Apps

Apple adds ‘Best New Game Updates’ section to App Store

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Apple has introduced a new section on the App Store called "Best New Game Updates" for showcasing recently updated games for iPhone and iPad. The new category accompanies the long-existing "Best New Games" section, which is now exclusively for promoting new game releases. Plants vs. Zombies 2 and FarmVille 2 are among the first lineup of updated games featured.

App Store discovery has been a growing problem for developers, as the total number of apps available has eclipsed the 1 million mark and counting. This new section should provide at least one additional way for iOS gamers to uncover the best new content updates, and I personally recommend reading our daily App Recap roundup on top. Take a look at the first 16 apps featured ahead…

YouTube previews new ‘Creator Studio’ app for iPhone

Joe Rossignol ∙ June 27, 2014

YouTube has announced that it will be releasing an iOS version of its "Creator Studio" app in the coming weeks, as part of a broader effort to offer improved tools for a growing number of content creators. The app is already available on Android, allowing anyone that uploads YouTube videos to track analytics, including views, minutes watched, total subscribers, estimated earnings, engagement statistics and more…

Apple’s official Podcasts app crashing for several users [updated]

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated July 1, 2014

There are widespread reports this afternoon that claim Apple's official Podcasts app is crashing for several users upon launch. The app does temporarily open, but then immediately closes and returns to the Home screen in a matter of seconds. The issue appears to be affecting devices running both iOS 7.1.1 and iOS 8 beta, according to multiple tweets and other reports.

A significant number of users have turned to the Apple Support Communities to voice their concerns about the problem, with complaints ranging from the app crashing to multiple icons and album artwork. The crashing issue appears to have been affecting users since at least 2:00 PM Pacific, when the first reports began to appear on Twitter and elsewhere…

Paperama turns your iOS device into a fun origami game

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 27, 2018

The art of origami is both impressive and beautiful. I’ve always been interested in paper craft and origami is an art form that requires patience and skills. Reading the instructions for origami is like reading a different language.

Paperama takes the complexities of origami and mixes it with the challenge of puzzle solving. Already a huge hit on Android, FDG Entertainment has brought the game to iOS. We’ve got an in-depth game review of Paperama below…

Google unveils Gmail API: your email apps are about to get a lot faster and smarter

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 26, 2014

If you ever set up a Gmail account over IMAP in a third-part client like Mailbox, you're painfully aware that the experience is nowhere near Gmail's web app on desktop.

It's not Google's fault - Gmail's support for IMAP is rather smooth. To put it bluntly, IMAP just wasn't designed with all of Gmail's advanced features in mind.

For starters, typical operations over IMAP are noticeably slower compared to Gmail. Worse, IMAP does not support full searching of Gmail accounts and important features specific to Gmail - such as starring or archiving - frequently behave erratically over IMAP.

Realizing it doesn't want developers to be bogged down by IMAP's limitations, Google today at its I/O conference released the first beta of the official Gmail API.

It's a pretty big deal and here's why...

Monty Python comes to iOS with John Cleese voiced The Ministry of Silly Walks

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 26, 2014

Our US audiences may not necessarily be fond of Monty Python, a British surreal comedy group best known for Monty Python's Flying Circus, a hilarious television sketch show broadcast by the BBC from 1969 to 1974.

Even if you've never followed the show, chances are you've encountered some of the popular and widely quoted sketches on YouTube. Some have even gone to become cultural phenomenons in their own right. Take the "Spam" show, for example, which led to the coining of the term email spam.

My fav sketch is "The Ministry of Silly Walks" and much to my delight, it's now been turned into its own iOS game, now available in the App Store...

App Store gets dozens of awesome new iOS games in massive refresh

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Thursday is always expected to be a busier day on the App Store each week, as several developers release new apps for iPhone and iPad. But when I awoke this morning, I was pretty shell-shocked to realize just how many new high-quality games are now available. While I would normally resort to throwing most of these new titles into App Recap, our daily app roundup, the sheer number of awesome new games merits a separate post this afternoon.

Aerena: Clash of Champions, Supernauts and Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake are among the new games in this massive App Store refresh, which is something that usually only happens around the holidays. We've provided game trailers for some of the exciting new games ahead, and we'll be highlighting even more of the releases in App Recap later tonight. So grab your iPhone or iPad and check out a dozen must-have games ahead…

Opera Mini for iOS gets a surprise overhaul loaded with cool new features

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

For the first time since 2012, the Opera browser by Norway-based Opera Software has received a substantial update cleaning up the UI dramatically.

In a nutshell, Opera has dropped the dark theme in favor of a light appearance. I'm liking it a lot: not only is the new look a lot easier on the eyes, navigating and enjoying web content is now more pleasurable than ever before.

In addition to the updated design, the new Opera Mini version 8.0 brings out several new features, including a new data compression mode, user interface themes to customize the browser's look, a new way to discover what's trending and a built-in QR code reader...

Gameloft’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier is Apple’s new Free App of the Week

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 12, 2018

Every Thursday, Apple features another app or game as the App Store's Free App of the Week. This time around, Apple's editorial team has chosen Gameloft's Captain America: The Winter Soldier game for the iPhone and iPad, regularly a $2.99 value.

Released three months ago, this movie tie-in has you playing as Captain America who must lead his S.H.I.E.L.D. Strike Team as they struggle to contain a massive attack on the World by several nefarious crime organizations.

The game boasts interestingly cartoonish artwork style and doesn't disappoint in terms of pure action: there are plentiful combos to master though it's not all about fighting either as you'll need to use your tactical skills to combat threats and lead your Strike Team wisely...

SoundCloud for iPhone receives stunning facelift, removes Record feature

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 2, 2017

Berlin-based SoundCloud is a popular service to upload, record, promote and share originally-created sounds and they've long had a decent iOS app on the App Store. Today, the company has issued a major iPhone-focused redesign that focuses on much simplified one-thumb navigation through the use of gestures to seek and skip tracks.

The new SoundCloud for iPhone version 3.0 also brings the ability to open another user’s profile straight from a track or playlist and includes other enhancements, detailed after the break...

The Weather Channel gives its iPad app iOS 7 love

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

The Weather Channel's nice iPhone app was updated two months ago with substantial design changes and much-needed iOS 7 styling. Today, it's the iPad app's turn to get some way overdue iOS 7 love.

Now available in the App Store, the new Weather Channel for iPad version 4.0 is now closely aligned to the iOS 7 aesthetic and it shows: from precise typography and flat UI elements to the use of translucency and complete lack of ornamentation to the gorgeous background photos that match your current weather conditions and more...

Audibly lets you play your music in sync across multiple iOS devices

Lory Gil ∙ June 25, 2014

Whenever I go camping, if I’ve forgotten to grab a wireless speaker, I have trouble getting the music from my iPhone loud enough to be heard over the roar of the fire. I’ve figured out a way to create a bigger sound by resting my device inside a metal bowl, but it is still fairly quiet.

Audibly lets you connect multiple iPhones together to create a stereo-like experience. Broadcast music from one iPhone and the others will pick it up and play it as well. Talk about DIY surround sound…