Facebook pulls Slingshot, Riff and Rooms apps from App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 5, 2018

Happy app removal day! After Dropbox announced plans to wind down its ill-fated Mailbox and Carousel apps, Facebook just pulled a Dropbox by confirming it, too, is shutting down a few apps of its own that have failed to gain much traction with users: Slingshot, Riff and Rooms.

In addition, the company will be closing down the Creative Labs shop, an initiative formed in January 2014 with the noble goal of giving its teams creative freedom to conceive and build apps outside the core Facebook experience.

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You can now add to-dos to Google’s Calendar app using a new Reminders feature and 3D Touch

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 4, 2017

Google's standalone Calendar app was released in the App Store in March of 2105 and today the software is getting some interesting new features: Reminders, 3D Touch support and a cool Star Wars skin for those who have opted to join either the Dark or Light side of the Force at google.com/starwars. Reminders in Google Calendar make it easier to keep track of your to-dos alongside your events—in one place, no need to juggle between different apps.

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Dropbox to nix Mailbox and Carousel apps early next year

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 26, 2019

Cloud storage startup Dropbox made a surprising announcement Monday, saying it will be shutting down Mailbox, the once popular app it acquired in March 2013, as well as Carousel, a photo-management app released in April 2014. Mailbox will be winding down on February 28, 2016 and Carousel is next on the chopping block on March 31, 2016.

This development doesn't surprise me: Mailbox for iOS has been receiving only compatibility updates post-acquisition while Mailbox for Mac hasn't dropped its beta flag since August 2014 debut of the first public beta (its current version number: 0.76).

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Samsung reportedly working on Gear S2 smartwatch companion app for iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 7, 2015

Samsung is reportedly working on its very first iOS app, called Gear Manager, that will permit iPhone, iPod touch and iPad owners to use the South Korean firm's latest Gear S2 lineup of smartwatches, SamMobile learned from its sources last week.

While the Gear S2 works with all Android smartphones, not just the ones made by Samsung, it doesn't play well with iOS. Like Apple's own Watch companion app, the Gear Manager is said to include features to set up and customize the device for use.

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StealthFolder: turn folders invisible on jailbroken devices

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Have you ever wanted the ability to hide a folder or app in plain sight on your iOS Home screen? StealthFolder is a new jailbreak tweak that lends such functionality to all jailbroken iPhone users.

With StealthFolder installed, all folders on the iOS Home screen are hidden, completely transparent, until you touch them. Once tapped, the folders open like normal, displaying their contents.

If you're looking to hide specific apps, but don't want the inconvenience of locking them down completely with Passcodes or Touch ID, then StealthFolder is a legitimate option.

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Goodges: a tweak that replaces badge notifications with labels

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Goodges is a new jailbreak tweak that lets you swap out app icon badges for app icon labels. In other words, the tweak is designed to showcase a label notifying you of pending notifications, instead of the traditional badge.

If you find app icon badges to be unsightly, then Goodges is a free tweak that you should consider. It allows you to see pending notifications for specific apps, without being subjected to the ugly badges that litter your Home screen.

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How to disable password prompts for free iBooks downloads on the Mac

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 7, 2015

Since last year's iOS 8.3 software update iOS devices have had the ability to stop asking for a password when downloading free applications from the App Store. Soon after, that feature found its way into iTunes and iBooks for Mac.

As electronic books are no longer managed through iTunes, disabling password prompts for iBooks Store downloads is now handled in iBooks for Mac. In this post, you will learn how to disable Apple ID password prompts when downloading free electronic books from Apple's iBooks Store, and we'll also show you how you can manage password settings for paid items.

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Alive! review: add filters and effects to your Live Photos

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

Live Photos is a cool new feature available on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. However, it is not exclusive to those devices. Thanks to third-party apps like Live Pictures and jailbreak tweaks like EnableLivePhotos, even older devices running iOS 9 can take advantage of creating Live Photos.

Alive! is a photo editing app specifically designed for Live Photos. Whether you've taken them on an iPhone 6s, or an older device with a third-party app or jailbreak tweak, or even if someone sent you a Live Photo, you can edit them using this app. We've got a hands-on review of Alive! for you today.

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The Koomas CD-Air mount slips into your car’s CD player

Lory Gil ∙ December 7, 2015

We've mentioned before that, although every new car still includes a CD player, many of us have moved on to a more convenient method of listening to music. So, that dashboard CD player just sits there getting dusty. Well, maybe not for everyone.

The Koomas CD-Air mount slips into your car's CD player, so you can keep your iPhone 6s at arms-reach without getting in the way of your windshield or air conditioner. Plus, it has the unintentional bonus of allowing you to still use the CD player to play music.

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How to install Kodi on iOS 9 without jailbreaking

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Kodi is one of those apps that I love using on my jailbroken devices, but did you know that it can also be easily installed and used on a non-jailbroken device? I just finished installing Kodi on my iPad Pro in a matter of minutes. Although it's not as straightforward as installing it from Cydia, it can still easily be done with a bit of patience.

I use Kodi to stream live local channels to my iOS devices via an HDHomeRun box, but I also use it to stream video from an external drive hooked up to my AirPort extreme. Needless to say, it's a great app that's not just limited to jailbroken device thanks to Xcode 7.

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Five must-try apps for the iPad Pro

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

During my hands-on time with the iPad Pro, I’ve been able to identify several apps that I believe all iPad Pro owners should have in their stable of apps. Inside, you’ll find details about a popular email client, an awesome text editor, a podcast recording studio, a visual drawing, sketching and painting app, and an awesome iPad Pro-optimized Twitter client. Have you tried them all?

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