Compared to the best-known RSS feed readers on the market today, News Notifications (Mac App Store link) is as straightforward and uncomplicated as its drab title implies. You won’t find cloud sync to an iOS app, community-driven article recommendations, or a directory of top sites to add. It’s simply a Mac app that lets you add feeds from your favorite Web sources and have them appear in your Notification Center—that’s really about it. For the Mac user who has no need for social sharing features or the ability to carry his/her reading history over to other computers or an iPhone or iPad, this single-minded reader should do the trick.
For creative professionals—especially those with work that involves a social media or online content component—FilePane (Mac App Store link) can be a true timesaver thanks to its quick access to various helpful actions via a handy and inventive drag-and-drop approach. It’s an app that works not only with files on your desktop or within Finder windows, but also images and text on websites and in documents.
Google has been cleaning house of services and features over the last year or so, with Google Reader and iGoogle among the most notable casualties. While not so widely mourned, the recent scrapping of Google Notifier was also disappointing, as the …
For those of us who watch online videos incessantly, a native Mac app like Play+ for YouTube is a handy thing to keep in the Dock. It’s a minimal player that makes some helpful and appreciated tweaks to the Web UI for easier navigation and multitasking, but also one that feels too streamlined in spots and would benefit greatly from customization options.
Compared to the cluttered look of the YouTube homepage, Play+ is comparatively bare, simply showing a grid of videos to choose from. It’s bland, with a generic grey-heavy aesthetic, but solidly quick to load—and it’s during actual playback that the app’s revised layout proves a positive. Play+ breaks the viewing window into three frames, split between the clip itself, a sidebar for comments, and a segment for browsing other clips. What’s great is that you can continue to watch the video while searching for more below, as well as read and post comments. And you can pick between Flash and HTML5 playback, the latter of which promises fewer ads.
Using United’s app, passengers will be able to view more than 150 movies and nearly 200 TV shows in the air when on planes that offer Wi-Fi access. It’s unclear whether you’ll need to pay for the Wi-Fi access to view media, or if simply connecting to the network will enable the service.
The service was expected to reach Airbus A319 and 320 and Boeing 747-400 and 777-200 planes first before spreading to other fleet models. Those with upcoming flights can check for availability under the Amenities tab on the app (or the Inflight Amenities section on united.com) within 48 hours before takeoff.
United says that laptop users can also access the service — we imagine pointing your browser towards united.com should help start that process — while an Android app update will bring the service to that platform later this year.
When it comes to selling things online, it’s no surprise that the top dog is Amazon, which moved some $67.8 billion worth of products in 2013 and derives all of its income from digital storefronts. However, there’s a new #2 in town, and according to trade publication Internet Retailer (via The Wall Street Journal), that’s none other than Apple.
Granted, there’s a huge difference between the top two spots: Apple raked in $18.3 billion in online sales in 2013. It wrested the runner-up position away from office supply company Staples via a 24{813a954d5e225a1509f22204ece89c855080ce25555f20805f61bed63cbfde3b} increase in online sales, but that figure alone is actually somewhat misleading.
In fact, 2013 was the first time that Internet Retailer included Apple’s online hardware sales — big-ticket items like the iPhone, iPad, and Macs — so the company could have potentially held that spot in previous years, as well. The total sales number includes digital software and media sales via the App Store and iTunes.
Staples comes in at #3 on the most recent rankings, while Wal-Mart’s online sales surged 30{813a954d5e225a1509f22204ece89c855080ce25555f20805f61bed63cbfde3b} to $10 billion, which was good enough for fourth place. Further down the list is beleaguered retailer Best Buy, which hit #15 with $3 billion in online sales — a small portion of its $42 billion in total sales last year.
Google is showing a bit more attention on the iOS side of things lately. Last week, it split off Docs and Sheets apps (with Slides incoming) from Google Drive for increased visibility, and now today, the company updated its Google Maps app to a 3.0.0 version with several new and upgraded features.
Chief among them is an official offline maps option, which lets you save them for network-free browsing — ideal for international travel or when exploring areas with minimal reception. Google Maps for iOS also receives a major turn-by-turn navigation boost with this latest update, adding lane recommendations while driving and making it easier to check out alternate routes when on the move.
Walking and transit results are also improved in the latest edition, letting you see the total amount of time for an on-foot trip, as well as when the next scheduled train or bus will arrive. You can also search for destinations — like restaurants and bars — by hours, price level, and other variables.
And for fans of ridesharing/cab service Uber, today’s update integrates it as a transportation option for those with the Uber app installed. You’ll be able to compare the estimated time to get an Uber ride to the destination against that of walking or public transportation, and then flip right to the actual app to follow through with such plans.
Other tweaks like access to iOS contacts and Google Voice Search capabilities help make the app even more useful than ever, and as always, it’s available from the App Store for free.
Analysts seem to be perpetually disappointed no matter how many sales records Apple breaks, but the company’s market value has steadily climbed over the last year. Today, just before the markets closed, Apple’s stock (AAPL) price passed $600 USD for the first time since November 2012, and it closed the day out at $600.96 (via MarketWatch). The price has since hit $602.50 in after hours trading.
The late surge comes shortly after analyst Amit Daryanani of RBC Capital Markets raised his forecast for the stock for the second time of late, reports AppleInsider. He now expects the stock to hit a target price of $645, with the downside-upside range coming in at $500 to $725 for the stock.
Daryanani has labeled the stock with a rating of “outperform,” and beyond last quarter’s stellar numbers, he cites Apple’s aggressive stock buyback program and expected launches of the iPhone 6 and next iPad later this year as signs of continued success ahead. Apple is also planning a seven-for-one stock split, which will bring even more investors into the fold.
Apple’s stock price hit its peak in September 2012 when it briefly floated above $700 per share, though if Daryanani’s upside projection pans out, we could possibly see that number topped in the coming weeks and months.
Apple hasn’t even announced its long-rumored iWatch wearable device, but at least one other company is gearing up to fight that proposed branding. Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch confirmed over the weekend that it is working to protect its iSwatch line in case Apple decides to enter the market.
According to Bloomberg, Swatch has started alerting authorities in countries where it holds the iSwatch trademark to remind them of its ownership. “This is the normal procedure to protect your own brand name,” says Swatch’s chief executive officer, Nick Hayek. “We react like this for all other brand names that we have protected.”
That may be true, but while Swatch may be the world’s top manufacturer of watches, Apple could well become its biggest competitor to date should it enter the market as speculated. Last we heard, the iWatch is rumored to debut as early as August, and Apple recently extended its trademark coverage into a class that includes watches and jewelry.
Apple reportedly pursued an iWatch trademark in Japan last summer, and is seeking protection for the brand elsewhere. The Bloomberg report notes that Iceland recently denied such an application due to similarities with the iSwatch name, so we may see a wave of these trademark disputes pop up as Apple nears its next big projected product debut.
It’s been some time since we last heard about Modern Combat 5, the latest in Gameloft’s iPhone and iPad military shooter series. In fact, we played the game at the Electronic Entertainment Expo last June and came away impressed by the brief demo, and it was slated to debut last fall—but never appeared.
Now the newly branded Modern Combat 5: Blackout is “coming soon” to iOS, says the publisher, which revealed additional details about the game’s single-player campaign today. The story-led quest begins in Venice, Italy — which we played in our hands-on last year — where hero Phoenix attempts to procure WMDs from a terrorist cabal. Gameloft says the story then spins from there to various other worldwide locales, including a chaotic skirmish in Tokyo (teased in the concept art above), with an emphasis on brief and impactful missions.
Admittedly, the “Blackout” moniker can’t help but remind us of last year’s underwhelming Call of Duty: Ghosts on consoles and PC, which set its action in the wake of attacks that took out America’s power and communications en masse. Granted, the Modern Combat series has never been shy about its inspirations, with Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour especially feeling like an homage of sorts to the then-recent Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
Hopefully it’s just a coincidence, but story is rarely a drawing point of the series as it is — and our demo last year showed an impressive new tilt towards creating tension and emotion with cinematic effects, which has us curious to see how the final experience turns out. And of course, that doesn’t even touch on the game’s multiplayer action, which has been the standout element in past entries. With luck, it’ll be made even better via the addition of iOS 7 MFi controller support, but we’ll have to wait and see until it launches in the seemingly near future.
Following years of speculation, Microsoft finally unleashed a trio of Office apps on iPad a few weeks back, with Word for iPad, Excel for iPad, and PowerPoint for iPad all offering good-to-great touch-enabled takes on the long-running productivity favorites.
Curiously, though, all three launched without printing support, which made them not-fully-ideal options for users looking to untether from a traditional computer. Luckily, that oversight has been swiftly corrected, as Microsoft announced today via its Office blog that all three apps can now print over the air to any AirPrint-compatible printer.
According to the post, you can now print in all three apps without paying for the Office 365 subscription ($6.99/month minimum), which is needed to actually create and edit documents. Otherwise, the apps offer little more than viewing capabilities without an active subscription.
Microsoft made a couple of other smaller (but still meaningful) updates to its Office for iPad apps today, adding SmartGuides to PowerPoint to help users align their objects on slides, and AutoFit capabilities to Excel to adjust the width or height of multiple respective rows or columns at once. Bug fixes and other behind-the-scenes improvements have also been made to the suite’s apps.
Skype has long offered video call capabilities for more than two users on Mac (and PC) — but only when at least one had a paid Premium subscription plan in effect. Now, the company has eased that restriction, making group calling available free as of today to all computer users, along with those on Xbox One.
And iOS users may be next to be added to that list. Skype’s blog post on the matter promises that “in the future, we’ll be enabling group video calling for all our users across more platforms — at no cost,” writes Phillip Snalune, general manager of consumer product marketing at Skype.
As of now, Skype users on mobile devices are able to join group chats, but not begin any themselves. It’ll be interesting to see if today’s news signals a move to make group chat fully usable on iPhone and iPad. In addition to group video calling, group screen sharing is also free on Mac, adding another helpful wrinkle to the basic Skype experience.
Now that both Google Hangouts and Skype offer free group video chats, we’re really curious to see how Apple reacts with FaceTime. Group chat is still lacking from the iOS and Mac service, but we can’t imagine that Apple will rest on that point for long with Skype hinting at mobile enhancements.
According to multiple stories out of 9to5Mac today, Apple Stores are reportedly receiving shipments of updated MacBook Air models that are expected to be available for sale tomorrow, both online and in stores.
However, before you go double-checking your credit limit for a potentially huge purchase, note that the reports peg this as a very minor refresh — one primarily concerned with bumping the processors up to Intel’s latest Haswell chips. Based on a purported specs label obtained by the site, the entry-level 13-inch Air model will only see a bump from an i5 processor at 1.3Ghz (with Turbo Boost up to 2.6Ghz) to an i5 at 1.4Ghz (with Turbo Boost up to 2.7Ghz). Higher-end models are expected to see similarly slim updates, as well.
Otherwise, the basic design and overall weight will reportedly be retained for this refreshed model — which begs the question as to whether Apple will put much muscle behind marketing this latest enhancement. Then again, if you were already planning to buy a MacBook Air in the near future, it’s hard to argue with a performance boost without a price surge to match.
Apple is still rumored to release a long-expected MacBook Air with Retina display sometime in the second half of 2014, based on reports that surfaced late last month. But based on today’s news, those are likely to seem ever further off in the distance if such lightly tweaked Air models really do debut tomorrow.
Vlambeer specializes in twitchy, arcade-style games that get really hairy (while remaining plenty fun) in a hurry—like iOS greats Super Crate Box and Ridiculous Fishing—and its latest Mac entry, Luftrausers, certainly maintains that philosophy. You’ll pilot a tiny plane as enemy craft and carriers launch a barrage of gunfire, zipping about and laying waste to foes while trying to maintain a score-boosting combo streak. And much as the combat itself proves entertaining, it’s matched well by an awesome customization system that allows you to swap various parts to create the fighter of your dreams.
Luftrauser’s sepia-drenched 2D backdrops are minimal but effective, with attractive details like your ship’s propulsion kicking up pixelated water right below—but you’ll rarely linger in a play session for long. Lasting a few minutes amidst the mayhem of encircling fighters and missile barrages from below is a pretty serious accomplishment, and it’s unlikely that you’ll have more than a moment or two to take in the scenery along the way. The key to extending each attempt by seconds or even minutes is finding the right arrangement of parts to create a plane that fits your own tendencies and play style.
Ship parts unlock as you complete bite-sized missions (like killing a certain number of fighters, reaching a noted score, etc.) and level up your profile with continued play, and they often vary wildly in purpose. For example, do you want a standard machinegun, a spread shot, homing missiles, or an ever-firing laser? Would you rather be swift and light, or heavy and well armored? It’s possible to make a ship that can bash through foes with ease and still survive, dive underwater without taking damage, or even defy gravity and float freely amidst the fracas. But every positive quality seems to have some opposing drawback, and with 125+ total combinations (each given a unique name), it’ll take a lot of trial and error to create an ideal, balanced option.
Luckily, you’ll learn quickly whether a plane is for you, and with what are usually just couple-minute play sessions, you can mix and match and experiment freely. Controlling a plane in 2D proves a bit fumbly, but that seems intentional; Vlambeer could have made another rote, precision-minded dual-analog shooter where you’d easily blast through scads of ships, but instead opted to make something charmingly awkward and oddly gripping. Cheers for that.
The bottom line. Luftrausers soars thanks to compelling customization and simple, entertaining blast-’em-all action.
Nearly six years into the life of the App Store and we’re just now getting a realistic, licensed Major League Baseball simulation—but R.B.I. Baseball 14 doesn’t resemble the feature-crammed, richly complex affairs seen on home systems. Instead, it pulls both inspiration and its moniker from a popular ‘80s/‘90s console franchise, and grounds its gameplay in the simplicity of that era while modernizing only the visuals. The result is expectedly very accessible and easy to get into, but also skimps on a lot of things that make baseball video games enjoyable and worth playing more than a couple times.
R.B.I. Baseball 14 loops in all 30 of the modern major league teams, but only some of their players—the starting lineup, a couple of bench guys, and a few pitchers. Your interactions are similarly scaled down on the diamond. When batting, you’ll have only swing and bunt buttons, plus the ability to move your batter around the box; thus getting a clean hit is all about timing and positioning. Power, on the other hand, consistently eluded us during play—the A.I. opponents were smacking homers over the wall a lot more often than we ever did. On the mound, every pitcher has the same arsenal, unfortunately: a standard toss, a hard fastball, and a floating knuckleball of sorts. You can guide the ball a bit with the virtual stick, but there’s no noticeable distinction between players.
Which gets into the main issue with R.B.I. Baseball 14: It’s a serviceable barebones sim, but it lacks the flavor of the game. The players’ faces look close enough to the real thing, but don’t display any personality or unique mannerisms, and hurlers are essentially identical on the mound. Even the stadiums are barely differentiated, and you see almost nothing beyond the field itself—no views of the exterior or aerial shots. Wrigley Field has the right dimensions, but lacks ivy or bleachers; it’s just green walls and a splotchy mess of pixels beyond.
Fielding is challenging, baserunning is rigid and awkward, and the simplified overall approach means repetition takes hold quickly. But it’s the lack of modes that makes for a difficult long-term recommendation. The season mode is dry and offers no game simulation or even management options, otherwise you can take on single games or jump right into the postseason. Without deeper hooks, multiplayer of any sort, or even a little pomp to the presentation, R.B.I. Baseball 14 feels entirely predictable—which can make a 162-game season feel very long indeed.
The bottom line. R.B.I. Baseball 14 is fundamentally fair, but the too-streamlined approach and lack of common modes make for a foul lasting impression.
Marvel Comics’ latest film adaptation, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, has been receiving rave reviews in the run up to its release this Friday. Gameloft’s universal iOS beat-‘em-up of the same name has a fair bit going for it, as well, with solid presentation and quite a bit of content, but ultimately doesn’t captivate over the long haul. Spreading a small number of game mechanics and levels as thin as possible muddles what could have been a pretty strong action affair.
While the first Captain American movie game took the odd (but enjoyable) approach of a Mirror’s Edge-like side-scrolling runner, The Winter Soldier matches its super-powered subject well by letting you pummel ample goons and whip your star-emblazoned shield with ease. Using virtual buttons, taps and swipes, or a combination of the two control styles, you’ll wander through vertically-scrolling streets and metallic corridors, executing easy combos by hammering the single melee attack button, swiping to launch Cap’s shield, and occasionally using the suit-specific special ability—like a leaping ground-pound maneuver or a shield-driven rushing assault.
Simplistic as the combat may be, the brawling action is engaging at first, and you can recruit a pair of computer-controlled allies to support you with firearms—or occasionally call in Black Widow or Falcon to clear the screen of foes. The comic-esque aesthetic is generally solid, though the rare camera freak-out can be rather disorienting. The Winter Soldier’s main issue, however, comes with repetition. While expected from a button-mashing brawler, it’s amplified here by using the same handful of backdrops and enemy types over and over again for large chunks of its campaign, which totals nearly 100 brief missions at launch. Halving that total and offering more variety would’ve made for a really fun little brawler, but retreading the same ground ad nauseam proves tiring.
The Winter Soldier augments its main storyline action with various side elements, but none feel fleshed out or essential. You can battle random online opponents in the A.R.E.N.A. mode, but it amounts to nothing more than picking your squad members and flicking through a couple of menus; the “action” is totally automated and never shown. Meanwhile, the ability to combine and equip gems to enhance characters is unclear in spots, and spending coins to upgrade your buildings to house more allies than you’d ever actually need seems totally tacked on. Needing to be connected online at all times to play even the single-player story missions is also a frustratingly unnecessary aspect.
The bottom line. Solidly enjoyable (albeit super streamlined) brawling action makes The Winter Solidier an intriguing comic affair, but serious repetition and underwhelming side elements wear out its welcome.
