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iDB holiday gift guide: Christian’s picks

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

Is it that time of year again? Gosh, time surely flies, doesn't it? And what an action-packed year it has been in terms of exciting Apple product releases and upgrades, new-category product launches, interesting new accessories, novel new apps and games and what not.

I believe in smart holiday shopping that doesn't force you to break the bank just to purchase cool gifts that your friends and family will actually love, not pass along like a hot potato. So without further ado, I present you my personal holiday gift guide.

Apple releases Best of 2015 charts on iTunes

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Apple on Wednesday posted its annual Best of 2015 charts on iTunes. “We debated. We argued. Everyone had favorites, but to make this list of 2015's finest, there could be no doubts,” wrote the company. “What you see here made the cut—they're the most visionary, inventive and irresistible apps and games of the year.”

Apple named Twitter-owned Periscope the App of the Year and Square Enix's excellent Lara Croft GO its Game of the Year.

Workflow, the popular iOS automation app, is listed as the Most Innovative App of 2015 and Dark Echo the Most Innovative Game of 2015. Facebook-owned Instagram is the Best App on iPhone 6s while Pixel Toys' Warhammer: 40,000 Freeblade took home the Best Game on iPhone 6s award, thanks to immersive 3D Touch controls.

Here's the full list of titles the topped Apple's charts in 2015.

You can now download Microsoft’s Cortana personal assistant to your iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 9, 2015

After rolling out a beta of Cortana for iOS to a limited number of beta testers in late-November, Microsoft today released the software to everyone via the App Store.

A free download, Cortana for iOS helps you get things done “by letting your PC and iPhone work together,” as per the official description. The app takes advantage of your schedule, interests, contacts and reminders to deliver personalized results.

What are you waiting for? Go ahead and give Cortana a try right now!

Facebook pulls Slingshot, Riff and Rooms apps from App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 5, 2018

Happy app removal day! After Dropbox announced plans to wind down its ill-fated Mailbox and Carousel apps, Facebook just pulled a Dropbox by confirming it, too, is shutting down a few apps of its own that have failed to gain much traction with users: Slingshot, Riff and Rooms.

In addition, the company will be closing down the Creative Labs shop, an initiative formed in January 2014 with the noble goal of giving its teams creative freedom to conceive and build apps outside the core Facebook experience.

You can now add to-dos to Google’s Calendar app using a new Reminders feature and 3D Touch

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 4, 2017

Google's standalone Calendar app was released in the App Store in March of 2105 and today the software is getting some interesting new features: Reminders, 3D Touch support and a cool Star Wars skin for those who have opted to join either the Dark or Light side of the Force at google.com/starwars. Reminders in Google Calendar make it easier to keep track of your to-dos alongside your events—in one place, no need to juggle between different apps.

Facebook brings photo collages to iPhone app, starts testing Periscope-like video broadcasts

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 9, 2016

Facebook today announced that its main iPhone client in the App Store has been updated with two new features: Live Video and Collages.

Collages, automatically created from the photos and videos taken together, are presented as a moving carousel within the app and on the web.

More important than that, implementing live video broadcasting on Facebook has been prioritized in the wake of the Periscope phenomenon. Starting today, a small percentage of people in the United States can begin testing the live video feature on their iPhones.

Oceanhorn gets iCloud save compatibility with Apple TV, flashier graphics on iPad Pro and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 3, 2015

Oceanhorn, the beautifully crafted fantasy adventure game from FDG Mobile Games GbR, has received an essential update in the App Store today. Bumped to version 2.7, this edition fixes the problem with iCloud save files created on the iPhone and iPad not being recognized on the Apple TV.

Those lucky iPad Pro owners will enjoy this update's ultra quality graphics on their tablet, with an improved world map and environment decoration.

Lastly, Oceanhorn 2.7 sports a better sound engine and fixes various bugs.

Opera Coast gains Snapchat-like news feed, Opera Mini picks up 3D Touch support

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

Opera Coast, a third-party web browser for iOS, has been updated in the App Store today with real-time news and notifications while Opera Mini now supports 3D Touch shortcuts for accessing your favorite sites by lightly pressing the app's icon on the Home screen of the iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus.

Opera Mini also integrates with iOS 9's Spotlight Search and has a few other refinements mentioned further below.

In Opera Coast, you can now preview headlines from sites you follow with a new feature, called For You. This basically aggregates online articles into a single tile, giving you an at-a-glance overview of your news right inside the browser.

Temple Run 2 launches new world: Frozen Shadows

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 3, 2015

The popular endless runner Temple Run is celebrating its first anniversary today. Thus far, the game has amassed an incredible one billion downloads across platforms, thanks to its appealing concept, easy mechanics and regular updates.

Starting today, a brand new world is available in Temple Run 2, called Frozen Shadows. Marking developer Imangi Studio's biggest expansion ever, Frozen Shadows—an update to the freemium Temple Run 2—brings a whole new icy world to slip and slide away from Demon Monkeys.

Next-generation Yahoo Messenger now available on iOS, web and Yahoo Mail

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

Yahoo today announced it's re-launching its venerable messaging software—Yahoo Messenger—on iOS, Android, on the web and in Yahoo Mail on the desktop.

The app offers a fresh new messaging experience rebuilt from the ground up, integrates the best of the Flickr, Tumblr and Xobni, does photo sharing and animated GIFs and is focused on group messaging with features such as sharing, unsending and liking.

Starbucks app gets 3D Touch quick actions

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 9, 2016

Several major apps have added 3D Touch support earlier today. Wunderlist and LinkedIn, for example, have brought out support for Home screen shortcuts and Peek and Pop gestures within the app with 3D Touch. And now, Starbucks has issued a similarly-themed update to its iPhone application in the App Store.

With Starbucks 3.3.4 for iOS, you can press the app's Home screen icon lightly on your iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus to bring up a 3D Touch menu with several quick actions: Nearby Stores, Order, Reload Card and Pay.

A brand new Wunderlist for iPhone and iPad is here

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 2, 2015

Just in time for the holidays, Wunderlist, a to-do, lists and tasks application that was acquired by Microsoft this summer, released a brand new experience for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad today.

The new Wunderlist 3.4 for iOS packs in full support for 3D Touch Home screen shortcuts and Peek and Pop gestures within the app. In addition, the app is simpler, more lightweight and intuitive than before and comes with iOS 9 productivity-boosting features.