Apple picker Facebook Messenger already has half a billion users, Rdio is discounting family subscriptions, YouTube is getting into music streaming, Candy Crush Soda Saga has arrived on iOS, Monument Valley is coming with new levels, and Sunrise Calendar, Box and Things for iPhone and iPad received important updates. But you will read that and much more in the 46th week of applications.
News from the world of applications
Facebook Messenger already used by over 500 million people (10/11)
Facebook's standalone messaging app called Messenger already has 500 million users. For the fact that the application has only existed since 2011, this is a decent success. However, the reason for the application's unprecedented popularity is undoubtedly Facebook's recent move, which made it impossible to communicate on mobile devices using the main application and entrusted the competence to access the chat only to Messenger. Mark Zuckerberg after all he recently described the reason for this step.
The company did not provide any information on how users are stratified between operating systems when announcing the achievement of this half-billion-dollar milestone. There was also no concrete information about where the development of Messenger should continue to go. However, Facebook said it will continue to develop and improve the app.
Source: iMore
Rdio reacts to Spotify, discounts family subscriptions (13.)
Less than a month after Spotify came up with the family subscription model, Rdio is also claiming attention and reducing the price of its own family subscription. Each additional family member is now only $5.
Rdio was one of the first streaming services to come up with a family subscription model, back in 2011. Initially, the model was limited to a maximum of 3 family members, but last year the concept was extended to up to 5 family members. From the beginning, the family subscription was more convenient than setting up two completely separate accounts. One subscription cost less than $10 per month, while a family of two paid $18 for unlimited access to the discounted music collection. A subscription for a family of three then cost $23.
But now the family will save even more, because the prices are as follows:
- family of two: $14,99
- family of three: $19,99
- family of four: $24,99
- family of five: $29,99
Theoretically, a family can survive with one account, but such a solution brings many pitfalls. You can only play music on one device at a time from one account. With the family subscription, each member of the family also has their own account with their own music collection and playlists, only at a better price.
Source: thenextweb
YouTube app gets access to Music Key after update (12/11)
Music Key is YouTube's new music streaming service, which has been launched in beta so far in seven countries – US, UK, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Finland and Ireland. It is currently available by invitation only, which can be requested at youtube.com/musickey. A monthly subscription costs $7,99, but after a while the price will increase to $9,99. The advantage over standard YouTube is higher sound quality, absence of ads and offline playback, access to complete albums, etc.
After updating to version 2.16.11441, the Android and iOS YouTube app includes a new basic view with a “Music” tab at the top of the screen. Beneath it is a list of playlists created according to various requirements (genre, artists, etc.) and also access to Music Key. This will enable the aforementioned + option to play in the background and unlimited streaming.
Source: 9to5Mac.com (1, 2)
New applications
Candy Crush Soda Saga now also on mobile devices
Candy Crush Soda Saga was originally only available as a Facebook game, but now it's also available on iOS and Android. It is a puzzle game in which the player empties/fills the playing field in several different ways depending on the selected mode. There are five available: Soda, where the player fills the board with purple soda; Soda Bears, which involves releasing gummy bears floating in soda; Frosting, where you need to free the gummy bears from the ice, the same but with honey in Honey and Chocolate mode, a mode based on eliminating chocolate from the playing field.
The mobile version features the new character Kimmy, has over 140 levels and is available on the App Store free with in-app payments.
The new XCOM: Enemy Within has arrived on iOS
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is an action-based turn-based shooter about a clash with aliens. Some time ago, it was released for computers by the 2K publishing house, known mainly for Bioshock.
Although 2K describes Enemy Within as an "expansion", the term "sequel" is more appropriate. The game is on the original PC title Enemy Unknown completely independent. The gameplay is similar Enemy Unknown, but the mobile version contains several new features, including the expansion of the abilities of soldiers obtained after building research centers and laboratories, new weapons and equipment, enemies and parts of the story. On the battlefield, you can acquire and then research and use the alien resource Meld in battle. Multiplayer has been expanded with new maps and units and their abilities.
XCOM: Enemy Within is available on the App Store for 11,99 EUR.
Call of Duty: Heroes is coming to the App Store, but it is not yet available in the Czech store
Call of Duty: Heroes is a 3D strategy game. It is basically a sequel to Call of Duty: Strike Team, which is also a standalone game. However, Strike Team primarily takes place in the first person, while Heroes takes place in the third, with the fact that a game mode called "Killstreak" is available, in which the player fires a helicopter gun on the battlefield.
Like all other strategies, Heroes is focused on building an invincible base and units, which in turn can get everywhere with progressively better abilities and equipment.
Call of Duty: Heroes is free to download and play, but includes in-app purchases that range from $9,99-$99,99. However, the game has not yet arrived in the Czech App Store, so Czech players will have to wait a while.
Aviary's Photo Editor is now available in the App Store
With version 3.5.0, the photo editor working with Adobe brings a lot of free features, said to be worth a total of two hundred dollars. The offer is valid until the end of November and is available to those with a free Adobe ID. This is used to sign in to an Adobe account where all the tools that user has in their collection are stored. These are available as long as the user does not cancel their account, and after logging in they can also be used on other devices.
The update also includes templates (effects, "stickers" and frames), the ability to add size, dimension and intensity modifiable vignettes, new sliders for editing photo properties (lights, shadows, tint and fade) and an improved brush.
[app url=https://itunes.apple.com/cz/app/photo-editor-by-aviary/id527445936?mt=8]
Important update
Paper by FiftyThree comes with Adobe Creative Cloud support
A popular iPad drawing app Paper by FiftyThree has received an update, the main currency of which is the integration of Adobe Creative Cloud, support for push notifications, sharing directly from Mix, cleaner shadows and general corrections tuning the application for the latest iOS 8.
The Adobe Creative Cloud support is probably the most interesting new feature of the application. Thanks to it, the user can use the share button to save his creations directly to the Adobe cloud and later easily access them through Photoshop or Illustrator. Push notifications and sharing on the Mix service aims to improve the user experience of the community around the Mix service.
Paper by FiftyThree is a unique creative tool for iPad that allows even complete amateurs to use iPad for creative work. The application enables basically all kinds of creative activity from drawing to sketching business plans to advanced product design and designing a new kitchen. The application offers five different tools for specific uses: Sketch, Write, Draw, Outline and Color.
Box comes with Touch ID support and a Notification Center widget
Box, an application of one of the popular cloud storages, has received an update. It responds to the news of the iOS 8 operating system and brings several new features. The first of these is Touch ID support, which will allow you to lock your files with your own fingerprint. Another novelty is a notification center widget that will allow quick access to files inside the application. In addition, thanks to the update, paying customers will get the option to automatically upload their photos. Another nice novelty, which competing applications and services have long since had, is the ability to star files or folders and save them for use without an Internet connection.
Monument Valley comes with a paid expansion of the original game
V last Application Week we informed you that the popular puzzle game Monument Valley should receive new levels with the update. This really happened and the application was enriched this week with a new in-app purchase, which for a price of less than two euros will make available an expansion of the basic game called Forgotten Shores. This expansion brings an entirely new standalone story in a new setting, with new puzzles and challenges to overcome.
[youtube id=”Me4ymG_vnOE” width=”600″ height=”350″]
You can download the original game from the App Store for a price 3,59 €. The game is universal, so you can play it on both iPhone and iPad.
Things for iPad catches up with its siblings with a big update, Things for iPhone comes with support for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
Vývojáři ze studio Culture Code released an update to their Things app for iPad. This enormously popular GTD app is getting a redesign with version 2.5, which finally gives it the look that arrived on iPhone and iPad a year ago with iOS 7. However, in addition to the modified look (and improved icon), the app also has the latest features, including Handoff and extensions " Add to Things" which allows you to add tasks to Things from other apps using the share button. The function of updating the application in the background was also added. Thus, Things on iPad has finally caught up with its two siblings – Things for iPhone and for Mac – and after a long time offers the same user experience again.
The iPhone version has also received an update. It brings support for larger iPhones 6 and 6 Plus, while using their size to display labels (tags) separately in landscape mode, among other things. The second major news is related to the update of Things for iPad. Thanks to the latest update, Things for iPhone allows you to use Handoff even in cooperation with iPad.
Sunrise Calendar will now offer a widget with a daily overview
Sunrise also comes with its iOS 8 update. The biggest novelty is of course the widget. It clearly displays the events of the whole day (with name, time and place) as well as all-day events - everything is equipped with a small thematic white icon and a colored strip referring to the calendar in which the event is located. In addition, the design of the application has been changed to make the best use of the added space on the displays of the new iPhones 6 and 6 Plus.
The third innovation is the integration of two new applications – Google Tasks and Eventbrite. Cooperation with Google Tasks allows you to add and edit tasks directly in the Sunrise calendar interface. Eventbrite focuses on finding and buying tickets for events. Integrating the application into Sunrise means easy access to the calendar of events and all the necessary information (type of event, place and time).
Further from the world of applications:
- Zuckerberg: Separate Messenger guarantees a better experience
- Instagram adds ability to edit posts, better Explore panel
- We want to be the best on mobile devices, says Cleevia founder Lukáš Stibor
Discounts
You can always find current discounts in the right sidebar and on our special Twitter channel @JablickarDiscounts.
the first thing that comes to mind for 2k is mafia 2, not bioshock.. :D but ok..