Apple picker Rovio is planning a release, Instapaper is changing its subscription model, a new Assassin's Creed has arrived in the App Store, and many apps have received important updates, including Facebook Messenger, Waze navigation, Wunderlist to-do list, and the VSCO Cam photo editing app. Read more in the already 40th week of applications.
News from the world of applications
Launcher disappeared from the App Store (September 28)
Launcher is an application exclusively associated with the new notification center of iOS 8, specifically with widgets. It allows the user to create his own list of functions (call someone, write SMS, iMessage or email, etc.) and applications to which he wants to have quick access. In the widget in the notification center, they will then see adequate icons calling up the required functions. However, while this description sounds useful, the app was pulled from the App Store shortly after its debut.
The developers said on their website that, according to Apple, it was an "improper use of widgets". It is highly unlikely that the Launcher will return to the App Store in the form described.
The Launcher was free, but there was also a “Pro” version of it accessible through an in-app purchase. Those who have installed the Launcher in any form will remain on their phone (unless they delete it themselves, of course), but they cannot expect any updates. However, it will still be possible to use all the current functionality of the widget (including creating new shortcuts).
Source: 9to5Mac
Rovio plans to lay off employees (October 2)
The Finnish company Rovio, which is behind the creation of Angry Birds, deals with several other areas in addition to mobile games. Rovia's CEO, Mikael Hed, shared in a recent blog post that the current team is based on assumptions of growth greater than what has been realized, and thus it is necessary to narrow the scope of interests.
Rovio wants to focus primarily on the three areas with the highest growth potential: games, media and consumer goods. This involves laying off some current employees to the point where their number in Finland will not exceed one hundred and thirty. This is approximately sixteen percent of the current state.
Source: iMore
Instapaper is changing the subscription model, it is now also available for free (October 2)
Instapaper is an application for offline storage and work with selected articles. The most important function is the one that is integrated in Safari, i.e. the reading mode that removes redundant images, ads, etc. But Instapaper has other functions, such as the ability to send texts from other applications to Instapaper, wider options for editing the display (color scheme, fonts, formatting), highlighting, sorting articles according to various criteria, text reading, etc. All this is now available (for some functions in to a limited extent) accessible for free.
The premium version, whose subscription costs two dollars and ninety-nine cents per month or twenty-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents per year, then allows much more - such as searching within all saved articles, unlimited highlighting, creating playlists of read articles, the ability to send to Kindle etc. Developers of course add new functions over time.
For those who already subscribe to Instapaper, the price continues to be one dollar per month.
Source: iMore
New applications
Assassin's Creed Identity
Assassin's Creed Identity has had its first launch on the App Store in New Zealand and Australia. We have already seen similar pieces from the world of the hitman on our devices, but none of them brought a gaming experience similar to those from consoles or computers. According to initial information, Assassin's Creed Identity will be the first game from developers from Ubisoft, which will bring a comparable experience to, for example, the PlayStation or XBox console.
In Renaissance Italy, an open world awaits you in which you will complete various tasks and missions. For that reason, the game will be quite demanding on the hardware and can therefore only be run on iPhone 5 and above or iPad 3 and newer models. Assassin's Creed Identity can be downloaded in the aforementioned App Stores for free with in-app purchases. The release date in the rest of the world, including the Czech Republic, has not yet been set.
Pop Key
With iOS 8, various alternative keyboards came to the App Store. In addition to the classic ones, which try to provide the user with a better typing experience, for example by different layout of characters, better whispering or swipe functions, the so-called GIF keyboards also came to the App Store. These allow you to send popular image animations that illustrate your feelings, attitudes and moods during communication.
One such keyboard is the free PopKey GIF. As with other keyboards, PopKey GIF can be implemented into the system after installation and used across it. You can then choose popular GIF animations from the menu sorted by category. If you are also willing to register for the service and recommend the application to one of your friends, you will be able to add your own animations.
The user can also star their favorite GIF animations and have easy access to them next time. A list of recently used ones is also available, which can considerably speed up work with the keyboard. If you select a GIF, it will be immediately downloaded to your phone, copied and pasted where you need it.
PopKey requires an iOS 8 operating system and at least an iPhone 4S. If for some reason the keyboard does not suit you, there is also a free one available for example Riffsy GIF Keyboard.
[app url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/popkey-animated-gif-keyboard/id919359310?mt=8]
Pokemon TCG Online
In August, we could see the first mentions of the upcoming game from the Pokemon world. Reports said that it will have an RPG focus and gameplay style that many of you will be familiar with from the Gameboy handheld console. Word got around and we have the first game that is primarily for the iPad. The only change is that it is not an RPG, but a trading card game. The Pokemon card game has a long tradition, and various tournaments are regularly held all over the world or cards are collected and exchanged.
The game itself contains absolutely identical elements that we know from the real card game. You can choose from singleplayer against a random computer or multiplayer, where you can challenge players from all over the world online. In the game, you build and improve your own card decks, improve your gaming skills and gain experience from each game played. Of course, you can choose between different Pokémon and the types of their focus and attacks. In short, everything you know from the classic card game.
The game is only intended for iPads that have a retina display, therefore for newer models. You can download the game completely free in your App Store.
Important update
Facebook Messenger
Facebook released another update to its popular Messenger this week. However, version 13.0 does not only bring the usual bug fixes and increased stability. It also brings adaptation of the application to the larger displays of the latest iPhones. The application interface thus fully adapts to the new diagonal sizes and is not just mechanically expanded. Download Messenger free in the App Store.
Waze
The popular Waze social navigation has also received an update, and the news of version 3.9 definitely cannot go unnoticed. The Israeli Waze is expanding its information collection model, and the application will no longer collect and provide data only about the traffic situation. Users will also participate in the creation of a unique database of points of interest.
This exceptional application, which has become almost perfect turn-by-turn navigation over time thanks to its users and their data, is thus expanding its scope. Users of the service can now easily and quickly add or edit new places, both business and private, and add useful information to them. These may include, for example, information on whether the location has its own parking lot, or whether a certain restaurant has a drive-through option.
The Waze Places feature also comes with another useful new feature, which is photos of destinations. This way, the user will have no doubts as to whether he has arrived at the right place. The application also records where users park in the vicinity of destinations, and can then advise other drivers. It will also provide them with approximate information on how much time they will need to park.
Furthermore, Google-owned Waze promises to increase the stability and speed of the application and fix minor bugs. The application in version 3.9 you can completely free to download from the App Store.
VSCO Cam
The popular photo editing and sharing app VSCO Cam has also received an update. The new version with serial designation 3.5 uses the advantages of iOS 8 and brings new options for manual shooting settings. With the application, you can manually focus, set the shutter speed, white balance or adjust the exposure. You can find VSCO Cam free in the App Store.
Sleep as an Droid
Popular to-do list Wunderlist has added Dropbox integration in an update. It is now possible to attach files to individual tasks using this cloud service. In addition, Wunderlist representatives announced that the Dropbox integration is just the beginning, and that there are plans to work with many other third-party applications. Adding a file from Dropbox to a task is very simple, and the advantage is that if you change a file in Dropbox, the change is immediately reflected in the file that was previously attached to the task.
A company spokesperson confirmed that the new feature applies to the web interface, the Android app, and the universal iOS app. You can download it here for free <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>.
Spotify Music
Also worth noting is the update of the client of the most popular streaming service, the Swedish Spotify. It brings support for Apple CarPlay and thus fulfills the promise that Spotify made when this service was introduced by Apple. CarPlay technology brings iOS elements to the dashboards of supported cars, and one of the main functions is, in addition to navigation and communication, music playback. So in this day and age, when streaming is experiencing a huge boom, Spotify support definitely comes in handy.
Several automakers, including Audi, Ferrari, Ford and Hyundai, have already promised to offer the technology in future models of their cars. In addition, Pioneer released new firmware for some of its audio systems this week, bringing CarPlay support as well. With a sufficient amount of money, this technology becomes a real reality and is theoretically already commonly available.
Spotify download free from the App Store.
PDFExpert 5
This application for viewing and editing PDF files brings many new features in version 5.2. Among them are the ability to write (in handwriting) on an enlarged document, highlighting the edited part in the preview of the entire PDF, clearly distinguishing all pages with bookmarks in the preview, support for turning pages using AirTurn and arrows on the connected bluetooth keyboard, etc.
The most interesting improvements are only available for iOS 8. This includes iCloud Drive support. Thanks to enabling closer cooperation between applications, documents from iCloud Drive that are not associated with the given application can be opened in PDF Expert 5.2 (essentially similar to the "open in..." option from OS X). PDF Expert documents are accessible to other applications and there is also support for locking the application using Touch ID.
Jawbone
The most significant news in the theoretically new, but practically modified UP application from Jawbone is the possibility of using it even without a Jawbon UP or UP24 bracelet. However, there is also a connection with HealthKit and the Health application. which came to iOS with its eighth version. The data recorded by the bracelet or the application itself will be processed and recorded in this new system application and will supplement other collected data about your health.
Fruit Ninja
Fruit Ninja has been updated to version 2.0, which means significant changes and news. New environments and swords, which in various combinations create different game conditions, new and clearer menus and an expanded game universe with new characters, indeed appear to be such. In addition, according to reports, they should increase in further updates.
Further from the world of applications:
- App of the Week - Whac-A-Mole
- Hang On – gallows in a modern guise
- Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac - Virtualize both Windows and OS X
- Tweetbot 3.5 brings news from iOS 8, Twitter for Mac image support
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