The iPhone Blog |
- iMore Editors' Choice for October 27, 2012
- iPad mini and iPad 4: Should you upgrade?
- Friend us on Facebook and bundle up your iPhone with a free case from iMore!
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City coming to iPhone and iPad later this fall
- Noteshelf for iPad brings calligraphy pens, pencils, custom colors, and more
- Forums: Ditching the iPad 3 to get the mini, What's your best way to preserve battery for the iPhone 5?
iMore Editors' Choice for October 27, 2012 Posted: 27 Oct 2012 02:54 PM PDT Every week, the editors at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This week's selections include an image upload service, a zombie game, a private social network for teams and families, a game featuring a classic cartoon character, a popular Xbox game that's been ported to the iPad, and an app filled with interesting, useless facts. Droplr - Ally KazmuchaWhen it comes to choosing an image upload service, I've always been a huge fan of Droplr. Not only do they have an iOS app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, but a ton of apps support it including many Twitter apps. This means that all the images you upload to Twitter will be saved to your Droplr account. This is great for times when you need to access a picture, video, or other file to share that you know you'd previously uploaded. Hopping into the Droplr app allows you to view all your drops as well as grab the link to any of them or send them via message, e-mail, etc. I use the service a lot on my Mac just for simplicity's sake. I can drag any image or file to the Droplr icon in my task bar and it'll spit out a link that I can share. When you start an account, you'll get 1GB of storage space for free which is plenty for most users, especially if you don't have an issue going through and clearing out old files you don't need anymore (which you can also do from the iOS app). If you need more space you can upgrade to a Pro account for $39.99 a year and that'll get you 100GB of space.
Zombies - Simon SageZombies is a straightforward dual-stick bash-em-up game with an absolutely thumping soundtrack (http://bignic.bandcamp.com/album/zombies-soundtrack). Players have to dash through workplace-themed levels, blasting through hordes of zombies with a variety of weapons to find an exit. If you can, rescue fellow co-workers from a grisly fate along the way. Think of it as Office Space with the undead, the punchline being that middle management was always a bunch of brainless drones anyway. The animation in the game is much better than the stylish pixel art would have you believe, plus just about everything has some degree of destructibility. The look might seem a bit derivative of Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery, but putting it all into the modern office setting with plenty of zombies to thwak keeps the style very fresh. The dialog and story are cute and quirky, even if the voice acting leaves a little to be desired. Right now Zombies is only available for iPhone, but I've been testing out a Universal version that's due to launch publicly soon.
Glassboard - Rene RitchieGlassboard comes from Brent Simmons, who previously created NetNewsWire and MarsEdit. Once again, Brent is taking an internet problem still in search of a better solution and offering just that. In this case, it's private networking. Others have tried this, but almost universally they've stayed bound to the web or for other reasons their mobile clients, frankly, have sucked. Glassboard was born to mobile. Available for both iOS and Android, and as a website if you really have to, it lets anyone create boards, share them with office teams large and small, conference groups, family, and friends, and quickly, easily share comments, pictures, and otherwise stay in immediate contact. It's fast, it's fluid, and for what it does, it's fantastic. It's also free, though there's a pro version available with additional features (and more to come). Now we just need a desktop client so I never have to open the website again.
He-Man - The Most Powerful Game in The Universe - Chris ParsonsHe-Man is back and this time, it's actually something done with the IP that is great! He-Man - The Most Powerful Game in The Universe is a humorously animated side scroller that features 27 levels of gaming across the He-Man world of Eternia. You'll take on Skeletor, Beast Man and other as well, team up with Orco, Man of Arms all in an effort to defend the secrets of Castle Grayskull. The controls are a little hard to get used to but overall, once you get the hang of them.. you'll have the power! For any fan of the franchise, this is an awesome buy. If you're new to He-Man, it's still an awesome buy and one that you can get into rather easily, without knowing the He-Man background.
Bastion - Joseph KellerBastion was first released on the Xbox Live Arcade in 2011, and is now available for the iPad. It is one of the better games I've played on any platform. With a beautiful, vibrant art style, solid gameplay and a great soundtrack, Bastion stands out amongst other App Store offerings. Bastion uses a both gameplay and a voiceover to tell its story, and the voiceover reacts dynamically to player decisions. The controls can be changed between tapping your character's destination to a more traditional, joystick-style setup. With a variety of weapons and items, you can customize your gameplay experience and special abilities. It's a lot of fun just to play around with the different special actions to see what you prefer. These various elements come together to give the you a great gaming experience. If you enjoy action-adventure games, it really doesn't get much better than Bastion.
Weird But True - Leanna LofteWeird But True is an iPhone and iPad app that is actually targeted for kids, but it's even cool for adults. It's simply an app filled with random facts. For example, did you know that the world's biggest flower can grow wider than a car tire? Or that there are about a billion bacteria in your mouth right now? This is the type of valuable information you'll learn with Weird But True. Any child old enough to read will think it's hilarious and even grown adults will find some of the facts to be unusual and surprising.
Your choice?Now that we've chosen our favorites for the week, we want to hear yours! Did you pick up a killer app, accessory, or game this week? Let us know in the comments below! |
iPad mini and iPad 4: Should you upgrade? Posted: 27 Oct 2012 02:46 PM PDT Just because Apple has released the new iPad mini and iPad 4 doesn't mean you have to race off and get it. Crazy, I know, particularly coming from the greatest iPad enthusiast site in the world, but that just goes to show you how true it is. When the time comes for you to get your next tablet, whether it's today or next year, and iPhone or something else, you should look at what's on the market and decide what best suits your needs. Buying your first tabletIf you've never owned a tablet before, get an iPad. Unless you hate Apple, or specifically need a tablet that offers something Apple's iPad doesn't, it's the best damn tablet on the market and will provide the best experience for the most people most of the time.
But seriously, get an iPad. Upgrading from the iPod touch to the iPad mini or iPad 4If you have an iPod touch, the iPad mini will actually be less portable and likely have a lower screen density. But with equal specs to the iPod touch 5, a 4:3 aspect ratio screen, and ability to run iPad apps in addition to your existing iPod touch app, it could make for a compelling upgrade. If you don't need something you can slip into a pants pocket, the iPad mini can let you do more at an only slightly higher price. It also has a cellular option. The iPad 4 is something totally different. Much bigger in size and display, and much more powerful, it's a good choice if the iPod touch is just too small, or you want something that can let you use iPad software at full size, for a full-on productivity boost. It's not an ultra-light laptop like the MacBook Air, but if you don't even need that much computer, it's a great choice. Upgrading from the original iPad to the iPad mini or iPad 4The original 2010 iPad is getting a little long in the tooth. Underpowered, with not enough RAM, and not able to run iOS 6, unless you really want to ride it into the ground, both the iPad mini and the iPad 4 are compelling upgrades. The iPad mini will give you much better performance while also also being far more portable. If the original iPad is too big and heavy for you, and you don't need the screen size but still want all your apps and content, the iPad mini is a great choice. The iPad 4 will give you a much better screen and much, much more power. If the original iPad was the perfect size for you, but you want something that can run iOS 6 and all the latest software, and don't want to get caught in the same end-of-line situation with the iPad 2 next time around, the iPad 4 is your go-to. Upgrading from the iPad 2 to the iPad mini or iPad 4The iPad 2 is still a good iPad -- Apple is still selling it, after all. So if you have an iPad 2, and you're still happy with it and it does everything you need it to do, you don't have to worry about upgrading at all. Still tight, enjoy, and see what Apple does with the iPad line in 2013. The iPad mini isn't any more powerful but is lighter and more portable. The iPad mini has essentially the same specs as the iPad 2 but is only 80% the size and less than 50% the weight. If you're less about using the iPad in your lap, and more about trying to use it to read in bed, the iPad mini could be a better choice. The iPad 4 will give you not only a Retina display, but an A6X chipset capable of properly driving it, and international LTE for even faster networking. If you held off from getting the iPad 3 because it wasn't the performance improvement you were hoping for, or because it didn't offer LTE in your area, the iPad 4 fixes both of those problems. It's the upgrade you were waiting for. Upgrading from the iPad 3 to the iPad mini or iPad 4The iPad 3 was released only 7 months ago, which means there's almost no reason for anyone who got one to even consider upgrading to an iPad 4 or cross-grading to an iPad mini. The iPad mini os slower than the iPad 3 and lacks a Retina display. You should only considered switching if you absolutely need something lighter and smaller and are willing to sacrifice everything else to get it. The iPad 4, which adds new LTE and A6X chipsets, should on be considered if you couldn't get LTE with the old model and need it, or the performance really bothers you and you have money to burn to fix it. Upgrading from an Android, Windows, or other tablet to the iPad mini or iPad 4If you've tried other tablets and not enjoyed them, or been frustrated by the lack of content in your region, or your ability to get help and support with it, the iPad is worth checking out.
So yeah, get an iPad. |
Friend us on Facebook and bundle up your iPhone with a free case from iMore! Posted: 27 Oct 2012 06:29 AM PDT Here's the deal -- you follow iMore on your favorite social networks, and we give you awesome accessory prizes... EVERY MONTH!We know our loyal readers already visit iMore.com daily, subscribe to our RSS feeds and get the iMore Podcast on iTunes, but we wanted to do something a little extra to reward our loyal fans and grow our audience in some of the off-iMore social networking and content sharing sites that iPhone owners hang out and visit. It's easy! All you have to do is follow iMore on Youtube, Twitter, Google+ and Facebook and as a thank you for doing so we're going to pick a lucky winner each month from among our iMore followers / subscribers / fans on each of these sites to win some great iPhone prizes! That's four winners each month - one picked at random from each site. All you need to do is click the links below to follow us on each site, and just keep following us! We'll pick our four winners on the last day of each month and announce them around the first day of the new month along with the prizes to be won for the new month. You can subscribe to all of Youtube, Twitter, Google+ and Facebook to maximize your chances of winning. This month we're going to help you protect your iPhone 5 with new cases and gift certificates to the iMore store! See the list below for links to the sites and the prize you could win on each one.
We'll send out a reminder each week with ways to earn extra entries, so make sure to watch the blogs! Thanks for following, spread the word and good luck!! Facebook bonus entry!Looking to win a bonus entry on Facebook for an extra shot at that Incipio EDGE PRO Hard Shell Slider Case for iPhone 5 and a $50 iMore store gift certificate? It's your lucky week! After you 'like' iMore, just leave a [comment on this post on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/imorecom/posts/386827591393682) and you've got yourself a second entry! See, we told you it'd be easy.
Follow iMore and Win Contest FAQ/Details |
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City coming to iPhone and iPad later this fall Posted: 27 Oct 2012 12:02 AM PDT Rockstar Games has announced that it will be bringing its world famous game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to select iOS devices this fall. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was originally released way back on October 29 2002. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of this ground breaking game, it's coming to iOS devices as well as some Android devices too.
This is certainly exciting news for anyone who is a fan of the platform. If Rockstar's last GTA iOS port is anything to go by, expect the game to be hugely entertaining, graphically excellent and above all very true to the original. Let's hope we don't have to wait too long for it to arrive; Rockstar say this fall so hopefully in the coming weeks. We will keep you posted as soon as we know more! Source: Rockstar Games |
Noteshelf for iPad brings calligraphy pens, pencils, custom colors, and more Posted: 26 Oct 2012 06:17 PM PDT Noteshelf is by far one of our favorite note-taking apps here at iMore and now it's even better than ever. A recent update has introduced pencils and calligraphy pens to the selection of writing tools, and as if Noteshelf didn't already have enough colors to choose from, you can now bring up a color pallet to get the exact color you want or choose from millions of online pallets from ColourLovers.com. In addition to the new writing tools, Noteshelf now lets your create notebook covers from your own photos and has improved landscape support and a more flexible page thumbnail view. Although it's not mentioned in the update notes, I have also noticed that if you want to cut a section of your notes, you are not limited to a rectangular shape but can outline exactly what area you wish to cut -- this is a huge improvement for my use. Noteshelf now also supports the following pressure sensitive stylii: Adonit Jot Touch, Pogo Connect and Hex Jaja styli. To celebrate the new update, Ramki is having a sale and Noteshelf is currently available for just $2.99 (normally $5.99). I am a huge fan of Noteshelf and use it on a regular basis and this update just makes me love it even more. What do you think of the update? $2.99 - Download Now |
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