Apps

HBO Now updated with support for Picture in Picture, Spotlight Search and more

Cody Lee ∙ October 1, 2015

HBO on Thursday pushed out an update for its HBO Now streaming app, bringing the iOS client to version 1.3. The update is a significant one for folks running iOS 9, particularly those with a late-model iPad, as it adds compatibility with some of the new software's features.

The most important of those features is Picture in Picture, which allows [newer] iPad owners to watch videos in a small, standalone window while using other apps. Additionally, the update adds support for Spotlight Search, as well as various other bug fixes and improvements.

Electronic Arts releases Need for Speed: No Limits in App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 1, 2015

Electronics Arts' newest racing game on mobile, called Need for Speed: No Limits, is now available in the App Store as a freemium download. Created by developer Firemonkeys which brought you Real Racing 3, this new game challenges you to become a reckless yet respected driver.

A stable of sports cars available in No Limits include the Subaru BRZ, BMW M4, McLaren 650s, Porsche 911 and many more. Unlike previous Need for Speed Games, No Limits is big on customization.

OneDrive for iOS gains new command gestures and cool ways to work with PDF files

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 30, 2015

Microsoft today updated OneDrive for the iPhone and iPad, its cloud-storage client app, with several new features such as a simpler way to share things with an all-new radial contextual menu and cool new ways to work with and annotate PDF files.

For starters, you can now draw smiley faces or whatever your like on PDF files, sign documents and more. And thanks to OneDrive's newly gained Outlook integration, you can share OneDrive files as email attachments through Outlook, if it's installed.

OneDrive's Document Picker extension on devices with iOS 8 or later permits you to open your cloud files in third-party apps like Keynote and Pages. Oh, and you can now see folders shared with you, alongside your own OneDrive folders, and sync them on your computer.

Viber for iPhone and iPad gains group likes, 7,000-character messages and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 30, 2015

Viber's free mobile application for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad was updated earlier today in the App Store with four new features. Bumping the version number to 5.6, the new Viber for iOS lets you express yourself in a more detailed manner than before with support for 7,000 characters long text messages.

In addition, you can now like messages in group chats, forward the contents of public chats and take advantage of better video messaging features that improve your experience.

Google Maps finds its way to your Apple Watch

Sébastien Page ∙ September 29, 2015

The Google Maps app received an update today that includes a handful of new features, the most noteworthy of them being support for Apple Watch.

Upon launching the app on your Apple Watch, you will be presented two buttons: one for directions to your home, another for directions to your work, two locations that can easily be set up from within Google Maps on iPhone. A list of recent routes is also displayed on the screen to quickly browse and access your latest requested directions.

Review: Password Chef—enjoy untethered password entry with recipes

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

The App Store offers several high-quality apps that help you create strong passwords for various services, manage your passwords and synchronize them between devices with ease, AgileBits' freemium 1Password being perhaps the most popular one.

But there's now a brand new password manager on the block which takes a clever approach to securing all your online accounts with strong passwords but without having to actually remember them.

How about re-creating passwords from recipes?

Welcome to Naranja Studio's Password Chef, a novel $2.99 app for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad which takes advantage of unique recipes to basically turn any site name into an easy-to-recall password, canceling the need for additional software or devices.

Lifeline 2 review: 3 Minute Games gets magical

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 9, 2015

When Apple Watch first launched, 3 Minute Games made a huge impression with its choose-your-own-adventure game, Lifeline, designed for the wrist worn device. It is a simple text-based game where players help a character on the other end survive. It was a huge hit with Apple Watch owners.

Lifeline 2 is out now and it is definitely a proper follow up to the first game. It has all the same charm as its predecessor, but has an entirely new story and includes some new features to make players happy. We've got a full game review of Lifeline 2 for your reading enjoyment.

GIFO, Solar Walk 2, AmpMe and more apps to check out this weekend

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

There is no shortage of new and exciting content for Apple devices. An update to iOS 9 for the newest handset already came out, and a beta release popped up for the rest of us. There are dozens of great new titles in the App Store and updates that add all kinds of fun feature to the Apple Watch. If you are looking for new content for your iPhone, look no further than our list of apps and games for this weekend.

Just Press Record lets you record audio from Apple Watch

Lory Gil ∙ September 25, 2015

Have you ever wondered why, even though Apple Watch has a microphone and speaker, that there is no Memo app for watchOS? Me too. I use the Memo app regularly and, even if it were just controls to trigger the app on my iPhone, I'd be grateful for Apple Watch support.

Luckily, a clever dev team realized there was a hole to fill and created Just Press Record. It is a simple recording app for Apple Watch that allows you to capture audio, right from your wrist-worn device.

The development team at Open Planet Software told us that, coming in an update very soon, Just Press Record will support Glances and watch Complications.

10 apps with 3D Touch for your iPhone 6s

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 25, 2015

The new iPhones are upon us and with them comes a headline feature: 3D Touch. Its name might suggest a marketing gimmick though 3D Touch is anything but, thanks to Apple's clever, elegant implementation.

In a word, 3D Touch is fast and instantaneous, unlike the tap-and-hold gesture, and responds to different levels of pressures. It's used to access app-specific shortcuts right from your Home screen.

Within apps, 3D Touch lets you peek something without leaving the context of what you're doing or pop from a content preview into the full view. We've put together a quick list of ten popular third-party applications for your brand spanking new iPhone 6s that have been graced with 3D Touch shortcuts and gestures.

Download them now and start peeking and popping like there's no tomorrow.

Doodle Jump SpongeBob SquarePants goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 1, 2018

Apple has named Nickelodeon's "Doodle Jump SpongeBob SquarePants" its App of the Week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you could grab the special SpongeBob edition of the popular platformer for free—a solid savings of $2.

In the game, players are tasked with restoring order to Bikini Bottom after Plankton and his crew steal the Krabby Patty Secret Formula. You do this by helping Doodle Jump SpongeBob jump up and across the sea, blasting bubbles at anyone who gets in his way.

Microsoft releases Invite for iPhone for organizing and scheduling group meetings on the go

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 1, 2018

Not to be outdone by Google which just released a note-taking iPhone and iPad app called Keep, software giant Microsoft today rolled out a brand new productivity app of its own, Invite for iPhone.

A Microsoft Garage project, Invite was designed to help groups “agree on a time to meet, even when they can’t see each other’s schedules.”

Recognizing that scheduling group meetings is no easy task on desktop, let alone on mobile, Invite keeps things simple enough to help you effectively coordinate multiple people’s schedules on a small screen.

You simply suggest times that work for you, and then invite attendees. After attendees select all the times they can attend, and once everyone has responded through Invite or via the web interface, you simply pick the time that works best for everyone and your group meeting is a go.