Apple’s guidelines for its new Lightning connector have forced a popular Kickstarter project that sourced almost $140,000 in funding — more than twice the amount it required — to close and refund all of its backers. Electronics firm Edison Jr designed a charging station compatible with a multitude of Android and iOS devices called the POP. But after exceeding its funding goal, it quickly realized that Apple wouldn’t approve it.
This Holiday Season, Gift Apps Directly From The App Store Again [iOS Tips]
Apps are a great gift to that person on your holiday shopping list that already has an iOS device. You used to be able to do this from in the App Store, but that was taken away as of iOS 6. iTunes gift cards were the only way to go.
Now, however, the option to send apps as gifts is back, along with a way to schedule the gifting email so you can better target a birthday or, say, winter holiday that might be coming up. Hint, hint.
Here’s how.
Fruit Ninja, Age Of Zombies & More Go Free As Halfbrick Slashes Prices For Just 24 Hours [Deals]
Australian iOS developer Halfbrick has made all of its iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch games free for just 24 hours. That means you can now pick up popular titles like Fruit Ninja, Age of Zombies, and Monster Dash without paying a penny. Check out the full list of titles below.
This Week’s Must-Have iOS Apps: Google Maps, 1Password 4, Flickr & More [Roundup]
So, it’s finally here — Google released an official Google Maps app for the iPhone, and we love it. Not only is it back with a brand new look, it also has new features, and of course, the accurate data we’ve all been missing since Apple released iOS 6. Also in our roundup is a brand new 1Password app from AgileBits, a new Flickr app from Yahoo!, and more.
This Week’s Must-Have iOS Games: Middle Manager of Justice, Monsters, Inc. Run, Football Manager & More [Roundup]
This week’s must-have games roundup begins with a wonderful new building game called Middle Manager of Justice, in which you take charge of Justice Corp., a team of superheroes that are on a mission to save the city’s inhabitants. We also have Monsters, Inc. Run, a new running platform game from Disney; Sport Interactive’s latest Football Manager Handheld title, and more.
Google Chrome For iOS Can Now Play Audio In The Background After It’s Been Closed
Have you ever used Google Chrome on your iOS devices to listen to music on YouTube, only to find it stops playing when you close the app? Sometimes that’s a good thing — you don’t always need videos to continue to playing in the background when they’ve been closed. But sometimes it’s annoying, like when you’re listening to music.
Thanks to the app’s latest update, you can prevent that from happening.
Amazon Brings Instant Video Service To iPhone & iPod Touch With New Update
Amazon has updated its Instant Video app for iOS today, introducing support for the iPhone and iPod touch. The service has been available on iPad since August, but this is the first time it has come to smaller iOS devices, giving Amazon Prime subscribers more than 30,000 free videos in their pockets.
1Password 4 For iOS Available Now In App Store
Scheduled as a December 13th launch, 1Password, version 4.0.2, is available now on the iTunes App Store.
The updated app brings a host of new features, and is available for $7.99, which is 50 percent off the typical price of the security app from atebits software.
AgileBits Teases All-New 1Password 4 For iOS Ahead Of December 13 Release
https://youtu.be/Ha_4nrGyGPk
AgileBits has overhauled its 1Password app for iOS for version 4.0, and its begun teasing the release with a new trailer ahead of its December 13 launch. The video doesn’t give away any of 1Password’s new features, but it does show off its new look. Although you will have to keep your eyes peeled if you want to see it; blink and you’ll miss it.
iPhone 5S To Arrive In June In 6-8 Colors With NFC, ‘Super HD’ Camera [Analyst]
Those analysts are some crazy cats. When you’re having a drab day, you can always count on one of them to pull something spectacular out of the bag. Jefferies analyst Peter Misek has done exactly that today when he unveiled his predictions for Apple’s iPhone 5S.
The handset will arrive in June, Misek believes, just nine months after the iPhone 5 made its debut, and it’ll boast NFC connectivity and a “super HD” camera. It’ll also come in 6-8 colors, apparently.
I laughed at Misek’s predictions when I first read them, but could he be right?
Australian Police Warn Apple’s iOS 6 Maps Inaccuracies Could Get Someone Killed
The countless problems users have faced with Apple’s new Maps service have been widely documented since the software made its debut with iOS 6 back in September. The large majority of users — particularly those outside of the United States — have found it to be unreliable, inaccurate, and largely useless.
Now Australian police have warned that using the service could get you killed. The caution comes after six motorists were guided into the wilderness when looking for the Victorian city of Mildura.
This Week’s Must-Have iOS Apps: Twitterrific 5, YouTube, Instacast & More [Roundup]
The all-new Twitterrific 5 is kicking off this week’s must-have apps roundup, with a brand new look and a whole host of new features. It’s joined by the official YouTube client, which now supports iPad; an all-new Instacast; and a redesigned Gmail app.
This Week’s Must-Have iOS Games: GTA: Vice City, Modern Combat 4, Minigore 2 & More [Roundup]
This week’s must-have games roundup is by far one of our best yet; it’s filled with five awesome titles that you won’t want to miss. Three of those titles are classic games reborn on iOS, including Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — my personal favorite, Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition, and Mutant Mudds.
We also have Gameloft’s incredible new first-person shooter, Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour, and Minigore 2: Zombies, another terrific dual-stick shooter from Mountain Sheep.
Cult Of Mac’s Awesome 2012 Advent Calendar: Day 8 – Letterpress For iOS
One of the better Yuletide traditions is the venerable holiday Advent Calendar, in which each day of December leading up to Christmas is marked off on a special calendar by opening its corresponding door to find a small gift, toy or chocolate squirreled away inside.
This year, we here at Cult of Mac decided we wanted to give our readers their very own Apple-themed advent calendar, filled with the year’s best apps, gadgets, stories and other curios. So each day in December, we’re going to lovingly peel back the door on the Cult of Mac 2012 Advent Calendar to reveal another delicious morsel, something really special that came out this year that we think every one of you should enjoy.
So what’s behind the door on Saturday the 8th? Letterpress for iOS, a word game for the rest of us, with a simple, cutthroat strategy and an amazing visual design!
Play This Pictionary-Style Game With Up To 15 Other iOS Owners Via Your Apple TV
Remember those goofy VHS interactive video board games they had back in the early 90s? I had one, based on Star Trek: The Next Generation. It came out in 1993, so you can pick one up from eBay for about $24 these days. I remember being just super excited that I could play a board game and fake-interact with klingons on the television set, remote in hand to pause, fast forward, and rewind as the board game told me what to do.
Imagine my surprise now when I can have a party at my house with up to 15 iOS device owners, playing a drawing charades game on a huge flat screen TV with nothing but a tiny computer that everyone brought into the house with them, their fingers, and a tiny hockey-puck sized device connected to the television. Now that would feel like science-fiction.
Draw-It, Push-It, a new game for iOS devices, purports to do just that.
Sonos Cuts Out The Computer, Allows You To Stream Music From Your iOS Device
Sonos has updated its iOS app and introduced the ability to wirelessly stream music AirPlay-style to your Sonos speaker directly from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Until now, users have had to have a Mac or PC acting as a middleman, but Sonos latest iOS apps remove that requirement.
iPod-Touch-A-Like Wrist Straps For The iPhones 4 And 5
I can’t be the only person who took a look at the new iPods’ wrist straps and thought, “I want that for my iPhone.” I’m forever pulling my iPhone 5 from my pocket to snap something for Instagram, and it’d be totally neat if I could just keep the thing in my hand instead, and never have to worry about dropping it.
Happily, the fine folks at Photojojo also felt the persistent pull of gravity and did something about it. Presenting: The iPhone Wrist Strap.
This Week’s Must-Have iOS Apps: Fantastical, KitCam, Remote & More [Roundup]
Fantastical — the incredible calendaring app from Flexibits — is kicking off this week’s must-have apps roundup, and it’s accompanied by KitCam, a great new photography app that gives Tap Tap Tap’s Camera+ some real competition. We also have some big updates to Apple’s Remote app and Vimeo.
This Week’s Must-Have iOS Games: Jet Set Radio, The Bowling Dead, FIFA 13 & More [Roundup]
Kicking off this week’s list of must-have iOS games is Dreamcast classic Jet Set Radio, a terrific skating game in which you rollerblade around a fictional city and tag buildings, rival gang members, and more with spray paint. It’s accompanied by Pong World, the first official Pong game for iOS; a massive update to FIFA 13, and more.
Atari Releases First Official Pong Game For iOS, 40 Years After The Original
It’s been 40 years since Atari released the first Pong game, and to celebrate the milestone, the company just released the first official Pong game for iOS. Called Pong World, the title delivers a new way to play the classic arcade game, in addition to a colorful new look and a whole host of new features.
Apple Updates iOS Remote App To Version 3.0
Alongside the release of iTunes 11, Apple has also updated the iOS Remote app that can be use on an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad to control iTunes.
Remote is simpler and easier with new ways to browse your library and see and edit upcoming songs with Up Next. A redesigned experience for the iPad shows all the songs in an album with the Expanded view and a more powerful search delivers results as you type.
Remote version 3.0 comes with a sleeker design that is similar to the experience offered in iTunes 11. You can download the new update for free right here.
Sega Dreamcast Classic Jet Set Radio Is Now Available On Your iPhone & iPad
I was never a big fan of the Dreamcast, but it did have a couple of titles I really liked. One of those was Jet Set Radio, a hugely enjoyable game in which you would skate around a city and mark your turf by “tagging” walls, billboards, and rival gang members with spray paint. I’m sure you’ve already heard of it.
Now you can enjoy this awesome game on your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad — because it’s just hit the App Store.
500px Brings Beautiful Photography To Your iPhone With New iOS App
500px launched an awesome iPad app last year, which allowed us to browse the site’s stunning photography from the comfort of our armchairs. We’ve been itching to have the same experience on our iPhones ever since, and today it’s here — a new 500px app for iPhone and iPod touch.
Skype Brings Microsoft Account Support, Animated Emoticons To iOS App
Skype has issued an update to its iOS app that introduces support for Microsoft accounts, and a number of new features. Users can now login to the app using their Messenger, Hotmail, and Outlook.com credentials and then merge their accounts. And if you’ve got an iOS device with a Retina display, you can enjoy animated emoticons. Finally!
Easily Share Your Location And Arrival Time With Groups Of Friends Using Glympse [iOS Tips]
There are quite a few apps out there that share your location data and allow you to check in at a place, like Foursquare, Facebook, etc. They’re pretty fantastic, and they let your friends see where you are at, and then come meet you.
But what if you want to share where you are going to be in a little while? What about letting your friends know that you’re on your way, and letting them track where you are, how far away you are, and when you’ll arrive at a certain location? Glympse has got your back for that very thing, and some other great stuff.