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.
Whenever you listen to music on your iPhone, the Now Playing interface in Control Center is just a few swipes away. From here, you can see information about your song and control your music playback.
As convenient as the Now Playing page is, a new free jailbreak tweak called AMP by iOS developer CP Digital Darkroom makes the interface even easier to get to by making it the default Control Center card whenever media is playing.
The official sequel to Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is in the works and we already showed you a few screenshots taken from an early build of the game. Tuesday, developer Cornfox & Bros. shared the official gameplay video of the Oceanhorn sequel, titled Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm.
While still work in progress, the new gameplay footage clearly demonstrates that Oceanhorn 2 is shaping up to become one of the best-looking iPhone and iPad games on the market.
That's hardly a surprise given it's based on Epic's fantastic Unreal Engine 4.
“With Unreal Engine 4, we have hundreds of man years of video game development backing us up,” developers said. The gameplay video, embedded below, is actual unedited footage of Oceanhorn 2 captured on iPhone 7 Plus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRp5_TvU3oI
Your hero's journey will take him around the world.
The game sports a vast world map littered with fields, forests, mountains, water, towns and dungeons. An updated battle system consists of sword fighting, utilizing powerful spells and finding creative ways to use various items that you discover along the way.
Oceanhorn 2's main protagonist lives near an ancient structure, called Beacon, located in Arne Village, which is the starting location of his adventures.
To help players solve complex puzzles, lure enemies into traps or cast directed spells at them, Oceanhorn 2 introduces a cool gun that shoots magical projectiles. As a bonus, your character can carry and throw all sorts of objects.
Developers will be demoing Oceanhorn 2 at Epic's booth at the Nordic Game conference in Malmö, Sweden.
Although Oceanhorn released in September 2016 on PS4 and Xbox One as Cornfox's very first console game, it was ported over to iOS and Android. Just recently, the original Oceanhorn game has been confirmed as coming to the PS Vita handheld console on May 17.
The sequel is still in development, but we'll be making sure to keep you in the loop.
According to an Apple Support email sent out today, all native third-party apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac and other platforms will be required to use app-specific passwords to access user data stored in iCloud, not Apple ID credentials.
App-specific passwords went into effect in October 2014.
Back then, enabling two-step verification for Apple ID would turn on app-specific passwords for web-based apps and services. Starting on June 15, app-specific passwords will become a mandatory requirement for any native app that wishes to access user data in iCloud.
You can generate app passwords in the Password & Security section of the Apple ID website.
A password created for one app, like Outlook, doesn't work in another app like Spark.
Come June 15, you'll be automatically signed out of all apps that use your Apple ID credentials. As an example, if you set up Fantastical for Mac with your Apple ID to access your iCloud calendars, you'll need to generate an app-specific password to continue accessing your iCloud calendars from within the app on and after June 15.
In simpler terms, you'll be required to enable two-factor authentication for your Apple ID and generate individual passwords for each app after the cutoff date.
The change is platform-agnostic: if you use Windows 10's Mail app to receive your iCloud data like contacts and calendars, you'll need to create an app-specific password for it. This is for the sake of everyone's security because signing into third-party apps with your primary Apple ID password may expose you to various attacks and hacking attempts.
To be clear, this only affects apps which access iCloud in a non-native way, which includes email clients like Outlook, Thunderbird and others. If an app has been updated to use iCloud Drive, it won't need an app-specific password to access user data in iCloud.
Bottom line: Apple still lets you grant apps access to your iCloud data, but soon you'll be able to do so in such a way that keeps your primary Apple ID password safe and secure.
Apple's first-party apps are not affected by this change.
First introduced in 2012, Apple’s 7.9-inch iPad mini won't be updated going forward because the company is phasing out the device due to decreasing sales. A source close to the iPhone maker told BGR there’s “fierce cannibalism of Apple's own products” and that the iPad mini lineup has just been “sized out of its own category.”
The report does not detail when the device might be discontinued.
“We’re also told that the numbers are 'very clear' as far as sales are concerned, which is most likely the biggest reason the company plans to eliminate the littlest iPad,” reads the article.
Following the introduction of the new 9.7-inch iPad model in March 2017, Apple phased out both the original iPad mini and iPad Air 2 models.
Apple could unveil a new 10.5-inch iPad Pro at its annual developers conference next month. It's perfectly plausible that iPad mini won't be featured on Tim Cook's “2017 iPad lineup” slide.
The Cupertino company currently offers iPad mini 4 with Wi-Fi and 128 gigabytes of storage for $399. An LTE-enabled model goes for $529. Apple killed the 32-gigabyte iPad mini 4 edition after debuting the new 9.7-inch iPad model.
Japanese blog Mac Otakara claimed last October that Apple could release a fifth-generation iPad mini and market it as the 7.9-inch “iPad mini Pro.”
At any rate, iPad mini made a great choice for budget shoppers.
But with the September 2014 introduction of larger-screened iPhones, iPad mini has slowly but surely been losing its allure as a device that's perfectly suited for light tasks such as reading, checking email, browsing the web, gaming, messaging and so forth.
Should Apple discontinue iPad mini?
Post a comment below to let us know!
Instagram today announced several new capabilities for its mobile app, including selfie filters via the front-facing camera in what appears to be yet another effort to copy the last big Snapchat feature. Aside from face filters, Instagram 10.21 also includes a rewind playback option for videos, a new hashtag sticker an an eraser brush tool.
Face filtersWith all-new face filters in the Instagram camera, you can turn an ordinary selfie into something fun and entertaining. A total of eight different face filters are included at launch, with more to be added at a later stage via future updates. To get started with this feature, tap the new face icon in the bottom-right corner of the Instagram camera.
Simply tap a filter to try it on.
The filters include effects ranging from math equations swirling around your head to furry koala ears that move and twitch. “Whether you're sitting on the couch at home or out and about, face filters help you express yourself and have playful conversations with friends,” noted the Facebook-owned company.
https://vimeo.com/217551217
Some of the filters work with a friend.
Moreover, all the face filters included in this edition of Instagram work with Boomerang, meaning you can now add an unexpected twist to the videos you share.
Rewind option for videosInstagram also provides a new Rewind playback option for videos.
A new camera format next to “Boomerang” and “Hands-Free”, “Rewind” lets you share a rewind of your video. This mode captures your video normally, then makes it play in reverse.
Hashtag stickersA new hashtag sticker joins Instagram's existing stickers and geofilters. To get started with it, tap the sticker icon in the top-right corner, then choose and customize the new hashtag sticker before adding it to your own Story.
Like with mentions, you can add hashtags using regular text as well.
Hashtag stickers are interactive: folks watching your Story can tap the hashtag sticker or text to visit the hashtag page and explore related posts.
Eraser toolWith the new eraser brush, you can remove parts of drawings or color.
Instagram advises selecting the fill tool after you’ve taken a photo or video to fill the entire screen with color. Then, using the new Eraser tool, you can easily and quite creatively reveal parts of your photo or video underneath.
These new features are available as part of Instagram 10.21 for iOS.
To learn more about these updates, check out Instagram's Help Center.
Instagram is available at no charge from App Store.
The Now Playing interface found both on the Lock screen and in Control Center when you're listening to music is the main focus of a new jailbreak tweak dubbed Masq by iOS developer candoizo.
The tweak lets you spice up the look of each interface independently with themes and a trough of aesthetic options. Tailored for the creative mind, Masq is a great addition to themed devices and stock-looking devices alike.
Apple on Monday released iOS 10.3.2, watchOS 3.2.2, tvOS 10.2.1, and macOS Sierra 10.12.5 to the public. The updates feature various security patches, bug fixes and performance improvements, and come after more than a month of beta testing.
As you can see in the screenshot above, iOS 10.3.2 includes bug fixes and improves the security for iPhone and iPad. We know from beta release notes that it also features a small fix for SiriKit, meaning in-car commands should now work as intended.
There have been no major changes or features spotted in tvOS 10.2.1 or watchOS 3.2.2 either. However, Apple says that macOS Sierra 10.12.5 fixes an audio issue with USB headphones, enhances Mac App Store compatibility, and adds support for media-free installation of Windows 10 Creators Update using Boot Camp.
These will probably be the last public updates released before we get a preview of the next major versions of each platform at WWDC next month. The software can be installed either via the OTA mechanism, or directly from our Downloads page.
After unveiling Assistant at Google I/O a year ago, the search giant is now expected to bring its AI conversational helper to iPhone and iPad in the form of a standalone app, AndroidPolice reported Monday. The app should be announced at Google's annual developers conference, which kicks off on Wednesday, May 17, at Shoreline Amphitheatre Mountain View in California.
Assistant for iOS will only be available in the US at launch, said a trusted source cited in the report. Assistant's SDK was just made available to developers so bringing the app to Apple's mobile platform could encourage more developers to integrate with its functionality.
Here's an excerpt from the article:
The app would likely feature a blend of the "chat" style functionality in the Google Allo version of Assistant and the voice-controlled version found on Android, but again, details are scant.
Rather than roll out Assistant as a standalone app, Google could fold its functionality into the existing search app for iOS, which supports Google Now cards but not Assistant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsic12MXlsc
A company executive hinted two months ago that Google's general philosophy is that “we would like to have the Assistant available to as many people as possible.”
After debuting exclusively on Google's Pixel line of smartphones in October of last year, Google Assistant soon after made its way into into Google’s voice-activated speaker, called Home, the latest version of Android Wear and a few devices from third-party vendors.
It powers AI features in Google's messaging app Allo and will be at the heart of the new Android operating system for touchscreen car consoles and in-car infotainment systems.
You can expect the feature to become integrated over time into virtually every major device Google makes, as well as into its most important consumer-facing services and mobile apps.
Australian leakster Sonny Dickson today shared claimed photographs that allegedly show a fully functional engineering prototype of Apple's original iPad model. You may remember Dickson as he was behind other leaks and in the past provided us with photographs of an early iPhone prototype with a click-wheel.
Dating back to six months before launch, the prototype unit shown on the images runs Apple's internal diagnostics software, called SwitchBoard. It was allegedly manufactured in January 2010, approximately six months prior to the launch of the device, Dickson told 9to5Mac.
“According to the owner, the unit was discovered several years ago in the Bay Area, enclosed in a thick metal case to disguise its appearance,” he said.
As you can see for yourself, the Apple logo on the prototype's rear side features some sort of etching.
Other things we can glean from the images include the prototype serial numbers, Apple Development Team prototype identification stickers, engineering asset tags identifying the manufacturer of each part, cutouts revealing the Wi-Fi antenna connections and more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knJNtkRyO9E
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“On the front side of the iPad, the corresponding Development Team ID number is laser engraved into the glass in three places,” Dickson noted.
Seven years since debuting the original iPad, Apple is poised to launch a brand new 10.5-inch model at its upcoming annual developers conference in June. The device is expected to have a similar form factor to the 9.7-inch iPad model, but with a larger 10.5-inch display thanks to the narrower side bezels.
Nintendo's next big franchise coming to iPhone and other smartphones will be The Legend of Zelda, a high-fantasy action-adventure RPG video game series created by the legendary Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka.
The iOS port of The Legend of Zelda should hit App Store either in in the latter half of 2017 or in 2018, following the release of Animal Crossing for iOS, according to sources speaking with The Wall Street Journal.
The mobile game will be developed by DeNA, the studio behind Super Mario Run and Fire Emblem Heroes.
As mentioned, Animal Crossing for iPhone will be coming out some time in the second half of 2017, followed by the official Legend of Zelda game for smartphones. Separately, the report mentions that the Pokemon Company is working on a new digital card game app, too.
If you've never played The Legend of Zelda, you should give it a try as it's one of Nintendo's most successful franchises, selling over 75 million copies as of 2016.
The game's chief protagonist is named Link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rweamiexWHU
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The series' installments typically task the player with rescuing Princess Zelda and the kingdom of Hyrule from Ganon, who is the game's key antagonist. The games' plots commonly involve a relic known as the Triforce, which is basically a set of three omnipotent golden triangles.
Following its 1986 debut, The Legend of Zelda has expanded to include 19 entries on all of Nintendo's major game consoles, as well as a number of spin-offs. The series even gave birth to an American animated TV series and individual manga adaptations in Japan.
Following a multi-year hiatus from mobile, Nintendo eventually committed to bringing some of its most-prized intellectual property to smartphones, starting with the Miitomo app and on to Super Mario Run for iPhone and the iOS version of Fire Emblem Heroes.
Image: Breath of the Wild, the latest title in the Zelda series, is currently available for Nintendo's Switch and Wii U consoles.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says there's over 70 percent likelihood that Apple's rumored 10.5-inch iPad Pro with a redesigned chassis is formally announced at the June 5 WWDC keynote as suppliers are gearing up for volume production in early June.
In his Saturday research note to clients, titled “2017 WWDC highlights” and seen by MacRumors, the analyst wrote that Apple's engineers were able to squeeze a 10.5-inch display into a similar form factor to the existing 9.7-inch iPads due to the narrower side bezels on the upcoming 10.5-inch iPad Pro model.
Here's an excerpt from the note:
The newly designed 10.5-inch iPad Pro will have a similar form factor to the 9.7-inch model, but will feature a larger display thanks to narrow bezels. The new design should improve the user experience and help gain traction in the corporate and commercial sectors.
He added that Foxconn will be assemble the new device, while GIS will be the sole supplier of touch panel modules. KGI forecast 10.5-inch iPad Pro shipments of five to six million units in fiscal 2017, accounting for fifteen percent of total fiscal 2017 iPad shipments.
The analyst did not specify if the upcoming device will have the traditional LCD screen or one based on AMOLED display technology like iPhone 8. For what it's worth, Kuo said in August 2016 that a “revolutionary” iPad model with flexible AMOLED panels and other “radical changes” in form factor design shouldn't be expected before 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knJNtkRyO9E
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For the sake of completeness, we should mentioned that KGI speculated last October that the device would sport the same 2,7320-by-2,048 pixel resolution as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, with the same pixel density as the iPad mini 4 at 326 pixels per inch.
At that resolution, the width of the 10.5-inch iPad model would be the same height as the current iPad mini models, meaning users could be able to run two full-sized windows side-by-side in iOS’s Split View multitasking mode.
Raymond Soneira, a display expert and president of DisplayMate Technologies, thinks that if the new 10.5-inch iPad shrinks the bezel and keeps the outside dimensions the same, then the display aspect ratio will increase from the current 1.33 to as high as 1.50.
“The screen area would then increase by up to 31 percent. However, with no bezel at all the screen diagonal would then be 11.2 inches for the same outside dimensions as the current 9.7-inch iPad model with the rounded corners,” he added.
WWDC kicks off with a keynote address at 10:00am Pacific Time on Monday, June 5.
Image: 9.7-inch iPad Pro with a 10.5-inch piece of paper overlaid via Dan Provost.
Just when we thought we were going through a small lull in the jailbreak community, Cydia is sparking up again with some jailbreak tweak releases that you can use to make your device do awesome new things it normally can't do out of the box.
Int his roundup, we'll discuss all the jailbreak tweaks that were released throughout the week, starting with our favorites and then outlining the rest of them afterwards.