Apps

Skype 5.1 for iPhone delivers enhancements to People, Favorites and Conversations

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 19, 2014

Precisely a week after releasing the remastered Skype 5.0 for iPhone featuring a Windows Phone-like interface, the Microsoft-owned company has released the first update containing a few messaging enhancements customers have been asking for.

In a bid to close the gap between desktop and mobile, the free Skype 5.1 for iPhone update brings out new options to manage your favorites.

The app now allows you to filter the People list with new "Skype" and "Online" filters, with filter settings saved across mobile and desktop Skype apps. Other improvements to conversations and favorites are also included in this nice little update...

Gameloft unleashes Dungeon Gems onto the App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 3, 2017

With an influx of role-playing games in the App Store, it's probably never been a better time to be a fan of the genre. Now available free in the App Store for the iPhone and iPad, Dungeon Gems by the prolific French publisher Gameloft offers a combination of strategic RPG-style party management and fast-paced puzzle gameplay as you develop and advance your heroes to take on the mighty dragons. Jump past the fold to watch the trailer and learn more about this premium monster slasher...

Disney’s new iPad app lets you recreate and customize iconic Star Wars scenes

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 19, 2018

Following Disney's unexpected purchase of Lucasfilm from George Lucas for $4.05 billion, the Mickey Mouse house is poised to release a seventh Star Wars film later this year. As part of the pre-release hype, the animation powerhouse has released a new Star Wars-themed app in the App Store.

Called Star Wars Scene Maker, it lets you create your own three-dimensional scenes and recreate iconic sets from the movies by dragging pre-made 3D objects representing characters, environments, weapons, props and ships across the screen and applying perfect camera angles (fixed mode, fixed tracking camera and chase camera) to them.

It's available in the App Store now and I have additional tidbits in store for you right after the break...

Yo app takes quick messaging to the extreme

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 30, 2014

There's a new messaging app in town and it's unlike anything you've ever tried. It's lightweight and efficient, doesn't require you to provide a screen name, won't ask for your cell phone number nor will it pester you with ads - and boy is its Home screen icon unique.

It's called Yo. (with the full-stop) and could easily be the simplest and most efficient communication tool in the world, with an insane twist on the mobile messaging concept...

App Recap: 10 apps to check out today

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Yesterday was an eventful day on the App Store, with a massive Halfbrick Studios game sale and several important updates. Wednesday appears to be almost just as action packed, headlined by the release of a new Powerpuff Girls game and a couple of great discounts. We've covered the most important developments in App Recap, a daily column that promotes the best new, updated and discounted apps for iPhone and iPad. We've got a selection of 10 apps to help get you through the week…

Perfect Paths review: finding the right path is harder than you’d think

Lory Gil ∙ Updated February 21, 2018

I am a big fan of minimalist puzzle games, as you may have noticed by the number of reviews I’ve done for iDB. As much as I love them, I’m also not particularly good at them. It always takes me a while to get the hang of the rules and I will oftentimes get stumped on a level with no idea what to do next.

Perfect Paths is one of those games that stumped me pretty fast. The first dozen or so levels are fairly easy, but once the controls get more complex, so do the solutions. I like getting stuck, though. It always makes me feel more triumphant when I solve a puzzle. Check out my game review of Perfect Paths…

iON Bond review: bringing particles together at last in this great puzzle game

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 27, 2018

Science. What a fun subject. You learn about the elements, sound waves, viruses, and all kinds of amazing stuff that exists in our universe. However, when I was in school, I don’t think anyone would have claimed that the subject was fun, exactly. Too bad there weren’t more cool video games to play that would help me identify with what I was learning.

iON Bond isn’t particularly educational, but it does take the basic concept of particle collision and turns it into a fun puzzle game. Check out our game review of iON Bond and see if it is something you’d like to play…

Netflix brings revamped design to iOS and Apple TV

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 18, 2014

An all-new Netflix experience awaits you in the App Store as the on-demand streaming media giant bumps its iPhone and iPad app to version 6.0.

Featuring a departure from the original user interface you've come to love, the free Netflix 6.0 edition offers little in terms of new features beyond freshening up its appearance and a few minor under-the-hood improvements.

And to go with the revamped iPhone and iPad experience, Netflix started pushing a redesigned channel icon to Apple TV owners' Home screens. Both Apple TV and iOS versions include the same set of feature enhancements...

Adobe unveils Ink stylus, Slide ruler, Lightroom for iPhone and Mix iPad app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 1, 2018

Earlier today, Adobe made a flurry of product announcements and updates, starting with the official unveiling of two long-rumored accessories: the aluminum Ink stylus for iPads running iOS 7.0 or later and the Slide.

Billed as an Ink companion and "a category-defining digital ruler", the Slide wirelessly connects to an iPad and has been designed for precision sketching of straight lines, perfect circles and balanced shapes.

In other Adobe news, the firm has launched Lightroom for iPhone, introduced brand new iPad apps - Mix, Sketch and Line - added major new features across the whole Creative Cloud desktop suite of apps and reshuffled the Creative Cloud tiers by adding a new Photography Plan.

Don't worry, I've distilled the announcements to a couple easily digestible highlights so hit the jump to learn more...

Waze updated with new UI, enhanced sharing features and more

Cody Lee ∙ June 18, 2014

Fans and users of the popular Waze GPS app will be happy to hear that the mapping client received a significant update today. The release brings about several changes, including various redesigned UI elements and a handful of useful new features.

The new UI covers the ETA screen, which now lets users easily share their drive with friends and family, and also adds a new icon in the ETA tab that shows the number of users tracking your trip. We have a full breakdown of the new features below...

Twitter now supports animated GIFs

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 1, 2017

Twitter, the leading micro-blogging platform, is rolling out native support for animated GIFs to its mobile apps and across the web.

By adding native GIF support to both the web interface on Twitter.com and mobile apps on iOS and Android, the startup has finally jumped on the trendy bus of GIF memes.

Twitter's free iPhone and iPad app wasn't updated at post time though the company said in a tweet that "starting today, you can share and view animated GIFs on Twitter.com, Android and iPhone". As it turns out, no software update will be needed as Twitter has confirmed that GIFs will be supported by its official API...

Google issues iOS 8 fix for Chrome

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 18, 2014

Google's free Chrome for iOS browser is one of a few dozen popular iPhone and iPad applications that crash or refuse to work properly on iOS 8. And although the second beta of iOS 8 claims improved compatibility with third-party software such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, Chrome still wouldn't work reliably.

Acknowledging as much, the Internet giant has just issued a minor Chrome for iOS update with stability fixes and "compatibility with new iOS versions"...