Apple

Pocket picks up Google Account login support, offline sharing to Evernote

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 28, 2014

The popular read-later service Pocket (formerly Read It Later) has been bumped to version 5.1. The new build adds a pair of useful features and squashes a few bugs (and likely introduces new ones). Now available free in the App Store, the new Pocket 5.1 lets you use your Google account to sign up and log in to Pocket.

This tremendously useful feature allows new users to start using the app without too much hassle.

Previously, you had to create an account with Pocket before you could use their service. I wish all apps supported standard logins via Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. There's nothing worse than being prompted to create a brand new account with a service - that's yet another username and passwords to worry about.

I've included additional information about the other new feature right after the break...

Google Maps now lets you choose multiple modes of transit

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 28, 2014

Google has been dutifully adding new features to its native Maps application for the iPhone and iPad. Just earlier this month, we saw Google Maps gain a new feature allowing users to get notified when a faster route becomes available when heading towards a destination in the navigation mode.

Today's minor update, now live in the App Store, includes the obligatory bug fixes and another new feature: an improved route planning with multiple modes of transit.

Although it seems like a minor addition, the feature is quite handy when planning your route because you are no longer limited to defining a route based on either walking, driving or biking and can instead choose multiple modes of transit...

German court dismisses $2 billion patent troll suit against Apple

Cody Lee ∙ February 28, 2014

Earlier this month it was reported that Apple was getting sued for over $2 billion by known patent troll IPCom. The german company alleged that the iPad-maker violated one of its patents pertaining to priority access to channels for emergency responder.

But it doesn't look like the suit will ever make it to trial. FOSS Patents is reporting that in a string of rulings handed down by the Mannheim Regional Court in Germany today, two of IPCom's suits against Apple and one against HTC have been dismissed...

‘Tiny Firefighters’ goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ February 28, 2014

Apple has named 'Tiny Firefighters' by Wonderkind its App of the Week for this week. This means that through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the application for both your iPhone and iPad, for free—a nice little savings of $1.99.

For those unfamiliar with it, Tiny Firefighters is an interactive app/book/game for kids that's both fun and educational. Help the firefighters and police officers perform their duties around town by putting out fires and catching burglars...

Introducing Moov multi-sport fitness tracker, your new personal trainer

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 27, 2014

Time to meet your new coach. Introducing the Moov, a new wearable device conceived by a three-person startup led by a former Apple engineer. Not only does it track your activities, it gives you personalized tips to improve your workout performance.

The brainchild of Nikola Hu, a smart engineer who used to work at Apple, and his colleagues, the Moov is packed with nine-axis sensors like accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer.

Thanks to the data gathered by these sensors and clever programming, the Moov can sense both motion and 3D form to improve your performance.

The biggest selling point of the Moov is its software which can provide real-time audio advice and feedback. It uses 3d motion reconstruction technology to analyze and distinguish between a bunch of activities like running, biking, swimming and weight lifting, to mention just a few.

And if you're into boxing, the Moov does that, too - it's even capable of measuring your power and form, giving you a report card at the end of each session detailing how many calories you burned, your progress against previous workouts and what not.

It gets even better: because each tracked activity is an app of its own, such a modular system allows developer to easily introduce support for new activities via firmware updates and new app releases...

Vote for your favorite American Idol contestants right from Google Search

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 27, 2014

Google has struck an interesting partnership with FOX allowing fans of American Idol, the popular reality-singing competition series, to vote for their favorite performers right through the Google.com search engine and inside the official Search app for iOS and Android. On-air voting is as easy as searching for 'american idol' or 'idol' during the voting window and selecting from your fav finalists.

You can cast up to 50 votes for each contestant and vote for as many contestants as you want, Google explained yesterday...

Kendrick Lamar to perform at iTunes Festival SXSW

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 2, 2016

As first noted by Jim Dalrymple of The Loop, Apple has added Kendrick Lamar to its star list of performers at the upcoming iTunes Festival SXSW next month in Austin, Texas.

Support acts ScHoolboy Q, Isaiah Rashad, Band of Skulls and Capital Cities have also been added to the list of performers.

Lamar, 26, is a popular American hip-hop artist who first gained major attention in 2010, after the release of his fourth mixtape, 'Overly Dedicated'.

The Los Angeles based lyricist also delivered a flawless set during last year's iTunes Festival at London’s historic Roundhouse venue, where more than 400 artists performed in front of more than 430,000 fans, according to MTV...

Google admits Android wasn’t designed to be safe

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

In the wake of numerous reports that all point to the same conclusion - that malware infestation is running amok on Android - the Internet giant made an unusually open statement through the mouth of its Android lead, Sundar Pichai, who finally admitted that Android wasn't built for security.

"If I had a company dedicated to malware, I would also be targetting Android", Pichai allegedly said to a stunned audience at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. When your own platform lead starts making such frank statements about Android security, it's high time you considered taking these security reports at face value...

God of Light hits iOS: ingenious physics-based puzzlers featuring a ray of light

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 27, 2014

Playmous has unleashed a brand new iPhone and iPad game that every fan of physic-based puzzlers should download right away.

Now available in the App Store for your iPhone and iPad in exchange for $1.99, God of Light has you playing as Shiny, an extraterrestrial being that uses his unique ability to project light through the darkness. One just has to see this game in action in order to fully appreciate it.

In a nutshell, the player is tasked with directing rays of energy to reach Sources of Light to activate them and bring light back to Shiny's world. It's an insta-buy, if I ever saw one, here's why...

Fortune names Apple its Most Admired Company – for the seventh year in a row

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 20, 2016

For the past six years, Fortune made Apple its Most Admired Company. Sure enough, the Cupertino, California company has (again) topped the publication's annual Most Admired list, for the seventh year in a row now.

Given that Fortune collects votes from high-ranked executives and analysts in the nation's largest companies, it's safe to say that Apple still shines brightest in the eyes of its peers.

Amazon and Google are respectively #2 and #3, having switched places from their 2012 rankings. Other tech giants are far behind Apple, Amazon and Google. For instance, Samsung registers at #21 and IBM is sixteenth. Facebook? 38th. Microsoft is sitting at the 24th place and Intel is #47...

Clear app free for the next 24 hours, download now

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 24, 2018

Developer Realmac Software recently addressed user confusion surrounding its Clear and Clear+ to-do apps for the iPhone and iPad by announcing that it will be migrating Clear+ users to Clear for free.

Not only are they doing this to ensure that “as many people as possible can move to Clear” because Clear+ is now defunct, but also due to the fact that Apple doesn’t offer a way to migrate users between copies of an app.

Realmac also added native iPad interface to Clear so now both Clear and Clear+ support all form-factor iOS devices. If I were you, I'd download Clear for free right away...

EU demanding ‘concrete answers’ from Apple and Google regarding in-app purchasing concerns

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 16, 2022

Reuters is reporting that The European Commission has invited Apple and Google to discuss a flurry of user complaints surrounding in-app purchases. The move follows numerous media reports that center on disgruntled parents who were shocked to find that their children racked up vast credit card bills by making content purchases in free-to-play games.

The Commission is arguing that it's Apple's and Google's responsibility not to misleading consumers. The Commission also called upon greedy app creators to provide "very concrete answers" in respect to in-app purchasing concerns...