Apps

Begin review: keep track of daily lists without distractions

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before: I am a list maker. I write at least one list every single day. I’m constantly tracking every moment of my life by writing down what needs to be done and then checking it off a list. It is such a satisfying feeling to see those bold lines crossing out everything you’ve done.

Begin makes the task of list making as simple as writing it down on a piece of paper by taking away all of the bells and whistles you might normally see in a to-do list app, and that is a good thing…

On iOS 7 launch day, Internet traffic spiked 112%

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

As part of its announcement of the nine million iPhone 5s/5c sales during the opening weekend, Apple also mentioned this morning that 200 million customers have upgraded to iOS 7 since its release last Wednesday. In fact, the mobile operating system has experienced such a rapid adoption that it may have been responsible for a spike of up to 112 percent in last Wednesday's Internet traffic.

Among traffic hotspots were the US and UK, which have the highest rate of iPhone usage. Just how much traffic are we talking about? Some 2.2 terabytes of data per second spread over 6.3 million downloads per hour, according to one estimate...

New in iOS 7: use Siri to access app settings

Cody Lee ∙ September 23, 2013

Apple has not only made Siri more intelligent and capable in iOS 7, but it's also stopped referring to it as being in 'beta.' We've noted a number of the digital assistant's improvements over the past few months, but here's a cool little trick that was just pointed out to us...

BlackBerry halts BBM for iPhone rollout after Android version leaks

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Last week, BlackBerry confirmed via its Twitter account that it would be launching BBM for iPhone this weekend—today in fact, September 22. But as you've probably noticed, it's nowhere to be found.

So what happened? Well the app actually landed in the New Zealand App Store, and a handful of other countries yesterday. But it appears that a leaked version of the Android app halted the rollout...

Apps of the week: OmniFocus2, Shade, Total Conquest, and more…

Lory Gil ∙ Updated February 12, 2018

Now that Apple has released iOS 7 for everyone, at least 18 percent of us will be checking out what new features all of those iOS 7 updated apps have, while some lucky Apple fans will be testing out the slow-mo camera and Touch ID of the new iPhone 5S.

Whether you are looking for new apps to compliment your new iOS look, or just want a good old fashioned strategy game, we have a list of apps and games that will make your weekend go by way too fast…

Gestrument LE review: make beautiful music without being a musician

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

In the current age of technology, a person doesn’t have to be a musician to play music. From fake guitars that play chords when you tap the screen to deeply technological wave table synthesizers, the iPhone has made it possible for anyone to write, record, and perform songs like a pro.

Gestrument LE is a music app that lets you create interesting and beautiful songs just by dragging your finger across the screen of your iPhone. We go hands on as we review the app...

Google makes Quickoffice mobile productivity suite free, gives away 10GB extra Drive space

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 5, 2018

There was a time when my mobile productivity used to depend on mine accessing, reading and editing Microsoft Office documents on the go. Over time, I'd found Quickoffice to be the most comprehensive mobile replacement for Microsoft's productivity suite so you could imagine I wasn't too happy after Google acquired the company in June of 2012. I was afraid the search giant would, for competitive reasons, call it a day and simply fold the team.

A few updates later, Google's made Quickoffice a free download on iOS and Android devices. The software integrates with Google's Drive storage and lets you edit Microsoft Office documents across your devices in their native form, without having to convert the files to Google Docs, Sheets and Slides...

Instagrids makes your Instagram profile unique

Lory Gil ∙ Updated March 15, 2018

Have you ever checked out someone’s profile on Instagram? In the upper left corner is the user’s profile picture. Posts, followers, and a personal note is next to that. And then, there is a grid with all of the user’s pictures. What if that grid was made up of a bunch of images that made one big one?

Instagrids does that. Instead of focusing on individual pictures that a person uploads to their Instagram feed, this app uploads segments of a full picture, making your profile grid display the whole picture…

Google releases official Wallet app for iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

Google has released an official Google Wallet app for the iPhone this morning, bringing its popular mobile payment service to Apple's platform for the first time. The app includes several features, but it doesn't have all of the capabilities of its Android counterpart.

For example, you can't make in-store payments with the app—which isn't surprising, considering the feature is limited to only a handful of NFC-enabled Android devices. But it's worth noting. You can send money to other people, though, and utilize Google Offers...

Apple now requires medical apps to provide sources of the information included

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 19, 2013

Would you follow a treatment plan outlined in a medical app? The increasing popularity of apps which diagnose and treat medical issues is causing Apple to enact stricter guidelines. Apple wants developers of medical apps which give consumers drug dosages to cite references. The new requirement is designed to reduce medical misdiagnosis, as well as potential plagiarism, according to a news site Wednesday...

App Store ‘Kids’ category launches

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 16, 2022

Following a storm of criticism by disgruntled parents and after being forced to refund tens of thousands of dollars in individual cases of kids inadverntendly ratcheting up their parents’ iTunes bill with in-app purchases (here's how to turn these off), Apple finally caved in.

Thursday morning, the company has unveiled a new 'Kids' category on the App Store. Designed to give parents a piece of mind, the new sections hosts a selection of carefully curated apps for children. Apps are sorted thematically in sub-sections such as 'Create & Play' and 'Shapes & Colors' and shortcuts to apps that are 'Best for Ages 5 & Under', 'Best for Ages 6-8' and 'Best for Ages 9-11'...