Thanks to a review by Federico Viticci, I got to hear about an awesome app for Mac and iOS called Command-C. It allows you to push the contents of your clipboard between devices over a local network. Thanks to the backgrounding features of iOS 7, you can share between an iPhone and iPad without even having to open the app on the…
Announced at CES 2014, the SteelSeries Stratus is a wireless controller designed for playing iOS games. The Xbox-like controller design will be instantly familiar to any modern gamer, right down to the twin analog sticks and four shoulder buttons. Up to four of these can be connected to a single iOS device for multiplayer games. Eli Hodapp of TouchArcade reviewed the Stratus,…
nvNotes is a note-taking app for iPhone that was inspired by apps like nvALT, Notational Velocity, and more recently, the new Writer Pro. This is one of those apps that mostly stays out of your way so you can focus on what's really important: your notes. The few features that come into play while you're writing are: Word and character count. A…
We've mentioned the game Machinarium in the past, but I think it's worth bringing up again, for three reasons: The first time we posted about it, the game was only available for the iPad. Now it's a universal app so you can enjoy it on your iPhone as well (although iPad is probably still the best experience). It made The Sweet Setup's…
Sometimes a new writing app comes out that has everybody talking about it for a while. Right now, Writer Pro, the successor to the ever-popular iA Writer, is the new hotness. This app is designed around the four basic stages of any writer's workflow – note-taking, writing, editing, and reading – each of which is represented by a different typeface and color.…
It's not been mentioned here before, but unless I'm mistaken, all of us here at Tools & Toys use Delivery Status Touch to track our various shipments. I certainly can't think of a better option, because you can add tracking numbers from just about any delivery service out there and it will work like magic. The app just got even better too,…
Super Squares is a simple and fun new puzzle game for iOS. To beat each level, you must find a way to connect each colored block with its twin and make sure every star on the grid has been "collected" along the way. It's easy to pick up the the basics, but there is some challenge added (in the form of brick…
Terminology, the best iOS dictionary app on the market, turned 3 yesterday. The all-new version is a $2.99 universal app that sports an all-new iOS 7 UI, but so much more. In addition to a great offline dictionary and thesaurus, Terminology 3 can search Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Google and other common reference sites. With iCloud, the app can sync favorite terms and histories…
The Icons & Coffee group, makers of the popular 'Perspective' icon set for OmniFocus, have released another awesome set of icons: 'Essence' for iOS 7. With 300 icons covering a wide variety of categories, this set is the perfect tool for developers who want their apps to look great on iOS 7. When you buy the set, you get a .zip archive…
Velocity is a new iPhone app from Lickability that brings speed reading to the masses. After hooking the app up to a Pocket or Instapaper account, users can open their articles to have the words flash by at up to 1,000 words per minute. (I prefer mine set to about 340.) I didn't think this app would be for me at first,…
I've been a fan of Flexibits' Fantastical since it released for iPhone a while back, but Readdle's new (and universal) Calendars 5 is certainly great competition. As with Fantastical, Calendars 5 allows you to use natural language to create events. For example, you can type something like "Meet Shawn at Blue Bottle Coffee every Wednesday at 3pm" and it will recognize exactly…
PCalc, the venerable calculator for the Mac and iOS has been updated to version 3, and includes a new iOS 7-class theme, updated layouts for the iPhone, full speech support and more. (If you're going to be running iOS 6 for a while, the app still has full support for the OS, and the old themes can be applied to 7, as…
Reeder 2, the newest version of the widely beloved RSS reader, is now available on the iOS App Store as a $5 universal app. The interface has been redesigned and looks as beautiful as ever, yet maintains the same sort of UI aesthetic you know and love from the previous version. My favorite thing about this upgrade is that Feed Wrangler is…
Some people like to work in an office, while others – like myself – are at our creative best in a comfortable environment like a coffee shop. For those of us in the latter camp, Coffitivity is an excellent app for Mac, iOS, and the web that recreates the acoustic experience of working in a bustling coffee shop. Choose one of three…
When I first heard about the iGrill, I wasn't all that impressed with the idea. Why would I need my iPhone to know about what was going on in my Weber Grill. Then I got sent one as a review unit, and man, it's pretty cool. Sure there are some great regular thermometers on the market, but the iGrill is smart. Powered…
Downcast has long been one of the most popular "podcatcher" apps for iOS (I'm more of an Instacast guy myself, but the fact remains). If you've been wishing for a Mac version of Downcast, you're in luck because it just released today. It's got all the features you'd expect, such as subscription management, importing and exporting of OPML files, auto-updating schedules, smart…
Thanks to Nate Boateng, I found out that the well-regarded Scanner Pro is on sale for $2 right now (down from $7). This app will let you scan paper documents and receipts with your iPhone or iPad camera, then send those scans off to places like Evernote and Dropbox. It even uses an algorithm to clean up the images and make them…
Ever lose your keys or misplace you backpack? If you're like me, you've wished for a "Find my iPhone" like feature for everyday items. Tile looks like the answer. The product is comprised of two parts. The first is a small, sleek, lightweight fob that can be attached to a key ring, dropped into a wallet or hidden in a suitcase. The…
This Wednesday (July 10, 2013) is the 5th anniversary of the iOS App Store. There hasn't been any official announcement from Apple yet (Update: Now there has), but we've found that several popular developers are offering their top apps and games for free this week. If you've never gotten around to trying these out, now's your chance. We will try to keep…
Learning iOS Design is a book written by William van Hecke, the User Experience Lead at the Omni Group (the makers of OmniFocus and other well-known apps). In this book, William takes you through the process of becoming an iOS app designer, regardless of your experience level. You'll learn how to flesh out your app ideas, from early sketches and wireframes to…