Killian Bell - page 339

This week’s must-have iOS games features one of the best 2D platformers yet for the iPhone, GTA goodness in high-definition and golfing that claims to be as real as it gets. There’s also some pooping pigeons thrown in for good measure!

Check out a few of our favorite games from the past week after the break.

This weeks must-have iOS apps include Nike’s latest to help you track your run stats, professional HTML emails on your iPhone with MarkdownMail, quick and easy invoice creation for your business, and AppShopper’s new app that helps you keep track of the App Store.

Check out a few of our favorite apps from the past week after the break!

Apple has updated its Game Centre overview page today to provide details on which devices will be supported when the social gaming network goes live on Wednesday with the release of the new iOS 4.1 update.

The list of supported devices includes the second-, third- and forth-generation iPod Touch models, along with the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3GS. Unfortunately for those still clinging on to their trusty iPhone 3G, Game Centre is another feature you’ll miss out on in iOS 4.1.

Nike has released its Nike+ GPS app in to the App Store this morning, and it allows users with a GPS enabled device to track their runs without the $19 Nike+ shoe sensor accessory. Record your pace, distance and the route you ran using just your device’s built-in GPS and accelerometer.

It’s a $1.99 app and it does a whole lot of impressive stuff: motivational messages from Nike’s top athletes aim to push you further to improve your workout and reach your goals, while your personalized ‘PowerSong’ is designed to give you that extra boost.

Voice feedback as you run to tells you how you’re doing and when you’ve finished, you can upload your stats to your Nikeplus.com account (free) to compete with friends, join challenges, set goals and connect with the rest of the Nike+ community.

At just $1.99, the athletes among you will save themselves a small fortune by not having to fork out for the shoe sensor running accessory.

Nike+ GPS is compatible with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and the iPod Touch (2nd generation and above), running iOS 4.0. Get it in the App Store here.

This week’s must-have iOS games include the graphically stunning Epic Citadel that was recently introduced at Apple’s music event, adrenaline-fuelled sprinting across rooftops in Mirror’s Edge for iPhone, using your powers as Spider-Man to save the city of New York, and a whole lot more to keep you entertained this weekend.

Check out a few of our favorite games from the past week after the break!

This week’s must-have iOS apps include the universal release of the official Twitter client, a fun and unique way to make music, and an app that turns your device in to a USB memory stick.

Check out a few of our favorite apps from the past week after the break!

Following Wednesday’s release of iTunes 10, many users have mixed views and opinions on a lot of the changes that have come with it, particularly to its appearance. One notable change was the update of the application’s icon; after many years, the familiar music note over a CD has been updated to the simplistic, blue glowing icon above. Whilst some users have welcomed the modern design, others have criticised its appearance.

Wired reports that one user, Joshua Kopac, dislikes the icon so much, that he decided to email Steve Jobs with his opinion on the change.

Steve,
Enjoyed the presentation today. But…this new iTunes logo really sucks. You’re taking 10+ years of instant product recognition and replacing it with an unknown. Let’s both cross our fingers on this…

A short and sweet reply from Jobs’ email account simply read:

We disagree.
Sent from my iPhone

Wired claim that they’ve reviewed Kopac’s email for authenticity and believe it to be true. If it is indeed genuine, it’s nice to see that despite Apple’s disagreement with this disgruntled user, they still took the time to reply, albeit very briefly.

Other appearance changes in iTunes 10 include the 3 round buttons to close & resize the window rotate from a horizontal to a vertical orientation, and grayscale icons in the left sidebar as opposed to colored ones.

If you’ve recently purchased an iPhone 4, you’ll be wanting to protect your shiny new device from scratches, scuffs and bumps. Now that it’s been around for a few months, there are a lot of cases on the market that claim to do just that, but how do you know which one’s right for you? I’ve lost count of the number of cases I purchased for my previous iPhones that, after using for a week or so, I decided weren’t suitable for a number of reasons.

This is where the iPhone 4 Case Review comes in; it’s a weekly review of a variety of iPhone 4 cases which aims to give you some advice and guidance on protecting your beloved new gadget. We’ll test out a range of cases so that you don’t have to, and hope to help you decide which case is best for you. We’ll try out snap cases, sleeves, protectors, pouches and anything else we can find!

Our first review is of Incipio’s Feather case. I chose this one first for one reason; out of all of the cases I purchased for my 3GS, the Feather was the one I used most and the one I was most impressed with, although it did have one flaw. Check out the review after the break.

This week’s must-have iOS games features plenty of zombies, addictive games galore and some fantastic bargains guaranteed to keep you entertained this weekend. There’s also two retro classics thrown in for good measure. Check out Cult of Mac’s favorite games from the past week after the break!

This week’s must-haves include applications to view and manage your CloudApp account, keep track of your to-dos in style and translate tweets from your foreign friends. Check out Cult of Mac’s favorites from the past week after the break!

Apple has today released version 9.0.4 of its iWork productivity suite. With it comes several bug fixes for Keynote, Pages and Numbers, and a new feature which allows for the exporting of Pages documents in the ePub format for use on their own iBooks iOS application.

The full list of changes, as detailed in the support document includes:

Keynote 5.0.4

• Addresses an issue when printing handouts with rule lines.
• Fixes an issue with the slide switcher.
• Resolves an issue when automatically resizing some images while changing slide size.
• Fixes an issue with tables.

Pages 4.0.4

• Fixes an issue with tables.
• Includes compatibility with the standard ePub file format (for use with iBooks) when exporting.

Numbers 2.0.4

• Fixes an issue with tables.

This update is for users with iWork 9.0, 9.0.1, 9.0.2, and 9.0.3. You can download the update through Software Update on your Mac, or directly from the Apple website here.

Looking for something to keep you entertained this weekend? Let Cult of Mac’s weekly must-have apps & games feature help you out.

After some feedback on last week’s post, we’ve decided that this week we’re going to split up apps & games and give you a dedicated post for each.

So here’s are a few of our favorite games; check them out after the break!

Looking for something to keep you entertained this weekend? Let Cult of Mac’s weekly must-have apps & games feature help you out.

After some feedback on last week’s post, we’ve decided that this week we’re going to split up apps & games and give you a dedicated post for each.

So here’s a few of our favorite apps from the last week; check them out after the break!

OPlayer, from olimsoft, is an iOS application for both iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad, that claims to boost your device’s media capabilities by allowing playback of a huge list of audio and video file formats.

The list of supported formats is pretty impressive, and will save you a great deal of effort if you often find yourself having to convert movies to watch on your device while you’re on the move. A fairly big video file can take a while to convert and it’s not the most exciting of tasks. But with OPlayer conversion isn’t needed – simply transfer your media to your device.

The full list of supported formats includes MP3, WMA, RM, AAC, WMV, AVI, MKV, RMVB, XVID, MP4, MOV, 3GP and MPG.

You can transfer files to your device using the File Sharing feature within iTunes or you can download them using the built-in browser from your computer, from the internet or from an FTP server. It’s also possible to stream media to your device over Wi-Fi and 3G.

The release of OPlayer, and of CineXPlayer last week, in to the App Store certainly suggests that Apple is relaxing some of its restrictions on app approvals, most likely in a bid to discourage users from jailbreaking their devices. Will this open the doors for other third-party media players?

Get OPlayer for your iPhone & iPod Touch from the App Store here, or get the HD version for your iPad here.

With hundreds of thousands of applications and games already in the App Store, and more and more added daily, it’s often hard to notice some of the great apps that are available for your iOS device. That’s where Cult of Mac’s weekly must-have shortlist comes in: we’ll compile a list at the end of each week to showcase a few of our favorites and pick out the best of the bunch. Check out this week’s after the break!

In a surprise move, Apple has today approved CineXPlayer for the iPad, which is a free application that allows you to watch Xvid movies on your device.

Great news for those of you out there with a collection of Xvid video files you would previously have had to convert before you could watch on your iPad, but is this just another app that’s temporarily slipped through Apple’s net? Apple doesn’t normally approve apps of this kind for the App Store and famously stands by the MPEG-4 and H.264 formats, brushing other formats aside.

It could mean, of course, that in an attempt to deter us from jailbreaking our devices, Apple is beginning to loosen up on its strict control of the App Store approval process. Many applications have passed Apple’s approval process, however, only to be withdrawn from the App Store hours later. And I get the feeling CineXPlayer will be next on the list.

Only time will tell whether CineXPlayer remains in the App Store or whether it will soon be pulled, but I’d advise you get your hands on it quick just in case.

To celebrate their 3rd anniversary, Readdle have started a 48-hour sale from today which sees all of their iOS applications reduced to just $0.99. In addition to this massive sale, Readdle are also giving away an iPad to 3 lucky winners who retweet their anniversary message on Twitter.

To be in with a chance of winning, just follow these 3 simple steps:

For more information, visit the Readdle 3 years anniversary page. To get your hands on one of Readdle’s great applications, check out their App Store page.

DVD to iPhone Converter for both Mac and PC is a handy application that allows you to transfer your DVD movies in to MP4 files optimized for your iPhone 3G, 3GS or 4.

It’s incredibly simple to use: just stick your favorite DVD in to your computer, select the appropriate movie file and then click “convert.” When it’s done, drag the MP4 file in to your iTunes library and sync it to your device.

This application is a must for any movie fan, and the giveaway which will last just over a week will save you $29. All you need is a Facebook account.

Visit iSkySoft’s Facebook page, and click on the “like” button to become a fan. Fill in your name and email address and then download the application. Be sure to click on the “get keycode” link to get the serial key sent to you via email.

Get it before the offer ends and enjoy your movies on the move without buying them again on iTunes!

The Apple Store is back up following some downtime this morning and the Magic Trackpad is now available.

At just $69, the Magic Trackpad provides your desktop Mac with all of the multi-touch functionality and gestures you’ll find on your Mac notebook. It looks fantastic and uses the same sculpted aluminum design as Apple’s wireless keyboard, so it will blend in perfectly on your desk.

This morning the Apple Store is down and backs up rumours that product updates and introductions could be imminent.

Rumors have circulated recently about updates to the iMac and the Mac Pro, as well as the introduction of a 27-inch Cinema Display and a “Magic Trackpad“.

We’re not sure yet whether new products will appear, but this is a good sign. It’s also typical of Apple to release/update products on a Tuesday.

We’ll keep our eye on the Apple Store and be sure to inform you when it’s back up and if there’s new goodies to check out!

MacRumors have picked up on some claims this morning by Mac4Ever that give details on Apple’s next update to the iLife suite.

It’s rumored that the update will happen on August 7th, 2010, and will introduce a whole host of new features including a new “mystery” application:

– iLife ’11 will be sold for $79
– Release Date of 08/07/2010
– All applications will be 64-bit
– Improvements in iPhoto faces & places
– Improving the integration of social networks
– iWeb will be totally renewed
– New application (mystery!)
– Disappearance of iDVD
– MobileMe gallery in beta (with faces & places)

Several rumors have circulated recently regarding an update to iLife, some of which claim the new update will be labelled iLife ’10. However, as MacRumors points out, the iLife ’11 name would be more consistent with Apple’s previous behavior; iLife ’08 was introduced in August, 2007.

Archetype, the instantly popular online FPS by Villain that impressed many of us upon its release earlier this month has been pulled from the App Store.

The game’s recent update to version 1.2.1 brought with it several bugs that caused issues when loading on certain devices, and in turn a large number of unhappy customers.

Archetype’s Twitter page confirms that Villain are currently working with Apple to resolve the issue and get Archetype back in to the App Store. One tweet suggests that users with a backup of version 1.05 can continue to use that for the time being:

We’re working with Apple to resolve the problem. 1.05 should work if you have a backup (assuming you downloaded 1.2.1). 

Let us know if you’ve had problems with Archetype and what device you’re using in the comments. We’ll keep you updated on the game’s return.

Gameloft’s popular iOS shooter N.O.V.A. has just been updated and now includes a new gyroscope control system for the iPhone 4.

First impressions are fantastic! I’ve only given it about 15 minutes, but I love the gyroscope control system and since it’s introduction in games like ngmoco’s Eliminate: Gun Range, I’ve been looking forward to seeing other shooters with this functionality. It takes a bit of getting used to, and you’ll need some room to play, but it’s incredibly fun.

As well as gyroscope support, N.O.V.A.’s graphics have been updated and optimized for the iPhone 4’s Retina display.

If you don’t already have this game, I highly recommend it. Check it out in the App Store.

iTunes 9.2.1 is now available for download and finally fixes the numerous bugs many of us have been experiencing:

• Disables older versions of some incompatible third-party plug-ins
• Addresses minor issues with dragging and dropping items
• Addresses a performance issue when first syncing to some devices with iTunes 9.2
• Addresses an issue upgrading to iOS 4 on an iPhone or iPod touch with encrypted back-ups
• Addresses other issues that improve stability and performance

You can get this update via Software Update on your Mac, or download it directly from the Apple website.

Apple has released an update to its iBooks application for the iOS and the latest version brings with it a few nice new features.

As well as the ability to now choose between 6 different fonts for your books, you can also double-tap images to see them in greater detail; and experience books that include audio and video.

In addition to new features, we also get welcome bug fixes, or, “stability and performance improvements.” I’ve lost count of the number of errors I get when opening a book in iBooks, so I’m hoping these issues are now fixed. So far, so good.

The full list of features from the app’s description is as follows:

• Double-tap an image within a book to view it in greater detail.
• Experience books that include audio and video.
• Enjoy substantial performance improvements when reading PDFs.
• Look-up definitions to English words inside books without a specified language.
• Addresses an issue that may have caused some book downloads to not complete.
• Includes many stability and performance improvements.

You can download the update through iTunes or the App Store on your device, or grab iBooks from the App Store for free if you don’t already have it.