Apps

Skype for iPhone gains improved calling and chatting features

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 30, 2013

Today, Microsoft-owned Skype has been updated on the iPhone and iPod touch (the latter sold 100 million units since its 2007 inception). The enhancements include a pair of features related to the application's chatting and VoIP calling capabilities.

For starters, one-to-one chats now appear in the correct order. There's also a new introduction screens for first-time users. More importantly, the VoIP application now lets you switch easily between headset, speaker or Bluetooth device, without interrupting call in progress...

Google rolling out new-look Gmail inbox with categories and tabbed UI

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 29, 2013

In a steady stream of updates, Google has been perfecting its mobile Gmail app, adding new features and smoothing out rough edges over time. For example, back in March the Gmail iOS app added new gestures so you could swipe left and right to move between messages, without having to return to their inbox. And in a minor update earlier in the month, the software gained ability to open web links in Google's other apps, like Maps and YouTube.

Well, today's a big day as the Gmail team just announced a brand new inbox across mobile Gmail apps and on the web. So, what's new? Basically, categories and tabbed interface, to allow for easier organization of email messages.

Read on for additional details and promo video...

Get 1Password and Knox for half price

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

I'm a big fan of Agile Bits' 1Password utility and I know Jeff is a recent convert, too. This awesome password management utility has been recently updated on iOS with a host of enhancements.

However, 1Password's steep asking price of $17.99 effectively discourages impulse purchases - even more so on the Mac, where the app is normally a $49.99 value.

In addition to 1Password sale, Agile Bits is also offering a time-limited 50 percent discount on its Mac file encryption software dubbed Knox...

Review: Analog Camera, from the makers of the popular Clear to-do app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 3, 2017

Realmac Software's highly anticipated photography app, Analog Camera, has finally landed on the App Store this morning.

Drawing from Analog Camera for the Mac and the company's user interface skills honed developing the popular Clear to-do software, this brand new iPhone photography app gets rid of the clutter to focus on just a few barebone features.

But even though its undisputedly polished and effective interface signals an interesting new direction for iPhone photography software, is less really more in the case of Analog Camera? Read on for the full review...

Dark Sky 3.0 brings crowdsourced cloudsourcing to the masses

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 29, 2013

There's something about weather apps. I don't know if I'm enchanted more by the user interface innovations that mobile weather software brings to the table or by having weather forecast in the palm of my hand, but I just can't get enough of those sleek little apps that now happen to occupy three dedicated 'weather' folders on my iPhone (yes, I need them all).

Dark Sky, for example, is captivating: its simplified user interface and beautiful, unobtrusive animations provide an at-a-glance overview of your local forecast and key weather metrics, up to an hour in advance.

In a major version 3.0 update, Dark Sky is now enabled in several new markets, including the U.K. and Ireland, can tell you weather farther than an hour away and lets you submit your own hyperlocal weather observations...

Still renting discs? Blockbuster has an app for that.

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Remember Blockbuster? The once popular video and game rental chain got pushed to the brink of relevancy as the likes of Netflix, Hulu, iTunes and Amazon took over.

But if you're stuck in the old age and still rent movies on discs, Blockbuster's re-written iOS app could come in handy for managing your physical rentals on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices.

Some of the welcome features include the ability to scan your membership card for in-store checkout and check movie availability on a per-store basis. And for those of us that have long moved on, Blockbuster earlier this month released a brand new On Demand iOS streaming app...

AirPlay streaming, HDMI out and web UI coming to Infuse media player

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

I was quite excited about Infuse, a versatile and nice-looking iOS media player by FireCore, the team behind the aTV Flash Black. The one and only major gripe I had with the software is its absence of AirPlay streaming, which is quite a limiting factor if you want to watch your media on the big screen TV through your Apple TV. While AirPlay support is definitely coming in a future update, the team yesterday issued a small update fixing minor inconsistencies and tweaking a few features...

Another tethering app sneaks into the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Here's a nice little surprise to cap off your Memorial Day weekend. A new app has been discovered in the App Store that has a hidden tethering feature that will allow you to share your iPhone's internet connection with your computer.

The fact that an app like this has made its way into Apple's heavily guarded App Store isn't the least bit surprising, as it's happened several times now. And it also won't be surprising when Apple pulls it in the next few days, or sooner...

Here comes the Google Glass photographer

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Although I haven’t yet convinced iDB’s own Sebastien Page to buy me a Google Glass, I’m a big fan of the Internet giant’s augmented-reality eyewear. But just like the majority of respondents in our non-scientific poll, I too would rather wear Apple’s rumored iWatch over Google’s wearable gizmo.

The biggest problem with Glass, as I see it, is social rather than technical. With that in mind, here's something you could be seeing real soon: the Google Glass photographer.

Go past the fold for a funny clip...

Initiate Activator functions using icon taps with App Activate

Cody Lee ∙ May 26, 2013

On its own, Activator is probably one of the most useful jailbreak tweaks available. It allows you to map practically any button or touch gesture to an iOS action. But what makes it really cool is that devs can create their own tweaks to extend its capabilities.

And that's the case with this next package, by developer rjharris. It's call App Activate, and it enables you to initiate any of Activator's actions by double tapping an app icon . So for instance, you could set it so that double tapping the Music icon starts playing music...