Facebook Messenger arrived yesterday, bringing a cross-platform group messaging solution that leverages your Facebook network and SMS to reach a wide potential audience. I compared it to other messaging solutions, but let’s take a closer look at Facebook’s offering and what it can do. Read more »
Google released a relatively small update to its Google+ app for iOS on Monday. It doesn’t introduce any extraordinary new features, but does add compatibility with the iPad and iPod touch, and fixes bugs in iOS 5. There are also some additions to the Huddle feature. Read more »
Moving photos from your iPhone to your Mac can actually involve many steps and input from a user. But you can also set up wireless, automatic background syncing to a destination on your Mac of your choice, with a $2 app and some quick initial setup. Read more »
ReadItLater, the mobile and web app that allows you to save webpages to read later, has has taken on $2.5 million. The company is using the funds to make the shift from “quiet giant” app developer to full-fledged tech startup, CEO Nate Weiner says. Read more »
In the increasingly crowded mobile-app space, promotional apps are easily ignored: apps you might download and forget about a few days later, remembering them only to delete them later on. QMx Interactive would like to change all of that with a new sci-fi tie-in. Read more »
Facebook’s iPad app is no longer mere rumor and speculation, since a Twitter user found the full version hiding in the latest Facebook for iPhone update. It took them awhile, but it looks like Facebook will soon set things right for its iPad-toting users. Read more »
While many of us figuratively feel like we sleep with our iPhone, I’ve been literally doing just that for the past few months, testing a variety of sleep monitoring and maintenance tools. Here’s what I found out about sleeping with machines. Read more »
According to a Google employee, Google+ has an official iOS app currently undergoing the App Store review process at Apple. Other Google apps on iOS have fewer features than their Android counterparts, but here are three things Google can’t leave out of this one. Read more »
If you want to shop for real-world goods, you’ll often give your business to the store that offers the best shopping experience, price and convenience of location being equal. Which is why I do my iPhone app shopping on the iPad. Read more »
Recent developments in the vehicle industry suggest that 2011 could be the year of the car as a major platform for apps. From BMW’s support for Apple’s iPod Out feature to the emergence of Nokia’s Terminal Mode, a system that integrates mobile applications and the car, automakers and app developers are jumping on board the in-vehicle app movement. This report examines that landscape, its major players and their offerings, and how the market is shifting from device to car and, eventually, to the cloud. Increased broadband speeds, electronic vehicles and social apps such as those powered by Twitter will play major roles on this journey. Additional companies mentioned in this report include Ford, BMW, Geely, Nissan and Google. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Google+ has some features that may seem familiar to owners of Apple’s iOS devices, like group messaging, video chat, and automatic photo sharing. But Google’s offerings just add to existing and upcoming iOS features; they don’t threaten to replace or compete with them. Read more »
Just last week we saw an early glimpse of Skype’s upcoming iPad app, but today Fring appears to be one step ahead of the game. Fring’s iOS app was updated today to provide iPad-optimized four-way group video calling, before Skype is even out of the gate. Read more »
After a leaked video accidentally spoiled the surprise, Skype has confirmed that it is preparing an iPad app for release. No firm date is yet known for when it will arrive; it is expected to be approved soon by Apple for the App Store. Read more »
The folks at tap tap tap have just crossed the 3 million download milestone with their popular Camera+ app, which has also brought in $2.7 million in revenue. Here’s a graphic look at what went into that success, and how people are using the app. Read more »
Ustream is a popular choice for live streaming shows, lectures and events. Now iOS users have the option to view that content on a larger screen via AirPlay, which should make it easier to participate in virtual conferences and take the show on the road. Read more »
A new iPhone app released on Thursday brings a music social network to the iPhone. Not for the first time, mind you, but it does get a lot of things right that previous offerings, including Apple’s own Ping, haven’t yet been able to nail down. Read more »
Hot on the heels of yesterday’s rumors that Facebook would be launching an HTML5 App Store competitor and Facebook’s response that doesn’t exactly deny those allegations, the New York Times reports that an official Facebook iPad app is in the works and should be coming soon. Read more »
Facebook is about to lunch a doozy of a photo sharing app for iOS, according to a new report. It describes an app that takes Facebook’s formidable photo sharing abilities and packages them as an easy-to-use mobile app. If Facebook starts playing, will everyone else fold? Read more »
Back in February, Apple announced its in-app subscription API, and it provided an ultimatum that would force developers that sell content for use within their apps to also do so via in-app purchase, or face expulsion. Kindle seemed on the chopping block, but now Apple has relented. Read more »
Nintendo is making a home console that incorporates a tablet, and the Sony PlayStation Vita borrows liberally from this generation of smartphones. But thanks to OnLive, gamers may not have to go looking for devices similar to their iPads and iPhone for a top-tier gaming experience. Read more »
Former Google CEO and current Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said Tuesday that Google recently reached a deal with Apple that will ensure Google search and maps products continue to appear on the iPhone. Apple, then, likely isn’t taking over iOS Maps app duties. Read more »
When teenage country singer Scotty McCreery won American Idol Tuesday night, it took lots of people by surprise — but the folks at Seattle-based startup Likester weren’t among them. That’s because Likester predicted that McCreery would win Season 10 of American Idol back on April 13th. Read more »
MacHeist and tap tap tap Tuesday released The Heist, an iPhone puzzle app that provides a real-world reward. The app is a huge success so far, topping the U.S. paid charts. So how did the app come about, and why is it doing so well? Read more »
Taking ideas in your head and making them in to working iPhone apps is a daunting process even for those with coding knowledge. A new Mac app called Prototypes is making it easier for non-developers to share their ideas quickly and easily in concrete form. Read more »
Even if you have a 3G-capable iPad and a mobile data plan, you might not always have access to a stable connection. That’s a situation Watchlater, a new iPad app that caches online video for later viewing, is hoping to make more bearable. Read more »
Apple significantly updated its retail store experience over the weekend, and the star of the show is clearly the iPad. iPads now act as interactive customer displays stationed in permanent enclosures next to Mac and other Apple products. It’s a model that could catch on. Read more »
The Peel TV Universal Remote turns your iPhone into a universal remote control. It also offers recommendations for shows to watch as well as alerts so you don’t miss anything. But how well does it work if you watch most of your video content online? Read more »
Mothers are getting more and more tech savvy. It is more than a little likely that flowers, candy and a trip to the spa will soon be replaced by apps, digital media, and pre-paid online services. Here are some gift ideas along those lines. Read more »
Apple won over two new publishers to its iOS subscription plans late Wednesday, including newspaper The Daily Telegraph and the real big fish, major magazine publisher Hearst. Hearst is behind many popular magazine brands, including O (The Oprah Magazine), Esquire and Popular Mechanics. Read more »
Feedly, an RSS reader for iOS and Android devices is attracting lots of positive attention thanks to a new update. Originally introduced as an iPhone app in January, Tuesday Feedly got a major overhaul with the introduction of Feedly Mobile 2.0 for iPhone, iPad and Android. Read more »
Thursday, Apple filed a patent application for “personalized fitness services” on a handheld device, focusing on exercise in a gym setting. Features would include how-to videos for equipment, as well as the ability to check on classes and possibly schedule training sessions. Read more »
VoxOx, the all-in-one phone, fax, instant-messaging, text-messaging, and file-sending application, is now offering an app for iOS. While the mobile app doesn’t have all of the features of the desktop application, it may be useful for those who juggle lots of communication channels. Read more »
Our Choice, a new app penned by Al Gore and developed by Push Pop Press went live in the App Store Wednesday, bringing a unique take on the e-book experience to iOS. If this is what’s in store for the future of e-books, count me in. Read more »
Google has released the Google Docs app for Android to complement the web version. I’ve taken a quick look at it on an HTC Evo 4G, and it looks like it will be a useful tool for collaborating on documents and spreadsheets. Read more »
TweetDeck Tuesday introduced a brand new, completely redesigned iPhone app that sports a completely new interface and additional features. The changes are good reason for Twitter power-users, who may have given the app a pass previously, to take a second look. Read more »
The crowdsourced approach to weather reporting used by new iPhone app Weddar means you’ll have an impression of how weather on the ground actually feels, instead of just static numbers. Weddar co-founder Ricardo Fonseca thinks the human connection is what’s missing from the mobile weather game. Read more »
Note-taking service Evernote has released a major update to its Android app. It includes document sharing features that make it possible for web workers to use Evernote as a collaboration tool. Meanwhile, its competitor Catch has added a premium version that also includes sharing features. Read more »
As grilling season begins in the U.S., the mystery behind the “hottest” product at Macworld 2011 becomes much more pertinent: what is the iGrill and does it work? And more importantly, is it worth it? I put my culinary skills on the line to find out. Read more »
Apple’s iOS home screen may be simple and effective, but it doesn’t offer much in the way of dynamically updating content. Two new apps, Fahrenheit and Celsius, do the best with what Apple provides to offer live local temperature readings without ever opening an app. Read more »
Like the SaleLocator.com website, the new SaleLocator iPhone app launched Tuesday is a local retail sales search engine that helps users find deals on stuff at brick-and-mortar stores. SaleLocator makes deal discovery quick and painless, and it’s a recipe that has big retail chains interested. Read more »
