Apps

IFTTT updates iOS apps with unlimited DO recipes, improved widgets and more

Fans of the automation service If This Then That (or IFTTT) will be happy to hear that it's updated its line of mobile apps today. DO Button, DO Camera, and DO Note all received 2.0 updates today, as did the original IF app that now sits at version 2.5.

With the new releases, the apps all now support unlimited Do recipes and feature improved Notification Center widgets. DO Camera in particular received some nice additions such as new filters and the ability to draw on, and add emoji to, your photos.

Apple moving to prevent developers from accessing app data for ad targeting

Apple is quietly moving to prevent app developers from accessing app download data for ad targeting purposes, reports The Information. The move is part of the company's recent, and very public, push for greater user privacy.

As most of you are probably aware, major apps like Facebook and Twitter will scan a user's device for information on the app's they have installed. This way, they can show users advertisements that better match their interests.

FirstLetter review: a word game designed specifically for Apple Watch

Personally, I am fascinated with the future of gaming on Apple Watch. While I am interested in apps that make my life more convenient and organized, I am really excided about apps that make my wearable technology fun.

FirstLetter is a game that was specifically designed for Apple Watch. It is playable on the iPhone, but its minimalist design and simple game mechanics make it perfect for the wrist worn device. We've got a game review of FirstLetter for you today.

Apple adds 7 new Flyover locations to Maps

Apple on Tuesday added a handful of new locations to the 3D Flyover feature in its iOS and OS X Maps apps. The new locations include San Juan, Puerto Rico and other cities around the world.

First introduced in Apple Maps when the app launched in 2012, the Flyover feature allows users to take close-up, 3-dimensional looks at buildings, landmarks and various other areas of interest.

Google’s native Calendar app picks up 7-day week view, Drive integration and more

Google's native Calendar for iPhone with Material Design and other cool features made its App Store debut a little over three months ago. Tuesday, it has received its first feature-focused update.

In addition to the existing ways of viewing your calendar, the new Google Calendar 1.1 for iPhone introduces a 7-day view giving you an overview of your entire week. Also, week numbers can be enabled for different calendar views in settings.

Instagram for iPhone adds curated collections, trending tags and places, place search and more

Fans of iPhone photography should check out Instagram 7.0, the latest update to the Facebook-owned mobile photo sharing app. The new versions surfaced Tuesday on the App Store with interesting new social media discovery features such as an improved search and a much enhanced Explore tab.

With dynamically updated trending tags and places under the Explore tab, Instagram users can now check out, in real-time, what's happening around them and what's trending all over the world.

Vimeo reworks iPhone video editing app Cameo so it’s easier to create cinematic videos

The movie-editing app category has been receiving some renewed love from iOS developers, big and small alike. In addition to Apple's own iMovie for iOS—free with new iOS device purchases, otherwise a $4.99 download—Camera+ makers have recently launched a video editing app called Vee for Video.

And now Vimeo, the popular video sharing service, has re-released a mobile app called Cameo that the company purchased in May 2014. After rebuilding the app from scratch, it's now even simpler and more enjoyable to edit cinematic videos on your iPhone, add themes and soundtracks and share with your friends.

Super Mario clone returns to the App Store as ‘Pixel World!’

Earlier this year, a Super Mario clone named Super Bros! made its way into the App Store. Given the company's history of blocking and removing obvious Nintendo game ripoffs and emulators, it was surprising that such a game made it past the review team.

Eventually, though, someone at Apple caught on and Super Bros! was pulled from the App Store, but it didn't stay gone for long. The game returned today as "Pixel World!," with updated sounds and game assets that help tone down the whole "ripoff" vibe a bit.

Tweetbot for Mac brings support for Twitter’s new quoting format and longer direct messages

Tweetbot for Mac with support for Yosemite's design and a plethora of other improvements hit earlier in the month as a free upgrade for existing users. Monday, its developer Tapbots issued the first maintenance refresh bringing out support for a pair of Twitter's recently introduced handy new features.

Tweetbot 2.0.1 for Mac now lets you quote tweets using Twitter's new embedded quoting feature. In addition, they've laid the groundwork for longer direct messages, a feature Twitter announced almost two weeks ago but hasn't implemented yet.

Swarm by Foursquare brings back mayorships

Foursquare unveiled Swarm in March of last year to give the location check-in ability of the main iOS app a brand new place of its own. Not all of the features of Foursquare for iOS have made it into the dedicated app, namely mayorships.

Arguably the most popular feature—especially if you're into the check-in game—mayorships are now back in the latest Swarm 2.5 for iPhone update.

You can earn them by checking in more than anyone else, which will unlock a shiny new mayor crown.

App Watch: Dash, MindNode, WeatherBug

One of the tasks for which Apple Watch is best suited is displaying information. Whether it be an upcoming calendar event, an incoming text, or simply the date and time, having this information a wrist raise away is what makes Apple Watch so invaluable.

This week, we have some apps that excel at displaying information on your wrist without requiring or even allowing much user interaction at all. These apps conform to the idea of using Apple Watch for very short amounts at a time, making the experience more natural.

Atmos, Fallout Shelter, Ello, and more apps to check out this weekend

With this year's E3 gaming conference over, it is a wonder some of our heads didn't explode with excitement. Even though most announcements were meant for the console or computer gaming world, mobile gaming certainly got some love. This fall is going to be amazing.

For now, we've got a list of apps and games for your weekend enjoyment. If you can't be relaxing on a beach somewhere, you might as well have fun with what you've got.