Apps

Lockitron lets you lock and unlock your door with your iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ October 4, 2012

Shortly after introducing the App Store in 2008, Apple started running an ad campaign with the tag line "there's an app for that." It produced a series of TV commercials that highlighted iPhone apps that made otherwise arduous tasks, like counting calories and apartment hunting, a lot easier.

But in 2012, apps are doing a lot more than diet tracking and crawling rental property listings. Now they're parking cars, making coffee, and thanks to Apigy's new Lockitron deadbolt cover, they're locking and unlocking doors...

Apple shuts down Chomp web site and iOS app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 12, 2018

Apple yesterday quietly shut down both the Chomp web site and the iOS app of same name, also shutting out existing users of the app. Furthermore, Chomp.com now points to Apple.com. The iPhone maker snapped up Chomp for its advanced discovery and recommendation engine back in February.

As first order of business, Apple pulled the Android versionin April. Now an iOS version is also a goner. We've already seen some tweaks to both the App Store search algorithm and layout, some for the worse (just one search result at a time? Seriously, Apple? Seriously?). Perhaps this move indicates plans to finally roll out better app discovery features stemming from that Chomp talent acquisition.

A man can dream, can't he?

Netflix for iPad updated with ‘Just for Kids’ section

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Netflix last week updated its iOS app with for the iPhone 5's larger four-inch display and iOS 6. Today, the company announced another update to its iPad app which brings Just for Kids user interface to help parents and their children browse and instantly watch a large selection of kid-friendly TV shows and movies appropriate for kids 12 and under...

Facebook Messenger refreshed with chat bubbles, iPhone 5 support, Favorites

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 29, 2012

Facebook's standalone chat client called Messenger has been updated yesterday to version 2.0. In addition to bug fixes and support for iOS 6 and the iPhone 5's taller four-inch display (so you can see more messages with less scrolling), the app comes with the handy new Favorites feature and the interface has been tweaked around chat bubbles. I also weigh in on why you'll want to keep the chat app and the full-blown Facebook client both running on your device...

Apple highlights Maps alternatives via a new App Store section

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 19, 2018

Apple's really determined to right the mapping wrongs. In addition to posting a public apology on its web site and offering instructions on accessing mapping web apps from Google and Nokia, the Cupertino, California-headquartered designer of gadgets just posted a curated recommendations section in the App Store, listing third-party Maps alternatives for the iPhone and iPad...

Google updates Gmail app for the iPhone 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Google's been on a roll these days. They brought as the official YouTube app and the awesome Chrome browser, have improved Google Contacts sync in iOS, are working on a standalone Maps app and Street View on the web and will soon launch an interesting traveling companion app called Field Trip. Plus, Google's nice Gmail app for the iPhone and iPad is getting better with each iteration.

And earlier this morning, a minor update went live bringing support for the iPhone 5's taller four-inch dispay, so you can see more of your messages in the list view and more content in the message view without needing to scroll quite as much. Another benefit of the taller display: typing gets easier as the virtual keyboard in landscape mode is a bit wider.

Also, this...

New app from Google hitting iOS soon: Field Trip

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

So much about distancing from Apple. Google just recently launched very nice YouTube client and Chrome browser for iOS, it's said to be working on a standalone Maps app and now introduced a new software that runs in the background analyzing your environment to give you facts about the places around you.

It pops up a nice card when you get close to something interesting and will even read the info to you if you have a headset or Bluetooth connected. Best thing you check it out in a video I've included right below...

Camera+ for iPad is here: layers, brushes, straightening, Flickr and Facebook importing

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 22, 2018

The software isn't just blown up to the iPad's 9.7-inch canvas, it also comes with new features specific to the iPad version only. Combined with freshly updated Camera+ for iPhone, you can now seamlessly sync your Lightbox between your iPhones and iPads via iCloud. iPad-specific features include new advanced filters, the straightening feature (finally!), brush on effects, layered effects (mix “So Emo” with “Tailfins”) and the ability to import your images from Flickr and Facebook...

Camera+ updated with iCloud sync, Facebook single sign-on, taller iPhone 5 interface

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Taptaptap's Camera+ sold over nine million copies since its inception in June of 2010 and it's remained my favorite go-to photography app ever since. A major new version just hit the App Store this morning, bringing several new features.

Most notably, version 3.5 enables iCloud sync and Facebook sharing with single sign-on. The former lets you automatically sync your Lightbox between devices and the latter simplifies Facebook authorization.

And best of all, the team confirms that Camera+ for iPad is around the corner. Count us excited!

Rovio’s Bad Piggies hit iOS, Mac and Android

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

As promised, Angry Birds maker Rovio today released a new physics-based game that turns the famous formula upside down in that it focuses on the green piggies who must protect the eggs grabbed from the birds. After a string of content updates and sequels, some feel the Angry Birds series has run its course.

Rovio is clearly banking on the success of Angry Birds here, but Bad Piggies is anything but yet another Angry Birds sequel. Gameplay footage and more info right below...

Streamweaver lets you jointly record multi-angle video with friends

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

If you are a fan of iPhone photography (and perhaps are following our iPhoneography series), you're gonna love this little gem. Streamweaver is a new multi-angle video app with a novel approach to mobile video recording. First, invite a bunch of friends to use the app. Then, each one of you gets to record the same scene from a different angle.

Finally, the program combines your uploaded video streams and plays them back in a single split-screen video that shows all the angles together. It's simple, clean, straightforward and works as advertised. Best of all, Streamweaver is provided free of charge...

How to get live filters back in Instagram on the iPhone 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 8, 2016

Intstagram pulled a Skitch with yesterday's update in that the company has removed live filters from the iPhone 5. As Instagram fans could tell you, the live previewing feature is pretty popular because it lets you quickly apply Instagram's trademark photo filters right before hitting the shutter button, so you can see what the photo being taken would look like with the desired effect.

Though Instagram confirmed that live filters will be phased out from both the iOS and Android apps, developers left a stealthy workaround in place to re-enable live previewing on the iPhone 5...