iPad

From the latest news to the most comprehensive tutorials, learn how to get the most out of your iPad with our step-by-step guides and expert tips.

You can now order photo books and archive images on Google Photos

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 26, 2017

At its annual developers conference earlier in the month, Google announced three new features for its Photos app: automatically curated albums, photo books and sharing suggestions.

Today, the company pushed an update to its Photos app for iOS, Android and the web, bringing support for ordering printed photo books comprised of your best photographs. You can make a photo book in minutes with automatic photo curation and easy customization.

Photo books

To order a printed photo book, select the images you’d like to fill your album with. Google’s machine learning picks the best shots for your, removing duplicates and poor quality images.

In fact, the app will even offer personalized suggestions for photo books, like your trip to the Grand Canyon, time with family during the holidays, your puppy and so forth.

You can order a seven-inch square softcover book for $10 a piece or its nine-inch hardcover version for twice as much. Each has twenty pages though you can buy additional pages if you'd like:

Softcover—$0.35 per additional page Hardcover—$0.65 per additional page

Photo books are currently available to users in the US only.

However, the search company has made promises to bring them to more countries soon.

Google photo books key highlights:

Quickly find your best shots— Start from an album or search for a person, place or thing. Then, Google Photos can automatically pick out your best photos—helping you save time. Perfect your book in minutes—Easily move around your photos, add a book title and tweak your cover design. Beautifully crafted for you—Just choose a size and get started on your phone or computer. Photo books are made in the USA from premium, responsibly sourced materials.

Apple's Photos app supports photo books, too. As a matter of fact, ordering photo books has been part of the now phased-out iPhoto app for almost a decade.

Archive photos

Aside from photo books, today's update includes the Archive feature.

Chances are your photo library includes not only your selfies, food shots and cherished memories, but the more mundane pictures as well, like recipes, receipts, scanned documents and so forth.

Now you can move images to the app's new Archive section to tidy up your photo grid.

To get started, simply select a few photos you'd like to archive, tap the Menu icon and choose Archive from the popup menu. This simply moves the selected photos to your archive rather than delete them. Any archived images and videos remain visible in search and albums.

Aside from the image archival feature and photo books, this update includes performance improvements and reduces the amount of on-device storage space used by the app.

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Instagram Direct now lets you send links and images in landscape and portrait orientations

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 26, 2017

Instagram yesterday announced a pair of minor updates for Direct, a direct-messaging feature built into its mainland mobile app for iOS and Android. For starters, Instagram Direct now supports sending images and videos in portrait and landscape orientations.

Plus, Instagram is just now offering support for sending links in direct messages.

The ability to send a permanent photo or video in landscape and portrait orientations through Direct means you no longer have to worry about weirdly cropping it as it will now show up properly in its intended orientation.

“We’ve added support for links in Direct,” noted the company. “You can share website links with friends and preview them directly from your thread.” As a bonus, the team also has implemented automatic links to phone numbers and addresses send through Direct.

Landscape and portrait uploads in Direct are available today on iOS, with Android coming soon. Links in Direct messages are available today on both iOS and Android.

Today's features are part of Instagram's version 10.22 update.

Grab Instagram for free via App Store.

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New Pokémon game is based on Magikarp, the weakest Pokémon ever

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 25, 2017

If you're no longer interested in playing Pokémon GO on a regular basis, how about another mobile Pokémon game? Your wish is Pokémon Company's command! Today, they released a new Pokémon game on App Store, based on the weakest Pokémon ever— Magikarp.

Titled Pokémon Magikarp Jump and available on App Store as a freemium download with optional In-App Purchases, the game requires you to raise multiple generations of Magikarp.

You must feed and train your creatures, boosting their stats and Jump Power before challenging other players in six leagues to increase your own Trainer Rank. Those who do well in jumping tournaments can get commemorative photos of their achievement that can be shared on social media to show the world how well they’ve trained their Magikarp.

If you're new to the Pokémon phenomenon, here's a little backgrounder on Magikarp.

Magikarp is a creature famous for being pathetically weak, unreliable and generally useless. It cannot be taught any powerful moves—all it does is flop around and splash. If your Magikarp flops too high, it is sometimes snagged by the bird Pokémon Pidgeotto.

Check out the launch trailer below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ0c9s5UoMI

If Magikarp gets knocked out during a training session, or retires upon reaching level 20, you’ll start over with a new generation of Magikarp that's a little bit stronger than your last.

Some Pokémon you encounter may give you food to keep your Magikarp nourished.

Following the initial launch in Italy, Japan and several other countries, Pokémon Magikarp Jump is now officially available in the US App Store. Non-obligatory In-App Purchases let you spend cash on various upgrades to speed up your training, replenish your food stock, catch more Magikarp and so forth.

Grab Pokémon Magikarp Jump for free from US App Store.

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You can now drag and drop files on iPad between Readdle’s productivity apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 25, 2017

Readdle, Ukrainian makers of fine productivity software for iPhone, iPad and Mac, today announced that, for the first time ever, they're making it possible to drag and drop items in the split screen mode on iPad between its most popular productivity apps: Documents, PDF Expert, Scanner Pro and Spark.

In addition to cross-app drag and drop in Split View multitasking mode, Readdle's excellent Documents app has received a major update that turns it into a Finder on iOS of sorts.

Cross-app drag and drop

Drag and drop between Readdle apps works like a charm, really.

For instance, you can drag a file from Documents and drop it on Spark to instantly create a new email message with an attachment. Or, you can drag and drop scans from Scanner Pro to PDF Expert for further editing.

How about moving that attached contract from Spark to PDF Expert to sign it before sending the signed document back to Spark as a reply? You can do all that—and much, much more—across the aforesaid Readdle apps on your iPad.

The promo video below showcases drag-and-dropping files between Readdle apps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epzh9-rd-AI

True, some third-party iOS apps do support direct manipulation of content within the app.

That being said, however, the ability to drag and drop files and other content between multiple apps has not been utilized on iOS at all. While Apple could enhance iOS's Split View multitasking mode in the future with useful interactions like drag and drop, Readdle has already found a way to make cross-app drag and drop work.

Denys Zhadanov, Readdle's Vice President of Marketing, said via email:

We see it as a major improvement of iOS and this is how all iPad apps should work between each other. It’s so freaking awesome—glues all our apps into a phenomenal productivity ecosystem.

“The Readdle Team hopes that Apple will introduce their own implementation of inter app drag and drop one day,” developers noted. “That will support other apps and make iPad a much better productivity device than it is now.”

New features in Documents 6

As mentioned earlier, Readdle's capable (and free) file manager, called Documents, is getting a major update today turning it into the iOS Finder you’ve always wanted. The update brings out various enhancements, including an overhauled design with Spark-like quick actions, an easier way to import files, improved file management, an all-new media player, on-the-fly editing of cloud files, music and video streaming and more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-314ezmBgE

According to Readdle:

iOS has always been a 'no-file-manager' system. Everything is taken care of by the apps. That’s a blessing and a curse at the same time.However, some of us are very comfortable with controlling things on our devices, especially when it comes to getting real work done.

This is why we created Documents, an extremely powerful, versatile hub for all of your files on iPhone or iPad. It’s your Swiss knife that removes iOS file management woes.

Documents has always been a powerful iOS file manager and now it's gotten even better.

The completely rethought user interface is very functional.

As the screenshots attest, you can now easily edit, zip, tag, move or sync your files with fewer taps than before. Bigger file preview thumbnails give you a better idea of the content of that Excel spreadsheet or PPT presentation before you even open it.

A prominently featured “+” button lets you quickly import files, including documents from your computer, Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, WebDAV or any other cloud-based storage source. Files are now organized into folders exactly the way you are comfortable with.

Just select one or a few of them and easily drag them to the right location. And with cross-app drag and drop support, you can move a single or multiple files between Documents and Spark, Scanner Pro or PDF Expert.

“The best part is that you can access any of the locally stored files in any app with the ‘Open in’ option,” notes Readdle. “This is a unique experience on iOS, and it’s what finally gives you that Finder feel on your iPhone or iPad.” Now you can work directly with your cloud files in Documents and even stream photos, videos and music from any cloud storage without needing to download the files to your device.

The new media player helps you organize your music into playlists, with the ability to shuffle and loop your favorite tracks. And if you have PDF Expert installed on your device, Documents will let you annotate and edit PDFs, fill out forms, sign applications and more.

If you haven't played with Documents before, you should really give it a try.

Acting a central hub for all of your files, it lets you view almost any file format natively, store your files directly on the device or connect to the popular cloud storage service to keep everything together in perfect sync.

Availability

Spark and Documents are available at no charge from App Store.

PDF Expert is $9.99 on App Store.

Scanner Pro is $3.99 on App Store.

You should really download the latest version of Spark, Documents, Scanner Pro and PDF Expert and see for yourself what kind of a productivity device your iPad can be with proper drag and drop support.

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At long last, Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 hits App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 24, 2017

Konami on Wednesday announced that its official Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 mobile game for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch has made its global debut across 150 countries. The game is available free of charge with non-compulsory In-App Purchases.

Optimized for a realistic football experience on mobile with swipe-to-pass and tap-to-shoot mechanics, the soccer simulation is built on the same game engine used in the original Pro Evolution Soccer console series, providing a fun and realistic soccer experience on-the-go.

Watch the official PES 2017 mobile trailer below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZIm9Eg2Kow

Featuring local and online multiplayer, official partnerships with club giants FC Barcelona, Liverpool FC and Borussia Dortmund, plus official licenses with top teams and players from Europe, Latin America and Asia, Pro Evolution Soccer is a no-brainer if you're a soccer fan.

Key highlights include:

The PES 2017 mobile experience—Take total control of every action on the field in a way that only the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise can deliver. Natural player movements, precision passing and in-depth tactics bring the true experience of the beautiful game to your mobile device. Swipe to pass, tap to shoot—Controller actions have been optimized to make playing on your mobile device feel as smooth and exciting as a PES action game should. Utilize advanced controls for precise passing and controlled shooting. Classic virtual pad controls are also available. Master your technique and feel the excitement of scoring the winning goal in the ultimate action soccer game. Official club partnerships— Scout and recruit thousands of soccer stars from the best teams in Europe, South America and Asia. Prepare to feel what it takes to play with or against stars like Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique. The official EUFA Champions League—Experience official visuals from the UEFA Champions League as you compete against the top teams in Europe. Build your winning eleven team—Acquire players through Scouts, Agents or the Scout Auction. Choose the best players to fit your unique tactics (e.g. Giroud has excellent physicality and Ozil excellent balance). Every player is unique and every match is a new experience. Local and online multiplayer—Challenge Friends in Local Match or discover new rivals in Online Match mode. PES 2017 mobile now lets you play PES on-the-go, anytime and anywhere.

As part of the launch, special scouts and agents will be available for a limited time through several in-game events.

Beginning today, you can earn players with high levels of shooting skills, like Lionel Messi and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, by participating in the Great Finishers event. Another event, called Step Up Challenge, lets you play against COM teams under certain conditions and receive prizes based on the number of wins earned.

Kick-Off Campaign bonuses will continue to be available through 4:59 UTC on August 23.

Kick-Off Campaign gives PES fans the opportunity to gain rare, minimum silver status-guaranteed players from partner clubs FC Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool FC.

For more details on these events, visit konami.com/wepes/mobile.

In case you've been sleeping under a rock for the past two decade or so, Pro Evolution Soccer is Konami's flagship series of football action games that have been enjoyed by football fans from around the world for more than 20 years.

The games sold more than 96 million copies worldwide, as of March 2017.

Download Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 for free from App Store.

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1Password’s Travel Mode protects your private data from unwarranted searches

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

Developer AgileBits announced yesterday a new Travel Mode feature in 1Password, its password manager for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows and the web. Designed to protect your sensitive data from unwarranted searches when crossing borders, Travel Mode removes all vaults from your devices except for the ones marked “safe for travel.”

Even if a security agent at the US border asks you to launch and unlock 1Password, they'll be unable to disable Travel Mode from within the app or even realize that the app is currently in Travel Mode, for that matter.

To mark the vaults as safe for travel, sign in to your account on 1Password.com.

Click the pencil icon on the vault you wanna mark as safe for travel, choose Safe for Travel and click Confirm. Right before you travel, turn on Travel Mode by clicking your account name in the top-right corner of the interface, choose My Profile and click Enable Travel Mode.

On the devices you’re traveling with, open and unlock the 1Password app.

Any vaults that haven’t been marked as safe for travel will be instantly removed from the app. Rather than simply hide the vaults, the app completely removes them from your devices, including all items and your encryption keys so there are no traces left for anyone to find.

 

When you’re done traveling, return to My Profile on 1Password.com and click Disable Travel Mode. Just like that, your temporarily removed vaults re-appear on your devices.

“Whenever you turn Travel Mode on or off, you’ll need to open 1Password on your devices while connected to the Internet for the change to take effect,” reads the FAQ on the official website.

AgileBits notes that Travel Mode is included with every 1Password subscription. If you’re a team administrator, you can turn Travel Mode on and off for team members and manage which vaults are safe for travel.

A single-user 1Password subscription cost $2.99 per month, or $4.99 per month for a multi-user family account. Separate subscription options for teams are available as well.

1Password for Mac is a freemium download from Mac App Store.

1Password for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch is available free on App Store.

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Customize the Camera app with SmartCameraShutter

Anthony Bouchard ∙ May 24, 2017

If you’re looking for new ways to customize the Camera app experience on your iPhone or iPad, then check out a new free jailbreak tweak called SmartCameraShutter by CydiaGeek.

This tweak offers a handful of options for chaging the look and feel of the Camera app’s user interface. Complete with both aesthetic and functional mods, SmartCameraShutter might be worth installing if the stock Camera app experience isn’t cutting it for you.

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LaunchInSafeMode lets you selectively launch apps without being affected by tweaks

Anthony Bouchard ∙ May 24, 2017

If you install jailbreak tweaks that modify certain apps in particular, then you might find a new free release dubbed LaunchInSafeMode by iOS developer inoahdev useful for troubleshooting when things stop working properly.

This tweak lets you launch individual apps into a “safe mode”-like state in which it launches without the effects of other jailbreak tweaks. In other words, it lets you see if a problem you’re experiencing is caused by a jailbreak tweak or something else.

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Pin important notes at the top of the Notes app with Thumbtack

Anthony Bouchard ∙ May 24, 2017

Your iPhone comes equipped with a Notes app right out of the box so you can write things down without forgetting them. On the other hand, people tend to jot down a large number of things, and this makes it hard to differentiate between regular and important notes.

One of the features the stock Notes app lacks is the ability to pin the most important notes so you can tell them apart, and that’s precisely that a new free jailbreak tweak dubbed Thumbtack by iOS developer Evil Penguin aims to fix.

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Not to be outdone by Instagram, Snapchat unveils custom Stories of its own

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 23, 2017

Just a few hours following Instagram's announcement regarding all-new location and hashtag-based Stories in the app's Explore tab, rival Snapchat just announced custom Stories of its own. Now there's a new way to create Stories in Snapchat 10.9 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

You can create a custom Story in a specific location or with your cherry-picked friends. “It's perfect for a trip, a birthday party or a new baby Story just for the family,” notes Snap.

Tap the Create Story icon in the top-right corner of the Stories screen to get started.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohN8cv7nUmA

Song: “Sunroof” by courtship

Of course, you have the tools at your disposal to control who can add to your Story and who can view it. And by using geofencing, you can attach your Story to a specific location. Your custom Story disappears automatically if no one has contributed to it in the past 24 hours.

Aside from custom Stories, this edition of Snapchat puts your own Bitmoji selfie inside your Snapcode. To change the mood of your Bitmoji, just tap the Edit Bitmoji command.

Grab Snapchat for free on App Store.

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Instagram rolls out location and hashtag Stories in Explore tab

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 23, 2017

Photo-sharing service Instagram today announced that all-new location and hashtag-enabled Stories are now available through the app's Explore tab. These newly added Stories features require Instagram version 10.22 for iPhone and iPad, available at no charge via App Store.

“Now you can see what’s happening around you and find stories related to your interests,” says Instagram. Location-based Stories appear in a new Story ring at the top of Explore.

Additionally, you can now search for any location around the world.

When you search for a location, you'll see a Story ring for that place at the top of the location page. Location and hashtag-enabled Stories appear at the top of the Explore tab only if their creators have used location stickers or a new hashtag sticker.

“We’re also beginning to introduce hashtag stories on Explore to help you find Stories related to your interests,” added the company. “When you search for a hashtag, you may see a Story ring at the top of the page filled with Stories using that hashtag.”

If your location or hashtag-enabled Story was included in the larger Story on Instagram, you’ll see a line at the top of your Stories viewer list which tells you how many people saw your Story as part of the larger Story. To use a location or hashtag sticker without your Story appearing on the Explore tab, tap the “X” on your Stories viewer list.

Instagram's previous update brought out Snapchat-like face filters for your selfies, an eraser brush and a new hashtag sticker. Location stories on Explore are available on iOS and Android as part of Instagram version 10.22 in App Store and Google Play.

Hashtag stories will be rolling out over the coming weeks.

You can learn more about these features in Instagram's Help Center.

Instagram for iOS is a free download from App Store.

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