Apps

AppBox adds an app launcher to your Lock screen

Joe Rossignol ∙ January 29, 2014

I have been testing a lot of Lock screen jailbreak tweaks over the past few weeks, and quite honestly I have walked away disappointed on more than a few occasions. A lot of add-ons that are dependent upon frameworks like Cydget have performed poorly on my iPhone, some sending me into Safe Mode, and this has caused me to be increasingly selective about which packages I choose to install on my device.

Having said that, a new jailbreak tweak called AppBox is one that is quality enough to meet my high standards for recommendation. The extension adds an additional page to the Lock screen, accessible by swiping left, with a grid of icons for quickly launching apps without fully unlocking your device. The tweak has a number of options that can be adjusted, so dive in and let's take a look…

Twitter updates app with enhancements for Tweet replies and photo viewer

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Folks who use the native Twitter app will be happy to hear that the social network has updated its official iOS client this afternoon. The update brings the app to version 6.1, and it includes a number of enhancements and improvements.

On the enhancements side, Twitter has made it so that users can quickly reply to a Tweet with a photo, as well as easily mention others when Tweeting a photo. And on the improvements side, it's made photo editing easier to do on the fly...

Gmail bug may have had you accidentally delete emails, report others as spam

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 29, 2014

A nasty bug has been discovered in Gmail that may have had you accidentally delete your email messages while reporting others as spam, Google warned Wednesday. The issue occurred on the web, the Gmail web app and its iOS application between January 15 and January 22 and is now fixed, the Internet giant said. You may want to take a look inside your spam and trash folders for any messages sent between January 12-21 that don't belong there...

Disney announces new ‘Star Wars: Assault Team’ game coming to iOS this spring

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Disney announced yesterday that it's working on a new game called 'Star Wars: Assault Team' for iOS and Android, and it's set to be released later this year. Now I know you're thinking "great, another Star Wars game, but this one looks to set itself apart.

Disney describes the game on its Tumblr blog as "a new turn-based combat game for mobile devices with strategy and card-battle elements," where users will be collecting classic characters from the Rebel Alliance and more to defeat enemies across the galaxy...

Google Search app updated with new Winter Olympics Google Now card

Cody Lee ∙ January 29, 2014

Google has posted a new update for its Search app this morning. The update brings the app to version 3.2.1, and includes a handful of improvements and a new Winter Olympics 2014 Google Now card.

The new card is really the biggest addition in this update, as it brings about support for the 2014 Sochi Games. Users will now be able to use Google Now to get info on medal standings and upcoming events…

Tumblr update adds new user mentions feature, notifications and more

Cody Lee ∙ January 28, 2014

Good news for Tumblr users this afternoon. The micro-blogging site has posted an update for its iOS client, bringing the app to version 3.5.3. The update brings about a handful of improvements, and a major new user mentions feature.

Mentions work on Tumblr just like they do on other social networks. Typing '@' and a username when you’re writing a post will generate a link to that person's blog and push an alert to that person letting them know they were mentioned...

Nintendo denies report of plans to release ‘mini games’ for mobile devices

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Japanese business newspaper Nikkei published a report yesterday suggesting that Nintendo is working on a smartphone app as part of an effort to market its games to users outside of its ecosystem. The report also claimed that the company is working on 'mini games' in the same light.

But according to Nintendo, that's not true—at least the last half of it. In an official statement today, the game-maker debunked the Nikkei article, stating that it doesn't have any plans to offer 'mini' or 'demo' games on smartphone and tablet platforms, at any point in the immediate future...

Rap Genius releases new iPhone app for understanding song lyrics

Cody Lee ∙ January 28, 2014

Rap Genius, the website dedicated to the annotation and interpretation of lyrics, poetry and other forms of text, has released a new mobile app for the iPhone. As you'd expect, it's essentially the major features of the site packaged in a native application.

On the surface, the app looks good. It's nice to see an app go against the grain with a darker theme, and the text and graphics seem sharp. And functionality-wise, it hits on all the big features such as the Shazam-like Genius Recognition Technology...

Google launches Chrome apps for iOS

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Just when you thought web apps were officially dead on mobile, the Internet giant Google has expanded the reach of its ecosystem by announcing Tuesday that it's bringing Chrome web applications to iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. Previously, Chrome apps were accessible via desktop computers only.

Conventional wisdom has it that the main advantage of web apps is that they're written using standard web technologies - HTML5, CSS and Javascript.

In turn, web apps run without major issues on any computing platform with a standards-compliant web browser. I know what you must be thinking, 'Apple offered web app development for the iPhone and it didn't work out for them', right?

Google thought of that, too: an early developer preview of its tool allows developers to actually compile their Chrome web apps as native applications which can be easily distributed through Apple's App Store and Google's own Play store...

Ember update brings new Annotation tools, Screenshot Auto-Import

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 28, 2018

Realmac Software's image organization and syncing software, Ember, has received a nice little update on the iOS side, bringing several new annotation tools and the ability to automatically import screenshots. Both these features are available now in the free iPhone and iPad app as in-app purchases.

On the Mac side, Ember has been updated with 50+ tweaks, enhancements and bug fixes. The update is available now and is free in the Mac App Store for existing users. Jump past the fold for the full reveal...

Apple promotes Top Valentine’s Gifts, says iPad is the way to your valentine’s heart

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 9, 2016

It's end of January which can only mean one thing: retailers are gearing up for the upcoming Valentine's Day and Apple is no exception. Now available on the Online Apple Store and through the Apple Store shopping app for the iPhone and iPad (free in the App Store), the new 'Top Valentine's Gifts' section has just launched sporting an Apple-currated selection of both its own products and third-party accessories for your significant other...

Sequential for iPad review: mix dubstep loops in real time

Lory Gil ∙ January 28, 2014

I love music. I am a big fan of all genres. Whether its orchestral music from the 1950s, 1980s Goth, thrash metal, or hardcore punk, I’ll give just about anything a spin at least once. I also love music-based apps, especially the ones that let you create music.

Sequential for iPad is a music app that lets you create dance-friendly sampling loops that can be added to tracks you are already working on in other programs. Don’t be intimidated. You don’t have to know how to write music to have fun. You just have to feel the beat…