On a regular basis, Apple World Today posts a list of notable new apps or app updates that have been released. They may not necessarily be new, but they’re popular and deserve mention. Here are today’s picks.
iOS apps and updates
Camera+ version 8
We covered the update of Camera+ ($2.99) yesterday in the AWT News Update, but it bears repeating. The app is one of the longest-lived iOS camera apps, and with the guidance of professional photographer Lisa Bettany and the team at Taptaptap, the app keeps getting better.
The new update adds slow shutter speeds up to 30 seconds long, making it possible for the iPhone to do things like take night sky shots. The app also adds support for ultra-low ISO levels, and lets iPhone 6 and 6s owners actually see a preview of what the extended shutter speeds and low ISO settings will result in — that’s something that top-of-the-line DSLR cameras can’t even do. The app also lets you take your latest iPhone Camera app shots and import them right into the Lightbox for editing. A new Action Extension lets photos or art be sent directly to the Camera+ Lightbox from the share sheet of most apps, and there’s more we can’t list here. This is a free update for existing users — I’ve used Camera+ for many years and it really is the best camera app for the iPhone.
Flipominos
I’m not sure why, but there has been a flood of great puzzle games lately and that happens to be a genre that I love. First there was Mekorama, then there was Diced, and now Flipominos has hit the App Store.
Flipominos is described as a “procedurally generated puzzle game with infinite levels,” although there are actually “only” about 4.3 billion levels to play. That’s more than enough for one lifetime. It has a simple premise: you move a cube structure so that its base matches a marked area, which moves you to the next level. Sounds simple until you realize that there are lasers that are going to ruin your day…
If you get stuck at any level, just call out to the automated help system on Twitter. The game is also available for the 4th-generation Apple TV. Enjoy!
OS X apps and updates
WWDC app for OS X
OK, this app isn’t in the App Store — it’s out on GitHub — but it is really something you may want to get if you’re interested in checking out the WWDC Keynote and the various sessions from the comfort of your own Mac. The WWDC app for OS X from developer Guilherme Rambo is an excellent way to watch not only this year’s activities, but sessions from previous years as well.
Pixelmator 3.5
Pixelmator ($29.99) is already an amazing drawing, painting and image editing app for Mac, but the latest upgrade to version 3.5 really ups the game with an OS X extension that adds the retouching tools to the standard Photos app.
A new Quick Selection tool lets users select an area with a single brushstroke, while a Magnetic Selection tool snaps to the edges you trace for really detailed selections. The update also includes some very big performance improvements, with the Stroke effect now running 15 times faster on OS X El Capitan.
