Apple's iOS 7 release will always be remembered for its radical aesthetic changes, with almost every element having been given a visual makeover en route to dispelling skeuomorphism for good. But the update wasn't entirely derived through vanity, and amid the clean-up job that Apple undertook with the interface, the Cupertino's iOS software team also added several key features. Control Center, a portal for various toggles and controls, was among them, and now, a newly-released app adds this feature to the Mac.
The fact that Dropbox forked out a cool $100 million to acquire Mailbox last year is a testament to how highly regarded the app is, but while it's now seen as the go-to email solution for those rocking an iOS device, the fact that it's only available on the iTunes App Store is very limiting. But when a company pays such vast sums of money to acquire something, expansion is generally forthcoming, and as such, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Dropbox has released the Mailbox app for Android, as well as announcing a desktop version.
We've all been in the predicament whereby we're so consumed by work at our desktops that we forget to charge our mobile devices, and when the time to leave just seems to creep up on us, we're left cursing the fact that we'll have to spend the remainder of the day rationing those precious last few droplets of juice. But while a battery alert is easy enough to miss or ignore when we're frantically trying to keep atop our email inboxes or compose documents, desktop notifications are a little harder to shake off. With this in mind, iBetterCharge seeks to ensure that we don't leave our iPhone or iPad bereft of battery by pushing alerts straight to the OS X Notification Center, and not only does the app presents itself as a novel idea, but it's also executed to perfection.
The ability capture screenshots from an iOS device is extremely handy, and in most situations does a perfectly good job for the use case of the masses. With that said, if you're a developer, designer, app reviewer or just someone who derives excitement from capturing screenshots, then it can become a little tiresome having to capture screenshots on a device and then export to a computer or laptop for processing. Thankfully for us, the new iOS Capture app for Mac OS X users aims to resolve this issue by letting us remotely capture screenshots directly from our iOS device without even touching it. Technical genius or black magic? You decide.
This year, Microsoft has been working hard to make its Office productivity suite more widely accessible, and Apple has responded by doing likewise with iWork. The iOS and Mac versions of iWork - which comprises of Pages, Keynote and Numbers - are now essentially free of charge, to those who recently bought a new iOS device or a Mac. But now, it has emerged that thanks to a bug with the Mac App Store, many of those running the trial version have been able to upgrade to the full, no-holds-barred version for absolutely nothing, and the same goes for iLife and Aperture.
The new and updated iWork and iLife apps for iOS and Mac are now live in the App Store and Mac App Store, respectively, and are now available to download. More details and direct download links can be found right here.
Not so long ago, a computer was a computer, and a smartphone was a smartphone, but as the digital boom has continued to make strides, we've seen many a feature cross platform to ensure a more streamlined overall experience to the end user. Recognizing that checking one's device constantly whilst at the desk can be somewhat counterproductive, developers have sought to find ways to bridge the gap, bringing seamless controls of certain mobile features without the need to look away. Dialogue, a new app for OS X, follows this motif to the book, allowing you to control your smartphone while using your Mac.
Logic Pro X and MainStage 3 have just been released over at the Mac App Store, with an accompanying Logic Remote app having also been made available via the iTunes App Store. Logic has long since been a big player in the game of music production and audio editing, and the new Logic Pro X, which retails for the recognized price of $199, will be looking build upon this with a host of new and exciting features.
The official Twitter app for Mac has just been bumped to version 2.2, adding a whole host of new features including improved photo sharing, support for 14 more languages, and very belatedly, Retina display support. All the features, as well as that all-important download link, can be found after the break.
The SimCity beta for PC first released back in January, and although it generated much hype and anticipation for the March 5th launch, the release was, to put it mildly, a catastrophe. EA decided, against the wishes of gamers, to opt for a type of DRM protection requiring an always-on Internet connection, which left many unable to login and enjoy a title they'd been waiting on for a great length of time. Still, EA offered a free game to try and soften the blow, and with the dust settled, perhaps we can allow ourselves a wry smile at the prospect of the corresponding OS X version.
