Review: Overcast 2.0 brings streaming support and new price—free (no IAPs whatsoever)

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 9, 2015

Developer Marco Arment today issued a major update to Overcast, its praised podcast player and manager app for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Apple Watch. Going from the freemium to free model, Overcast 2.0 is now a free app without In-App Purchases, advertising or other limitations.

Instead, you can now support the continued development of Overcast, if you want, by becoming a patron which entails a recurring subscription.

If not, enjoy everything Overcast hast to offer absolutely free of charge.

One of the major new features in Overcast 2.0 is streaming, which can now be used with Smart Speed and Voice Boost effects to save time when listening to podcasts by shortening moments of silence without having to download new episodes first.

Read More

How to mute Activity reminders on Apple Watch for the rest of your day

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 9, 2015

Among the small things Apple's added to watchOS 2 is a new switch allowing you to mute Activity reminders for the rest of your day.

To be clear, hourly alerts to stand up and move a little, as well as other coaching reminders on your Apple Watch, can help a great deal when it comes to meeting your personal fitness goals.

But not everyone is a fitness buff.

If you yourself aren't exactly an active person, you might find Activity alerts a bit distracting, if not downright annoying. But worry not, you can suspend coaching alerts for the rest of your day with just a few taps. Let me show you how.

Read More

Watch ‘Steve Jobs’ scene with Woz confronting Steve over impending launch of NeXT Computer

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 9, 2015

The high-profile 'Steve Jobs' biopic, based on Walter Isaacson authorized biography of Apple's mercurial co-founder, released today in select theaters across the United States and Universal posted a full scene on its YouTube channel to celebrate the launch.

In it, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak (played by Seth Rogen) warns Steve (played by Michael Fassbender) that the launch of NeXT, Jobs's overpriced, cube-shaped workstation computer created during his wilderness years, will go down in history “as the single biggest failure in the history of personal computing.”

Read More

Some of the previously pulled apps and games now returning to App Store’s Purchased history

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 9, 2015

Many of the iPhone and iPad applications that have vanished from users' Purchased histories are now returning to the App Store, TouchArcade reports, suggesting the whole brouhaha was but a glitch in the App Store.

Not all of the pulled games have returned, however, though some classics like Ngmoco's games and Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 can now be re-downloaded through the App Store's Purchased tab again.

Read More

Get more out of your iPhone photos with the Imvio Camera Lens Kit

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

Folks in the market for an iPhone lens accessory should consider adding the Imvio Camera Lens Kit to their list of prospects. The kit includes an iPhone case, a Fisheye and Wide Angle lens, a protective carrying case, and it's available for every late-model iPhone starting with the 5s.

I've been using Imvio lenses on my iPhone 6s for the past week, and I have to say that overall, it's a solid product. The case fits well and the lenses attach and detach easily. It's not perfect though, and I did find a few things I didn't like during my testing. Read on for my full review.

Read More

Cellet Universal Cup Holder Mount extends to 10 inches

Lory Gil ∙ October 9, 2015

If you are in the cup holder mount camp (versus the vent mount or dash mount), you might have a problem with how low your iPhone 6s sits in your car's console. Most car cup holders are positioned in the center console at arms length, which is great for grabbing your soda, but not so great when you are trying to see which street to turn on next.

Cellet makes a Universal Cup Holder Mount with a rotating arm that is 10 inches tall. So, even if your cup holder is too far away, your iPhone 6s doesn't have to be.

Read More

SIM-free iPhone 6s now available in Apple’s web store

Cody Lee ∙ October 8, 2015

Heads up to those of you who have been waiting for SIM-free iPhone 6s and 6s Plus handsets. As noted by MacRumors, Apple on Thursday night began offering SIM-free models of its latest smartphones via its web store.

While you could previously buy the iPhone 6s at full retail, they have, until now, included carrier-specific SIM cards. These new models, as the name suggests, do not include any kind of SIM card, meaning they are unlocked.

Read More

Elon Musk throws shade at Apple and its rumored car project

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 7, 2018

Tesla CEO Elon Musk threw some serious shade at Apple and its rumored car project in a recent interview with German newspaper Handelsblatt. Business Insider shares the comments, in which Musk calls Apple a "graveyard" for Tesla employees who can't hack it.

When asked about reports that Apple has hired away important Tesla engineers, Musk replied: "Important engineers? They've hired people we’ve fired. We jokingly call Apple the “Tesla Graveyard.” If you don’t make it at Tesla, you go work at Apple. I’m not kidding."

Read More

Starbucks will soon begin accepting Apple Pay

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Starbucks fans rejoice! The popular coffee chain will soon support Apple Pay. Jennifer Bailey, the head of Apple's mobile payment arm, broke the news Thursday onstage at the Code/Mobile conference, telling Recode's Ina Fried that the launch is planned for early next year.

Note that this will be different than the current implementation of Apple Pay in the Starbucks app, which only really allows you to re-fill your Starbucks Card. In-store support of the payments service will allow users to pay for their coffee using their iPhone or Apple Watch.

Read More

You can now use Facebook Messenger on Apple Watch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Facebook on Thursday rolled out a new update for its Messenger app, bringing the iOS client to version 38.0. The update brings about long-awaited support for watchOS 2, meaning you can finally use the popular messaging app on your Apple Watch.

Introduced this summer, Facebook Messenger for Apple Watch allows you to send and receive things like voice messages, Likes and stickers, and you can also dictate messages and tap the Location button to quickly send out your current location.

Read More

Wake Alarm Clock goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

Heads-up deal seekers. Apple has named Tiny Hearts Limited's "Wake Alarm Clock" its App of the Week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you'll be able to pick up the popular alarm clock app for free for both iPhone and iPad—a solid savings of $4.

For those unfamiliar with the app, Wake is highly regarded for its beautiful and intuitive design, and its range of various alarm modes. You can slap your phone to activate a short snooze, flip it to turn off all alarms, or you can set it so you have to shake your phone to turn all alarms off.

Read More