app

The iPhone alarm is one of the most used in the world -- waking up millions of people every day, probably with the same blaring horn. However, it is not very customizable and lacks a lot of the tools and charm you'd expect from an Apple product. It's all function and very little design. That's why an app like Alarm Clock: The Alarm App is so enticing. It allows you to customize a number of settings, add an alarm to your phone that goes beyond the basics, and even lets you change from a blaring horn to … Read more

AppGratis, an app-giveaway service that Apple removed from its stores last week, posted its side of the story this morning, noting that it has tried vehemently to make its app available again.

"I'm still in absolute shock as to what is happening to us," Simon Dawlat, the company's CEO, wrote in a blog post.

In a missive that breaks down the company's storied communication with Apple, Dawlat noted that AppGratis had dealt with rejections of its app before but was able to make changes to get them approved.

The company's version of the service … Read more

WhatsApp, the maker of the popular mobile chat program, denied this evening that it is in talks to be acquired by Google for nearly $1 billion.

The two companies have been talking for "four or five weeks," according to a Digital Trends report last week that cited an unidentified person who claimed to have knowledge of the negotiations. However, Neeraj Arora, WhatsApp's business development head, told AllThingsD that the software maker was not holding negotiations with the Web giant. Arora declined to comment further.

Founded in 2009 and based in Santa Clara, Calif., WhatsApp is the maker … Read more

Google released an AdMob SDK for iOS developers today that completes its transition away from allowing apps access to Unique Device Identifiers, weeks before Apple's official deadline for retiring the system.

UDIDs are the unique string of numbers that individually identifies each cellular device. Typically, they have been used by developers to track app installations across Apple's user base. Tracking users lets companies tailor advertising to each individual, but it also raises a host of privacy concerns.

In response to those concerns, Apple announced last month that, as of May 1, it would no longer accept new apps or app updates … Read more

As people around the world become increasingly more reliant on their mobile devices, the app market continues to grow. New research from market analyst firm Canalys shows that the top four app stores hit 13.4 billion downloads worldwide in the first quarter of 2013. This is an 11 percent increase over all of 2012 combined.

"Apps have had a huge impact on the way consumers use mobile devices, what they value, and what they expect from smart phones and tablets," Canalys chief analyst for analytics Adam Daum said in a statement. "They are now central to … Read more

8 Ball Pool is an addictive billiards app for iOS featuring colorful graphics and a robust online community. Developed by Miniclip and optimized for the iPhone 5, this billiards game lets you play with friends from both the Miniclip and Facebook communities.

I have to admit that before I started playing 8 Ball Pool, I was a bit worried I wouldn't have much luck against the other players. I play the game in real life about as often as I go to the dentist, not because I don't like it, but because the opportunity rarely arises.

Fortunately, I … Read more

Most car stereos that I've ever fiddled with have offered some sort of equalizer setting that lets the driver customize the sound to their liking, but fitting more than the basic treble, bass, and --occassionally-- midrange controls onto the cramped display of a single DIN receiver is a tricky endeavor. Alpine wants to make it easier for users of its new CDE-147BT receiver to access advanced graphic EQ controls by offloading the audio tuning interface to an Alpine TuneIt app for Android and iOS devices.

The app lets users create a profile for their vehicle and any other Alpine … Read more

Tumblr launched its redesigned Android mobile app today, making some major upgrades over its last version.

"Tumblr for Android just got a total face-lift," the company wrote in a blog post today. "We've completely redesigned the interface, added fancy post animations, made images pop, and a whole lot more."

The app, which is available on Google Play, has an entirely new "post anything" screen that lets users share photos, videos, quotes, chats, links, and text with one tap. The intuitive interface also gives users the option of advanced controls like saving drafts, queuing … Read more