Apple picker Applications are an integral part of every operating system, and it is no different with iOS and OS X. That is why we have prepared a new regular section called Application Week, which will be devoted to them.
Until now, we have written about news about developers, new applications and updates as part of your favorite Apple Week, but now we will devote a separate review to them, which will be published regularly every Saturday. We hope you enjoy the new column as much as you enjoy Sunday's overview of events from the apple world.
News from the world of applications
Zynga Acquires OMGPOP, Creator of Draw Something (21/3)
The popularity of Draw Something was so great within a few weeks that it could not go unnoticed by the largest producer of social games connected to Facebook, Zynga. Already last week there was speculation that the company that created the game, OMGPOP, would buy it. A week later it actually happened. With more than 35 million users, surpassing Zynga, the purchase was really easy.
Zynga will pay over $200 million for the company, $180 million for the company itself, and another thirty to OMGPOP employees for their retention. The developers reportedly earned $250 a day by selling the game on the App Store and in-app purchases, but they couldn't say no to the game veteran's offer. This is far from the first acquisition for Zynga, it's only been a few months since it absorbed a development team that has Words with Friends, an online Scrabble for iOS connected to Facebook.
Source: TUAW.com
We probably won't see God of War for iOS (March 21)
The popular God of War franchise, which is released exclusively for the Playstation system, will probably not see its debut on iOS at all. Although game publishers happily cater to players on Apple mobile devices, the example of Dead Space or the new Mass Effect, Sony has a slightly different position here. In addition to publishing games, it also produces hardware and competes directly with Apple in the handheld market, currently with its new portable console Playstation Vita. By releasing titles like God of War or Uncharted would thus cannibalize on its own devices. By the way, Sony Computer Entertainment America's head of product development in an interview IGN when asked about developing for other mobile platforms, he answered:
“I think with the dysfunctional passive-aggressive mindset that the industry plays on, we as a company and as part of the industry still have to look at all the opportunities. It doesn't mean we're going to go down that road, but it's definitely a reason to talk about it.”
It should be noted that God of War previously appeared on a mobile platform outside of the Sony PSP as a Java game in 2007. However, it was a simple platformer that used the realities of the game series. Sony probably won't want to fully port the game due to the above reasons. iOS players who love God of War have no choice but to settle for copies of the game such as Hero of sparta od Gameloft or in preparation Infinity of God.
Source: 1up.com
Is World of Warcraft Coming to iPhone? (March 21)
World of Warcraft is undoubtedly one of the most popular MMORPGs of all time, as well as Blizzard's highest-grossing title. Players now have hope for a mobile version of the popular game, which World of Warcraft lead producer John Lagrave mentioned in an interview with the server Eurogamer. According to him, Blizzard is working on a version for the iPhone (and probably also for the iPad), but it's a big challenge to transfer a game that takes up half a keyboard and a mouse to a touch phone.
“We don't release a game until we think it's passable. But it's interesting and the world is moving towards those little handheld devices. I'd enjoy them and that's exactly what's going on here. It would be foolish for any game developer to overlook this. And we're not—we don't think we're fools.'
However, the developers of World of Warcraft do not yet have an exact concept of how to handle touch screen controls. "When an idea comes to us, everyone will know about it, but there isn't one yet," adds Lagrave. It shouldn't be impossible to create a touch version of World of Warcraft, after all, Gameloft has already brought a game heavily inspired by "WoWk" Order & chaos. Blizzard has only released an iOS app so far Warcraft Mobile Armory, which are used to view your character, its equipment and to auction items.
Source: RedmondPie.com
Adobe Photoshop CS6 Beta Download (March 22)
Adobe has released a beta version of the upcoming version of its graphics program Photoshop, in which it wants to show users what Photoshop CS6 will look like and introduce its features. The beta is available for free at Adobe website, where you will need an Adobe ID to download. The trial version of Photoshop CS6 is just under 1 GB and you can run it on computers with Intel multi-core processors and at least 1 GB of RAM.
As for the application itself, Photoshop CS6 is a fairly significant update that, according to Adobe representatives, once again pushes the boundaries of working with graphics and brings a completely redesigned user interface. The beta version should offer all the features that will later appear in the final version, but some only in the more expensive Photoshop CS6 Extended. In the video below you can see some of them - an innovation in Camera Raw, a new way of working with Blur effects, text styles, redesigned Shape layers, tools for working with video, a new tool for cropping or improved automatic selection. Photoshop CS6 is the first ever version of the program to be released for public beta testing.
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Source: AppStorm.net
Publero to release reader for iPad in April (22/3)
Publero is a Czech multi-platform newspaper and magazine reader that ensures their digital distribution. Here you will find dozens of domestic newspapers and magazines, including apple magazines SuperApple magazine, to which our editors also contribute. Until now, it was only possible to read electronic media on computers or tablets with the Android operating system. However, Publero announced some time ago that they are also developing a native app for the iPad. On March 21, 3, the application was sent to Apple's approval process, and we should expect its release during April. This will add more Czech periodicals to the App Store, of which there are currently woefully few.
Source: Publero.com
The legendary RPG Baldur's Gate is coming to iPad (March 23)
One of the most acclaimed RPG games in computer history, Buldur's Gate, will make its debut on the iOS platform. The title based on the principle of Dungeons & Dragons (Dragon's Lair) offers a great story, over 200 hours of game time, hand-drawn graphics and a sophisticated Role-Playing Game system with an emphasis on character development. Developers from Beamdog Entertainment have previously announced that they are working on an expanded port of the first two installments of the title game Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, however, it was not clear what platform it was targeting. They later specified that the game will be available for iPad and will be released this summer.
Editors from IGN Wireless they had the opportunity to test the beta version of the upcoming game. Their initial impressions were generally positive. The version they were testing included the user interface from the original PC version, resulting in small icons and complex menus, but these should disappear in the final version and be replaced by a touch interface. In IGN, they especially praised the work with zooming and scrolling using multi-touch gestures, and the redesigned graphics look great on the tablet. So we can't wait for the summer, when probably one of the best RPG games in the App Store next to the series will arrive on the iPad final Fantasy.
Source: CultofMac.com
New applications
Rovio released Angry Birds Space into the world
The anticipated sequel to the popular Angry Birds series has arrived on the App Store. Rovio has developed a new game in collaboration with NASA, bringing angry birds to the cold space. The cosmic environment mainly brings a reworked concept of gravity and therefore also new challenges in solving individual levels. There are exactly 60 of them in the game and more will surely be added in the next updates. In addition, you will find new birds with unique superpowers in Angry Birds Space. If you have ever played mario galaxy na Nintendo Wii, you might notice some similarities here, but it's still good old Angry Birds with a slingshot and green pigs.
[button color=red link=http://itunes.apple.com/cz/app/angry-birds-space/id499511971?mt=8 target=”“]Angry Birds Space – €0,79[/button][ button color=red link=http://itunes.apple.com/cz/app/angry-birds-space-hd/id501968250?mt=8 target=““]Angry Birds Space HD – €2,39[/button ]
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Basil - personal cookbook for iPad
If you like to cook and own an iPad, you should smarten up. An application appeared in the App Store Basil, which is such a smart cookbook for an apple tablet. The most important function of Basil is saving favorite recipes from supported websites (for now, of course, only American ones), so it works like Instapaper for recipes. In addition, you can also add your own recipes, which you can then sort according to the type of cuisine, type of meat or necessary ingredients. There is also a timer right in the app, so you don't need any other timekeeping device. It is also possible to easily search among all saved recipes. In addition, Basil now supports the Retina display of the new iPad.
[button color=”red” link=”http://itunes.apple.com/cz/app/basil-smart-recipe-book-for/id506590870?mt=8″ target=”http://itunes.apple .com/cz/app/basil-smart-recipe-book-for/id506590870?mt=8″]Basil – €2,99[/button]
Discovr People - discover celebrities on Twitter
Application group Discover used to intuitively discover new apps, movies, and music based on what you already know in those areas. Now the developers of the Filter Squad a new app called Discovr People, which helps discover interesting Twitter users. Although the description of the application claims that you can discover Twitterers all over the world, you will not come across many Czech or Slovak accounts. However, if you also follow foreign events on this microblogging social network, Discovr People can help you find other interesting people from the US, Great Britain and other countries.
In addition to the visual branching that is typical for Discovr applications, individual user profiles and their tweets can also be viewed. There are also different leaderboards for easier discovery and you can even create your own lists. You can then add the user to your followers directly from the application.
[button color=red link=http://itunes.apple.com/cz/app/discovr-people-discover-new/id506999703 target=”“]Discovr People – €0,79[/button]
Important update
Osfoora in version 1.1 fixes a number of ailments
When we recently represented Osfoor for Mac, we also mentioned several bugs and shortcomings that the successful Twitter client carried with it. However, shortly after our review, an update was released that fixed many of these ailments. Version 1.1 brings:
- Improved Tweet Marker support
- Shortcut CMD + U to quickly open a specific user's tab
- Switch between accounts directly from the new tweet creation window
- A global keyboard shortcut to bring up a new tweet
- Support for additional swipe gestures and keyboard shortcuts
- A swipe gesture to the right or an arrow to the right of a tweet will first display the conversation, then possibly open a link, or possibly open the user's card
- Swipe right or arrow right on a user's profile to display their latest tweets
- Swipe gesture up/down or left arrow to close the image preview window
- The Esc key takes you back to the previous view, i.e. the same function as the swipe gesture to the left
- More bug fixes
You can download Osfoora for Twitter at Mac App Store for €3,99.
Instapaper 4.1 brings new fonts
Instapaper is a popular reader of saved articles, and in version 4.1, which was released on March 16, it brings several new fonts, among other things.
- Six great professional fonts that are made for longer reading
- Full-screen mode for quiet reading
- New gestures for closing an article and returning to the list
- Graphics support the Retina display of the new iPad
- Twilight Sepia: a mode with a sepia tone that can be activated even before the night Dark mode itself
You can download Instapaper in App Store for €3,99.
Facebook Messenger can already speak Czech
Although the latest update of Facebook Messenger was not a big one, it brought a pleasant news especially for Czech users. Facebook Messenger in version 1.6 can already speak Czech (as well as nine other new languages). Opening a new conversation has also been simplified, and overall the application behaves faster.
You can download Facebook Messenger in Free App Store.
Fantastical is gearing up for Gatekeeper with a new version
Our favorite app Fantastical (review <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1932/8043/files/200721_ODSTOUPENI_BEZ_UDANI_DUVODU__EN.pdf?v=1595428404" data-gt-href-en="https://en.notsofunnyany.com/">here</a>) released version 1.2.2, which is a preparation for Gatekeeper. Fantastical will now ask you to access the keychain. However, the March 19 update also brings other changes:
- Event list can be resized vertically (OS X Lion only)
- The search also includes notes on events
- Tomorrow is now displayed as "Tomorrow" in the event listing instead of the exact date
You can download Fantastical in Mac App Store for €15,99.
Hipstamatic has announced an official tie-up with Instagram
The number one in the field of photo sharing is undoubtedly Instagram, but before that there was Hipstamatic, which still maintains its base of loyal photographers. However, the popularity of Instagram cannot be ignored, as they know in Fast Company, where they announced an official connection with the most famous photography social network. Hipstamatic is the first app to use Instagram's private API and offer photo sharing directly from the app to Instagram.
Version 250 also brings the new HipstaShare system, easier viewing of HipstaPrints, sharing multiple photos at once or tagging friends on Facebook.
You can download Hipstamatic in App Store for €1,59.
Big update for Process
Process is an iOS application for photo editing, which, however, looks at this issue from a slightly different point of view than the competing application bee with iPhoto. However, it is a simple and fast editor with a variety of functions, which comes in version 1.9 with a completely redesigned interface and is ready for the Retina display of the new iPad. The system with which Process works with applied filters is worth mentioning - they are arranged in layers that can be freely dragged, moved and applied again.
The latest update released on March 20th brings, among other things:
- Completely redesigned interface, especially for the iPad version
- Support for the Retina display of the new iPad
- New icon
- Sharing on Instagram
- Improvements to various effects
- Display of the upper status bar in the iPhone version
You can download Process for iPhone and iPad from App Store for 2,39 euros.
Tip of the week
Mass Effect: Infiltrator
A game with a subtitle Infiltrator is the second effort for iOS from the world Mass Effect, a popular space game series that boasts superbly crafted dialogue and action-packed combat. While the first game was more of a game that had little to do with the original title and fell flat with players, Infiltrator is a full-fledged sequel with great graphics that can be compared to Dead Space or Czech Shadowgun.
The main character of the game is not the central hero Commander Shephard, but a former agent of the Cerberos organization, Randall Ezno, who rebelled against his former employer. A series of battles await you against robots and victims of Cerberos experiments. You will use a decent arsenal of weapons to eliminate enemies, and there are also typical Mass Effect biotic powers and, now, close combat. You control the game with both virtual buttons and touch gestures. If you are a fan of the series, you should definitely not keep it Mass Effect: Infiltrator miss out. In addition, it is currently one of the best games in terms of graphics in the App Store.
[button color=red link=http://itunes.apple.com/cz/app/mass-effect-infiltrator/id486604040 target=”“]Mass Effect: Infiltrator – €5,49[/button]
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Current discounts
- NeverWinter Nights 2 (Mac App Store) – 0,79 €
- Geared (App Store) – Free
- Monopoly for iPad (App Store) – 0,79 €
- Sketchbook Pro for iPad (App Store) – 1,59 €
- Osmos for iPad (App Store) – 0,79 €
- Real Racing 2 (Mac App Store) – 5,49 €
- Clean Text (Mac App Store) – 0,79 €
- MacJournal for iPad (App Store) – 2,39 €
- Evertales (App Store) – Free
Great if this "serial" continues :)) +1
Apple week is great, but this is also a blast. Keep up the good work Apples, you are getting better and better, big thumbs up for me!
good job! Thanks!
Thanks a lot appleman, I was most happy to find out the discount on NWN2 I immediately started downloading, it's one of the best D&D games and at this price it's really something incredible, it's a shame there's no iPad port of NWN. Really cool and I really like this app of the week theme, so keep it up.
Thanks for the heads up on the price of NWN2 - I'll kill time before D3 comes out ;-)
I'm looking at you, you're a typical example of a Czech who doesn't do anything and doesn't spoil anything, and that's why he has time to download something that I have for free and what's more, he can "vomit" in discussions. constructive criticism is always welcome.
I'd love to see what you do, can you give a link to your work? Thank you
Mass Effect is really great on the iPad, I recommend it!