Find Our Latest Video Reviews on YouTube!
If you want to stay on top of all of our video reviews of the latest tech, be sure to check out and subscribe to the Gear Live YouTube channel, hosted by Andru Edwards! It’s free!
10 great apps that are optimized for the iPhone 6 Retina HD display
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Games, News, Productivity, Social Networking, App Updates,
Apple is renowned for paying extreme attention to user experience, so when their new lines of phones featuring bigger screens came out in September, it was just a matter of time before apps started being optimized to take advantage of this change. The difference in resolution is quite notable, the iPhone 6 coming with a resolution of 750 by 1334 pixels and a 4.7 inches screen, and the iPhone 6 Plus boasting a resolution of 1080 by 1920 pixels and a 5.5 inches screen, whereas the previous generation of iPhones (iPhone 5, 5C and 5S) came with a 4 inch display with a resolution of 640 by 1336 pixels. There are several apps that are already on the bandwagon with the new resolutions – here are the top 10 picks.
Click to continue reading 10 great apps that are optimized for the iPhone 6 Retina HD display
Advertisement
Skype completely redesigns iPhone app
Posted by Ariel Levin-Waldman Categories: Social Networking, App Updates, Free Apps,
Skype has decided to overhaul its iOS app, bringing it to version 5.0. Recently, the communications company has been upgrading its mobile app for other platforms, namely Android and Windows Phone, but until now Apple has been left behind.
The first thing you might notice is the new interface. They have completely changed the looks to bring it in line with the newer iOS design language. The next thing is the software changes. You can now start group chats directly from the central hub and don't have to wait until a friends is online before you can message them. Apparently offline messaging was something that was only developed in 2014.
Skype 5.0 also has some software upgrades that are not obvious upon opening the app. It is better at synching your messages between devices and has had its coding redesigned to work up to five times faster, according to a teaser video released Monday evening.
But after tempting you with all the upgrades and good news, Skype is going to leave you hanging. It will be another week before the new Skype for the iPhone is released to the public.
Read More 
| Skype for iPhone
Foursquare’s new Swarm app makes it easy to connect with nearby friends
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Social Networking, New Apps, Free Apps,
Foursquare has taken the first step in bifurcating its service with the release of Swarm, an app that allows you to easily connect with the friends around you. The company decided to remove the feature that allows you to see which friends are checked in where from the core Foursquare app experience, moving that to the new Swarm app.
Within Swarm is a new feature that allows you to make plans with friends. You can see the events and ideas being shared by those you know - no invitations, just a list of your friends offering up various ideas of things to do, that you can join or not.
You can grab Swarm right now on the App Store and Google Play.
Latest Gear Live Videos
Tweetbot 3.0 for iPhone brings updated design to an already great app
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Social Networking, New Apps, Videos, $2.99,
Tweetbot is the Twitter client of choice here at Gear Live HQ, and we've been delighted by the newest version, Tweetbot 3.0. Released yesterday on the App Store, Tweetbot 3.0 is an all-new app, completely rewritten and redesigned from the ground up by the team at Tapbots. If you're a user of the older version, the new Tweetbot may seem a bit unfamiliar at first, but that's just because the team stripped away old design ideas, and decided to take on iOS 7 design language, and it turned out fantastic. New functionality makes the app faster, and it's normally ready with your fully updated timeline whenever you launch it, thanks to the integration of the iOS 7 Background Fetch API. Sounds in Tweetbot are as whimsical as ever, and the whole app just feels brighter and more open. If you're already a Tweetbot user, it should be noted that Tweetbot 3.0 is a new, separate purchase. Check out a video demo after the break.
You can download Tweetbot 3.0 for iPhone now for $2.99.
Click to continue reading Tweetbot 3.0 for iPhone brings updated design to an already great app
Read More | Tweetbot 3.0 for iPhone
Twitter for iPhone 5.7 improves photo sharing, timeline view
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Social Networking, App Updates, Free Apps,
Twitter for iPhone 5.7 has been released, bringing with it improved photo sharing and a preview of what your media- and metadata-filled tweets will look like prior to you posting them, so you can get them juuust right. The Twitter timeline also gets a makeover, now being wider and easier to read throughout the app. You'll also now receive a notification whenever a friend of yours joins Twitter (we aren't sure how that one works,) alongside all the typical bug fixes and code optimizations. You can download Twitter for iPhone now.
Read More | Twitter for iPhone
Instagram 3.5 adds “Photos of you” tagging feature
Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Social Networking, App Updates, Free Apps,
The ever so popular photo filtering social app Instagram has gone version 3.5 and introduces the "Photo of You" feature. Basically, it's a photo tagging feature borrowed from their parent company, Facebook. So, narcissists of the world rejoice as a new section will be dedicated in your profile to photos of a very important person, you guessed it, you!
What's New in Version 3.5
- Introducing Photos of You! Add people to your photos & share who's with you
- Send us feedback about bugs & errors using the new "Report a Problem" feature
- Privacy settings can now be found on your Profile screen under Edit Your Profile.
Click to continue reading Instagram 3.5 adds “Photos of you” tagging feature
Read More | Instagram
Tweetbot 2.8 adds new media timeline and redesigned image viewer
Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Social Networking, App Updates, $2.99,
The fine folks at Tapbots have updated their popular iOS twitter client, Tweetbot, to version 2.8 for iOS. The update adds a new tab specifically for media timeline consumption, showing just the images and videos from those you follow. Additionally, you can now swipe right to left on any given tweet to reveal retweets and the number of users who favorited. Viewing photos has been made frictionless by eliminating the transition to another screen, much like the image viewer behavior of Tweetbot for OS X. Direct Tweetbot download links here: iPad and iPhone / iPod Touch.
What's New in Version 2.8
- New media timeline. Scroll to the top of a timeline and switch to the new media view (next to the search box). This view displays only supported image and video tweets.
- Completely redesigned image viewer
- Tweet/status detail view now displays the number of Favs and Retweets
- Fixed Instagram Previews
- Various other bug fixes
Read More | Tweetbot
Facebook 6.0 for iOS adds chat heads, stickers, and iPad News Feed redesign
Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Social Networking, App Updates, Free Apps,
Facebook has updated its iOS app to version 6.0 and has introduced two new features that are from the Facebook Home experience: Chat heads and stickers. Basically, chat heads are avatar icons of Facebook friends. They take up a small part of the screen whenever a user is messaging another Facebook friend, no matter where the user happens to be in the app. We assume that the goal is for it to be a frictionless experience when communicating with others friends; rather than having the chat feature limited to silos or in sections within the app. Along with the update, Facebook added a sticker feature, like emoticons, while messaging, seemingly aimed at teens and adults who might never publicly admit that they like the feature. Facebook for the iPad also sees a News Feed redesign that is cleaner with a bolder, more legible typeface. Gear Live tip: users might have to delete the old version first, or reboot the iDevice, in order to activate these new features now since Facebook is slowly rolling the feature out to users. Facebook 6.0 for iOS is now available in the App Store.
Read More | Facebook for iOS
Skype for iOS 4.6 brings new interface, improved calling
Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Social Networking, App Updates, iPad Apps, Free Apps,
Skype, the popular video and VoIP calling service, has updated its iOS apps for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad to version 4.6. It includes a revamped user interface and improved calling experience. Here's the rundown of the changes:
What's New in Version 4.6
- Beautiful new calling experience
- Mark all your recent chats as read with just a few taps.
- General fixes and improvements
Facebook 5.5 for iOS introduces free voice calling, easier sharing
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Social Networking, App Updates, Free Apps,
Facebook 5.5 for iOS has just been released, and with it comes free voice calling for North American users over Wi-Fi and cellular networks. The feature came to Facebook's separate messaging app a couple of weeks ago, and is now baked in to the full-fledged Facebook iOS experience for users across the US and Canada. After updating, simply open your chat pane by tapping the icon on the upper-right, select a friend, and then select "Free Call." As you'd expect, the person on the other end also needs to be located in North America, and also needs to have the latest Facebook app installed. It's a nice way to make voice calls without tapping into your voice minutes--just make sure to keep an eye on your data plan when you're away from Wi-Fi, no need to try to save on voice minutes, only to rack up massive data usage fees, you feel me?
Advertisement
© Gear Live Inc. {year} – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.