Apps

Final Fantasy IX hits iOS with 20% launch sale

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 9, 2016

In a surprise launch this morning, publisher Square Enix unleashed Final Fantasy IX upon the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. This classic role-playing game, which originally released for Sony's PlayStation console back in 2000, is now available in the App Store with a special 20 percent launch sale for $16.99.

Designed to let players relive the adventures of Zidane and his crew in the palm of their hands, Final Fantasy IX brings Game Center achievements, autosave, crisp graphics with high-def movies and character models, seven game boosters like high-speed and no-encounter modes and other perks.

Vine app gains 3D Touch, caption editing and post ordering features

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

Vine, a Twitter owned mobile application for short-form video sharing, has been updated in the App Store this morning with three new features. For starters, owners of the iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s plus can press Vine's icon on the Home screen to access a shortcut menu with a pair of options to make a Vine or jump into the Explore feed.

In addition, you can now edit your Vine’s caption for a brief period after you post and watch an account’s Vines in any order you want.

IGN names Heroes Reborn: Enigma for iOS its Free Game of the Month

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 9, 2016

IGN has named Phosphor Games Studio's first person action-puzzle game Heroes Reborn: Enigma its free title for the month of February 2016, marking the first time the $4.99 game has gone free since its October 2015 debut.

The game has you playing as Dahlia, an evolved human with incredible powers. You must solve various puzzles and survive tests in order to escape captivity at The Quarry, a secret government facility.

How to make the most of 3D Touch in Phone app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 9, 2019

Our 3D Touch tutorial series has so far covered various user interface shortcuts and 3D Touch Peek and Pop gestures in several Apple stock apps like Messages, Safari, Mail, iBooks and Apple Maps.

Today, we're going to discuss how pressure-sensing screens enhance the Phone app, one of the most frequently used stock apps on iPhones. Here's how to make the most of 3D touch and the Phone app.

Accessing Facebook in Safari can increase iPhone 6s Plus battery life by 15 percent

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 8, 2016

According to The Guardian's technology reporter Samuel Gibbs, uninstalling Facebook's battery draining iOS app and accessing the mobile Facebook interface through the Safari browser can boost an iPhone 6s Plus's battery life by as much as fifteen percent.

Gibbs cited his own testing, which has revealed that Facebook's mobile application continues to drain the life out of an iPhone's battery even when it isn’t being actively used.

Get where you’re going with fewer steps using these 3D Touch shortcuts in Apple Maps

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 29, 2019

Getting where you’re going with fewer steps is a lot easier with time-saving 3D Touch shortcuts in Apple Maps. For example, pressing the Maps icon on the Home screen lets you instantly get directions home, send your location to a friend, search what’s nearby or drop a pin on your current location so you can remember where you parked your car.

And within the Maps app, 3D-touching a point of interest lets you preview it quickly, navigate there, call the place and more.

In this tutorial, you're going to learn about all the ways you can take advantage of 3D Touch shortcuts that are currently supported in Apple Maps.

Design app Over goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ February 4, 2016

Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with a new app called Over. This means that from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the popular typography and design app for free for both iPhone and iPad—saving you a solid $4.

For those who haven't used the app before, Over allows you to spruce up your photos with a wide variety of tools including text, with more than 300 fonts, 800+ illustrations and more. Plus, the interface is so well done that accessing all these features is a breeze.

Instagram rolls out support for multiple accounts to some iOS users

Cody Lee ∙ February 4, 2016

It appears Instagram has begun testing support for multiple accounts on iOS. As noted by the folks at Latergramme, a number of iPhone users began noticing the new option on Thursday, which allows you to add and sign out of more than one account.

To see if you have access to the feature, make sure you have the latest version of the Instagram app, and click the Options icon in the top right-hand corner of your Profile page. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and you'll see the new 'Add Account' option.

Review: this exquisitely done astronomical clock for iPhone might cure your Apple Watch envy

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 2, 2016

It's funny how the Apple Watch's debut prompted Apple bloggers to become self-proclaimed horology experts. I never pretended to be one, but as an amateur astronomer think Apple should be credited for going to great lengths in paying homage to the traditional environment in which horology was developed by putting strong emphasis on the device's advanced timekeeping features and features like the cool Astronomy and Solar watch faces.

You don't need to own an Apple Watch if you're eager to discover the fascinating relation between time and the cosmos, all you need is a superb iPhone app by Swiss developer (how appropriate!) Celestial Dynamics, called Cosmic Watch.

New in Google app: 3D Touch for ‘I’m Feeling Curious’

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 1, 2016

Google today issued a nice little update to its mobile search application for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. In addition to the usual assortment of bug fixes and stability improvements, version 12.0 delivers a novel use case for the 3D Touch feature on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus: if you press the Google app icon on your Home screen, you'll get a shortcuts menu with a new “I’m Feeling Lucky” option.

It's the mobile equivalent of Google's legendary “I’m Feeling Lucky” feature on the web which delivers a fun, interesting fact. But the new app has another surprise up its sleeve, provided your device is running iOS 9.

Revamped NHL app with HD live video, picture-in-picture support and more now available

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 1, 2016

Today, the National Hockey League (NHL) has rebooted its iOS application with tons of goodies, including full support for iOS 9 features like picture-in-picture mode on compatible iPad models.

The new NHL 7.0 app delivers high-definition live video streaming at a silky smooth sixty frames per second on the iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6s Plus.

It also provides the ability to subscribe to NHL Premium, a new package that lets you watch the dramatic final minutes of NHL games, including 3-on-3 OT and shootouts, and extended highlight packages, and includes a bunch of other enhancements that hockey fans will very much appreciate.

Mac email client Airmail hits iPhone with snooze, 3D Touch, interactive notifications and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 1, 2016

Airmail, the popular desktop email client for the Mac, is now available for the iPhone and iPod touch. Lightweight and fast, Airmail by Italy-based developer Bloop packs in a number of advanced features such as support for 3D Touch shortcuts on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, interactive notifications, snooze features, customizable actions and appearance, iCloud sync and much more.

The app is available in the App Store for $4.99.