App Store - page 96

Apple’s App Store is a wonderful thing. When it launched in 2008, it opened up a world now home to 450,000 apps and games available to our iOS devices. There was nothing else like it. Never before had it been so easy for customers to discover and download mobile software, and for developers to distribute and sell it.

Developing for the App Store and the iOS platform isn’t without its flaws, however. As one iOS developer has recently learned, one of the biggest downsides to iOS development is piracy.

To accompany its upcoming photo sharing service, Google has just launched an official Photovine app for iOS which it dubs “a fun way to learn more about your friends, meet new people, and share your world like never before.”

AOL Music just launched its new music app for the iPhone called Play, which it describes as “Instagram for music.” It’s completely free and focuses on music sharing and discovery, allowing you to listen to and share music with your friends on Twitter and Facebook, stream selected albums, and access over 47,000 SHOUTcast radio stations.

Readdle is famous for its plethora of impressive productivity apps for iOS devices, and their latest continues that fine trend. PDF Converter — a $6.99 app for the iPad — will turn any document into a high quality PDF.

The same engine and gameplay mechanic of the popular Gears of War series is coming to the App Store… and it’s coming from the studio behind Bioshock.

This week’s must-have games roundup features Gameloft’s latest Block Breaker release — the ultimate ball breaker for iOS — which boasts deeper, more intricate levels that take you far beyond a single screen full of blocks.

The revival of Bungie’s Marathon on the iPad — the first ever Mac FPS — is also on our list, in addition to an impressive 3D combat game from Glu, and more!

New screenshots demonstrating Facebook’s much-anticipated Project Spartan web app platform, in addition to a tentative launch date for the service, have been published online. And despite Facebook’s promise that the service isn’t intended to rival the App Store, developers say there’s no question.

While we patiently await the release of Skype for iPad, which was supposed to land last Tuesday, the Skype application for Mac just got a fancy new update that introduces background video calling and group video chat.

Thanks to the continued growth of Apple’s iOS devices, the iTunes platform that includes the App Store and the iBookstore is set to grow at a rate of 39% over the next three years and rake in a whopping $13 billion in revenue during 2013.

Despite being accessible only to a select few for the time being, the official Google+ app for the iPhone will hit the App Store anytime soon — possibly before the service even goes public.

Our roundup of must-have iOS games this week includes 1-bit Ninja — a unique new platformer that boasts retro gameplay in a stylised 2D side-scrolling world, which you can drag into 3D at any time to reveal hidden paths — like no other platform game you’ve ever played.

Also on our list is Pocket Academy, the latest release from Kairosoft, the developers behind Game Dev Story; and the official Transformers game from Electronic Arts.

Apple has released the Gold Master build of the next version of of its Mac OS X operating system to developers, meaning that 10.7 Lion could see release to the public as early as next week, exclusively through the Mac App Store.

For users looking to upgrade, this is uncharted territory: the first OS X upgrade to be delivered digitally. To help you prepare for Lion and guarantee your machine is one hundred percent ready to upgrade the second Lion drops, we’ve put together this handy guide.

Here’s how to prepare your Mac for Lion, and do it right.

Guess what’s just been seeded to developers? The Gold Master of OS X 10.7 Lion… the last developer seed before Lion becomes available for download to all Mac users through the Mac App Store. What a way to start off the holiday weekend!

The New York Times has issued an update to its iOS apps today that now allows users to subscribe to paid content through in-app purchases. The change comes a day later than the June 30 deadline Apple imposed on subscription apps that must now provide a way for users to sign up without being redirected to a website.

Today’s June 30th. That’s an important day for app developers. It’s the day Apple expects app makers to comply with new guidelines saying you can no longer link directly to a way to buy in-app content out of app. Hulu Plus has already jumped through that hoop, but you know who hasn’t? Amazon with its Kindle app.

It’s not official until Apple makes it so, but expect this blip to pop up Apple’s July 19th financial results call: the iPad now has more than 100,000 native apps available for it.

We know the release of OS X Lion is imminent, not just because Apple said it was coming in July, but because supplies of MacBook Airs and MacBooks are dangerously constrained, yet Apple is holding back new models.

So when’s Lion dropping? The latest rumor says right after this holiday weekend… and we’re inclined to believe it.

It seems that not a week goes by when Gameloft doesn’t have another awesome App Store release up its sleeve. If you’re wandering what we can expect for the rest of 2011, we have the full list of release for you right here!

It’s been a great week for iOS gamers, with fantastic new releases from Gameloft, Chillingo, Sega and Telltale Games. Picking our favorites has been some task.

Here’s this week’s roundup — featuring the return of Sonic in a brand new arcade kart racer, an iPad platformer that uses your iPhone as a controller, and the final episode of Monkey Island.

In an attempt to comply with pro-consumer laws, Apple is going to allow customers who mistakenly purchase an iOS app or get burned by a shoddy one the ability to get a refund within seven days of purchase. Don’t get too excited, though: you’ll have to live in Taiwan to take advantage of the revised return policy.

This week’s roundup of must-have applications features one of the most unique video apps we’ve ever seen for the iPhone, a fantastic new note-taking app from tablet-maker Wacom, and a simplistic calendar app that aims to bring old-school desktop calendars to your iPhone.

Check out all of this and more below!

UPDATE: Skype has confirmed that the video is real. The app has been submitted to the App Store, and is pending Apple’s approval.

Earlier today, Skype allegedly posted the above video to their official YouTube account, then just as quickly whisked it away. We don’t know if it’s legit or not, but we hope so, because Skype for iPad looks great.

Apple’s bid to prevent the rest of the world from using the term “Appstore” may be about to hit a stumbling block, after U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton revealed today that she will “probably” deny the Cupertino company exclusive access to the term.

If your audio taste is anything like mine, you’ll want to mute this music video for “Undivided,” the first single for the group Blush, feat. Snoopy Dog. It’s like someone vomiting jolly ranchers down your cochleas.

That said, make sure to watch it, because it was made by animator Shawn Harris using iOS app Brushes. Impressive, right? And we have the making off too!

20 years ago today, on June 23, 1991, the first Sonic game hit the shelves and the loveable little blue hedgehog that would become Sega’s flagship character was born — ready to do battle with Nintendo’s Mario.

Today, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, over a year after the game first hit consoles. But it was well worth the wait!