Apps

Google updates Gmail for iOS with iPhone 6 and 6 Plus support

The Internet giant Google has at last gotten around to updating the native Gmail application for iOS with native display support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

As a result, owners of these new devices can finally enjoy crisp typography and user interface while taking full advantage of the bigger canvas to see more of their emails and inbox without scrolling.

Now available in the App Store free of charge, the new Gmail version 3.1415926 only lists native support for the new iPhone display sizes.

1Password updated with iPhone 6 support, Touch ID timeout improvements and more

Developer AgileBits on Monday issued 1Password 5.1 adding native display support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and fixing a number of issues and oversights related to the Touch ID and PIN Code features.

This release also introduces some new capability such as the ability to add brand new tags to your items, enable or disable third-party custom keyboards within the Advanced Settings and more, while fixing “the most popular issues and crashes”.

1Password has recently gone the freemium route and now offers basic features free of charge, with advanced features available through Apple's In-App Purchases mechanism.

Grab Ski Safari: Adventure Time, IGN’s latest free game of the month

IGN has named Cartoon Network's Ski Safari: Adventure Time its Free Game of the Month for October. Simply visit IGN's promo webpage here and click the big red 'Get My Free Game' button in order to redeem your free copy of the iPhone and iPad game, a 99-cent saving.

Filing as a stunt skiing endless runner, this hilarious game features Finn, a silly kid with an awesome hat, and Jake, a brassy dog with a big kind heart.

You'll be skiing with your butt and sliding your way through themed worlds like Ice Kingdom, Fire Kingdom, Candy Kingdom, the Forbidden Dungeon and the Mystery Mountains.

The game features mathematical costumes, algebraic stunts, the ability to hitch a ride with Cartoon Network's popular characters, including Jake, LSP, Flame Princess, Marceline, Princess Bubblegum, Lady Rainicorn, Ice King and Gunter, and much more.

The best keyboards for iOS 8

For the past two-and-a-half weeks, I’ve been checking out the top third-party keyboard apps for iOS 8. Hopefully, my first-look reviews have helped some of our readers to figure out which one is the perfect match for them. Maybe you’ve already tried them all yourself and don’t need my opinion.

Today, we’ve got a round up of the best third-party keyboard apps that I’ve tried out so far. I’m sure there will be more to come, but this preliminary list should help you narrow down which keyboard suits your needs. Feel free to let us know which is your favorite in the comments section.

Take control of your camera with Manual

With the introduction of iOS 8 came new developer APIs allowing apps to have exacting control of several camera adjustments, including exposure, focus, and shutter speed. Manual is a photography app that implements these new freedoms in a beautiful package, granting users full control of their photos.

I went hands-on with Manual for a few days, venturing into my highly "unphotogenic" yard in an attempt to gather a few decent shots with both Manual and iOS's stock Camera for comparison to see exactly how much of an advantage the ability to manually adjust camera settings can give.

Apps of the week: Translator Keyboard, Banner Saga, Pry, and more

This week marks the beginning of my favorite holiday of the year, Halloween. Skeletons are hung from the front porch with care. Visions of candy corn dance in our heads. Developers add Halloween themed content to their apps and games. I can’t wait. In the meantime, if you are looking for some new apps and games to try out, we’ve got a list that we think will keep you occupied for at least a few days.

Modern Combat 5: Blackout on sale for first time ever

Great news gamers! Gameloft has placed its hit FPS shooter Modern Combat 5: Blackout on sale for the first time ever this weekend. The game, which has garnered a rating of 4 out of 5 stars on nearly 5000 reviews in iTunes, can be had for $4 for a limited time.

MC5 is, as its name suggests, the fifth iteration in the popular Modern Combat series. This particular entry starts out in Italy, where players have been sent on a special operation to secure a transport of WMDs from a particularly well-armed terrorist group.

ScribbleBoard: because drawing is more fun than typing

Typing is so iOS 7!

With the introduction of third-party keyboards in iOS 8, you can now tap and swipe your way through words like never before, but really, where is the fun in that? Enters ScribbleBoard, a keyboard that lets you draw little doodles instead of typing words. Your productivity will certainly go down the drain as you activate this keyboard, but what you will lose in efficiency will be gained in fun.

Hulu Plus app updated with new design, in-app subscriptions and more

Hulu has posted a major update for its Hulu Plus iOS client, bringing the app to version 4.0. The update features a number of enhancements, including an all new design, new navigation options, and in-app subscriptions, which allows you to subscribe to the Hulu Plus service.

In addition to these changes, the Hulu Plus app also received a new Search function, which now offers contextually grouped results to help you find what you're looking for. The app has also been updated to support iOS 8, and to "run beautifully" on the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Halfbrick Studios launches completely redesigned Fruit Ninja game

Halfbrick Studios has released today what it is calling the "biggest update ever" to Fruit Ninja. The popular game, which has garnered nearly 700k reviews on the App Store, has been redesigned from the ground up with new content, gameplay elements and more.

At its core, most of the mechanics are still the same—the game is still about slicing fruit as quickly and efficiently as possible. But there are a lot of additions, such as new experience and currency systems, which are used to buy various upgrades and power ups.

Artistic photography app Fragment is Apple’s new Free App of the Week

Artistry in iPhone photography can now be in everyone's hands with Fragment, Apple's new Free App of the Week. As you know, each Thursday the App Store editorial team cherry-picks a new app to slash from its regular price to zero bucks, for a week.

Fragment by Pixite is a nifty little iPhone and iPad app that puts cool prismatic effects in your pocket, allowing you to transform your snaps into unique artworks.

It also plays nice with iOS 8 and includes a handy extension to edit your images right within the stock Photos app. Fragment is free until next Thursday, a $1.99 saving.

iOS 8 Translator Keyboard lets you translate text from one language to another

You can now put Translator Keyboard by developer Steven Barnegren on your list of system wide third-party keyboards available in the App Store for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 8 or later.

First spotted by MacRumors, the $1.99 iPhone and iPad software makes it easy to translate any text to 44 different languages (and translate from 30 languages) by choosing your source and target language straight from the keyboard.