Developer of iPhone video editing app Videoshop, Joe Riquelme, has my nomination for son of the year award. Riquelme surprised his parents with what may be one of the ultimate Christmas gifts - stopping them from ever having to deal with Bank of America again.
When Apple first revealed that iOS users would be able to access information from the Lock screen in iOS 8, I wasn’t that excited. I’ve never had a problem just unlocking my iPhone and opening the app I want to get information from. However, once Notification Center extensions became available, I was hooked. Now, I’ve got to-do lists, weather forecasts, news updates, and all kinds of widgets sitting on my Today view.
Everyone at iDB is excited about widgets, so it was pretty easy to come up with a big list of nominations. However, it was hard to narrow it down to the best one. With much hair pulling involved, we came to a final vote. The list below reveals our winner for best Notification Center widget, as well as the runner-ups. Since the feature has only existed for a few months, we are not going to name any “best ever” widget this year.
This week was a bit dry for new apps and games. The iTunes Connect app store freeze will have definitely had an affect on launches. Instead of spotlighting new titles for you to check out while avoiding the in-laws, this weekend, we are bringing families together.
Today, we’ve got a list of pass-and-play iPad games that you can participate in with your family. If you are looking for a way to bond with cousin Dan, see if a bit of friendly competition (or cooperation) from the list below will turn you into gaming buddies for life.
I still remember the first time I used Touch ID to unlock my iPhone. It was like magic. I’ve gotten so used to the feature that unlocking my iPad Air just feels like an exhausting experience. Why can’t I just touch the Home button to unlock everything, like my bike lock, my front door, or the trunk of my car? With iOS 8, Apple granted third-party apps the ability to use biometrics to unlock their apps, too. Now, any supported app you have can be set up to require your grubby paw so you don’t have to exhaust yourself by typing in those dang passwords.
The writing team at iDB have taken a few moments to decide which Touch ID-supported apps were worth mentioning. Then, we voted on our favorites. Today, we’ve got a list of the winner and runner-ups. Since Touch ID extensions are only a few months old, we’ve skipped the part about spotlighting the best app ever.
Most arcade games put you behind the controls of a ship or object that you must maneuver around to avoid being hit by some obstacle. It is a game mechanic that we are so familiar with that it is difficult to imagine any other way to do it.
TimeCube takes those rules and tosses them out into the infinite universe. Instead of controlling your ship, you control the environment around it. You don’t have the ability to move obstacles out of the way, but you can slow down or speed up time to avoid being hit.
Pong may be have been created 42 years ago, but its legacy lives on in the hearts of gamers everywhere. It also lives on in the design aesthetic of game developers. Its minimalist visage may have been a necessity of the times, but it got the job done with very little visual details and still made for an excellent video game.
Jump has a similar artistic appeal. It is made up of dashes and dots. However, don’t let the looks fool you. This is nothing like Pong when it comes to game mechanics. You might think it is more fun, depending on your opinion of arcade games.
For me, when it comes to games, there are so many amazing ones that it is difficult to decide which gets top billing. When Sebastien asked for my pick, I almost had an anxiety attack just thinking about it.
Luckily, the pick for best apps and games is a collaborative effort and the weight of this list did not rest solely on my shoulders. The writing team at iDB submitted their favorites for this year’s best game and the entries were put to a vote. The winner, runner-ups, and the game we think is the best ever, are listed for you below.
Apple has shared some cumulative end-of-the-year lists for best performing iOS apps of 2014. The lists, which have been posted in the App Store, include top paid apps for iPhone and iPad, top free apps for iPhone and iPad, and the top grossing apps for iPhone and iPad.
There aren't too many surprises here, with familiar names like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat ranking high. Still, it's interesting to see which titles had major success this year, and which ones didn't. Below you'll find the top 10 apps from each of the categories.
Even if you are not big on exercising, you have to admit that, with the launch of HealthKit and the Health app, people got a little more excited about their morning jog than they used to. Plus, with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus M8 motion coprocessor barometer feature, you can now track your stair climbing, too.
We tracked down the best health and fitness apps to launch on iOS in 2014 so you don’t have to do as much work. Then, we drew straws to see who got to choose the winner. The resulting top health and fitness app, plus the runner-ups, and the best fitness app of all time, are listed for your reading enjoyment below.
Tempo Smart Calendar for iOS just received a big update, bringing the app to version 1.6. The update allows the app to take full advantage of the new functionality in iOS 8, adding a new Notification Center widget and support for interactive notifications.
With the new Tempo Widget, users can see their upcoming events, as well as information about their next immediate meeting. And with interactive notifications, users can get directions, dial-in to conference calls, and check on things like their flight status.
A file management app innocently named Floppy Cloud, which contains a hidden emulator of the Nintendo NES and Super Nintendo, is now available in the App Store.
As pointed out by TouchArcade, its developer Kyle Hankinson has cunningly exploited the annual App Store shutdown to sneak Floppy Cloud onto Apple's servers “moments before the iTunes freeze,” which started yesterday and ends on December 29.
Developers are unable to upload new code to the App Store during the iTunes freeze window so Floppy Cloud should be available on the App Store for a few days before Apple pulls it first thing in the morning on December 29.
A few months ago, Galaxy Trucker launched in the App Store exclusively on the iPad. Fans of the original board game were subject to tablet playing, or not playing at all. Luckily, the game’s developer realized that iPhone owners are board game players too and reacted accordingly.
Galaxy Trucker Pocket is the iPhone version of the popular space ship building card game. Players connect different cards to their ship’s engine in order to build the most epic space racer in the galaxy. If you don’t place cards in ideal locations, you may see your ship crumble to pieces.