"If there is an app for that"

Edit photos with precision and remove backgrounds with the new iOS app Exacto

December 31, 2016 by RSS Feed

Source link: http://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/exacto-pen-selection-tool-ios-app/

Island Delta is an Adventure Puzzler That Defies Gravity

December 30, 2016 by RSS Feed

Island Delta ($1.99) by Noodlecake Studios Inc and Mantisbite is an adventure game that involves an anti-gravity weapon that serves as your Swiss Army knife to get through enemies, puzzles, and traps. If you enjoyed games like Space Marshals 2 and Legend of the Skyfish, then you will enjoy what Island Delta offers.

While a lot of my gaming these days is on my PlayStation 4, every now and then I like to sit back and relax with some mobile games when I need a break from Destiny. If you’ve been following my work on AppAdvice for the past several years, then you should know that I am a sucker for a good puzzle game and am always up for an adventure. Naturally, when I saw Island Delta on the App Store, I was intrigued, especially when I saw that it was published by Noodlecake Studios, who are the makers of the exceptional Super Stickman Golf games. I had to check out Island Delta for myself, and it’s definitely worth it if you’re a fan of quirky adventure puzzle games.

Visually, Island Delta is beautiful. The game is rendered in 3-D with an angled, top-down perspective that is similar to other games like Neon Chrome and Space Marshals 2. The quality of the graphics are fairly high quality as well, since the colors range from dark and gloomy tones to bright and lush hues, and the textures of the environment are incredibly detailed on Retina screens. The character models of the protagonists are pretty realistic in terms of movements and animations, and the various enemies that you’ll encounter also have their own unique behaviors that you must learn quickly to ensure survival. Island Delta has smooth and fluid animations overall, and the atmospheric music is rather futuristic and the sound effects are a nice finishing touch to the audio. While the game does halve any background audio, you can adjust the volume of the music and sound effects in the game’s option menu, and then restart your audio to have it at full volume again (this is a workaround for any app or game that does this). In the end, I think Mantisbite did a fantastic job in terms of visuals and audio in Island Delta, and the game is worth checking out for that alone, but there’s much more to it than that.

Like many other adventure puzzle games, Island Delta is level-based, so players must endure the stages one-by-one in a chronological and linear order. At the moment, the story involves three different chapters that are spread out across a few different areas, so there are about 30 stages total. Each level will have it’s own set of objectives that must be done in order for it to be completed and you can move on to the next one. These goals are clearly presented in the mission briefing beforehand, and the game does offer tips at the start of a stage, and you can always access your objectives from the game’s pause menu if you’re lost. The game does not have stars to earn on each stage or a time limit, but there are hidden collectibles that you’ll want to look for in order to unlock bonus levels. So technically, you can play the game at your own pace, which is rather nice for this genre. Island Delta also has some rather gorgeous cutscenes that are fun to watch, though they can also be skipped if you’d rather just jump into the action. The storyline is interesting though, and there is even a bit of humor in the dialogue between the characters that is always fun to hear.

Controls in Island Delta are a bit clunky at times, but they work alright for the most part. To move your character, which can be either Zoe or Baxter (depending on the stage), just drag your thumb around on the screen. The game uses a virtual joystick but it’s not locked into the bottom left corner area like most games, so you are given a bit of freedom with how you move. If seeing the virtual joystick annoys you, the visual can be turned off completely in the game’s options. To interact with objects, enemies, and the environment, just tap on what you want to grab with your anti-gravity gun, and then tap on where you want to throw it. To interact with your settings, such as activating switches and doors, just walk up to what you need and then a button should appear if you can communicate with it.

I found that placing a button in the middle of the screen for interactions feels a bit out of place, since some of us will have to reach over to get it, and the game should have had an action button in the bottom right corner or something. Hopefully the developers can consider that in a future update.

While some of the stages can feel a bit long, players should not worry. There are checkpoints that activate automatically after you reach a certain point in a stage, and you can always choose to pick up where you left off if you have to stop playing and come back to it later. Island Delta also has iCloud game save support, though it will have to be enabled manually, as it is not on by default for whatever reason. So even if you switch devices in the future, your game data will never be lost as long as you have the space in iCloud.

I’m still early on in the game but I’m enjoying it so far. The game looks stunning on Retina screens, the music is captivating and engaging, the sound effects are fun, and the puzzles themselves are challenging and honestly remind me a bit of the Portal games due to the fact that you grab items and throw them with your slick anti-gravity gun. I just wish that the controls were a bit more streamlined, because they just feel a bit unoptimized at the moment. But other than that, Island Delta is a fun adventure that is worth checking out.

I recommend giving Island Delta a try if you like adventure puzzle games that are set in the future and want to give yourself a challenge. You can find Island Delta on the App Store as a universal download for the iPhone and iPad for just $1.99 for a limited time (normal price is $2.99).

Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews

credit : appadvice

from : Mid Atlantic Consulting, Inc.

How to Use Snapchat on Your iPhone: The Ultimate Guide

December 28, 2016 by RSS Feed

Snapchat has come a long way. It morphed from an easy way to send self-destructing messages to a legitimate social network of sorts. I feel like Snapchat tries every single day to shed its previous image of being a platform for sexting. And of course, Snapchat of today is much different. It’s fun, useful and basically for everybody.

But if you’re over 19, you might have real problems figuring out the app, and the figuring out why to use it. We hear you, this guide is to help you out.

How to Get Started

Snapchat can be confusing to get started with. The user interface isn’t doing anyone any favors.

So we break everything down for you. In this guide, you’ll learn how to use Snapchat, and more importantly, why you should give it a shot.

How to View Stories

Snapchat can be a blast even if you don’t post anything there, ever. We get you familiar with the Stories screen and show you how you can never run out of entertainment from this one screen.

How to Start Posting Snaps

Now that you’ve understood what Snapchat is all about, you might have an idea of what you want to post on there. We tell you about all the tools Snapchat offers to make this process fun for you.

How to Get Those Fun Lens Effects

Snapchat is nothing if not for the filters. The dog face filter singlehandedly defined 2016 for us (well, among other things). So if you’re curious how exactly the filters where, where and when they’re available, this guide is for you.

How to Chat

Chatting in Snapchat is the last thing you want to do. Which is why it’s our last guide. And it’s the worst part of the Snapchat app. Still, we try to explain it to you in this guide.

How Do You Use Snapchat?

Everyone’s Snapchat experience is slightly different. How do you use the app? Share with us in the comment below.

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Source link: http://www.iphonehacks.com/2016/12/how-to-use-snapchat-iphone-guide.html

ATT Launches Spam Call Blocking with Call Protect for iPhone

December 23, 2016 by macjeff

AT&T launched a new spam call blocking service this week called Call Protect. The service blocks calls before they reach your iPhone, but it comes with some big limitations.

Call Protect displays warnings for suspected spam calls, and automatically blocks known fraud calls. The companion Call Protect app for iPhone and Android phones lets users temporarily block calls.

The service is free, but may not be of much use for some AT&T customers because it comes with a big caveat: You need a phone that supports AT&T HD Voice (iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, SE, 7, and 7 Plus) and you must be in an HD Voice coverage area. That covers about two thirds of the United States, but for people outside HD Voice coverage areas—which includes most of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Nebraska—Call Protect won’t work regardless of which phone model you have.

Despite the HD Voice limitations, AT&T’ senior vice president of Device and Network Services Marketing Jeff Bradley sees the service as a valuable tool. “Nuisance calls are an industry-wide problem that unfortunately affect many people,” hw said. “We’ve listened to our customers and know they want a network that provides tools to proactively assist in blocking nuisance calls.”

You can enable Call Protect in the myAT&T app on your iPhone, but it’s easier to first download the free Call Protect companion app from Apple’s App Store. The app enables and disables the service, and lets you control call blocking settings, too.

Call Protect’s App Store reviews are mixed at best. Many are complaining that the setup process failed, which wasn’t a problem when The Mac Observer set it up on one of our test iPhones. Others are complaining the service doesn’t seem to be working, which could mean those users are outside AT&T’s HD Voice coverage areas. Regardless, the initial response to the Call Protect app has been pretty poor.

Source link: https://www.macobserver.com/news/att-launches-call-protect/

Spam Call Blockers, USB-C iPhone – TMO Daily Observations 2016-12-22

December 23, 2016 by macjeff

AT&T is getting in on spam call blocking, so Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at how their system works and talk about other spam call blockers, too. They also discuss why replacing the Lightning connector on the iPhone with USB-C might not be a bad thing.

Eero home WiFi mesh networking gives you better performance and coverage. The 3-pack kit is $100 off until December 24, so you can get started for $399 and use discount code TDO when you pick overnight delivery for free shipping.

Source link: https://www.macobserver.com/podcasts/spam-call-blockers-tmo-daily-observations-2016-12-22/