Apps

Super Mario Run is getting a temporary price cut and lots of new content on September 29th

Fans of the popular Super Mario Run app will be thrilled to find out that Nintendo is planning a substantial content update, come September 29th. The new update is jam packed with new content, including a new playable character, some exciting new game mechanics, and an entire new world.

The game has received fairly minor updates since its hyped launch, back in December of 2016.

Pixel, Samplebot, Burst Your Bubble, and other apps to check out this weekend

This week's edition of our Apps of the Week roundup features a programmable robot, a fun but powerful music creation app, and an interesting new 1-on-1 chat experience. And as always, we've picked out two great games for you to check out.

Pixel

Wanting to learn more about programming or robotics? Or looking for a fun and educational app for kids? Meet Pixel—your own personal interactive robot. Pixel starts off without any intelligence or emotion, so it's up to you to program some personality and life into the robot. Using a drag-and-drop, blocked-based programming language (Scratch), fun interactions can be programmed in. Pixel is available for free.

Samplebot

Longtime readers know that I'm a sucker for a good music creation app. I'm not very good with the creation part, so I'm always looking for new ways to make the process easier. Samplebot kind of fits that description. It's essentially a finger-drummable looping sequencer, which in layman terms means it can record and playback sounds. Features include the ability to record and import samples, loop, sequencer, built-in drum patterns, MIDI control, trim and balance your samples, and of course the ability to quickly share your creations with the world. Samplebot is available for $2.99.

Burst Your Bubble

Here's an interesting (and timely) app. Burst Your Bubble is a chat app that aims to match you with someone who has an opposing opinion. Users are given a controversial topic—let's say hotdogs or hamburgers—and asked to choose a stance. If the user picks hot dog, they will be matched up with someone who chose hamburgers, and the pair can then engage in a 1-on-1 discussion. You can vote on trending topics or even submit ideas of your own. The team says you can terminate chats to avoid harassment, but they hope their app will facilitate more civilized debates than not. Burst Your Bubble is available for free.

NBA 2K18

Following up the release of NBA 2K18 on the major consoles, 2K this week release the hit game on mobile. It's obviously not going to be as broad as its bigger siblings, but the early reviews look promising—4 stars in the App Store. Features include deeper MyCAREER mode, new "Association" mode, new soundtrack and more. Whether you're a basketball fan, or just a casual gamer looking for a new sports title, this one is worth checking out. NBA 2K18 is available for $8 (with some IAPs).

Pocket Mine 3

If you're looking for something a little different to play this weekend, check out Pocket Mine 3. It's the sequel to the sequel of the hit game. You tap blocks to dig and explore dozens of gorgeous locations in an exciting world. Trigger stunning chain reactions, craft and equip powerful gear, unlock treasure chests, collect and trade rare artifacts, and more. Pocket Mine 3 is available for free (with some IAPs).

More apps to check out Iryss: an app that uses Machine Learning to identify objects App updates that support ARKit, Drag and Drop, and other iOS 11 features start appearing in the App Store Faviconographer adorns your Safari tabs with site icons

Iryss: an app that uses Machine Learning to identify objects

There are countless new features to take advantage of in iOS 11, but many of them are under the hood in the form of APIs and require App Store apps to get the full effect.

Iryss is a new app developed by Florian Hebrard, better known by the jailbreak community as Ziph0n, that takes advantage of Apple’s brand-new CoreML (Machine Learning) API to recognize objects around you in real time.

iPhone apps are disappearing? Try this

If you've been experiencing the curious case of disappearing apps on your iPhone or iPad, let me reassure you right now by telling you this is not a software bug, but rather human error.

In this post, we will see possible reasons why apps might be missing from your Home screen, and of course, I will also show you how to recover apps that have disappeared from your iPhone or iPad.

Faviconographer adorns your Safari tabs with site icons

Internet browsers long have featured favicons, small-sized site icons adjacent to the tab description. In fact, some still do. They are certainly great as visual cues and aids to speed up navigation. Nevertheless every so often, what's handy can be at odds with what looks aesthetically pleasing, which is why Apple - on their perpetual crusade against clutter - have no such default setting for Safari.

Shapr, StatMuse, Check, and other apps to check out this weekend

This week's edition of our Apps of the Week roundup features a Tinder-like app for networking with like-minded people, an engaging sports app, and an ephemeral todo/task manager. And as always, we've picked two great new games for you to check out.

Shapr

This isn't a new app, but it's an interesting concept that I think is worth checking out if you haven't yet. Shapr is a personalized, mindful way of networking. Based on your interests and experience, the app provides a daily dose of inspiring, like-minded people to meet nearby in your area. Whether you're seeking friends or employees, each swipe is a new opportunity and a new discovery. Think of it like a dating app, but for professional networking. Kind of cool, right? Shapr is available for free.

StatMuse

Sports fans looking for a new way to follow and learn about their favorite teams and players may want to check out StatMuse. This app allows you to talk with your favorite players and personalities for your daily sports conversations. Keep up with the latest scores, stats and original content about the teams you love through personalized musings, and get instant NBA, NFL and MLB trivia answers dating back to 1876. Features the real voices of greats like Peyton Manning, Jerry Rice, Drew Brees, and more. StatMuse is available for free.

Check

Now I know what you're thinking: great, ANOTHER todo list app. But I like options, and for the folks out there in search of more options for todo list apps, this one might be worth Check-ing out (see what I did there?). Check is an ephemeral to-do list app of sorts. You can rapidly create new tasks and add a duration period. At the end of that duration, your todos will expire and disappear. Ultimately you can revive the tasks you don't finish from your "task graveyard" but the whole concept of getting your tasks done before they're gone is the motivation here. Maybe this works for you, maybe it doesn't. Either way, Check....it out. Check is available for free.

Iron Marines

From the creators of the award winner Kingdom Rush trilogy comes the most extraordinary space odyssey. A real-time, dynamic and deep strategy game that will transport you to amazing and unknown planets. Immersive, engaging gameplay, ridiculously appealing art, and a touch of silly humor. Brave soldiers, mighty mechas and powerful aliens await your command to face the greatest challenges. Yes this is a trashy freemium game with tons of IAPs, on top of an initial purchase price, but early reviews are through the roof. Iron Marines is available for $5 (with several IAPs).

Drag'n'Boom

In Drag'n'Boom, you play as a rebellious teenage dragon and burn everything your path! Roast the neighboring lords and steal their gold in order to mass the greatest treasure ever held by a dragon. It's a unique mobile gaming experience. The left side of the screen controls your movement: jump, fly and charge your prey, and the right side lets you spit fireballs: pillage, burn and ransack. There are over 50 levels to power through and a leaderboard, so you can challenge your friends for high score. Drag'n'Boom is available for free.

More apps to check out Apple’s free app of the week: INKS. Automatically download fresh desktop wallpapers every hour with Irvue

Fullcourt, Todotxt+, Appetence, and other apps worth checking out this weekend

This week's edition of our Apps of the Week roundup features a powerful a new social network for folks who like to play basketball, a unique to-do manager, and a dating app with an interesting twist. And as always, we've picked two great new games for you to check out.

Fullcourt

Like to play basketball? Then you have to check out Fullcourt. This app connects you with local basketball players, games, courts and gyms. See things like peak times and real-time traffic at some 10,000+ courts throughout the United States, create games, add your friends and more. Other features include push notifications, zip code search, invites via text message, court player count, and ratings. Fullcourt is available for free.

Todotxt+

Todotxt+ is a powerful client for managing tasks using just Plain Text, based on the todotxt.org format. Use simple rules to describe tasks, prioritize, categorize and annotate tasks with ease. And because it's plain text, it's ultra-portable - any computer in the world can understand it, and you are never locked into any service. Other features include metadata filter, multi-file importing, split-screen support, Spotlight indexing, and much more. Todotxt+ is available for free (with an IAP).

Appetence

Here's an interesting take on the now crowded, swipe-filled dating app space. Conversation is what matters most in Appetence. So as you talk to someone, and let the magic happen, your photos and similarities you share will gradually be revealed. The app uses a 'Slow Matchmaking' algorithm to pair you up with only people who shares your interests, ideas and view of life. As you talk to each person, you can distribute and collect likes and use them to reveal more of their profiles. I also like the UI design and that the app team says it constantly verifies profiles to avoid inactive and spam accounts. Appetence is available for free.

Nuzzle

If you enjoy number puzzle games, you're going to want to check out Nuzzle. It's similar to Sudoku, but it's a little more challenging. The goal is to align numbers from top to bottom and from left to right. There technically is no time restriction, but that does not mean the game will last forever. Share your top scores on social media and even challenge your friends. Nuzzle is available for $1 (with a single IAP to unlock a bigger board).

Blocky Beastmode Football

In honor of the NFL season kicking off this weekend, I thought I'd highlight Blocky Beastmode Football. As you'd expect, it's a football game starring Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch. In it you must rush, maneuver, and drive your way through the defense in full "BEASTMODE" as Lynch. It's an endless runner of sorts—think of it like Temple Run, but with a football theme. There are collectable characters and playing fields, retro-style arcade graphics, and you can compete with friends. Blocky Beastmode Football is available for free (with some IAPs).

More apps to check out WWDC app gains Handoff support, better Apple TV navigation & more Elk’s smart use of a Live Wallpaper tackles your biggest peeve with currency converters Popular Readdle apps are getting feature packed updates in time for iOS 11 Apple’s free app of the week: Streaks Workout YouTube for iOS gains support for live streaming via Apple’s ReplayKit Pixelmator Pro with advanced machine learning features is coming this fall