Evernote has just been updated to include a new feature for the Mac, iOS, and web versions of the service.  The new update introduces Reminders, which includes the three most requested features that will keep users on task and remind you to update and add new notes.

Evernote Reminders includes three features:

• In-app and email Alarms
• Quick note based to-do lists
• Pinning notes to the top of your note list

Here’s how it works: You can easily add a Reminder to any note by tapping on the new alarm clock icon that you’ll find at the top of the note on your Mac and web versions and the bottom of the note on your iPhone or iPad. If it’s something you don’t want to forget about, set a date and time for when the note needs to be completed.

When a Reminder is set, you’ll get an in-app alarm and you have the option to also receive an email on the day that a Reminder is due. Once a reminder is set, a note title will appear in the new Reminders section at the top of the note list. The order of your Reminders can be changed just by dragging them to a new spot. When a task is completed, just tap on the check or swipe to remove the Reminder from the list if you’re using an iOS device.

Reminders are notebook-based, which means wherever you add a Reminder to a note it’ll show up in the Reminder section of that particular notebook. If you prefer to see all your Reminders together, you can always go to the All Notes view.

If you use Evernote with a group or team, Reminders can be shared with everyone who has access to your notebook so that when a project is due, everyone on the team will be informed.

Get the updated Evernote for your Mac and iPhone now.

Image Credit: MacStories

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Nextdoor, a private social network for neighborhoods in the U.S. only, is going mobile with a brand new iOS app. Before now, Nextdoor was only available through the browser but a mobile app has been one of the most popular requests from users. Nextdoor is already available in more than 12,600 neighborhoods across the U.S. in over 50 states.

If you’ve never heard of Nextdoor, here’s a little background information for you. Nextdoor is like a virtual neighborhood watch for the digital era. It’s a private environment that is designed to protect you and your neighbors. Nextdoor is password protected and only real neighbors are allowed to join by verifying their address. Nextdoor can be used to keep neighborhoods safe, as well as help neighbors connect with each other by sharing local information or recommending a great babysitter or dentist or even helping someone find their dog.

Nextdoor’s iOS app is essentially the web version for mobile, so users will already be familiar with how it functions. It has a simple design where users can share updates about the goings-on of their neighborhood right in the app while posting photos using the device’s camera.

The app comes with notifications and real-time alerts, which will be great in an emergency. Alerts are delivered both as a notification and by SMS to make sure it’s seen. Cities can even pair their law enforcement agencies with Nextdoor to share information. Some cities, like San Diego and Dallas, have already done this.

The company has revealed that 12,600 neighborhoods are already using the service, but won’t give an exact number of actual users, saying only that there are “hundreds of thousands.” The number of neighborhoods alone is impressive without guessing how many individual people each one makes up.

Nextdoor’s iOS app is the first step in expanding the company globally. CEO and co-founder Nirav Tolia said the next step is to release an Android app. Nextdoor is also looking to expand its business internationally later this year. English speaking countries will reportedly be targeted first, including Canada, South Africa, and the UK.

In 2014, the company plans to expand to more countries like Brazil, Japan, and Singapore. Most of these countries are seeing a lot of citizen demand or the government is interested in bringing the service there.

Image Credit: Nextdoor

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Rovio’s Angry Birds Space first launched in the App Store last March and today, for the first time, you can get the game for free on both the iPhone and iPad. It probably won’t last long so you should download it now while you have the chance. It’s likely that this title is going free with Apple’s Free App of the Week promotion, which means you’ll only have seven days to get the game for free if that’s the case.

If you’re one of the few people who haven’t yet given this game a test drive, then you’re in for a treat. It has everything you love about the Angry Birds series, as well as some new space-themed game play features and challenges .

Head over to the App Store now to get Angry Birds Space free on your iPhone and iPad.

Image Credit: HDW

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A major update has been released today for Shazam that brings it to version 6.0.0. Shazam is now a universal app and the developers have brought some interesting new features to the iPad, including auto-tagging, running in the background, new home screen and more.

With the new update, Shazam is doing away with the standalone iPad app and rolling the iPhone version out as a universal app. The iPhone will only get the mapping feature for now though.

With auto-tagging, the new Shazam for iPad will now automatically tag every song you listen to and every show you’re watching. When auto-tagging is turned on, the app will automatically listen to everything in reach and find a match for it. Songs, TV shows and other media that are identified are then stored in the Shazam app. Users can then browse through the list to find songs your might have heard and then buy it on iTunes or stream it with your favorite music service.

An interesting aspect of this feature is that it works in the background. You can be checking emails on your iPad, playing a game or even have your iPad on the lock screen and Shazam’s auto-tagging will still function in the same way. Enabling or disabling auto-tagging is done through the red bar on the top of your iPad screen, which signifies that Shazam is using the iPad’s microphone.

Auto-tagging actually seems like a pretty neat feature. You can have Shazam open while watching a TV show and by the end of it you’ll have a list of all the music that played during the episode. The new update also brings an interactive maps so you can zoom around from your current location to other cities and countries to see what else people are listening to. Shazam also has a new home screen. With it, you can browse real time updates of what’s been tagged on TV right now, available only in the US, and the most popular tracks around the world.

You can also flip through your recent matches and add the ones you like best to your favorites list.

Shazam EVP of Marketing, David Jones, said that the iPhone will get auto-tagging later this summer. It was specified when Android will see the new feature, but other features of the new iPad app will make their way to the tablet version of Android in the next two months.

The new Shazam is available now for free in the App Store.

The real question now, however, is just how long it will be until Shazam starts tagging everything we mention while it’s eavesdropping on our media.

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I don’t really enjoy waking up. I prefer to let my good old natural circadian rhythm take its course on a day to day basis. Then I had a kid. Then I started waking up at random times. Then everything went to hell with my natural wakeup schedule. For those of you who have kids to take care of, or god awful 9 to 5 jobs, you’ll need an alarm clock. Wake is a minimalistic, and fine choice of an application.

The application is pretty much all gesture-based and streamlined for easy access to your alarm clocks. The best part of the app is that you get to actually slap your iPhone to snooze, or flip it to turn your alarm clock off. If you want to stop the alarm from chirping you, you can shake your phone to stop the alarm.

The application is two bucks on the App Store.

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If you’re concerned you might accidentally fall asleep while at the wheel of your car, perhaps you should try the iOS app Drive Awake. It comes complete with a watchful noisy parrot as well as a coffee shop locator.

The app works by setting up your iPhone on the dashboard of your car so that it has a clear view of your face. The app then senses for signs that you’re getting drowsy by monitoring your eyes to see if they’re starting to get more closed. To help wake you back up, the app unleashes a loud and annoying parrot squawk until you’re focused again. The app then directs you to the nearest Cafe Amazon (the makers of the app) so you can energize yourself with some caffeine.

If you’re so tired that you’re at risk of falling asleep, my personal advice is that you simply choose not to drive rather than putting your life in the hands (or claws) of a virtual parrot. Also, stopping at the nearest gas station for coffee instead of going all the way to the nearest Cafe Amazon would probably be a smarter idea. Even if the Cafe Amazon parrot did save your life.

If a trusty parrot companion is just what your car is missing, you can download the app for free here.

Image Credit: Gizmodo

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Pandora Radio for iPhone has just been updated, the most significant overhaul the app has seen in a long time. With the new update, Pandora Radio is getting a whole lot more social and informative.

With the new update, Pandora Radio now supports Facebook sharing, so you can publish and share what stations you’re listening to and the music you like best directly on the social network. You can help friends discover new music and even find some new tunes for yourself. You can easily customize what you want to share on Facebook in the Pandora privacy settings.

Now when you’re listening to a new song and want to learn more about it, just tap on the album artwork to see additional music details, like lyrics, artist information, and more.

The update also adds easy access to the enhanced track menu to create a new station or share, purchase, and bookmark your music. And as always, Pandora Radio’s update also includes the usual performance improvements and bug fixes.

The update Pandora Radio for iPhone is now available in the App Store and it’s a free download if you don’t already have it.

Image Credit: CNET

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When Google first announced Google Play Music All Access it was to the disappointment of many iOS users as it was an Android-only club. Now, thanks to third-party app gMusic, iPhone users will be able to get their hands on Google’s All Access music subscription service.

gMusic already plays the songs you’ve uploaded to Google Music, but since Google’s All Access announcement last week, developer James Clancey has been working on a new update that will support the music subscription service. As indicated on the gMusic’s iTunes preview page, the update has already been submitted to the App Store.

The update will bring a Web Search feature that uses the subscription-based All Access song database so all you have to do is a quick web search from inside the app.

Google will probably make All Access available on iOS itself at some point since it’s limiting a potentially larger user base by making it only available for Android users. For now, though, gMusic is your best option to get access to Google’s music subscription service if you’re an iPhone user.

If you don’t already have it downloaded, gMusic will cost you $1.99 from the App Store, but keep in mind that the update that will let you access Google Play Music All Access was only submitted to the App Store yesterday so you’ll have to wait a little while before the app actually gets updated.

Image Credit: gMusic

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TextExpander for iOS has been updated for the first time since its release on the App Store four years ago. Version 2.0 of TextExpander brings a lot of enhancements and improvements, as well as a number of new features that are already found in TextExpander for Mac.

If you’ve never used TextExpander before, its a utility app that automatically expands short abbreviations into long snippets so that you can type faster on your iPhone. TextExpander will sync all your snippets between your iOS and Mac devices through Dropbox.

One of the new changes in version 2.0 is the added support for rich text formatting. Now when composing a snippet or note text in iOS 6.0 or later you can add rich text formatting from the “Format…” menu item. On top of that, formatted text can be copied and emailed directly from TextExpander.

The new TextExpander also adds an “Insert…” menu item for macros like date, time, clipboard contents, and fill-ins. With support for fill-in snippets, you can can now create snippets with text fields, drop-down menus, tick boxes, and other input objects.

Version 2.0 also support renaming and duplication of snippet groups and will display alerts for conflicting snippet abbreviations and duplicate snippets. It also adds handling to resolve in any conflicts and get rid of duplicates.

TextExpander 2.0 also brings a few new minor features, including:

• Supports %\ selection range macro (ie. %| select this text %\)
• Spins the network indicator during Dropbox operations
• Key macros (Enter, Esc, Return, Tab) are handled more gracefully
• Fixes orientations and keyboard exposure issues
• Fix numerous minor bugs

TextExpander 2.0 is now available in the App Store or you can purchase the app for $4.99.

Image Credit: MacStories

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Scanner Pro by Readdle for your iPhone and iPad has just been updated to version 4.5, bringing a new feature that makes scanning a lot easier and faster. The new update brings real-time border detection, so now you won’t have to fiddle around with cropping and adjusting your images.

With real-time border detection, Scanner Pro will visually detect borders in real time while you’re making a scan. As you hold your iPhone or iPad over your document or receipt that you need scanned, Scanner Pro will detect and indicate borders. So when you’re in the middle of scanning, you’ll be able to see what part of the page is recognized and see exactly what will be scanned.

With the new Scanner Pro, you can skip manual adjustments and cropping of your images, making scanning much faster. This is especially true in batch mode, which lets your scan multiple pages at a time.

If you prefer to manually adjust your borders, though, just turn real-time border detection off in the app’s settings.

The update is now available for free in the App Store, but if you’re thinking of downloading Scanner Pro by Readdle for the first time, it’ll cost you $6.99.

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Apple India has introduced new iPhone incentives in the country. The company has announced two new incentives: one for students and another for American Express customers. The student incentive increases Apple’s standard smartphone trade-in discount from 7,000 rupees ($130 USD) to 7,777 rupees ($144 USD). In order to be eligible for this discount, the person must be a student and trade in an old smartphone of any brand.

American Express customers in India will also be receiving a pretty decent discount on iPhones. Any American Express user is eligible for a 10% discount on any iPhone 4, 4S or 5 purchased through Apple. Apple will payout a maximum of 6,000 rupees ($100) and these purchases must be made before June 10th.

India has been one of Apple’s most focused-on markets in the recent past. As of Q4 2012, iOS only controlled a mere 15.2% of the Indian smartphone market while its fierce competitor Samsung owned 38.8%. Because of this, we’ve seen Apple offer many discounts in the country. For instance, Apple has been running a standard trade-in program for quite some time in India and has tripled its amount of franchise stores in the country.

Image Source: superstrikertwo

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AT&T has announced that it will begin to allow all Apple, Blackberry and Samsung customers with LTE smart-devices use video chat services via its cellular network. This includes FaceTime, BBM video and ChatOn. This announcement will affect all AT&T LTE plans, including shared, tiered and even grandfathered unlimited data plans. We should see these changes take place in mid-June. LTE-less users or people who aren’t using Apple, BlackBerry or Samsung devices will be able to take advantage of cellular video chat by year-end.

AT&T released the following statement to The Verge on the topic:

For video chat apps that come pre-loaded on devices, we currently give all OS and device makers the ability for those apps to work over cellular for our customers who are on Mobile Share or Tiered plans. Apple, Samsung and BlackBerry have chosen to enable this for their pre-loaded video chat apps. And by mid-June, we’ll have enabled those apps over cellular for our unlimited plan customers who have LTE devices from those three manufacturers.

The popular American mobile carrier has been under fire with customers as well as the FCC over the past few years. This is due to restricting FaceTime-over-Cellular functionality to its expensive Mobile Share plans. Though the company eventually opened this functionality up to its tiered users, users of the classic unlimited data plan have continued to be left out until now.

Better late than never, I guess.

Image Source: Thomas van de Weerd

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It’s frustrating when you’re on a pinning frenzy and realize that half the pins you’ve pinned don’t actually contain any useful information, which means that picture of the chocolate cake you found will be stuck on your Pinterest page forever. That’s why Pinterest recently announced that it’s introducing “more useful pins” which contain product information so you can bake that cake or even find out where you can buy a certain shirt. Pinterest is also bringing the Pin It button to mobile apps.

Pinterest has worked with a number of popular websites so you can see more information on some pins. Some of the pins you’ll see containing more information include:

• Product pins so you can see pricing, availability, and where to buy clothes or furniture
• Recipe pins that contain cook time, ingredients, and servings with a link to the original site
• Movie pins which contain ratings, cast members and more

Pinterest has partnered with a variety of different sites, like e-commerce sites eBay, Etsy, Modcloth, and Overstock, entertainment sites like Flixster, Netflix and Rotten Tomatoes, and recipe sites like 101 Cookbooks, Martha Stewart Living, Better Home and Gardens and a whole lot more.

The new pins are only available with Pinterest’s new look, which started appearing in March. Along with the more useful pins, Pinterest is also making the Pin It button available in mobile apps, so you can pin from anywhere

Image Credit: TechCrunch

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The Simpsons: Tapped Out for iOS recently received a new update, bringing a new character, new buildings, more quests, and other less important things with it. In today’s new update, EA is bringing the level cap up to 29, which means you can expand your town just a little bit more. The new update also introduces Agnes Skinner.

With Agnes, you can taunt the elderly and win at Bingo. The update also brings a new quest involving the relationship between Agnes and her son Seymour.

With the new buildings, you can watch performances at the Open Air Stage, shop at the Sprawl-Mart and enjoy Silhouette Night at the Skinner House.

If you haven’t yet played The Simpsons: Tapped Out, it’s basically a city simulation game where you build a new Springfield after the first one was blown up. Throughout the game, you’ll meet familiar Simpsons characters and build places you’ll find familiar to those who watch the show on television.

The Simpsons: Tapped Out’s new update is now available for free in the App Store.

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Earlier this month, Samsung and BlackBerry devices received Pentagon approval for military use and today the U.S. Department of Defense announced that Apple’s devices running iOS 6 or later have also been approved for use on government networks. It looks like Apple’s rivalry with Samsung and BlackBerry will continue in a whole new space.

This market has long been dominated by BlackBerry, but with Samsung and now Apple’s approval, there might be a shift. The Department of Defense has over 600,000 mobile devices, which includes 470,000 BlackBerrys, 41,000 Apple products and 8,700 devices running Google’s Android operating system. A lot of the Apple and Android devices in use aren’t connected to military networks except for testing.

The military has said that it wants its employees to have more flexibility and choice to use commercial products on its networks. According to Bloomberg, it’s planning to create a military mobile applications store and hire a contractor to build a system that could handle as many as 8 million devices.

Image Credit: TweakTown

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For a limited time only, Gameloft is making two of its iOS games free. Starting today, and only for this weekend, you can download Gangster Rio: City of Saints and N.O.V.A. 3 for free if you don’t already have them downloaded.  Downloading these games this weekend will save you about $12.00. Gangster Rio normally sells for $4.00 and N.O.V.A. 3 is a “steep” $6.99. Both are universal games so they can be played on any iOS device.

Gangster Rio: City of Saints is similar to Grand Theft Auto. Set in 3D environment in Rio de Janeiro, you’ll encounter corrupt politicians that you’ll have to kill people, save witnesses, steal cars and stay alive in 60 different missions using different weapons.

N.O.V.A. 3 is a first person shooter game with 10 different levels. You can play up to 12 players in 7 different multiplayer modes. The game features in-game voice chats so you can keep in contact with friends while playing.

Both Gangster Rio: City of Saints and N.O.V.A. 3 are now available on the App Store for free this weekend only, so get ‘em while they’re hot!

Image Credit: Mob

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Pudding Monsters, the deliciously addictive puzzle game for iOS, has been updated. In this release, you’ll see brand new levels with the Sky High update as the Pudding Monsters are venturing outside for a whole new adventure.

The app, made by Zeptolab, the same creators of Cut the Rope, was first released last December and got its first update in February, which brought the Monsters to the city.

In this update, you’ll see the Pudding Monsters hitting the great outdoors as you help them climb mountains and reach for the sky in 25 new Sky View levels. The new levels introduce a brand new monster, Mr. Powerlifter Monster, and challenging new gameplay elements.

Pudding Monsters for the iPhone and iPad are usually priced at $1.99 each, but until May 22 you can get both versions of the game for free with Apple’s App of the Week promotion.

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Rovio has finally released the much teased update for the Angry Birds Seasons app. The update brings 36 new “magical” levels where the bad piggies are making eggs disappear.

An exciting new feature in these levels is the new magic portals, which sucks the birds in one end and shoots them out the other. There are 36 new levels, plus six more unlockable stages.

The levels are carnival themed and the magic portals bring a whole new twist to the Angry Birds Seasons. There’s also a new power-up called AllakaBAM, which is a magic box that explodes when you hit it.

The addition of the portals was first teased by Rovio a few weeks ago with an interesting video that was posted on Twitter.

Rovio’s new carnival-themed season is now available in the App Store. It’s free for those who already bought the game or it can be downloaded for $0.99 for the iPhone or $2.99 on the iPad.

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If you’re looking to add blank spaces to your iOS home screen, instead of having all the applications line up one after another, a newly found bug in iOS has made it possible.

1. Put your apps in this order in the bottom row of an iOS page: App, Group with two apps in it, app, app.
2. Move an app out of the folder, and onto the last app in the row to create a new folder.
3. While maintaining your touch on the screen, drag the application back to its original position.
4. Go back to the newly created folder, tap and hold the application inside it, and move it to the location where you want the space to appear on your home screen.

Boom.

Frankly, it’s completely asinine that we even have to do this sort of thing to get a spacer onto our home screens.  This is a great find by Dom Esposito over at App Advice.

Via App Advice

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Just two weeks ago Yahoo! Mail for iOS  was drastically updated, and today the app has has been given some more attention, although this time much less than the last time. This update adds support for Apple’s AirPrint service, so you can print wirelessly from your favorite iDevice. Who prints emails these days though?

The only catch is that you’ll need a printer that is compatible with AirPrint or a desktop application that will turn your printer into an AirPrint-enabled printer, otherwise this update won’t do much for you. Who has an AirPrint printer?

To use Yahoo! Mail’s new AirPrint service, tap the reply button at the bottom of the screen and select “Print.” If you want to print an attachment, first open it and then select the “Print” option found in the share button. You can even choose which printer you want to send your documents to, in case you have more than one, and specify how many copies you want.

If you want to learn more about AirPrint, visit Apple’s AirPrint support page.

As usual, the update also comes with some performance improvements and bug fixes. The updated Yahoo! Mail is now available on the App Store for free.

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Back in the days where not everyone had a mobile device in their pocket, dots used to be a pretty fun game to play when all you had was a piece of paper and a pen. Since being released for iOS only two weeks ago, Dots by Betaworks One has already been played 100 million times.

The game play is a little different than the version I remember playing as a kid, but still fun and addictive, as well as an excellent waste of time. You start with a screen of 36 colored dots and you have 60 seconds to get rid of as many dots as you can by connecting straight lines of the same colored dots.

Betaworks designed Dots as part of an experiment to release new beta products every week for six weeks to see what works. Betaworks announced a week ago that the game hit 25 million game plays about a week ago and has since reached the 100 million mark in a total of two weeks since it’s release.

Dots is a free download from the App Store with some in-app purchase options for extra features.

Image Credit: Laughing Squid

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Realmac Software just announced with a little teaser that Analog Camera will be coming to the iPhone soon. A specific date has not been set, but you can sign up on the website to be the first to know when it does.

Until now, Analog has only been available for the Mac. If you don’t already know, it’s a great application that makes it easy to edit and improve photos with a variety of filters and borders.

As you can see from the video above, the iPhone version will make it easy to snap new photos, edit them how you want, and then share them on your favorite social media website, like Facebook.

The video doesn’t reveal anything more than that and ends with the phrase “Analog Camera for iPhone – Coming Soon.” If you’re looking forward to using this app on your iPhone, make sure to sign up.

Image Credit: Vimeo

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According to new rumors that stem from supply chain sources in Taiwan, Apple’s upcoming iPhone 5S could feature a sapphire crystal home button that comes complete with a new fingerprint sensor.

Apple is reportedly getting rid of the traditional physical home button and turning instead to a touch-sensitive button covered by scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass. By using the sapphire crystal, Apple hopes to prevent the button from getting scratched and ruining the fingerprint sensor.

The iPhone 5 already features sapphire crystal materials with a sapphire crystal camera lens on the back, which Apple used to prevent scratches from ruining photos. Apple is now expected to use the same material for the iPhone 5S home button.

According to Taiwanese website TechNews, the iPhone 5S won’t be a physical button that you push and instead will be a touch home button. It would get rid of one of the more unreliable aspects of the iPhone as the home button occasionally fails after being used for a long time as it collects dirt and other grime from daily usage.

Since Apple acquired AuthenTec last year, it’s been rumored that Apple would employ touch sensors in the next iPhone, and the use of sapphire crystals makes this rumor even more plausible. Add in Apple’s penchant for removing unnecessary buttons and ports, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for an Apple rumor.

TechNews says the next-generation iPhone will launch in August or September, along with the rumored plastic lower-cost iPhone.

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New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman wants phone theft rates to drop. To do this, he’s pointing his finger at the phone and OS manufacturers themselves, saying that they aren’t doing enough to deter their devices from being targets for theft.

Schneiderman has sent letters to the offices of Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Samsung, extending an invitation for the companies to work together with his office in order to develop new antitheft measures.

“Surely we can work together to find solutions that lead to a reduction in violent street crime targeting consumers,” says Schneiderman. In the letters, Schneiderman references a number of specific incidents that have occured in the city which involved violent or fatal altercations over people trying to steal iPhones.

One of the major reasons New York wants to address this issue is because it causes bad press for the city and the police department. For example, overall crime rates would have decreased in the city in 2012 if it weren’t for a massive increase in Apple product thefts. If the thefts hadn’t occured, the city would have been able to tell its citizens that crime had decreased by 4%.

Schneiderman doesn’t cut the companies any slack with his letters, going as far as to imply that they might be purposefully enabling theft as it earns them more money in replacement device sales. “I would be especially concerned if device theft accrues to your financial benefit through increased sales of replacement devices.”

While companies like Apple offer features such as Find My iPhone, which offer a number of security measures to users, Schneiderman doesn’t think it’s enough. Schneiderman thinks these companies should find a way to render a phone completely useless if stolen, as a means of deterring theft.

It will be interesting to see if any of the companies respond to Schneiderman’s letter and if they do end up agreeing to sit down with him.

When people are able to steal iPhones like this, you know you have a problem.

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Today Groupon has launched a new app for mobile payments called “Groupon POS.” The app will allow merchants and businesses to accept and manage payments directly from an iPad.

The Groupon POS app will rival other similar services, like Square’s Register app. It’s a “beautiful and simple way to manage your business and accept payments at the lowest rates available today.” Merchants and business owners can quickly set up offerings, check out customers, and view real time analytics.

The app also works with an optional cash drawer and printer to automate and make points of sale easier. Groupon POS will work for a variety of businesses, including cafés, delies, salons, spas, florists, and more.

While the company hasn’t actually announced the app yet, it went live on the App Store today. Last year, Groupon launched a similar app for the iPhone called Groupon Merchants with its Groupon Payments service. With it, business owners are able to accept payments through a credit card reader, which is available for iOS devices.

In other news, Groupon is still around.

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ABC is gearing up to revolutionize the way people watch TV by live-streaming content on iPhones and iPads with a “live” button. But don’t get too excited just yet — there’s a catch. Only people living in New York and Philadelphia will be able to live stream content from ABC’s local stations there. This is pretty major as ABC is the first major broadcaster to enable such a feature, even if it’s only for a limited number of users.

The other catch is that the live stream will only be available to paying subscribers of cable and satellite providers, despite the stations’ signals being available for free over the public airwaves.

ABC, which is part of the Walt Disney Company, said that the feature would be available in the other six cities where it owns stations sometime this summer.

ABC’s mobile app could prompt other broadcasters to make similar moves, just like seven years ago when the network started to stream full episodes of shows the morning after they aired on TV. ABC was planning to introduce the new “live” feature for its app in 2014, but decided to introduce it much sooner.

Anne Sweeney, the president of the Disney-ABC Television Group, explains: “We keep a very close eye on consumer demand. We watch how people are behaving with their devices, and we really felt that we needed to move faster.”

Apple devices are the first to be supported with this feature, but other phones and tablets will be supported in the coming months, according to Albert Cheng, Vice President for Digitial Media. Securing the necessary rights from program providers was the hard part, but ABC will be able to stream all of its local newscasts, syndicated talk shows like “Katie,” and national series like “Grey’s Anatomy.”

ABC is set to feature the new service on Tuesday at its upfront presentation for advertisers.

The post ABC To Start Live Streaming TV Shows Through Its iOS App This Week appeared first on Macgasm.

Just last March, Flipboard for iOS received a major update bringing the popular social magazine app to version 2.0. Now, another notable Flipboard update brings a number of new features that makes flipping through your favorite articles even better.

The new update introduces a number of features, including the ability to keep tabs on your readership and curation with the new profile pages. Your profile page highlights how many magazines, articles, and readers the corresponding user has so far.

Flipboard now has even better discovery options, with a new Friends category in the Content Guide that lets you discover magazines by friends quickly and easily.

There’s now even more sharing support within the app. You can select a social network and access options from the improved share menu. Through SMS text messaging, you can share magazines and stories easily with friends and family.

By tapping the item’s share icon, you can save images directly to your device’s Camera Roll. There’s also improved navigation for Google Reader RSS folders, despite the service getting killed off this summer.

The updated Flipboard is now available in the App Store. The app is a free download if you haven’t yet had the chance to try it out.

The post Flipboard Update Brings Profile Pages, Friends Category, More appeared first on Macgasm.

The security software Apple uses to protect its iPhones is good. Perhaps too good.

The devices are allegedly so hard to crack that police need to go to Apple themselves to retrieve information from them. Sometimes Apple can put these police on waiting lists that last for over a month until they can finally get the information they want.

Read the full story over at CNET.

The post Even Police Can’t Decrypt An iPhone Without Apple’s Help appeared first on Macgasm.

One of the best innovations that has happened with the advancement of smartphones is camera quality. Thank goodness the days of watching flip phone quality footage on YouTube are pretty much all behind us.

The folks behind the Camera+ app wanted to show just how far camera quality has come along just since the introduction of the original iPhone. It’s incredible how much better what we have now in our iPhone 5s is than what we had back in 2007 with the first iPhone camera.

To really show off the evolution, they have taken a variety of pictures, all from the same angle, with an iPhone, an iPhone 3G, an iPhone 3Gs, an iPhone 4, an iPhone 4s and an iPhone 5.

Check out one example below, but be sure to visit the original blog post to get a look at all the different pictures.

iPhone

iPhone 3G

iPhone 3Gs

iPhone 4

iPhone 4s

iPhone 5

The post See The Evolution Of The iPhone Camera, From Original To iPhone 5 appeared first on Macgasm.

The good news is that messaging app Line recently announced that it has passed 150 million users and Q1 2013 revenue of $58 million. The bad news is that today Apple has put an end to the feature that lets iPhone users purchase stickers to gift to friends. This feature alone earned Line $17 million during the first quarter.

According to Line’s blog, the company received a direct request from Apple asking for the sticker gifting function to be removed from the app.

Users will no longer be able to send stickers to others through iOS devices. The stickers were selling for $1.49-$1.99 per pack. This also puts an end to being able to buy Line Coins which were needed to use the gifting function. Gifting is still available on the Android version, and other versions of Line, and iOS users can still receive gifts from friends that use other platforms not part of iOS.

A huge portion of Line’s revenue came from these types of purchases. 30% of its revenue, or $17 million, came from sticker purchases during the past three months.

Line also let users know, while you can’t purchase stickers to send as gifts, you can still send free stickers as gifts to friends and even purchase stickers for yourself. Also, if you have more than 100 Coins left, you can still send stickers as gifts until all your Coins have been used up. If you only have 50 Coins, Line says to contact them and they’ll boost you to the necessary 100 Coins to purchase stickers.

Image Credit: PRNewswire

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China is a highly valuable country for any company, especially when it comes to the smartphone market. China’s smartphone market has recently grown to three times the size of the U.S.’s, with Apple being one of the top 5 smartphone vendors in the country.

Apple has retaken its spot as the fifth largest smartphone vendor in the country, with the company now possessing 8% of the country’s smartphone market. Apple trails Samsung, the top vendor in the country, that has a 20% share. Between Samsung and Apple, there also sits Yulong Computer Telecommunication Scientific, Huawei, and Lenovo. Samsung and Apple are the only two non-Chinese companies to feature in the country’s top 10 smartphone vendors.

Apple had previously fallen to 6th spot in the country, but analyst Nicole Peng states that, “iPhone 5 sales, along with price cuts to older iPhone models, propelled the company’s smartphone shipments in China’s intensely competitive market.”

There seems to be a massive smartphone boom happening right now in China. In Q1 2012, U.S. vendors shipped roughly the same number of smartphones to China as it produced for America. Now, however, 82 million smartphones were shipped to China by U.S. vendors in Q1 of this year versus just 27 million that were shipped to the U.S.

If Apple wants to catch up to Samsung in this exploding market, the company will likely have to release a lower-cost iPhone to appease the region’s poorer residents. While people often think of how a lower-cost iPhone would succeed in the U.S., it’s really countries like China that Apple is after with such a product.

The post Apple’s Popularity Rising In China, Now 5th In Country’s Smartphone Market appeared first on Macgasm.

Back when the first jailbreak was announced I was pumped, but then immediately disappointed as my phone become less than stable, and crashed at the most inopportune times. I didn’t last a month without reverting back to a clean install of iOS. A lot has changed over the years. Jailbreaking is a lot more stable these days than in the past, despite Apple’s continued cat and mouse game to close loopholes in iOS to prevent jailbreaking.

I’ve found, surprisingly, that pulling off a successful Jailbreak experience requires quite a fair bit of restraint. Sure, there’s a billion Scarlett Johansson themes that you can install, but the more you avoid in the Cydia store, the better your experience will be with a jailbroken iPhone. Selectivity is key.

A measured, selective, and minimal approach to installing tweaks is something you should be doing. Not the “ohmygod, install all the things” approach that your trigger finger is certainly pushing for every time you open up a new cydia tweak.

Here’s what I’ve installed, and I’ve been bug free most of the time.

Atom

I’m tired of the old-busted lock screen in iOS, so I went looking for something new. Right around the time I began installing packages on my iPhone, Atom went live in the Cydia store.

Atom is a lock screen replacement that lets you quick launch six of your favorite applications from a circular grid (can a grid be circular?) directly from the lock screen. It was working out great until I put the Google app into Atom. Now I rarely even unlock my phone.

Kidding aside, Atom has been a great time saver. I’ve had zero problems with bugs, crashing, and unstable usage while using this tweak. It’s worth installing

Auxo

The iOS multitasking bar could also use some love from Apple in iOS 7. Auxo’s take on what the multitasking bar should look and feel like is a bit of a revelation. It’s an updated, and needed, approach.

App icons are replaced with screenshots so you can see what’s happening in an app. A screen brightness slider is put back into the multitasking bar, just like the one on your iPad. There’s also toggle buttons for a host of iPhone features like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Cellular, and other things you may want quick access to while you’re out doing what you do on a daily basis.

Again, this one’s been bug free and works like a charm.

Parallax

Parallax is completely cosmetic. The tweak lets you have a wallpaper that scrolls while you scroll between pages in iOS. You can set the rate that the image moves in the background. You can set it to move a lot, or just slightly.

Parallax gives your iOS device some depth, and it’s a nice change up from static wallpapers. You’ve probably seen these feature on a couple of android phones over the last couple of years.

SLightEnhancerSearch

This tweak is something I wish Apple would build right into iOS. Spotlight search in iOS, and OS X too actually, could use some deeper integration with other web services. SLightEnhancerSearch lets you search App Stores, iTunes, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and a whole host of other stores and web applications from directly within Spotlight. The tweak lets you pick and choose which are activated and which you’d rather not use, thereby cutting out a lot of unneeded clutter. I only have the App Store and Google turned on and they work flawlessly.

I know that I said that these have provided a bug free experience, and for the most part that has been true. SlightEnhancerSearch did give me some problems early on, but an update seems to have killed off any bugs I was facing. This is the only tweak that I’m reluctant to include on this list. Your success may vary.

The Catch

Like all applications in iOS, you get what you pay for when picking up tweaks in Cydia. In my experience, and there are a few exceptions to the rule, I rarely have problems with tweaks that I pay for and research before buying. Don’t assume things will work out of the box. There are a lot of glitchy and buggy tweaks on the Cydia store.

Cydia isn’t a free-for-all. Sometimes you do have to pay for tweaks. All of the tweaks mentioned above I paid money to download. The cool thing about Cydia is that you can pay with PayPal, so you never have to give them a credit card number. Honestly though, I have no problem paying for applications. It’s worth every dollar.

If you’re bored with iOS, and you want to change things up a little while we wait for iOS 7, I’d recommend jailbreaking your phone. It’s easy to go back to a clean iOS install if you hate it. Chances are you may find something worth sticking around for though, so don’t write it off before trying it out.

The post I Hated Jailbreaking Then I Figured Out What Tweaks To Install appeared first on Macgasm.

Facebook Pages Manager for iOS has been updated to version 2.2, bringing performance improvements and a number of new features. The app has been rebuilt so it’s faster and easier to use and makes managing your Facebook pages easier than ever. You can post updated and photos and respond to comments, as well as view and respond to private messages and receive push notifications.

With the new update, scrolling through your Page timeline will be faster than before, with photos opening faster and closing with just one downward swipe.

On top of that, users will also be able to post photos using filters and auto-enhancement options to make your picture quality even better. Stickers and emojis can now also be sent in messages.

Facebook Pages Manager is the third Facebook app to support stickers, after the Facebook Messenger and regular Facebook app. The latest version of the Facebook Pages Manager is now available in the App Store.

Image Credit: Cult of Mac

The post Facebook Pages Manager Faster Than Ever, Brings Photo Enhancement Options, Emoji And Stickers appeared first on Macgasm.

Pegatron, one of Apple’s major iPhone and iPad assemblers, has said it will be increasing the number of its workers in China by up to 40% in the second half of this year. This really adds fuel to the already blazing fire that says Apple is working on a cheaper iPhone model.

Pegatron currently employs 100,000 workers, so adding another 40,000 workers is no small task. Apple suppliers have reportedly told Reuters that Apple is, in fact, developing a cheaper model iPhone to reach lower-income buyers in growth markets like China and India. One source even revealed that a small-scale production of the display panel for the model would start in May, with production really picking up in June.

The cheaper iPhone model is expected to launch in the third quarter and Pegatron’s Chief Financial Officer, Charles Lin, told Reuters that 60% of the company’s 2013 revenue would come from the second half of the year.

Lin didn’t comment any further and didn’t say if the cheaper iPhone will be one of the products that Pegatron will make in the second half.

It’s still unclear what exactly a cheaper iPhone model will include, but rumors have suggested a range of colorful plastic casings. The device is expected to go for somewhere between $200-$500 for an unlocked device.

Image Credit: Mashable

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In line with reports from yesterday that said Sharp would begin mass production of the iPhone 5S display in June, Apple is reportedly on track to start production of multiple iPhone models in the June-July period, according to Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty.

Huberty believes Apple’s new iPhone models will launch in September, which she has determined from her meetings in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Her report definitely lines up with rumors that Sharp would begin mass production of the iPhone 5S LCD displays in June.

Along with the next-generation iPhone, Apple is also rumored to be developing a new lower-cost iPhone that would target consumers who prefer not to go the way of carrier contract subsidies. Huberty also said that Apple could see strong sales of the lower-cost iPhone in China.

As for the iPhone 5, Huberty learned that iPhone 5 shipments are in line with expectations, which is different from a few months ago when it was rumored that Apple was cutting orders of the iPhone 5. This prompted CEO Tim Cook to publicly shoot these rumors down.

“After a slow start, iPhone 5, is now on track to meet carrier volume expectations and iPhone 4 price cuts could stimulate incremental demand near-term. Carriers see the opportunity for Apple to expand market coverage with 5-inch and lower priced iPhones over time. TD-LTE licenses, and related phone launches, are expected by year-end,” Huberty explained in her note.

The post Analyst: Apple On Target To Begin Production Of Multiple iPhone Models In June-July appeared first on Macgasm.

One of Rovio’s popular games, Bad Piggies, has been updated today. The update brings fifteen brand new sun-drenched levels, along with some new gadgets to help you beat them, including a suction cup gadget for climbing walls and a spring-loaded boxing glove.

If you haven’t had a chance to play Bad Piggies, here’s what it is in a nutshell: instead of helping the Angry Birds get revenge on the pigs, you play from the perspective of the pigs. You won’t be slingshotting birds through the air.  You’ll build the ultimate device to help you fly, crawl, roll, or crash your way to the eggs.

Here’s all the new stuff included in the Bad Piggies update:

• 15 new sun-drenched levels!
• Record your best tricks in-game and share through your favorite social networks!
• Climb walls with the new suction cup gadget!
• Punch your way to victory with the new spring-loaded Boxing Glove!
• Fill your need for speed in a new Road Hog challenge!
• Go crazy in an all-new sandbox!

All versions of Bad Piggies have been updated, but the free versions for the iPhone and iPad have received only five new levels. You can get the newly updated game from the App Store now, or download it for $0.99.

Image Credit: Rovio

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With the release of the iPhone 5, some Apple fans are starting to get concerned with where Apple goes next with its smartphone. With the phone’s size and display being arguably almost perfect, there doesn’t seem like there’s much the company can change in the upcoming versions. That’s why former Apple advertising expert Ken Segall predicts that it is time for the iPhone to follow the path that was set out for it by the iPod.

Segall, who used to work for Apple overseeing the company’s marketing efforts, says that its now time for the iPhone to follow the same product cycle that the iPod went through. In his most recent post on his blog, he writes:

“Back when the very first iPhone was about to launch, it was assumed by many inside Apple that iPhone would follow the path of iPod before it. The first year or two would be devoted to evolving and perfecting the device — and then the iPhone line would be expanded to address various types of customers.

iPod’s biggest years came after it had expanded into a family of products.

Given that history, and given the growing demand for certain variations on the theme, there’s a good chance that the next iPhone will actually be a family of iPhones.”

Segall goes on to list a few iPhone variants that he thinks Apple might soon decide to launch.

The first is the iPhone Mini, targeted to be a lower-cost iPhone. The device wouldn’t be cheap by any means, but it would feature things such as a plastic case and an iPhone 4 sized screen to help significantly reduce costs.

The second is a line of colorful iPhones. Whether this comes with the iPhone 5s, or the lower-cost iPhone, the phones will come in a variety of different colors that help customers add more personality to their device. “Color is personal, and our phones are more personal than iPod ever was. Color will make the new iPhone instantly recognizable as something new.”

The third is an “iPhone Max.” This would be a phone to rival devices like Samsung’s Galaxy S4, which captures a market of consumers looking for a massive vibrant screen.

“The smartphone audience has grown exponentially in recent years,” says Segall. “The simple reality is that different people have different needs. Creating a family of devices would widen iPhone’s appeal as it squelches the perception that Apple is somehow losing touch.”

As long as I can get a low-cost neon pink iPhone Max, I’ll be happy.

The post Ex-Apple Marketing Wizard Predicts iPhone Is Set To Get iPod-ified appeared first on Macgasm.

ETrade Supply is definitely in the know when it comes to rumored Apple products. The electronics supply company was the first to show real images of the iPhone 5, and more recently has managed to get its hands on some iPhone 5S parts, like the FaceTime camera and the front and back panels. Now ETrade Supply is “confirming” that the lower-cost iPhone model does exist and Apple will be releasing it this year.

And, that’s it. Unfortunately, ETrade Supply hasn’t managed to actually get its hands on any parts or release any photos to really solidify this confirmation.

We already know what the lower-cost iPhone could look like anyway, with a plastic shell similar in shape to the iPad mini, thanks to alleged images that were previously leaked. It’s also expected to come in different colors and feature an A5 processor and 4-inch Retina display.

ETrade Supply sums up nicely just what a lower-cost iPhone could do for Apple. With analysts and investors often disappointed with Apple’s earnings, “by releasing lower end models [Apple] plan[s] to recapture market share, hold interest in their OS and keep investors happy.”

The picture is starting to become a little more clear when it comes to a lower-cost iPhone model, but it’s still not really evident just what a lower-cost iPhone actually means for the smartphone wars. Will it be close to the price of an iPad mini, or, even better, like the iPod touch? Only time will tell at this point.

Image Credit: ETrade Supply

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It’s been a great week with a lot of great new apps hitting the marketplace. We’ve got a few new ones for you this week. If you’re concerned about network quality we have an iPhone app for you. We have a light and less extensible version of Status Board for the iPad. A beloved iOS podcast app comes to the Mac, in beta. Our web app is a dead simple to-do list. Our game of the week is a follow up from the makers of “You Don’t Know Jack.”

iPhone/iPod Touch: OpenSignal

Our iPhones are awesome mini-computers that are always at hand, but without a proper network connection, they lose a bit of their usefulness. The open source OpenSignal app gives you a clear way to look at your current network status.

It shows the strength of your cellular and Wi-Fi connections. You can run upload and download speed tests, take a look at the coverage map in your area by carrier, and see a map with local Wi-FI hotspots. There’s a lot of data here in a relatively neat package, though this may overwhelm novice users.

Open Signal is Free on the App Store.

iPad: My Dashboard

In case you missed it, we did a huge exploration of Panic’s Status Board and the variety of panels that developers were creating. My Dashboard bares a passing resemblance to Status Board but it’s missing the power and extensibility. If Status Board was a successful engineer, My Dashboard is his cousin that’s a social media marketing expert.

That said, not everyone needs a powerful status tool. My Dashboard is a bunch of preconfigured widgets that you can place around three screens. You can drop a panel with Twitter, and another with Facebook. You can monitor a couple of different websites, including the doomed Google Reader. Another Panel gives you in app access to the current videos from your subscribed channels. There’s a music player that ties to your on-device library. The various backgrounds look really nice, tipping the hat to some clever design. To get your GMail and a to-do list you’ll need to spend an additional $0.99 above the apps purchase price, which doubles the price.

You can grab My Dashboard on the App Store for $0.99 here

Mac: Instacast

It’s going to take a lot to get anyone to switch their podcasting app, but Instacast has made a compelling argument for buying their app for all platforms. With the release of the Mac client, you can now pull all of your podcast subscriptions from iTunes or Apple’s own Podcasts app on iOS.

The app is in open beta right now, but it is in very good condition. You could easily mistake this for release-quality software. You can import your iPhone and iPad subscriptions by creating or signing in with your account. This means that you only have to go through the misery of reconfiguring your podcasts once. The Mac app actually has better sorting options over the iOS app. The instant sync is by far the most valuable part of the new software.

You can download the beta here it’s free but you can lock in the price of $14.99 if you purchase your license now.

Web: TodoCat

The internet loves productivity apps, nearly as much as it loves cats. This combines the two of them in a nice package that’s minimal. The page is the Sophisticated Cat meme with the I Should in bold, and the buy a boat underlined. You can then add your tasks which stack up below, you can clear them with a click.

It’s basically a scratch pad, no sophisticated GTD process involved. If you want to sync the web app you’ll need to create an account. However simple it may be, it’s really responsive and you can’t help but chuckle at Sophisticated Cat. If you’re buying a boat, your to-do list is already done for you.

TodoCat is a free app you can check out here.

Game: Lie Swatter

You Don’t Know Jack was a classic game that has had a resurgence in recent years, first as a console game and more recently as a social game. Developer Jellyvision has released a new trivia game called Lie Swatter. The premise is pretty simple, you get a listing of trivia facts and you have to choose all the lies for points, you lose points for selecting true facts about your subject.

The game is asynchronous, and turns work a’la Words with Friends. Each game is three rounds, so it can go pretty quick. Like You Don’t Know Jack there is a lot of pressure to plunk down some cash to stop the ad model. Playing with it isn’t too terrible, but it may hamper your progress if you’re playing a lot of games.

Lie Swatter is free and you can grab it from the App Store.

The post Apps of the Week: OpenSignal, My Dashboard, Instacast, Todo Cat, and Lie Swatter appeared first on Macgasm.

Whether you obsessively played Grand Theft Auto: Vice City when it first came out back in 2002 for the Playstation 2, or whether you’ve never even touched the game, it’s hard to pass up the game’s current price on the App Store. The iOS version of the game is now on sale for $1.99, which is 60% off the regular price of $4.99.

GTA: Vice City originally came out for iOS back in December as a celebration of the game’s 10th anniversary. It includes a number of enhancements to the game’s graphics and controls and includes the full version of the game that originally came out for the PS2. The app also works universally on iPhone and iPad, so you won’t have to worry about buying two versions of the game just because you want to play it on your tablet.

Even if you never intend to play Vice City, there’s something cool about just having such a massively celebrated console game in your pocket at all times.

Be sure to buy it on the App Store before the price goes back up.

The post Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Now 60% Off On iOS appeared first on Macgasm.

Google Glass may turn out being just as functional when paired with an iPhone as it is when paired with an Android. Google has told Tech Crunch, that text messaging and navigation support for Glass, currently Android exclusives, will soon make their way to iPhone users, as well as for users of any other type of phone.

Currently, Glass requires the MyGlass companion app for Android in order to use navigation and text messages. This is because Glass itself doesn’t include its own GPS, or even its own data connection for that matter. The device instead pairs up with a phone to in order to use these features. Currently Glass is able to connect to an iPhone to connect to the internet, but not to use its GPS or SMS.

In Tech Crunch’s report, it’s unclear just exactly how GPS and texting will become “independent of the device the user has paired to it.” It seems as though in the future, Glass will no longer require the companion app for GPS and texting and that this information will be integrated right into the Glass device itself. Whether this will be able to be done with a firmware upgrade, or whether Google’s simply referring to a future non-early model of Glass is uncertain.

At the end of the day, however, Glass is still $1,500. Once that price loses a digit or two in a decade or so, I’ll be ready to start listening.

The post Google Glass To Get Native GPS And SMS Support appeared first on Macgasm.

One of the best parts of Ellen DeGeneres’ show is all the games that she plays with members of her audience, and one those games is a word-guessing game where a player holds cards on their forehead and the other provides clues for the person to guess what’s on the card. Now you can play this game at home with Ellen’s new app, Heads Up!

With Heads Up!, you hold your iPhone or iPad up to your forehead, instead of a stack of cards. Since you can’t drop a card to see the next one, once you guess what’s on the screen all you have to do is tilt the iPhone or iPad forward to move on to the next card. If you can’t guess the word, just tilt the device backwards to pass. You have 60 seconds to guess as many words as possible and at the end of the 60 seconds you’ll see a list of all the words you managed to guess.

Heads Up! also has a great video feature, so you’re being filmed while playing. You can share you’re funniest rounds with friends or choose “Send to Ellen” to share on her Heads Up! Facebook page.

There are over 18 themed decks to choose from, but the game does have in-app purchases so you’ll have to shell out another $0.99 for another deck.

Make sure to watch the video above from yesterday’s Ellen show where she played Heads Up! with actress Alison Sweeney. Then make sure to download Ellen’s game from the App Store for just $0.99.

The post Download And Play Ellen DeGeneres’ New App Heads Up! appeared first on Macgasm.

Both Samsung and Blackberry have received approval from the Pentagon to have their devices used by the Department of Defense. This is a pretty big deal for Samsung as the Galaxy S4 is the first Android-powered smartphone to ever receive Department of Defense approval. What’s even more impressive is that it did so before Apple’s iPhone.

Late on Thursday, BlackBerry announced that the Department of Defense approved smartphones and tablets that run Blackberry 10, the new operating system. BlackBerry must be happy about that as although it has lost its footing among many consumers, it hopes to maintain its position in corporate and military areas.

Samsung devices with Knox, the company’s new security software offering, also received approval from the Pentagon on Thursday, according to a spokesman for the Department of Defense. Apple can expect to receive approval as well in the “next few weeks.”

“This approval will enable DoD customers to connect their BlackBerry Z10 or BlackBerry Q10 smartphones to DoD networks and securely access assets from work, while enjoying the wealth of consumer-oriented functionality that BlackBerry Z10 brings to the market,” BlackBerry senior vice president for security, Scott Totzke, said in a statement.

Similarly, Samsung Chief Executive, JK Shin, said “This is a significant milestone for Samsung as we work to grow our relationships within government and large corporate enterprises.”

It’s unclear why Apple’s iPhone has taken longer to receive Pentagon approval, but it is still going through Department of Defense testing and the result of these tests should be revealed in the new few weeks.

Image Credit: CNET News

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The iPhone’s camera comes in handy when you least expect it to, like taking a picture of your mom’s apple pie recipe because you’re too lazy to write it down, or taking a picture of a bank statement so you don’t have to bring the paper with you. With StandScan Pro you can scan these types of things instead of taking grainy, often cut off images of these types of things.

StandScan Pro is the perfect device to turn your iPhone into a professional scanner. There’s no software to download, no drivers to install, and no cables to connect. With the StandScan, you can take high quality scans and photograph objects with nothing more than your smartphone and the Standscan.

It folds flat and snaps into place with magnets for easy portability so you can take it anywhere. The StandScan Pro has all the great features of the StandScan, but also features built-in LED lights on the inside of the device to provide brighter pictures and enhanced image quality.

LED lighting helps to get rid of shadows and produces high quality images and clear scans. StandScan Pro can be used anywhere and anytime, and works during the day and at night. It comes with a standard 9V battery holder, which has a built-in power switch for enhanced portability.

You can get the StandScan for $19.95 or the StandScan Pro for just $10 more at $29.95.

Via Cult of Mac

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If improved audio profiles for speakerphones are your thing, you should definitely be pumped for today’s new iOS update for the iPhone 5.

The minor 6.1.4 update, which is only available for users on iPhone 5, has just one improvement listed in its description. “Updated audio profile for speakerphone.” Whether the update includes other minor changes that Apple chose not to list is unknown.

What exactly “updated audio profile for speakerphone” means, I don’t know. One user online said that after installing the update, he noticed frequencies began to sound significantly lower pitched when using speakerphone on his iPhone 5.

Don’t worry, it won’t be much longer until we start to see some REAL updates for iOS.

Image Credit: MacRumors

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Who needs paid-for subscriptions to music services like Spotify and Rdio when you’ve got Songza? Not me, and especially not after this update. Songza today has reached version 3.0 in a major update that makes great features even greater.

The Concierge feature of Songza is really useful, especially when you have something going on but can’t decide which music is perfect for the situation. You can get music for those dreadful Monday mornings to get your week started off right or you can find a great workout playlist. With Songza 3.0, shake your device when you’re in the Concierge screen and tell Songza exactly what you’re doing and it will find the perfect music for you.

Now when you search for an artist, you can choose from any expert-curated playlist on Songza that features the artist and the playlist you choose will start with one of their songs.

Even if your Internet connection isn’t the best, Songza 3.0 brings faster performance and less buffering. Common bug fixes and crashes have also been fixed.

If you’re rushing to work, a long press on any Concierge situation, like Driving, will start the playlist that Songza thinks you’ll like most at that moment. If you’re using Songza on your iPhone, its HQ Audio feautre, which is powered by Audyssey, really makes your headphone sound quality better without increasing your data plan usage. With the improved HQ Audio, 200 headphone models are available and it’s easier to select your headphones when you add new ones.

The app’s interface has also been improved. When you’re looking at the Concierge, you’ll notice it takes full advantage of the iPhone 5′s larger display and does away with unnecessary clutter. Navigation is even simpler, with a focus on powerful and user-friendly features.

Songza 3.0 brings in-app tips and makes discovering music even better. They’ll help you move from playlists you’re getting tired of to new ones you may not have heard before. Navigation through the app is easier than ever with unnecessary clutter being removed, and good features displayed more noticeably, like browsing by mood, genre, decade or activity.

Songza 3.0 is available in the App Store now for free.

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Buying a printer with AirPrint support is pretty easy when you’re setting up a home network for the first time. You have limited options, but you can quickly get a printer onto your network. It’s not so easy when you work in a large office that already has printers that are bigger, better, and way too expensive to replace with consumer level offerings. Ecamm has built Printopia to help convert normal printers into AirPrint-capable devices. Printopia Pro, much like its consumer counterpart, turns a Mac into a print server, but it also add quite a bit more functionality.

Why go Pro? From Ecamm’s press release:

Printopia Pro unleashes “unicast” Bonjour, empowering it to operate across network segments without restriction. It requires no changes to the existing network topology. This greatly simplifies the task of enabling AirPrint across an organization, and frees administrators from having to modify the network architecture or purchase additional hardware to get AirPrint deployed. It also reduces the amount of multicast traffic over a wireless network, which can boost overall wireless throughput.

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve owned a printer, but the last time I did I ran Printopia. It makes printing from iOS a snap, and it’s worth every penny. I know a few Apple-only shops around town that will be plenty interested in the Pro offering.

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iPhones and iPods and iPads, oh my! The latest rumor has it that Apple will launch the iPhone 6, complete with larger screen, in June 2014, according to Jefferies analyst Peter Misek.

This might seem really far away, especially considering Apple still has yet to launch the iPhone 5S, but Misek explains the reason for the wait is because of the time needed by Apple to transition the device’s display technology. There’s no mention of the “delays” being caused by a drastic overhaul of iOS 7.

During Apple’s latest earning call, CEO Tim Cook was pretty ambiguous about Apple’s interest in even making a larger screened iPhone. He didn’t completely shoot down the possibility of one, but said Apple wouldn’t launch an iPhone with a larger screen until the current tradeoffs of a larger screen can be solved.

“Our competitors have made some significant tradeoffs in many of these areas to ship a larger display,” he said. “We would not ship a larger display iPhone while these tradeoffs exist.”

Misek also said that the Apple’s supply chain is ready to produce the iPhone 5S and transitioning to the iPhone 6 will take at least two or three quarters. There’s the rub. Apparently, according to Misek, we’re back on the two new iPhones in one year territory again.

As for the iPhone 5S, he predicts that it will come in different color options, have a faster processor and a better camera. Misek also believes that the iPhone 5S will have a fingerprint sensor near the Home button.

We’re not sold on any of this…

Image Credit: Know Your Mobile

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Tennis pro David Ferrer wanted the world to know that he loves his Samsung Galaxy S4. Okay, Samsung probably wanted the world to know that David Ferrer loves his Galaxy S4. Either way, Ferrer took to Twitter to express his satisfaction with the smartphone, but unfortunately, he made the killer celebrity endorsement mistake. He tweeted it from his iPhone.

The Spanish player, who’s competing in this weekend’s Mutua Madrid Open tournament, originally sent out this tweet from his account.

To translate, the tweet was essentially Ferrer expressing his love for his S4 and its S Health feature, which he claimed to be using to help with his training. Unfortunately, the credibility of Ferrer’s tweet was destroyed by the haunting “Via Twitter for iPhone” message that accompanied it.

Ferrer since deleted the tweet and re-posted it from the appropriate device.

Whether it was Ferrer himself that made the mistake or whether it was one of his people, the solution is pretty simple. If you’re tweeting about something, tweet about it from that device. Don’t do it like this or like this.

Come back in about a month or so for the next installment of Celebrity Endorsements Gone Wrong.

Image Credit: Apple Insider

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Apple has been slowly trying to get iOS more integrated into the cars of consumers, and with iOS 7, it seems like the company plans to make a significant push towards this goal.

Sources have told 9to5Mac that Apple plans to bring further Apple Maps and Siri integration into cars and that the company is currently in talks with several auto manufacturers to try and secure these deals. Apple is reportedly working on a new feature with car companies that will allow you to dock your iPhone and then have an enhanced version of Apple Maps pop-up onto a larger display within the car.

Currently, if people want to use their iPhone as a GPS in their car, they have to put it on a dock and look at the iPhone’s small screen. Apple wants to make it so that Maps can be easily mirrored over to a larger GPS display within the car.

All of this, will be controllable through Siri using the “eyes-free” feature that allows you to use Siri in your car without touching or unlocking your phone.

9to5Mac states that due to a number of reasons including numerous contracts with car companies and more required updates to Siri and Maps, it still may be sometime until these new integration features actually become available. Regardless of this, iOS 7 will still get the features ready on the phone side of things for when that time comes.

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The original iPhone, which first launched in 2007, will soon reach “obsolete” status at Apple retail stores, which means that it will no longer be eligible for repairs or parts replacements even if the customers pays for it. The original iPhone will reportedly reach this status on June 11, 2013. You better get that puppy fixed if you’re having problems with it still.

The iPhone, along with a number of different Macs like the 2006 Xserve, mid-2007 iMacs and the original Mac Pro, will officially be classified as vintage and obsolete by Apple. A product is considered obsolete when it has been discontinued more than seven years ago and will no longer be supported. AT&T was ahead of the game on this one when, 18 months ago, it stopped activating the original iPhone.

If you’re interested, you can check out Apple’s support page to learn more about vintage and obsolete products. In the meantime, start saying your goodbyes to the original iPhone.

Image Credit: TechRadar

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Most people know and love Dropbox and the way it syncs files between multiple devices, but what happens when you’ve left out a couple of files and later realize you need them but don’t have your Mac with you? Enter Spotdox. Part Mac app and part iOS-accessible web service, Spotdox is an add-on to Dropbox that lets you access any file on your computer from any location or device so long as it’s downloaded on your Mac.

All you have to do is download Spotdox and keep it running on your Mac, which will extend Dropbox’s functionality. While Dropbox only allows access to files directly in your Dropbox folder, Spotdox lets you browse, copy, and send any file or folder on your computer to any other device.

When you download Spotdox, the app will request authorization to access your Dropbox account. If you have more than one account, you can install Spotdox on each one to access files on each computer. To make sure you can access the files, make sure to enable Open Spotdox at Login from the app’s menu so that Spotdox is continually running.

To use Spotdox, just load a special Spotdox URL on another device, like a different Mac, iPhone, or iPad. Spotdox uses Spotlight on your Mac to find the file you’re looking for and then moves in into your Dropbox on request. Once it’s there, you can access the file from any Dropbox app on any Mac or iDevice.

If you find that your Dropbox is full, you can even move stuff out of it and onto your Mac from any phone or web browser. So, if you’re not at your computer, you can easily upload photos while on the road to Dropbox and then transfer them to you Mac, which frees up more space.

While pricing hasn’t been announced yet, the first 10,000 users can get a free lifetime membership account. So what are you waiting for?

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TomTom, a popular mapping system, recently updated its iOS app bringing refreshed and updated maps, improved advanced planning, and other improvements.

According to TomTom, roads are always changed and an average of 15% of roads change every year so the newest version of TomTom comes with the latest and most up-to-date maps.

Advanced planning also comes to version 1.14 of TomTom, which lets you change any part of your pre-planned route without having to start from the beginning. Change your starting point, destination, or departure time and see how your drive and arrival time will be affected by the changes.

The last addition brought by the update lets you keep your settings. TomTom explains that if you use the iCloud backup feature you can now delete the app to free up space when you’re updating. To do this, make sure iCloud is enabled on your device, then open and close the app to make a backup. Next, delete the app to free up space and then re-download the updated version of TomTom right from the App Store.

TomTom also notes that this is the last version of the TomTom app that will support the iPhone 3G and second-generation iPod touch, as well as other devices with iOS 4.x.

The app works with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. If you don’t already have the app, you can purchase it from the App Store for $59.99. The updated version of the App is available now.

Image Credit: SmartKeitai

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Rumors have been circling for a while that one of the things Apple has been looking to upgrade is its keyboard for iOS. Now there is talk that the Cupertino based company may have a deal in the works with Nuance, the makers of the popular Android typing app Swype.

The speculation comes after Swype Vice President Aaron Sheedy took to Reddit for an “ask me anything” session. One Reddit user asked Sheedy whether his company had been in any talks with Apple:

Q: I was curious as to whether you’ve ever had any contact with Apple. Any conversations to see if they might have been interested in licensing your technology?
A: Hah. The million (ok billion) $ questions. Yes, we have chatted with them, they are very smart and nice.

Sheedy’s comments certainly seem to put the talks in a positive light, and while it’s definitely far from anything concrete, the news gives a bit more hope to anyone wishing to see Swype or its tech show up on iOS.

Nuance and Apple already have a business relationship, as Apple licenses voice recognition tech from the company to use with Siri.

While I’m not sure how I personally feel about using Swype as my way of texting, I definitely agree that Apple should focus on improving its keyboard. While it currently does what it needs to do just fine, it doesn’t have that Apple touch that makes it better/sets it apart from all the other keyboards from the other phone operating systems on the market.

The post Swype Has Talked With Apple Regarding Coming To iPhone appeared first on Macgasm.

In this week’s App Store refresh Apple included a new featured page that helps App Store users “learn more about in-app purchases.” With the number of reports of children accidently spending a small fortune on in-app purchases, Apple has kindly provided a guide for users, and parents, to learn more about what in-app purchases are, how they work, and how to prevent your kids from spending all your money on them without permission.

This featured guide can be found just underneath the What’s Hot section on the App Store. In-app purchases have become a major thorn in a few parents’ side lately. They can be especially problematic when you don’t really know what they are or how they work.

In January, a five-year-old boy unknowingly spent $2,550 on iTunes in just ten minutes after buying content within a game on the iPad. Apple chose to give this family a full refund. Not long after, a British policeman reported his thirteen-year-old son to try and reclaim the $5,620 iTunes bill he received after his son spent it on more than 300 in-app purchases in an iOS game.

Apple is looking to prevent more situations like this from happening by education users and parents about in-app purchases. The final section of the guide looks at parental controls and how parents can restrict their child’s ability to make in-app purchases on an iOS device.

Just last-month, Apple also added new “Offers In-App Purchases” badges to label apps and make users more aware.

The post Apple Adds New Page To App Store To Help You “Learn More About In-App Purchases” appeared first on Macgasm.

Apple released a new TV ad for the iPhone, this time showing off its camera capabilities and what makes using it so great. The ad does this with hardly having to say a word.

With music playing in the background, the ad follows people at different points throughout their day at a moment when they use their iPhone. It really shows off the portability and convenience of the iPhone camera, whether it’s pulling it out of your pocket to get a shot of the sunrise during your morning jog or when you see rainbow colors in a puddle.

The ad ends with the words, “Everyday more photos are taken with the iPhone than any other camera.” More and more the iPhone is becoming the camera of choice among users. According to Flickr, the iPhone 4S, 5, and 4 are ranked as the top three most popular cameras used to post photos to Flickr, ahead of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the Canon EOS 7D.

This is definitely one of Apple’s better ads. You can watch the it above.

The post New iPhone Ad Shows Off What Makes Your iPhone Camera Great appeared first on Macgasm.

In the coming weeks, LinkedIn will invite select users to try out Contacts on LinkedIn.com, but today LinkedIn has launched a stand-alone app for the iPhone, called LinkedIn Contacts, which is a much better way to stay in touch with those who matter.

LinkedIn Contacts brings your address book, e-mail accounts, and calendars all into one place with the power of your LinkedIn network. LinkedIn Contacts brings a number of new features that makes staying in touch easier and smarter.

LinkedIn Contacts brings all your address books, e-mails, and calendars all in one place. It will automatically pull the details from these sources and past conversations and meetings and bring it directly to your contact’s profile.

You will be alerted to job changes and birthdays of contacts in your network, which is a perfect way to stay in touch. You can also set reminders and add notes about the important people in your life.

You can easily review your most recent correspondences with a contact so you can see where you last left off with someone. You can also discover more about who you’re meeting with so you can be prepared. You can even sort your contacts by recent conversation and filter by company or location so it’s easy to find contacts.

LinkedIn is now available on the the App Store as a free download.

Image Credit: vyagers

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Just yesterday Apple announced that WWDC 2013 would kick off on June 10-14, with tickets going on sale later today. The company also confirmed that new versions of both iOS and OS X would be unveiled at the event. While we all wait on the edge of our seats to see what Apple has planned, here’s a new iOS 7 concept that shows off what apps could look like, but probably not.

Many are wondering what kinds of changes could be in store for the newest version of iOS, especially with Jonathan Ive taking the lead instead of Scott Forstall. This iOS 7 concept is really based on Ive’s simplistic design style, as well as many other concepts and rumors that have been swirling around about iOS 7. It was made by Brazilian Rafael Justino and really “focuses on the refurbishment of some applications which are with the outdated design of its interface.”

The concept features improvements to Compass, Voice Memos, Weather, Clock, Calculator, Notification Center, and Lock Screen.

There’s been a few other iOS 7 concept videos lately, and it’s pretty obvious that a massive redesign for iOS 7 is something that has caught the publics attention.

Is it June yet? In the meantime. check out the latest iOS 7 concept in the video above.

Image Credit: IntoMobile

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Tumblr recently announced that it will be bringing sponsored posts, i.e. advertisements, to its mobile apps. Now the Tumblr app for iOS has received a new update today bringing new sharing features, the ability to save content to read later, new templates for sharing posts through e-mail, and a whole lot more.

Tumblr for iOS also now has animated GIFs while scrolling and the following list is now alphabetized and searchable. There’s more support for sharing content directly to Twitter and Facebook as well. Here’s a full list of the changes you can expect to see on your Tumblr app:

• Share posts via Twitter, Facebook, and more
• Save stuff for later using Instapaper and Pocket
• Email an entire post with our beautiful new template
• Fling a photo up or down to close it!
• GIFs animate while you scroll*
• Following list is now alphabetized and searchable

The newly updated Tumblr app is available to download in the App Store now for free.

Image Credit: The Next Web

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Apple’s own App Store app for iPhone has received a new update, bringing it to version 2.6. This update introduces push notifications for delivery updates so you can easily track your shipments. In addition to this, you’ll also receive push notifications to let you know when you’re eligible for an upgrade on your iPhone.

Now when you order something from the Apple Store, you’ll receive automatic updates on its delivery status without having to check manually. Apple will send you notifications when your item has shipped, when your item has been delivered, as well as any updates while its on its way to your house.

On top of that, for customers in the U.S. only, Apple will now let you know when you’re eligible for upgrade pricing on a new iPhone, which is great if you can never remember when that is.

Of course, these push notifications can be customized right in the Apple Store app. To do so, just tap the “More” tab at the bottom of the screen and then choose “Notifications” and you can enable or disable them so they meet your needs.

The updated version of the Apple Store app for iPhone is available to download now..

Image Credit: Cult of Mac

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Apple has begun sending out $15 checks to those who filed claims in the “antennagate” lawsuit. Several people that took part in the class action suit have taken to the internet say that Apple has sent them a check in compensation for the antenna problems that existed on the iPhone 4.

The iPhone 4 featured a new and innovative antenna design that had the device’s antenna exist within the phone’s stainless steel bezel. Unfortunately, this design prompted unexpected issues with the phone that caused it to experience poor reception and dropped calls when held in a particular way.

Apple was reluctant to admit fault for the problem at first, with Steve Jobs having said, “All phones have sensitive areas, just avoid holding it in this way.” After continuous public pressure, however, Apple decided to give customers free iPhone 4 bumpers that helped to address the issue. Even with the free cases, a class action lawsuit ensued against the company.

This lawsuit wasn’t settled until February of last year, where it was ruled that all affected iPhone 4 customers could choose to claim either another free case or a $15 check.

If you submitted a claim for the $15, expect to see it show up in your mail sometime soon.

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PromiseUP is an interesting new app for iOS that helps you make and keep promises with a mixture of social gaming and virtual incentives. You can make bets with friends and keep track of your progress and at the end, whoever was able to keep their promise is rewarded in UP$, PromiseUP’s virtual currency.

PromiseUP is a useful app for keeping promises involving working out, eating healthier, getting out of the house more, or calling your parents more often. It can be used as motivation for just about anything you want to do. PromiseUP can also be used just for fun, like daring your friends to do silly things. That and it’s really easy to use. Here’s how it works:

1. Download the free PromiseUP app
2. Bet your friends – choose a friend and send them a promise you think they should make. Set the value of the bet in UP$ and a deadline. You can also PromiseUP something to yourself.
3. See the results – see if your friend, or yourself, was able to keep the promise. If the promise was kept, they’ll earn the wagered UP$ and if they didn’t then you win the UP$ from them.

New users start with 1000 free UP$, which can be traded in for real prizes in the app’s UP-Shop. When users run out of UP dollars, more can be purchased using real money.

PromiseUP can be downloaded for free in the App Store now and it works with the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. So what are you waiting for? Download it now and start keeping those promises.

Image Credit: CrunchBase

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Just five months ago, the app discovery app AppShopper was pulled from the Apple Store for violating the store’s rules. Now the app is back, and has been altered just enough so it doesn’t violate any of Apple’s inane rules.

Back in December, AppShopper was pulled for violating App Store rule 2.25, which rejects all “Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store.” AppShopper owner Arnold Kim has made some changes and recently introduced the new AppShopper Social to the App Store.

A similar situation recently happened with AppGratis, which was kicked out of the App Store for violating the same rule. Apple also recently disabled its Push Notifications as well.

AppShopper Social isn’t an update to the previous app – it’s all new, which means you can still keep the older app if its still installed on your phone.

Before you get too excited over its return, you should note the changes that it comes with. The “What’s New” and “Top 200″ features are missing in this version of the app, probably because they violated the App Store regulation 2.25.

Despite missing these features, though, AppShopper social has a few new tricks up its sleeve. The most significant one is the “social discovery” element, which is designed to compliment, rather than violate, the App Store’s own app promotion policies.

AppShopper Social also has a social stream, so you can see what your friends are tracking and share the apps you’re interested in with your friends. You can maintain a friends list and integrate with Twitter. You can keep track of your wish list and apps you already own, as well as as sync with AppShopper.com.

The iTunes release notes says that there are many features to add in the future and iPad support is also in the works. You can get AppShopper Social on the App Store now for free.

The post AppShopper Is Back In The App Store With A Twist appeared first on Macgasm.

Nike+ FuelBand app for iOS first launched in February of last year, just shortly before the launch of the actual device. Now the fitness app has received a new update, bringing new social features so you can compete with friends.

If you don’t already know or haven’t had a chance to try it out, the Nike+ FuelBand is Nike’s fitness tracking device that measures your daily activity and produces a score, called NikeFuel. The compatible iOS app lets you keep track of your progress as a whole.

The fitness tracking app has been updated, bringing two significant features to the app: Nike+ Friends and photo sharing.

Nike+ Friends lets you access custom leaderboards in the app and lets you see your performance compared to your friends that also have a Nike+ FuelBand.  Depending on where you stack up to your friends, it could give you that extra little push or give you that boost of confidence when you see your on top of the board.  You can compare, compete, and share on http://nikeplus.com/ or in the mobile app.

With the apps new photo sharing feature, you can now take a picture of your progress or when you reached a new goal and share it to highlight your accomplishment with others. These photos can also serve as good reminders that hard work pays off.

The updated version of the Nike+ FuelBand app is available on the App Store for free.

Image Credit: Nike+ FuelBand

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TweetDeck for iPhone, Android and Adobe AIR mobile platforms will be shut down on May 7th. Though this announcement was made in early March, we weren’t given a specific date outside of “early May” until today. This is the same day that TweetDeck is set to drop its Facebook assets. These announcements were made via TweetDeck’s blog. TweetDeck will continue to function for Mac, PC and web users after May 7th and will continue to receive updates.

TweetDeck was purchased by Twitter in 2011 for $40 million dollars. The app is favored by corporate tweeters because of its set of powerful filters and also due to its ability to schedule tweets and monitor and manage numerous accounts. TweetDeck also allows users to filter tweets extensively.

The post TweetDeck For iPhone And Android Dies May 7th appeared first on Macgasm.

Evernote recently added some exciting new features to Skitch for both Mac and iOS for PDF editing and annotation. With a premium account, or a 30-day trial for new users, you can now use Skitch’s PDF annotation features.

To use PDF annotation, just open a single or multi-page PDF in Skitch or drag it right into the app, then annotate with shapes, arrows, and text. You can point out items that need adjusting, use the Highlighter to draw attention to a certain area and add text to give your recipient instructions on next steps.

With Skitch’s new summary feature you can now add a new first page to any multi-page document that you’re sharing with someone. This page includes a preview of each piece of feedback contained in the PDF and by clicking on one it will take you directly to that annotation. The summary feature makes it easier for you to scan all the feedback you’ve received without having to go beyond the first page.

When sharing the PDF you can include a summary when you choose to email it with the share button. On Skitch for Mac, you can even attach a summary when expositing or by selecting PDF with Summary in the Drag Me bar then dragging it right onto your desktop or into other apps.

With Skitch’s new Stamps, it’s even easier to give feedback faster. Place them to approve, reject, or point out a certain part of an image. After placing stamps, you can even add more detail with a pointed and a label.

You can get the newly updated Skitch 2.5 in the App Store or Mac App Store now. It’s a free download, but after a month you’ll have to upgrade to a premium account if you want to continue using Skitch’s PDF editing features.

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Kinky just got a little boost today. Durex, yes that Durex, has just released a video showing off its new Fundawear. Long story short, you can fondle your lovers love-parts remotely from an iPhone without ever having to be in the same room, city, or country. The underwear is available for both men and women, but from the looks of it you have to win your way into these panties.

Durex is pegging this as a way to transfer ‘touch’ across great distances. A cool idea in itself. But even cooler is that the whole concept was built on an Arduino Mega before a custom chip was designed.

Yes, the ‘touch’ technology is built into a bra too.

You can view more videos here.

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A brand new, and yet to be released Chat Heads tweak for jailbroken iPhones is about to hit the Cydia store. According to the developer behind the tweak, jailbreakers will be able to rock Chat Heads the way it was meant to be experienced — operating system wide in iOS. Chat Heads, the be feature behind Facebook’s Home interface for Android devices, lets users engage in communications and text messaging with other Facebook friends from anywhere on the phone.

If you’re thinking the tweak will kill your system resources, fret not. Adam Bell, the developer behind the tweak, doesn’t seem to think the tweak will be much of a problem:

From an interview with The Verge:

The hardest part was getting this all to render on top of everything else,” Bell says, which means Facebook is always running on your phone. Apparently, Bell’s tweak doesn’t take much of a toll on battery life. “It doesn’t seem very resource intensive,” he says. “Only when you move the Chat Head is it actually doing anything.”

If you’ve been thinking of dropping your iOS device for an HTC phone that supports Facebook Home, you may want to consider jailbreaking and running this tweak first once it’s released to the public. It’ll be a cold day in hell before Apple lets Facebook and other developers do this kind of thing with iOS, but if you’re adventurous enough, and want to take Chat Heads for a spin, you now have some options that don’t include buying a new phone.

The post Facebook’s Chat Heads Will Soon Adorn iPhones With New Jailbreak Tweak appeared first on Macgasm.

There are a lot of weather apps out there, and Yahoo! is jumping in feet first with its own contribution. Yahoo! Weather is a unique weather offering that combines beautiful photos that match your location, time of day, and current weather condition.

Yahoo! Weather sets itself apart by being half weather app and half photography app. It doesn’t just display the temperature and conditions of your city, but it also pulls photos from Flickr of your actual town that was taken when it matched the current conditions outside. The photo will also match the time of day, so if you’re checking the weather on a clear night it will pull a photo from Flickr that was taken on a clear night.

Yahoo! Weather isn’t just a pretty face though. It features detailed weather information and forecasts and includes interactive radar, satellite, heat and wind maps, as well as sunrise/sunset times.

If you swipe down on your forecast you’ll see hourly and five day forecasts, a verbal weather report, a satellite map of prevailing conditions, precipitation forecasts and animated graphics for prevailing wind and pressure conditions. It also gives information about where the sun and moon are in their cycle. You can also swipe horizontally for favorite locations.

Yahoo! Weather is now available on the App Store and you can get this gorgeous weather app for free. You can also submit new photos to the app at Project Weather on Flickr.

The post Yahoo! Weather Now Available For iPhone And “The Forecast Is Beautiful” appeared first on Macgasm.

There’s been a lot of back and forth as to whether or not Apple is really going to release a lower-cost iPhone in the near future. A new image has hit the web today that suggests that it’s actually a possibility.

The image was discovered by Tactus and features the alleged rear shell of the rumored lower-cost iPhone. According to Tactus, it looks to be a uniform plastic polycarbonate shell, which is very different from the iPhone 5′s sleek aluminum look. The plastic shell looks to measure 0.4-0.6mm thick, but the actual phone could be around 9mm thick, 120mm in height and about 62.65mm in width, which means it would be taller and wider than the iPhone 4/4S.

The overall design looks to be similar in style to the iPad mini, with the rear panel being more square than the 3G design and more rounded than the iPhone 4 and 5.

Tactus also claims that the lower-cost iPhone will be available in the traditional black and white colors, as well as blue, red and yellow. He also predicts that it will go on sale on October 15 for around $300.

Nothing whatsoever concerning a lower-cost iPhone has been confirmed or denied by Apple, but the phone has been rumored to feature an A5 processor and a 4-inch Retina display like the iPhone 5, although Tactus suggests it would be closer to the iPhone 4 in size.

Of course, it’s possible that this is just a fake based on circulating rumors so we’ll all have to wait a little while longer to see if Apple really does have a lower-cost iPhone up its sleeve.

The post Could This Be The Rumored Lower-Cost iPhone’s Outer Casing? appeared first on Macgasm.

Today the business networking site LinkedIn has launched an update for the iOS and Android apps that brings a new, simpler design, better navigation, and new features that completely revamp the mobile experience.

LinkedIn’s new app is redesigned with a richer and more engaging stream and more personalized features. It has a richer stream so that the most relevant professionals appear in your stream for you to engage in conversation. It will have tailored updates, news, original posts from influencers and commenting is now available directly in the stream.

The update now offers even more personalization options with a new navigation page. Just slide the main homepage to the right to reveal a customizable navigation page that includes settings, a user’s profile and inbox, recent activity and a constantly updated stream ticker. This is also where you’ll find customizable shortcuts that link to various app features like groups, companies and connections.

According to the company blog, there is a lot more to come to LinkedIn’s mobile offerings this year, including more search and personalization updates.

LinkedIn can be downloaded for free from the App Store now.

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Pocket, the article saving app that lets you save and sync content to read later on any device, is about to get a whole lot friendlier with all new sharing features in a new update.

Pocket rebranded itself from Read It Later exactly one year ago, and to celebrate, it’s bringing a brand new feature to the Pocket experience in the form of sharing. The update is available for the iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and web versions of the service. The new feature is called Send to Friend, which is a new and easy way to share with friends and family without having to leave Pocket at all.

Sharing on social networks like Twitter and Facebook are all the rage nowadays, but Pocket users still share content through email more than twice as often so the Pocket team has decided to really improve this feature.

Here’s how it works:

With Send to Friend it’s easier to share important content with the people you care about. With a few taps you’ll be sharing content with friends and family, along with a comment and a highlighted quote, by sending them an email with the link. If they’re a Pocket user as well they will be notified right in the app.

With Pocket’s new sharing features you can easily add shared content to your list. You’ll be able to receive shared content and once a friends sends something to you, it’ll appear in an inbox with any highlighted quotes that they really want you to see.

Pocket also has a redesigned Share Menu that highlights services that you recently used, like Twitter, Facebook, Evernote or Buffer. After you’ve shared content with Send to Friend, you’ll see shortcuts to share content with recent friends right from the Share Menu.

Notifications have also been enhanced so that, in addition to an email, Pocket users can choose if they want to receive push notifications right on their phone or tablet when something is shared.

When Pocket changed its name from Read It Later a year ago, it dramatically changed the read it later experience for the better. It now has more than 35 million items per month and the service has expanded to new platforms, including Mac, Chrome and Safari, and its network of developers and publishers has grown to almost 12,000.

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Om Nom, the cute little green monster in the Cut the Rope game, is gearing up for some time travelling. At midnight tonight, the sequel to the widely popular puzzle game, Cut the Rope: Time Travel, will go live in the U.K. and U.S. App Stores.

In Cut the Rope: Time Travel, you’ll travel alongside Om Nom as he jumps between time periods and meets up with his ancestors where you’ll have to deliver candy to two monsters at once.

The game features six time periods: the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, a pirate ship, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and the Stone Age. Each stage will have new puzzle elements, as well as ones that you’re already familiar with, like explosive mines, wormholes, rockets and saw blades.

If you haven’t tried out the original Cut the Rope, then I would highly suggest giving it a go while you wait for the sequel. It’s a fun puzzle game that will keep you entertained for hours. If the original game is anything to go by, then Cut the Rope: Time Travel should prove to be just as entertaining. You can get Cut the Rope for your iPhone for $0.99 and your iPad for $3.99.

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If you live in Canada and you’ve patiently been waiting for the follow-up game to OMGPOP’s popular social game Draw Something, then it’s a good day to be you because Draw Something 2 has been spotted in the Canadian App Store.

Draw Something 2 actually launched in the Swedish App Store last month, but the game has only now made an appearance in the Canadian App Store. The social drawing guessing game was first released in Sweden because it was there that the original game first reached the top of the App Store charts.

OMGPOP was acquired by Zynga in March of last year for $200 million. It has since released Draw Something Pro.

Draw Something 2 is expected to launch globally “soon.” If you live in Canada, though, you can get a head start. Draw Something 2 is available for $2.99 or you can get Draw Something 2 Free for, well, free.

Draw Something 2 features new tools, patterns, stamps and colors, as well as a new social feed and a gallery of all your favorite drawings. It also has over 5,000 new words and you can even free draw just for fun.

Image Credit: Cult of Android

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Google’s YouTube app for iOS was recently updated, adding some cool new features, like support for live streaming, a new personalized subscription feed and the ability to queue videos for TV playback.

The biggest addition to the app is probably support for live streaming, which lets you watch events right on your iPhone or iPad, like the annual Coachella. iPhones and cellular-capable iPads will now be able to live stream content on the go. This feature was previously only available on the YouTube browser-based web app.

Version 1.3 of the YouTube app also adds the ability to queue up videos using the app’s “Send to TV” functionality, which connotes to Google TV units or gaming consoles’ YouTube apps, turning an iOS device into an advanced remote control.

A new My Subscriptions feed is now available on the YouTube sidebar, allowing for easy access to recently uploaded videos. The update, as always, also brings stability and performance improvements.

You can download the new and improved YouTube app for iOS on the App Store now for free.

Image Credit: The Verge

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A new report out of Bloomberg has revealed that Apple has asked Foxconn to begin hiring employees again at its Zhengzou factory, following a hiring freeze that took place in February. The new employees will reportedly work on Apple’s upcoming iPhone 5S and low-cost iPhone as well as past versions of Apple’s phone.

Apple’s Zhengzou factory was apparently told a month ago to begin hiring more employees to help with the extra work of manufacturing Apple’s upcoming iPhones. The Zhengzou factory is a massive manufacturing facility that is only focused on making Apple’s iPhones and that already hosts more than 250,000 employees. The Wall Street Journal reports that Foxconn has now been adding to this number, with an additional 10,000 assembly line employees every week since the end of March.

Information about Apple’s upcoming iPhone (or iPhones) and when it will be released are all still just rumors at this point. Most recent rumors point to a new fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5S.

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Our apps this week run the gamut from superfluous toys to interesting tools. It’s been a good week to dig through apps, as the weather here hasn’t really been all that corporative in the spring department. Grab your iDevices and let’s take a look at this week’s apps.

iPhone/iPod Touch: Farmstand

As the weather warms up here in the northern hemisphere, farmers’ markets begin to pop up all over town. Some of the earliest begin in May, but it’s kind of a hassle to keep all of them straight, especially when they might have random hours. Farmstand solves that by giving you a list of the local farmers’ markets, complete with hours.

There is a community aspect to the app, as you can update the entries that might be incomplete. If you find something particularly interesting, you can post it in the app. The login integrates with Facebook and Twitter, so you won’t need to remember another account. They recently added stickers to put on the images you share from the markets, giving the social layer some more polish.

If you’re looking for a good source of local food, or a social network of granola heads this is a cool app to check out. You can download it free from the App Store.

iPad: Poems by Heart from Penguin Classics

April is National Poetry month. What better way to celebrate than to actually learn some poetry? Penguin’s app tries to help you memorize poetry with an iPad that reads the poem to you, then asks you to slowly fill in more and more blanks until you’re recreating it from memory. The final test is actual reciting the poem from memory, which you can then share to Soundcloud.

The memorization games are a great way to learn, but they’re boring without content. For free you get William Blake’s “Eternity” and William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18.” (You likely know it’s opening line: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?) After that other packs unlock poems in groups of three or four for $0.99. (Check out the Gothic Tales pack which has Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” and Percy Bysshe Shelly’s “Ozymandias”.)

You can get the base free app from the App Store here.

Mac: Coucou

Every Mac user probably collects little menu bar utilities until the top of the screen looks like a trophy case. Coucou is the kind of app that actually belongs in the menu bar. It’s a network manager that allows you to quickly see your network resources. You can then pull up its remote management page, or connect to a remote Mac using SSH or Screen Sharing. Beats having to switch away and pull up a Finder Window.

The app is limited to Mac, iDevices, Printers, and NAS’. It shows that you should be able to manage Apple network devices, which wasn’t possible when testing this app. You can also set up broadcast services on your Mac such as web apps you’re developing or MAMP.

You can get Coucou on the Mac App store for $1.99

Web: Rainy Cafe

White Noise can be relaxing and even boost creativity. You can search the App Store and find dozens of apps to generate a variety of noises, but Rainy Cafe is both free and works cross platform. At this point it’s supported entirely through donations, so there isn’t even an ad.

The site is quite simple — you are presented with two switches. One is labeled rain; the other is labeled cafe. The rain is a gentle, rolling rain sound. The cafe is a mixture of table sounds and muffled talking that sounds like a busy lunch rush. You can play both sounds at the same time. The spp works on the desktop, as well as on phones and tablet.

It’s totally free and you can check it out here.

Game of the Week: Magicka

Coming in somewhere between Castle Crashers and Puzzle Quest, Magicka was originally released for the PC back in 2011. The iPad version is developed enough for touch that you wouldn’t even notice it was a remake. You take the role of a possessed Wizard sent out on a quest to defend your city. The game doesn’t take itself too seriously and there are plenty of jokes peppered into the dialog.

The combat system is really interesting. The game is broken into side-scrolling stages with a slightly isometric perspective. Enemies come in from both sides of the screen. Your Wizard has to attack by selecting elements to cast spells and then tapping the enemy to cast them. Each element behaves differently, and some monsters are immune. The real fun comes in once you start mixing and matching the elements, finding crazy combos that illicit unexpected results. The monsters all have unique character designs and are based on Norse mythology.

This is a must-play for iPad gamers. It’s $1.99 on the App Store.

The post Good Afternoon, Here Are Five Apps You Should Check Out Right Now appeared first on Macgasm.

While in North America we like to steal people’s cool technology with violence and threats, the thieves of China have a much more graceful method.

The man pictured here was recently spotted in China pickpocketing someone’s iPhone using only a pair of chopsticks. If stealing with a pair of chopsticks wasn’t enough for you, don’t worry, as this man also did it all while jogging behind an unsuspecting biker.

While the thief was stealthy enough to successfully snatch the iPhone, he wasn’t able to avoid being photographed while doing it. The photographs blew up on Chinese news and eventually led to the man turning himself in a couple days later.

The thief claimed he was stealing to support his young daughter.

While this feat was certainly impressive, what I really want to see next is an iPad theft via chopstick.

Image Credit: Shanghaiist

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Documents by Readdle just launched for the iPad back in January, and now it’s finally arrived on the iPhone with a new update. Documents is a one-stop-shop file manager, document editor, web browser, and media player. And the best part is that you can do all this in one place, for free.

With Documents now available on the iPhone, iCloud syncing will make sure that everything you upload on one iOS device will automatically show up on any other iOS device that has Documents installed. This update also adds the ability to download files using the built-in web browser.

The app will allow you to:

• Store and view all the common file formats
• Sync with cloud services (Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, any Web Dav, iCloud)
• Browse and download files from the Web via built-in browser

When Documents was released for the iPad it really made a splash. In a short time it got more than 1 million users and Apple featured it as “Editor’s Choice” in more than 70 countries. It’s also the only productivity app in the Top 50 that has a full 5-star rating.

With it being available on the iPhone now as well, Documents is sure to become even more popular. Get it on the App Store.

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In January, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo outlined when he expected Apple would release the next cycle of products in 2013. Last month, rumor had it that the new iPhone would likely launch in the June/July period. Now Kuo has released a new report indicating that a number of production issues might delay the launches of the iPhone 5S, lower-cost iPhone, and Retina iPad mini.

Due to the reported production issues, Kuo thinks Apple’s third quarter might see smaller shipment growth than previously expected. Obviously Apple hasn’t confirmed anything at this point — neither delays nor actual launch plans — so these “delays” are relative to market expectations and not necessarily accurate of Apple’s plan.

In his report, Kuo doesn’t provide a new target date for the launches of new models, but he laid out three potential scenarios, including August/September, September/October, and October/November time frames.

He also detailed the issues that Apple is facing:

Fingerprint sensor for iPhone 5S: Trying to find the right color coatings to prevent interference with the sensor is proving to be a technical challenge for Apple. Software integration for iOS 7 also needs work.

Color coatings for lower-cost iPhone: Apple’s rumored lower-cost iPhone has been said to feature a plastic shell in a number of colors, and Apple’s efforts to keep the shell as thin as possible could prove challenging and likely lead to production ramping issues for coatings and surface treatments.

iPad mini with Retina display: Adding the Retina feature to the iPad mini could cause technical issues related to its design and manufacture, which will likely slow Apple’s release timetable.

With later-than-expected launches, Kuo believes Apple will only see single-digit growth for iPad and iPhone shipments year-over-year for the third quarter of 2013, which is much lower than current market expectations of 30-40% growth.

Image Credit: Gotta Be Mobile

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Real Racing 3, one of the most popular racing games for iOS, was released back in February and today it has finally gotten its first major update. Fans of the game will be excited to hear that the game now features new vehicles, more than 100 new events, a new game mode, iCloud save syncing, plus a whole lot more.

With the update, Real Racing 3 brings back the American fan favorite Chevrolet, featuring the Chevrolet Cobalt SS and the Camaro ZL1. There’s also an all-new Hunter mode and Cloud save functionality so you can save your data across all of your devices. With more than a hundred new events, Real Racing 3′s total number of events now exceeds 1,000.

Here are the full iTunes release notes:

• New manufacturer – Chevrolet! The Cobalt SS and the Camaro ZL1 join the lineup
• New event type – Hunter! Chase down the hunted car and overtake within one lap
• 100+ new events! Total number of events now exceeds 1,000!
• Cloud Save functionality! Transfer your save data between devices
• New social features! See who is online and compare how your friends are doing with the statistics leader board
• Check your TSM mailbox for the latest friend notifications
• Improved tutorial and main menu
• Numerous additional improvements, fixes, and performance optimizations

Get the updated Real Racing 3 from the App Store now. Ready, set, go!

Image Credit: Real Racing

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Rego, that place-saving app that means “butt crack” in Portuguese, has been updated to bring better search functionality, Foursquare support, more editing features, new languages, and a whole lot more.

If the “butt crack” reminder wasn’t enough to jog your memory, Rego is an app that lets you bookmark all of your favorite locations, notes and photos in one place, so you can remember where that little café was and store memories of all your favorite trips.

With the new update,  you can create new places by searching, using the Foursquare database, Apple Maps, or even by grabbing places from your own contacts. You can also edit and remove any shared places, sort your list of places and export the list to a GPX file (at least until they develop a sync solution).

Rego now lets you have camera flash controls as well, so you can control the flash settings (on, off and auto) in the camera from right in the application. Version 1.1 also lets you open your saved places in Waze for navigation. You can also open them in Apple Maps, Google Maps, and TomTom.

Rego has also been polished up a little bit for a more aesthetic appeal. It now supports more languages, including Polish, Finnish, and Portuguese.

The app is a free download from the App Store. It can continue to be used for free for up to 10 places, but you’ll need to pay $0.99 during the launch sale (or regularly $2.99) to add as many places as you want.

Image Credit: Cult of Mac

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Usually it’s the other way around, but a new survey by Raymond James analysis asked participants which smartphone they would never use, instead of which one they’d be most likely to use. Results of the survey found that BlackBerry is the device that most people would never use.

The study looked at consumer smartphone purchasing intent, and the results are a pretty accurate reflection of the current smartphone market.

As part of the survey, Raymond James asked participants which features would make them more likely to buy a new iPhone, Android or BlackBerry device: big screen, lower price, better functionality, etc. It also offered people the option of indicating a particular device that they would never use.

Of the consumers surveyed, 20% said they would never buy an iPhone, 31% said they would never buy an Android phone, and a lofty 71% said they would never buy a BlackBerry.

With Apple and Google really dominating the current smartphone market, and BlackBerry struggling to catch up, it’s not all that surprising that a poll like this would yield these results. BlackBerry has a huge hill to climb if it’s going to regain relevance in the smartphone market.

Image Credit: ABC News

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The best browser for iOS continues to get better. Today, Google released a new update for its Safari competitor that brings with it a couple of new useful features.

The highlight of the update is the new ability to hide the browser’s toolbar when using an iPhone or iPod touch. Users can now simply swipe away the toolbar to have a fullscreen view of the web page they’re on. This is a super useful feature when you consider how limited space is on the small screens of the iPhone and iPod touch.

Another feature included in update 26.0.1410.50 is a quick new way to access the omnibox at the top of the browser. Now making a simple twitch gesture when scrolling down a page will send you back to the omnibox without having to manually scroll all the way back. Other features include the ability to print web pages with Google Cloud Print or AirPrint and the ability to save any page as a PDF to Google Drive. The update also includes the traditional bug/stability fixes.

As Chrome continues to widen its feature set from Safari, it’s beginning to get more and more frustrating that Apple doesn’t allow its users to use a third party browser as the default web browser on iOS.

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Starbucks has begun offering its Pick of the Week program directly through its iPhone app. Users can now download apps and books without needing the Pick of the Week cards that are usually available in store. All you need now is the free Starbucks app so you can download the latest Pick when connected to an in-store Wi-Fi network. That’s the catch. You still need to go into the store to pick up your  free apps.

The Pick of the Week program first started offering paid content from the App Store and iBookstore back in 2011 by offering printed cards that customers could collect in store to redeem the app or book for that week. Each card had a redemption code that you would enter into iTunes to get your free download. In 2012, Starbucks started offering free song downloads through the Starbucks iOS app.

The new addition to its mobile app starts today, so customers no longer have to use a card to redeem anything. All it takes is one click from the inbox of the Starbucks app for iOS or accessing the Starbucks Digital Network, the company’s free in-store Wi-Fi network.

To celebrate its mobile expansion, Starbucks is offering a free iTunes download of Angry Birds Star Wars, one of Rovio’s many popular titles.

“This expansion, of adding apps and books, is the reflection of Starbucks and Apple working together to strengthen the relationship for customers,” Starbucks Chief Digital Officer Adam Brotman said. “This is another step in the direction that we’re going to integrate more things into our mobile application.”

Starbucks’ mobile application has over 10 million active users across both the iPhone and Android handsets and sees 100,000 downloads every week.

The Starbucks app is a free download from the App Store.

Image Credit: PiemmeD

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HBO has updated its HBO Go app, which means that subscribers to the premium cable service can now stream content to their TVs over AirPlay while multitasking. You can watch your favorite HBO show from your iPad while running other apps, or watch it directly on the Apple TV.

Along with this, the updated HBO Go now includes new interactive features for the hugely popular “Game of Thrones.” Fans of the show can now watch episodes of the show while also accessing the special content on their iPad or iPhone by using the devices as a second screen. The update also brings the usual general performance enhancements.

HBO first launched AirPlay to its HBO Go app in February, allowing users to access shows, movies, comedy specials, sports, documentaries, and special content.

HBO Go is a free download from the App Store, but you’ll need a subscription to the cable service to access the content.

Image Credit: ModMyi

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Apple recently added new badges to the App Store to let users know which apps offer in-app purchases before they buy. A bug was discovered in the App Store that shows the same “Offers In-App Purchases” badge on apps that don’t actually offer in-app purchases like Facebook and Instagram.

The bug was first discovered by David Smith, who took to his Twitter account to see if anyone else was noticing the same bug. He noted a weather app, “Check the Weather,” was featuring the same misleading badge.

The issue can be seen in the App Store right on an iOS device, as well as through the iTunes application on computers.

The bug might have been caused when Apple made changes to the App Store last week by adding age ratings more obvious for apps and adding the “Offers In-App Purchase” warnings in response to recent lawsuits by parents of kids who accidentally spent a large sum of money on in-app purchases. Hopefully the issue is resolved soon.

Image Credit: 9to5Mac

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Opening day was Monday, but let’s face it, there’s a lot of downtime in baseball games. Why not stock up on some apps while you’re tailgating this weekend? You can browse for new music and podcasts on your iPhone. Keep up on the MLB stats and news on your iPad. On your Mac, upgrade Command + Tab to include window previews. Find an apartment that saves you time on your daily commute, and even kill hours with a new game that recreates Snake with a twist.

iPhone/iPod Touch: Soundcloud

If you want to boil the concept of Soundcloud down to a single aspect, it’s Instagram for audio files. You can share files with your friends, but just remember that no one wants to listen to your lunch. You can search for your Facebook friends and follow them, as well as search for artists on the service.

If you’re more interested in creation, you can record and share audio right from the app. This is probably the easiest way to start doing podcasts. There are more than a few podcasts already on the service.

Soundcloud is free and can be downloaded here.

iPad: Race to the Pennant

Baseball season just started, and you’re going to need an app to keep track of standings. You could grab one of those sports network or newspaper apps, but those bring a lot of baggage along with the one thing you want. Race to the Pennant just gives you the standings, box scores, and news headlines in a simple format.

Race to the Pennant has a nice textured design and an intuitive interface. You can slide through the current standings, presented division by division as a bar graph. You can drill down for more info team by team, and get some  news headlines that open articles in an in-app browser.

Race to the Pennant is $0.99 and can be downloaded here.

Mac: HyperSwitch

There are some apps that don’t really do more than just tweak an existing utility. In the case of HyperSwitch, it lets you to switch between apps just like  Command + Tab but instead of app icons, you see a snapshot of the window that’s open in the app. If you have more than one window open, you will see each separately in the switcher.

The app is in beta, and does have some bugs. If you prefer you can change the settings to add the Windows preview to the normal app switcher, but it seems a bit slower that way.

HyperSwitch is free and you can download it here.

Web: AutoNo

There are a lot of factors to consider when looking for apartments. One that may slip through the cracks is how long it will take you to get to work from your new location. Is it a short drive? Can you catch the bus? AutNo will help you figure out  details about your commute from your new house or apartment.

The app has a really nice layout, putting your results on a map, and then showing the route to your job highlighted on the map. You can choose from all of Google Maps transit options. The individual listings show up as a modal window directly on the map. The only real drawback is that it doesn’t include Craigslist results, which is where the majority of apartments are listed these days.

You can check out AutNo here.

Game of the Week: Nimble Quest

If you’re of a certain age, there’s a good chance that you wasted a good chunk of your education playing Snake on a graphing calculator or Nokia phone. Nimblebit, makers of Tiny Tower and Pocket Planes, has resurrected the game but with a unique twist: rather than just building a snake, you collect heroes and battle enemies.

It’s a little tricky working out the timing for the battle system, but you can pick it up fairly quickly. You level up heroes by collecting gems as you defeat enemies.

Nimble Quest is free, as in freemium, and you can download it for iPad and iPhone here and the Mac here.

The post Here Are 5 More Apps To Check Out This Weekend: Soundcloud, Race To The Pennant, Hyperswitch, AutoNo, Nimble Quest appeared first on Macgasm.

A carrier update has been pushed to all unlocked iPhone 5 users on the T-Mobile network. The most notable feature included with this update is compatibility with T-Mobile’s upcoming LTE network. iPhone users on T-Mobile are also now able to use Visual Voicemail and the Commercial Mobile Alert System as well. Since the update includes LTE connectivity, iPhone 5 users can now use T-Mobile’s HD Voice service when launched.

This new carrier update requires that your iPhone is running some variant of iOS 6.1.x. This is the first time that the iPhone has officially been supported on T-Mobile U.S., though roughly two-million iPhone users have been using the T-Mobile network since the iPhone was first unlocked. However, these users have been stuck on a slow and aging EDGE network as the iPhone hasn’t yet been compatible with T-Mobile’s 3G cellular bands.

T-Mobile will start to sell the iPhone 5 on April 12th on its new ‘uncarrier’ plans. Prospective buyers can expect to pay full price for the phone, or put $99 down for a 16GB model and pay the rest of the device off month-by-month. If this plan interests you, you can preorder your iPhone 5 on T-Mobile right now.

Image Credit: ColdSleeper

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T-Mobile is finally getting the iPhone 5 on April 12th, and you can now pre-order the device online ahead of its launch. Prices start at $99.99 for the 16GB model iPhone 5 if you want to take advantage of a monthly payment plan that costs $20/month for 24 months. You can also shell out $579 up front.

T-Mobile is the fourth major carrier to make a deal with Apple to begin offering the iPhone, following Sprint, AT&T and Verizon. Despite not offering the iPhone previously, T-Mobile still has close to two million “unofficial” iPhones currently operating on T-Mobile’s 3G network.

T-Mobile’s iPhone 5 offering comes at the same time as the company has begun pushing its “Uncarrier” campaign. T-Mobile now drops phone subsidies in exchange for lower monthly rates.

When the iPhone arrives in stores on April 12, T-Mobile subscribers will be able to access the carrier’s new LTE network in seven U.S. markets: Kansas City, Kan., Houston, Tex., Las Vegas, Nev., Phoenix, Ariz., San Jose, Calif., and Washington D.C.

The post Pre-Order Your T-Mobile iPhone 5 Now Ahead Of April 12 Launch appeared first on Macgasm.

It’s only been six months since Apple announced the iPad mini and slightly updated iPad 4, but already it looks like new generations of both models could be arriving sooner rather than later. Walmart, Best Buy and MacMall have all cut prices on the devices, which is usually a good sign that new models are on the way.

All three retailers have cut prices by 30% on the 3rd generation iPad and current iPad mini. If you still haven’t gotten your hands on either of these devices, now might be a good time. That being said, the next iPad mini is rumored to feature a Retina display, so you might want to wait for that one.

It’s getting harder and harder to predict when Apple is going to launch new devices. Apple could be moving towards a 6-month product release schedule with new iOS models, but if that’s the case, then we should have seen a new iPhone last month. With rumors flying around that the new iPhone could arrive in July, it’s hard to know what to believe. Then again, maybe that’s just what Apple wants. Either way, hopefully we’ll see some new-generation devices in the coming months.

Image Credit: The New iPad Blog

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Apple has made a small change to its App Store, with the company prominently showcasing recommended age ratings for applications. A small informational box can now be seen just under the title’s developer credits.

Adding this box makes seeing the age rating for an app one of the first things that users will see when previewing or downloading an app. This could be seen as part of a push on Apple’s part to handle recent controversies and criticism from consumer groups over inappropriate content in apps and situations of excessive in-app purchases.

Earlier this year, a controversial incident brought Apple’s approval process and age rating system under question. A then-unrated video sharing app called Vine eventually received a 17+ age rating in February after it was discovered that the application featured widespread pornographic content on the service. At the time, Apple was promoting it as an App Store Editor’s Choice, but the title was quickly removed after the inappropriate content was discovered.

Just a few days before the Vine incident, Apple pulled a popular photo sharing app, 500px, from the App Store after it was discovered showing nude photos. Both how have the 17+ age rating.

More recently, Apple has been involved in lawsuits over angry parents whose children spend money without knowing it on different in-app purchases.  Apple recently settled a lawsuit with a group of parents who claimed that the App Store purchasing policy wasn’t working because it was too easy for children to unknowingly spend a large sum of money when unsupervised.

After the settlement, Apple added a line of text to the download pages of the “freemium” apps, letting consumers know that the titles support in-app purchases. This warning hasn’t yet made its way to the iOS App Store, and can only be seen on the Mac App Store.

It’ll be interesting to see how effective these changes will be, or whether Apple will have to take a different approach to eliminate situations like these in the future. Our gut tells us that Apple’s going to be addressing these things in iOS 7, which will almost certainly be announced at the company’s upcoming WWDC.

Image Credit: AppleInsider

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If you’re a Spotify Premium user and own a Ford vehicle with Microsoft’s SYNC system, you’ll be happy to learn that the Spotify app for iOS has a new update. The latest version of the app brings Ford’s AppLink capabilities to Spotify.

With the new update, Ford SYNC owners will be able to control Spotify right from the SYNC system in their vehicle. The AppLink integration also brings voice control to the Spotify app in SYNC-equipped Ford vehicles so you can focus on the road instead of the dashboard. Saying a simple voice command, like “Play playlist My Favorites,” will get your favourite music to play without having to lift a finger off the steering wheel.

Spotify isn’t the first music streaming service to integrate with Ford SYNC AppLink. Pandora and iHeartRadio for Auto are both already supported.

The update also brings the ability to listen to your friends’ top tracks.

To get started, just log into your Spotify Premium account and connect your device to SYNC AppLink. Before you do that, though, make sure to head over to the App Store to download the latest version of Spotify for iOS.

Image Credit: Media Infiltration

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New reports are indicating that iOS 7 is behind schedule and John Gruber, an unofficial Apple spokesman over at Daring Fireball, suggested that as a result of its delay Apple is getting engineers from the OS X 10.9 project to work on the new iOS version.

iOS 7 would usually be ready in time for the Worldwide Developers Conference, which is just a few months away. If it’s true that Apple is pulling resources from OS X, it definitely wouldn’t be the first time that the company had to transfer developers to work on iOS instead of OS X. In 2007, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard was delayed by four months to make sure the iPhone project was on time.

A lot of rumors are suggesting that Jony Ive, who is the Senior Vice President of Industrial Design and new head of Human Interface, has made some changes to iOS, giving it a fresher and flatter look. Rene Ritchie noted:

Ive’s work is apparently making many people really happy, but will also apparently make rich-texture-loving designers sad.

It’ll definitely be interesting to see what Apple comes out with. If it’s as different as some are suggesting and with Ive making some new changes, it’s no wonder that it could be take a little longer than expected.

Image Credit: Cult of Mac

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At this point in the game, you’ve probably come across Clear for the iPhone. The ToDo application, built on gestures, has been pretty famous around the web, getting digital print (can we call it print still?) more than most iOS ToDo apps that hit the market. Rightfully so, the app is fantastic. But, what happens when a developer doesn’t port its application to Android? Blatant Ripoffs, that’s what happens.

Call it what you want, a labor of love, or even the sincerest form of flattery, but I’ll call it what it is: “Koalcat’s Clear” (No link, because of douchery) is a blatant attempt at ripping off the hardworking people at Realmac Software. And that, no matter what platform you bat for, is wrong on every imaginable level.

Back in December, App Annie released an interesting report based on research the company conducted. The study focused in on iOS and Android revenues. App Annie found that, “The gap between monthly global revenues on iOS and Google Play is significant, but it’s gradually closing. Although iOS monthly revenues are four times larger than its counterpart, Google Play October revenues are 17.9% greater than those of September while iOS October revenues are 0.7% lower than its September revenues.” Or, in short, if you want to make money as a developer, people using iOS are more willing to part with cash for quality applications.

Is it surprising? I mean really, is it surprising that developers are reluctant to move their applications to Android, when the reality is that it’s only a matter of time before a clone shows up for free? Why would you waste hours upon hours moving your application to a new platform if the end result was someone would release a clone for free eventually?

I mean, the company even ripped off the application name in its entirety. That boils my blood.

Google, this one’s in your court. Want to court better, high-end developers to your platform? These apps need to stop. It’s embarrassing that the app is still available on the Google Play store at the time of publishing.

The post Koalcat’s “Clear” A Ripoff – Or, Why iOS Developers Don’t Do Android appeared first on Macgasm.

With all the talk surrounding BlackBerry’s new OS BlackBerry 10, a lot of iPhone and Android users are probably curious as to what exactly the new operating system is like. Because of this, Blackberry has made a website to help iOS and Android users get a feel for how BB10 works and to take a look at the features it includes.

If you head over to blackberry.com/glimpse while on your mobile device, you’ll get an interactive walkthrough through BlackBerry 10 and its various features. While you won’t be able to have total control like you would on the actual phone, the site walks you through features by having you swipe and navigate the OS using the real motions you would use on a BB10 phone. The walkthrough puts you through real world situations such as having you start a video call and then going off and multi-tasking before then having you come back to the video call.

The demo does a good job at showing off what’s interesting about BB10, and best of all you don’t have to buy a BlackBerry to see it. While the iPhone’s web browser certainly isn’t the best way to experience BlackBerry 10, it may still be a good enough presentation to help sway some users over to the BlackBerry side of life.

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Reeder is a popular RSS reading app for iOS. It relies on Google Reader, but creator Silvio Rizzi has said that Reeder will live on even after Google Reader shuts down on July 1. While Reeder is getting some updates, it will be free for the iPad and Mac, down from $4.99.

The iPhone app will remain a paid-for app at $2.99 because it already supports services other than Google Reader. Rizzi explained what he’s working on for Reeder for iPhone:

I’m currently working on integrating Feedbin and adding support for standalone/local RSS (still experimental). You’ll get these features with the next update (3.1) which should be ready soon. That’s just the beginning, the plan is to add more services you can choose from in the next weeks and months.

As of now, Reeder for Mac and iPad don’t support other RSS services, so they’ll be free until they get an update. It will be updated to version 2.0 in the coming months, bringing all the features of the iPhone version, including all sharing and syncing services.

If you haven’t already, you should definitely give Reeder a try, especially since the iPad and Mac versions are free for the next while.

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More and more developers as of late have been choosing to focus their games on paid in-app purchases rather than having an upfront base cost. Most of these developers have been offering their games on the App Store as completely free downloads, with the hope that after downloading them, people will then pay for the game’s in-app purchases.

It turns out there’s good reason for this: analysis firm Distimo published statistics this week that show the breakdown in revenue made off iPhone apps on the App Store over the course of February. The stats show that 76% of all revenue made from iPhone apps from Apple’s App Store comes from in-app purchases. Of this 76%, 71% comes from apps that were a free download, while 5% is from apps that also included an up-front purchase cost. It’s clear after seeing these numbers why almost all of the games in the App Store’s top grossing list are freemium games made to profit off in-app purchases. The last 24% is money made from people actually paying for apps themselves, rather than in-app purchases.

February’s top grossing app was Clash of Clans, a freemium game. While the game is free for all to get, the app is able to generate $4.66 on average from users for each download. Of the top 10 highest grossing apps of February, the app with the lowest average for revenue made per download was What’s the Word?, with an average of $0.37 per download. The app with the highest average per download was Rage of Bahamut, which had each user dishing out on average $7.04.

It would be interesting to know what percentage of the money being made from in-app purchases came from the demon children that keep secretly racking up purchases on their parents’ credit card.

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And so it begins. With a new iPhone expected in the summer/fall months, it’s time to start speculating about the specific launch date of the next iPhone. According to MacFan, a Japanese website dedicated to Apple news, the iPhone 5S will launch on June 20 and go on sale sometime in July.

MacFan claims that the next-generation iPhone will debut at an Apple event that is reportedly planned for June 20, and then go on sale a few weeks later in early July.

Apple is also rumoured to launch a low-cost iPhone in August and target it as a pre-paid device for markets like China and India.

Analysts have also projected a June or July timeframe for the next-generation iPhone. In the past, Apple released the original iPhone and the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and 4 during the June/July period and only switched to the fall launch for the iPhone 4S and newest iPhone 5.

MacFan seems to be the first to suggest a specific date for the launch. Gene Munster also projected the iPhone 5S to launch in late June, with the low-cost model to debut in September. Ming-Chi Kup of KGI Securities suggested it would launch in June and go on sale in July.

Stay tuned, since I’m sure there will be plenty more speculation about when the iPhone 5S will launch in the coming months.

Image Credit: Edmodo

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It’s been rumored t that the Evasi0n jailbreak could be the last public jailbreak since Apple closed the security holes that make Evasi0n work. Evad3rs team member David Wang (a.k.a. Planetbeing) even said it would be difficult to jailbreak iOS 7. But now a team member from the Greenpois0n dev team, Joshua Hill (a.k.a. p0sixninja), hinted that it’s a definite possibility.

Hill took to his Twitter account saying, “Well, so far it looks like the next jailbreak might be created entirely by me.”

He continued with a clarifying statement: “Evad3rs haven’t gone anywhere, I’ve just discovered all the needed exploits on my own over the past few months.”

The latest version of iOS to be jailbroken is iOS 6.1.2., which means that iOS 6.1.3. has yet to be exploited. Apple specifically patched the exploits that the Evad3rs team would need to jailbreak it.

It’s unclear if a jailbreak will arrive for iOS 6.1.3. or if the dev team will just wait for iOS 7 since the new software is expected to be announced sometime in June.

Image Credit: Digital Trends

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