iOS software

Four iOS weather apps that exude elegance

It wasn't very long ago that for a developer to make a successful weather app, it had to have the most information possible. This meant developers would compete to pack tons of graphs, maps, diagrams, written forecasts -- and even forums where people could talk about weather -- into busy, confusing apps that tried to cover it all. But what you ended up with were long, listlike menus when the only information you probably wanted was what the weather might be like for the weekend.

Don't get me wrong, the feature-packed weather apps have their place, particularly when … Read more

New Avast, Apple's $10,000 prize, and hot pizza: The Week in Downloads

Every week, we compile the best new reviews, products, and features from the Download.com software catalog and blog, package them up in a tidy little newsletter, and e-mail it out to all of our lovely subscribers.

If you are a registered CNET member, you can sign up for the newsletter yourself (it's listed as "CNET Download.com Software Dispatch" under "Software News and Reviews"), or check back every Tuesday to read our latest roundup.

Top Download News and Features

Avast Free Antivirus updates to add VPN service and target Facebook Gmail for iPhone and iPad … Read more

Pixel Press app: Draw, create, play your own video game

Mario's multilevel gaming style has endured for good reasons. It's simple, it's fun, and it's addictive. Once you've conquered the realms of Mario and other similar retro games, where do you go next? How about creating your own custom video game? That sounds great, but you'll need to brush up on your programming skills first. Unless, that is, Kickstarter project Pixel Press gets off the ground.

With Pixel Press, you just need the app, a piece of paper, a pencil, and your imagination to create your own game. No coding required.

Here's how it works. You start by printing out the gridded Pixel Press sketch sheet, along with the instructions. You can design five layers on the sketch sheet using certain elements like terrain, hazards, monkey bars, moving platforms, barriers, spikes, portals, and power-ups. You draw all these out onto the grid, with the aim of designing five progressively more challenging levels for your hero to conquer.… Read more

Pizza Compass provides a "tool for sliced success"

You're exploring a new city when time slips away. Darkness now falls and a chill settles in your bones. The growing rumble in your stomach is starting to scare small children who pass by. But don't even think about the neon-tinted, lowest-common-denominator fast food chains--what you need is a hot slice of pizza from a local joint that's still open. The new Pizza Compass app for iPhone and iPad from swaggering (and most assuredly apocryphal) "creator" Zeus Gorham Munkist and small development shop Oak Studios aims to get you there ASAP.

The Pizza Compass app … Read more

10 alternatives to Apple's all-time most popular apps

Last week, Apple announced that its App Store is approaching 50 billion app downloads. In celebration of the milestone, Apple is giving away a $10,000 App Store gift card to the lucky person who initiates the 50 billionth download.

As part of the celebration, Apple listed the top 25 apps -- both free and paid -- for iPhone and iPad. None of the apps listed is particularly surprising (especially to someone who studies the most-popular list every day), but one thing that did strike me is that a lot of the all-time best sellers still sit near the top … Read more

Gmail updates for iOS

If the next Gmail message you receive on your iPhone launches YouTube or Google Maps, don't be alarmed. The Internet giant enhanced its official Gmail app for iPhone and iPad today, adding two small but appreciated features for heavy users of the Web-based mail service.

First, the default behavior for opening YouTube, Google Maps, or Web links has changed. Now, when you click on any of those kinds of links, Gmail will spawn the respective native YouTube, Google Maps, or Google Chrome app for iOS to handle it. Formerly, such links were instead handled by the relatively inelegant built-in … Read more

Sid Meier lets fly with mobile game -- and why you'll be happy to pay

Sid Meier is not a fan of "freemium."

The model of giving a game away only to charge for extras such as new levels, features, or power-ups, has swept up the mobile gaming industry, much to the chagrin of gamers who would prefer to pay once for the complete experience.

Meier, a legend in the gaming business thanks to his beloved "Civilization" franchise, couldn't agree more.

"It's about designing unhappiness," Meier told CNET in an interview on Friday. "You have to design a game so not fun that people will pay … Read more

Sushi Cats combine cute felines, delicious sushi

Ever thought about putting a cat on top of a giant piece of sushi and taking a picture? No? Yeah, us neither. Japanese company Tange & Nakimushi Peanuts, however, has a very different mindset, and the result is what you see here.

Besides selling pictures (and there are plenty) of the sushi-fied cats, there's also a mobile app available for iOS and Android smartphones. Unfortunately, these prints are only available in Japan, though the app is free to download. … Read more

Songza 3.0 for iOS: The single best music-streaming app?

Not to gush, but I've loved Songza from the moment I installed it on my iPhone -- way back in June, 2012.

In fact, it has displaced both Pandora and Slacker as my music-streaming app of choice. That's because Songza builds playlists based on whatever activity I'm currently engaged in (working, making dinner, fighting commuter traffic) or mood I'm in (gloomy, happy, romantic), and does so without interruptions or money. You read that right: the app is free, and the music plays commercial-free.

With version 3.0 for iOS, Songza just got even better. (It's also available for Android, but hasn't been similarly updated yet.) It's sporting a vastly improved UI, handy new search and navigation features, and the promise of better audio quality.… Read more

Apple announces $10,000 prize to mark App Store milestone

It seems like only yesterday that the iTunes App Store hit its 25 billionth download...actually it was only last year. It's incredible that the online marketplace (currently at over 49.2 billion downloads) will soon be doubling that number. To mark the momentous occasion, Apple is holding a contest that app addicts will surely appreciate. Feeling lucky? Then download on.

If you happen to download the 50 billionth app, you will win a $10,000 App Store gift card. Though the odds seem stacked against you, don't despair, as the first 50 users after the 50 billionth … Read more