App Store Apps

Infuse for Apple TV gains custom Favorites graphics, new zooming/sorting options and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 4, 2018

Infuse for Apple TV, a versatile media center app by aTV Flash Black developer FireCore, has received an update in the App Store today, bringing a bunch of welcome additions to the experience. No longer are those media folders you add to Infuse represented by generic icons: you can now add custom artwork to them, letting you pretty up Infuse's menu.

New zoom options have been added for removing encoded black bars, you can now sort your media by filename and rename or remove a Favorite by long-pressing its icon. Read on for the full list of changes in this edition of Infuse.

Live Periscope broadcasts are being integrated into Twitter’s mobile app

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 12, 2016

In a major move, micro-blogging startup Twitter today announced that live Periscope broadcasts are coming to Twitter for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, making it possible to watch broadcasts without leaving Twitter's mobile app.

Now when you tap a Periscope link in your timeline, no longer does it take you to the Periscope app. Instead, those links are getting replaced with the broadcast itself that automatically plays right within your tweet.

Spark for iPhone gains custom swipes in notifications, pinch-zooming and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 12, 2016

Readdle's Spark for iPhone is an awesome email client and I can't wait to use it on my iPad (coming soon) and the Mac (it's in the works). Today's update makes it even better.

In Spark 1.5 for iPhone and iPod touch, you can now customize which swipes are available in notification actions for new messages. You can also designate an email signature to be your default on a per-account basis, zoom in on HTML emails and more.

Emoji Party is like Heads Up! with emojis… and on Apple TV

Lory Gil ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Whenever I'm in a crowded area, especially where there are long lines (think: Disneyland) I see dozens of people playing Heads Up! It is hugely popular and a fun way to pass the time when you are with a group of people.

Emoji Party is similar to Heads Up!, but instead of just words on the cards, the app also uses thousands of iconic emojis. If you are really good at making faces, you can help the guesser with recognizable emoji looks. The best part is that this game is compatible with tvOS, so you can get hours of charades fun right in your living room.

1Password update brings full support for 3D Touch and other enhancements

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 11, 2016

AgileBits' popular password manager, 1Password, was updated this morning in the App Store with support for 3D Touch actions on the Home screen and Peek and Pop gestures within the app for iPhone 6s/Plus owners.

These shortcuts permit you to quickly bring up search, view your favorites or add a new item, right from the Home screen, and preview items within the app with 3D Touch.

In addition, the new version contains other refinements and new features such as the inclusion of Watchtower, a service that has been available in 1Password's Mac app for quite a while and alerts you when your accounts might have been compromised, as determined by monitoring the latest security vulnerabilities from around the web.

MacID’s ‘Tap to Unlock’ makes logging into your Mac even faster

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated April 12, 2019

Probably one of my most-used applications on my Mac is MacID, which I use on a daily basis to unlock my Mac without ever using the keyboard to enter a password. The application works in two ways – these include allowing you to use your iPhone or iPad's Touch ID sensor to log into your Mac, or using a secret 'Tap to Unlock' gesture on the multi-touch trackpad (or Magic Trackpad/Magic Trackpad 2) to log into your Mac.

Both ways can save a ton of time, and reduce wear and tear on your keyboard, but in this tutorial, we'll focus on how you can set up 'Tap to Unlock' in MacID on your Mac.

TMNT, Brandr, Proud, and more apps to check out this weekend

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

Earlier this week, gadget makers blew our minds with new products at the Consumer Electronics Show that will hopefully come out sometime in 2016. We also finally found out how much Oculus Rift costs and when we will get our hands on it.

It was a bigger week for hardware than it was for apps. Although, if you were lucky, you downloaded Vidyo before it was pulled from the App Store. As the weekend rolls by, if you are looking for apps and games that are still available, check out our list below.

IGN names minimalist text-based title A Dark Room its new Free Game of the Month

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 8, 2016

IGN has named independent developer Amirali Rajan's chart-topping atmospheric adventure title A Dark Room its new Game of the Month, meaning you can download it at no charge for a limited time. The game currently retails in the App Store for 99 cents.

A minimalist text-based game, A Dark Room has some role-playing game elements and invites players to “come light the fire and escape into a world you'll never forget”.

The uber–challenging Super Hexagon is Apple’s Free App of the Week

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 8, 2016

Super Hexagon is one of my favorite iOS games of all time. Its controls are perfect for touch screens, its learning curve is simple, and its challenge is legendary. Terry Cavanagh's creation is so good that I was actually inspired to make a video just to talk about Super Hexagon–something I wouldn't normally do.

Needless to say, Apple must feel like I do about the game, and it wants more people to get to know it and appreciate it. This is actually the second time that Super Hexagon, a game that normally sells for $2.99, has been made available for free as a part of an Apple promotion. Previously, the game had gone free inside of the Apple Store app, but as of yesterday, Super Hexagon is now featured as Apple's Free App of the Week.

Atomas: a fun game I can’t put down, and here’s why

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

A lot of times when downloading and trying out games from the App Store, I find myself dissatisfied with the game just minutes or hours after playing it. It's not always easy to find those hidden gems that Apple fails to give the spotlight to, but when stumbling across one, I'll easily get addicted to the game and not want to put the game down.

One such game is Atomas, which is a beautifully-crafted puzzle game by Max Gittel that is centered around the elements of the periodic table and allows you to combine groups of like elements with lower atomic numbers to form elements with larger atomic numbers.

Facebook Messenger reaches the milestone of 800 million monthly users

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 7, 2016

Facebook Messenger has reached a new milestone as the service now claims 800 million monthly users, according to an announcement from Facebook itself on Thursday. “I’m happy to report that we’ve made a good step in that direction, and toward the end of 2015, we crossed the milestone of 800 million people using Messenger each month,” according to David Marcus, Facebook's Vice President of Messaging Products.

The new milestone, according to latest Nielsen data, makes Messenger the fastest growing app of 2015.

Vidyo: iOS screen recording, no jailbreak required [updated]

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Vidyo is a new screen recorder app that recently appeared in the App Store. First discovered by MacStories, the $4.99 app is not cheap, but it works.

By simulating an AirPlay Mirroring connection to itself, Vidyo is able to capture any screen displayed on your iPhone. Once recording is completed, users have the option of doing additional post processing and saving the video to the Photos app.

If you want the ability to record your iPhone's screen natively without relying on jailbreaks or external hardware, then you better act fast and purchase and backup Vidyo. This app will likely be removed soon, as it features functionality that Apple's reviewers have previously rejected apps for once discovered.