Regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum, it’s been a seismic, earth-shaking week. With that in mind, what better way to temporarily tear your eyes away from the news than with a sampling of the latest delectables to land in the App Store?
Whether you’re on the hunt for a superb bite-sized platformer, two great Apple TV apps, or a major Gmail update, here are the new apps and app updates that have been dominating our Apple devices this week.
TV
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Never let it be said that Apple uses more words than it has to to get an idea across. Having eliminated the “Magic” from “Magic Toolbar” for the new MacBook Pro and called it the “Tool Bar” instead, Apple’s now debuted its new tvOS app called, well, TV.
The app comes packaged as part of iOS 10 beta 2, currently available to developers, although likely to roll out to other users soon. The TV app aims to unify viewers’ experience on iOS and Apple TV by presenting all the content they can stream in one place.
The app has a Watch Now tab with recommendations of shows and movies to watch on different streaming services, and a Library tab for keeping track of everything you’ve purchased or rented.
Unfortunately, Apple’s TV app doesn’t work with Netflix or Amazon Prime Video — although this is certainly a step forward as Apple forges ahead creating the dream television interface it’s promised us for so long.
Available for: Apple TV
Cost: Free
Get it from: tvOS beta update
Mikey Jumps
Another week, another retro-inspired iOS game — but, boy, is Mikey Jumps good! Another installment in the ongoing Mikey series, the game asks you precision jump, boot-rocket and grapple through a massive 200 different levels.
This isn’t an in-depth gaming experience, but taking the form of tiny bite-sized levels (including an addiction Not Hit Streak board, which lets you keep track of how many levels you can complete with losing a life) it’s addictive stuff that’s perfect for the work commute.
Available for: iPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Cost: Free
Get it from: App Store
iBooks StoryTime
Photo: Apple
The second of Apple’s new tvOS apps this week (although the first to be available to everyone) is iBooks StoryTime, a kid-centric app designed to give families a new way to experience classic kids’ books by reading them out loud, while kids follow along on-screen.
The app comes with a free copy of Dora the Explorer, while additional books can be purchased in-app via the Featured section. Whether Apple TV is truly the best medium for bringing books to life is up for you to decide (it seems like a concept better suited to iPad in some ways), but it’s an interesting educational app that could tear your kids away from less learning-oriented material.
Available for: Apple TV
Cost: Free (with in-app purchases)
Get it from: tvOS App Store
Gmail
Photo: Google
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Google’s official Gmail app for iOS finally got some much-needed love this week with its new update — brining a “fresh new look” which finally makes Google’s iOS email app feel like something Google actually cares about.
The new Gmail app is better looking and smoother to use, boasts the fancy transitions of its Android counterpart, has improved search functions and added “instant” results, and also adopts the useful Undo Send function from Inbox: allowing you to recall emails you instantly regret sending moments after you hit the send button.
If you’re a Gmail user, as I am, this update finally makes its dedicated iOS app worth using.
Available for: iPhone, iPad
Cost: Free
Get it from: App Store
Miitomo
We’re still waiting for Nintendo’s Mario game to arrive on iOS, but as we wait Nintendo has updated its first iOS game, Miitomo — adding room customization, direct messaging, an Answer Central that lets users respond to questions from around the world, and more.
Miitomo hasn’t taken over the world in the way that Pokémon Go has (although, to be fair, which other games have?). However, this update shows that Nintendo is continuing to build its gamified social networking platform.
If you haven’t tried it yet, or tried it when it launched but haven’t revisited it since, this could be a new jumping-on point.
Available for: iPhone, iPad
Cost: Free
Get it from: App Store
