"If there is an app for that"

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/

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 12/22/2016

December 22, 2016 by macjeff

GoldenHour.One - Golden Hour calculator, map, compas and weather forecast for photographers. , Backgammon Premium , YoWindow Weather and more

Universal:

GoldenHour.One - Golden Hour calculator, map, compas and weather forecast for photographers. ( $FREE → Free ) Hana Kusova With GoldenHour.one, you’ll never miss another great photo opportunity again. It’s able to help you find the best time, place, and weather for your outdoor photos no matter where you are. Just take a glance at the clock to get a quick overview of the sun’s position during golden and blue hours. A sky index will predict the chance for a dramatic sunrise or sunset, and a light index will predict the conditions for portraits, panoramas, and architecture. GoldenHour.one’s built-in map will help you find the best spot in case things aren’t working out as planned. You’re also able to receive a five-day forecast and alerts.

Backgammon Premium ( $FREE → Free ) Trivial Technology This is our favorite version of Backgammon in the App Store due to its massive online community. It’s always more fun to play with others, right? You’re able to play turn-based or live games of Backgammon via Game Center. You can choose to play with a friend or see how your skills match up against other players all over the world. The cool part is, you don’t have to sit around and wait to be matched up. You can actually hone your skills against intelligent AI opponents in single player games while you wait for a match to be found.

YoWindow Weather ( $FREE → Free ) Pavel Repkin YoWindow is all about watching the weather. You’re presented with a quick look at the current time, temperature, and conditions. Slide your finger from left to right across the screen to scroll time forward and watch as the scene changes to reflect what it’ll be like later on in the day. YoWindow also includes a seven-day forecast and six scenes to choose from.

SharpScan Pro + OCR: scan documents to clean PDF ( $FREE → Free ) Pixelnetica Scanning is a breeze with SharpScan Pro. You’re able to scan a single page or multiple pages rapidly. The app’s powerful camera engine ensures every pixel counts, getting rid of noise, shadows, distortions, and other artifacts. It’s also able to automatically detect the edges of your documents, but you can manually adjust them if need be. After scanning your documents you’re able to recognize the text in over 50 languages. Documents can be stored in the app, on your iDevice, or in the cloud.

Talking Carl ( $FREE → Free ) Tayasui Carl is an adorable little red creature with an appetite for interaction. You’re able to poke, pinch, tickle, spin, and even strike him with lightning. Just be warned, he’s not overly fond of that last one. Carl’s also a talented musician, as he’s able to play a wide variety of instruments. You’re able to speak into your iDevice’s microphone as well and have Carl repeat what you say in his own unique way.

Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free

Take a Breather and Unwind With the Puzzling LVL

December 21, 2016 by macjeff

LVL ($1.99) by Ertan Unver of SquareCube is a minimal puzzle game that blends 3-D and 2-D into a seamless experience. If you’re the type of person who enjoys solving things like a Rubik’s Cube and need a bit of de-stress time from the hectic pre-holiday rush, then LVL is definitely one that you should add to your mobile game collection.

While the holidays are upon us and the year is coming to an end, I don’t think there’s ever a time that is as stressful as the pre-Christmas rush. It’s been a crazy past few months for me, but honestly I couldn’t be happier. After braving the crowds at the mall several times in the past week and completing my first semester back to school after five years, I’ve been diving into plenty of video games as a way to relax lately, especially on my PlayStation 4. However, because I can’t take my PS4 with me everywhere I go, I still enjoy having my iPhone and 3DS with me at all times. And as an iOS gamer, I mostly like to sit back with a good puzzle game every now and then to unwind. Even though I feel like I’ve played almost every puzzle game out on the App Store, I can’t help but check out what’s new, and LVL certainly is one that caught my attention in the past week. Needless to say, if you love a good, minimal puzzle game, then LVL is worth checking out.

Visually speaking, LVL is gorgeous with the minimalistic design aesthetic. The game is an exquisite blend of both 3-D and 2-D elements in one, and this unique mix brings a unique perspective to what you know about traditional puzzle games. In LVL, you’ll be welcomed with a grayish-white background that provides nice, stark contrast with the thick, inky black lines and the bright and vibrant hues of the puzzle pieces themselves. And if you’re into typography design at all, LVL uses a nice sans serif typeface that fits in well with the overall modern representation. Animations in LVL are smooth and fluid on my iPhone 7, so I had no lag or choppiness while playing. There is also an atmospheric and ambient soundtrack that I found rather soothing, and it should help players calm their minds and focus on the puzzles at hand. In the end, the developers have done an excellent job with LVL in terms of the graphics and audio department.

Like every other puzzle game, LVL is level-based. While there are no different “chapters” in the game, there are 50 levels that are available and players must go through them one-by-one in linear order. However, sometimes clearing one puzzle will reveal a path that splits up and opens up two more stages instead of one, so you get a little bit of leeway when it comes to choosing which puzzles to play first after you get going. The objective in LVL is simple: fill each side of the cube with color using the pieces, which are fittingly shaped liked tetrominos. However, since you are trying to fill a side (2-D) of the cube (3-D) with color, you will have to rotate the cube around in order to see the whole picture and each twist and moved piece can bring new complications to the puzzle itself. It sounds easy at first, but things do get much more intricate and complex as you get further along in the game.

Controls in LVL are a simple affair. To rotate the cube, just drag your finger across the screen in the direction that you want to spin it towards. As you twist the cube around, you will see the colored pieces on each side (like-colors are always opposite of each other), and ones that are available to move will have a white border around them and be a tad brighter than normal. To move these pieces, just drag-and-drop them where you want them to go. In order to fill a side, you’ll have to go back and forth between those two sides in order to fit all of the pieces together so that there are no empty spaces left. Once that is done, the game does a nice little animation that solidifies the color blocks on that side and they’ll become locked in place so you can’t mess it up further. When you’ve done that with all of the colors, then the stage is complete and you can move on to the next level or see what becomes available to you next.

While 50 levels may not seem like a lot, technically the game has about 150 puzzles to solve, since each stage features three colors that act as their own puzzle. In the App Store description, the developers have calculated that the game will provide more than five hours of gameplay if you go from start to finish, which I think is reasonable for the price of entry.

Even though I’m mostly on my PS4 these days, I still like to take a break every now and then and just chill out with a puzzle game on my phone. I’m glad that I discovered LVL on the App Store, because the game itself is downright beautiful with the minimalist look and feel, the music is calming, controls are simple and intuitive, and the combination of 2-D and 3-D into one brings a fresh new experience to the puzzle genre. This is certainly a game I’m going to be keeping on my iPhone for those moments when I just want to take it easy with my gaming time.

I highly recommend checking out LVL if you are looking for a distinctive, challenging, and relaxing puzzle game to pass some time with. You can find LVL on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $1.99. There are no in-app purchases.

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

credit : appadvice

from : Mid Atlantic Consulting, Inc.

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 12/21/2016

December 21, 2016 by macjeff

Drop Flip , 2D - Paint, Draw, Sketch, Collage , Fresh Reversi – Othello Like Strategy and Logic Board Game and more

iPhone:

Albert ( $FREE → Free ) Fingerlab We really enjoyed Albert thanks to its unique art style and methods of interaction. The game features a charming paper art style that provides Albert with even more character. Each of the mini-games require you to do something different, whether that’s tapping to turn off alarm clocks or tilting to steer a vehicle. The best part is, none of the mini-games are complicated, and you can just jump right in.

iPad:

2D - Paint, Draw, Sketch, Collage ( $FREE → Free ) Paul Webb 2D provides the biggest and craziest selection of brushes you’ll ever find in the App Store. With 90 brushes in total, including totally off-the-wall experimental brushes, there’s a tool for every artist. 2D also features a smooth and versatile painting engine that’s able to assist in drawing lines, circles, and squares, and can even recognize corners and points to perfectly align shapes. The app includes support for thousands of undos and redos, stylus support, custom color palettes, video recording, and the ability to use as many layers as your iPad will allow.

Universal:

Drop Flip ( $FREE → Free ) BorderLeap, LLC Drop Flip is simply delightful. The object of the game is to get a single white ball into the bucket below by moving, flipping, and generally manipulating obstacles of all kinds of shapes and sizes. But don’t let the minimalistic visuals fool you. The 100 levels range from quite easy to maddeningly impossible. Drop Flip also supports progress syncing via iCloud.

Fresh Reversi – Othello Like Strategy and Logic Board Game ( $FREE → Free ) Alexander Deplov We really like Fresh Reversi because it allows you to jump right in and play. You’re able to compete against three different computer-controlled opponents, grab a friend and play locally, or play online. As you play you’ll see a running tally of the pieces you own at the top of the screen. You’re also able to have hints shown and change the starting position. The game includes full stat tracking as well.

Blicke ( $FREE → Free ) Bivis Blicke’s casual approach may make it seem easy at first, but it’s nothing of the sort. The goal is to get each colored block into its matching target zone with a swipe. Blocks only stop sliding when they run into a wall or another block. You’ll have to utilize both walls and other blocks in order to achieve your goal. The game includes 84 handmade levels to complete.

Time Surfer - Endless Arcade Magic ( $FREE → Free ) Kumobius Dive into rolling hills by tapping and holding the right side of the screen, and release at just the right moment to shoot out of them. Try to avoid ramming into obstacles while collecting loads of different power-ups along the way. If you do smash into something, don't worry, you can rewind time! Just keep in mind your ability to rewind is limited, so use it sparingly. The game includes loads of challenges to complete, all kinds of unlockable pieces of content, iCloud support, and achievements and leaderboards via Game Center.

Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free