Apps

Reeder for iPhone goes free, support for Google Reader alternatives coming soon

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 21, 2018

Whenever I feel like skimming through my RSS feeds, I turn to Reeder, Silvio Rizzi's excellent RSS client for the iPhone and iPad. I've been using it for years now and with the impending July 1 Google Reader shutdown, Silvio figured he could kick his value proposition up a notch by making Reeder for iPhone free. In addition, he's busy working on the next update which will enable a number of Google Reader alternatives such as Feedly, Wrangler and others...

First Google Hangouts update brings new features

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 27, 2013

In the first major update since its release back in May, Google's cross-platform unified messaging software Hangouts has just enhanced your chatting experience with a couple new additions. Addressing some of the top requests, Google Hangouts versions 1.1.1 features improved iOS 6 support and now finally lets you send URLs, as well as and click on links received in chat messages. I've included more information about this update after the break...

Apple dogfooding iWork for iCloud Beta to all employees

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 26, 2013

Along with a host of iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks announcements, Apple spent some air time during its WWDC 2013 keynote talking about the much-improved cloud component of its iWork productivity suite for Macs and iDevices.

iWork for iCloud, as it is called, for the first time provides rich Pages, Keynote and Numbers web apps that run smoothly in a web browser like Safari, Chrome and Internet Explorer, much like Google's Docs suite.

After making iWork for iCloud Beta available to its registered developers via the beta.icloud.com web page, the company has just started dogfooding the software to all its employees...

HipChat iOS app revamped as Mac client exits beta

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 25, 2013

Atlassian's cross-platform group messaging HipChat app launched in January 2010 following a one-month beta period. The Mac app, originally developed using Adobe AIR and in beta since Valentine's Day, is now finally ready for prime time.

If you hate AIR as much as I do, you'll be delighted that the team has now dropped Adobe's sluggish technology (good riddance) in favor of the native OS X experience.

And in addition to the rebuilt HipChat 2.0 for Mac, the company has also given its iOS client some much-needed love, pushing a major 2.0 update that's leaner, faster and includes many new features. Here's what's new in both HipChat for Mac and iOS...

Google updates Currents with new features ahead of Reader shutdown

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 24, 2016

Google's Flipboard-like Currents app thus far has failed to catch on with the general public, despite bringing magazine-like reading experience to mobile devices.

The problem is, Google's been updating Currents at a snail's pace. So, in an effort to pick up some of the lost steam, the Internet giant today pushed an update to the Currents iOS app which brings it on par with the recently-updated Android counterpart.

In addition to the same audio experience from the Android build that makes listening to audio clips more convenient, the iOS app is now a little bit prettier and comes with a few handy tweaks, like the way overdue pinch-to-zoom for photos and the useful vertical pagination reading mode...

iTunes U finally adopts pull-to-refresh thing

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 25, 2013

Although optimized for the iPhone 5, iTunes U - Apple's free download from the App Store - is still skeuomorphic, just like Find My iPhone, AirPort Utility and other Apple downloads not included as part of the stock iOS 7 experience. Though today's iTunes U 1.3.1 update doesn't get rid of the wooden bookshelf, the new versions does add several noteworthy features. Among them: the popular pull-to-refresh gesture to checks for course updates in the notepad...

All American Airlines flights now with iPads aboard

Ed Sutherland ∙ June 25, 2013

American Airlines is now using Apple's iPad in all its flights, the tablet replacing millions of pages and pounds of documents pilots previously had to carry into the cockpit. In a Monday announcement, the airline said switching to the tablet will save the company more than $1 million in fuel costs every year.

American pilots flying the Boeing 777, 767, 757, 737 as well as the MD-80 will use the iPads equipped with the Jeppesen Mobile Terminal Chart app for controlling gate-to-gate flight controls. The announcement follows American becoming in 2012 the first airline to receive FAA approval for tablets in the cockpit...

Imgur coming to iOS soon, hits Android

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

When Alan Schaaf’s free image sharing service dubbed Imgur went online on February 23, 2009, it was met with genuinely positive feedback from users who'd been longing for an image hosting service that didn't suck.

Though no one expected the San Francisco-based startup to compete with the likes of Flickr, Instagram or other established photo sharing services, it did start picking up considerable steam after users on Reddit and Digg began sharing viral images on Imgur. In response to its rising popularity, the startup has just issued the official Android client and confirmed that iOS version is coming along soon...

Amazon Instant Video iOS app gets personalized recommendations

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

Good news for those how prefer to get their entertainment from Amazon instead iTunes. In a newest update to its Instant Video streaming iOS app, the online retail giant has enabled personalized recommendations for movies and television shows based on your past viewing habits, while enhancing the experience with a handy new navigation bar.

Of course, in order to take advantage of the app you'll need to be subscribed to Amazon's Prime, a $79 a year membership which gives you unlimited access to thousands of titles and over 140,000 videos available from the Amazon Instant Video store, with support for Watchlists, offline viewing and more...

AOL joins RSS race, announces its own Google Reader replacement

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 21, 2013

Wow, it's never been a more exciting time to be in the RSS space. And who would have thought it would have taken the Internet giant announcing its popular Reader service is heading to the graveyard of technology?

And with the impending July 1 Google Reader shut down all but upon us, the market for RSS readers is bursting with activity like never before. Of course, RSS isn't going anywhere as there are a few dozen quality apps out there.

In addition, the likes of Digg, Flipboard, Feedly and many others are stepping in to fill the void with their own Google Reader replacement services. And now, you can put AOL on your list of upcoming Google Reader alternatives. You remember AOL, right?

Readdle’s premium Calendars+ app goes free for 48 hours

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Eagle-eyed readers will remember Readdle back in March released a free version of its awesome Calendars+ application on the App Store. Naturally, the free download omits several major features present in the more advanced paid version.

For example, multiple event reminders, recurring appointments, event invitations and a few other biggies meant for power users remain the exclusive realm of the paid Calendars+ app.

If you wanted to take the plunge but were put off by the app's high asking price of seven bucks, good news: Readdle has decided to drop the premium Calendars+ app to zero bucks. The promotion runs over the next 48 hours only so download Calendars+ now before the price goes up back again...

Feedly opens RSS web app to everyone ahead of Google Reader shutdown

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 19, 2013

Following Google's disappointing announcement that its Reader service will be retired on July 1, after running for eight straight years, Feedly back in May announced work had started on a clone of Google’s RSS API to help user transition from Google Reader to Feedly.

Today, the startup shed more light on the subject by announcing a new Application Programming Interface (API) along with a lineup of first third-party apps that will leverage the Feedly Cloud platform. In addition, they've opened the Feedly RSS web app to everyone...