It's been 3 years since Apple last updated the iPod line, which currently includes the iPod touch, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle...and since then the future of iPods has been uncertain. To make matters worse, in 2014 Apple decided to discontinue the iconic iPod Classic. In recent years, the sales of the iPod have slumped and its shortcut was even removed from Apple's home page. Today, Apple has finally refreshed the entire iPod lineup, starting with the iPod touch.
Image by Apple
The iPod touch is probably Apple's best selling iPod, as it mimicked most of the features of the iPhone at 1/4 of the latter's price. The 2015 iPod touch retains the 4-inch IPS Retina display (1,136 x 640) of its predecessor but now comes in a full-on anodized aluminum build a la iPhone 6. Ticking inside it is the powerful 64-bit Apple A8 chip together with the M8 motion co-processor along with 1GB RAM and Metal technology. This puts the performance of the new iPod touch on par with the iPhone 6. In fact, the sixth generation iPod touch has a CPU six times more powerful and a GPU ten times more powerful than those in its predecessor.
Image by Apple
Another upgrade on the new iPod touch is the inclusion of an 8-MP iSight camera with auto-focus, f/2.4 aperture, 5-element lens, hybrid IR filter, backside illumination, and LED flash. It is also capable of shooting 1080p Full HD videos in addition to shooting time-lapse and slo-mo videos at 120 fps. The front camera on the new iPod touch has been updated too - a 1.2-MP FaceTime HD camera capable of recording 720p HD videos and shooting in Burst mode. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth along with AirPlay and video mirroring. The new iPod touch runs iOS 8 with intelligent assistant Siri on board. Apple claims that the new iPod touch can play music non-stop for 40 hours and videos for 8 hours.
Image by Apple
The sixth generation iPod touch will be available in 5 colors including Gold, Space Gray, Silver, Blue, and Pink. As with any iPod before, it will also have a (Product) RED version. The new iPod touch will retail for $199 for the 16GB model, $249 for the 32GB model, $299 for the 64GB model, and $399 for the 128GB model. Inside its box, one can also find a Lightning to USB cable and a pair of Apple EarPods. The iPod touch Loop had seemingly been discontinued. As for the iPod nano and the iPod shuffle, they retain their exact specs from three years ago but now come in 5 new color variants - same as the iPod touch plus a (Product) RED version too. Any takers?
Apple's most advanced mobile operating system has come a long way and this 2014, when iOS 8 makes its debut, it will be more feature-packed and surprisingly, more "open" to developers and consumers alike. From messaging to connectivity to health, the iOS 8 has improved in all aspects.
Image by Apple
Let's start with Photos and Camera. The all-new Photos app makes it simpler than ever to find and rediscover
your favorite photos. The iCloud Photo Library gives you the freedom to access your library from any device, anytime
you want. So you can view a photo from last week or last year no matter
where you are. Photos can also make beautiful edits for you and make every shot look even better
immediately after you’ve taken it with powerful new editing tools. There is also a new Time-lapse mode in the Camera. The new mode snaps photos at
dynamically selected intervals. The result is a video showing an
accelerated sequence of the photos over time.
Image by Apple
In iOS 8, you’ll find a convenient new way to respond to notifications.
Take action on texts, email, calendar invitations, reminders, and even
messages from apps like Facebook right from their notification banners —
without leaving the app you’re in. Also, there are now helpful shortcuts to the people you talk to most. Pressing the Home button twice allows you to see the multitasking
interface. At the top, you’ll notice something new: the faces of people
you’ve recently talked to and — if you swipe to the right — your
favorite contacts as well. Just tap one to call, text, or start a
FaceTime call. Lastly, there are new time-saving
features for managing your mail. From your inbox, swipe to mark an email as read or flag it for
follow-up. You can also easily jump between a draft email and an email
in your inbox to gather the information you need to compose your
message. And now when Mail recognizes a reservation, flight
confirmation, or phone number in an email, a notification appears. Just
tap to add an event to your calendar or a phone number to your contacts.
Image by Apple
At last, there are changes on Apple's keyboard. iOS 8 now makes typing easier by suggesting contextually appropriate words
to complete your sentences. It even recognizes to whom you’re typing and
whether you’re in Mail or Messages. Because your tone in an email may
be different from your tone in a message. The iOS 8 predictive text engine is now optimized for 14 countries. Which
means as you type, you’ll see suggested words and phrases that are
commonly used in your region. And as you use the keyboard over time, it
will learn the way you communicate, get to know your favorite phrases,
and suggest a logical next word. And for the first time, iOS 8 opens up the keyboard to developers. And once
new keyboards are available, you’ll be able to choose your favorite
input method or layout systemwide.
Image by Apple
There is also a new Family Sharing feature on iOS 8. It makes it easy for up to six people in your family to
share each other’s iTunes, iBooks, and App Store purchases. Whenever one
person buys a new song, movie, or app, everybody gets to share. It’s
also easier than ever to share family photos, a family calendar,
locations, and more.
Image by Apple
Introducing the iCloud Drive, which allows you to work on any file, anywhere. That includes presentations, PDFs, images,
and more — right from iCloud. On whichever device you’re using,
including your Mac or PC. Also, the iPhone, iPad, and Mac are now connected like never before. Now you can start an email on one device and seamlessly
continue on another. And iPhone owners can answer phone calls on their
Mac or iPad, and even send SMS messages from any of them.
Image by Apple
Apple has also invested much in Health. Now your activity tracker, heart rate monitor, and other health and
fitness apps can talk to each other. The new Health app gives you an easy-to-read dashboard of your health
and fitness data. And we’ve created a new tool for developers called
HealthKit, which allows all the incredible health and fitness apps to
work together, and work harder, for you. It just might be the beginning
of a health revolution.
Image by Apple
Finally, Spotlight has also seen improvements. It now gives you suggestions from Wikipedia
entries, places nearby, trending news, and more. It’s even smart enough
to recognize context and location to offer you the most relevant
information.
Image by Apple
There are many more changes and improvements in iOS 8 and I'm sure,
Apple users cannot wait any longer to have it installed in their
devices. iOS 8 will be available Fall of 2014. It is compatible with iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (5th Gen), iPad Air, iPad 2, iPad with Retina display (3rd & 4th Gen), iPad mini, and iPad mini with Retina display.
Apple has released iOS 7.1 update for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. The software update brings several improvements to your iOS device, including CarPlay.
Available on select new cars in 2014, CarPlay takes the things you want
to do with your iPhone while driving and puts them on your car’s
built-in display. Now you have a smarter, safer way to make calls, get
directions, or play music from your iPhone while in the car. Just plug
in your iPhone and go. CarPlay is compatible only with iPhone 5S, 5C, and 5.
Image by Apple
There are also noticeable user interface changes, such as tweaks to
the phone dialer and the power off area, where Apple has opted for round
UI elements. Additionally, the accept and decline buttons for incoming calls have also been tweaked, along with the repeat and shuffle
icons in the Music player.
The parallax effect can now be disabled when
selecting a custom image for a wallpaper. The delete and shift keys on the keyboard are also
more prominent now. Meanwhile, iTunes Radio will also get featured station search as well as quick iTunes Match subscription directly
from the phone.
Image by Apple
Apple has also fixed the occasional Home screen crash bug. Moreover, the Touch ID fingerprint recognition has also been improved on the iPhone 5S. And now, iPhone 4 users will enjoy improved responsiveness and performance.
After the long wait, Plants vs. Zombies 2 has finally arrived on the iOS platform worldwide. Back in early July, the game had its soft launch in New Zealand and Australia's App Stores but it is only today (Aug 15) that it has become widely available for download. PVZ 2 is heavily influenced by the original game, and with new characters and locations, it is even better.
Image by GSMArena
In terms of game play, PVZ 2 is essentially the same as the original game. Hordes of zombies will attack your lawn and your plants need to put up a good defense. PVZ 2 has also introduced a world map so you can choose levels and locations. Currently, there are three different time periods: Ancient Egypt, Pirate Seas, and Wild World. More time periods are expected to come out later. As mentioned, there will be new plants like the Bonk Choy, which is a plant designed for melee attacks. There are new zombies as well such as the Chicken Wrangler, which unleashes a herd of chickens after you attack it. All previous plants and zombie characters will still be there and they have also been updated in terms of looks. The artworks and visuals are also much nicer now. There is no native support for Retina display yet but hopefully EA comes up with one soon.
Currently, it is only available for download on the iOS platform through the App Store, which includes support for the iPhone, iPad, iPad mini, and iPod touch. The game is totally free but EA has implemented tons of in-app purchases as well. Don't worry, none of these are essential for you not to finish the game. An Android version of PVZ 2 is on the way as well.
Apple introduced the all-new iOS 7 at the recently held World Wide Developers Conference. We've seen them play with the iPhone 5 running on the newly minted OS. But did you ever wonder how the said OS would look on the iPad?
Image by GSMArena
Well, the wait is over as early screenshots of iOS 7 running on the
bigger canvas have surfaced. The
iOS 7 has been nicely optimized to make best use of the extra screen
estate. The settings menu is split in two. The Command Center is much more
space-efficient.
Image by GSMArena
As you can see on the pictures, there's not much difference UI-wise but I'm pretty sure that Apple enthusiasts are itching to get their hands on the iPad and iPad mini running on iOS 7.
At WWDC, Apple's Jony Ive has unveiled the iOS 7. It is a completely designed version of iOS that introduces new features such as Control Center,
which is a slide-up panel that allows you one-tap control of many basic settings
and gives you quick access to tools such as calculator, flashlight, and camera. iOS 7 also brings the notification center to the lock screen. Automatic updates to apps as well as location-awareness abilities for 3rd party apps have also been enabled with iOS 7. I say that one of the most important updates to iOS would probably be the true multi-tasking feature in the iOS 7. Better late than never, huh?
Image by Apple
An unexpected feature in the iOS 7 is the introduction of the liveliness wallpaper interaction, which is the built-in hovering of your icons above the wallpaper, each of them moving as your device moves in physical
space. This system is likely based on the gyroscope sensor inside the
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Image by Apple
Mobile Safari and Siri have also been updated and both have become smarter. Safari will have new tabs, smart search box, and a boost in speed. Siri is also seeing an upgrade with iOS 7 with lots more integration of 3rd party systems. Siri as a man or a woman join Twitter, Bing, and Wikipedia connections this fall.
Image by Apple
Then there’s sharing. iOS 7 brings AirDrop system-wide for easier sharing of media to and from desktop computers and to and from other mobile devices without the need for NFC or mobile apps such as Bump. With Moments and Filters, iOS 7′s update to Photos is a significant jump from the very basic app it is today. It also seems like an attack on apps like Instagram. There are also updates to the Camera app, which lets you take Square photos.
Image by Apple
Image by Apple
Automobiles with smart interfaces will be working
with an expanded integration of iOS in the near future through iOS 7,
complete with a unique user interface for several next-generation vehicles. A bevy of additional features such as FaceTime Audio and walking Maps were mentioned too.
Image by Apple
Of course, there are also changes to apps like Messages, Calendar, Mail, Weather, Maps, Clock, Game Center, Notes, Passbook, Compass, Contacts, Facetime, Calculator, and more. Then there’s iTunes Radio,
a system that’s built-in to iOS 7′s standard “Music” app. From there
you’ll be able to play streaming radio stations with music aimed at you
in a variety of ways. This system will be available for free with
advertisements or for free without advertisements if you’re already an
iTunes Match subscriber. Through iTunes Radio, the user will be able to
skip songs, learn more about the artists and their music, and
connections to iTunes will be instant. With a tap, the user will be able
to own a song played on iTunes Radio, this track added to the user’s
Apple library accessible through the all-encompassing iCloud.
Image by Apple
Image by Apple
The first full version of the iOS 7 will be released later this year. Note
also that iOS 7 will be completely available only for the following devices: iPhone 5, iPod touch (5th Gen), iPad (4th Gen), and the iPad mini. As before, some of the other features of the iOS 7 will also be available to iPhone 4 or later and iPad 2 or later.
Image by Apple
Now, watch the official iOS 7 video below:
I can say this is probably the biggest iOS update to date...and hopefully the best. What do you think?
It's kind of odd but Apple has just released a new and cheaper iteration of its iPod touch series. The new iPod touch, which will come in 16GB only, will feature basically the same specifications of its 32GB and 64GB siblings, minus the iSight rear-facing main camera.
Image by Apple
The new iPod touch 16GB will feature the same ultra-slim design of the other 5th generation iPod touches. Hence, it will also have a 4-inch Retina display with wide viewing angles, protected by an oleophobic coating. It will also be powered by Apple's dual-core A5 chip, which was also used in the iPad 2, iPad mini, and the two other 5th generation iPod touches. It will still come with the Lightning connector and Apple's new EarPods though.
Image by Apple
So what makes the new iPod touch different from the two other 5th Gen iPod touches? Well, first, it will lose half of the internal storage, down to 16GB. Second, it will lose the 5-MP iSight camera, which is also capable of recording HD videos. Third, the iPod touch Loop will be gone as well. Lastly, its price will go down to an SRP of $229 from $299 of the 32GB model.
Image by Apple
Indeed, the new iPod touch 16GB is a downgrade of the 32GB/64GB version. It is targeted to those who do not want and need extra features such as the iSight camera and the Loop. After all, the iPod touch is mainly an entertainment device. It is also said to come in one color only, which is silver. Will you be getting this one instead of its more expensive older siblings? Source
Apple fans are about to get Google's intelligent assistant app Google Now, as the search engine company has made the app available to iOS users. Google Now, which was previously only available for Android,
pushes out information when you need it, such as the temperature while
getting dressed in the morning, alerts when there's more traffic than
usual and updates on news stories you've been following.
Image by Mashable
Coupled with criticism from Apple Maps and mixed Siri reviews, the introduction of Google Now
to iOS makes Apple's software less relevant, as users can opt for even
more Google products over the company's existing features. However, if Google wanted to give Apple users a reason to switch to
Android, that reason has been taken away.
Google Now for iOS recognizes voice and actually looks better than its Android
peer but can’t quite match
the functionality of the Google OS version. For example, you can’t interact with the iOS – you can’t invoke a call
or a navigation route, you can’t setup an alarm, do a text a message or
a note, etc. Also, Google Now on iOS doesn’t speak.
To experience Google Now’s complete functionality you’ll need to use
Google services instead of the iOS defaults.
After introducing Facebook Home to specific Android devices, Facebook is now bringing
some of the new features to iOS, notably chat heads. With the latest
update, your Facebook chats will now appear alongside the screen. Unlike that of Android, the chat heads cannot be seen outside of the Facebook app, which is a limitation of the iOS. Regardless, the chat heads still look cool on the screen.
Image by GSMArena
Alongside the chat heads are the stickers on the
iPhone, which are big emoticons that you can
use in your chats, similar to the stickers on Viber. Other than that, both the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad mini, and iPad versions
get a refreshed UI with a redesigned timeline similar to the desktop version of Facebook.
Apple has just rolled out iOS 6.1 to hundreds of millions of iOS devices.
The latest iOS brings LTE support for 36 additional carriers offering
the iPhone and 23 offering the iPad.
Siri has been updated and now allows you to purchase movie tickets right
off the app. This feature is available only in the US, at least for the time being.
iTunes Match is updated as well giving its users the ability to
download individual songs off iCloud.
Finally, there's a new button that allows you to reset the
Advertising Identifier in addition to lots of other minor,
under-the-hood bug fixes.
“iOS 6 is the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, and with
nearly 300 million iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices on iOS 6 in just
five months, it may be the most popular new version of an OS in
history,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of
Worldwide Marketing, in a release. “iOS 6.1 brings LTE support to more
markets around the world, so even more users can enjoy ultrafast Safari
browsing, FaceTime video calls, iCloud services, and iTunes and App
Store downloads.”
Available as a free download, the iOS 6.1 update is up for grabs for
owners of the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3GS, the iPad
(third and fourth generation), iPad mini, iPad 2 and iPod touch (fourth
and fifth generation).
To download the app, go to Settings on your mobile device and then
select General. The update will be available via the Software Update
section within that screen. However, users should have at least 1GB of
storage to download iOS 6.1, so you may have to clean up some
space on your device beforehand.
The award-winning app developer Imangi Studios has finally announced the sequel to the insanely popular running game Temple Run, which is aptly named Temple Run 2. It's currently available on all iOS 4.2 devices or higher. Android users, on the other hand, would have to wait until Jan 24, 2013.
UPDATE: Temple Run 2 for Android has already been released. There's hardly a difference in gameplay, graphics, and controls from its iOS counterpart.
The game is FREE and builds on the same concept as the original with
added better graphics, new location (a temple in the sky), 7 different
characters, etc. all without changing the easy to master gameplay.
Here are the Best Free and Paid Zombie Games for the iOS platform, which includes the iPhone, iPad, iPad mini, and iPod touch.
1. Plants vs. Zombies HD - A mob of fun-loving zombies is about to invade your home. Defend it with
an arsenal of 49 zombie-zapping plants that will slow down, confuse and
mulchify all 26 types of zombies before they reach your door. This games costs US$6.99.
2. Samurai vs Zombies
- Play as the heroic Samurai and defend your village against hordes of
attacking zombies! Recruit allies and build defenses to stop them! DOWNLOAD HERE
3. Zombie HQ - The zombie infestation in the city is seriously getting in the way of
your down time. Take back your city and reclaim what is yours! Scour the streets for salvage to get bigger guns, explosives, and other zombie-killing weapons. Rescue survivors from the zombie horde and airlift them to safety for bonus rewards. Then
catch a breath in your zombie HQ. Deck out your ultimate man-cave with
pool tables, hot tubs, TVs, turntables, plants and more!
DOWNLOAD HERE
4. Contract Killer: Zombies - Save the remnants of humanity by infiltrating the zombie-infested city,
stocking up on supplies, rescuing civilians and ushering them to safety
while slaughtering every zombie in your path!
DOWNLOAD HERE
5. Contract Killer Zombies 2 - The follow up to the successful franchise, Contract Killer Zombies!!
Step into the role of Evelyn as she tries to clear out the Savehaven
Research Center from the hordes of zombies and reveal the mystery behind
the outbreak.
6. Zombie Highway - The goal is to survive... but you won't. How far will you go? It's you, your heavily armed passenger, against a boatload of super-strong, leaping zombies. This game costs US$0.99.
7. Zombie Tsunami
- The zombies are revolting ! In Zombie Tsunami, take your place in a
crowd of rampaging undead as you race through the city attacking the
unfortunate survivors and adding them to your unstoppable throng of
hungry, hot-footed horrors. It’s a Zombie Tsunami out there, and
everyone is invited! DOWNLOAD HERE
8. Pro Zombie Soccer - No one ever needed an excuse to go out and kill zombies. Or to kick a
soccer ball around. But if you want an excuse to kick a soccer ball into
space, realign an orbital weapons platform and launch a death-ray to
explode the heads of the zombies sneaking into your soccer field – then
THIS IS IT! This games costs US$0.99.
DOWNLOAD HERE
9. Mutant Roadkill - Race through an apocalyptic wasteland overrun with mutants and other
hazards! Blast your way through city ruins as you try to escape a world
overrun with danger. Drive as far as you can and compete against the
world on the online leaderboards! Can you make it out alive?
10. Zombie Farm - Tired of killing zombies? Try farming them! DOWNLOAD HERE
So
there you have it! These are my Top 10 free and paid zombie applications for iOS that
can be downloaded from the Apple App Store for FREE. I hope you like them.
When Apple updated its iOS devices to iOS 6, native applications created by Google, such as the YouTube app and the Maps app, were removed. Despite Apple replacing the Google Maps app with its own Maps app, iOS users felt that it was not enough due to the latter's shortcomings. Finally, after a very long wait, Google has brought back the YouTube app for iPad and the Maps app for iPhone and iPod touch. Hopefully, a Maps app for the iPad is also in the works.
1. YouTube for iPad - Watch the world’s videos and keep up with your favorite YouTube channels
with the official YouTube app for iOS. Sign in to access your
subscriptions, playlists, uploads and more.
2. Google Maps for iPhone/iPod touch - Navigate your world with Google Maps, now available for iPhone. Get
comprehensive, accurate and easy-to-use maps with built-in Google local
search, voice guided turn-by-turn navigation, public transit directions,
Street View and more. Use Google Maps to discover great places to eat,
drink, shop and play, with ratings and reviews from people you trust.
Sign in to save your favorite places and quickly access all your past
searches and directions from your computer, right on your phone. DOWNLOAD HERE
There you have it guys! I'm sure iOS users are rejoicing now.
Just when you thought that this is actually a new generation of the iPod shuffle, think again! The iPod shuffle may have undergone change but it was very minor - a change in color to be exact.
Voila! The iPod shuffle is now available in seven interesting colors! Slate, Silver, Purple, Pink, Yellow, Green, and Blue. There's also an eighth color, which is Red, provided you buy your new iPod shuffle from Apple Online Store.
The iPod shuffle has retained its sleek anodized aluminum body and is still small, light, and wearable (unlike the new iPod nano, which has become bigger and could no longer be used as a wrist watch). You can still play music of various formats, audiobooks, and podcasts. Its playback time is up to 15 hours depending on usage. Just a side story: I usually use my iPod shuffle while working out and only when working out, so it lasts for about a week for me. Not bad!
The iPod shuffle also has a few tricks up its sleeves. It does VoiceOver, which is basically reading out loud the title of the song and the name of the artist. You can activate this by pressing the VoiceOver button once. Press it twice and you'll hear the battery status of your iPod shuffle.
Just like before, it only comes in a 2GB model, which is good enough for a dedicated music player as portable as the iPod shuffle. Did I mention that you can also create playlists on your iPod shuffle?
In the US, it retails for US$49, which is really affordable and definitely worth your money! Unfortunately, with that price, it will not ship with the new Apple EarPods, which costs another US$29 on the Apple Online Store.
