ABC Becomes The First US Network To Offer Live Video Streaming

As expected, ABC has now become the first U.S. network to offer live video streaming on iOS. The service, which is now being tested in limited markets, is available in the newly rebranded Watch ABC app for the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad..........................

As Aldrin Calimlim noted just days ago, live content on the Watch ABC app is only available to users around New York, and Philadelphia. After a six-week introductory phase, however, the service will then be available to folks elsewhere in the U.S.

When it becomes available nationwide, scheduled for July 1, Watch ABC’s live service will be open to paying subscribers of cable and satellite television providers. The launch of Watch ABC coincides with the network’s upfront presentation for advertisers for the 2013/14-television season.

The New York Times’ Brian Stelter had the original story:

This week ABC will quietly revolutionize its app for iPhones and iPads with a button called “live.” Users around New York and Philadelphia will be able to live-stream all the programming from ABC’s local stations there, the first time that any major broadcaster has turned on such a technology.

The Watch ABC app is available now in the App Store. In addition to offering live viewing, the free app offers delayed streaming of ABC programming. The app was previously called ABC Player.

Today's Apps Gone Free: Slide Circus, InstaMosaic, TriZen And More

Free your mind by solving and creating your own sliding puzzles in FDG’s Slide Circus. We also have an app that allows you to create photo mosaics in a snap, and a relaxing tangram-style puzzle game.............................

Want An iMac-Like Register For Your Business? Get The New Square Stand For iPad

Square, the mobile payments company behind the popular e-commerce apps Square Register and Square Wallet, has just announced a new “square” product...............................

Siri Wants You To Ask Shorter Questions

Siri now seems to be a fan of the quote book. As first notice by iLounge, Apple’s ubiquitous personal assistant will rattle off famous quotes alluding to brevity after being asked an exceedingly long question. The change was made on Siri’s servers over the last two weeks................................

Pinterest Pins Down Push Notifications And More With An Update

Pinterest’s official iOS app has just been updated to add some nice new features.

Probably the biggest improvement in version 2.4 of the social networking app is the ability for iPhone users to send a pin directly to someone else. If you haven’t heard about Pinterest, the service allows users to share information they’ve found on the Web by “pinning” it to their profile........................

New Budget iPhone Concept Uses Flat iOS 7 Design

Designer Martin Hajek has published a new set of “iPhone mini” mockups. What makes these unique is that he uses one of the iOS 7 concepts floating around the blogosphere as his design’s backdrop..............................

Meet Oggl, Hipstamatic's Take On Instagram

Hipstamatic Oggl (Free) by Hipstamatic, LLC is the newInstagram — well, kind of. It’s Hipstamatic’s own take on a micro-social network revolving around photos, except without all of the controversy.

Currently, Oggl is invite-only. I was lucky enough to get an invitation from my co-worker, Bryan, so I decided to give the app a try. Despite all of the controversy behind Instagram after Facebook bought them, I’ve still been using the service regularly. However, now that Oggl is here, I have to admit that it’s a refreshing change from what we’re all probably used to by now..............................

Quirky App Of The Day: Scale The Tower In Stickman RPG II

Stickman RPG II (Free) by Goro Sato is an RPG that offers simple, straightforward gameplay and a user interface that’s easy to navigate. Usually, RPGs, or role playing games, are difficult to master because of all the options that are available to players.  This is a great beginner’s game for those who want to start playing RPGs, and it’s entertaining enough for those of us who have a few games under our belt............................

Unique Weather App Swackett X Adds Sun/UV Index And More With Update

One of the most unique weather apps in the App Store, swackett X, has just been updated to add some fun new features.......................

Can You Say The Same Thing As Your Friends?

Say the Same Thing (Free) by Space Inch, LLC is a word game that isn’t like anything you’ve ever played on iOS before. It’s also unique, as it’s directly from the band, OK Go.

When you think of word games, you probably think of Boggle, Scrabble, and even new games, like Letterpress. But have you ever thought of a word game where the objective is to, well, say the same thing? Now you can........................

Evernote Hello Updated With New Address Book Section And New Profile Fields

Evernote Hello, Evernote’s standalone app that helps you remember everything about the people you meet, has just been updated to version 2.2..........................

EA Confirms: Frostbite Engine To Launch For iOS, Android

While details, as of this writing, are particularly vague, it has come to our attention that Electronic Arts (EA) is planning on porting its popular Frostbite engine to Apple’s mobile operating system. The mobile gaming engine, Frostbite Go, will eventually be available for both iOS and Android, though no release date has yet been announced...................

This Is Not A Ball Game Plays Just Like A Ball Game

This Is Not A Ball Game. (Free) by Absurd Interactive is a physics based game that incorporates a turn of the century French art style and a flare for the extraordinary. Help a mysterious genie return magic to the world by knocking down circus animals and freeing trapped stars...........................

Today's Best Apps: This Is Not A Ball Game And Critical Missions: SPACE

The App Store takes delivery of hundreds of new apps per day. The overwhelming scene makes it possible to easily overlook an exciting game, valuable productivity suite, etc. However, we have a solution. Today’s Best Apps tackles this problem by providing you with a handpicked and tested list of apps that are truly worth your consideration each and everyday........................

Remember: Even though in-app purchases typically require your iTunes Store password for processing, you can further prevent them and other unauthorized actions by enabling local restrictions using the passcode locked iOS parental controls.

Universal:

This Is Not A Ball Game. by Absurd Interactive (Free, 685.5 MB): Inspired by The Treachery of Images, this physics-based arcade-style ball game is and yet isn’t what it appears. Now a spotlight attraction at the Absurd Circus, your captivating skill involves shot accuracy, specifically, launching a ball off a ramp into challenging formations of cardboard cutouts. Not only is your skilled shot bring cheers from the crowd, each success releases a great magical power that has been confined to the Star Blocks. The game features beautiful vintage movie and Art Nouveau-inspired graphics, 70 increasingly difficult levels, six unlockable balls with special and powerful attributes, as well as Facebook, iCloud, and Game Center integration.

Critical Missions: SPACE by Studio OnMars ($2.99, 108.8 MB): This first-person shooter brings the action-packed excitement and difficulty of team-based combat to your iDevice. Taking visual cues from games such as Halo, SPACE’s primary difference from the company’s earlier release, SWAT, is futuristic environments, armor suits, and weapons. The game features 3-D graphics, single player vs. AI bots and all human multiplayer modes, six match types, dozens of maps, clan association, in-game chat system, control customization, cross-platform support, as well as Facebook and Game Center integration. Involvement does require that you sign-up for a free account.

Updated: Hipstamatic Oggl Is Becoming A Headache For Instagram Users

It looks like trouble is brewing for the new Hipstamatic Oggl app. After receiving tips from users, we can now confirm that there is a serious problem with the photo-sharing app, at least as it relates to sharing content on Facebook’s Instagram.

Currently available by invitation only, Oggl is Hipstamatic’s attempt at creating a new online community of photographers that they hope will successfully take on market leader Instagram. The app also allows users to post photos on other services — Instagram being one of them................................

Google Set To Surpass Apple With Soon To Be Released Music Streaming Services

Apple has long been rumored to be developing its own music streaming service, but it appears that Google is about to beat it to the punch.

According to a scoop by The Verge, Google is set to announce its new music streaming services tomorrow at Google I/O, the company’s annual developer conference.

That’s right: services, in the plural..............................

Tim Cook's CharityBuzz Auction Ends With A Winning Bid Of $610,000

Coffee with Tim Cook has just set one CharityBuzz bidder back $610,000.

After several weeks of gradual bidding, the online auction offering bidders a 30 to 60 minute coffee meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook has ended with a winning bid of $610,000. The successful bidder, “a********s,” along with one friend, will be able to travel to Apple’s headquarters and enjoy the tête-à-tête with Cook “on a mutually agreed date,” according to the auction’s notes..............................

Apple Denies E-Book Pricing Collusion Charges, Blames Tough Talks With Publishers

Apple has responded to the U.S. Justice Department’s allegations in the landmark e-book price fixing case it’s involved in.

Recall that in April last year, the Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple and five of the largest publishers in the U.S....................

One Third Of Postpaid Verizon Customers Now Use Shared Data Plans

According to Verizon’s CFO Fran Shammo, 33 percent of the carrier’s postpaid subscribers are now connected to one of the network’s shared data plans. As a reminder, Verizon’s “Share Everything” plans allow users to share the contents of a single plan with up to 10 different mobile devices,and are available from $50 per month.

The plans launched almost one year ago, and since countless customers have been able to share unlimited texts, unlimited minutes, and limited data with other handsets, smartphones, and tablets. Speaking at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference on Tuesday, May 14, 2013, however, the carrier’s CFO announced that adoption of the network’s Share Everything plans has been far better than originally anticipated.............................

Easily Print Email Messages And Attachments With Yahoo! Mail's New AirPrint Feature

The official Yahoo! Mail app for iOS has just been updated with a significant improvement. And that improvement is none other than AirPrint.

AirPrint is, of course, Apple’s wireless printing feature that works with certain compatible printers.......................

Shelf Control: Get To 'Reading-List Zero' One Article At A Time With Readtime

Saving stuff for reading later is easy. But actually getting to read all of those articles you’ve saved for later is another matter entirely. More often than not, we simply feel that we don’t have enough time to read most, if not all, of them. Well, that’s where the Readtime app for iPhone and iPod touch comes in..............................

Cydia Tweak: How To Add A Percentage Status Indicator For Outgoing Messages

Message Send Percent is a new jailbreak tweak that, once installed, adds a status indicator for outgoing messages to the built-in Messages application in iOS. At the moment, the package is available to download free of charge in the Cydia Store, via the ModMyi repository............................

Google Now Offering 15GB Of Shared Space Between Gmail, Drive, And Google+ Photos

In the always competitive cloud storage wars, Google has unified the free storage options for Gmail, Google+ photos, and Drive. Google will now offer 15GB of free space for users of the three services.

Previously, Gmail users received 10GB of storage while using Drive and Google+ for  large photos netted you another 5GB.........................

Monday App Updates: Great Apps That Just Got Better For May 13, 2013

Each Monday, AppAdvice presents some recently updated apps worth checking out. This week’s list features Jamie’s Recipes, Ellen’s Heads Up!, and more........................

France Considering ‘Culture Tax’ On The iPhone And iPad

Sacrebleu! Purchasing an iPhone or iPad might be getting more expensive in France.

According to Reuters, French President Francois Hollande will decide sometime this summer whether to impose a tax on smartphones and tablets to help fund cultural projects.............

Quirky App Of The Day: Take Down Mutants In Attack Of The Spitwad Invaders

Attack of the Spitwad Invaders: Fly Mutants, Fly (Free) by Hoodoo Entertainment is an endless runner game about a mutant high school. No, this isn’t Xavier’s School For Gifted Youngsters. Instead of trying to protect and cultivate the mutant gene, you’re trying to take down the monsters who have succumbed to the toxic goo that is infesting the school......................

Twitterrific 5 Adds Support For Readability And Droplr

For the second time in less than a month, popular Twitter client Twitterrific 5 has just received an update that ushers in two new features along with a boatload of improvements.

First up, version 5.2.2 adds compatibility with two new services –Readability for bookmarking and Droplr for images.

On the improvement side, the read or unread state of tweet timestamps are updated as you scroll, which definitely makes the feature more valuable. As tweets are read, indicators in the timeline tabs are also automatically updated.............................

Cydia Tweak: How To Easily Bypass The Messages App's Limit For Video Size

In order to preserve mobile data, the Messages app doesn’t allow users to send videos that are more than three and a half minutes long. If, however, you’re lucky enough to be hooked up to an unlimited data plan and wish to remove the Messages app’s video size limitation, two new jailbreak tweakscan help................................

The packages, called Carrier Unlimited Media Send and iMessages Unlimited Media Send, allow users to send lengthy videos by MMS and iMessage, respectively. Simply install one or both jailbreak tweaks, and the Messages app’s video size limit for MMS messages, iMessages, or both will be immediately removed. It’s as easy as that.

Of course, if you decide to download this jailbreak tweak and do not have an unlimited data plan, proceed with extreme caution, otherwise you could end up incurring a hefty charge.

At the moment, both Carrier Unlimited Media Send and iMessages Unlimited Media Send are available to download in the Cydia Store free of charge, via the ModMyi repository.

Take a look at the new jailbreak tweaks now, or for further jailbreak related news, see: Cydia Tweak: How To Add A Percentage Status Indicator For Outgoing Messages, Cydia Tweak: Slide To Remove Apps From The Multitasking Tray With Slide2Kill, and Cydia Tweak: Axis Brings A Customizable App Grabber To The Lock Screen.

Wonderful iPhone Calendar App Fantastical Continues To Improve With A Recent Update

My Monday has just gotten a little better. One of my most indispensable iPhone apps, Fantastical, has just received a nice new update.....................

Updated 1Password Offers A Number Of New Features And Improvements

Based on feedback from users, developer AgileBits has just released a major update to its 1Password app.

If you haven’t heard of 1Password, I can easily describe it as the Swiss Army Knife for your digital life. The app stores all of your passwords and can even keep safe other information like credit card numbers, bank account information, and more......................

It's Monster Crashing Time In The Latest TinyLegends Game

TinyLegends: Monster Crasher ($0.99) by Triniti Interactive Limited is an arena-based hack-n-slash game, almost similar to what you would find in Dark Avenger. If you love dungeon-crawler style games but arena based combat like in Minigore 2, then this is a worthy title.

Triniti Interactive has been behind the TinyLegends series, bringing us fun titles like Crazy Knight and Heroes to our iOS devices. And now they’re back at it again, with Monster Crasher..............................

Jump Jump Panda Wants To Stop You From Rebuilding Your Town

Jump Jump Panda™ ($0.99) by dewei Luo is a universalmatch-three type strategy game that lets you turn bushes into trees and trees into buildings. China’s darling bears are about the cutest animal to walk this planet. However in this game, you will need to trap panda bears before they scare off the villagers.....................................

AppAdvice App Of The Week For May 13, 2013

Every week, our staff will handpick an app from the past two weeks that we believe is a must-download for your iPhone or iPad. These apps will always be from various categories, but they are chosen because our own staff members love it and have been using them daily. So here are this week’s picks! Enjoy!

Timelapse Pro........................