TODAY is the last day before iTunes Connect shutdown for the holiday, so we’re re-running a few things you may have missed -> Here’s some great deals for today on iOS & Mac apps that are on sale for a limited time, so get ‘em before they’re gone!
Posts tagged with "iPad"
#MacStoriesDeals - HUGE Wednesday!
Reeder for iPad Can Now Fetch Full Articles From Any Website
Reeder, the best Google Reader client for the iPad (and Mac, too), just got a lot better with the 1.3 update that showed up in iTunes a few minutes ago. Just in time for the iTunes Connect holiday shutdown, Reeder 1.3 introduces a few bug fixes but, most of all, the possibility to fetch full content on articles from any website thanks to initial Readability integration.
Readability is a great tool (also used by Apple in Safari Reader) that removes clutter from webpages to display text in an elegant way without all the images, ads and links that are usually living on today’s webpages. In Reeder for iPad, developer Silvio Rizzi decided to use Readability to fetch full and uncluttered content from websites that come with truncated RSS feeds (unlike MacStories) and won’t let you read an entire article in the standard RSS view.
To activate the feature, open an article and tap on the Readability icon in the top toolbar. Wait a few seconds, and Reeder will display the full content without having to open the web view.
Reeder for iPad is available at $4.99 in the App Store.
Tap To Chat Is A Simple, Useful App for Facebook Chat
I don’t use Facebook much, but when I do it’s for one thing: chat. I don’t like Facebook Messages, I don’t want to get in touch with my friends on walls, I don’t get the new Groups functionality – thus, I use chat. It’s not exactly reliable and full-featured (hello? easily file and photo sharing?) but as all my friends are on Facebook (and addicted to it) it’s the best way to get ahold of them.
What about the iPhone? The official Facebook app does chat, among other things. Those “other things” is what I don’t need: I don’t need to jump to people’s profile while I’m chatting, I don’t need the grid interface, I just want to find my friends online and chat. A simple request.
Guess what, we have an app for that. It’s called Tap To Chat, it’s universal for iPhone and iPad and it’s available at $0.99 in the App Store. Tap To Chat is the simple Facebook chat app meant for those who just want chat to work without all the bells and whistles of Facebook. Simple factor aside, Tap To Chat (developed by the same creator of Buddies) has a few tricks up its sleeve that make it the best implementation of Facebook chat I’ve seen on iOS devices. Read more
Watercolor Painting On The Apple Canvas
When Apple sent out the invitations for its iPad announcement even in January, the email included a picture of a white canvas with lots of paint splattered on it. The invitation said “come see our latest creation”, and it eventually turned out to be about the iPad – the device we know and love today.
Several users and bloggers speculated “Apple Canvas” might be a good name for the rumored tablet back then. Of course it didn’t happen, but we liked the concept. And now it all comes back to life again, thanks to an app called Auryn Ink that will turn the iPad’s screen into a watercolor painting canvas.
The app doesn’t come with the best UI elements and menus ever (they’re actually pretty ugly and need a lot of refinements), but the functionality is there. Auryn Ink lets you choose between different canvas types, tip shapes and bristles, adjust the brush size and even set the fade of ink as you’re brushing. You can set different watercolors, adjust the thickness of brushes and apply pressure effects as well as speed of gestures.
Auryn Ink hasn’t got the most beautiful UI of the year but I’m sure real artists will make this work for them to come up with stunning creations. Plus, the app is free in the App Store.
#MacStoriesDeals - Tuesday with Reader Exclusives
Today’s Deals include a few special offers for MacStories readers so check it out under Mac Apps! -> Here’s some great deals for today on iOS & Mac apps that are on sale for a limited time, so get ‘em while they’re hot!
First Infinity Blade Update Now Available→
First Infinity Blade Update Now Available
- 5 new Swords, 5 new Shields, 5 new Helmets, and 1 new set of Armor - Collect and Master them all!
- Maximum Character Level raised from 40 to 45!
- New Enemy - The MARROW FIEND! This creature is rumored to devour its victims, taking their bones for its blade and shield…
- Because it’s awesome, you can now listen to your own music while playing INFINITY BLADE!
- PURCHASE GOLD! Due to popular demand, we have added the ability to buy extra Gold via in-app purchase!
- Optimizations and minor Bug fixes
Infinity Blade 1.1 is available here. I can’t wait for multiplayer mode to come in the next version.
Huffington Post Releases Completely Redesigned iPad App
If you’re loyal Huffington Post readers, happen to have an iPad and don’t mind downloading free apps from the App Store (why would you?), perhaps you’d like to take a look at the just released Huffington Post iPad app. The HuffPo’s iPad client has been around for a while, actually. Indeed, version 2.0 is a major redesign of the app aimed at taking it a step further, following the latest trends in iPad app development.
The app has this visually rich star page with a navigation sidebar on the left, main categories (Top Stories, News, Blogs, Slideshows, Popular) on the right. You can log in your account using a box in the upper left corner. You can browse the categories on the right by swiping your finger over the featured headlines.
As you tap on an article, a clean web view slides in allowing you to read without leaving the homepage. The design is nice and elegant. You can share a post, increase or decrease the font’s size, but you can go full-screen – unlike Twitter for iPad which features a similar concept but allows you to open web views in full-screen mode. Slideshows have a similar clean (although much darker) design, too.
Huffington Post for iPad is available for free in the App Store. More screenshots below. Read more
Sorted, Simple To-Do App for iPad, Gets A Lot Better With Version 2.0
Sorted is a very simple (and beautiful) to-do / list app for the iPad we first reviewed in May. The iPad was “the new hot thing” back then, not so many productivity apps were available and Things was my GTD app of choice. Sorted managed to stand out because it was elegant and provided a new way to simple list creation and task management on the tablet. It wasn’t meant for the average GTD power user still it captured the hearts of many hardcore users by being the “alternative” to more popular software like the aforementioned Things or, months later, OmniFocus for iPad.
I liked Sorted because it was the app I used to create lists out of my daily GTD environment. In fact, I still have the app on my iPad. But it’s a lot better now, as version 2.0 was released in the App Store a couple of days ago and it’s really good. Read more
Textie Hits 1.1, Now For Both iPhone & iPad
One my favorite text messaging solutions on the iPod touch is Textie, and it’s just hit version 1.1. Bringing a myriad of customization features such as custom chat bubbles and font sizes, photo previews, and the ability to see which of your friends have Textie, free text messaging is getting a much needed facelift. Not on a phone? Textie now allows you to initialize Facetime, perfect for folks like me who opt for the free-model of an iPod touch communication device. It really is an excellent companion for the Facetime icon on your homescreen, and you can download the latest version in the iTunes app store right now.