Apps

Gameloft releases ‘GT Racing 2: The Real Car Experience’

Great news gamers, Gameloft has made good on its promise to release a sequel to their popular sim-racer GT Racing today. It's called 'GT Racing 2: The Real Car Experience' and it's now available for download.

The game bills itself as 'the richest handheld racing simulation this year,' allowing players to race one of 67 licensed cars, from over 30 manufacturers, on 13 detailed tracks from around the world, in 1,400 events...

MapQuest app finds relevance again with beautiful iOS 7 redesign

When the subject of the best iOS maps app comes up, typically you'll only hear a few names mentioned. There's Apple Maps, which is the most popular by default, and Google Maps, and then a mix of Waze, HopStop and other user favorites.

But today, MapQuest has thrown its name back into the conversation with its major 4.0 update. The app has been completely rebuilt from the ground up (apparently a 9-month endeavor) with an all-new look, and several handy new features...

Real Racing 3 updated with new cars, new events and more

Hot on the heels of the major Ferrari update last month, the folks at EA have posted another new version of its popular Real Racing 3 game this week that brings about more new cars, new events and new features.

As for the cars, some new Ferraris have joined the family including the 458 Spider, the 599 GTO, and the prestigious Enzo. And as for the new events and features, there's now weekly time trials and race replays...

Popular Day One journal app updated with new iOS 7 design, M7 support and more

Good news for folks who use Day One this morning. The popular journal app has been updated with a new iOS 7 design and several new features, including support for Apple's new 64-bit A7 processor.

Additionally, the update, which brings the app to version 1.12, includes support for the new M7 coprocessor. And this allows the app to do things like count your steps and auto-track your daily activities...

Facebook launches redesigned Messenger app

In line with reports from early October, Facebook has launched a redesigned Messenger app for iPhone users this afternoon. The new design matches the aesthetics of iOS 7, and looks very similar to the updated Messenger app launched for Android a few weeks ago.

In addition to the makeover, today's update also brings about some new features. In the new app, users will be able to see which friends are using Messenger, as well as have the ability to message non-Facebook friends from within the app as long as they have their number...

Jawbone introduces new UP24 fitness band with Bluetooth 4.0

Big news from Jawbone today. The accessory-maker behind the popular line of Jambox speakers introduced a new version of its UP fitness-tracking band, the UP24, as well as a big 3.0 update for its UP iOS app.

While the new UP looks very similar to its predecessor, it does feature one significant hardware change: it now uses Bluetooth 4.0 to connect to your iOS device, instead of forcing you to plug into your audio port...

Sony launches new ‘PlayStation App’ companion app for PS4

Ahead of its big PlayStation 4 launch later this week, Sony has released a new companion app for the console, aptly named 'PlayStation App.' Sony says that the app will allow you to "take your PlayStation experience with you on your mobile device."

Part of that experience includes the ability to connect to the PSN network, meaning you'll be able to chat with your friends, see what they're playing, and open game alerts and invites. You'll also be able to browse the PlayStation store, and much more...

Pebble update goes live with full iOS 7 Notifications support

Pebble has had basic support for iOS Notifications in place from day one. The implementation, however, left a lot to be desired as the Pebble smarwatch could only relay the most basic of iOS notifications through a companion iPhone app.

Eagle-eyed readers will remember that the company last week confirmed an upcoming update would enable additional iOS 7 Notification Center alerts.

And just like clockwork, a new version of Pebble's iOS app has gone live now in the App Store, introducing full integration with the iOS 7 Notification Center. This allows Pebble owners to receive any alerts enabled in Notification Center on an iOS 7 device and have them displayed on their $150 smartwatch.

Yes, this includes alerts from third-party apps such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and lots more. Go past the fold for more...

2K Sports releases NBA 2K14 companion app ‘MyNBA2K14’

It seems like companion smartphone and tablet apps are becoming more and more popular with big-name console developers these days. We saw one from Rockstar back in September for GTA V, and now we have another from 2K Sports.

The New York-based development studio released a new app this week for the iPhone and iPad called MyNBA2K14. And as the name implies, it's a companion app for NBA 2K14, the popular basketball game  that was released earlier this year...

‘Star Wars: Tiny Death Star’ now available for download

Great news gamers! Star Wars: Tiny Death Star is now available in the US App Store. The game is a joint venture between NimbleBit—the maker of popular games like Tiny Tower and Pocket Planes—LucasArts, and Disney.

First announced back in October, Star Wars: Tiny Death Star offers up similar gameplay to Tiny Tower, in that it tasks players with helping construct a Death Star with over over 80 types of residential and commercial floors...

Google’s Waze app updated with voice search, event reporting and more

After months of speculation, Google bought popular social mapping startup Waze in June of this year. And following the purchase, Google's VP of Geo said the company was looking forward to bringing its search capabilities to the app.

Today, it has made good on that promise. An update just posted for the Waze iPhone and iPad app, which brings it to version to 3.7.6, that includes a handy new voice-based search option for addresses and places in over 40 languages...

New ‘Knock’ app allows you to unlock your Mac with your iPhone

With the iPhone 5s, Apple made security more convenient by allowing users to unlock their devices with a quick tap of its Touch ID Home button. It's kind of like having a password, without having to type it in every time.

And that's essentially what Knock, a new iOS app by Knock Software, does for the Mac. It allows you to keep your computer secure, without having to type in a password every time. Simply give your iPhone a knock to unlock...