Apps

Viber updated with iOS 8 Share extension, Interactive Notifications and other improvements

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 18, 2014

Although it's been losing ground to rival WhatsApp, which recently passed 600 million registered users, Viber very much remains the second-most popular instant messaging and VoIP solution on mobile.

Following WhatsApp's most recent half-baked update which brought out support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screen but no iOS 8-specific features, Viber on Monday refreshed its iOS app for headline iOS 8 features.

You now have Interactive Notifications for easy interactions with Viber alerts and a brand new Share extension making it easy to send content from other apps directly to Viber.

Also new in this update: the unavoidable bug fixes, stability fixes and performance improvements, plus some design changes and other nice-to-haves to provide a more intuitive experience.

Viber is available free of charge in the App Store.

Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition review

Lory Gil ∙ November 18, 2014

Icewind Dale came out 14 years ago on Windows computers. In 2000, I still hadn’t even begun playing Dungeons & Dragons on a regular basis, so this title slipped past my view for many years.

Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition recently launched on iOS and it features all of the familiar settings of the Forgotten Realms, plus includes a few new spells, text options and other enhancements that bring the game to life in the mobile arena. We’ve got a hands-on game review of Icewind Dale for you today.

Ubisoft releases ‘Arcade Poker’ tie-in game for Far Cry 4

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Ubisoft has launched a new tie-in title for the highly anticipated Far Cry 4, set to launch on consoles and PCs today, called Far Cry 4 Arcade Poker. It's a standalone app, but players can sync it up with the new Far Cry to earn currency that can be used in the game.

Arcade Poker is an interesting game that plays like a mix of tetris, poker and something else. Cards fall from the top of the screen, and can be randomly shuffled until they hit the bottom to build a 5-card poker hand. The better the hand, the more coins you'll be given.

eBay app update allows you to create, pay for and print shipping labels

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Popular auction site eBay has updated its iOS client, bringing the app to version 3.5. The update brings about a handful of improvements, including performance and speed boosts and various new country-specific features.

The release adds new checkout features in Germany and Australia, and a new click and collect option for Argos in the UK. Users can now purchase something from Argos on eBay in-app, and choose to pick the item up locally.

Snapchat and Square launch Snapcash money transfer service

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

Snapchat, the popular ephemeral photo messaging application, on Monday said it's partnered with Square, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey's mobile payments startup, on a new service allowing Snapchat users to send and receive money.

Dubbed Snapcash and billed as the first Snapchat product created in partnership with another company, it's simple and easy to use just like Square's SquareCash service.

WhatsApp updated with support for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

The Facebook-owned cross-platform messaging service WhatsApp has updated its iOS client today, bringing the app to version 2.11.14. The team says the new version fixes bugs and crashes, as well as adds support for the new iPhones.

The app now looks great on the larger display of the iPhone 6, and the larger, higher resolution display of the iPhone 6 Plus. WhatsApp, which Apple labels as an App Store "Essential," was one of the few remaining top tier apps to update.

Dropbox app gains larger photo thumbnails and more in latest accessibility focused update

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Dropbox, the hot cloud-storage startup which a few years back turned down an acquisition offer from Steve Jobs, on Monday gave its mobile client for the iPhone and iPad significant new accessibility improvements to make sure it’s simple to get stuff done if your vision or hearing is impaired.

Based on both Dropbox's own customer research and feedback from the AppleVis community, the improved software makes it easier for people with disabilities to use the app with Apple's VoiceOver feature when logging in to Dropbox, navigating actions within the app and more.

The new accessibility features will be rolling out to users later today, the company said.

Dropbox is a free download from the App Store.

Spotify could soon start serving podcasts

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 17, 2014

According to code strings that developer Ethan Lee uncovered from a beta version of the Spotify 2.0 app, podcasts may be coming soon to the world's most popular streaming-music service hailing from Sweden.

Code strings directly reference podcast subscriptions, giving hope that users will be able to listen to the latest episode of their favorite podcast, in addition to streaming their music, right inside Spotify's mobile and desktop app.

GBA4iOS 2.1 now available, no jailbreak required, hitting Cydia in a few days

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 17, 2014

After developer Riley Testut saw its popular Gameboy Color and Game Boy Advanced emulator, GBA4iOS, removed from the App Store due to complaints from both Nintendo and Apple, a new version of the software is now available for download from iEmulators.com in an open beta form, no jailbreak required.

Furthermore, the app should be available on the Cydia store in the next few days, Testut wrote on Twitter.

That means all you jailbreakers out there will be able to enjoy your favorite Gameboy Color and Game Boy Advanced games on the best GBA emulator available on iOS.

Team17 slashes all Worms games to 99 cents in 19th anniversary sale

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

Team 17, a British video game developer behind the Worms series of games, has slashed all Worms games on the App Store to just 99 cents in celebration of the series' 19th anniversary.

Older readers will remember Worms as one of the best games for the Amiga personal computer in 1995. Team17 continued development of the various Worms games with Worms: The Director's Cut which arrived in 1997 with improved gameplay and graphics. The series has since made a jump to consoles and PCs.

Featuring cartoonish pixel art graphics, smooth multi-layered scrolling and an interesting mix of turn-based gameplay, humor and hilarious weaponry, the franchise has gone on to be very successful, selling over twelve million units worldwide to this date.

Apps of the week: Overglide, Golfinity, Endless Doves, and more

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

This was a good week for apps and games. Not only were there some new console-quality additions to the list, but also some of our old favorites received major updates, making them even better than ever. If you are looking for something new that didn’t necessarily show up on the radar this week, we’ve got a list of apps and games that we think are still worth talking about.

Type Nine keyboard lets you type like it was 1998

Lory Gil ∙ November 14, 2014

With all of these new iOS 8 keyboards now available, there is just too much fun to be had. You can translate text with Slated, code with UniChar Picker, and use ScribbleBoard because drawing is more fun than typing. It just keeps getting better. Now, the trend is for keyboards for fat fingers.

Type Nine is a big keys keyboard for those extra thick digits. Only unlike apps like Thick Buttons, this one harkens back to before there were such a thing as keypads for smartphones. So, all you old school flip phone typers will enjoy some retro texting.