iOS software

Despite the realistic 3D graphics of today's first-person shooters, RPGs, and other games, platform games continue to thrive on iOS. There's something about jumping through levels, solving puzzles, and collecting coins that keeps gamers entertained. Also, the capability to play through a single level while on the go makes platformers perfect for short bursts of play on your iOS device.

While a console controller is probably the ideal way to play these sometimes precise running and jumping games, iOS game developers have come up with unique ways to make them work.

This week's collection of iOS apps is all about modern platform games. The first is the most traditional platformer, but adds an interesting twist for passing levels. The second has an uncommon control system, but a unique art style and fun, varied gameplay make it a great option. The third is the most polished of the collection, with challenging puzzles and a somewhat grotesque storyline.

Note: There are no Android versions for any of these games.… Read more

Anyone who has played Grand Theft Auto: Vice City -- set in a fictional representation of Miami -- is familiar with its eclectic mix of '80s music and style. Personally, when I played it eight years ago, I loved getting on a motorcycle and cruising the mean streets, either looking for a killer jump or just someone to mow down.

On the heels of the game's 10th anniversary, developer Rockstar Games announced the upcoming release of GTA: Vice City for "select" iOS and Android smartphones and tablets "featuring native high-resolution graphics and several enhancements." … Read more

Samsung and Apple are dominating the smartphone market, new data from research firm IDC has revealed.

During the third quarter, Samsung shipped 56.3 million smartphones worldwide, helping it to secure 31.3 percent of that space for the three-month period. In the year-earlier quarter, Samsung shipped 28.1 million handsets for a 22.7 percent share.

Samsung's shipments last quarter were strong enough to double Apple's share, which hit 15 percent on 26.9 million unit shipments. Last year, Apple shipped 17.1 million smartphones, good enough for a 13.8 percent share for the quarter.

After … Read more

Do you dream of traveling to the stars? Unless you've got $20 million and change for a ticket to orbit, Vito Technology's Solar Walk is about as close as you're going to get.

This jaw-dropping iOS app provides a wholly interactive 3D model of our solar system, one that's had me hooked for days. It's the kind of thing you can imagine a science teacher using in the classroom of the future -- except that we don't have to wait.

Solar Walk works like an outer-space edition of Google Earth, letting you rotate, zoom, … Read more

Smartphones have rarely been accused of being elegant cameras. Tablets are even more troublesome. Sometimes, it would be easier to hold your device flat and snap a picture. Try that now and you'll get a lovely shot of your feet. Try it with a HiLO right-angle lens, and you'll get a real photo.

The HiLO hides three lenses and a prism inside that allow the image to bounce into the correct part of your camera. An app is also part of the Kickstarter project, so you'll be able to quickly correct for the image mirroring caused by the prism.… Read more

Apple might have some trouble on its hands.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) yesterday ruled that all twenty claims included in Apple's so-called "rubber-banding" patent are invalid, according to Foss Patents' Florian Mueller, who first discovered the rejection. Following that ruling, Samsung quickly filed a motion with Judge Lucy Koh, informing her of the USPTO's decision.

The rubber-banding patent, known on the USPTO site as "List scrolling and document translation, scaling, and rotation on a touch-screen display," is broad in its scope. The patent describes a "rubber band" effect … Read more

The Mosaic Team sent me an early copy of the app and I was able to go through the process of creating a photo book, and have the finished product sent to me late last week. Today, the company unveiled the heymosaic Web site, where you can get more information and sign up to receive word when the app launches.

How does the Mosaic app work? It lets you gather up pictures from a vacation, party, barbecue, or other life event, and easily make a coffee table book of photos at a reasonable price. Once ordered, the finished product arrives … Read more

I've written about a lot of photo apps here in my weekly iOS app collections because it's always fun to add a little pizazz to your images. But rather than dragging out the Instagram (iOS | Android) clones and retro photo makers, I wanted to try something a little more "out there."

If you know where to look, there are several image effects apps in the App Store that give your photos some really drastic changes using overlays and unique neon lighting effects. Not every photo will benefit from these apps, but with a little creativity, I think you'll find that these apps can produce great results.

This week's collection of apps is all about adding drastic effects to your photos. The first uses several types of bright overlays to add strange effects to your photos in a couple easy steps. The second adds more features letting you add multiple effects on the same image. The third lets you add multiple overlays as well, but you can also adjust opacity and use masking tools and filters to really trick out your photos.… Read more

A little over 36 years ago, Apple launched the Apple I, a hobbyist 1MHz computer often remembered for the classic picture of it housed in a humble wooden computer case with a carved "Apple Computer" logo.

Apple's designs slowly evolved from bulky plastic towers to rounded and colorful products, then solidified themselves in a place where ultrathin components and catchy colors co-exist.

In the below gallery by our friends at CBSNews.com highlighting Apple designs over the years, you may be able to spot when the collaboration between Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive really kicked off. … Read more