The weekend is here and we are finally ready to settle in for some long-awaited relaxation with our favorite pastime, our iPhone (and for some of us, our Apple Watch). If you are looking for content to add to your favorite iOS device, we've got a list of apps and games you might want to take a look at.
Apps
Take a sneak peek at Spotify’s new experience with Running, activity-based playlists and more
An iDownloadBlog reader has sent in a number of gorgeous screenshots of Spotify's major iPhone revamp. The software was just released to Spotify's beta testers a few hours ago ahead of its impending public release.
You may have heard Spotify stepped on Apple's toes with the announcement of new media types like news, video and podcasts, along with a flurry of feature additions like activity-based playlists, a cool Running feature and more.
With that in mind, we urge you to take a look at the screenshots included below and see for yourself how the new Spotify experience on mobile looks like.
Apple Store app updated with support for Touch ID, two-step verification
Apple posted an update on Thursday for its Apple Store app, bringing the app to version 3.3. The update brings about at least two significant improvements: support for Touch ID and Apple ID two-step verification.
Folks checking their Apple Watch orders frequently using the app will be happy to hear that you no longer have to input your password. You can now use Touch ID to access orders, Easy Pay receipts and reservations.
Physics-based puzzler ‘Magnetized’ goes free as Apple’s App of the Week
Apple has just named “Magnetized” its App of the Week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to download the abstract physics puzzler for both iPhone and iPad for free—an awesome savings of $2.99.
In Magnetized, you are tasked with navigating a moving ball through a series of neon mazes using magnetic control points. It sounds simple at first, but the mazes get increasingly difficult, forcing you to try and master momentum and direction.
Adobe retires Photoshop touch apps & previews Rigel, its new retouching solution for iPad
Photoshop maker Adobe said today it will be pulling Photoshop Touch apps for the iPhone and iPad from the App Store and other mobile platforms next Thursday, May 28. At the same time the company gave a sneak peek of its forthcoming new retouching solution for mobile, Rigel, which should be available later this year.
Adobe said it will sharpen focus on Creative Cloud mobile apps like Photoshop Mix, Photoshop Sketch, Adobe Comp CC, Adobe Shape CC, Adobe Brush CC and Adobe Color CC.
App Store highlights apps for Global Accessibility Awareness Day
In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Apple has begun highlighting apps with specialized accessibility features. The curated section features apps such as Instapaper, which offers text-to-speech, and Workflow, which can automate complex tasks, and is featured on the front page of the App Store.
Apple has long been praised for the accessibility features in iOS. Grammy Award-winning artist, who has been blind for most of his life, famously took time out of a concert to thank Steve Jobs and company for their work, saying "there’s nothing on the iPhone or the iPad that you can do, that I can’t do."
Shazam gains camera support for scanning QR codes and images with Shazam camera logo
Music identification app Shazam now lets you scan QR Codes thanks to the latest update with camera support.
Now any image that contains QR codes or the Shazam camera logo can be scanned within the app to unlock additional content, interactive experiences, special offers and other embedded content.
Asphalt 8 picks up new cars, exclusive decals, Tenerife track, widget support and more
Asphalt 8: Airborne, Gameloft's free-to-play arcade racing title for the iPhone and iPad, today received a major content update in the App Store. The game has gained a number of new cars, tracks and loads of other improvements, amongst them support for the Apple Watch and a widget for the iOS Notification Center.
Asphalt 8 was first to support Metal, Apple's new graphics framework in iOS 8 that makes graphics intensive games run smoother with more effects. Now Gameloft provides the latest Asphalt update as a 64-bit application that should run even faster on iPhones and iPads powered by Apple's A7 chip or newer.
Sunrise Calendar and Wunderlist integrate, letting you create and manage Wunderlist tasks in Sunrise
6Wunderkinder GmbH, the German developer behind the popular task/to-do app Wunderlist, and the team behind the cross-platform calendar application Sunrise Calendar, on Thursday announced feature-rich integration between the two apps.
The move allows fans of both services to create Wunderlist tasks directly in Sunrise, write a Wunderlist task as done and change its due date in Sunrise and more.
Tower Slash review: fast fingers score big in this fast-paced swiping game
When I think of games that require impeccable timing and impossibly fast reflexes, I think of Flappy Bird. That game was once a hugely popular title, which generated many, many addicted players.
Tower Slash almost fits into that category. Except, it is slightly easier to score high and provides unlockable new characters when you reach certain goals. We've got a full game review of Tower Slash for you right now.
iOS 9 reportedly includes new ‘Home’ app for controlling HomeKit smart devices
Enhancements to Apple's HomeKit are expected to be among a flurry of software and platform advances in tow for the Worldwide Developers Conference next month. According to sources, the Cupertino company is thought to be announcing a new app in iOS 9 called Home for managing and controlling HomeKit-certified accessories for the connected home, 9to5Mac learned Wednesday.
Flow by Outlook, Microsoft’s hybrid IM/email iPhone app, inadvertently leaked
Microsoft has inadvertently leaked an upcoming hybrid email and messaging app via a download webpage marked "Microsoft Confidential", ZDNet reported Wednesday.
Called 'Flow by Outlook,' the lightweight email app should release for the iPhone. It's being billed as a “great way to have rapid email conversations on your phone with the people who are important to you,” as per leaked changelog.