Apple

Foursquare updated ahead of Swarm app launch

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 11, 2016

Foursquare, the popular location-based social platform, is set to release a brand new Swarm app today which will "help people keep up and meet up with their friends".

As a result, the existing free iOS client has just been updated with some changes you should know about. Announced two weeks ago, Swarm combines new mayorships, introduces stickers, offers detailed insights about your life and much more.

If you have Swarm installed, the new Foursquare 7.0.8 update includes a peek at some of the upcoming changes to Foursquare ahead of a major search-focused revamp due this summer...

Arcade shooter JoyJoy graces iOS

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Not crazy about iOS platformers such as the excellent Leo's Fortune [$4.99 Universal, Review] or the newly released Last Inua [$3.99 Universal, Review]? Prefer some old-school arcade action instead, you say?

Then look no further than JoyJoy by Radiangames, a new twin-stick shooter for the iPhone and iPad in which you destroy wave after wave of enemies.

Originally released on Xbox Live Indie Games a few years ago, the iOS edition of JoyJoy - a $1.99 value - features great-looking pastel visuals and includes 24 different waves, six challenges, six weapons, support for iOS 7 controllers and more.

If you've played Radiangames' other arcade shooters created for the iOS platform, you'll no doubt agree that JoyJoy looks typically awesome. Read on for the full reveal...

Apple’s Beats acquisition may not be finalized until next week

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

Following the flurry of reports late last week regarding Apple's plan to acquire Beats Electronics, a lot of folks expected the iPad-maker to comment on the matter after the long weekend. But Monday came, and went, without a single word from Cupertino.

As it turns out, that may be because it isn't a done deal yet. Citing people familiar with the transaction, Recode's Peter Kafka is reporting that Apple's Beats acquisition is taking longer than originally expected, and it may not be finalized until next week...

Facebook app gains offline posts, drafts/previews and snappier News Feed

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 14, 2014

Facebook has issued a major version 10.0 update to its free iOS client which now allows you to create posts even when you're without an Internet connection. Posts created in the offline mode will be saved as drafts and the app will automatically publish them when you're back online.

Moreover, the refreshed iPhone and iPad application now makes it easy to see what your posts will look like on Facebook before publishing.

This edition of the software also includes certain News Feed improvements. Facebook 10.0 is now live in the App Store so grab it free now and check out the new features...

Flappy Bird creator bringing game back in August with multiplayer

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Vietnam-born Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen previously said he would be bringing the game back on the App Store.

For those totally oblivious to the phenomenon which has taken the gaming world by storm, Nguyen has willfully removed the game from the App Store back in February because it became "an addictive product", even though it was earning him $50,000 in daily ad revenue on average.

Having just been live from the New York Stock Exchange on CNBC's Closing Bell, Nguyen once again confirmed that the game will make a return to the App Store soon. This time around, he was willing to share some specifics and confirmed that Flappy Bird will include an all-new multiplayer mode...

Presentation Mode is now available in Evernote

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 14, 2014

Evernote, the hugely successful note-taking and productivity platform, today rolled out a new Presentation Mode to its mobile and desktop apps across Mac, Windows, iPhone and iPad devices.

Presentation mode allows you to connect your computer to an external monitor or projector to present your notes in style as beautiful full-screen scrollable layouts.

And if you're using Evernote for iOS, AirPlay will wirelessly beam the presentation to an external display through Apple's $99 Apple TV media-streaming box...

Size comparison: 3D printed 5.5-inch iPhone 6 mockup vs iPhone 5s

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

Another day, another iPhone 6 dummy. Based on purportedly leaked design drawings published last month, enthusiast Hidenori Satou has used a MakerBot Replicator 2 3D Printer to produce a mockup of Apple's upcoming 5.5-inch handset. The dummy unit is rather crude and as such is used to highlight the size difference between the current four-inch iPhone 5 and the upcoming 5.5-incher...

iPhone 6 resolution pegged at 1,704-by-960 pixels

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 14, 2014

Virtually all of the rumors pertaining to Apple's next iPhone center on its ultra-thin design and two screen sizes: 4.7 and 5.5 inches. But up until now, we were kept in the dark as to what screen resolution the larger 5.5-incher might have.

According to a new report by an informed blogger, the iPhone 6 will have a screen resolution of 1,704-by-960 pixels, a marked improvement over the current 1,136-by-640 pixels on the iPhone 5/5s/5c...

Apple clueless on iMessage purgatory syndrome

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 28, 2023

Apple's iMessage platform is great for heavy texters. Integrated deeply into the bowels of the operating system, iMessage simply disappears so normals are completely oblivious to the fact they're actually using the system. When you start typing a recipient's name in the stock Messages app in iOS or OS X, iMessage checks with Apple to see if a person has iMessage enabled.

If so, the chat bubble turns blue to indicate that the message will be sent as an iMessage, thereby bypassing your carrier's SMS service. Problems arise when you switch to another smartphone platform only to discover that your phone number has not been removed from your Apple ID.

As a result, this could turn your phone number into a black hole for text messages...

More evidence of Fall iPhone 6 launch as Apple blocks off employee vacations in September

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 14, 2014

With all the rumors seemingly pointing to Apple sticking to its Fall release schedule for iPhones, established with the October 2011 introduction of the iPhone 4s, today the company again hinted at an upcoming iPhone 6 release by blocking off employee vacations for September 15–28 at its German outlets.

September is Apple's usual iPhone launch window (new iPads typically come a month later).

What's different this time around is Apple blocking employee vacation dates four months in advance versus a few weeks ahead of a major new product introduction, like before...

Badland update brings 4 player co-operative mode, 120 new missions and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 14, 2014

Following up on last month's release of Doomsday level pack for its atmospheric sidescrolling platformer taking place in a beautifully rendered fairytale forest, developer Frogmind today issued another major update to Badland which enables a co-operative mode for up to four players.

There are also new missions - 120 new ones to be exact - as well as seven new achievements and a couple technical improvements in the latest version of this 2013 App Store iPad Game of the Year and the winner of the 2013 Apple Design Award.

The new version sporting the aforementioned goodies is free for folks who've purchased the game. Badland is otherwise a $3.99 value...