Apps

Tweetbot gains support for Chrome, Flickr, Vine and 1Password

Here's another nice Tweetbot update for your iPhone or iPad. A new version, Tweetbot 2.7, is now live on the App Store with some interesting new features. For starters, Tweetbot can now open links from tweets in Google's Chrome browser, provided it's installed on your iDevice. The app will also render Flickr images in-line, as well as 6-second clips tweeted out using Twitter's new Vine app. Lastly, links from tweets can also be sent to the 1Password app's built-in browser in order to access password-protected web sites without having to remember your credentials...

Apple wants to ‘re-imagine’ iLife and iWork apps

Apple is looking for some fresh blood to join its iLife and iWork development teams and "re-imagine how user interfaces should be built and work", a series of job ads posted on its web site indicates. In addition to engineers in the iLife Frameworks QA department, Apple is also seeking a QA engineer to help test new features in iPhoto, a Senior User Interface Designer for iWork and two Senior Software Engineer positions which explicitly mention improving the user interface of iLife apps...

You don’t wanna miss this: National Geographic World Atlas goes free

National Geographic Society produces some of the most compelling, fact-checked content money can buy and their World Atlas iPad app has long been my go-to reference source, not just for checking out interesting facts and trivia but for doing serious research related to the world's countries, their economies, demographics and so forth.

They updated the app on January 11 with high-resolution Retina graphics, revamped UI and added a new feature which lets you explore a full 3D view of the globe.

Today, they're making the app free for a limited time and you're advised to download it now before the price goes up. Note that this is the first time ever the app has become available as a free download since its 2010 App Store debut...

Angry Birds Star Wars updated with ‘Escape From Hoth’ levels

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hQ5fFRG25k

Rovio just updated Star Wars Angry Birds with a new content pack named Escape from Hoth. It brings with it twenty new levels as well as two bonus levels to find and unlock. Brand new piggies need stopping, including the mynock pigs in the belly of the asteroid. You'll also be making a daring escape in an epic moving boss fight. This updated is free to anyone who purchased the game (99 cents for the iPhone/iPod touch, five bucks on iPads)...

Evernote’s Penultimate handwriting app goes free, Hello gains business card scanning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItRaJBmdOL0

Acquired last year, Evernote's Penultimate iPad app helps you jot down notes and draw sketches using your finger. It's like having a Galaxy Note just without, you know, a pen. Penultimate 4.0 was launched this morning and Evernote kindly decided to offer it free of charge (it used to be a paid download). It's tightly integrated with Evernote and your handwritten notes now sync fully via the cloud with your other Evernote content.

In fact, you can now open handwritten notes on any device that has the Evernote app. Plus, Evernote search is fully baked in and it's quite clever, too: the cloud is able to parse your digital ink notes and turn them into easily searchable text. The new version also comes with more sharing options and support for eleven languages. Did I mention that Penultimate now doesn't cost a dime?

Tired of Passbook? Give Key Ring a try

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3WlTLK3PVE

The Key Ring app from Mobestream (recently acquired by Gannett) has been around for some time now. Available for free on iOS, Android, Windows and BlackBerry, it brings all your plastic cards together. The app lets you simply scan and store your existing loyalty cards, enroll in new loyalty programs and get exclusive coupons and discounts from top retailers. But it doesn't stop there...

Unreal’s Epic Citadel updated for Retina devices, launches on Android

Remember the strikingly remarkable Epic Citadel demo? It knocked our panties off with jaw-dropping graphics! Not sure about you, but I'd never thought such detailed visuals would have been possible on mobile devices that early in the game. You can thank Epic's Unreal Engine 3 for that, actually. Arguably the best game engine, it powers some of the best iOS games, including Epic's own Infinity Blade series.

Today, the team has updated the free Epic Citadel iOS demo with nice Retina graphics on fifth-gen iPhone and iPod touch devices and iPad 4. There's also a brand new benchmarking mode and, for the first time, the demo is now available on Android smartphones and tablets, indicating future cross-platform releases.

Go past the fold for more tidbits, including a nice trailer for an upcoming iOS/Android game built on Epic's engine...

Meet Nooly, the most localized weather app

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrN-SV_ZLoM

To say that I'm a big weather buff is an understatement. I think I need help because virtually every new weather app finds its way to my home screen, from free offerings like Solar and Sun to paid ones like WTHR. Weather.com, The Weather Channel and AccuWeather? So last century. It goes without saying I'd check out this latest entrant to the the crowded weather app category on the App Store.

Nooly sets itself apart from the crops of other weather apps by trying to predict the minute rain starts, the time light rain turns into thunderstorm, exactly when snow starts and at what time light rain turns to heavy rain - all tailored to your current geographical location and with each prediction accurate down to an area of 0.4 square miles, or approximately one square kilometer...

Foursquare for Business goes live on the App Store

If you own a business and spend time and money promoting it on the web, you should definitelly check out Foursquare's brand new iOS app. Released Tuesday morning, Foursquare for Business is a handy sidekick that promises to help you get more customers walking through the door. The app can be used to post photo updates as your business, activate and deactivate specials, view customer tips, access analytics and more...

Google Drive update brings multiple media uploads, QuickOffice integration

Five days ago, Google updated Drive for Android with the ability to create, edit, comment and present Google slides in offline mode. Today, the search firm has given some love to its iOS counterpart by adding a few new features you should know about. These include pinch-to-zoom on slides, multiple media uploads, QuickOffice integration and more. Additional information after the break...

Facebook iOS app gains in-app voice and video recording capabilities

Facebook's universal iOS client for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and iPad mini has just been updated with the useful ability to share your favorite places using the improved Nearby tab. More important than that, you can now record a voice or video message right in the app and send it to your friends. The ability to share audio snippets first appeared in an update to Facebook's Messenger app on January 3, 2012 so having it now in-app via the official client is a welcome addition...

Google upgrades YouTube Capture with 1080p video uploads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0sOzdXce6o

When Google in December released the YouTube Capture iOS app, the company instantly goy my attention. I love its sleek design, simplified user interface and the effectiveness of having an app dedicated to recording and uploading video clips to YouTube. It would be a must-have if not for the inexplicable lack of support for 1080 uploads - the software would limit any upload to 720p.

Not anymore. Today, a new maintenance released has been pushed which now lets you upload footage in the full HD 1,920-by-1,080 pixel resolution, along with a few other tweaks. More details right after the break...