Apps

Adobe Photoshop Touch updated with new brushes, Quick Selection tool and more

Adobe has updated its Photoshop Touch app for iPhone this afternoon, bringing it to version 1.2. The update includes new brush types, and a handful of popular Photoshop features including the Quick Selection tool and auto-recovery for unsaved documents.

The Quick Selection tool has the ability to automatically detect the edges of shapes within an image, meaning you won't have to manually outline the shape to select it for editing. This will really come in handy on touch devices, where selection can be tough...

Twitter to try the music thing again, this time by buying SoundCloud?

Twitter last month discontinued its poorly received Twitter #music app, but that doesn't mean the micro-blogging giant has given up on music.

According to a report Monday by Re/code, Twitter is considering a deal to buy Berlin-based SoundCloud, the increasingly popular service enthusiasts use to upload, record, promote and share their originally-created sounds.

With a rather cool iOS app available in the App Store and installed user base of over 250 million people (as of October 2013) who turn to SoundCloud to listen to music and audio for free, the service/app has a lot to offer but can it possibly make Twitter relevant in the music space?

Read on for the full reveal...

Mailbox picks up support for Facebook App Links

The popular iOS email client Mailbox, which Dropbox acquired in March 2013, has received an update today bringing support for Facebook's App Links.

Introduced last month as an open-sourced solution for cross-platform app-to-app linking, App Links lets developers control what happens when users click on their content in mobile to send them easily out of their app and directly into another.

Dropbox was listed as an App Links launch partner and today's update enables this feature while squashing some bugs. The update is now live in the App Store...

Facebook reportedly working on Snapchat competitor codenamed ‘Slingshot’

Facebook is working on a new mobile application for video and ephemeral messaging, according to a report from the Financial Times. The outlet says the app is being referred to as 'Slingshot' internally, and is intended to go head-to-head with Snapchat.

Snapchat rejected an acquisition offer from Facebook last year worth some $3 billion, explaining that it wanted to hold out for more money. The social network has since bought messaging giant WhatsApp, but it obviously still feels that something's missing...

Calendars 5 goes free for 48 hours: get it while you can!

When Calendars 5 came out back in September of last year, we called it one of the best calendar apps for iOS. At the regular price of $6.99, it was a no-brainer for people looking for a powerful alternative to the stock calendar app, but it was a purchase hard to justify to people who don't necessarily need a better calendar.

As of today, price will not be an issue as Calendars 5 is going free for the next 48 hours or so. Our advice, you might have figured it out by now, is to grab this app while you can...

Apps for cord-cutters

Since the beginning of cable (it used to be called "pay TV"), people have been complaining about having to pay too much money for channels they don't want. Unfortunately, cable providers had solid contracts with networks and weren't willing to make compromises for their customers.

Things have changed a lot since the days of pay TV and you can now get much of the content you really want, without having to pay for 100 channels that you don’t. We've got a list of apps for cable subscribers who are finally ready to cut the cord.

Apps of the week: Thomas was Alone, Atom Run, Happy Camping, and more

This week was another great one for new apps and games. Sometimes, it is hard to believe that technology has advanced so much in the past decade that we are able to do the things we can do on our mobile devices.

This weekend, you may be looking a game to help you pass the time, or you may be looking for an app to help you plan for your upcoming vacation. Whatever the weekend holds for you, we’ve got a list of apps and games you should check out…

Google buys visual translation app Word Lens

Google has just purchased Quest Visual for an undisclosed price. The startup is behind the innovative Word Lens application which Apple recently highlighted in its 'Powerful' Phone 5s ad. The deal was confirmed in the startup's blog post.

The team has decided to make both the Word Lens app and the additional language packs free to download for a limited time, "while we transition to Google". If you haven't tried out Word Lens yet, you should do so right now, while it's still available.

The remarkable software taps Quest Visual's technology to detect text in a live video feed coming from your iPhone's camera. It then replaces foreign language words and sentences with an appropriate translation - matching fonts and graphics, in real time!

How to view ‘Most Recent’ feed in Facebook 10.0 for iOS

Facebook for iOS was recently updated to version 10.0 with several improvements, including a faster news feed and the ability to draft posts without an internet connection. The option to switch the news feed to "most recent" view, which displays the latest posts in reverse chronological order, was also hidden within the settings of the social networking app. By default, the app now displays posts based on a "most popular" setup. If that isn't your preference, there is no need to be worried. Here is an extremely simple tip for how to switch back to the "most recent" feed on Facebook… 

Game Stew launches another RPG mash-up with Devil Shard

The team at Game Stew Studios is best known for their charming retro role-playing game (RPG) Tower of Fortune. In that mix between adventure and chance, players would battle against the forces of evil to try to reach the top of the terrifying tower. The sequel proved to be just as adorable and twice as hard.

Devil Shard is the most recent release from the mash-up loving team. This time, instead of mixing RPG with slot machines, players fight enemies using a match-three mechanic. Talk about identity crisis…

Instagram update removes option to share likes and activity to Facebook

Instagram updated its iOS client last night, bringing the app to version 5.0.11. The update is small—the change log only mentions one alteration—but significant, as it takes away the auto-sharing of activity to Facebook.

More specifically, users will now only be able to share images deliberately to Facebook using the in-app share button. So the change should go a long way in decluttering News Feeds, a common complaint amongst users...

Kayak Pro goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Apple has named the popular hotel and flight-booking app Kayak Pro its App of the Week this week. This means that through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the application for both your iPhone and iPad, for free—a modest savings of $1.

For those unfamiliar with Kayak, it's considered by many to be the top mobile travel app. It essentially works as a search engine for hundreds of travel sites, allowing you to compare prices for things like flights, cars and hotels, as well as book them...