One of Apple's most useful, but often overlooked, in-house app has today received a substantial update. When Apple first launched the App Store, their own Remote app was one of the few apps that really provided any kind of innovative solution for music control. In the time that has followed; a number of third-party developers have released extremely powerful creations that offer the same functionality plus a little bit more thrown in for good measure. Remote for iOS has been allowed to fall a little bit behind the times but all that has been rectified with this big v4.0 update.
iOS 7 may only have been around for six or so weeks, but already, some are looking ahead towards its eventual successor, iOS 8. There's no doubt that, at least in terms of design, iOS 7 has been the biggest jump in the operating system's lifespan, but like any piece of software, there's still plenty of room for improvement both to looks and general functionality. With this in mind, designer Sangam Bhandari has come up with a rather beautiful concept of iOS 8, and even though we do like the changes Apple and Jony Ive have made with 2013's release, it's hard to pick holes in this elegant, ingenious figment of Bhandari's imagination.
The introduction of new iPhone hardware means that we will start to see an influx of more powerful and capable apps. The Photography genre within the App Store has always been one of the most vibrant, but the lack of innovation in that category has become extremely noticeable. The new powerful camera within the iPhone 5s aims to change that, a snowball effect being that we are now also seeing some fantastic new photography apps hitting the store. Tadaa SLR from menschmashine Publishing is one of the best new additions to that genre.
If being a superhero is one of your ultimate dreams then it's time to forget about Superman, Batman, Spider-Man and any other 'big named' heroes of justice that spring to mind. The ultimate planetary savior has to be the Norse God of Thunder, Thor. Norse mythology tells us that Thor is the god of thunder, lightning, storms and strength and protects mankind with his belief in good over evil as well as his trusty hammer that smashes all that gets in its way. If emulating Thor is high on your list of ambitions then the official Thor: The Dark World game could be a good place to begin that emulation.
The Nexus 5 is well and truly here, and keeping up with the tradition which we follow here at Redmond Pie where we pit the latest flagship devices against their immediate competitors that are already on the market, in this case, it’s the Google Nexus 5 versus the mighty Apple iPhone 5s. Check out the complete features list compared head-to-head in a detailed table right here.
Apple, like all of the big tech companies, is always filing new patents and ideas with the USPTO, and one published this week suggests that the company could be looking into solar-based charging options for both the MacBook and the iOS device range. Such technology is already available, but its use is extremely limited, and with solar charging peripherals often bulky and impractical, Apple is looking for a simplified way to charge devices without he use of an inevitably hard-to-find plug socket.
Apple's iOS includes a wide range of stock apps to help users get through their digital day, and many iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users swear by the likes of the Calendar and Reminders apps. But despite the native utilities doing the job for a large portion of iDevice owners, third-party offerings have still continued to thrive, and one such app -- Fantastical -- has been downloaded many thousands of times thanks to its slick user interface and well thought-out features. Today, maker Flexibits has come through with the sequel to the popular first release, and as you might expect, Fantastical 2 is packed to the gills with great features and general improvements.
Apple is no stranger to catastrophic clangers when it comes to hardware. Can anyone ever forget the debacle that was lovingly named 'antennagate' by journalists after the iPhone 4 suffered from what we can only call a debatable antenna flaw. For a company that prides itself in the details, Apple can have some pretty woeful slips when it comes to quality control.
Facebook's Messenger app has come along in leaps and bounds over the past twelve months, and today, the Menlo Park-based social company has announced a substantial update to the Android version of the app, with the iOS version being in the pipeline for an update as well. As well as affording the IM app a few aesthetic touch-ups, it would seem as though Mark Zuckerberg's team is seeking to further differentiate it from the standard Facebook app by placing more emphasis on messaging itself.
The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c may only have been around for a short time, but already, the rumor mill is abuzz with talk of the iPhone 6. In the run-up to the release of the last few iPhones, we've heard that Apple would be going with a larger display, and although the iPhone 5 did somewhat break the long-standing mold, it's yet to compete with the many 5-inch+ Android devices and soon, Windows Phone devices on the market. This could be all about to change with the next iPhone, though, with a new report suggesting that the device, which will probably be launched next September, will include a larger, 1080p display.
