App Store

2,201 'App Store' stories December 2010 - January 2013

Apple releases iOS 6.1 with more LTE carrier support, Siri/Fandango movie ticket purchasing, iTunes Match song downloading

Mark Gurman Jan 28 2013 - 10:04 am PT

Apple has released iOS 6.1 to iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV users. This public release follows five beta seeds to developers. The update is currently coming through over-the-air. To download the update directly from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, head to Settings, then General, then Software Update. Your device will include installation instructions and release information here.

The update includes the following improvements for iOS device users:

LTE support for more carriers (Apple previously announced that it would add more LTE carriers this week). 36 additional iPhone carriers. 23 additional iPad carriers.
Purchase movie tickets through Fandango via Siri (US only)
iTunes Match subscribers can now download individual songs from iCloud
New button to reset the Advertising Identifier.

As we previously noted, Apple TV users will enjoy new Bluetooth keyboard compatibility. We found that using a Bluetooth keyboard greatly enhances the Apple TV experience. Additionally, Apple has included new iOS 6.1 APIs for developers to be able to better integrate Apple’s mapping database into their App Store apps.

In a press release announcing the release of 6.1 (below), Apple’s Phil Schiller noted with “nearly 300 million iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices on iOS 6 in just five months, it may be the most popular new version of an OS in history.”

We have posted more details on the Apple TV software update here. Direct iPhone, iPad, iPod touch links and Apple press release:

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Users of Twitter’s new Vine app greeted with porn as top Editor’s Pick

Jordan Kahn Jan 28 2013 - 6:48 am PT

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Update: Twitter said in a comment to BusinessInsider that the content was displayed as an Editor’s Pick due to human error:

A human error resulted in a video with adult content becoming one of the videos in Editor’s Picks, and upon realizing this mistake we removed the video immediately. We apologize to our users for the error.

Just a week after the popular photo-sharing app 500px was pulled from the App Store over concerns of nude photos and possible child pornography, the launch of Twitter’s new video-sharing app Vine is running into similar issues. Users began noticing pornographic videos were making their way to the service this weekend, but they were only viewable to users searching for pornography-related tags. That is arguably not as big of an issue as 500px (many apps—Instagram included—have similar problems), but Darrell Etherington at TechCrunch pointed out today that porn has somehow made its way to the top of Vine’s “Editor’s Pick”.

We confirmed, as highlighted in the screenshot to the right, that the pornographic content in question is displayed as the first thing in a new user’s stream upon launching the app. The post has since been removed, but this is clearly an issue for Twitter’s new video service, and it is something that highlights the larger conversation brewing around Apple’s App Store guidelines and adult, user-created content.

YouTube Capture gets 1080p uploads, Vine, Google Currents 2.0, price drops, and more

Jordan Kahn Jan 25 2013 - 7:28 am PT

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YouTube Capture version 1.1: Google has updated its newly released YouTube Capture app with some welcomed features including 1080p video uploads:

· 1080p uploads!
· Improved audio sync
· More detailed upload feedback
· Share to networks after uploading
· Bug fixes & stability improvements

Vine — Make a scene version 1.0.2: Just released yesterday, the app for sharing short video clips (and recently acquired by Twitter) today updated with improvements to profiles and more reliable Twitter integration:

* Logging in through Twitter is more reliable
* You can now update your profile photo from your Camera Roll
* Character limit for usernames and bio field
* International keyboards have better support
* Various bugs that caused crashes have been fixed

Google Currents version 2.0: Google is updating another one of its apps today, its magazine style news reader for tablets and smartphones now sports a new catalog design. The update also includes an Edition sidebar for quick access to categories, a new fast scan feature (Vertical swipe to scan an edition, horizontal swipe advances to next edition), and a new breaking stories section ranked by Google News. You can also now star to save stories for future reading:
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Twitter launches ‘Vine’ video sharing app, 50% off Things for Mac, Textilus Word Processor, Cycloramic, more

Jordan Kahn Jan 24 2013 - 8:49 am PT

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Vine — Make a scene: Today Twitter announced on its blog the launch of Vine, a mobile app it acquired a few months back that allows users to capture and share abbreviated, looping video clips. The free iPhone app is available now in the App Store and offers unlimited, free video uploads, Twitter and Facebook integration, and the developers noted a Twitter account would not be required to sign up.

Today, we’re introducing Vine: a mobile service that lets you capture and share short looping videos. Like Tweets, the brevity of videos on Vine (6 seconds or less) inspires creativity. Now that you can easily capture motion and sound, we look forward to seeing what you create.

Hotels.com version 3.7:

-You can now leave hotel reviews once you have completed your stay
-The app now supports iPhone 5
-Many bugs fixes

Cycloramic version 2.0: The app that uses your iPhones vibrating motor to shoot 360 degree video hands-free was updated today with new hands-free panoramic shooting modes and more:

Just place your iPhone in an upright position on a smooth and level surface and press GO. The Phone will automatically rotate 360 degrees while taking multiple pictures, instantaneously stitch them, generate the panoramic picture and finally open it and immerse you in our 3D viewer.

PANORAMIC PHOTO MODE
1) Guided Mode (iPhone 4/4S/5)
2) Hands-free Mode (iPhone 5 only)
With this update, Cycloramic brings you a whole new way to take panoramic pictures.

Textilus Word Processor version 1.5.9:

– New feature: Improved the file browser for local documents and Dropbox documents. Create, delete edit new documents and folders in Dropbox directly from the file browser
– New feature: Scrivener sync support (via Dropbox) for unlimited number of nested folders and sub-folders, preserving locally the document original path
– New feature: Green highlight color in Style menu
– New feature: Greek alphabet in the Math symbols
– New feature: Latest Dropbox SDK 1.3.3. Support for international characters in Dropbox file and folder names (Chinese, Japanese, etc.)

Call-It-Out: Officially launching today, Call-it-Out is a new app that aims to blend elements of YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest allowing users to “easily rate, capture, and share life through comments, images and videos.

Deals:

Things for Mac | 50% until Jan. 31 (usually $49.99)

Temple Run 2 hits 20m downloads, Twitterrific for Twitter, Cubase iC Pro, JampUp, more

Jordan Kahn Jan 21 2013 - 1:12 pm PT

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News:

Temple Run 2: After launching the follow up in its popular Temple Run series late last week, developer Imangi Studios announced today Temple Run 2 hit over 20 million downloads in just four days on the App Store.

The game rocketed to #1 Free App just eight hours after release, and is currently the #3 Top Grossing App. Free to download, Temple Run 2 is the sequel to the mega-hit original endless runner, Temple Run, which has been download over 170 million times across the App Store, Google Play and the Amazon Marketplace.

New apps:

Cubase iC Pro: Released on the App Store today, Steinberg Media have launched “The most advanced Cubase remote control app” for controlling Cubase 7/6.5 from your iPhone or iPad. The app syncs with Cubase on your Mac or PC, provides a project overview, a mixer with up to a 4 independent cue-mix, and the ability to customize macros and key commands.

Connecting deeper to Cubase than any other app, Cubase iC Pro is the most advanced Cubase control app with a clear focus on recording, making it your very personal recording assistant. The project overview page and the mixer allow you to see your project as you know it from Cubase, while the key command page gives you a powerful tool to set up your most-used keyboard shortcuts and macros.

Updates:

Twitterrific for Twitter version 5.0.2: A big update today goes to one of the runner-ups in our Twitter app showdown. Twitterrific for iOS was updated today with a simplified reading mode, image previews in the timeline, and images without frames in the photo viewer. The update also included a ton of improvements and bug fixes:
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Report: Apple plans to open R&D center in Beijing

Jordan Kahn Jan 15 2013 - 12:00 pm PT

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According to a report from Chinese news portal Tencent Tech (via MacRumors), Apple CEO Tim Cook’s recent trip to China included talks regarding a new R&D center in Beijing. The report also claimed Cook said Apple will “move a certain amount of its servers for App Store and iTunes to China in order to improve the downloading speed for users in China.”

The servers could point to Apple’s new Hong Kong data center, but the report also noted Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, or Inner Mongolia as potential locations for a new data center.

At a meeting with Beijing’s acting mayor Wang Anshun on January 8, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company plans to set up an R&D center in Beijing, an unnamed insider source told Tencent Tech today. Cook also noted that Apple will move a certain amount of its servers for App Store and iTunes to China in order to improve the downloading speed for users in China.

Hands on with ‘i-Massager’ iPhone-controlled electrical nerve stimulation and other iOS massage accessories

Jordan Kahn Jan 9 2013 - 12:44 am PT

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlRkhIS1VD4&feature=youtu.be

Amongst the crowded booths of case makers and Bluetooth speaker products at CES, today we came across a few interesting new iOS accessories hitting the market in the near future. The first is the i-Massager from China-based company E-Tek. The i-Massager is a certified medical TENS product (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) that uses an iPhone app to control the frequency and intensity of the massaging pulsations it emits. The app will be available on the App Store when the product eventually launches sometime in March, and it provides access to preset massage patterns while also allowing you to fine tune the experience and even save your preference to the unit for use without your iPhone at a later date. There will be a 30-pin version of the product for iPhone 4/4S and iPad 3, but also a Bluetooth variant that will launch for compatibility with Lightning iOS devices. The company hasn’t set a retail price, but hinted it should be well under $100.

The i-Massager wasn’t the only iOS-connected massage product being shown off at CES today. Below is a product called iMusic BodyRhythm. It is a massaging vest that syncs with the music on your iOS device. The product launched on a Kickstarter this morning, and it comes with a companion app that will allow you to select a song to sync the massage to, increase the intensity, and even play drums or shake the device to control the thumping of the massage while playing along to a song. You’ll also be able to use the massage vest without syncing it to music or an app. iMusic BodyRhythm is supposed to hit mass production for $149 retail in March, but we went hands-on today at CES:

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Turn your iPad into a real hardware DJ controller with Ion Audio’s ‘Scratch 2 Go’

Jordan Kahn Jan 6 2013 - 7:26 pm PT

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Straight from the CES Unveiled event in Las Vegas, audio accessory maker Ion just introduced us to one if its latest creations— a hardware DJ controller kit called “Scratch 2 Go” that puts a physical crossfader, two sets of three control knobs for pitch, EQ, etc., and a two small platters right on the display of your iPad. The company also announced updated versions of its other DJ and Guitar controllers for iPad and iPhone…

The hardware controls attach to your iPad’s display via suction cups and essentially work like a stylus, allowing you to control elements of several DJ apps on the App Store. The hardware controls are designed specifically for the iDJ 2GO app that will also work with Ion’s just announced updated Lightning version of its iDJ 2 Go hardware DJ controls. However, Ion confirmed to us that it would also work with the popular djay app for iPad.

It could also work with other iOS DJ apps provided the stylus-like tip of any particular element of the 5-piece kit lines up with the controls inside the app you’re using. Ion is making the new Scratch 2 Go kit available in April for $30 through select retailers.

A video of the kit in action from the CES show floor below:

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Belkin debuts the Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater, an iPad case with integrated front-facing speakers

Jordan Kahn Jan 6 2013 - 3:49 pm PT

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We just looked at the latest range of audio accessories from Griffin, and now well-known accessory maker Belkin is showing off a new audio product for CES 2013: The Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater. Available starting this month on the Apple Store, the otherwise traditional-looking iPad case packs in front-facing ported speakers, thanks to a little help from Audifi, and doubles as a stand with various angles.

The case works as a dock, meaning Belkin will release two models to accommodate for both 30-pin and Lightning connectors. Belkin is also making a free companion app available that will allow users to customize sound profiles for different types of media. The Thunderstorm app isn’t available yet in the App Store, but it should début alongside the 30-pin version of the Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater case sometime this month. A lightning-compatible version of the dock will become available in the spring. Both models will sell for $199.99 from Amazon, the Apple Store, and additional retailers.

We’ll bring you full hands-on from the CES show floor shortly.

Update: We had a chance to listen to the product on a loud crowd floor. While the sound was definitely a significant improvement over the built-in iPad capability, it was a little tinny/thin and didn’t add as much base as we would have liked. We’ll have more when we get some hands-on time later.

Updated Gallery below:
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Flurry: Holiday 2012 sees new 1-week record with 50M iOS & Android activations and 1.76B app downloads

Jordan Kahn Jan 2 2013 - 2:24 pm PT

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Flurry today released its stats for worldwide app downloads during the 2012 holiday season. It recently released some stats for Christmas Day, including a huge 332 percent increase over previous years to 17.4 million new iOS and Android activations and 328 million app downloads. Today it shared some stats for the entire week starting on Christmas and ending New Year’s Day, noting it recorded the highest number of activations and app downloads for any week in history. As highlighted in the images, Flurry estimated 50 million devices activations and an increase of 65 percent to 1.76 billion app downloads:

The final week of the year, between Christmas and New Year’s Day, grew by 65% over the early-December baseline, historically breaking through the largest single week record previously set during the same week of 2011. While several weeks since late November delivered billion+ week download levels, the holiday week delivered a record-shattering 1.7 billion downloads… Looking forward to 2013, Flurry expects the trend of one-billion-download weeks to become the norm, and that the industry will surpass the two-billion download week during Q4.

New York makes real-time subway arrival data available to devs, releases free MTA Subway Time iPhone app

Jordan Kahn Dec 28 2012 - 11:47 am PT

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As noted by AllThingsD, New Yorkers will now have access to accurate arrival times for seven of the city’s subway lines as the Metropolitan Transit Agency today released a new app that provides access to the real-time train location data. Available on the App Store, the MTA Subway Time iPhone app is a test app released by the MTA for the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and S 42 Street Shuttle lines. It displays the same data as the countdown clocks inside stations, and the MTA will make the data available on its website for developers to use in third-party apps.

The app covers the 156 stations where the MTA has installed countdown clocks that provide arrival estimates in minutes for upcoming trains. This app joins MTA Bus Time™, Metro-North Train Time™, LIRR Train Time™, and MTA Bridges and Tunnels’ Travel Time in the MTA’s expanding list of real-time data tools for customers.

As for the remainder of the subway lines, The Wall Street Journal explained it could take until 2016:

The new signals were installed at a cost of more than $228 million over 11 years, the MTA said. Two other lines are already being overhauled in a way that will eventually allow real-time updates: the L line running between northern Brooklyn and Manhattan’s 14th Street, which already uses an advanced signal system; and the No. 7 line between Queens and Midtown Manhattan, which is receiving the same upgrade.

The L line should be added to the data stream that feeds Subway Time within six to 12 months, the agency said. The improvements that would add the No. 7 to smartphone apps won’t be completed until 2016.

Today, New York City Mayor Bloomberg attributed an increase in the city’s annual crime index to a rise in iPhone and iPad thefts.

Google launches web ad promoting its iOS Dev team, encourages iOS developers to do work that ‘matters’

Jake Smith Dec 28 2012 - 11:35 am PT

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[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG2Wn2dm5-4″]

Since the removal of YouTube, and Maps as preloaded Google apps within iOS, Google has been especially adept at developing its own set of iOS apps. We previously detailed how Google wants to own the iOS ecosystem on the apps level, providing users with an alternative universe to most of the core features of Apple’s mobile operating system. It appears Google now has a dedicated iOS app team which builds cohesive apps rather than having each business unit build its own apps.
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App Store on Christmas Day 2012 saw downloads increase 87 percent, revenue rose 70 percent

Jake Smith Dec 27 2012 - 12:12 pm PT

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As users powered on their new iOS devices and received iTunes gift cards on Christmas day, a strong surge of app downloads obviously followed. According to analytic firm Distimo, App Store downloads increased a whopping 87 percent on Christmas Day, compared to the rest of December 2012. With the increased downloads, revenue consequently rose 70 percent. Interestingly, the iPad and iPad mini seemed to be the most popular iOS gift given, as downloads and revenues rose by 140 percent and 83 percent, respectively.

Distmo also looked at the most downloaded applications from the App Store on Christmas day. They included Google’s standalone YouTube app and the recently released Apple Maps alternative Google Maps at the top. Other top downloads, excluding Apple’s in-house apps like iWork, included: ElfYourself by OfficeMax, Where’s My Holiday?, and Skype for iPad. The numbers that will give us a real look at how iOS device sales were during the Christmas quarter will be during Apple’s January earnings call with investors, where record sales are expected.

Competitor Amazon, who doesn’t like to give hard numbers, detailed some of its shopping statistics for the holiday season. The Seattle-based online retailer said that Christmas day brought the busiest day ever for digital downloads of movies, TV shows, apps, and more. The Angry Bird fans were also busy with purchases, as Angry Birds plush toys would stack up to 285 times the height of the world’s tallest tree in California. Research firm Flurry also detailed that Christmas 2012 saw the highest amount of activated gadgets than any other day in history.

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Cycloramic app captures 360-degree, handsfree video by rotating your iPhone with vibrations (Video)

Jordan Kahn Dec 27 2012 - 8:27 am PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Brfr7–6ESc]

A new iPhone app released just before Christmas provides a new spin on the panoramic, 360-degree video app, of which there are many competitors in the App Store. Normally, shooting 360-degree video would require the help of a hardware peripheral, such as the GoPano micro, or some crafty manual handwork to maneuver the device 360 degrees. With the new Cycloramic app from Egos Ventures, the iPhone will self-spin around by vibrating at certain frequencies. This allows you to capture hands-free, 360-degree video without a tripod or stand. The video above speaks for itself.

The developers warned the iPhone must be placed upright on a flat, hard surface without a case or stand. They also noted the iPhone 4s “will only turn very slowly on perfectly level glass. This is really designed for iPhone 5.”

The Cycloramic app is available for 99 cents on the App Store now, and you’ll find some demo videos from the developer’s YouTube page below. There’s even one of Woz trying out the app in his kitchen:

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Virginia town encouraging citizen crime reporting with free iOS app

Jordan Kahn Dec 26 2012 - 9:06 am PT

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The Marion Police Department in Virginia have decided to encourage residents to report crime by releasing a new app called “iWatch Marion“. The app is available for free on the App Store and provides citizens with an easy way to report potential crimes by uploading tips, photos, and video. Content uploaded by users is forwarded directly to the police department closest to the location the tip was sent from:

Because iWatch Marion uses global positioning technology, the system intelligently forwards information to the Howard County Police Department based on where the handheld device is physically located at any given moment.

The app will also allow users to receive alerts for missing children, crime, weather, and more. I’m not sure if major cities will jump on the idea of encouraging citizens to get involved in crimes in progress, but it’s something that more and more smaller towns are starting to take advantage of.
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Mophie OutRide wide-angle, waterproof camera kit for iPhone now available for $149

Jordan Kahn Dec 26 2012 - 6:55 am PT

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We told you about Mophie’s new lightweight, waterproof video housing and companion app for iPhone 4/4S when it was first announced in August. The polycarbonate case builds in a 170-degree wide-angle lens and aims to compete with dedicated devices for shooting action sports such as a GoPro or Contour camera.

Mophie is now taking orders nationwide with a black edition of the case it originally showed off available through both Amazon and the company’s website.

The company is also making an all-white edition with a silver aluminum bezel (pictured above) available as an exclusive from the Apple Store. No word on whether these will be available from Apple retail stores, but it is already available to order from Apple.com.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6pLM2bzT38]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3jwlEafYM0]

The Wall Street Journal, MapChoice, Instagram, StubHub, Path, MapQuest, HopStop Transit, deals, more

Jordan Kahn Dec 21 2012 - 9:58 am PT

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Just Released:

MapChoice | $0.99: A new app just released on the App Store provides you with access to both Apple’s new Maps and Google Maps in a single app. Your position will transfer from one map to the other, and it also includes StreetView and Foursquare integration.

MapChoice gives you a choice between old and new maps. You can also view Street View and search using FourSquare.

Updated:

Instagram version 3.4.0 | FREE: Instagram gets updated today with support for 25 languages, a new “Mayfair” filter, Facebook iOS 6 integration, and more.

– Instagram is now available in 25 languages!
– New filter: Mayfair
– Share photos from any album
– Facebook iOS 6 integration
– Improved performance and bug fixes

The Wall Street Journal version 5.0 | FREE: The Wall Street Journal just updated its iOS app, moving content on iPhone and iPad to Apple’s Newsstand and providing users with automatically updated issues each morning. WSJ will now offer in-app subscriptions, billing users directly to their iTunes accounts monthly. The updated app also includes Alerts for breaking news.

Newsstand & Alerts
– WSJ is now in Newsstand! Get new issues automatically delivered to your device overnight. To use Newsstand, tap ‘Allow’ when prompted.
– Note: WSJ App icon will now appear in the Newsstand Folder.
– Breaking News Alerts from WSJ. To get alerts, tap ‘Allow’ when prompted.
In-App Subscriptions
– Purchase a monthly subscription to WSJ through your iTunes account. With a digital subscription you get access to iPad, iPhone, WSJ.com and more.

StubHub version 4.1.0 | FREE: The StubHub iOS app gets updated with more interactive seat maps, the ability to see your view before buying tickets, iPhone 5 support, and more:

• Interactive seat maps for certain football and basketball games: filter ticket listings by section
• View from section: see the view from your section before you buy (for many events)
• iPhone 5 support
• Improved sharing (Twitter, Facebook, and text messaging)
• Ability to add events to your calendar
• User interface enhancements

MapQuest version 3.3 | FREE:

• You can now send maps and routes from mapquest.com to your phone and open them in the MapQuest App

Tentacles: Enter the Dolphin | $0.99: Microsoft’s previously Windows Phone-only title gets iPhone 5 support and new features:
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Apple II classic Karateka hits App Store, Snapguide for iPad, Calendars by Readdle, Say What? Word Game, imo messenger for iPad, deals, more

Jordan Kahn Dec 20 2012 - 6:45 am PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JH47u8d1M4]

Just released:

1. Karateka | $2.99: Jordan Mechner, creator of the popular Prince of Persia franchise, and developer of the original fighter classic “Karateka” for the Apple II, is today bringing an HD remake of the game to iOS. Available on the App Store now for $2.99 for iPhone and iPad, the remake of the original 1984 fighter looks to essentially be a port of work done on the HD remake released on consoles last month. The video above features Mechner talking about the remake and comparing the original Apple II version to the new iOS title.

Created on an Apple II by Jordan Mechner in his Yale dorm room, Karateka became a #1 bestseller and influenced a generation of gamers with its groundbreaking rotoscoped animation and cinematic cutscenes… 28 years later, Mechner returns to his indie roots with a new take on Karateka for today’s digital game platforms, featuring art by Jeff Matsuda (The Batman) and music by Grammy-winning composer Christopher Tin (Civilization IV).

2. Ravensword: Shadowlands | $6.99
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Google makes Quickoffice iPad app free to Google Apps for Business customers

Jordan Kahn Dec 19 2012 - 3:08 pm PT

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Google made some announcements today regarding its work with the Quickoffice team since acquiring the company in June. On top of noting work to take advantage of Quickoffice conversion technology in Google Docs, Google launched a free version of the QuickOffice iPad app exclusively for Google Apps for Business customers today. There are also free iPhone and Android versions of the app for creating and editing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files coming to Apps customers in the near future:

Converting old files to Google Docs, Sheets and Slides is the easiest way to share and work together, but perhaps not everyone you work with has gone Google yet. To complement what you can do with Google documents, we’re also making it easier for you to make quick edits to Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint files without conversion. Starting today, the Quickoffice iPad app is available for free to all Apps for Business customers, and iPhone and Android versions are on the way.

Vice President of Google Enterprise Amit Singh welcomed the announcement on his Twitter account: “Customers can now get Quickoffice for free. No need to license microsoft for your ipad.”

[tweet https://twitter.com/aksingh77/status/281531037249581056]

Yep, iCloud is out again (Update: Fixed)

Jordan Kahn Dec 17 2012 - 4:02 pm PT

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Update: Apple has reported that all problems are now resolved with outages having lasted from 5:35 p.m. to 6:49 p.m.:

Apple’s system status page is showing that some users are experiencing problems with iCloud and may not be able to access a number of services, including: Mail, Contacts, Photo Stream, Calendar, Reminders, Backup, and more. iMessage and other services, such as the App Store and iTunes, remain online. Apple’s recently updated system status page shows that the outages started happening around 5:30 p.m. EST.

Late last week Apple confirmed and quickly fixed issues that some users were having with being unable to access iCloud documents, Photo Stream, back up and restore, and iMessage. We’ll keep you posted.

(via TNW)

Facebook joins the local discovery and sharing game with updated Nearby feature (video)

Élyse Betters Dec 17 2012 - 11:13 am PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqocJOQMVwQ&feature=youtu.be]

Facebook just announced an update to Facebook for iOS and Android that helps users discover new places their friends like.

The latest version of the popular app features a refreshed Nearby tab, which, according to a post on the Facebook Newsroom website, now shows recommendations from friends:

From the app menu, open the tab to find local spots your friends have recommended, checked into, or liked. If you’re looking for a place to eat, choose a category like Restaurants to see what’s nearby. When you find a place that looks interesting, tap to see info like friends who’ve been there and business hours.

The new Facebook for Android and iOS further allows users to share their own opinions by rating or recommending places. Facebook warned the update is an early release, however, and “there’s lots more to do.” So, results will improve the more people use Nearby.

“We also plan to add places info from third party services in the near future,” Facebook explained.

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Guess? exec says company saw immediate improvements after implementing iPads in stores

Jordan Kahn Dec 17 2012 - 9:31 am PT

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Business Insider pointed us to an interview on OpenForum with the Guess? CIO Michael Relich. The clothing retailer implemented iPads for merchandising in 2010, and it has since installed iPads in stores, started accepting credit card payments via iPod touch, and even started supplying extra iPods instead of cash registers to stores during the busy holiday seasons.

Well our buyers saw an improvement immediately. Instead of just seeing a number on a spreadsheet, our iPad app allowed them to see the specific coat, pant or dress accompanied by a photo and where it was selling. Suddenly, they were going into stores with a lot better idea about what to do and how to act to improve the store.

For shoppers, our engagement went through the roof after we installed iPads in the stores. People instinctively go up to the device and use it to find out-of-stock merchandise or track their loyalty program points. We’ve gotten great feedback.

Well I believe that cash registers will go away and will be replaced by iPads or iPod touches. We currently use an iPod touch in stores for credit-card transactions, similar to the Apple store…

You can check out the full interview here.

Dropbox 2.0 lands for iOS, introduces redesigned UI, new photos tab, & easier uploads

Jordan Kahn Dec 14 2012 - 12:54 pm PT

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Dropbox announced on its blog today the introduction of an all-new iOS app that introduces a redesigned, streamlined UI, a new Photos tab that allows you to scroll through a timeline of your automatically uploaded photos, and improvements to the photo-viewing experience. Dropbox noted that uploads have now been improved, allowing users to ” tap the ‘+’ icon to upload something or create a new folder.”

We’ve packed a ton of love and tiny details into our new iOS design, and we think you’ll dig its simplicity. For example, we got rid of the text labels on our tabs in favor of clean and streamlined iconography. Splashed across the app is the glorious Dropbox blue you’ve come to know and love, and we’ve reduced complexity to make everything feel so fresh and so clean, clean.

Chrome gets background audio, Google+ 4.0, The Witcher 2 for Mac, GoPro App, Slashtop for Business, Rovio 99 cent sale, more

Jordan Kahn Dec 14 2012 - 8:13 am PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftJ-8wsI4Dg&list=PLa23C9cgXXk0MczCBYTMu_4jVxvtWM335&index=1]

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kinds Enhanced Edition (for Mac): Developers of critically acclaimed RPG The Witcher 2, originally released on PC and consoles, announced that an OS X port of the game is now available on the Mac App Store for $20.

The Witcher 2 is one of the most sophisticated games ever presented on Mac computers. Prepare to test out the gaming potential of the new iMacs in one of the best looking games for Apple’s computers. We have prepared a special app to test the game’s performance before players can buy it. To check it out just click here

Chrome version 23.0.1271.96: Google has updated its Chrome iOS app today with one highly requested feature- the ability to play sound when the app is running in the background. That means content with sound that you are playing in the browser, such as a YouTube video or mp3, would continue play when multitasking. The update also includes a fix for a character encoding bug.

-Allow sound to play when app is backgrounded.
-Fix character encoding bug.

GoPro App version 1.1.13: GoPro has updated its iOS app to include support for features exclusive to the HERO3 camera lineup.

-Supports features in HERO3 cameras

Wreck-it Ralph version 1.1:

NEW ARRIVALS IN GAME CENTRAL STATION!
• Turbo Time is here! Enter the race for gold, and drive at turbo speed in this all-new arcade racer!
• New achievements are in! Earn new achievements for Fix-It Felix Jr., Hero’s Duty, Sweet Climber, and Turbo Time.
• Added language support for Dutch and Russian

Splashtop for business version 2.2.0.1:
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