App Store Apps

How to install MAME ROMs on a non-jailbroken device with Gridlee

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

As we reported on Saturday, Gridlee is a freeware arcade game from 1982 which was re-released on the iTunes App Store by David Loureiro. This would have been unremarkable, if Gridlee was a straight port from the source code and if it wasn't actually powered by an up-to-date and fully featured version of MAME4iOS Reloaded.

This means if you have a program capable of tunneling into the iOS file-system through USB, you can once again have a working version of MAME on a non-jailbroken device, complete with your own ROM images. As I can't think of anyone who would legitimately want to play Gridlee on an iPad, this was likely an intentional attempt to sneak the emulator back into the App Store, so we're guessing Apple won't be hosting the file for too long. Grab it while you can...

MAME emulator ‘Gridlee’ pops up in the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Good news old school gamers. Word has started spreading this afternoon that a MAME emulator has made its way into the App Store. It's called Gridlee, named after an old arcade game that never made it to market, and it's based on the MAME4iOS platform.

The app fronts as just a port of the aforementioned Gridlee arcade game. But similar to the iMAME app we saw pop up a little over a year ago, you can add your own MAME ROMs to the app's subdirectory, turning it into a fully functional emulator...

Apple adds ‘App Store Notes’ to Featured App descriptions

Cody Lee ∙ January 25, 2013

It's been discovered this afternoon that Apple has quietly added a new section to the descriptions of its featured App Store apps. It's called 'App Store Notes,' and the area is used to provide a brief summary of each application.

Apple's done something similar in the past, but it appears it's now rolling out the feature on a broader scale...

Quipio adds artistic quotes to iPhone photos in under 60 seconds

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 23, 2018

You've probably seen beautifully captioned photos floating around Facebook and Tumblr, and thought you'd try your hand at making some of your own. The problem with making typography look good over a photo is it takes a bit of effort and design sense, so it's not for everybody. Or so we thought.

Quipio is a recently released app that allows users to make their own captions for their photos. If you just have some idea you'd like to share, Quipio can also take up to 400 characters of text and turn it into a simple piece of word art in less than a minute...

Pin Lock screen reminders to a non-jailbroken iPhone with ‘Task Paper’

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

We know that some of our readers who updated to iOS 6, or those of you who upgraded to the iPhone 5, get annoyed when we feature jailbreak tweaks. In for each article about tweaks we get at least one comment along the lines of, "Why are you covering tweaks when there's no jailbreak!?!" It's totally understandable, since you can't take advantage of all the awesome tweaks we've showcased. Lucky for you, the clever developers at Renegade Apps have found a way to add functionality to the Lock screen without relying on MobileSubstrate.

Task Paper (not to be confused with the similarly named TaskPaper) is a to-do list app, available in iTunes, that allows users to create persistent Lock screen reminders through generated wallpapers. These wallpapers provide functionality similar to the Reminders+ tweak, all without a jailbreak...

Joypad Legacy turns your iPhone into a retro game controller for Mac and PC

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 23, 2018

Want to play retro-style games on your Mac or PC, but don't have a controller handy? While we wouldn't recommend using touch screen controls for every game, if you're in need of a quick retro fix you can download Joypad Legacy for your iPhone and quickly play retro games with 'classic' controls.

Joypad Legacy comes in two parts: the first part is the controller app for your iPhone that comes with layouts for NES, GBA, SNES, Genesis, and N64. You'll also need a second piece of software called Joypad Connect, running on your Mac or PC. You can use Joypad Connect to build profiles for the games and emulators you want to play with Joypad Legacy...

Google had 5 of 6 top mobile apps in 2012

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 24, 2013

Although Apple did not make it into the top six mobile apps in 2012, Apple Maps prevented Android-maker Google from capturing all six positions, according to Internet research firm comScore. As it is, the Mountain View, California search firm captured five of the six slots, it's Google Maps mobile app falling to No. 2 after briefly being dropped by Apple.

Social media giant Facebook claimed the number one spot in a list of top apps for 2012, pushing Google Maps into second place, Internet researchers announced Thursday. CEO Mark Zuckerberg might consider sending Apple a thank-you note, as the iOS Maps debacle is now seen as the reason for Facebook overcoming its rival...

Pebble’s smartwatch app now available in the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ January 24, 2013

Good news this morning for anyone who ordered a Pebble smartwatch, the companion iOS app is now available for download. The news comes just a day after the company announced that it had started shipping its first round of watches.

The app is needed to unlock much of the Pebble's functionality, and as of yesterday, it wasn't in the App Store. And there was some concern that customers would get their watches, after months of waiting, and not really be able use them...

Stanford’s free iOS developer’s class returns to iTunes U

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated May 1, 2017

Want to get started coding apps for iOS? Stanford University is relaunching their class 'Coding Together: Developing Apps for iPhone and iPad', with new material for iOS 6. We previously reported on the class in 2011. Since enrollment in the class is free on iTunes U and on Piazza, all you really need to participate is enough familiarity programming in C to get you through a couple first-year computer science credits. Over the course of the program, the class will teach students to program in Objective C.

The class is short, running from January 22nd to March 28th. While the class has already started, you can still sign up for enrollment on iTunes U and on Piazza as late as February 1st. You can also peek at the free lectures on iTunes if you are curious...

Catch big airs with the ESPN X Games app

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

What is the best part of winter? Winter X games! I am a huge X games fan, particularly the Winter X competition, and the best way to keep up with the details is the free iPhone and iPad apps. In true ESPN fashion, the app just updated last week and the games start tomorrow. So, consider this your public service announcement...

Temporary messaging apps can’t keep pictures and video secure

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Want to send a picture or message but don't want it shared with friends, leaked all over the internet, and potentially traced back to you? Unless you're 100% certain that you can trust whoever you're sending a message to, then you shouldn't send it. The most popular temporary photo messaging apps can leak your data on devices that aren't even jailbroken, and with a few tweaks you can easily get past one of the most secure messaging apps available.

The current versions of Snapchat and Facebook Poke aren't secure apps. Evan Spiegal, Snapchat's founder, doesn't seem overly concerned about the possibility of users saving and sending their received pictures. In a comment to BuzzFeed Spiegal said: "The people who most enjoy using Snapchat are those who embrace the spirit and intent of the service. There will always be ways to reverse engineer technology products — but that spoils the fun!" That's not exactly what you want to hear if you're using the service to send pictures and video that you don't want publicly shared...

Keep track of what you want to watch, listen, and read with ‘Done Not Done’

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated December 29, 2016

Ever make a mental note to watch a movie, listen to an album, or read a book, and realize months later that you forgot what you wanted to do in the first place? This happens to the best of us, but it doesn't have to.

Done Not Done is an automated 'watch/read/listen' list for iOS. You can select movies, books, and albums you've seen or want to see (or hear), and Done Not Done will keep track of them for you. If you connect Done Not Done to Twitter or Facebook, you can even get ideas and recommendations from friends who are using the app...