iOS - page 28

Rdio users can now ditch the desktop entirely, thanks to an update which brings playlist editing and reviews to the iOS version of the app. No more booting up that dusty old Mac just to remove an accidentally-added song from your “awesomest songs evah” list.

It’s easy to forget just how much the iPhone changed things. Today saw the publishing of one of the iPhone’s most familiar patents — its gesture/touch-based text selection tool.

Describing a new way of selecting text using gestures on a multi-touch sensitive display screen, the patent, which was filed back in March 2008, is credited to Wayne Carl Westerman, Apple’s Multi-Touch Architect; Bas Ording, a User Interface Designer who joined Apple not long after Jobs’ return; B. Michael Victor, and Stephen O. Lemay.

With the proliferation of mobile, internet-connected devices, iOS development and software development as a whole are rapidly expanding fields. The demand for new developers (of all skill levels) far outweighs the supply, and don’t think you need a degree in computer science to get your foot in the door…passion and hard work can get you just as far.

The Complete iOS 7 Developers Course is a true iOS boot camp, you’ll gain the skills and learn the tools needed to develop iPhone and iPad applications for iOS 7. And now you can get it for only $59 – a savings of 88% – thanks to Cult of Mac Deals!

Perhaps paying homage to its fallen brother Flappy Bird, award-winning iOS flapping game Badland is currently priced 50% off its usual cost of $3.99.

That’s not all. In time for Valentine’s Day, Badland adds a new friendly multiplayer level where the aim is to cooperate with — rather than compete against — friends, along with a new “lovely” main menu to get you in the mood for amore.

Borrowing its premise from the Jet Li-starring cult martial arts actioner The One, Only One is a retro-styled arena slasher that pits a sword-wielding hero against waves of enemies on what looks to be a giant floating platform in the sky.

The Flappy Bird saga will not die thanks to one question still on the minds of Flappy Bird fans – how did Flappy Bird’s wild success ruin creator Dong Nguyen’s life?

Nguyen removed the game from the App Store and Google Play on Sunday despite making $50,000 a day off it, saying the game is a success, but it also ruins his simple life.

I can call ‘Flappy Bird’ is a success of mine. But it also ruins my simple life. So now I hate it.

— Dong Nguyen (@dongatory) February 8, 2014

Theories are boiling as to how the game ruined Dong’s life. Did Nintendo complain? No. Did he sell it? Nope.

Perhap his pockets are simply running out of room for those fat stacks, but a new theory emerged this morning, maybe Dong Nguyen cheated the App Store with bots.

After enjoying a wild ride as one of the most popular iPhone games ever, Flappy Bird developer Dong Nguyen removed the game from both the App Store and Google Play yesterday, but if you missed the rise of Flappy Bird without getting to actually play it, there’s now a web game to give you a taste of the addiction.

Popular universal iOS journal app My Wonderful Days has been given an update, adding several notable features.

First and foremost is the ability for users to now add videos to their multimedia journals — either shooting one themselves, or else adding an existing video from their iOS device’s library.

For the most part, iOS 7 controllers are still pretty expensive and a bit of a luxury. If you already own one, however, and have a taste for retro video games, you’ll be pleased to hear that Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic CD have now received updates adding controller support.

iPhones with the deleted smash hit iOS game Flappy Bird still installed are garnering bids of up to $99,900.00 on eBay.

Leading the way is eBay user pindrus who is selling his used 16GB iPhone 5s (“The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended”) with the game, and has so far attracted more than 70 bids.

Just a few months after its launch, LinkedIn has made the call to kill controversial feature LinkedIn Intro — which embedded LinkedIn profiles inside your iOS Mail app.

Despite being a cleverly designed solution, LinkedIn Intro was cricitized almost immediately for being invasive and a potential security risk. Security firm Bishop Fox described the service as “a dream for attackers.”

Popular wine tasting app Wine Spectator WineRatings+ has received a notable upgrade, adding updated content, a new design interface, and a version designed specifically for iPad.

While the mandatory iOS 7 design improves readability and ease of use, the real improvements include an updated Top 100 Wines list for 2013, containing editors’ latest list of the world’s “most exciting” wine.

It’s time to take your diet from digital to delightfully simple.

ReFleX NutriCrystal is a Bluetooh enabled, glass-top kitchen scale to help you track calorie intake and reach your healthy eating goals. And Cult of Mac Deals has it right now during this limited time offer for 27% off – just $79.99.

From quadrocopter deliveries to rumors of a 3D Kindle smartphone coming in 2014, Amazon has been on the cutting edge of tech for quite some time now. The company’s latest update for its iOS app, however, might be among the most fun new developments we’ve seen.

Along with the ubiquitous bug fixes seen in practically every iOS app update, version 3.2.1 of Amazon’s retail app includes a feature called “Flow” which lets users quickly and easily search for products using their iOS camera.

We said it wouldn’t be too long until a jailbreak was available for iOS 7.0.5, and thankfully the good folks at Evad3rs haven’t let us down — since Evasi0n has just released its untethered iOS 7.0.5 jailbreak.

U.S. iPhone users won’t get a whole lot from the iOS 7.0.5 update, since its changes mainly deal with minor bug fixes to network errors on Chinese carriers — but for those looking for assurance that their unlocked iPhone can be used internationally without problem, it may be worth a download.

After what seems like a lifetime of anticipation, Final Fantasy VI for iOS has finally touched down in the App Store.

Representing the FF series at its 2D peak, the game (which originally hit consoles back in 1994) takes place in an eye-popping Industrial Revolution-inspired world, as characters Terra and Locke battle to escape the clutches of an evil Empire.

When I was young, maybe between the ages of twelve and fifteen, I used to make very basic games with a friend of mine called James Brzezicki. They were almost always the simplest things imaginable: a single sprite jumping over other sprites, or a ball bouncing back and forth between two paddles. This wasn’t because we had worked out how to strip gaming down to its most base elements, but rather because it was all we could work out how to program.

Google Maps’ latest update for iOS adds a new “Faster Route” feature, which notifies users in navigation mode when a quicker journey to their destination becomes available.

The new feature works in conjunction with Google Maps’ existing ability to track traffic data in real time. Once alerted that there is a possible faster route, users have the option of either tapping “No thanks” and remaining on their present course, or else hitting “Reroute” and diverting their journey to one that Google predicts will be faster.

Recently launched free app WerYoo takes on Instagram — combining a photo app with a social network — by allowing users to place their photos and hashtags on a map, which they can then share with friends.

WerYoo lets you show off your photos to people in your immediate proximity, and pings you whenever a new nearby photo is added — thereby letting you both keep up to date with friends and connect with new people.

Dungeon Keeper for iOS has received its first update, one week after its initial launch in the App Store.

Sadly, the update doesn’t remove some of the game’s worse freemium-associated elements (our review criticized its approach to micro-payments for being “overeager to claim all of your precious gems to get anything done”) but it does add a host of other modifications — including “the power of friendship” which lets you drag in other friends to play through Facebook and Game Center.

Apple was notably absent from the Super Bowl ad slots Sunday, but a new video touting the Mac’s transformative power is quickly making Cupertino the most talked-about company the morning after the big game. The impressive clip continues the Mac’s 30th-anniversary celebration, and it was shot entirely on iPhones in 15 locations across five continents.

I’ve had iPhones for years, but I’ve never really been keen on using one that wasn’t jailbroken. As much as I love iOS, some of Apple’s decisions always kept my iPhone from working exactly how I wanted it to.

Jailbreaking gave me the ability to sidestep those limitations and make iOS my own. I could experience some of the freedom that Android users have grown to love while retaining the reliability, stability and polish of iOS. While I was frustrated that Apple wasn’t making major changes to improve its platform, I was happy that I could make them myself using unauthorized third-party tweaks.

Then I started using iOS 7, and everything changed.

PlayStation’s official app has received its first update — adding several notable features to the service, which functions as a second-screen app and social networking hub for PS4 players.

Chief among the updates is “Live from PlayStation” integration, which allows users to view live streams from Ustream and Twitch — although it is worth pointing out that this service works by redirecting you to an external Web browser — or corresponding live-steaming service app — to watch the footage, rather than streaming it directly within the PlayStation App.

The New York Times has updated its official apps for iOS.

Both NYTimes for iPhone and NYTimes for iPad now promise complete coverage of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, which will take place from Feb 7 to 23 — including news alerts which can be signed up for once the games begin.