Apps

New Netflix update adds iOS 7 compatibility, HD streaming, and AirPlay support

Netflix has updated its popular video streaming app with some much wanted features that are sure to make its users happy. First, the app now supports iOS 7, which means it brings more of the iOS 7 inspired design language to the table. You'll see that reflected in the fonts, the drop down menus, status bar, etc.

The next big thing you should notice is support for streaming HD content, if the content you wish to play has an HD feed available. To differentiate HD content, Netflix has added an "HD" symbol below the title of its shows. To go along with the new ability to stream HD, support has been added for proper AirPlay streaming to an Apple TV device.

All in all, it's a pretty huge update for fans of Netflix. It also means that you no longer have to look to workarounds when it comes to streaming your favorite shows to the big screen.

New ‘Spin’ iOS chatting app does full HD 60FPS video and Wideband 44kHz audio

Doesn't it bother you that popular mobile video chatting solutions draw from pedestrian video compression technology (maxing out at 720p, at best) and rarely provide acceptable audio quality?

Case in point: Microsoft-owned Skype, which bragged about its recent iOS client update bringing high-definition video calling - though it's limited to 720p. Spin, a brand new free of charge iOS mobile together experience, is unlike any chat you've experienced before.

Three years in the making, Skype's hot new competitor is exclusive to the iPhone and iPad and capable of delivering cinematic experiences with full HD 1080p video (1,920-by-1,080 pixel resolution, to be precise) at sixty frames per second, along with crisp Wideband 44kHz audio.

You and your parents should immediately download Spin. Jump past the fold for the full reveal...

Dollarbird review: personal finance meets calendar

Depending on the kind of person you are, keeping track of your finances is either as easy as tying your shoes, or harder than remembering your great aunt’s birthday.

Dollarbird makes it possible for you to plan your monthly budget and keep an eye on your daily spending to help you avoid the dreaded “overdrawn” letter from the bank…

Tin Man Games launches eighth installment in Gamebook Adventure series

Some of you may remember gamebooks from your childhood. They were similar to choose-your-own-adventure games, but with the added twist of including stats-based fights against non-player characters (NPC).

Gamebook Adventures 8: Curse of the Assassin is the latest installment in the company’s ongoing series. Grab your game fuel and get ready for an adventure filled with magic, monsters, and mystery…

Another app showcases the iPhone 5s M7 chip: Pedometer++

Argus is the first app to officially take advantage of the new M7 motion coprocessor found inside the iPhone 5s. As the floodgates are open now, small wonder fitness software makers are scrambling to update their warez with support for the power-efficient chip.

If you own an iPhone 5s, it's already tracking your movement on a daily basis so M7-compatible apps have a history of what iOS has already recorded to work with.

You can now add David Smith's Pedometer++ to your list of apps which take advantage of the M7 rather than dutifully perform motion calculations day in day out using the power-hungry A7 processor...

The best apps for artists

For a number of years now, app developers have been working hard to create amazing apps for artists. With current technology, it is possible to simulate wet and dry brushes, color blending, and smudging on an iPhone or iPad.

We have a list of some of the best painting, drawing, and sketching apps for iOS. Whether you are learning to draw or a professional graphic designer, these apps are a great addition to your iPhone or iPad…

Wibbitz: stay updated on the latest news with beautiful video summaries

Lately, there have been quite a few apps launched in the App Store that do more than just show you typical news stories that you read. With today’s technologies, there is no reason to actually read anything.

Wibbitz reads you the news, but also presents you with a visual companion to make listening to the news more interesting. It is like a mini movie for your favorite articles…

Printer Pro 5 review: Readdle’s printer app gets iOS 7 redesign and new features

Readdle is known for producing top quality productivity apps that are easy to use and offer lots of features to help you get things done.

Printer Pro 5 is the latest version of the popular printing app for the iPhone or iPad that makes it possible for you to control printer settings, turn PDFs into high-quality printable documents, and even let you print from your iOS device to a non-AirPrint printer…

Dropbox for Mac update adds auto screenshot uploads, iPhoto integration

Dropbox has released an update for its Mac client this afternoon, bringing it to version 2.4. The update brings about a number of improvements for the app, including the ability to auto-import photos from iPhoto directly to Dropbox.

The release also brings about automatic screenshot uploading—a feature users have long been asking for. Dropbox will now upload any and all screenshots you take on your Mac (or Windows PC) to the cloud for immediate sharing...

Apple loses fight to stop patent troll Lodsys

The beat goes on for primo patent troll Lodsys. Apple's attempt to intervene in a concerted clipping of iOS developers failed after a patent-owner friendly judge dismissed the tech giant's legal motion. U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap in East Texas ruled Apple's motion "is far outside the scope" of his courtroom.

The decision effectively opens the door to Lodsys settling all cases with defendants, thereby ending a 2011 effort by Apple to shield hundreds of thousands of individual iOS developers from being sued for patent-infringement by Lodsys...

Yahoo updates ‘Sportacular Pro’ with iPad support and more

Right now is a great time to be a sports fan. College and pro football are in full swing, and we're on the verge of post-season Major League Baseball and the beginning of the 2013-14 basketball season.

And with so much going on, it's nice to have a sports app around to help you keep up with everything. And while there are several, Yahoo is hoping its big 4.2 update for Sportacular Pro will win you over...

Volkswagen shows off augmented reality iPad app for repair technicians

Apple's iPad has been used for a number of various augmented-reality applications which impose real-world information over live video feed. The car industry seems to be particularly keen on embracing the Apple tablet. Cody last month told you about eKurzinfo, an Audi app that uses an iOS device camera to help identify parts and features on your car.

Today, Volkswagen is highlighting a similar augmented-reality software, but aimed at repair technicians and car dealers. It's called MARTA (Mobile Augmented Reality Technical Assistance) and Volkswagen showed it off ahead of the InsideAR Conference, the world's largest augmented reality conference slated to run October 11, 2013 in Munich, Germany...