App Store Apps

Snapseed update adds Text filter, image resizing when exporting and sharing & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 3, 2016

Since buying Snapseed from Nik Software in September 2012, Google has been somewhat neglecting this once popular mobile image editor, issuing maintenance updates that were light on new features. Today, the search firm announced that Snapseed, at long last, is getting some interesting new capabilities via an update on iOS and Android. The Text filter is now available and you can configure the app to resize photos when sharing/exporting.

UI adjustments and bug fixes are included in Snapseed 2.8 as well.

Read More

Snapchat rolls out city-specific stickers that mock local trends and highlight landmarks

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 3, 2016

Snapchat for iPhone, an ephemeral image messaging app, yesterday announced a new feature called Geostickers. Basically special stickers available in some of the biggest cities around the world, they can be applied to images and moved around before sending them. You can also stick these city-specific stickers on your Snaps.

Geostickers are available now in Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Washington DC, Honolulu, London, Sydney, São Paulo, Paris and Riyadh.

Read More

Astropad graphics tablet app for iPhone and iPad is now a lot faster and uses less battery

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 3, 2016

Astropad is a very cool app from former Apple engineers designed to let you draw into Mac apps by connecting your iPad or iPhone to the computer via USB or Wi-Fi. You can then draw into most Mac apps directly on your iOS device's screen, using your finger as a replacement for a professional graphics tablet. In fact, it's too good that people are replacing their Wacom tablets with Astropad and an iPad.

I've been using Astropad quite extensively and it works like magic, really.

There's very little discernible lag, courtesy of the proprietary Liquid engine providing nearly three times more fluid responsiveness than Apple’s AirPlay. That's why I'm happy to report that in its most recent version 2.0 update, Astropad is now even faster and more fluid than before and a lot less taxing on the battery.

Read More

Twitter for iOS adds iPad keyboard shortcuts

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 3, 2016

Yesterday, Twitter's mobile application for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch added a few useful keyboard shortcuts for iPad owners, said Twitter app developer Amro Mousa. If you have an iPad connected to a third-party Bluetooth keyboard or Apple's Smart Keyboard, Twitter for iOS now lets you use various keyboard shortcuts to quickly access some of the most frequently used options without needing to tap on-screen controls.

Read More

Pokémon GO responds to criticism over removal of footsteps feature

Anthony Bouchard ∙ August 2, 2016

Pokémon GO has become the top free game in the App Store and Google Play stores in such a short time. It's undoubtedly popular among players around the world, even though it's not yet available in all countries.

Nevertheless, a recent update removed the footsteps Pokémon tracking feature from the game and left many users upset, and now the game developers have released an official response to the criticism they've received.

Read More

Instagram is rolling out Stories—Snapchat-like auto-dissapearing slideshows

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 2, 2016

Snapchat has Stories and now Instagram announced a similar feature of its own, called—wait for it—Stories. Basically a slideshow format designed for sharing multiple photos and videos, Stories appear on user profiles and, similar to ephemeral messaging services, automatically disappear 24 hours after being posted on the service.

This cool new feature will be rolling out globally over the next few weeks on the mobile Instagram app for iOS and Android.

Read More

All-new Apple TV Remote app with Siri and tilt gaming support hits the App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 1, 2016

The new Apple TV Remote app with Siri features and support for controlling games on the fourth-generation Apple TV via tilt controls on your iPhone is now available for download on the App Store. Formally announced at WWDC in June 2016, the app used to be available as a developer-only preview, but now everyone can download it from the App Store. The new app doesn't replace the old one, which is still available on the App Store.

Both apps support the second, third and fourth-generation Apple TV, but only the new one packs in full support for Siri and tilt-based gaming on the new Apple TV.

Read More

Were you “forced” to start over after this weekend’s Pokémon GO update? Here’s the fix

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated March 29, 2019

Following this weekend's Pokémon GO game update from Niantic, many players who used their Google accounts to play have claimed that the update deleted their account data and forced them to start over by making a new account to play with.

If you were one of these people, this is a troubleshooting tutorial you'll want to read, as your account data is probably still there and you may have made a new account by mistake after following the on-screen instructions.

Read More

You’ll soon be able to filter individual comments on Instagram, even disable commenting

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 1, 2016

Instagram is working on some significant enhancements for the commenting feature found its mobile app, potentially giving users the ability to filter their own comment streams on the service or even disable commenting on all posts, according to The Washington Post. Instagram has been testing these features with some businesses, but soon everyone will be able to screen individual comments in their feed and decide for themselves if they might be better served by disabling commenting on their account altogether.

Read More

How to battle in gyms in Pokémon GO

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated March 29, 2019

One of the more misunderstood features of the hit mobile game Pokémon GO are gyms. These are essentially arenas where you can compete with other trainers and claim the gym for your own team.

In this piece, we'll talk all about gyms and discuss the gameplay, Pokémon preparation, and team gym claiming.

Read More

Many Pokémon-tracking apps shutting down following Pokémon GO update

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated February 16, 2018

Pokémon GO, the popular new GPS-based Pokémon-catching app for mobile devices, received an update over the weekend that made many changes in the game, both big and small.

One of the biggest changes was the removal of the Footsteps feature, which made tracking Pokémon easier. But in addition to the removal of Footsteps, it seems that Niantic is working to end real-time Pokémon tracking tools to prevent cheating.

Read More