Apps

Facebook Messenger passes half a billion users

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 10, 2014

Facebook's dedicated instant messaging application for iOS, Android and Windows Phone, Facebook Messenger, is now used by more than 500 million people around the world each month, said the social networking giant Monday.

That's a massive number, but still half of what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said constitutes a platform in the truest sense.

By comparison, WhatsApp, which Facebook acquired in February 2014 for $19 billion, currently has more than 600 million active users. Instagram, another Facebook property, counts more than 200 million users.

Notability updated with iOS 8 compatibility, iPhone 6 support, new light/dark themes and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 10, 2014

Notability by Ginger Labs, Apple's Free App of the Week in May 2014 and one of the most popular note-taking apps in the App Store, on Monday issued its long-expected iOS 8 compatibility release in the App Store.

Version 5.3 offers support for iOS 8 and the new 4.7 and 5.5-inch resolutions of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, respectively.

In addition to enhancing compatibility with the current version of Apple’s mobile operating system, this edition of Notability brings out a pair of new themes, revamped icons and menus in line with the overall iOS 8 look and feel and improvements regarding iCloud Drive support.

Notability for the iPhone and iPad is $2.99 in the App Store. The Mac edition will run you ten bucks.

IGN names ‘Ridge Racer Slipstream’ its Free Game of the Month

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Heads up gamers, IGN has named BANDAI NAMCO's 'Ridge Racer Slipstream' its Free Game of the Month for November. So for those who missed it when it was Apple's App of the Week earlier this year, you now have the chance to grab the popular game for free.

Normally priced at $2.99, Ridge Racer Slipstream recreates the ultimate arcade racing franchise on your iPhone and iPad with console-quality graphics and high octane gameplay. It includes 12 customizable cars, over 100 competitions and a lengthy career mode.

Fleksy Keyboard can now use iOS typing shortcuts

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 3, 2017

Despite not being an avid user of third-party keyboards in iOS 8, I'm always eager to try out any new soft-keyboard that hits the App Store.

Fleksy's recent update caught my attention by making me realize that I didn't know everything there is about the scope and limitations of third-party keyboards under iOS 8.

For example, did you know soft-keyboards are allowed to use your typing shortcuts defined in Settings > General > Keyboard > Shortcuts? Fleksy's latest update has implemented just that and it works like a charm.

Fleksy Keyboard costs $0.99 in the App Store.

Facebook introduces new ways to customize your News Feed

Cody Lee ∙ November 7, 2014

As part of an ongoing mission to improve its News Feed experience, Facebook today announced that it has built and updated a few tools to help you customize the content you see everyday. These tools are located in the News Feed settings menu (More > Help & Settings, on mobile).

Of course customizing your News Feed is all about controlling who you see posts from. Starting today, you'll be able to quickly unfollow and re-follow people, Pages and Groups. Unfollowing of course means you're still friends with the user, but will no longer see their status updates.

Vevo’s iOS app gains Recently Watched, Google login, search improvements and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Vevo, a video hosting service operated by a joint venture of Universal Music Group, Google, Sony Music Entertainment and Abu Dhabi Media, on Friday refreshed its iPhone and iPad application with a few new features.

You can now log in to the app using a Google Account and keep track of what you've watched in a new "Recently Watched" section. You should see improvements in Vevo's search and visual tweaks on the browse page and artist pages.

Vero is available at no cost in the App Store.

Apple updates iMovie for iOS with support for iCloud Photo Library

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

Apple has posted updates for a number of its iOS apps today including Beats Music, iWork suite and more. Most of the releases are fairly insignificant, with only 'minor stability and performance improvements' listed in their change logs, but iMovie got some extra attention.

In addition to 'performance and stability improvements,' iMovie for iOS received support for iCloud Photo Library and the ability to share videos with iCloud Photo Sharing. Apple also says that it has resolved the issue that occurred when rotating a device in landscape mode.

Slated keyboard for iOS 8 translates text in real time

Cody Lee ∙ November 6, 2014

The folks at Gist have added a new third party iOS 8 keyboard for your consideration, called Slated. Admittedly, this area is starting to become crowded, but unlike the other offerings that aim to add colors or new input methods to your keyboard, it has a more serious task.

Slated has the ability to translate what you type into more than 80 languages, in real time. Simply pick a language, start typing, and watch the evolving translation appear below the text entry field. It also translates backwards, so you can participate in complete conversations.

Google Drive gains Touch ID, iPhone 6/6 Plus support, Storage extension and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 6, 2014

After adding passcode protection to Google Drive for the iPhone and iPad half a year ago, Google on Thursday added more coolness to the software.

First and foremost, the app now includes full support for iOS 8 technologies and can finally lock itself behind Touch ID fingerprint authentication.

And should you happen to own one of the new 4.7-inch iPhone 6 or 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus devices, Google Drive will take full advantage of the increased resolutions to show more files and content.

They've also added a new option to save videos from Drive to your device and implemented a handy system-wide Storage extension allowing you to access your Drive in almost any iOS 8 app.

Google Drive is available at no cost in the App Store.

Google Maps with OpenTable reservations, Uber integration and Material Design now rolling out

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 6, 2014

Announced yesterday, a much-improved Google Maps for the iPhone and iPad featuring Material Design appearance, OpenTable reservations, Uber integration and more is now rolling out in App Stores worldwide.

Featuring engaging animations, shadows and depth — courtesy of Google's newly-found design language for desktop, mobile and the web — Google Maps 4.0 promises to be the funnest version of the app to date.

The search giant says the layers and buttons “come to life so you know just where to touch to get directions, recommendations and imagery.”

Download the app now, give it a whirl and tell us how you liked it in comments.

Google Maps 4.0 is free in the App Store.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint hit iPhone: Dropbox support, new features, basic editing now free

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 6, 2014

Thursday, software maker Microsoft announced immediate availability of Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps for the iPhone following the release of Office for iPad applications back in March 2014.

Moreover, the company has refreshed the entire iOS Office suite with Dropbox integration and adding other new features to “ensure a consistently beautiful and productive Office experience on every device”.

In addition to the new Office for iPhone and update iPad apps, Word, Excel and PowerPoint are coming to Android tablets with the start of Microsoft's Office for Android tablet Preview program. Finally, brand new, touch-optimized Office apps for Windows 10 are in the works and “we’ll have more to share soon”.

Universal Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps are free in the App Store.

Runtastic’s new iPhone app improves your sleep habits

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 6, 2014

Runtastic on Thursday released an interesting new iPhone application in the App Store which focuses on improving your sleep habits without using a wearable device, bedside sensor or any kind of special hardware.

The new Sleep Better software is fully integrated with Apple's HealthKit platform so it can optionally upload your sleep data to Apple's Health app on iOS 8, allowing you to access and view all of your health and fitness data on one comprehensive dashboard.

Tapping the iPhone's many sensors and supporting Airplane mode, Sleep Better not only tracks your sleep patterns such as Cycles, Duration and Efficiency, it also tracks moon phases and offers Smart Alarm and Wake-Up Window features and more.

Sleep Better is available free in the App Store, with advanced features locked behind a one-time In-App Purchase.