AppId is over the quota
The App Store has over 700,000 options available, with dozens of new apps released every week. As we noted last Friday, we can't always take a deep dive into every app that comes across our desks. But sometimes we hear about apps that sound quite promising and feel like they deserve to be highlighted.
Here are several new or updated apps that you might give a try this weekend. (All links are for the US App Store.)
Famed game designer Jordan Mechner has teamed up with The Batman artist Jeff Matsuda to create a throughly modern, 3D remake of his classic Apple II game Karateka. The new version is available on Xbox Live, PSN, and Steam, and an iOS version was released this week. You have a chance to play three different heroes, all vying for the heart of a kidnapped princess in feudal Japan. The game might be fun for those of us who played the original on an Apple II, Commodore 64, or even an NES, but younger gamers will still appreciate the unique style and easy-to-learn gameplay.
Steinberg, makers of the Cubase sequencer, have released an adapted version called Cubasis for iPad. At $49.99, the app is no casual purchase, but for serious musicians the app is worth considering as part of a mobile music-making toolbox.
Cubasis can record dozens of audio or MIDI tracks (it's compatible with Core MIDI). It can also add studio-quailty effects and mix everything down for export to SoundCloud, Dropbox, and more. Projects can also be shared with the desktop Cubase app for further editing. For live performances and recording sessions alike, the app also comes complete with 70 virtual instruments based on the HALion Sonic workstation and 300 MIDI and audio loops to get you started.
This little mobile photography gem is a one-trick pony, but the trick is an extremely clever one. Select two photos; the app analyzes them and then applies the color scheme from one photo to the other. (See a video of how it works here.) You can make some crazy color changes, but this primarily helps you match the look of photos shot under different lighting conditions. Once you save the edited versions, you can later combine them into albums, galleries, or collages with an overall harmonious color palette.
If you like retro styles but are looking for a break from Instagram and its many clones, you might like Retromatic. It includes a simple and effective masking tool which allows you to pull your subject out of a photo and put it into a unique, retro-inspired graphic. You can add other elements like sunbursts, borders, and more, resulting in something far more original than the usual "lo-fi" filtered photo.
Redbox Instant is a new streaming video service from Redbox and Verizon, meant to compete with the likes of Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. If you are not already a Redbox user, you can add $8-per-month movie streaming to your iOS devices with this new app. The service itself is currently in beta, but you can sign up to join the beta now.
Longtime Ars forum member vafarmboy recently published his first iOS app. It's rather simple and straightforward, but Strengthiness Interval Timer is designed to help you set up and follow an interval training regimen, such as Tabata protocol, Super-8, or VO2max/Viking Warrior Conditioning. (I personally like to use custom intervals when building speed for 5K runs.) Just set a time, how many rounds you want to repeat, and go.
The current $0.99 price is good through December, after which it will go to its regular $1.99 price.
Tumblr has revamped its iOS app with a native iPad user interface. The now-universal app is optimized for Retina displays and also includes Markdown support for posting and a new Explore tab for finding new tumblogs to follow.
Dropbox can be an indispensable tool for syncing and accessing files from your iPhone or iPad; in fact, many apps rely on Dropbox for remote file access over Apple's own iCloud. The new 2.0 version of the iOS app adds a ton of UI polish but also includes easier file uploading to specific folders as well as a completely new photo viewer which lets you interact with your synced photos.
