iPod Touch

Instapaper updated with features and gorgeous iBooks-style animations

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 10, 2012

I'm a big fan of Instapaper. I've come to rely on both the bookmarklet and the iOS app for my daily blogging and research, as well as general reading needs.

I've been also using Instapaper to catch up on my previously saved stories while on the go, using my iPhone or iPad.

Today, Marco Arment pushed another update that brought a couple new features in addition to a cosmetic change I've been clamoring for: iBooks-style animations.

I know that some other apps replicate the wonderful page curl seen in Apple's iBooks app, namely Google's Play Books. But whereas other programs fall short because of the sluggishness and jaginess exhibited when flipping through the pages, Instapaper 4.2 delivers.

I've been comparing page curls in iBooks and Instapaper for like an hour now and walked away convinced that Instapaper pretty much beats iBooks with its gorgeous, smooth and pixel-perfect page turns...

Clock Widget for Dashboard X brings an Android inspired clock to iOS

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 10, 2012

Clock Widget is a simple Android inspired widget that's great to use if you like to hide the clock in your status bar like yours truly.

I see this as being more or less of a way to show off the potential of Dashboard X, as it was created by the developer of Dashboard X himself.

Check out our video walkthrough for more info...

Up next for Rovio: Casey’s Contraptions

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Eagle-eyed readers spotted something interesting at the end of yesterday's clip accompanying the one billionth Angry Birds download milestone: a character that looks a lot like that in Casey's Contraptions, a charming and addictive puzzle game by Snappy Touch and Mystery Coconut.

Confirming speculation, Rovio's vice president of franchise development Ville Heijari confirmed his company acquired all rights to Casey's Contraptions. The iPad version has already been pulled from the App Store as the Angry Birds maker works on a new version that will hit iOS, Android and other platforms this summer...

Next game by Tiny Wings creator due “in less than three weeks”

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

We instantly fell in love with Tiny Wings by Andreas Illiger, an addictive game featuring a cute bird flying through a series of random hills. The game still files as one of the best entertainment releases to hit the App Store since Angry Birds.

Apple loves it, too, and it even inspired a charming knock-off dubbed Whale Trail. Having earned a fortune from Tiny Wings, the developer shared a little secret on his upcoming project, scheduled to hit the App Store by June.

Gamers, rejoice: TouchArcade lands on App Store, we go hands-on

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 21, 2018

We here at iDB love TouchArchade, one of the first and arguably the most comprehensive websites out there for up-to-date news and reviews concerning gaming on the iOS platform. In case you haven't heard about it, TouchArcade is a project by our friends over at MacRumors, one of the longest-running Apple rumor publications on the web, run by Arnold Kim.

Born out of AppShopper, another pet project by MacRumors that provides most of the glue which enhances iTunes meta data by tracking app changes, the TouchArcade website has become the go-to source for my iOS gaming needs.

Having tried the app briefly, I'm happy to report that it's everything you've been hoping for - and then some...

Twitpic for iPhone released, pulls 4 years of your photo-sharing history

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Not that long time ago, Twitpic used to be the go-to service to post images to Twitter. This changed last year when the popular microblogging and social media service chose Photobucket as its hosting partner.

In a long overdue move, Twitpic yesterday released an iOS app that lets you edit and share photos in a snap. Though Twitpic still commands a respectable and loyal user base, it really comes a year too late.

The app arrives at a time when Instagrams and Facebooks of this world pretty much rule the social photo sharing landscape and it'll be especially tough for them to compete with Facebook's staggering $1 billion Instagram acquisition...

How to jailbreak iOS 5.1.1 with RedSn0w

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 7, 2012

iOS 5.1.1 was just released, and with it come a few bug fixes. If you're worried about maintaining your untethered jailbreak, then it's important not to update.

If, on the other hand, you have a device that's currently jailbreakable on iOS 5.1, you can use the latest version of RedSn0w to perform a tethered jailbreak iOS 5.1.1 with a few easy steps.

Check inside for the full video tutorial...

You know you want it: Hacker News * for iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Run by Paul Graham's funding firm Y Combinator, Hacker News has grown to become a popular destination for news stories about hacking, startup companies, interesting technologies and trending topics. Actually, the site attracts over 120,000 unique visitors on an average weekday.

Given the site's popularity, it really doesn't come as a surprise that there's no shortage of unofficial Hacker News clients for the iOS platform. Today, we bring the spotlight on Hacker News * (asterisk included), a clean, efficient and simple to use front-end to the Hacker News website...

Apple confirms OpenStreetMap data in iPhoto as own maps rumor persists

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 30, 2017

Giving credit where credit is due, Apple now properly acknowledgeds use of crowd-sourced map tiles from OpenStreetMap for its $4.99 iPhoto photo management program for the iPhone and iPad.

The proper attribution has been discovered in yesterday’s iPhoto 1.0.1 maintenance update, tucked away in legal text found under the Apps section in device Settings.

With that off our backs, we wonder when will Apple make an iOS-wide switch from the Google Maps backend to its own mapping solution...

The Daily finally hits iPhone, tempts with 50% lower subscription rates

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2017

The Daily, a News Corporation-run digital newspaper that exclusively debuted on the iPad in January of last year, is finally available for the iPhone. Following a 15-month wait, the iPad-only publication has now been reformatted for the iPhone.

It's still based on a recurring subscription model, with a caveat: The iPhone-only subscription is priced 50 percent lower than on the iPad, yet offers the same features like social sharing and commenting, 360-degree photos, interactive charts and more...

What consoles? N.O.V.A. 3 trailer stuns with graphics, Halo-esque gameplay

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 3, 2012

The acclaimed N.O.V.A. - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance sci-fi series has got to be one of the best-looking first-person shooters for iOS devices money can buy.

Just as we’re holding our breath for a third installment in this sci-fi series, French developer Gameloft is out with a new trailer revealing some pretty doggone ideas and jaw-dropping 3D graphics…

Kanex outs AirPlay mirroring adapter for legacy projectors lacking HDMI ports

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 27, 2016

AirPlay, a wireless content streaming technology from Apple, has become indispensable in my daily computing. Whenever I feel like watching movies, enjoying my photos, listening to some music and even playing certain games, I usually AirPlay whatever is currently displayed on my iPhone 4S or iPad 3 to my plasma TV, through the Apple TV.

But what about presenting in conference rooms equipped with old-school VGA projectors lacking HDMI port? Apple makes the $29 VGA adapter, but who wants to walk around the room holding an iPad hooked up to a projector via the cable?

Enter ATV Pro Adapter, a nice little dongle from Kanex that connects to your Apple TV's HDMI port on one side, converting digital output to analogue signal fed to your legacy projectors' VGA port...