New Apps & Games

Verizon Cloud client now available on the App Store

Good news Verizon customers. Just in case the dozens of cloud storage options currently available aren't enough for you, Big Red has just released an iOS version of its mobile Verizon Cloud client, finally bringing its backup services to Apple's mobile platform.

Like the other offerings, Verizon's Cloud allows you to sync up your documents, photos and other media between your devices. But unlike the others, it has the ability to save things like contacts and text messages, as well as the ability to restore them to a device...

Smule’s latest hit: social guitar-playing game for iPhone and iPad

Smule is among early iOS developers that have been continuously raising the bar on what's possible on Apple's iPhone. They make a bunch of social music-making applications and their latest offering is a free iPhone game called Guitar!.

Like many other Smule apps, Guitar! challenges you to play a virtual guitar on your iPhone or iPod touch and earn points based on your performance.

You can then compare your standings to your friends in global leaderboards. And as you progress, the app unlocks a range of Electric and Rock guitars that let you try out new guitar sounds. And no, you don't have to be a musician as the whole point of the game is social music making. A promo video and other highlights are right after the break...

Video Filters app launches with over 100 real-time video effects

Lots of avid iPhone photography fans don't just use their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to capture stills, but shoot video as well.

I usually fire up Apple's excellent iMovie application ($4.99 universal binary) whenever my clips need touching up, but now a new software has come along to go beyond what you thought was possible on your iOS device.

Video Filters by i4Software packs in over a hundred fully customizable video effects with live previews, which is kinda big deal because only a few years ago nobody thought we'd be able to edit full HD footage on tablets, in real-time...

BlackBerry Messenger will be iPhone-only at launch

If you've been looking to enjoy BlackBerry's upcoming Messenger app on your iPad, bad news. Blackberry’s software portfolio chief Vivek Bhardwaj tells Trusted Reviews that the app will only target the iPhone and Android smartphones, at least initially. Although he wouldn't ruled out the possibility of an iPad edition down the road, he didn't specifically mention it either.

That's hardly surprising given BlackBerry's lackluster PlayBook tablet and the firm's general failure in the tablet space, though it's hard to escape the feeling that BlackBerry Messenger for iPad would make sense for the business types who've come to depend on their Apple tablet for work...

Try Google’s new Hangouts app now

Previously code-named Babel, Google yesterday announced its new cross-platform unified messaging product called Hangouts. Shortly after, the software surfaced on Apple's App Store and Google's Play store for Android.

In replacing Google Talk, Hangouts supports one-on-one and group chatting across desktop, Android and Apple devices and includes photos, emoji, and video calls.

In a nutshell, the app integrates messaging from Google’s GTalk, Google+ Messenger, Hangouts and Voice products. But that's just scratching the surface as Google obviously has big plans with the product...

Limelight, cool-looking app to browse and organize your movie library

If you thought TodoMovies was great, wait until you see Limelight for iPhone. Created by young developer Oliver Cameron of the iOS app development agency called 9:42am, Limelight lets you manage your collection of the movies you've already watched or want to watch, share your movie lists with friends, receive recommendations and more.

It basically wants to become your go-to movie library app and it's bringing some nice features to the table. In a nutshell, Limelight isn't just focused on keeping track of your favorite movies, it also monitors when they're released to theaters...

BlackBerry confirms BBM is coming to iOS and Android this summer

In a better-late-than-never announcement, Canada-based BlackBerry today posted a surprising announcement confirming it will be bringing its BlackBerry Messenger platform to Apple's iOS and Google's Android platform. Yes, BlackBerry's killer app won't be exclusive anymore.

BlackBerry's move comes amid consolidation in the instant messaging space. Two increasingly popular services, Viber and WhatsApp, recently passed 200 million users each.

With iMessage pretty much ruling the messaging game on iOS devices and Google's rumored unified chatting platform dubbed Babel expected soon, it is no surprise that BlackBerry Messenger will be available to mobile users who don't use BlackBerry devices...

Disney’s Watch ABC live streaming app launches

After major networks such as Time Warner and CBS (and even Blockbuster) in recent weeks enabled live streaming in their respective iOS apps, Disney-owned television network ABC has followed suit. I recently called the development a potentially disruptive move on Disney's part and Cody likened it yesterday to a mini-revolution of sorts. Call it what you will, but it's here. Disney basically took its existing ABC Player iOS software and re-branded it under the more suggestive Watch ABC moniker.

The big news is a new Live button that gives you access to ABC's live television programming in select local markets. You can also stream full episodes of the previously aired shows. Not that live TV functionality requires a subscription with an eligible TV provider. Unfortunately, the Watch ABC app doesn’t have DVR functionality. Additional tidbits right below...

New Rovio Stars label launches with Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage and Tiny Thief games

Finland-based Angry Birds maker Rovio Tuesday teased its brand new iOS game titled Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage. The game will be published under a new Rovio Stars label and follows the adventure of a lone Viking. Rovio Stars focuses on "the best new games from talented and innovative developers" and files as Rovio's first foray into including third party titles in its game line-up.

Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage is being developed by UK-based studio Nitrome and is hitting iOS "soon." The game will be followed by Tiny Thief by Barcelona-based third-party developer Ants Studio. I've included teaser videos after the break...

Clear app creators unveil the snappiest iPhone photography app, Analog Camera

The popular Clear to-do app (currently free for a limited time) won us over with the minimalistic, clean and flattened user interface and its delightful use of multitouch gestures.

And now, from the same guys who made Clear comes a brand new iPhone photography software called Analog Camera. As you could imagine, it's built with the same principles that made Clear such a hit.

Specifically, this photography app features a beautifully simple and uncluttered user interface that will no doubt prove as delight to use as Clear's. It remains to be seen whether Analog Camera can revolutionise taking photos just as Clear revolutionized to-do lists, though it packs in core features you've come to expect from a decent photography app, including a set of filters for post-processing.

I've included a promo video and more tidbits after the break...

Amazon Cloud Drive Photos app now available

Folks who keep their music, photos, documents and other stuff stored in the Amazon cloud are aware of the online retailer's dedicated iOS software aptly named Cloud Player which can stream songs from your cloud locker to your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices.

Although Amazon has yet to release the official Cloud Drive app for Apple's mobile platform (it's available on OS X), today it inched toward that goal by releasing a brand new photo management application for iOS.

As the name suggests, the Amazon Cloud Drive Photos application lets you browse image files stored in your Amazon cloud storage, download individual images to your iPhone or iPad, upload on-device images to keep them securely backed up in the cloud and more...

Take to the skies with Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol

One of the world's most successful and critically acclaimed interactive entertainment designers, Sid Meier has long become a household name in the world of gaming. A long list of Sid Meier-branded games includes such hit titles as Pirates, Silent Service, Railroad Tycoon and Civilization, to name but a few. Some of the games Sid designed have been adapted for Apple's iOS devices, like Civilization Revolution (free, $2.99).

The latest title, Sid Meier's Ace Patrol, has just landed on the App Store. This turn-based flight combat simulator doesn't just carry Sid's stamp of approval, the legendary designer actually conceived and designed the game himself.

Sid Meier's Ace Patrol is exclusive to Apple's iOS devices and publisher 2K Games released it as a free to play download with in-app purchases...