Apps

How to preview Mac apps in App Store on iPhone and iPad

Before iOS 11, following a Mac app link in Safari on your iPhone or iPad yielded a warning message saying you could only download macOS apps using Mac App Store on your computer.

Thankfully, iOS 11's much-improved App Store changes that behavior.

At long last, now it's at the very least possible to bring up Mac app previews on your iOS devices. Yes, no longer do you have to switch to your Mac just to glance at basic information for a Mac app that interests you, such as its price, description, screenshots and so forth.

ByeThirdParty hides third-party VoIP app data from the Phone app

One of the features that shipped with iOS 10 that doesn’t get as much attention as it should is CallKit, an SDK that app developers can utilize to make their third-party VoIP apps integrate with the stock Phone app on an iPhone.

Some love this level of integration because it puts everything in one place, but others feel like it clutters the calling experience, making it harder to discern between phone calls from first-party and third-party apps.

Wine n Dine, Laugh out Loud, Packr, and other apps to check out this weekend

This week's edition of our Apps of the Week roundup features a visual menu for over 80,000 restaurants, a new comedy network courtesy of Kevin Hart and a handy app to help you pack for vacations. And as always, we've selected two interesting new games for you to check out.

Wine n Dine

This is by no means a new app, but if you're not familiar with it, it's definitely worth checking out. Wine n Dine features visual menus from over 80,000 of the world's best restaurants that aims to help you always order delicious food. Save dishes with the 'Wanna Try' feature and you'll get reminded of it when you go to that restaurant, create and discover insightful restaurant lists, and browse the food map to see the best restaurant and foods around you. I also really like that the app avoids negativity—it's all about sharing the good, not the bad. Wine n Dine is available for free.

Laugh Out Loud

Laugh Out Loud is the new streaming video service from actor/comedian Kevin Hart, featuring a slate of original scripted and unscripted comedy series, stand-up specials, licensed programming, and live broadcasts. Laugh Out Loud combines Hart’s unparalleled social media savvy with his vision for the future of comedy - social, mobile, multicultural, and seriously funny. Not a fan of Hart's comedy? Don't worry, there are a ton of other comedians featured here. The app itself is free, and you can actually watch quite a bit without paying, but to unlock everything it'll cost you $3/month. Laugh Out Loud is available for free.

Packr

Packr will help you pack your suitcase for each trip. The app creates a packing checklist for your suitcase from 24 pre-defined activities and factors in details like length of stay, weather and planned activities. This is the perfect tool for your summer vacations, long week-ends, road trips and even camping. Plus, Packr learns from each of your trips to organize the packing checklists and adjusts the items it recommends based on that data. Unfortunately some features are hidden behind a subscription fee, which I think is a terrible idea for such a situational app, but the core features and design make it worth checking out. Packr is available for free.

Tunnels & Trolls Adventures

Combining rich interactive fiction with classic RPG gameplay for mobile, Tunnels & Trolls Adventures will let you play through iconic adventures like Naked Doom, Buffalo Castle, Deathtrap Equalizer and more. The world of Tunnels & Trolls is filled with tough decisions, devious traps, and monstrous encounters where the risks are only rivaled by the rewards. Roll your stats, choose your kindred and begin your legendary adventures. Tunnels & Trolls Adventures is available for free (with some IAPs).

Bottom of the 9th

This is kind of cool. Bottom of the 9th is a strategic 2-player baseball game played with cards and dice. This faithful adaptation brings the fast-paced fun of the tabletop game to your phone! Choose your lineup from a pool of players with different strengths and abilities, outsmart your opponent in the stare-down, then roll the dice to trigger the action. Will you lead the underdogs to victory? Or will you defend the league leaders’ unbroken winning streak? Bottom of the 9th is available for $4.99.

More apps to check out Finding your festival friends with ARKit Apple’s free app of the week: Tsuro Instagram launches new ways to reply with photos and videos in Direct Skype previews upcoming Mac app revamp ESPN for Apple TV gains simulcast feature for watching 4 live sporting events simultaneously Facebook begins rolling out Trending News section in iPhone app

100+ new features in macOS High Sierra

Say hello to macOS High Sierra, Apple's newest operating system update for Macs. Whether you're on an iMac or one of the Touch Bar-outfitted MacBook Pro models, there is a lot to love in this latest release of Apple's desktop operating system.

Skype previews upcoming Mac app revamp

Microsoft today announced availability of Skype Preview for Mac and non-Windows 10 PC users, highlighting some of the features recently launched in Skype for iPhone that are coming soon to its desktop apps for Mac and Windows computers.