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Apple is Testing Gesture-Based LockScreen for iOS

Alex Heath ∙ February 28, 2011

Apple is reportedly testing an Android-like lockscreen for the next major version of iOS. Google's Android OS has a gesture-based "dots" lockscreen that allows users to unlock their phone by highlighting the dots in a pre-established pattern.

Apparently, Apple is borrowing from Android's lockscreen concept and including it in a future version of iOS. There have been complaints that the current iOS lockscreen is not secure enough, and there have been numerous ways of bypassing the iPhone's 4-digit password...

Google Translate Now Available on the iPhone

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Google's popular translate tool now has its very own iPhone app. The company has had a Google Translate HTML5-based web app for quite some time, but Google Translate has now been given the full app treatment.

Among other enhancements, Google Translate for the iPhone allows users to speak their translation requests. With speak-to-translate support for 15 languages at launch, the Google Translate app makes a big splash in the mobile translation niche...

Google Logo Utilizes the iPhone’s Accelerometer, Today Only

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

Today, Jules Gabriel Verne is the inspiration behind Google's often changing homepage logo, with a submarine inspired illustration that's fitting considering he was the man behind the novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea.

Verne was born on February 8th, 1828, hence the commemoration.

That's nice and all, but the real reason this is news is because of the logo itself. On a desktop browser you'll see that you can manipulate the submarine's scenery by means of a small toggle located on the right-hand side of the logo.

On the iPhone though, it's a whole different story. That's because Google has tapped into the iPhone's accelerometer to allow you to change scenery simply by moving your iPhone...

Gmail’s “Priority Inbox” Now Available on the iPhone

Alex Heath ∙ February 8, 2011

Gmail's "Priority Inbox" feature has been implemented into Gmail's web app on the iPhone. Priority Inbox is a relatively new feature in Gmail that helps show you the most important emails in your inbox.

Google's Priority Inbox algorithm studies your email habits, and determines which messages deserve your attention first. If you've enabled Priority Inbox in the standard web version of Gmail, the same functionality will now be available in Gmail's iOS web app...

Google Shopper for iPhone is Now Available in the App Store

Alex Heath ∙ Updated February 17, 2018

Google has released their popular Android shopping app in the App Store. Shopping results have been part of Google's web search for a long time, and the Android app is used by millions of people for mobile shopping.

Google Shopper for the iPhone delivers shopping results through text, image and voice search. If you've ever used Google shopping results on the web, you'll immediately understand how to use Google Shopper on the iPhone. Instead of restricting your results to, for example, Amazon's catalog (Price Check for iPhone), Google Shopper will present you with compared results from various vendors on the internet.

The goal with Google Shopper is to give you more informed and objective results from various product vendors. The app is simple and effective at searching for products you encounter on the go with your iPhone...

Google Rolling Out Instant Preview to the iPhone, iPad

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 30, 2011

Google continues its iOS update-fest, with Google Instant Preview being the latest feature from the search giant to make its way to the iPhone.

Personally, I'm not a big user of Google Instant Preview on the desktop, but I could see how it would prove beneficial to those involved in an intensive search for something specific.

Instant Preview allows you to quickly compare results, and pinpoint relevant content on the desktop; now those same features are heading to your iPhone...

Google Brings Interactive Weather Results to the iPhone

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 25, 2011

Google has been lighting it up as of late. Just yesterday, we told you about Google's Cloud Print capabilities for the iPhone, and now the search giant has rolled out something new that's closer to its roots.

You might have already been taking advantage of Google's cool location based weather results, but they've added hour-by-hour forecast results to the fray as well.

That's right, not only can you quickly locate the forecast for your area, you can also alter a slider for an hour-by-hour breakdown featuring real time weather adjustments...

Print From Anywhere With Your iPhone Using Google Cloud Print

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 30, 2011

The untethered society is becoming more of a reality each and every day, with the latest development being ubiquitous cloud printing from Google.

Google Cloud Print allows those of you on iOS devices to print directly from Google Docs Mobile or Mobile Gmail, over the air to any printer configured to use the service.

Details on how to set it up inside...

Verbs for iPhone – There’s Finally An IM App That Apple Would Be Proud Of

Alex Heath ∙ Updated February 16, 2018

There's a new iPhone IM client on the block. Verbs, by #include tech software, is a simple and beautiful IM app that looks like it was designed by Apple itself.

There are a ton of IM apps on the App Store (IM+, BeejiveIM, fring, AIM and Yahoo! Messenger to name a few). I've used many, and honestly, most of them look pretty awful. I was so excited when I saw the Verbs design mockups several months ago, and the app recently received an update in the App Store that makes it definitely worth reviewing.

While I'm not someone who constantly relies on instant messaging to communicate, I do see the benefit of having a solid IM app on the iPhone for occasionally hopping on Google Talk. The good thing is that Verbs has more to offer than just good looks...

The iPhone is Leading the American Smartphone Race

Alex Heath ∙ Updated November 12, 2019

Apple and Android always duke it out in smartphone statistics. The latest Nielsen market share data says no differently.

From a poll conducted in November of 2010, U.S. smartphone market share is dominated by iOS at 28.6%. iOS is followed by Blackberry at 26.1%, and Android at 25.8%. These numbers are U.S. only, but it is interesting to see how iOS and Android are battling for smartphone dominance.

Depending on how you look at things, the iPhone retains the lead in smartphone market share. However, Android is having greater growth with new smartphone adopters. This means that more people are buying an Android for their next smartphone, and not the iPhone...

The 10 Best App Store Apps of 2010

Alex Heath ∙ Updated February 21, 2018

The App Store has never been a very quiet place. 2010 was no exception; thousands upon thousands of new apps were submitted to the App Store. Most of them aren't worth mentioning, but there have been some exceptional apps that have risen to the forefront of what the App Store has had to offer throughout the year 2010.

We've covered a lot of App Store apps this year on iDB, with the goal of keeping our readers in the know.

Now, we’d like to take some time to reflect on our favorite App Store apps of 2010. Being included on this list doesn’t necessarily mean the app was released in 2010, it just means that it was amongst our most utilized of this year. Drumroll, please…

Apple Sued Amidst Privacy Concerns Regarding App Tracking

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

A little over a week ago, we reported on a Wall Street Journal article that revealed an eye-opening investigation into how apps share your personal data; without your consent.

Needless to say it was bit shocking to us, our readers, and apparently a lot of other people concerned over their personal privacy, or lack thereof.

Now the fallout from the privacy scandal is beginning to rear its head, and it ain't pretty...