Apps

Export your data: Google-owned Bump and Flock are shutting down effective January 31

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Back in September 2013, Google announced it was buying the popular mobile file-sharing apps Bump and Flock for an undisclosed sum. It was a typical acqui-hire (a talent-focused acquisition) so we were expecting the Internet giant would phase out these apps from the App Store and fold their functionality into Android.

Sure enough, the Bump team last night issued a notice informing users that the service will shut down effective January 31, 2014.

Customers are given a chance to export all their data ahead of the shutdown, including photos, video, contacts from both Bump and Flock and more...

Vimeo update brings back Search to iPad, adds video actions

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 1, 2014

Vimeo, the popular video-sharing service, has updated its free iPhone and iPad application by bringing back the search feature to the iPad and adding the ability to tap and hold video thumbnails to share, download "and do other fun stuff".

Though originally part of the experience, the ability to search for videos got inexplicably removed as part of Vimeo's major iOS 7 overhaul.

The team re-enabled search on iPhone and iPod touch devices in mid-October and now the feature is finally making a comeback on iPads...

Hackers leak 4.6M Snapchat usernames and phone numbers, see if you’ve been affected

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Bad news, Snapchat fans: a group of anonymous hackers have successfully exploited a nasty security hole in the popular IM application to hijack a whopping 4.6 million usernames and phone numbers, publishing this private data on a website called SnapchatDB.info.

The circa 40MB SQL database dump (also available as a CSV file) includes phone numbers and usernames, along with the affected users' geographical region information.

Why did they do it? The leaked private information “is being shared with the public to raise awareness” of a Snapchat API exploit they'd used for the hack.

Snapchat has been aware of the security loophole in its application since August, but did literally nothing to patch it. Is there a way to see if you've been affected? Yes, there is. Read on for the full reveal...

Day 7 of Apple’s 12 Days of Gifts: Ubisoft’s Rayman Jungle Run

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 6, 2018

Apple's 12 Days of Gifts holiday promotion continues as the seventh day brings us a cutesy little free platformer for the iPhone and iPad, Rayman Jungle Run by the famous French developer Ubisoft.

The winner of many awards and Apple's iPhone Game of the Year 2012, Rayman Jungle Run is presented in beautiful, crisp Retina graphics, courtesy of the same UbiArt Framework engine that powers Rayman Origins, the console-only release and the winner of numerous Game of the Year and Platformer of the Year awards...

Fightback review: old-school fighting action on iOS

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

Most gamers have played Street Fighter. Even if you weren’t born until after arcades went the way of the dinosaur, the classic fighting game has been ported to so many gaming consoles that it is nearly impossible to avoid. Street Fighter spawned decades of fighting games that, to this day, still include the same basic mechanics.

Fightback is a fighting game that features the tried-and-true punch/kick combos of our youth, but also adds a few fun aspects to make your street brawling adventure just a little cooler…

The best apps of 2013: iDB readers’ choice

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

For the past month or so, we've been compiling lists of what we think are the best apps of 2013. Divided into specific categories, each list is composed of 10 apps handpicked by iDB editors. For each category, iDB readers were able to vote for their favorite app, helping us come up with what we believe to be the best of the best apps of 2013.

In order to be eligible, apps had to have been released in 2013. This ensured that we were putting new apps under the spotlight, rather than always seeing the same ones at the top.

With your help, we present you the best of the best apps of 2013...

Day 6 of Apple’s 12 Days of Gifts: ‘New Year’s Eve Mix’ by Avicii

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 20, 2018

We are now on day 6 of the big 12 Days of Gifts event, meaning the company has removed the Hugo movie and has posted a new free item for download. Today’s gift is the song 'New Year's Eve Mix' by popular Swedish producer Avicii.

It's been a huge year for Avicii, who has been topping charts around the globe with his latest album True. And New Year's Eve Mix is a 9-minute track that features a mashup of some of his hit songs from that album such as 'Hey Brother.'

Tweetbot 3 gains support for viewing images in Direct Messages

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 14, 2018

One of the most-loved Twitter clients for the iPhone and iPad, Tapbots' Tweetbot, has been updated with the ability to view images included in Direct Messages.

Available as a free update in the App Store, Tweetbot version 3.2.1 brings various bug fixes and the ability to view images attached to Direct Messages.

Twitter has enabled image attachments in Direct Messages two weeks ago and Tweetbot is among the first apps to support this neat little feature...

Fitbit updated with MobileTrack feature via iPhone 5s’s M7 motion coprocessor

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 30, 2013

The list of apps enabled for Apple's power-efficient motion tracking chip, the M7, just keeps on growing. Fitbit, one of the finest fitness apps in the App Store, has been bumped up to version 2.1, now available in the App Store, and can now use the iPhone 5s's motion tracking chip to monitor your activity without draining your device's battery or having the app active for that matter.

M7 support has also made possible a new MobileTrack feature that allows you to use some of Fitbit's tracking features, but without buying the company's wearable tracking accessories. More on that and other changes in this Fitbit update right below...

Google updates Picasa, adds Google+ Auto Backup standalone Mac tool

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Google has been offering its standalone Picasa Mac app for years and while it may lack ease of use and elegance of Apple's own iPhoto and Aperture software, by no means is it a slouch.

Matter of fact, I've been using the program for years as my primary point of entry for sorting, geotagging and organizing images in folders prior to importing them to Aperture for advanced touch ups and album management.

But aside from maintenance updates, Picasa for Mac spent much of 2013 unchanged in terms of features, so much so that I began to suspect that Google could perhaps discontinue it in order to make room for a standalone Google+ Photos app for the Mac.

Instead, yesterday's update has proven there's still life left in Picasa. In addition to a few new features and complementary fixes, the improved Picasa also brings out a brand new standalone tool allowing you to synchronize a batch of photos and videos residing on your Mac with Google+ Photos...

Outpost Luna review: a city-building board game for sci-fi fans

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

Leave it to a bunch of MIT guys to make their own board game. According to the email we received at iDB, a group of MIT graduates gets together every Labor Day weekend to play games and finally decided to create their own. Put a couple of brilliant minds in a room together and they could end world hunger… or make a board game.

Outpost Luna is the end result of years of playing and tweaking a city-building game set in outer space, and then turning it in to an iOS game…

Tweetbot for Mac updated with major bug fixes

Cody Lee ∙ December 30, 2013

Popular Twitter client Tweetbot posted an update for its Mac application this weekend, bringing the app to version 1.4.1. The update looks fairly minor on the surface, but it includes a handful of serious bug fixes.

Long-time Tweetbot for Mac users will be happy to hear that the new version finally fixes that pesky issue where you can see "x unread items" but can't scroll up to see them, and various other interface annoyances...