App Store Apps

Inky Mail makes email distractions a thing of the past

I receive dozens of emails during my workday. Some of them are important, but don’t require my immediate attention. Some must be addressed as soon as possible. Some are just advertisements for a sale that I can’t resist and will end up spending money on something I don’t need. Email is distracting.

Inky Mail hopes to curb some of those distractions with time saving features and simple organization tools that will help you address what you need to and leave alone what you don’t. Combine all of your various email accounts into one straightforward app and keep your correspondences from getting in the way of your work…

The New York Times releases NYT Opinion app

After launching its NYT Now app back in March with more affordable subscriptions, The New York Times newspaper this morning released another iPhone application in the App Store, as part of its doubling down on mobile and digital.

It's called NYT Opinion and focuses solely on the paper's opinion pieces, edited by former Reuters and Fortune editor Paul Smalera. The app is free to download in the App Store and comes with a $6 per month subscription...

Instagram 6.0 rolls out with 10 new photo editing tools and other features

iPhone photography buffs, pay notice: Facebook-owned Instagram is rolling out a major version 6.0 update to its mobile apps. Available free in the App Store, Instagram's iPhone app now comes with ten new tools making photo editing before posting a lot easier.

There are also other features in this update, including more efficient video sharing, an improved design and bug fixes. Jump past the fold for details...

Google+ for iOS gains Stories support, adds new photo editor with filters and more

Following a stream of ongoing WWDC keynote coverage yesterday, the Internet giant Google issued an update to its Google+ iOS client containing some newsworthy new features.

The free iPhone and iPad app has been bumped to version 4.7.0 and now offers support for nice-looking digital travelogues, called Stories, that Google unveiled last month.

For those unfamiliar with Google+ Stories, it's an album feature that works by combining your photos, videos and location data into interactive presentations. And now the iOS client lets you create this beautiful trip summaries. Other changes, refinements and feature additions are listed right after the break...

Apple updates its App Store guidelines to allow for virtual currency apps

Good news for iPhone and iPad users that are into cryptocurrencies. Following the unveiling of iOS 8 during Apple's WWDC keynote yesterday, the company has updated its App Store review guidelines with a new section dedicated specifically to virtual currencies.

It seems that after pulling the Bitcoin wallet app Blockchain, and other crypto wallet-related titles from the App Store, Apple has had a change of heart. It's now ready to accept applications that deal in the transmission of virtual currencies—at least to a limited degree...

Apple announces 2014 Design Awards winners

Apple has selected twelve apps that it feels "combine design and technology in creative, compelling, and powerful ways" as its 2014 Design Awards winners. The company announced the winners as part of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco this afternoon.

The winners are as follows: Sky Guide: View Stars Night or Day, Cinemagraph Pro, Storehouse - Visual Storytelling, Monument Valley, Threes!, DEVICE 6, Blek, Leo's Fortune, Day One, Yahoo News Digest, Teachley: Addimals Adventure and PanoPerfect. Read ahead for a rundown of each app…

The best recipe apps for iPhone and iPad

Even if you don't cook on a regular basis, it's always nice to have a good recipe book on hand. Whether you're trying to impress that special someone, or you've been tapped to bake cookies for the office party, there are occasions when you need to flex your cooking skills.

Luckily, the invention of smartphones and the App Store have put thousands of great recipe books in the palm of your hand. And wouldn't you know it, the iDB team has taken the time to sift through all of the noise to pick out the best recipe apps for iPhone and iPad.

Mobile hit ‘Candy Crush’ made more money than all Nintendo games last quarter

Critics have been saying for years that Nintendo should get into the mobile gaming business. It's not just that the company's hardware business is slipping, or that it's losing money, but mobile games happens to be a very hot space right now.

Case in point is this recent report from research firm Newzoo, which ranks public companies by game revenue. According to the firm's data, hit mobile title Candy Crush generated more money last quarter than all Nintendo titles combined...

Apps of the week: Dragon Quest VIII, EverClip 2, TwoDots, and more

I’m back in business again this weekend. Thanks to Joe for taking over for me last week. He did a bang up job of letting you guys know about great new apps and games to check out for the weekend while I was burning the midnight oil for 24 hours at Disneyland.

This week, if you are like me and plan on keeping your feet propped up on a chair while doing nothing important all weekend long, we’ve got a list of apps and games that are sure to preoccupy your time, mind, and energy…

1TapVolume makes audio adjustment a snap

I know what you might be thinking right now. Why would we be spotlighting such an ugly looking app, right? This is one of those occasions where looks don’t matter. It’s ability that counts, especially in the case of this volume control app.

1TapVolume is a utility app that makes it possible for you to turn your iPhone’s volume up to full, mute it, or adjust it to any preset level with a single tap, no jailbreak required. No more futzing about with those pesky volume buttons, especially if those buttons have stopped working on your iPhone…

Improved BBM for iOS due soon: easier sign up and friending, new emoticons and more

Remember BBM? Good, because Canada-based BlackBerry has announced on its blog a new version of its free cross-platform messaging application coming.

The software is about to get a nice little update for iOS and Android aimed at removing some of the friction associated with signups and friending, new emoticons and more. Jump past the fold for the full breakdown...

Google Play Music adds Downloaded Only filter, playlist editing, Shuffle Artist and more

Google's iOS client for its Play Music service has received a little update today bringing a few useful enhancement to make the experience better and less frictionless. For starters, the new Google Play Music version 1.2.1.1787 has removed a major annoyance: you can now finally edit playlists on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Needless to say, any changes made to a playlist on one device instantly reflect on all your others.

And when sorting through your cloud music library, the app now makes it dead simple to filter only the tracks that you've downloaded to your device for offline listening. There are two other additions, explained after the break.

Google Play Music is free in the App Store...