App Store Apps

Big fingers? ThickButtons enlarges keys you’ll most likely tap next

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 2, 2018

Lviv, Ukraine based custom software development company N-iX, founded by Andrew Pavliv, has created a nice keyboard for iPhones, iPads and iPods running iOS 8 through its spin-off firm.

Named ThickButtons, it helps big-fingered users type more efficiently by using patented technology which enlarges and highlights keys you'll most likely press next while shrinking the remaining ones to reduce the chance of making an error.

Such an input method arguably makes typing with one finger more accurate, especially on four-inch iPhones. The software doesn’t require additional training and doesn’t depend on dictionary.

ThickButtons is $1.99 in the App Store.

Business Card Reader Pro gains vCard and Salesforce exporting [bonus: giveaway]

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 12, 2014

Business Card Reader Pro by German developer Shape allows you to quickly add contacts to iOS by scanning their business card with your iPhone's or iPad's back camera.

Featuring an accurate text recognition engine supporting fifteen languages, background image processing, LinkedIn search and integration with CRM systems, Business Card Reader Pro gets the job done whether you're scanning a few business cards or adding hundreds of new contacts to your shared company address book.

Released Wednesday, the new Business Card Reader Pro version 3.3 allows you to export your entries in the industry-standard vCard format for hassle-free importing to a myriad of online and desktop address book apps and PIM tools.

The new version also fixes crashes on iOS 8 and enables exporting to Salesforce. Best of all, Shape has kindly provided us with a few promo codes that we're giving away to you guys at the bottom of this article.

Business Card Reader Pro is $6.99 in the App Store.

Monument Valley ‘Forgotten Shores’ expansion arrives with 8 new levels

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 12, 2014

As promised, a ‘Forgotten Shores’ expansion for the acclaimed puzzler Monument Valley, an Apple Design Award winner, is now available in the App Store, delivering eight brand new levels on top of the original ten levels.

The new levels have been added between the penultimate and final levels of the game. Unfortunately, this isn't a free update as developer Ustwo Games is providing Forgotten Shores as a $1.99 In-App Purchase.

Download Monument Valley for $3.99.

Dispatch iOS email client gains Touch ID and 1Password support, WhatsApp actions and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 12, 2014

Dispatch, a third-party email client for the iPhone and iPad by Clean Shaven Apps, has received an update Wednesday morning adding support for Touch ID authentication and the new Drafts 4 app, in addition to 1Password integration in the in-app browser, new actions allowing you to send content to WhatsApp and more.

The action-based application permits you to triage your emails and get rid of unwanted ones by swiping, respond faster with snippets and process your mails with other apps.

Dispatch is a $4.99 download.

A Mechanical Story review: get the gears spinning to solve these puzzles

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

I don’t have a lot of experience with wrenches, gears, cogs, and other mechanical doohickeys. I’ve never been one to simply take apart my electronic devices to see how they work. I do, however, have a lot of experience with puzzle solving games.

A Mechanical Story is nothing more than a puzzle game, but it is set in the world of engineering workings. I was intimidated at first, seeing all of those spinning gears. But in the end, it is simply a fun puzzle game and nothing to be afraid of. We’ve got a game review of A Mechanical Story for you today.

Box updated with Touch ID support and Notification Center widget

Cody Lee ∙ November 12, 2014

Dropbox competitor Box updated its iOS client this morning, bringing the app to version 3.5. The update is a big one, bringing about a number of improvements and new features, including some that are specific to users with devices running iOS 8.

The Box app now features a widget in the Notification Center that allows you to quickly and easily create Box notes and view recent documents. The update also adds support for Touch ID, so you can use your fingerprint to lock and unlock the app.

Overcast podcast app updated with iPad and CarPlay support

Cody Lee ∙ November 11, 2014

Overcast, the popular iOS podcast client by Instapaper creator Marco Arment, has been updated this evening, bringing the app to version 1.1. The update includes a handful of great features such as native iPad and rotation support.

The app looks just as good on the iPad as it does the iPhone, regardless of whether your device is in portrait or landscape mode. Speaking of, the iPhone version also now supports landscape mode, which looks great on the 6 and 6 Plus.

Say ‘hello’ to Overglide, a tiny game playable from the Lock screen and Notification Center

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 11, 2014

I should have suffixed the headline with “no jailbreak required” for added punch. Yes, Overglide for the iPhone and iPad indeed is a tiny game that you play within iOS 8's Notification Center and right on the Lock screen, even while your iOS device is locked.

This cave flyer has you piloting a paper plane as far as possible while dodging the obstacles, and it even comes with Game Center leaderboards and achievements.

How's that possible? Read on or grab Overglide for 99 cents in the App Store and see for yourself.

Ubisoft releases official companion app for Assassin’s Creed Unity

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Ubisoft has today posted the official companion app for its new hit console and PC video game, Assassin's Creed Unity. Set within Paris, during the French Revolution, this is the seventh major installment in the popular Assassin's Creed series.

Those who have purchased the game, or plan to, will definitely want to check out the app, which includes a 3D, interactive map and glyph puzzles that unlock new Brotherhood missions. It also offers useful content like tutorials and training tips.

Netflix’s iOS 8 refresh adds 1080p playback on iPhone 6 Plus and support for iPhone 6 screens

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Netflix, a $7.99 per month over-the-top streaming video service, at last has gotten around updating its iPhone and iPad application for Apple's latest mobile operating system.

Released Tuesday, the new version is now optimized for iOS 8 while supporting 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch display sizes of Apple's latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, respectively.

And if you own an iPhone 6 Plus and are a Netflix subscribers, you can now stream TV shows and movies in glorious full HD and enjoy 1080p content natively on that stunning Retina HD display.

Netflix 7.0 is available for free in the App Store.

Walking Dead: The Game – Season 2 goes free for the first time on App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 11, 2014

The Walking Dead: The Game — Season 2 has gone free for the first time following its December 2013 App Store debut.

Created by Telltale Games and based on the namesake comic book series by the Eisner Award-winning writer Robert Kirkman, the five-episode adventure game follows the story of Clementine, a young girl orphaned by the undead apocalypse.

Keep in mind that only the first “All That Remains” chapter is available at no cost, with the remaining four episodes titled “A House Divided,” “In Harm’s Way,” “Amid the Ruins” and “No Going Back” available as In-App Purchases.

Grab the game now for free before it goes back up to its regular asking price of $4.99.

Living Earth gains universe simulator, adds weather essentials to iOS 8’s Notification Center

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 11, 2014

Living Earth by Radiantlabs marries world clock functionality to a gorgeous weather app where you spin a virtual globe (similar to Google Earth) to get a visual overview of the current weather conditions for any part of our planet.

Bumped to version 3.5 on Tuesday, the app now features support for the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screens and includes a Today widget giving you a quick overview of your current weather along with sunrise and sunset times, your world clock and more, right within the Notification Center in iOS 8.

In the app itself, the virtual globe now acts as a universe simulator of sorts, with the stars, constellations and the Milky Way backdrop created from a database of thousands of stars and celestial object and placed exactly “as if you were floating in space orbiting our planet.”

Living Earth sells for $1.99 for the iPhone and iPad.