Curiouser And Curiouser: Learn New Stuff While On The Go With Curious For iPhone

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota BY Aldrin Calimlim on Sun December 22nd, 2013 curious curious for iPhone curious.com educational apps new apps

In line with its mission to encourage lifelong learning among people, Curious.com has just launched its official app for iPhone, simply called Curious for iPhone.

Like the official Curious app for iPad, which was released last August, Curious for iPhone offers easy access to short-format video-based interactive lessons across a variety of topics.

With Curious for iPhone, you can browse the available lessons and enroll in the ones that are of interest to you. Thereafter, you can learn about new things wherever you are, in your own time.

Designed specifically for the eponymous device, Curious for iPhone allows lessons to be viewed in portrait mode with access to supplemental information, including images, files, and links. It also allows for landscape viewing for full-screen high-quality video.

Curious for iPhone

Curious for iPhone also works with Curious.com’s LearnSync feature, which syncs lesson positions across devices, enabling you to pick up exactly where you left off.

Alongside the release of Curious for iPhone, Curious.com has just released a new Pocket Perfect collection, which features …

… lessons that learners can enjoy when they have a few extra minutes during the day and want to do more than feed their Candy Crush or Facebook addictions. Pocket Perfect lessons provide a “healthy learning snack” in those situations: learners can brush up on casual French or Italian greetings, demystify the world of wine, or even discover the hidden meaning of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. Curious for the iPhone offers thousands of lessons to make you smarter and more skilled while you are on the go.

Curious for iPhone is available now in the App Store for free. It’s optimized for iPhone and iPod touch running iOS 7.0 or later.

See also: Coursera Launches Official iOS App To Let You Take Online Courses On The Go and In Addition To Search, Khan Academy Now Enhanced With Offline Viewing For iPhone.

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Put Some Pop To Your Facebook Messaging Experience With Bubble Chat

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota BY Aldrin Calimlim on Sat December 21st, 2013 bubble chat bubble chat for Facebook jackie tran Messaging apps new apps

To be sure, the official Facebook and Facebook Messenger clients are more than effective apps for getting in touch with your Facebook friends while on the go. But if you’d like to use a more visually appealing app for Facebook chatting, then you should definitely try Bubble Chat for Facebook.

Bubble Chat offers a mobile Facebook chatting experience that’s quite removed from Facebook’s official mobile app offerings, in terms of design and feature set:

Discover a new Facebook chatting experience with Bubble Chat for Facebook. Bubble Chat is designed with attention to clear and intelligent use by people, young or old. It has beautiful interface that pushes boundaries of iOS 7 app design. It has some really cool features, you will fall in love with Bubble Chat for Facebook.

If you can’t see the video embedded above, please click here.

The first thing you’ll notice in Bubble Chat is, of course, its interface, which uses translucency, animated transitions, and backgrounds to great effect. It also offers theme customization, which may be unlocked via a $0.99 in-app purchase.

On top of its vibrant design is a set of features that augment Facebook’s messaging service, including drawing attachments and contact muting.

Bubble Chat also supports push notifications, but they seem to be a hit-and-miss in the app’s current state.

Optimized for iPhone and iPod touch running iOS 7.0 or later, Bubble Chat for Facebook is available now in the App Store for free.

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AirWeb For Apple TV Can Add A Browser To Your Set-Top Box

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota BY Joe White on Sat December 21st, 2013 airplay AirPlay Mirroring AirWeb apple tv internet internet browser internet browsing web web browser web browsing

Though Apple hasn’t yet added a Web browser to its Apple TV, one clever iOS app offers a similar experience using the magic of AirPlay. Called AirWeb, the application provides a Web browser interface which can be beamed over to the set-top box thanks to Apple’s wireless protocol; using your iDevice as a remote, it’s then possible to browse the Internet on the big screen of your HDTV.

Granted, this isn’t a Web browser app for Apple TV per se, but it’s the next best solution to adding an Internet browsing experience for Apple’s set-top box. The application appeared in the App Store earlier this month and it received a minor update a couple of days ago, but more importantly, AirWeb is yet another iOS application that’s on sale for the holidays. Presently, iDevice and Apple TV owners can pick up the app for $0.99, which is 50 percent off its usual price of $1.99.

Developer Christian Arild Strommen explains:

This is the first TV browsing experience that is actually pleasant to use! Using your iPhone/iPad as an input device you can now finally take advantage of that big beautiful HDTV to browse the web. Share webpages with friends or colleagues, or just surf on your own, either way BIGGER is BETTER.

Plus, AirWeb also supports gestures, meaning users can tap, pinch, and swipe anywhere on their iDevice’s screen in order to control their Apple TV, making the app’s use as a remote control all the easier.

Provided your iDevice supports AirPlay Mirroring, you’ll be good to go. This means the application is limited to the iPhone 4s and above, the iPad 2 and above, both iterations of the iPad mini, and the fifth-generation iPod touch. You can get AirWeb to work with an iPhone 4, Strommen adds, but the smartphone will require a wired connection. For the Apple TV, you’ll need a second-generation set-top box or higher.

As mentioned above, AirWeb can be downloaded in the App Store for $0.99 (for a limited time only), and is optimized for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

If you’re interested in exploring the potential of AirPlay, check out: How You Can AirPlay Music To An Unsupported Bluetooth Wireless Speaker.

For more of today’s news, see: Snapchat Competitor Wickr Goes 2.0 With iOS 7 Redesign And More Secure Features, It’s About Time: Simple Clock, Stopwatch And Timer App Bars Updated To Version 2.0, and Put Some Pop To Your Facebook Messaging Experience With Bubble Chat.

Via: TUAW

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Snapchat Competitor Wickr Goes 2.0 With iOS 7 Redesign And More Secure Features

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota BY Aldrin Calimlim on Sat December 21st, 2013 app updates Messaging apps wickr

Snapchat may be the acknowledged leader in the ephemeral messaging space as far as popularity is concerned. But there’s another app that promises to be a more secure alternative to Snapchat, or to any other messaging app, e.g. WhatsApp, for that matter.

It’s called Wickr, and it’s an encrypted, self-destructing messaging app that provides messaging connections without having to store them on any central server. Wickr is said to be:

CONTROLLED – sender decides who sees what, where and for how longSECURE – military-grade encryption (Wickr does not have the keys)PRIVATE – not shared with strangers, deletes metadata (location, time, identification and edits)ANONYMOUS – we require no personal info from you, we collect nothing about you or what you doSHREDDED – Secure File Shredder forensically erases unwanted files you deleted from your deviceCOMPLIANT – FIPS 140-2, HIPAA, exceeds NSA Suite B Compliancy (Compliance for Top Secret communication)INTEGRATED – send PDFs and images from Box, Dropbox, Google DriveEASY – takes less than a minute to get started and is easier than emailFREE – save money on texting

Wickr

Released in June last year, Wickr has just been updated to version 2.0 with several enhancements.

Most noticeably, Wickr 2.0 introduces a new interface designed for iOS 7. It also introduces doodles and exploding messages.

In addition, the new version of Wickr lets you respond directly in the message screen and customize avatars, names, and group names. It also lets you send invites to multiple friends and automatically find your friends securely. The Wickr team notes:

Unlike other apps, Wickr does not upload your contact book to our servers; your contacts never leave your device. We don’t want to hold that sensitive information on our servers. We create a cryptographic representation of your contacts that we store on our servers to match with your friends.

Wickr 2.0 is available now in the App Store for free. It’s optimized for iPhone and iPod touch running iOS 6.0 or later.

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You Are A Toy: New Game In Toy Defense Series Launches For iOS

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota BY Joe White on Sat December 21st, 2013 Melesta tower defense Toy Defense Toy Defense 3: Fantasy Toy Defense 3: Fantasy HD

Toy Defense 3: Fantasy and Toy Defense 3: Fantasy HD are now available to download in the App Store, providing iDevice users with a fun, “magical,” and historical gaming experience for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

The app situates iDevice users in the 10th century, and charges gamers with recruiting an army of medieval characters in order to challenge an evil threat, adopting a tower defense mode of gameplay. Developer Melesta explains: “Step into the role of a 10th-century commander and become the equal of Richard the Lionheart! Recruit and train your kingdom’s warriors, wizards, archers, and healers to create a powerful army and destroy the enemy’s forces! Defend your castle and show your courage to drive these vile monsters from your lands!”

Features are aplenty, and include:

Absolutely unique levels with non-recurring gameplay!Immerse yourself in a medievel fantasy atmosphereIncredible graphics with an amazingly detailed medieval environmentInvite your friends to join you in a magical world!Cooperate or compete with your friends’ courageous knightsOver nine types of enemies, from trolls and goblins to dragons and mercenariesBattle evil generals at the end of every wave!Develop your own unique strategy with six specialized tower power-upsUpgrade your warriors from peasants to knights and give your foes no quarter!Collect all the achievements, test your mettle on the battlefield, and enjoy a lengthy campaign!Four useful gameplay bonuses: meteorite, recovery, regeneration, and freezeUse the tactics of the greatest kings to win battles!

The game offers a continuation of the App Store’s popular Toy Defense series. This began last year with the original Toy Defense game, which was awarded our “Quirky App Of The Day” accolade for its colorful animation, fun story, and enjoyable gameplay. Following on from here, Melesta subsequently launched Toy Defense 2 in the App Store, which situated iDevice gamers in a World War II environment.

In Toy Defense 3: Fantasy, however, it’s all about “dashing warriors, fearless archers, crafty goblins, and immersion in a magical atmosphere,” as the developer adds in the app’s release notes.

If you’re interested in taking the new game for a spin, Toy Defense 3: Fantasy can be downloaded for $1.99 and is optimized for the iPhone and iPod touch, and Toy Defense 3: Fantasy HD for the iPad is available for $4.99.

Check out the new applications now, or for more of our recent news, see: It Looks Like An iOS 6.1.4 Jailbreak Solution Isn’t Set To Reach Us This Year, After All, AirWeb For Apple TV Can Add A Browser To Your Set-Top Box, and Snapchat Competitor Wickr Goes 2.0 With iOS 7 Redesign And More Secure Features.

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It Looks Like An iOS 6.1.4 Jailbreak Solution Isn’t Set To Reach Us This Year, After All

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota BY Joe White on Sat December 21st, 2013 @winocm evad3rs iOS 6.1.3 jailbreak iOS 6.1.4 jailbreak iOS 7 jailbreak jailbreak

Hacker @winocm has been hard at work on a jailbreak solution for iOS 6.1.3- and iOS 6.1.4-powered iDevices for some time, in order to provide those who’ve diligently avoided iOS 7 with a means of jailbreaking their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Back in October, we heard from the hacker that a “a definite ETA” for the iOS 6.1.4 jailbreak was “before 2014,” yet with 2014 almost upon us prospective jailbreakers had been wondering whether @winocm was set to release a piece of software in the coming days.

Now, however, we’re hearing that the jailbreak solution isn’t expected to reach us this year, after all, and no new ETA has been provided.

Redmond Pie points us to a flurry of Twitter updates from @winocm, which note that there are “no more ETAs” for the iOS 6.1.4 jailbreak; the hacker adds, “do not ask any more questions about that,” and thanks his Twitter followers for their cooperation. It seems, then, that a jailbreak solution for iOS 6.1.4 is no longer in the cards for 2013, though we’ll keep you updated with further information as we receive it.

On the iOS 7 side, members of the jailbreak hacker team “evad3rs” have confirmed that Apple’s minor point updates for its mobile OS, and most recently iOS 7.0.4, are safe to download and install. From what we understand, work on this jailbreak solution is progressing, but no ETA has been announced by evad3rs.

Are you missing your jailbreak, or has iOS 7, which borrows an awful lot from the Cydia Store, been keeping you happy?

See also: AirWeb For Apple TV Can Add A Browser To Your Set-Top Box, Snapchat Competitor Wickr Goes 2.0 With iOS 7 Redesign And More Secure Features, and It’s About Time: Simple Clock, Stopwatch And Timer App Bars Updated To Version 2.0.

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It’s About Time: Simple Clock, Stopwatch And Timer App Bars Updated To Version 2.0

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota BY Aldrin Calimlim on Sat December 21st, 2013 app updates Bars clock apps joseph kimberley stopwatch apps timer apps

Bars has just been updated to version 2.0, just three months after its launch in the App Store.

Bars is so named because it mainly displays, well, bars. And it does so as it functions as a clock, a stopwatch, or a timer, with three bars representing hours, minutes, and seconds.

For its 2.0 update, Bars have become simpler with the removal of its bottom tab menu, which provided access to the app’s clock, timer and stopwatch sections. Instead, the app now employs a swipe-based navigation scheme whereby you can swipe to the right to go to the stopwatch and to the left to go to the timer.

At the bottom of the screen is a new info button that opens a short guide (which, for some reason, is non-Retina) on how to use the app, particularly on how to set the timer. To set the countdown time for the timer, just swipe along the bars.

Bars

Thanks to its 2.0 update, Bars’ timer function now also sends out a push notification when the countdown is finished.

Bars 2.0 also includes bug fixes, including one for an issue that causes the timer and the stopwatch to stop working in the background.

Bars 2.0 is available now in the App Store as a free update or as a new $0.99 download. It’s optimized for iPhone and iPod touch running iOS 7.0 or later.

It’s interesting to note that Bars is developed by a 17-year-old named Joseph Kimberley. But as simple as the app is, creating something like it is, in my view, already a noteworthy achievement.

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Lionheart Tactics Promises To Offer A High Fantasy, Free-To-Play 3-D RPG For iOS

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota BY Joe White on Sun December 22nd, 2013 Emerald City Games Kongregate Lionheart Tactics

The folks at Emerald City Games have partnered up with Kongregate to bring a new title, Lionheart Tactics, to the App Store. Though the application isn’t available yet, it’s set to appear in 2014; in a recent YouTube trailer announcing the game, the developer provides iDevice users with an idea of what can be expected from the title.

Emerald City Games explains: “Set in a realm of High Fantasy, Lionheart tasks you with leading your choice of Heroes from 15+ classes into tactical battles. In turn-based combat, you’ll have to put your wits to the test and take advantage of the terrain, and your enemy’s weaknesses to turn the tide … but not all battles are so easily won.” Countless enemies lie in your path, and it’s up to iDevice gamers to vanquish them in order to progress through the app.

Lionheart Tactics is set to reach both mobile devices (Apple’s iOS included) and the Web in early 2014, and it promises a free-to-play role-playing game that’s playable in full 3-D. Emerald City Games outlines a list of features, which include:

Over 15 playable classes – from the fearsome Barghest Warrior to the elegant Rose Elf Archer.Challenge the World to earn Shields and advance from lowly Iron to mighty Dragonglass league.Fight from the frozen North, to the hills of Midland with over 60 unique battlefields.Strategic turn-based battles, with beautifully animated characters… in full 3d!Train Heroes in skills, and unlock their ultimate Limit Breaks to turn the tide of battle.Promote Heroes from Recruit to Legendary, with each rank getting visibly stronger.Equip Heroes with gear you choose from over 300 upgradeable options.Battle across the world in a massive single-player campaign of 175+ battles.

The app certainly looks impressive, and we’re excited for its release. As mentioned, Emerald City Games notes that Lionheart Tactics should reach the App Store in “early 2014,” and we’ll let you know once it’s available to download.

Below, we’ve included the app’s new YouTube trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKzezADyoQ8&feature=player_embedded

If you can’t see the above video, please click this link.

For more of the App Store’s recent releases, see: You Are A Toy: New Game In Toy Defense Series Launches For iOS, It Looks Like An iOS 6.1.4 Jailbreak Solution Isn’t Set To Reach Us This Year, After All, AirWeb For Apple TV Can Add A Browser To Your Set-Top Box.

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Bloomberg For iPhone Updated With Financial News And Watchlist Enhancements

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota BY Aldrin Calimlim on Sun December 22nd, 2013 app updates bloomberg bloomberg finance finance apps news apps

Bloomberg, the official iPhone app of the well-known financial news company of the same name, has just received another major update.

As you might expect from its name, the Bloomberg app provides breaking news and top stories that help you keep on top of what’s happening in the world of finance.

Released way back in 2008, the app was updated early last October to version 3.0 with a new design and various other improvements. Now, it has been updated to version 3.1 with several additional enhancements.

Among these enhancements is the ability to disable thumbnail images on news headlines, which you can do in the app’s settings section. Also, there’s the added ability to tweet a paragraph from a story — or at least a portion of a paragraph, considering Twitter’s 140-character limit. Just long-press on a paragraph and tap Tweet on the contextual menu to tweet the paragraph.

Bloomberg

Bloomberg 3.1 also includes the following improvements focused on the Watchlist section of the app:

Increased the font sizes on the Watchlist and Market Data pagesAdded support for Landscape viewing to WatchlistAdded the ability to collapse/minimize the Watchlist summary

Also including iOS 7 tweaks and performance improvements, Bloomberg 3.1 is available now in the App Store for free. It’s optimized for iPhone and iPod touch running iOS 6.0 or later.

Bloomberg for iPad is also available in the App Store for free. It’s listed as an “essential app” in AppAdvice’s Best Financial News Apps for iPad AppGuide.

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Go With The Flow: Actions For iPad Updated With Cross-Application Flows Feature

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota BY Aldrin Calimlim on Sat December 21st, 2013 actions actions for ipad app updates usefool apps

Just in time for the iTunes Connect holiday freeze, Usefool Apps managed to release an update to its flagship app, Actions for iPad.

Released in October last year, Actions is an app that turns your iPad into a customizable remote controller for your Mac or PC. After installing the requisite server software on your desktop or laptop computer and making sure that your computer and iPad are on the same Wi-Fi network, you can transform your iPad into a controller equipped with useful action types.

These action types include (but are not limited to) shortcuts, system commands, and snippets. What’s more, they can be customized for better recognizability using different icons and colors.

As mentioned, Actions has just received a new update. And this update brings the following improvements:

Updated style and colorMove between sets and subsets without leaving edit modeDuplicate action with a 2 fingers long pressMove action between setsLock sets on the fly (deactivate magnets)Automatic target/magnet selection

Actions for iPad

But undoubtedly the most significant new feature introduced in the new version of Actions is Flows. Essentially, Actions’ new Flows feature lets you trigger cross-application macros or command sequences with just a single tap of a single button.

Flows is available via a $2.99 in-app purchase, which also unlocks a new action type in the form of Wait. Wait lends itself well to Flows, as in a sequence where Actions needs to wait for your input before carrying out the next command.

The new version of Actions for iPad is available now in the App Store as a free update or as a new $3.99 download. The app is compatible with iPad running iOS 5.1 or later.

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