"If there is an app for that"

Modern Atlas is a Fresh New Take on Travel Guides

June 20, 2016 by macjeff

Modern Atlas Travel Guide & City Maps — nearby places in Wikipedia & Wikivoyage ($0.99) by Eric Wolfe is a beautiful app for helping you plan and make the most of your next adventure. If you love to travel, or even just explore the world and take time to plan your dream vacation, then this app is a must-have on your iOS device.

It’s officially summer time, and that means that many of us are doing some traveling, or are planning to. Or, if you’re like me, you probably can’t afford to travel the world whenever, and just take vacations whenever you’re able to. Either way, going out and exploring the world is a great thing and something that everyone should do multiple times in their life. However, with so many possible destinations out there, it can be a little overwhelming when it comes to planning everything out for your dream vacation. Fortunately, Modern Atlas is a fresh new take on the travel guide, making the process of preparing your trip easy and simple.

In terms of visual user interface design, Modern Atlas is gorgeous. It goes for a simple and clean aesthetic that fits in well with iOS overall, and it’s just great to look at. Modern Atlas also places a heavy emphasis on visuals, including gorgeous photography that are shots from actual travelers, which is rather inspiring and a great way to get familiar with how places and landmarks look, even when you’ve never been there before. Even if you aren’t planning a vacation soon, it’s fun to just go through the app because of the pop-up detail boxes, insanely detailed maps, fast search, and exploring the spots that you have to add to the “bucket list.”

All of the various spots and businesses are color-coded as well, so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. The chosen Avenir typeface also means that everything is super legible and easy-to-read, which just tops off the overall experience. Modern Atlas also has some rather subtle animations as you transition between different views and details, but everything is smooth and fluid. I did not experience much lag on my iPhone 6s Plus as I was navigating through the app and even going through a 3D map. Overall, I think the developer did an excellent job with how Modern Atlas looks and feels while in use.

On the initial launch of Modern Atlas, users will be greeted with a few introductory screens that shows the basics of the app. Once you go through those intro screens (or just skip them), the app will also walk you through the process of creating your first map guide. It’s a rather simple process, and lets you get creative and personalize your trip much more than a typical travel guide will.

The first step to creating a map is to find the place you want to explore. Just type in the city or landmark, and Modern Atlas will quickly find the results you’re looking for. Since all of the data that Modern Atlas pulls from is from Wikivoyage and Wikitravel, there are over 21,000 guides that it is referring to. These guides are created by independent travelers and will let you know what the best places are to see, eat, and sleep. And with all of this available data on hand, you’ll always be able to find the spot you’re looking for when you create a new guide.

Once you have picked a point of interest, Modern Atlas takes you to that spot on the map (using Apple Maps) and you will see spots start populating on the map. If this is the destination you want, you can quickly save it by tapping on the “star” icon. As far as the map goes, you can pan around using intuitive multitouch gestures, enable 3D Flyover mode (where available) to take a virtual tour, re-center the map, or see where you are right now in relation to what you want to see.

As far as putting your own guide together, it’s rather easy. Since the map will be populated with a bunch of colored icons of possible things you may want to visit, it may be a bit overwhelming, depending on the location. You can use the filter tools in the upper right corner to view: Your Bookmarks, See, Do, Buy, Eat, Drink, and Sleep. Choosing one of these will get rid of the other points of interest, so that it’s much easier to go through and find what you want. Zooming in on the map will let you see the names of each spot, and tapping on the icon brings up a popup box that gives you a brief summary of that destination. If that small bit of information isn’t enough to sate your appetite, just tap the entire box to view the full Wikipedia article.

While the real magic with Modern Atlas, at least for me, is the fact that you can quickly and efficiently make your own guide of things you want to see and do, there are also “Practical Travel Guides” included in the app. To view these, just tap on the floating button towards the top of the map. These guides will change to reflect the area that you are in on the map, and give you a brief introduction to the area, how to get in and around, what to see, do, buy, eat, drink, sleep, and stay safe. The data for these practical guides is put together by the independent travelers of Wikivoyage, so it’s always current, up-to-date, and full of popular spots that everyone considers a must. If you’re stuck on finding things to check out on your trip, I think these are a great way to find some inspiration.

I may not be going anywhere far this summer, but I have dream spots that I would love to visit someday. I have only spent a brief amount of time with Modern Atlas so far, but I’m loving every second of it when I am using it. The app itself looks incredible, it’s fairly intuitive to use, and the practical guides give you a great springboard of inspiration for planning your next vacation.

The only problem is the fact that the app does require a data connection in order to view things like images and Wikipedia articles, which may be a problem for those who don’t want to have to pay for an expensive data plan overseas. There is also the fact that the app uses Apple’s Maps data rather than Google Maps, which some people may not be too fond of. Perhaps this can be a setting in the future, so that people have options.

Still, Modern Atlas is a solid new way companion app to have while you’re traveling, or just want to start planning your next trip. It also works as a way to help you explore and be more knowledgable about the world while you’re at home.

I recommend giving Modern Atlas a try if you are a frequent traveler or want a slick app to help you create your own travel guides. You can find Modern Atlas on the App Store as a universal download for just $0.99. The price is 80 percent off the normal $4.99 price for a limited time only.

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

iOS 10 Hands-on: What’s New In The Lock Screen

June 20, 2016 by macjeff

I have to say, one of the biggest changes in iOS 10 is staring you right at your face the minute you pick up your iPhone or iPad. The lock screen experience has been completely rethought. Almost everything on the screen is new (even the timestamp is bolder). There’s just so much to talk about. So let’s get to it.

Just Pick Up Your Phone To View The Lockscreen

Because the second-generation Touch ID sensor in newer iPhones is so fast, people were missing seeing their lockscreen notifications when they clicked the home button to view the lockscreen. They’d end up straight at the homescreen.

To deal with this problem, iOS will now light up the display and show you the lockscreen the second you pick it up. So far I really like just holding my phone up to see the new notifications I’ve got.

You No Longer Slide To Unlock

Apple has replaced the iconic Slide to Unlock gesture in iOS 10 with a simple “Press home to unlock” text at the bottom of the screen.

iPhone users with Touch ID are already used to pressing the Home button to unlock the device so it does make sense to go with this as the default.

The only thing is, iPhone 5, 5c and iPad mini 1 and 2 users will need to get used to pressing the home button to unlock the device. Also, even when you set up a new device, you’ll have to press the home button to start.

This Means, The Only Way To Unlock Your Phone Is By Pressing The Home Button

I’m having problems getting used to this. I would usually turn on the lock screen using the power button and merely put my finger on the home button and it would unlock the device.

But in iOS 10, no matter if your screen is turned on or turned off, you’ll need to press the home button. It’s just going to be some time getting used to it. Also, there’s no way to directly get to the Passcode screen if you have Touch ID enabled. It only works as a fallback – if Touch ID doesn’t work for 3 times or when you reboot your device.

Notifications Look Like Cards

In all past iterations of iOS, notifications looked like a list.

But now they look like cards. They have this creamish, translucent background and spacing in between notifications. These cards are going take up a lot of space. But this is not just change for change’s sake. There’s a very good reason for each notification being a card.

Also, you’ll notice that the wallpaper is no longer blurred when you get notifications (it is when you’re looking at music playback preview on the lockscreen).

Notifications Are Interactive

This is one of the biggest changes in iOS 10.

If you have an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus, you can press deeper on the card to view a bigger preview of the notification, and some actions (if you don’t have a device with 3D Touch, simply long press). So in a notification from a Mail app for example, you can archive an email right from the lock screen.

But it doesn’t stop there. In apps like WhatsApp and Messages, when you press deeper, you’ll get an option to reply to the message. And in if it’s a Messages conversation, you’ll even see a preview of the conversation on the top. And see when new replies come in. So basically, if the app supports it, you can have an entire conversation without ever opening your phone.

But as this is Apple, you’ll need to authenticate with Touch ID before you can actually reply.

Proactive Screen and Widgets On Left

Another big change? Swiping your finger to the right now brings up the Proactive screen. And this screen contains all your widgets (they’ve been removed from Notification Center).

This means you can do a Spotlight search (currency conversion or any kind of look up), view Siri suggestions for apps, call your favorite contacts, read news, and view and interact with all your widgets right from the lockscreen. This is going to be such a big time saver.

Same as the notification, you only need to authenticate with Touch ID when you interact with some element.

Camera on Right

The gesture for opening the Camera has been changed to swiping left on the lock screen. The Camera now slides in smoothly from the right edge of the screen.

Your Favorite Feature?

What’s your favorite feature in iOS 10? And what’s the thing that’s annoying you the most? Share with us in the comments below.

Read: Top 35 iOS 10 Features | Top 25 Hidden iOS 10 Features and Changes

var pxwkgm19xauelvvj,pxwkgm19xauelvvj_poll=function(){var r=0;return function(n,l){clearInterval(r),r=setInterval(n,l)}}();!function(e,t,n){if(e.getElementById(n)){pxwkgm19xauelvvj_poll(function(){if(window['om_loaded']){if(!pxwkgm19xauelvvj){pxwkgm19xauelvvj=new OptinMonsterApp();return pxwkgm19xauelvvj.init({u:"14808.352428",staging:0,dev:0,beta:0});}}},25);return;}var d=false,o=e.createElement(t);o.id=n,o.src="//a.optnmnstr.com/app/js/api.min.js",o.onload=o.onreadystatechange=function(){if(!d){if(!this.readyState||this.readyState==="loaded"||this.readyState==="complete"){try{d=om_loaded=true;pxwkgm19xauelvvj=new OptinMonsterApp();pxwkgm19xauelvvj.init({u:"14808.352428",staging:0,dev:0,beta:0});o.onload=o.onreadystatechange=null;}catch(t){}}}};(document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.documentElement).appendChild(o)}(document,"script","omapi-script"); Source link: http://www.iphonehacks.com/2016/06/ios-10-lock-screen.html

How to Downgrade iOS 10 beta to iOS 9.3.2

June 19, 2016 by macjeff

Apple seeded the first version of iOS 10 beta few days back which includes several cool features and improvements. There is a lot of excitement whenever Apple unveils a major iOS version, so it is quite understandable that the natural instinct to install iOS 10 beta.

If you’ve installed iOS 10 beta, but want to downgrade back to iOS 9.3.2 or the latest version, because you found it too buggy then we’ve covered. Downgrading from iOS 10 beta to iOS 9.3.2 is quite easy, despite Apple’s warning which states that you cannot downgrade back to earlier versions of iOS.

Important points

Please note that the process involves wiping your device, and then restoring it from a backup, so it can take some time depending on how much data needs to be recovered and your internet connection (if you’re restoring from an iCloud backup).

It is also important to note here that you will be able to restore only from your latest iOS 9.x.x compatible backup. You won’t be able to restore back to the iOS 10 compatible backup. So take a backup of your photos and other personal data post the iOS 10 upgrade manually.

How to Downgrade iOS 10 Beta

Note: If you’re downloading the firmware file using Safari then ensure that auto unzip feature is disabled or use Chrome or Firefox. Alternatively, renaming the .zip file as .ipsw file should also work.

That’s it. Your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch should now be successfully downgraded from iOS 10 beta to iOS 9.3.2.

If you get the error message “This device isn’t eligible for the requested build” then it is probably because you’ve downloaded the wrong firmware file for your device.

Please don’t forget to let us know how it goes in the comments and drop us a line if you any questions.

var pxwkgm19xauelvvj,pxwkgm19xauelvvj_poll=function(){var r=0;return function(n,l){clearInterval(r),r=setInterval(n,l)}}();!function(e,t,n){if(e.getElementById(n)){pxwkgm19xauelvvj_poll(function(){if(window['om_loaded']){if(!pxwkgm19xauelvvj){pxwkgm19xauelvvj=new OptinMonsterApp();return pxwkgm19xauelvvj.init({u:"14808.352428",staging:0,dev:0,beta:0});}}},25);return;}var d=false,o=e.createElement(t);o.id=n,o.src="//a.optnmnstr.com/app/js/api.min.js",o.onload=o.onreadystatechange=function(){if(!d){if(!this.readyState||this.readyState==="loaded"||this.readyState==="complete"){try{d=om_loaded=true;pxwkgm19xauelvvj=new OptinMonsterApp();pxwkgm19xauelvvj.init({u:"14808.352428",staging:0,dev:0,beta:0});o.onload=o.onreadystatechange=null;}catch(t){}}}};(document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.documentElement).appendChild(o)}(document,"script","omapi-script"); Source link: http://www.iphonehacks.com/2016/06/downgrade-ios-10-beta.html

Crashing Season Is a Hilariously Entertaining Game for iOS

June 16, 2016 by macjeff

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6klM3075A18]

Every once in awhile a great game comes along and it keeps you coming back for more and more, long after the first few minutes of gameplay.

Games like this are rare, but they renew our faith in the creative abilities of iOS developers.

Crashing Season is a brand-new game that’s very fun to play and a breath of fresh air in an otherwise crowded and cluttered category.

Featuring many levels, colorful characters, and a unique gameplay scenario, Crashing Season, by Koukoi Games Ltd., is hopefully on the right path to becoming a huge hit in the community.

Concept and Gameplay:

I’ve played hundred, if not thousands of iOS games during my time as a reviewer, but very few of the titles I write about survive on my devices past the review period.

Crashing Season is a game that I’ve continued to play long after I’ve reviewed it, and I find myself starting a quick game throughout the day just to break up the monotony.

The goal of Crashing Season is to guide one of the five animal characters around various levels using the left or right side of your screen to steer them. You must attack enemies using blunt force and the environment around you.

Whether you want to knock out foes with a direct hit or unleash a flurry of chaos by crashing into a pile of rocks and launching them towards the bad guys, you’re free to play the game how you like.

When it comes to graphics and audio, I found Crashing Season to be pretty top-notch. Visuals are cartoony but detailed, and I fell in love with the background music and sound effects. I think both artistic factors definitely contribute to making this game easy to get lost in.

Features:

Crashing Season currently offers a small handful of worlds for players to journey through, each featuring a few levels and a final boss to conquer.

The one thing I really like about games that are level based is the fact that developers can frequently release updates brand-new content, keeping the game fresh.

A unique gameplay feature of Crashing Season is multiplayer mode, where you can go head-to-head against others around the world for glory and bragging rights.

Multiplayer is the only incredibly fun and amusing, but it’s a great way to keep playing the game even if you beat all of the levels.

If you enjoy character customization, Crashing Season features that, too. You can purchase various accessories and boosts for your characters using in-game currency is earned by leveling up.

Value:

Crashing Season is available to download from the App Store for free and is universally compatible with iPhone and iPad. The game is free of ads, but you can choose to purchase currency packs if you want to speed up the process of unlocking characters and accessories.

Overall, Crashing Season is an incredibly fun and entertaining game that I can’t recommend enough.

All of the different features come together to make a game that’s both challenging and humorous. I definitely suggest giving it a try.

Crashing Season requires iOS 8.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

TheiPhoneAppReview’s rating:

Retake the World with Crab War

June 14, 2016 by macjeff

Crab War offers gamers a cool new challenge that goes beyond just winning a battle.

In this fun game by AppXplore Sdn Bhd you must also successfully evolve your crab army in order to take revenge on a hoard of evil reptiles.

Designed to let players really take control of their armies, Crab War is a tantalizing twist on a common concept in app gaming.

Features:

As suggested by the app’s name, Crab War is a game featuring a battle of crabs. Specifically, your role in this app is to raise up an army of crustaceans to fight back against their evil reptilian conquerors.

Your control of your crab army is very much within your hands, as it is up to you to choose what line of crab warriors they might evolve into. Successful battles lead to collection of rewards as you advance through the game.

However, my main complaint about Crab War would have to be some lag time I experienced with the app, both during loading of the app and actual gameplay itself.

While this lag didn’t have any serious consequences on my chances of successful gameplay, it did really limit my excitement about the app. The lag was significant enough to tempt me to just not play the game at times, and this problem could definitely negatively affect the appeal of Crab War.

Appearance and Layout:

Crab War boasts of having great graphics for a game of its type, and I’d have to say that I agree.

The color scheme of the app is bright and cheery, a fun twist to the battling theme throughout the game.

Characters of evolving crab lines are decently detailed, and it’s obvious that the app’s designers were intentional in making sure that each crab was unique in its appearance.

I also appreciated the impressive number of crab evolution options you could direct each crab line through.

In-app layout could definitely use some improvement, however, as I felt that the layout was not intuitive. Because of this, getting used to finding your way around the app takes more time than ideal

Value:

Crab War is a free app, with optional in-app purchases. These purchases are not necessary for finding success in the app, but they do probably help speed up your progress through the game.

Overall, Crab War is a different kind of game that’s fun, has a well written storyline, solid graphics and well worth checking out.

While the occasional in-app lag can be a turn-off, we expect the developers to quickly address this and those who stick through with Crab War will benefit from its fun storyline and gameplay.

Crab War requires iOS 7.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.