Apps

Amazon updates Instant Video for iOS 8 and iPhone 6, improves playback experience

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 7, 2014

The online retail giant Amazon on Tuesday refreshed its Instant Video iOS client for the iPhone and iPad with iOS 8 compatibility and native support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus display sizes.

Aside from these compatibility fixes, the release adds a pair of enhancements aimed at improving your video-watching experience.

The latest version 2.9 is available free of charge in the App Store, arriving a month following version 2.8 which brought us a brand new search history feature and quick resume capability.

Former Microsoftie releases Talko for iPhone, a new take on unified messaging software

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 4, 2018

Ray Ozzie, Microsoft's former Chief Technical Officer and Chief Software Architect, has released a brand new iPhone application which promises to “give people their voices back,“ as journalist Steven Levy put it in a hands-on post on Medium.

Named Talko, it combines phone calling, text messaging, virtual conferencing and photo sharing into a single app that lets you talk to people, exchange messages, organize conversations with #tags and audio bookmarks, share photos in an Instagram-y fashion and more.

The app is available free in the App Store.

Cycloramic for iPhone 6 utilizes power adapter to capture 360-degree hands-free video

Cody Lee ∙ October 7, 2014

First introduced in 2012, Cycloramic has received much acclaim for its ability to capture 360-degree hands-free video using custom vibration patterns in the iPhone 5/5s. The app was even featured on the popular TV show Shark Tank, where it garnered a $500K investment from billionaire Mark Cuban.

But when Apple introduced the iPhone 6, with its slimmer profile and rounded edges, a lot of folks wondered what was going to happen to Cycloramic. After all, without the squared base, how was it going to keep the handset standing upright while spinning? The answer: use its power adapter as a base.

Google updates Gmail for iOS with iPhone 6 and 6 Plus support

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 11, 2016

The Internet giant Google has at last gotten around to updating the native Gmail application for iOS with native display support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

As a result, owners of these new devices can finally enjoy crisp typography and user interface while taking full advantage of the bigger canvas to see more of their emails and inbox without scrolling.

Now available in the App Store free of charge, the new Gmail version 3.1415926 only lists native support for the new iPhone display sizes.

1Password updated with iPhone 6 support, Touch ID timeout improvements and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Developer AgileBits on Monday issued 1Password 5.1 adding native display support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and fixing a number of issues and oversights related to the Touch ID and PIN Code features.

This release also introduces some new capability such as the ability to add brand new tags to your items, enable or disable third-party custom keyboards within the Advanced Settings and more, while fixing “the most popular issues and crashes”.

1Password has recently gone the freemium route and now offers basic features free of charge, with advanced features available through Apple's In-App Purchases mechanism.

Grab Ski Safari: Adventure Time, IGN’s latest free game of the month

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 6, 2014

IGN has named Cartoon Network's Ski Safari: Adventure Time its Free Game of the Month for October. Simply visit IGN's promo webpage here and click the big red 'Get My Free Game' button in order to redeem your free copy of the iPhone and iPad game, a 99-cent saving.

Filing as a stunt skiing endless runner, this hilarious game features Finn, a silly kid with an awesome hat, and Jake, a brassy dog with a big kind heart.

You'll be skiing with your butt and sliding your way through themed worlds like Ice Kingdom, Fire Kingdom, Candy Kingdom, the Forbidden Dungeon and the Mystery Mountains.

The game features mathematical costumes, algebraic stunts, the ability to hitch a ride with Cartoon Network's popular characters, including Jake, LSP, Flame Princess, Marceline, Princess Bubblegum, Lady Rainicorn, Ice King and Gunter, and much more.

Modern Combat 5: Blackout on sale for first time ever

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Great news gamers! Gameloft has placed its hit FPS shooter Modern Combat 5: Blackout on sale for the first time ever this weekend. The game, which has garnered a rating of 4 out of 5 stars on nearly 5000 reviews in iTunes, can be had for $4 for a limited time.

MC5 is, as its name suggests, the fifth iteration in the popular Modern Combat series. This particular entry starts out in Italy, where players have been sent on a special operation to secure a transport of WMDs from a particularly well-armed terrorist group.

Hulu Plus app updated with new design, in-app subscriptions and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Hulu has posted a major update for its Hulu Plus iOS client, bringing the app to version 4.0. The update features a number of enhancements, including an all new design, new navigation options, and in-app subscriptions, which allows you to subscribe to the Hulu Plus service.

In addition to these changes, the Hulu Plus app also received a new Search function, which now offers contextually grouped results to help you find what you're looking for. The app has also been updated to support iOS 8, and to "run beautifully" on the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Halfbrick Studios launches completely redesigned Fruit Ninja game

Cody Lee ∙ October 2, 2014

Halfbrick Studios has released today what it is calling the "biggest update ever" to Fruit Ninja. The popular game, which has garnered nearly 700k reviews on the App Store, has been redesigned from the ground up with new content, gameplay elements and more.

At its core, most of the mechanics are still the same—the game is still about slicing fruit as quickly and efficiently as possible. But there are a lot of additions, such as new experience and currency systems, which are used to buy various upgrades and power ups.

Artistic photography app Fragment is Apple’s new Free App of the Week

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

Artistry in iPhone photography can now be in everyone's hands with Fragment, Apple's new Free App of the Week. As you know, each Thursday the App Store editorial team cherry-picks a new app to slash from its regular price to zero bucks, for a week.

Fragment by Pixite is a nifty little iPhone and iPad app that puts cool prismatic effects in your pocket, allowing you to transform your snaps into unique artworks.

It also plays nice with iOS 8 and includes a handy extension to edit your images right within the stock Photos app. Fragment is free until next Thursday, a $1.99 saving.

iOS 8 Translator Keyboard lets you translate text from one language to another

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 2, 2014

You can now put Translator Keyboard by developer Steven Barnegren on your list of system wide third-party keyboards available in the App Store for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 8 or later.

First spotted by MacRumors, the $1.99 iPhone and iPad software makes it easy to translate any text to 44 different languages (and translate from 30 languages) by choosing your source and target language straight from the keyboard.

Bleacher Buddy helps you find what channel the game is on

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

Bleacher Buddy is an iPhone app built to answer the age-old question: "what channel is the game on?" It's not a new app by any means, but I came across it for the first time today, and with the fall sports season now in full swing, I figured it'd be pertinent to mention it.

Using Bleacher Buddy is as easy as you'd expect it to be. You start off by giving it your zip code, and then selecting your satellite or cable TV provider. Once that's done, tell the app what sport, or specific game, you want to watch, and it will tell you which channel to turn to.