Apps

Realmac’s digital scrapbook app Ember is now available on Mac App Store

I've been growing increasingly frustrated with the note-taking giant Evernote's decision to buy Skitch, my favorite screenshot-taking and annotation app. Very little have I seen in terms of meaningful enhancements and new features post-buyout.

Making matters worse, I've never been a huge fan of Evernote. You could say I downright hate how notebook organization, recipe management, saving web clips or just jotting down a few quick thoughts in Evernote is such a cumbersome and resource-hungry experience (plus, it's high maintenance).

There's definitely a market for a decent scrapbook app out there, one that's been written from the ground up to take advantage of the latest and greatest software technologies, with a strong focus on simplicity and ease of use.

That's where Realmac Software's Ember for Mac jumps in. You can tell it's special because Realmac are the same guys who brought you the popular Clear multitouch to-do app for iOS/OS X and the delightful Analog Camera for iOS...

Flipboard mags hit the web

The social news reading experience that is Flipboard used to be the exclusive realm of smartphones and tablets. Back in March, a major 2.0 update brought out the ability to create one's own custom magazines. Since then, users have created an astounding two million custom publications so today the startup confirmed Flipboard magazines can now finally be enjoyed on the web, through any standard desktop web browser.

The new feature brings Flipboard closer to becoming a viable Google Reader replacement. Google's web-based RSS client, you'll recall, allowed you to tag articles and share all the articles tied to a specific tag as a live-updated stream on a specially created web page...

iTravelGo, your no-nonsense iPhone guide to the world’s 36 most famous cities

I'm a Sagittarius so traveling, meeting fresh new people and exploring interesting new places I've never been to is my thing. As any world traveller could tell you, planning a journey normally involves doing extensive research about your favorite destination. But yours truly is a lousy planer: I'm the type of person who instead pulls an iPhone out of my pocket  to check out the top places to eat or stay, educate myself on a specific landmark, learn a little history and so forth.

But as much as I'm inclined to research places on the spot, roaming charges on my wireless bill are a painful reminder that pulling quick facts from the web, while abroad, is a big no-no. Having tried lots of similar apps that offer offline functionality, the iTravelGo app by developer Oleg Baranovskyi in my view is one of the more compelling city guides on the App Store.

Not only does it look nice, it sports a high-quality database of points of interests and is packed with useful information on the world's 36 most famous cities. And as a bonus, there's even a handy glossary in seventeen languages...

Path updated with new Friend Progress Bar, store items and more

Path users will be happy to hear that the social network has seeded an update to its iOS client today. The update, which brings the app to version 3.1.1, includes a handful of new features, as well as various improvements and bug fixes.

One of the more noticeable changes in 3.1.1 is the updated Friend Progress Bar. Path introduced the feature, which helps users better track their friends' stories, in the last update. And now, those that found it annoying can easily remove it...

Thor: The Dark World coming to iOS this fall

Gameloft and Marvel announced the official tie-in game for the upcoming Thor sequel this weekend. It's called 'Thor: The Dark World - The Official Game' (that's it's real name), and it will be arriving on iOS and Android platforms this November.

We don't know much about the game, outside of its title. But judging by this trailer Gameloft posted this afternoon, it looks like it's going to feature gorgeous graphics, and the usual hack-and-slash gameplay. We've posted the clip after the fold...

Rhapsody gains offline mode, exclusive playlists curated by human editors

I'm a simple guy when it comes to listening to digital music: the iTunes/iTunes Radio + Spotify combo pretty much has me covered these days. That's not saying I'm not on the lookout for music solutions outside the Apple-Spotify landscape.

Take the once relevant jukebox app and music subscription service Rhapsody (remember them?), which has been trying to become relevant for years now.

Just two months ago, the firm has renewed its efforts by overhauling its aging mobile app, adding tons of goodies.

In another update issued today, Rhapsody version 3.5 brings out standard social sharing features and the useful offline playback mode whilst putting exclusive curated content front and center...

Would you pay again for iOS 7 versions of apps you already own?

In a few months, Apple will release the largest update to its mobile operating system since the original iPhone debuted in 2007: iOS 7. The software has been virtually rebuilt from the ground-up, with new features and an all-new user interface.

Because this new version of iOS is so different than its predecessor, developers will have to spend a serious amount of time bringing their app code and UI elements up to speed. The question is, should they charge users for these major updates?

Screen recording app xRec hits App Store, works on non-jailbroken devices

Capturing a video of whatever is on the screen of your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad in real-time normally requires a jailbroken device and one of useful Cydia apps such as ScreenRecorder or Display Recorder by Ryan Petrich.

Official App Store solutions are unfortunately far and few between. And even when such an app does slip past the App Store approval team, it's only briefly.

Tapping iOS video recording APIs, xRec by developer Akın Öğünç lets you easily capture contents of your iDevice's screen, without having to jailbreak or cheat by hooking up your device to a computer to use a desktop screen capture software instead...

Apple Store app to be redesigned with free iTunes content in iPhone sales push

Apple will release a new version of its Apple Store application for the iPhone and iPod touch next week, according to a new report. The update will include a redesigned interface and a handful of new features, including free downloadable iTunes content.

The move is said to be part of Tim Cook's goal to sell more iPhones direct from Apple's direct sales channels. Apparently, the plan is to get the app installed on as many device's as possible so that more people are exposed to the company's choice products...

Apps of the week: Spendee, Sky Gamblers, Morning, and more…

Who’s headed for Comic-Con this weekend? If you are one of the tens of thousands of geeks, nerds, and pop culture fanatics that will be invading the tranquil metropolis of San Diego over the next few days, you may need some apps to keep you occupied.

If you are looking for a calendar app to help keep track of the Comic-Con schedule or a game to pass the time while you wait in line for hours and hours, we’ve got a list of apps that will help get you through the weekend…

Apple comments on two day-long developer center outage

If you've tried logging in to Apple's dev center over the past few days, but were unsuccessful, you weren't alone. The portal, which is where the company stores downloads, documentation and other resources for developers, has been down for 48 hours.

This isn't your typical 'maintenance' downtime, as those only usually last a couple of minutes—or at worst, a few hours. And as you can imagine, developers are starting to get frustrated with the service, which Apple charges a $99 subscription fee for...

Realmac teases Ember, a digital scrapbook for your Mac

Realmac Software, the guys who brought you the popular Clear multitouch to-do app for the iPhone and the delightful Analog Camera for iOS, to name just two, is working on a brand new Mac application that wants to become your ultimate digital scrapbook.

Called Ember, it appeases to designers who are desperate to “save, organize, annotate, and share” their work, but it can also be used by ordinary users who are looking to manage their projects and present them as media-rich scrapbooks...