Apps

Twitterrific iOS app finally gains push alerts, but…

...but you probably won't be able to take advantage of them because native Push Notifications are still in beta so developer Iconofactory had to limit the much-needed feature to the first thousand users, as determined on a first-come, first-served basis.

The system is very similar to the reservation tickets in the Mailbox app. Luckily, I was able to reserve my spot on time so my copy of Twitterrific version 5.2 has native push alerts turned on.

Tucked away under the app's settings, push alerts can be turned on and off individually for direct messages, replies, mentions, favorites, retweets and follows.

Another handy treat: each of these can be color-coded so you get a better idea of a particular notification's importance after it appears on your screen, especially handy when these alerts start cropping up on your Lock screen...

BMW folds 4 new iOS apps into Apps-enabled cars

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, better known as BMW, features a special option dubbed Apps which integrates iOS software from third-parties for some cool in-car entertainment and driving experience.

Part of the luxury automaker's ConnectedDrive initiative, the Apps platform supports model year 2011 and later vehicles and is controlled through a dedicated iOS app aptly named BMW Connected App. These apps are still few and far between so today the German car maker launched new additions.

A total of four iOS programs that integrate with the BMW Apps platform have been confirmed: Amazon's Audible app which lets you listen to audio books, real-time location sharing software Glympse, the subscription-based music streaming service Rhapsody and Pandora-like TuneIn app that features offers over 70,000 stations and two million shows...

Quick review: Handy Photo for iPhone and iPad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNx7rUjOdeM

Sebastien and I share a passion for iPhone photography so when he asked me to take a look at Handy Photo the other day, I was overly excited. So what does this new photography app does that your favorite software can't? How about AntiCrop and TouchRetouch, two interesting features that work a lot like content-aware fill in Photoshop?

Or, perhaps you'll be impressed by the ability to perform complex touch ups and work with 36-megapixel images (not a typo)? The promo video is a bit cheesy and heavy on superlatives, but it does a nice job highlighting key features of this handy program. I've included more info and a few screenies after the break...

Yahoo to buy mobile news start-up Summly for $30 million

Yahoo! announced today that it will be acquiring mobile news start-up Summly. The deal, said to be worth around $30 million, is for both the app and the team, and is expected to close sometime in the next few months.

For those unfamiliar with the company, Summly created and maintains the popular news-summarizing iPhone app of the same name. It uses special algorithms to deliver 'snapshots' of stories that match a users' interests...

Cable-free access to HBO Go app is ostensibly under consideration

Not sure about you, but cable operators sure bother the hell out of me by not letting me watch shows on iDevices unless I subscribe to their terrestrial television offering. Why do these companies presume everyone owns a TV? While the App Store hosts a bunch of apps from the likes of ABC, HBO or CBS, you must be a paying TV subscriber to stream shows (you already paid for) to your devices.

I like Time Warner-owned HBO's shows and am subscribed to them through my cable TV provider and now we're hearing that the company is considering reversing its stance and reportedly offer online subscriptions to cable-cutters in the not-so-distant future...

Eric Schmidt on Google Now for iOS: the ball is now in Apple’s court

An alleged promo video thought to show off an unreleased build of Google Now for the iPhone and iPad has piqued our interest, as you could imagine. It was pulled from YouTube soon after, posing questions about the state of the official Google Now software for Apple's mobile platform.

Speaking at the Google Big Tent Summit in India, Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt hints Google Now has been submitted to Apple for approval. He suggested the ball is now in Apple's court. If approved, Google Now features are likely to be added to the Internet giant's native Search iOS app.

Update: Apple confirmed to CNET that Google never submitted Google Now to the App Store in the first place... 

WhatsApp to bring subscription model to iOS this year

WhatsApp, the popular cross-platform messaging service, is going to be bringing its subscription model to iOS this year, according to CEO Jan Koum. Koum recently spoke with a Dutch news outlet about the company's near-term plans.

Currently, iOS users can download WhatsApp for a one-time fee of $0.99. In the new model though, which it already uses on other platforms like Android and Windows Phone, the app will be free, with users having to pay an annual fee...

Evernote gives its Food app OpenTable reservations, Foursquare ratings, recipe sharing

Evernote's Food app debuted in December 2011 as a must-have for both the epicures and everyday folk alike.

Though the initial download was painfully short on features, today's 2.1 update addresses some of the initial omissions by adding three new capabilities which make Evernote Food a whole lot more useful, starting with a reservation system built on OpenTable.

That's right: like Siri, Evernote Food now lets you book a table at an OpenTable-friendly restaurant right within the app. Coupling that feature are user ratings supplied by Foursquare. And, you can now share clipped recipes on Twitter, Facebook or via email. Go past the fold for more details, screenies and a video demonstration...

Hulu updates Apple TV app with new categories and improved playback

Great news today for Hulu Plus users. The popular streaming service has announced this morning that it has created a brand new app for the Apple TV that will make it easier to find new content and play it back on your favorite set-top box.

Hulu says it has "redesigned the Plus experience from the ground up" with a new content section, a new "Shows You Watch" tray for quickly accessing your favorite shows, and a more streamlined playback feature, with new Play button...

Potentially disruptive live-streaming app from ABC in the works

After CBS last week unveiled its free iOS app that gives you access to the network’s popular shows 24 hours or more after they air, we learn now that ABC is working on its own app for tablets and smartphones, one potentially making ABC the first of the American broadcasters to provide a live Internet stream of national and local programming, potentially very disruptive given the incumbent's existing business models. Of course, you won't get to stream premium ABC programming free of charge as a paid cable or satellite subscription will be required to use the app.

Nevertheless, the ability to watch such ABC shows as 'Good Morning America' and 'Nashville' on your iPhone or iPad as they broadcast could finally blur the artificial line between mobile devices and the traditional venues through which content providers distribute their linear programming...

App with hidden Game Boy Advance emulator surfaces on App Store (update: pulled)

At first glance, there's nothing suspicious about Awesome Baby Names, the innocently named $2 app for your iPhone which, as the name suggests, lets you create awesome baby names for your newborn child. On closer inspection, and provided you're privy to a secret trick, developer Ian Jackson hid a Game Boy Advance emulator.

You can unlock it easily by employing a series of taps. Apple will no doubt remove this app as soon as its review team wakes up and finds out about the reports so download it now before it's too late.

UPDATE: Wow, that was fast, Apple has just removed the app.

If you were quick enough to download it, your secret code is right after the break...

Dropbox acquires email startup Mailbox

That didn't take long. It's only been a few months since we first heard about Mailbox, the fresh new iPhone email client. And it's only been about about a month since it actually launched. But it looks like they're going to be bought out.

Dropbox has announced this morning that it will be acquiring the Mailbox team. There's no word on price yet, but it looks like all 13 team members will be joining Dropbox, and Mailbox will continue to operate as a standalone app...