App Store Apps

FireChat for iPhone lets you chat off-the-grid, without cellular or Wi-Fi signal

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

FireChat, a new instant messaging application for the iPhone, is kinda of a big deal. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference between it and other messaging apps on the App Store if it weren't for its particularly unique feature.

FireChat supports off-the-grid communication, a codeword for the ability to exchange instant messages without a cellular or Wi-Fi connection.

What kind of dark magic is this?

FireChat, the brainchild of the crowdsourced firm Open Garden and available free in the App Store, uses the same principles as AirDrop, Apple's feature that takes advantage of a new iOS 7 technology called Multipeer Connectivity Framework (MCF).

Read on for the full reveal...

Classic action-adventure game ‘Little Big Adventure’ lands on iOS

Cody Lee ∙ March 27, 2014

Good news for 90's gamers this morning as the classic action-adventure game 'Little Big Adventure' is now available in the App Store. This means you can download the title, which first launched on the PC back in 1994, to your iPhone or iPad and let the nostalgia kick in.

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, Little Big Adventure is considered a real-time pseudo-3D isometric game. You play as Twinsen, a young hero living on Citadel Island on a world ruled by the evil dictator Dr. FunFrock, who is charged with protecting his planet...

Study shows mobile game developers are seeing success with TV ads

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

With more and more users moving to smartphones these days, some major mobile game publishers have taken their advertising business to television in an effort to cast a wider net. Chances are you've seen one of these commercials within the past month, including this one for Clash of Clans.

And you're probably going to start seeing a lot more of them, because apparently they're working. According to new data from analytics firm App Annie, some mobile game developers are seeing significant boosts in App Store and Google Play Store rankings for their titles following TV campaigns...

Symbol Link is Tetris designer’s newest puzzle game

Lory Gil ∙ March 26, 2014

If you didn’t already know it, Alexey Pajitnov created Tetris in 1984. His simple shape-dropping mechanic changed the face of video game puzzles for decades to come. He probably didn’t know just how important his role in the world would be, but he is legendary.

Symbol Link is a puzzle game designed by the famed developer Pajitnov. Players connect two shapes that trigger an automatic connection of other shapes. It may never reach the level of success that Tetris had, but it is fun just the same…

Defenders combines tower defense and CCG into one epic game

Lory Gil ∙ March 26, 2014

I am a fan of tower defense games. They can be surprisingly exciting if the game is made well. Of course, everyone knows I’m also a fan of collectable card games (CCG). I couldn’t call myself a true gamer if I didn’t have a few Magic cards in my possession.

Defenders mixes both the tower defense and CCG genre into one heroic adventure. Beat bosses, loot cards, and build the most powerful weapons this fantasy world has ever seen…

In time for Season 4 debut, HBO releases the official Game of Thrones Ascent game for iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

If you, too, take part in HBO's international Game of Thrones phenomenon, the official iPad game's a no brainer.

Available now free of charge in the App Store, Game of Thrones Ascent for iPad comes ahead of Season 4 debut, courtesy of developer Disruptor Beam who teamed with Kongregate to bring the game to Apple's iPad and Android.

Based on the award-winning HBO show and literary works of George R.R. Martin, the iPad edition improves upon the Facebook and web editions of Game of Thrones Ascent (which already has 2.5 million players) with crisp Retina graphics, Game Center leaderboards, full iOS 7 support and thousands of story-driven quests, regularly updated each Monday with content seen on TV the night before...

The New York Times launching NYT Now app next week with cheaper subscriptions

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 26, 2014

The New York Times newspaper is scheduled to launch new digital offerings on the iPhone come next Wednesday, April 2. I cancelled my digital subscription to both the Times and The Wall Street Journal a year ago due to their overpriced subscriptions and sluggish apps.

Realizing as much - and taking note of sleek looking apps such as Flipboard and Facebook's Paper - the paper sent its digital team back to the drawing board with the goal of rethinking the company's digital offerings and how its content should be reformatted for mobile devices.

The result of their work is a brand new iPhone application that offers staff-curated content wrapped inside a nicely done interface, called NYT Now...

Twitter for iOS updated with enhanced photo sharing and uploading experience

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2018

Twitter has just updated its free iPhone and iPad client with unspecified "enhancements to sharing and uploading photos". Behind the cryptically worded iTunes description is a slightly reworked interface for attaching a photo to a tweet, akin to Facebook's Paper app. The update is now live in the App Store and I've included a detailed description along with a few screenshots depicting the feature in action...

Realmac teases Reminders coming to Clear to-do app in early-April

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

Not to be outdone by fellow developer Flexibits who yesterday teased the upcoming iPad edition of its popular calendar and to-do app, Fantastical, today Realmac Software shared a few tidbits concerning a forthcoming Clear update featuring Reminders integration.

The company is currently wrapping up work on the iOS and Mac releases of Clear with Reminders integration. They were originally shooting to launch the apps in March, but refining the Reminders functionality took longer than expected so now they're looking to release the updates in early-April.

Read on for more...

Ubisoft’s upcoming social racing title, Trials Frontier, arriving April 10

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 14, 2018

Ubisoft yesterday announced that it will be releasing a brand new iOS game, Trials Frontier, on April 10.

Trials Frontier is being billed as a social racing title with physics-based gameplay, featuring a compelling storyline, friendly competition and "a massive content stream."

The game will release for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad and you can trust us to keep you in the loop.

In the meantime, jump past the fold and check out a nice gameplay video and learn more about this promising looking title...

Scan barcodes to build your own kingdom in this original game

Lory Gil ∙ March 25, 2014

I know what you are thinking. A game that requires you to scan products… Why would I go down to the grocery store to take pictures of cereal boxes with my iPhone just to play a game? Well, for one thing, it will get your lazy butt out of the house for a few minutes. Plus, if you are clever, you can find ways to scan barcodes without having to leave the house. Lazy.

Barcode Kingdom is a role-playing game that mixes a bit of real world technology with a fantasy world of fighting. Scan items from around the house to get more soldiers, weapons, armor and potions. Hopefully, you have plenty of boxes lying around the house…

Apple updates iTunes Movie Trailers with notifications, AirDrop support and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 9, 2018

Apple has posted an update for its iTunes Movie Trailers iOS client this afternoon, bringing the app to version 1.4. The app is universal, supporting both the iPhone and iPad, and provides mobile access to trailers reviews and more for new and upcoming films.

Today's update brings about a handful of useful features including the option to be notified when a movie you have marked as a favorite debuts in theaters or pops up in the iTunes Store. You can also now read critic reviews in-app, and share links via AirDrop...