iOS - page 41

As one of the year’s most anticipated games, Grand Theft Auto V is sure to be one of the biggest time sucks you’ve ever experienced. To keep you plugged into its action adventure open-world game more than ever before, Rockstar has launched a companion iOS app for the console game called “iFruit.”

The companion app allows GTA V players to to create their ultimate vehicle from the Los Santos Customs shop. Players can customize everything from the paint job down to the body armor, place an order, and then find the vehicle waiting in the shop when you boot up your console. You can also use the app to train and play with your canine sidekick Chop. The more you play, pet and feed your virtual Rottweiler, the more useful he becomes playing alongside Franklin once GTA V launches on consoles September 17th.

Here are the full release notes:

Thanks to all of Jony’s changes with iOS 7, every app developer in the world is hurrying to finish their iOS 7 overhaul. Twitter is busy at work on their update too, except rather than just making everything flatter with shimmering gradients, Twitter plans to introduced a new feed dedicated to everything about TV, according to AllThingsD.

Twitter’s not just focusing on aesthetics for the iOS 7 redesign, as the company wants to make its mobile apps more appealing for casual users. According to AllThingsD, the new TV feed will become a big part of Twitter’s pitch to connect to new users:

Photogene has long been one of the top photo-editing apps on iOS, beating out Photoshop Touch in so many ways it’s not funny (not funny for Adobe anyway – it’s still pretty funny for me, and I laugh about it every time I use something by Adobe and am forced to wonder if they hired chimps to write their installers).

Anyhow, now Photogene 4 is out, and it’s a big update. To begin with, it’s now universal (previously there were separate apps for iPhone and iPad), and it works with full-res RAW images.

Another week has sped by and we’ve had a ton of great offers that have made their way onto the Cult of Mac Deals page. Before we head into another week, we’re going to shine a spotlight on two of the offers that you may have missed.

With the cooler months approaching (at least here in the Northern hemisphere), many of us turn our attention towards taking on a new hobby or learning something new that can take our work – and even our lives – to new heights. There are more opportunities to generate revenue from hobbies than ever before thanks to technology, and Cult of Mac Deals has an offer that certainly fits this category.

For a limited time you can get The Ultimate Xcode Fundamentals Course, where you’ll learn how to build and launch iOS apps – even if you’ve never looked at Xcode before. This video course is only $79 courtesy of Cult of Mac Deals.

This is the Cult of Mac’s exclusive column written by an actual Apple retail store genius. Our genius must remain anonymous, but other than “Who are you, anyway?” ask anything you want about what goes on behind that slick store facade.  

Answers will be published first in Cult of Mac’s Magazine on Newsstand. Send your questions to with genius in the subject line.

With iPhone 5 warranties about to expire for early adopters, our Genius runs through the litany of legitimate issues you can use to get your iPhone replaced for free. We also dive into whether it’s better to be upfront about water damage and switching colors when the Genius Bar replaces your device.

1. My iPhone 5 warranty is about to expire.  How can I get my device replaced for free so I have a new iPhone from the warranty of the old one?

Like any piece of advanced tech, the iPhone certainly has its faults and manufacturing defects, even if they are somewhat rare.

Hardware defects are the easiest way to go

One of the biggest problems we have to swap iPhones for is the sleep/wake button. That button often gives out or gets jammed and becomes unresponsive. If that happens we swap the device. Same thing for the volume buttons. The home button isn’t as common a replacement. We may be able to do a modular repair to replace the flex assembly that goes to your home button. Often times that fixes it, but if it doesn’t we’ll swap it out.

Essentially, hardware defects are the easiest way to go. Camera defects come up frequently too, with issues like spots or lines on the sensor and shutter fails being the most common issue. We don’t have a camera replacement for the iPhone 5, so if you have any of those issues, definitely bring it in. There have also been issues with the iPhone 5’s metal enclosure getting bent out shape. As long as the screen isn’t cracked and the bend or morphing is noticeable, your warranty covers that as well.

Getting an iPhone replaced under warranty for a software issue is a bit trickier. Most software issues that people see will not lead to an iPhone replacement. Before you come to the Genius Bar you’ll be reminded to try rebooting your iPhone and restore from a backup. Those two quick steps usually do fix most software issues. Some software issues – like maybe your WiFi has gone out – can get you a replacement iPhone as long as the Genius can observe and verify the issue.

The good thing about taking your iPhone 5 in for those issues:  it won’t cost you anything and extends your warranty for another 90 days. After two replacements we have to ask a manager for permission to replace an iPhone, even if it’s a legitimate reason. Most of the time managers are cool and will just tell us to go ahead and swap it, but the two-replacement policy is supposed to act as a safeguard from people who try to milk Apple for an infinite number of replacement iPhones.

2. Why won’t the Genius Bar let me change the color of my iPhone when I get it replaced under AppleCare+?

Essentially, we don’t allow it in order to benefit our customers and make sure that inventory flows through the channels in the most efficient way possible.

When you buy a black iPhone, Apple keeps track of how many models it has sold in each color and plans out how many it will need to supply for replacements at the Apple Store. It’s a complicated process to get all the Apple Stores stocked with the right amount of iPhones in the various configurations, even though Apple makes it look easy.

Allowing customers to change colors at random would add an extra element of variation to Apple’s supply chain and could result in supply shortages. And then customers who actually need a device swap in their original color would get screwed over. So, sorry, you’re stuck with your original color choice. Choose wisely.

3. My 30-day-old MacBook Pro had a little accident involving water on the ride home. The screen isn’t working, but it will output video to an external monitor. What’s my best bet when approaching the Genius Bar – pretending I don’t know what happened, or fessing up?

Honesty is the best policy right? The Apple Geniuses are going to find out one way or another that your MacBook is water damaged. It’s better for them to find out from you right away, so fess up to it, but ask them what the best options are.

The Genius Bar is there to fix your computer, but it’s really about fixing your relationship with Apple

Ask them what was damaged and what repairs can be done. Sometimes – especially in your case where you purchased it very recently – they may be able to talk to a manager to help you out, so it’s good start off on the right foot.

The Genius Bar is there to fix your computer, but it’s really about fixing your relationship with Apple. Because the company wants to represent itself well and get great customer satisfaction scores, a manager might give you a break and only make you pay a partial amount of the repair, or even hook you up with a free repair.

Days of Wonder‘s Small World was the first ever cardboard-and-plastic board game to jump the digital chasm and become an iPad board game; the game actually made its debut the same day the iPad went on sale, over three years ago.

In the intervening years, Days of Wonder has neglected the digital version of Small World somewhat, and instead concentrated heavily on its best-known title, the massively popular Ticket to Ride (of which there is now a bewildering assortment of variations — both physical and digital — available for play).

But now, finally, the indy game company has come back to the game that started it all and released Small World 2 on the iPad — a huge, socially rich sequel that should make board-game fans very happy once the sticker shock has abated.

Tim Cook and company rocked today’s keynote. As expected, the iPhone 5s was announced with a new processor, fingerprint sensor and motion chip alongside the new cost-conscious and brightly-colored iPhone 5c.

Craig Frederhigi spent some time on Jony Ive’s upcoming iOS 7, running through the main features, most of which we’d heard back at WWDC in June, including Control Center, Search anywhere, more textured ringtones and the like.

The two new models of iPhone were the focus of today’s event. CEO Tim Cook said that the iPhone business was getting so big they decided to replace the iPhone 5 with two new models. The iPhone 5c looks to aim directly at kids and perhaps budget-conscious consumers with bright colors and the ability to purchase contrasting soft rubber cases. The iPhone 5s is a tour-de-force of new technology, including the much-anticipated fingerprint sensor, Touch ID, and the new A7 and M7 chips.

The keynote was even more densely packed with info, of course, so we’ve broken everything down into tasty, bite-size nuggets of information so you can get essentials of what happened today without having to read 30,000 different blog posts.

Here’s everything that Apple announced at today’s keynote:

When Apple introduced Photo Stream to iCloud back in 2011, the Cupertino company made it incredibly quick and easy for its users to share their favorite photos with their friends and family without syncing them to their computer first. But Photo Stream has a downside, and that is that it’s only available on iOS.

Fortunately, there are plenty of awesome alternatives with cross-platform support, and one of those is Kicksend. Not only does Kicksend let you share photos with friends — regardless of the smartphone platform they choose — but it also lets you print and send real photos to those who don’t have a smartphone at all.

Gamestop-owned Kongregate games has gotten into the mobile gaming space recently, and the latest published by the online gaming portal, Sheep Happens, has a lot going for it.

Sheep Happens throws just about everything at players, like wacky characters, missions to complete, and plenty of power-ups to earn and/or purchase. While the humor is a bit over the top, the gameplay finds a pretty decent balance between difficult and engaging gameplay fairly early on. For players willing to spend some time and/or a little bit of cash, the later game ramps up nicely, making Sheep Happens a nice diversion for those of us who haven’t gotten sick of the endless runner.

One of my favorite things ever is Orson Welles’ infamous radio broadcast based on H.G. Wells’ Martian-invasion novel, The War of the Worlds. If you’ve never heard it and have a free hour, here’s a link. Just come back when you’re done.

Codename Cygnus is an interactive radio drama from developer Reactive Studios. And if you liked the storytelling, acting, and music in Welles’ production, it’s for you. If you thought it was cheesy and overly dramatic, you should try Cygnus anyway. Here’s why.

Are you a big user of the iOS Kindle app? If you intend on updating to iOS 7 first thing when it drops next week, you might want to update your Kindle app sooner rather than later. A new critical update has been released that Amazon says will prevent iOS 7 from messing your Kindle library up.

Microsoft has today launched Xbox Music on Android and iOS almost a year after the music streaming service made its debut alongside Windows 8. The apps allow subscribers to stream tens of millions of songs straight to their mobile devices, and create playlists that sync across your smartphone, tablet, PC, and Xbox 360.

Microsoft has also updated its Xbox Music web app to offer free, ad-supported streaming for all.

Apple is becoming a victim of its own success. It’s been several years since the company launched the iPad and revolutionized yet another product category, but we haven’t seen anything truly groundbreaking since then. Sure, we’ve had the iPad mini, the Retina MacBook Pro, and the awesome new iMac, but they’re all variations or improvements on existing products.

Now the world is clamoring for something completely new — something that’ll take off just like the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Some reports suggest it will be the Apple “iTV,” the company first television set, which is said to be in development inside the company’s Cupertino headquarters. But it’s more likely that Apple’s immediate concern is with the “iWatch,” a smartwatch powered by iOS that will bring all kinds of crazy-cool technology to your wrist.

I had suspicions Apple might be working on its own watch when it redesigned the iPod nano last year. A lot of fans used the tiny nano as a watch thanks to third-party strap accessories, and it seemed like its form factor and design were changed for a reason — to make way for something new.

We’ve been reading iWatch rumors for the past few months, so it’s time to put them all together and establish what we think we know about the iWatch so far.

Having gone without a refresh since 2009, the iPod classic is one of the oldest products still on sale in the Apple Store. Will Apple finally update it this fall to add flash storage and a Lightning connector? Probably not. In fact, some expect the Cupertino company to finally kill it off.

PayPal announced a major update for its iOS app today that includes a new iOS 7-styled redesign focused on giving users more options to use digital payments at brick and mortar locations.

The update allows customers to pay for items in-store, transfer money to friends, split bills, check-in to locations, and even open up a line of credit with the new Bill Me Later feature. PayPal is also working with restaurants to allow users to order and pay for items within the PayPal app, rather than having to download a separate app for all your favorite restaurants.

The new update will be available for free on Google Play and the App Store later today.

Here’s an intro video PayPal released for the redesign: :

If you’re tired of running through temples, taking joyrides on jetpacks, or robot unicorn … attacking, developer Bravo has a guy you should meet.

He’s RunBot, star of the same-named, free-to-play, sprint-forever game out now for iOS devices. I’m not actually sure that his name is RunBot, now that I think about it, but that’s as good a name as any considering he’s a robot that runs. He also jumps, slides, falls, and flies, but I’m getting ahead of myself here.

At an event in Berlin in just under two hours time, Sony will announce two attachable lenses that you’ll be able to stick onto the back of your smartphone to take better photos. They’re called the QX100 and the QX10, and you can see exactly what they’ll look like in the leaked press images above — and exactly how they’ll work in the leaked TV ad below.

Apple has pushed out updates for its three iLife for iOS apps today that includes a number of compatibility fixes. iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand for iOS were all updated with compatibility fixes, while GarageBand also received some minor bug fixes for performance and stability.

With the official iOS 7 launch just weeks away, we wouldn’t be surprised if Apple is prepping the apps to play nice with the new OS, although we expect the icons and UI to get a redesign shortly after iOS 7 comes out.

Source: iTunes

While Apple has been getting dominated by Android in terms of the sheer number of smartphones sold, iOS users have still managed to capture the lion’s share of worldwide mobile web share company, but it looks like the size of their pie is shrinking.

According to the latest survey from NetApplications, iOS’s worldwide mobile web share has dropped 11% since August of 2012. While iOS is still at the top with 54.9%, Android has risen from 20.9% in August 2012, to 28.1% in August 2013.

Whether you’re building a native Mac app or a web app, you can no longer get away with those alone. You need to go mobile with your app. There’s just too many opportunities you’ll miss out on otherwise considering how widely used mobile devices are these days.

Not having a mobile version of your app can really hamper your user base. But it doesn’t need to cost you a fortune to have one. Cult of Mac Deals has an offer right now that features one year of unlimited mobile app development for just $99.

Shazam, Shazam Encore, and Shazam RED for iOS have today been updated with a number of new features and improvements. In addition to faster recognition on older iOS devices, and improved recognition in “difficult” environments, the release also brings Twitter previews and new TV experiences for those in the United States.

SEATTLE, PAX 2013 – We sat down with Majesco’s Vince Vanasin today to take a look at the upcoming iOS game, Romans from Mars, a castle defense game with a sense of whimsy. The idea here is that the Martians are coming to storm your castle, and you’ve only got a crossbow to deter them.

Luckily, you’ll be able to upgrade that crossbow along the way in this free-to-play game coming to iOS this October. Here’s a quick Vine video of Romans from Mars, straight from the PAX floor.

Plants vs Zombies 2: It’s About Time has only been out a couple of weeks, but it’s quickly climbed up the App Store charts and shattered records. EA announced this afternoon that PvZ2 has been downloaded nearly 25 million times, smashing the total lifetime downloads number set by the original Plants vs Zombies game.

Over 10 million plants have been planted during the 81 thousand players have logged in the first week. EA announced last week that a “Far Future” expansion for the game soon will be released soon, but in the meantime, they’ve shared the following infographic to celebrate the 25 million download milestone:

The best, obvious financial solution is one that automatically performs accounting tasks as funds are spent without the need for human input. But until such a system exists that actually works, we’re stuck with having to record our spending habits manually.

Still, it could be worse; at least there are solutions out there like the iOS and Mac MoneyWiz app pair to make the task somewhat less odious. Heck, sometimes it almost feels like fun.