off individually for direct messages, replies, mentions, favorites, retweets and follows.
Another handy treat: each of these can be color-coded so you get a better idea of a particular notification's importance after it appears on your screen, especially handy when these alerts start cropping up on your Lock screen...
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, better known as BMW, features a special option dubbed Apps which integrates iOS software from third-parties for some cool in-car entertainment and driving experience.
Part of the luxury automaker's ConnectedDrive initiative, the Apps platform supports model year 2011 and later vehicles and is controlled through a dedicated iOS app aptly named BMW Connected App. These apps are still few and far between so today the German car maker launched new additions.
A total of four iOS programs that integrate with the BMW Apps platform have been confirmed: Amazon's Audible app which lets you listen to audio books, real-time location sharing software Glympse, the subscription-based music streaming service Rhapsody and Pandora-like TuneIn app that features offers over 70,000 stations and two million shows...
Those looking to spice up the volume HUD that pops up when you turn your iOS device's sound up or down might be interested in a recently released jailbreak tweak called Music HUD.
The tweak, which landed in Cydia last week, has the ability to display useful information for the iPod app's currently playing track in the HUD box like album art, artist name and more...
Great news today for Gmail users. Google has updated its email client for iOS this morning, bringing the app to version 2.1. The update includes some nice UX improvements, including easier message navigation.
Users with the new app will now be able to swipe either left or right to move between messages, without having to return to their inbox. It also features easier multi-message editing, a handful of bug fixes and more...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3rNQ2pTyAY
So along comes Carlsberg with a novel idea: how about we market a new cider brand by piggy-backing on Apple's popularity subtly? The results of the company's brainstorming are, well, hilarious and downright amazing - as you can see for yourself.
The creative concept calls for a tongue-in-cheek reenactment of an Apple-like product launch hype, down to the line sitters, an Apple Store-like environment, lots of cheering and clapping and Carlsberg' version of Geniuses.
You gotta love the ambiguous use of tech jargon and the obligatory Apple superlatives like "amazing". My favorite line: "works perfectly in direct sunlight"...
Now that we've established that T-Mobile is the least expensive major U.S. iPhone carrier - thanks to its new policy of selling devices unsubsidized and separate of wireless services - the telco faces the ultimate test of reversing customer defection. If LTE is of prime importance to your mobile needs, you're probably better off with AT&T and Verizon - both Rootmetrics and Consumer Reports rank AT&T's LTE the fastest, with Verizon ruling the LTE coverage game.
On a flip side, while T-Mobile's LTE is only available in seven major U.S. cities, its iPhone-friendly (and speedy) HSPA+ now covers 225 million people in 229 metropolitan areas. Whether or not LTE is a key factor in determining your preferred carrier, perhaps you're merely thinking about switching away from your telco just to show your support for T-Mobile's "Un-Carrier" model.
So, will you make the move come April 12?
Flipboard released a rather significant update for its iOS app tonight, bringing the social news aggregator to version 2.0. The update includes a few major new features, including custom magazines and user notifications, and other improvements.
Perhaps the biggest addition to the app is the ability to create your own custom magazines. Users can now collect and save content into their own magazines, sort of like Pinterest, allowing users to essentially bookmark their favorite stuff...
It's been a while since we've heard any new information regarding Apple's rumored TV project. It seems 'iTV' speculation has been replaced by talk of Apple's secret plans for the smartwatch space, and its expected entry into the budget handset market.
But that changed this evening with a new report out of China, claiming that Apple has been in discussions with Foxconn over the production schedule of a TV set. And the 4K 'Ultra HD' television will finally land in either late 2013, or early next year...
Welcome to episode 3 of Let's Talk Jailbreak. In this episode, Sebastien and I discuss iOS 6.1.3, Apple's perception of jailbreakers, the previous week's jailbreak tweaks, how we met, a sleeper jailbreak tweak, an update on the progress of the podcast, and much more.
Like last week, this week's episode again takes into account some of your suggestions. For instance, some of you will be happy to find a brief introduction to the podcast. Take a look inside for the iTunes links, direct download links, and more.
What's the first thing you do when you hear your alarm clock go off in the morning? If you're like me, then after hitting the snooze button a couple of times, you look at your phone to see what time it is and if you missed any messages overnight.
But wouldn't it be nice if you could get this kind of information without having to look at your phone? That way you could skip that part of your morning routine and go right to stretching, or whatever else you do. Well you can, with Wake Info...
Earlier today, the nation's fourth-largest wireless carrier T-Mobile USA annuounced it will start officially selling Apple's iPhone on April 12. And in dropping annual contracts in favor of monthly installments, the telco unveiled the new Simple Choice Plan and LTE coverage in seven major U.S. cities.
Additional details trickled in post-announcement and one particular tidbit has immediately captured our attention: Apple has actually troubled to re-tool the AT&T iPhone 5 for the Deutsche Telekom-owned carrier.
The re-jigged hardware now supports T-Mobile's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) bandwidths, but the change in turn has affected existing AT&T customers who plan on switching to T-Mobile. Full details are right after the break...