Apps

Gameloft previews Dungeon Hunter 5 with a new multiplayer system, launching later this year

French mobile games maker Gameloft has formally announced Dungeon Hunter 5, the latest installment in its role-playing series that invites you to rediscover the thrill of dungeon crawling.

Launching soon on the iPhone, iPad and Android, Dungeon Hunter 5 will be “the most immersive, accomplished and addictive chapter of the acclaimed action RPG saga,” promises the blurb.

Chrome for iOS refreshed with Material Design, Handoff, iPhone 6 support and more

Google on Tuesday issued a much appreciated refresh to its Chrome mobile browser for the iPhone and iPad. Chrome version 40 brings out a reworked appearance built around Material Design, Google's guidelines for the look and feel of software across mobile, desktop and the web.

Material Design in Chrome brings “bold graphics, fluid motion and tactile surfaces,” as per release notes accompanying the 58-megabyte download.

In addition to Material Design, the new Chrome also supports Handoff, an iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite feature allowing you to start browsing on your iPhone or iPad and pick up on your Mac's default browser right where you left off.

MapQuest gains enhanced navigation, picks up a host of other improvements

AOL today refreshed its MapQuest mapping and GPS navigation app for iOS with several new features that elevate the experience, including in-route navigation improvements, tighter integration with Yelp data, the ability to buy tickets and send feedback in the app and more.

A clearer on-map directive will give you a heads-up on your next turn while the improved list view for your route now automatically scrolls turn-by-turn statements with your progress “so the next maneuver is always easy to see.”

Meet Coolors for iOS, a simple and free color palette generator

No matter if you're designing a website, creating a brochure, writing a game or just messing around in creative apps like Adobe Illustrator or Pixelmator, the key to attracting your audience's imagination is choosing the right set of colors.

While mobile and desktop applications aimed at artists and designers allow you to experiment with varied color palettes, setting RGB values manually can be a tedious task that gets old fast. What if there was a simpler way of generating endless color palettes on the go?

Coolors by Fabrizio Bianchi does just that!

Bowling Central teams up with your Apple TV for Wii-like bowling action

Rolocule, the veteran developers behind games like Motion Tennis and Dance Party, is back with perhaps its most ambitious title ever called Bowling Central. At its core, the game offers a stellar mobile bowling experience, with state-of-the-art physics, stunning 3D graphics and over 30 unique challenges. But things get really interesting when you turn on your Apple TV.

Utilizing Apple's AirPlay Mirroring technology, Bowling Central can stream gameplay footage from your iOS device to your television set by way of Apple TV. This not only gives you a much better view of the game, but it also frees up your iPhone or iPod touch to be used as a controller for what is best described as a Wii-like gaming experience. Here, check out the demo:

Kickstarter revamps iOS app, adds iPad UI, iPhone 6 support and more

The official Kickstarter app is now available on the iPad, nearly two years following its iPhone debut in February of 2013. Not only does the software sport native tablet interface, it's been thoroughly redesigned as well and now looks way more in line with iOS 8's design aesthetics.

Those who have purchased an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus will be happy to know that Kickstarter will now take full advantage of the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screen resolutions rather than look like a ridiculously blown up version of its former self.

One-stop shop for your entertainment needs: Time Inc. releases new iOS video streaming app

Publishing company Time Inc. has released a new application that acts as a one-stop shop for video content from its many properties.

The Daily Cut, now available free in the App Store, lets you stream videos produced by Time, Sports Illustrated, People, Instyle, Entertainment Weekly, Real Simple, Golf, Cooking Light, Southern Living, Fortune, Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure, Essence and a plethora of other brands and channels.

Though basically an iOS version of Time Inc.'s newly launched website of the same name, available at dailycut.com, the app is pretty nicely done and has some compelling features you should know about.

Microsoft’s OneNote for iPhone picks up Today widget and Recent Notes feature

Slowly but surely, Microsoft's Evernote killer, OneNote, has been picking up major iOS 8-specific features.

The app already boasts Touch ID verification and native Share sheet functionality, has its own Document Storage extension, syncs data in the background and has native display support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus resolutions.

Friday, the software giant pushed a new update giving the iPhone edition of OneNote a much-needed Today widget and another new feature listing your recently accessed notes, no matter which device they're on.

Book accommodations in just two taps with Booking.com’s redesigned, rebranded app

Booking.com, a Priceline-owned hotel reservation service which Planet Earth named its #1 Accommodation Site, has had a pair of nice apps in the App Store for quite some time now.

The first, Booking.com Hotel Reservations Worldwide & Hotel Deals, lets you browse over 550,000 properties and find your ideal accommodation.

The other, Booking.com Tonight, has just been rebranded as Booking Now. Featuring a fresh new coat of paint giving it a modern appearance, the app also introduces new features such as personalized search results, quicker bookings of accommodations within 48 hours and more.

Monument Valley devs reveal $5.8M in revenue and other interesting stats

Mobile game developers Ustwo published a blog post today revealing some interesting figures on their hit game Monument Valley. For those unfamiliar with the title, it's a popular indie puzzler that took home several awards and was Apple's iPad Game of the Year in 2014.

Among the stats provided by the devs is that Monument Valley has been installed on over 10 million unique devices since it debuted in April last year. Due to piracy and promotions, it's only seen around 2.4 million "official sales," but that still translates into $5.8 million.

Apple names ‘Marvel Pinball’ its free App of the Week

Apple has just named ZEN Studios' 'Marvel Pinball' its App of the Week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the popular arcade game for both iPhone and iPad for free—saving you a buck.

Marvel Pinball combines your favorite super heroes with a fast-paced arcade experience. In the game, players are tasked with using they're pinball skills to help the legendary Marvel heroes rid their universe of a horde of notorious super villains.