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Poison Maps makes great use of 3D Touch gestures

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 11, 2015

Poison Maps, a cool map app in the App Store based on the OpenStreetMap database, takes a novel approach to 3D Touch gestures versus most other 3D Touch-enabled apps, which makes it uniquely useful for navigating.

On non-iPhone 6s devices, the app takes advantage of the patent-pending Context Pan gesture letting you pan large distances by using a single touch of a finger instead of the usual two-fingered pinch-zoom gesture.

On devices without 3D Touch, however, context zooming and context panning is implemented using a long touch to control how far the map zooms out, rather then using the force of the press, as shown in a video demonstration further below.

Apple pushes intrusive iPhone 6s ad to some users inside the App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 11, 2015

Twitter is on fire with reports from disgruntled users who were taken aback after witnessing a full-screen iPhone 6s ad taking over the App Store on their devices. The ad is, of course, from Apple itself and was conceived to persuade owners of pre-iPhone 6s models to upgrade to the ”ridiculously powerful” iPhone 6s.

The pop-up ad is full-screen and asks users to “Learn More,” which takes them to the iPhone 6s webpage on Apple's website, or “Upgrade Now.”

The latter option redirects users to the the Buy iPhone 6s page inside the official Apple Store app, if installed. Want to get back to what your were doing? That'll require tapping a dedicated button to dismiss the ad.

So, what's going on here?

Google Play Movies & TV gains HD and cellular streaming, AirPlay support, revamped UI & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 11, 2015

Just in time for the holiday season, Google has issued a major update to its official video streaming application in the App Store, Google Play Movies & TV, with several much-needed features and a fresh new design. For starters, you can now stream movies and TV shows rented or purchased on the Play store over your carrier's cellular data network. Moreover, the app has gained the ability to stream video in high-definition.

And if you own a third-generation Apple TV or higher, you can stream your Google Play entertainment right to the big screen with official support for Apple's AirPlay wireless media streaming technology.

Slash Keyboard review: /find things to share right on your keyboard

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

Sometimes, there is a song or a cat video, or an iDB article that you just have to share with someone. Oh, but you forgot to grab the link before you got into a chat with your buddy in Hangouts.

That's OK. Slash Keyboard makes it possible for you to find and share all manner of content right from your iOS keyboard without having to leave your chat. We took it for a spin and have a review of Slash Keyboard for you right now.

Apple gives its Apple ID website a fresh new redesign

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Apple's drab-looking Apple ID website, the place where users go to manage everything about their Apple IDs, has been updated with a fresh new coat of paint. Instead of the boring color-less look of old, Apple has adopted an up-to-date bold new look for its hub focused on managing passwords, devices, and other vital account information.

‘Flash’ automatically displays a Lock screen flashlight shortcut when in a dark environment

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated June 12, 2018

From time to time I've been known to question the idea of jailbreaking my iOS device. I tend to waffle back in forth between loving it and being a little ho-hum on the idea.

Make no mistake, I'll likely always be a jailbreaker as long as its possible, but using a jailbreak on my daily driver is something different altogether. Right now, my jailbreak has been relegated to my iPhone 6 Plus, my test device; but tweaks like Flash make me wish I still had Cydia on my main device.

Flash is a clever jailbreak tweak that presents a flashlight shortcut on your Lock screen when the iPhone's Ambient Light Sensor detects you're in a dark environment. Watch our video inside to see it in action.

Cut the Rope 2 goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ December 10, 2015

Apple on Thursday named ZeptoLab's Cut the Rope 2 its App of the Week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you'll be able to pick up the popular physics-based puzzler for free for both iPhone and iPad—a small but notable savings of a buck.

For those who aren't familiar with Cut the Rope, it's a cross-platform gaming franchise that revolves around feeding candy to a little green creature named Om Nom. Version 2 features new locations to explore, new characters, and fresh gameplay elements.

iFixit tears down the iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case

Jeff Benjamin ∙ December 10, 2015

It was only a matter of time before the folks over at iFixit got their hands on Apple's newly-released Smart Battery Case for the proper teardown treatment, and today is the day that we get a peek inside of the case's innards.

It goes without saying that the $99 Smart Battery Case will score low on iFixit's repairability scale, as tearing down the case means peeling back the soft lining inside the housing and dealing with lots of sticky adhesive.

Tumblr app updated with support for Live Photos

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 9, 2016

Yahoo-owned Tumblr today rolled out a major update to its iPhone, iPod touch and iPad application in the App Store, bringing out official support for Live Photos, introducing 3D Touch Home screen shortcuts and a few other enhancements. Tumblr 5.0 for iOS also makes its messaging feature available to everyone today, lets you send a post to any Tumblr and toss it with the tap of a button.

Google Photos launches shared albums

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 10, 2015

As promised back in September, Google Photos has now begun rolling out shared albums on the web and in its mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Arriving just in time for the holiday season, a shared album allows friends and family to add photos to it. Those who have joined a shared album will receive a notification about any changes and newly uploaded photos.

If it sounds similar to Apple's own iCloud Photo Sharing, that's because it is, with one crucial difference: shared albums on Google Photos aren’t designed for a social world—you can't like, comment on or caption them.

Sketchy rumor claims Apple’s been secretly working on its own GPU for years

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2016

Apple is making its own GPU to cut the cord from Imagination Technologies and has been secretly developing its own GPU in-house for a few years now. That's what a sketchy rumor published Thursday by Fudzilla contends, citing sources in the graphics industry.

An in-house-designed GPU would let Apple reduce the cost of its own mobile chipsets further. More importantly, such a move would help it advance the iPhone and iPad's graphics capabilities beyond what Imagination's designs (that Apple licenses) permit.

For end users, this should result in an even smoother iOS and flashier graphics in games (the overhyped term “console-quality” comes to mind) with more realistic special effects.

Product Hunt overhauls iOS app, adds audio player, live chatting, 3D Touch support and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 10, 2015

Product Hunt, a Y Combinator-backed website and mobile app for sharing and discovering new products, on Thursday received a major 3.0 update in the App Store, its biggest update since the app was introduced over a year ago.

Featuring a brand new design, Product Hunt now includes live chat and a built-in audio player for listening to podcasts. An expanded search feature lets you zero in on apps, websites, gadgets, games, podcasts and books—and you can now search Product Hunt within iOS's Spotlight feature.

But that's just tip of the iceberg as Product Hunt 3.0 packs in new profile pages, expanded Collections features, enhanced product pages and much more.