The core here is that you’ll still get all of the usual news, reviews and feature content that you’d get on the regular site, but it has all been optimized for a more mobile-friendly experience. They’ve also provided “quick access” to additional content by way of podcasts, videos and photo galleries. The guys at the Verge promise that “videos play just fine on both iOS and Android.” Commenting on posts works too. The “StoryStream” feature for following a story is intact, giving you a notification each time your subscribed story gets an update.

You can find the Verge app in the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store for the iOS and Android versions, respectively. And yes, they are both free to download.

[Source]

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One of the new features is called “ability to move own video preview,” which I assume would mean that you can move around that video preview window when you’re about to engage in a video chat. The developers also promise increased accessibility, improved stability, a new sign-in screen, some “minor” UI improvements, and a series of bug fixes. The app has now also been coded to auto-restart if it unexpectedly crashes.

As before, the Skype iOS app is available as a free download through iTunes.

[Source]

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Yes, physical books may still have their place in our new digital society, but more and more kids are turning to tablets, computers, and e-readers. With Storia, Scholastic is creating an entire e-book ecosystem that is complete with an app, as well as the e-book store itself. Interestingly, the ebooks sold through Storia look like they’re exclusive to Scholastic, not unlike many of the physical books they have sold over the years.

The beta version of the e-reading app for Windows has launched and the iPad version should be going live a little later this month. You get five free ebooks when you download the app and you have access to (buy) over 1,000 more ebooks through the Storia store. The official launch is slated for the back to school season in the fall, at which time there will be over 2,000 titles available, as well as apps for Mac, Android, and iPhone.

[Source]

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One of the biggest draws of the native Gmail app for iOS is that it would provide push notifications. This way, you didn’t have to keep refreshing to see when you get that important message. Other nice features include the ability to search your entire inbox, autocomplete email addresses, get a split view on the iPad, use the priority inbox, swipe right to view labels, and more. Unfortunately, none of that is working right now.

Reports flooded the web, complete with screenshots, showing that people were getting a “notification error” on the login screen: “no valid ‘aps-environment’ entitlement string found for application.” Whatever that means. The long and the short of it is that Google has now pulled the new Gmail app from the App Store altogether, posting this update on the official Google Enterprise Blog:

Earlier today we launched a new Gmail app for iOS. Unfortunately, it contained a bug which broke notifications and caused users to see an error message when first opening the app. We’ve removed the app while we correct the problem, and we’re working to bring you a new version soon. Everyone who’s already installed the app can continue to use it.

Are they not rubbing salt in the wound with the “continue to use it” bit at the end there?

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Pronounced like “every,” Evri is an app that aggregates the various news sources from the around the Internet, as well as stuff happening in the social sphere. This way, you can check out what your friends are sharing on Twitter and Facebook, for example, as well as follow current trending topics and the like. It’s a “topic-based newsreader.”

I have to admit that the UI is pretty nice with the appearnace of stacked Polaroids for various topics. The early reviews look good too. You can get it via iTunes now.

The post Flipboard-challenging Evri for iPad app launches for free appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Kids these days don’t know what they’re missing. Instead of playing Scrabble on a physical board, they’re playing Words with Friends on their smartphones. Instead of emptying out a bucket of Lego bricks, they’re constructing new worlds in Minecraft. That’s just not the same, so Disney is working to marry the app the physical worlds with a new series of iPad games and accessories. They’re called Appmates and they’re real toys that work in tandem with the iPad’s touchscreen.

The first in this new series ties in with Pixar’s Cars. The iPad app itself is free and kids (or their parents) can buy the Appmates toy cars through Disney Stores and Apple Stores, both brick-and-mortar and online. One car is £12.99 and a pack of two sells for £19.99. They hit shelves later this month.

The idea is the kid loads the app, places the toy on the screen, and plays the game. They have to pinch the car with their index finger and thumb to complete the capacitive circuit; alternatively, there is a game mode where they can just use their fingers, but then it’d be like any other iPad game for kids. Remember that this is the first in the series and there will likely be other Appmates toys and games for other Disney franchises.

Yes, iPad apps will take away from the usual imagination that the kids would need if they were to play with the toys on their own, but at least they’re exploring new ways to play. [Disney]

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Connecting your professional audio and studio equipment to a much smaller, consumer-oriented device like the Apple iPad doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Alesis has stepped into this arena with the announcement of its iO Dock, aiming to find that bridge between the audio apps on the tablet and the audio equipment in your recording studio.

There are so many apps for the iPad that are geared toward music creation, recording, and production, but the iPad itself isn’t exactly geared to use the right equipment. That’s why the iO Dock is so useful. It comes with two balanced combination XLR/0.25-inch jack inputs for your microphones and other instruments, each with its own gain control and switchable phantom power for condenser mics. There’s also an onboard MIDI (DIN) port for drum machines and synths.

Other highlights include the USB port, balanced 0.25-inch outputs, RCA composite video out, an assignable footswitch input, and a direct monitor switch. This certainly sounds more robust than the iRig and iRig Mic I saw earlier this year. The MSRP for the iO Dock is $399, but the expected street price is closer to $200.

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Despite some increased competition, Skype remains as the de facto VoIP and video-chat platform. The app for the iPad was released and pulled a while ago, but now it’s back in the App Store and ready to let you chat it up with your friends around the world again.

There’s already a Skype app for iOS, but this version has been optimization for the iPad’s specs and dimensions. The extra screen space certainly helps for two-way video calling, for instance, but it’s also handy for all the instant messaging and such. And unlike FaceTime, Skype for iPad can legitimately do video chat over 3G without any modification.

As always, Skype for iPad is free on iTunes. You just have to pay for the services as you normally would when using Skype on any other platform. And also unlike FaceTime, your chat buddies don’t have to a part of the iCrew to talk with you over Skype.

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Easily one of my favorite arcade games of all time is Time Crisis. There were other on-rails shooting games, to be sure, but Time Crisis revolutionized the genre by adding in that pedal for duck-and-cover action. Now, you can have a similar experience when you pair your iPhone with your iPad and make use of the new iGunCon app.

At least, that’s the idea. Unfortunately, the (free) iGunCon app really doesn’t convert your iPhone into a functional iGunCon, because it doesn’t seem to convert it into a light gun at all. Instead, your iPhone gets connected to your iPad (or Mac) and then the touchscreen controls are mapped to your handheld rather than the gaming screen.

You tap on the trigger to shoot and tap on the different icons to switch guns, but it’s not like you’re really pointing at the screen. From what I can gather, Time Crisis 2nd Strike HD offers touch and tilt controls. With the former, you’d tap on the target, but you can’t really do that with the iGunCon app. So, it seems that you move the crosshairs to tilt your way to your target. That’s not the same at all… it’s like playing Lethal Enforcers on your SNES with a gamepad. It’s just not the same.

That’s how I interpret today’s announcement. Anyone want to give this app combo a try and let us know through the comments below?

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Sure, streaming media is nothing new. You can do that with no problem at all on Hulu or Netflix. However, there’s just something to be said about free, and that’s exactly the appeal of the Sony Crackle app for iPhone and iPad.

We’re not talking about random unauthorized clips from YouTube. The crazy thing about Crackle is that you can watch full feature length movies and television shows from major studios. Go ahead and watch everything from The Da Vinci Code to classic episodes of Married with Childen. Before Modern Family, Ed O’Neill was Al “Four Touchdowns in a Single Game” Bundy.

The app, which probably looks better on the iPad than the iPhone, comes with content from Columbia Pictures, Tri-Star, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Classics, and other sources. Because it is free, Crackle is supported by ads. That’s a small price to pay to get that much free TV and movie watching, right?

Now, we just have to see if Sony will extend the Crackle love to the Android (and other) owners in the audience.

[iTunes]

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