Microsoft has released a brand-new title to iOS, and although it is by no means the Redmond company's first game for the Apple platform, it is the first time an iOS title has packed Xbox LIVE Achievements. So not only can you have fun with yet another brain-teasing puzzler, but you can also top up your Gamerscore in the process. It's called Wordament, and is absolutely free to download over at the App Store. Details, as well as that all-important download link, are coming up after the break.
Remember when Google blindsided most of the mobile industry with their $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility? Well, it seems like they are actually in the process of putting their extremely expensive purchase to good use, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that they are working hard on an advanced smartphone that is referred to internally as the “X Phone”.
Thanks to the release of the iPhone 5 back in September, Apple has captured a 53 percent of the smartphone market in the United States - the very first time it has passed the 50 percent barrier. The number crunching was carried out by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, and its most recent sales data figures show the Cupertino company's market share has increased dramatically on the 37 percent recorded at the same period of last year, and takes into consideration the 12-week period ending on November 25th.
There are tons of little neat tips and tricks scattered throughout iOS just waiting to be discovered. One of these little nuggets is being able to add a direct dial extension number to a Contacts entry to save time when calling someone that can only be reached by dialing an additional extension number. Although this has been possible for quite some time in iOS, the whole process is a lot simpler now than it used to be.
Whenever Apple take the opportunity to add new frameworks and features into iOS, it always opens the door for jailbreak developers to build new and interesting tweaks that take advantage of the new additions. The release of iOS 6 saw Apple extend their initial Twitter integration to support Facebook and Sina Weibo as part of the new Social framework within the iOS SDK, a move that has resulted in the creation of the QuickShare for ActionMenu package available now on the Cydia store.
Once upon a time, it was extremely easy to gift an app to a loved one directly from the iOS App Store. It was a simple case of selecting the Gift App button, and then passing in the relevant details of the recipient. Payment would then be removed from the registered payment method held against the account and everyone would go on their way, happy in the knowledge that the gift of giving had been accomplished satisfactorily. For some reason, Apple changed the giving game with the introduction of iOS 6, and actually removed the facility entirely from the App Store for a while, but thankfully it is now back.
If you cast your minds back to the month of June, you may remember the news of Google's decision to acquire the powerful mobile productivity suite Quickoffice for an undisclosed fee. All told, things have been pretty quiet since then, but today, Google has made Quickoffice for iPad free to Apps for Business customers. In addition, the search giant also stated that free Android and iPhone versions would be coming soon, which although promising, all but wipes out any possibility of Quickoffice hitting the comparatively less-used BlackBerry and Windows Phone platforms.
Electronic Arts and Gameloft are big developers in the gaming industry, and as veterans of many a great title, many of us look forward to the holiday period in the hope that the company will deliver another wave of great savings on some of its best. That has once more proven to be the case, as most of EA's and Gameloft's best titles are now free or down to just $0.99. Details - and a list of those games available on the cheap - can be found after the break.
Fruit Ninja by Halfbrick is one of the most popular casual gaming titles available on any mobile platforms. The simple concept of the game involves slashing various items of fruit with large samurai swords, and as you progress through the game, you can unlock new blades while also gathering the achievements. Today, Halfbrick has delivered a significant update for those iOS users whom like their fruit sliced in half, including support for the larger display of the iPhone 5, and a bunch of new in-game goodies and achievements.
The fact that the Google Maps app is sitting at the top of the iOS download charts, it shows that iOS users definitely have a need for a fully-functional maps app that is built on top of extensive and accurate location data. Despite its somewhat insane popularity, iOS still uses the stock Apple Maps app for all direction requirements that are passed through to it via Siri.
