Apps

8bit Doves is Apple’s new Free App of the Week

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 12, 2015

Today is the day Apple's editorial team gets to cherry-pick a new iOS app to feature as the App Store's Free App of the Week. Are you ready for something completely different this time around? Good, because this week's gem of a game is 8bit Doves (regularly $2.99).

The charming retro title incorporates a Gameboy like color scheme and pixelated graphics which evokes pleasant memories of the golden age of 8-bit gaming.

Spread across three worlds (Sweet Dreams, Deep Sleep and Nightmare), 8bit Doves employs simple mechanics in the form of an intuitive two button gameplay. Your goal is simple: you must fly through each stage and reach the exit. Those who manage to get doves to follow them along the way will earn some extra bonus bragging rights on Game Center.

Fleksy Keyboard gains Tips and Color Pops extensions, three new themes and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 22, 2017

Fleksy, a popular 99-cent keyboard for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 8 or later, has received another newsworthy update following its equally massive Valentine's Day release.

A dedicated Tips Extension shows you helpful tips throughout the app while a new Color Pops Extension lets you customize the colors of your key pops (disable them completely via a transparancy slider).

BBM for iPhone updated with Touch ID and landscape support, ad removal and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 12, 2015

The latest BBM for iPhone update is now available for iOS users in the App Store, featuring support for Touch ID-based fingerprint verification, a custom PIN feature, the ability to remove in-app advertising through an In-App Purchase and more.

The free messaging software can now at last be locked with a passcode and Touch ID to keep your messages hidden from prying eyes. You can set how long you would like BBM to remain unlocked before a password is required again.

Full-width timeline photos launching today on Twitter for iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

Twitter, a 140-character messaging service and a social platform, today said that it's supersizing photos in mobile apps for the iPhone and Android.

Bigger photos should make browsing profiles on Twitter for iPhone “even more fun” while allowing for more visual impact, according to a tweet issued Wednesday.

The visual types are going to have a field day seeing full-bleed images in their timeline. Suffice it to say, this is a cool improvement compared to small thumbnails that needed to be tapped on to enlarge.

Twitter for iPhone and iPad is available free in the App Store.

Review: Nokia’s new HERE for iPhone mapping app gives Apple and Google a run for their money

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 17, 2015

After launching its HERE mapping service on iOS only to pull it in December 2013 over unfavorable reception (it was based on HTML5, had limited features and wasn't optimized for iOS), Nokia last September and again in December promised to deliver a mapping experience the iPhone deserves.

Today, the company has made good on that promise and released a sleek new navigation and mapping software for the iPhone with the features and the polished feel that you'd rightly expect from a mapping app.

Nokia HERE features a nicely done user interface that honors iOS aesthetics while delivering a set of advanced features like turn-by-turn directions, rich database of points of interest and perks which cannot be found in Apple Maps, Google Maps and many other competing products, such as offline navigation and maps.

I've had a few days to play with the app ahead of its launch, this is what I was able to glean from my hands-on time with HERE.

Tempo gets a facelift, now optimized for iPhone 6 screens and with reminder improvements

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Tempo Smart Calendar for iOS received a significant update today. The iPhone and iPad application now has a new look and feel and takes full advantage of the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus resolutions while introducing several improvements to reminders.

Moreover, the team has improved Tempo's localization to several languages and made other notable change that elevate your overall experience with the software.

Google releases new Calendar app for iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

As promised in November, Google today released a new Calendar app for iPhone. The app features the company's highly regarded Material Design UI, and a host of powerful features that should appease folks in the Google ecosystem.

Among those features is its close integration with Gmail, allowing it to cull data from your inbox. So say you receive a confirmation email after purchasing concert tickets, the app will automatically add that event to your calendar.

Screenshots show WhatsApp for iOS’ calling feature currently in beta

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Italian blog iPhoneItalia has posted a series of screenshots showing the new calling feature currently in beta testing for WhatsApp, the hugely popular communications app owned by Facebook.

WhatsApp has been rolling out the functionality to select users as part of a beta testing program over the past few months, with plans to release it to the public in the near future. Since more texts in the world are being sent through WhatsApp than traditional SMS, the new VOIP calling from WhatsApp could be a very big deal.

IGN names “Sky Gamblers: Cold War” its Free Game of the Month

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Heads up gamers, IGN has just named "Sky Gamblers: Cold War" its Free Game of the Month for March. The title has an impressive rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars in the App Store, on thousands of reviews, and it typically retails for $4.99.

Cold War holds true to the popular flight simulator franchise, providing console-quality gameplay on the go. You can choose from over 12 beautiful planes to pilot, and participate in a variety of single-player and multiplayer game modes.

Amazon Game Studios announces four new mobile games coming to iOS platform

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 30, 2016

Amazon Game Studios, a games-publishing arm of the online retail giant, announced it will soon be bringing four new iPhone and iPad games to the iOS platform.

“We’re excited to share that two new games, Lost Within and Til Morning’s Light along with customer favorites Tales From Deep Space and To-Fu Fury, will be coming soon to iOS and more Fire devices,” said the studio in a media release Friday.

Apple names Temple Run: Oz its new Free App of the Week

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

The exhilarating sequel to the classic endless runner with a Disney movie tie-in throw in for good measure, Temple Run: Oz is now available at no cost until next Thursday as part of Apple's ongoing Free App of the Week promotion.

Released precisely on this day a year ago, this marks the first time Temple Run: Oz has been marked down to zero bucks on the App Store (regularly $1.99).

The game is based on the 2013 film 'Oz the Great and Powerful' and features the same great gameplay as the original infinite runner, with an Oz twist to it.

5 new indie iPhone and iPad games worth playing

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 5, 2015

Like any Thursday, last evening the App Store was refreshed with a myriad of new game releases. Rather than highlight juicy games like Real Steel Champions, Warhammer: Snotling Fling and other new arrivals from big name publishers, this time around I've decided to do something entirely different.

Therefore: introducing a list of new game releases by independent publishers that I think deserve additional exposure and your attention.

Without further ado, here are five indie games that I think you should definitely check out and hopefully put on your Home screen.