Apps

Flipboard updated with GIF support, new ‘Top Stories,’ and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 4, 2013

Good news Flipboard users, the aggregating social/news magazine has updated its mobile apps this afternoon with some handy improvements. The update brings the app to version 2.0.5, and it includes a new 'Top Stories' section, GIF support, and more.

With version 2.0.5, users can now scan the day's Top Stories by genre, which are separated into News, Tech, Business and Sports sections. This is useful in that if you subscribe to multiple RSS feeds, you can easily bypass the stuff that doesn't interest you...

Google removing Messenger from Google+ apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 14, 2013

Another Google service has bit the dust as the Internet giant announces it will be removing Messenger from Google+ for Android and iOS over the coming days. OBviously, as the focus turns to Hangouts, Messenger is no longer needed. Granted, the writing's been on the wall ever since Google released Hangouts for iOS and Android back in May, its answer to the unification of the many Google chat services under a brand new moniker...

Send physical handwritten notes with Felt Cards

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

The more advanced technology gets, the more impersonal our communications get. Kids 12 and under won’t even know what it is like to have to call a friend in order to stay in touch, let alone write a handwritten letter. Birthday cards are becoming old-fashioned in a world where a simple Facebook post is a sufficient birthday greeting.

Felt Cards is an iPad app that transforms digital technology into analog communication. Greeting cards, sent through postal mail, offer a much more personal message than a quick how-do-you-do online…

Vevo finally gets full AirPlay support as rumored Apple TV app looms

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

Vevo - a joint venture music video service operated by Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Google and Abu Dhabi Media - has had a nifty iPhone and iPad app available on the App Store for quite some time now.

Thanks to a March update, it's gotten a whole lot more useful by bringing out a disruptive feature called Vevo TV, always-on broadcast music channels that turn your iOS device into the MTV jukebox for the 21st century.

Now, we heard whispers of a forthcoming Vevo Apple TV "app" said to enable 24/7 entertainment later this month. In the meantime, Vevo just pushed a nice little iOS app update which has finally enabled full AirPlay support on your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices...

NBC’s Sports Live Extra iOS app to stream all English Premier League matches in US

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

If you live in the United States and are a fan of the English Premier League, good news as 148Apps reports that NBC's Sports Live Extra app for the iPhone and iPad will be streaming all of the matches, right as they happen in real-time. The English Premier League is the single largest sports league in the entire world so you don't need me to tell you why this is newsworthy. Streaming matches will be free to subscribers of one of the eligible cable providers. Full details are right after the break...

Yelp update allows users to post reviews directly from the app

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 4, 2013

Yelp has posted an update for its iOS app this morning, bringing the client to version 7.0. The update doesn't include a lot of new features, but it does bring about one significant change: users can now post reviews to the site directly from the app.

The move has been a long time coming—users have long been calling for the ability to post to Yelp from within the app. The company has allowed users to post Tips from the mobile client in the past, but they can now post full-length assessments...

The best alarm clock apps for iPhone

Lory Gil ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Waking up in the morning is a very personal thing. You can either get up easily with just a subtle sound to alert you, or you have to be kicked out of bed, and still might fall asleep on the floor for 10 more minutes.

We've got a list of some of the best alarm clock apps that are sure to wake you up when you need to. You’ll never have to worry about being late to work again.

Google Play revenue up 67 percent in last 6 months, but App Store still leads

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated December 4, 2013

Android's growing popularity in Asia, particularly in Japan and South Korea, has helped Google's Play store for Android record a revenue jump of 67 percent over the past six months. By comparison, Apple's App store revenue has climbed just fifteen percent during the same timeframe, according to analytics firm Distimo.

The impressive numbers for Android apps belie the fact that Apple's App Store continues to be the largest with more than two times the revenue as Google Play. In April, we commented on a report from competing analytics company App Annie showing relative parity with downloads but Apple having 2.6 times the revenue...

Sphere review: now with iPhone panorama upload

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

A few years ago, TourWrist hit the App Store with its high-quality panoramic photography service. User could use the company’s publishing tools to create “panos” that could then be uploaded to the app and made viewable by others.

In July, TourWrist was completely redesigned and is now Sphere. One of the biggest updates just came last week in the form of publishable Spheres using your iPhone’s panorama camera feature…

New Audi app uses augmented reality to help you find stuff on your car

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 4, 2013

Audi has recently launched a new iOS app that could offer a glimpse into the future of vehicle manuals. It's called eKurzinfo, and it uses the camera of an iOS device, along with some augmented reality tech, to help users identify parts and features on their car.

Built for the popular A3 hatchback, the app covers over 300 elements of the car from windshield wipers to the oil cap. Engine overheating? No problem, simply launch the app and pan the camera across the A3's engine bay to find where to put your coolant...

Facebook acquires speech recognition firm Mobile Technologies

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

Facebook has announced this afternoon that it has acquired Mobile Technologies, a private company that develops speech recognition and machine translation technology. The move reiterates the social network's commitment to its mobile strategy.

Honestly, I hadn't heard of the company before today. But some quick digging shows that Mobile Technologies is behind the popular Jibbigo translation app, which the developers claim is the "world’s first" online/offline speech-to-speech translator...