FARvourite

Twitter is currently experimenting with a new feature that, like posts to Facebook groups, shows users just how many times their individual Tweets were seen by others. It's a move that, while useful, is sure to send some users – this author included – into a spiral of depression upon realizing that, no, your friends might not really care that much about your 140-character insight. According to reports from numerous Twitter users, a new "# views" item appears beneath the content of one's post – but above the left-facing arrow – for those using the official Twitter app on iOS. For those using Twitter in any other capacity, like posting or reading via good ol' Twitter dot com, the official Android client, a third-party app, or any other creative means for accessing the service, the view count currently appears to be an exclusive test – or full-fledged feature – on the iOS app. If we sound a bit lacking in detail, that's because we are. Twitter's roll...

Fit Brains is a scientifically-designed brain fitness program developed by Dr. Paul Nussbaum, one of the top clinical neuropsychologists in the U.S. with more than 50 peer reviewed publications. Dr. Nussbaum is an Adjunct Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Complex, richly illustrated and thought out brain games with different levels and storylines - that's unique! It includes more than 360 unique training sessions that are designed to enhance your Memory, Processing Speed, Concentration, Problem Solving and Visual skills. Few minutes daily to improve the performance of your brain. The Fit Brains Index measures your cognitive performance across five major brain areas. Compare your results with others in your age and gender demographics to see where you stand. I use this app a lot and now I am (kind of) addicted.

The Pinball HD brings three arcade level pinball tables to your iPad and that's almost reason enough to grab this solid app. Each table will take you a while to master despite being slightly less featured than a modern physical pinball machine, but they're still great fun and anyone after a pinball game won't be disappointed. Getting started couldn't be easier with the plunger being controlled by a simple touch and drag to launch your ball. The table's flippers are activated by touching either side of the game screen, providing a basic and responsive way to control the game. There's no tutorial available to teach you how to play the game, but like most pinball games a summary of table's basic progression is available with gamers needing to learn the finer points as they play. Each table is has lots of gameplay features to explore and have been recreated beautifully for the iPad. A zoomed mode is available in portrait orientation and a zoomed out mode ...

In a somewhat surprising move, Apple rolled out a cheaper version of the iPhone 5C in certain European and Asian markets Tuesday. The new smartphone is not very different from the existing iPhone 5C models as far as specifications go, but at 8GB, it has half the memory capacity of the previous entry-level 16GB variant. This could be a restricting factor for many smartphone users given the ever-rising memory requirements for downloading new apps and movies. The device is therefore likely to be positioned as an on-ramp for first-time smartphone buyers looking to enter the iOS ecosystem. That the 8GB variant has been launched only in the U.K., France, Germany, Australia and China shows that Apple is looking to target those markets where 4G LTE is either being introduced or is only in the initial stages of adoption. This is probably why the model hasn’t been launched in the U.S., where LTE is a far more established 4G standard. Apple has priced the new 8GB 5C cheaper than the 16GB...

If you are about to become a mum, than this is the app you need. Understanding how your pregnancy is progressing week by week... Isn't that great? Both Android and iOS users are able to download this app / UK & Canada! To be able to understand the changes made each week, TOTALI LLC added video (weekly) and ability to ask local experts. Also this app helps you find better deals on baby products... everything to make you a better mum! The best part of this app, videos, are detailed computer animations. To help you prepare for the birth of your baby, there is a video blogger which covers different topics, like morning sicks, ultrasounds etc. The ability to add your ultrasound photos, lab tests and belly pictures, make this app one of the best on the stores. Daily, you will receive tips on what to do. The free version provides quite a bit of content, but for a small amount of money, you can get a lot of featured content. I would love to here soon-to-be mums about their e...

You can shoot photos from within the Rookie iPhone app with zoom capability and flash control. As you shoot your photo, you can also adjust the filters to get that perfect shot. Or, you may choose to edit photos from your iPhone’s library. The editing interface has five icons at the bottom of the screen – camera, filters, tools, stickers, and share. The filter icon is a rainbow circle, and it changes the screen to ten categories of filters. The categories cover virtually every aesthetic ranging from traditional to eclectic. The photo editing tools are accessed with a tap on the icon with two lines. The tools fill a horizontal menu bar at the bottom of the screen. For eight tools, you move your finger on a line like adjusting volume. These eight tools include brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, vibrance, color temperature, tint, and fade. The interface for these tools is exceptional in its simplicity. These are sophisticated, advanced tools that are easily manipulated. You can a...

Google just pushed an update to Google Keyboard this morning, jumping the version up to 3.0.19373 from version 2.0. The update introduces a couple of tweaks, like an “ABC” button to get back to the keyboard from the emoji tab and a new Settings icon when long-pressing the mic button. The big update here, though, is new Personalized Suggestions. Upon first loading the keyboard, I was prompted with a line that read “Personalization is on. Touch for info.” Once touched, a pop-up explained that the Google Keyboard uses data from other Google apps and services to improve suggestions and corrections. It also made it clear that this info is only stored on the device.

Maybe you’re looking for a new, cheap way to kill time? You’re in luck - we’ve got some games here that look and play great on the big and small screen alike, and they’re all available for the low price, or for free. 1. The Simpsons Tapped Out Based on the inhabitants of Springfield is surprising in a few ways. It's free, which is quite the thing, plus, although what many would deride as a 'freemium' game. 2. Badland Your blob gets bigger and smaller, splits into loads of mini clones, and generally baffles you about what might lie around the next corner. We like a bit of a surprise, and this is full of them. 3. PewPew Regardless of its origin, it's a superb shooter with some bizarre game modes and controls that work exceptionally well on touch devices. 4. Pitfall! We had low expectations of Activision's odd decision to rework its ancient platform game as an endless runner, but it turned out surprisingly nice. 5. So...

We’ve seen many puzzle games in the market but sometimes it’s just missing that “something” to make it addictive. The gameplay for Jewel Mania is definitely one of the most addictive puzzle games out there today, and will probably have players going back for more after their first 10 minutes. The game requires you to move different shape gems that are color coated and match them in rows of three or more to break, and into certain stages you are required to beat stages under a limited amount of moves and time. Many of the colors on the world map will give you a very calm feeling while when you begin the game the gems are very sleek and colorful. Everything sounds fitting here. It’s not really the focus of a puzzle game but it’s quite addictive when they say “Jewel Mania!”. It’s not a bad thing. And it really sticks in your head too. Although there are many good points about the game, some players may feel that the energy requirement to play each level is restrictive.  The e...

For stargazers, Sky Live is exactly the app we've always needed to find out just how much of the stars we can see at night and when we'll be able to see our favourite constellations and planets. Sky Live does not have a built in virtual reality stargazer. Those are all separate apps, and there are some really good ones. So I understand that it might take a little bit of convincing to get you to think it’s worth letting the app take up space on your iPhone, but I’m willing to try. Having a forecast of the stars might sound impractical to you, but I think that’s a little short-sighted. If I may explain a little bit of my own experience with this app, I hope that’ll help clear things up. My closest friend is an experienced stargazer and she can point out constellations without a problem, but even she still has some basic questions before we go out: is the sky clear enough? What will we be able to see? What part of its cycle is the moon in? When is the best time to try and s...

In order to make animated GIFs on your iPhone you'll need to enlist the help of some third party apps. Today we are going to use an app called 5SecondsApp. It is free and ad-supported, but you can romove ads and also have the ability to create longer GIFs with an in-app purchase of $0.99. STEP 1 Download 5SecondsApp from iTunes. STEP 2 Launch 5SecondsApp on your iPhone. STEP 3 Tap on the Video icon in the upper left hand corner. STEP 4 Make a selection to import videos, photos, or take a video. STEP 5 Choose the section of video you'd like to use or add your photos. Repeat this process for everything you'd like in your animated GIF. STEP 6 Once you're done, tap on your newly created GIF in the main menu. STEP 7 Now tap on the Share button in the bottom right corner. Here you can email, text, or save your GIF to your Camera Roll. The Enable Sharing option uploads your GIF to 5Seconds and lets you create a link that's easil...

iPhone games designed for iPhone are nothing short of amazing. That’s because iPhone has variety of features available like the Multi-Touch interface, the accelerometer, GPS, real-time 3D graphics, and 3D positional audio. There are now hundreds of thousands of games available for iPhone, and, surprisingly, many of the best are free. The following list showcases my pick of the 12, in my opinion, best free iPhone games. 1. Letterpress Simply, the best word game on the App Store. You make words to win points and temporarily 'lock' letters from your opponent by surrounding them. 2. Real Racing 3 Plenty of cars and tracks add longevity, although do be aware the game is a bit grindy and quick to hint you should buy some in-app cash with some of your real hard-earned. 3. Volkswagen Think Blue Challenge The game becomes a unique and intriguing survival-based challenge as you try to eke out an extra few metres each go. 4. Fairway Solitaire You get...

Microsoft Office is tragically late in arriving for the most popular platform in post-PC computing — the iPad. But, in hopes that better-late-for-never works better for Microsoft this time than it has in the past, it looks like they might finally be ready to let the Apple tablet-optimized version of their productivity suite loose. Perhaps as soon as March 27. And perhaps by none other than brand-new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Mary Jo Folly writing for ZDNet: According to several sources of mine, Microsoft's latest timetable calls for the company to finally introduce the long-rumored Microsoft Office for iPad suite of applications before the end of March 2014. This March 27 event sounds like it might be the time and place. The suite for the iPad is rumored to include only Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, and possibly no other Office client apps. It is expected to be downloaded from the Apple Store but most likely to require a Micrososoft Office 365 subscription, similar ...

An action puzzler that stars a surprisingly adorable pixelated rocket you must help escape from a spaceship that’s plummeting into a sun. The game contains 64 puzzles in which you have to make your way from point A to point B without impaling yourself on spikes, burning up in a jet of fire, or being blown to bits by an explosive balloon. The controls are very good. You tap to launch your rocket and to make it reverse course in midair; when it’s landed, you can swipe to make it step left or right, and press and hold to make it duck. (Yes, in this game your rocket can duck.) Your movement is very limited, but figuring out how to maneuver your rocket through the level is what the game’s about. Things get tough, and it’s not always due to the cleverness of the puzzles. Some levels require you to ‘juggle’ the rocket in the air, meaning that you have to keep reversing directions between two killer obstacles. The occasional psychotically challenging level is all part of the retro ap...

QuizUp features a flat, iOS 7-like interface that’s filled with smooth animations, menu choices, vibrant colors, and content, so it will definitely feel at home on your iPhone. While it may seem overwhelming at first, it’s actually quite intuitive to navigate around and find the topics that interest you. The game also has some quirky music and sound effects to go along with it, but of course, these can be turned off if it becomes too much for you. To play QuizUp, you will need an account, which can be done by signing up with an email or just by using your Facebook account. If you go with Facebook, the app will pull your profile photo as well as cover image to personalize your appearance in the game when getting matched up with an opponent. I actually liked this effect, as it can definitely add some “oomph” to your game profile. You can also find friends who are playing the game already and challenge them to matches. While QuizUp is a free game with tons of content, there are of ...

Pixel Hunter, from Lemondo Entertainment, is a triumphant, action packed winner through and through. This 3D style side-scroller has been designed in both 8-Bit and Voxel formats to give gamers a crunchy, 80’s reminiscent adventure for the ages. Become instantly absorbed into a digital hyperspace swarming with snakes, flying birds, strutting dogs, and dozens of obstacles of every type. You’ll have to be sharp and quick to make it through this pixelated journey in one piece! This takes the gaming experience immediately into the 80’s, where this format of game found huge peaks of success before being displaced by more three-dimensionally polished graphics. Still the format holds a place in many hearts, including my own. Compelling music and action packed gameplay turn this game into a challenging and highly entertaining gem. Excellent gaming, huge obstacle variety, and rich, pixelated gaming environments help to bring this app into a world of its own.

On Wednesday, we passed along a story about a security flaw on the Android version of WhatsApp, that could allow a hacker to read previous conversations stored on a microSD card. A spokesman for the messaging app, which is awaiting regulatory approval of its $19 billion purchase by Facebook, said that the stories "have not painted an accurate picture and are overstated." He added that contrary to earlier reports, the update to the app available in the Google Play Store did contain some enhanced security measures (although it did not beef up the security for stored conversations). The security expert who originally revealed the flaw, Bas Bosschert, says that the security hole still exists even after the update. In a statement, WhatsApp's spokesman stated that anytime malware or a virus is installed on a phone unknowingly, all data stored on a microSD card is at risk, not just conversations stored there by WhatsApp. And while that might be true, unfortunately for Whats...

Lost Twins is a multi-faceted sliding puzzle game that follows two adorable twins as they make their way around a maze of a house. It combines platforming shenanigans with a shape puzzle mechanic, resulting in a game that’s captivating and fun, and one that sets itself apart from the competition. There were a few times when I found myself stuck in a rut with no option but to restart, though I only saw this as a minor inconvenience rather than a cause for frustration that comes with other puzzlers of the same ilk. This is largely thanks to the intelligent level design — demanding some forethought — and the vibrant visuals on offer. After all, how could I stay mad at those faces? With 3 colorful rooms on offer, each with 11 levels, there is decent amount of content to get through for the asking price. There is also a bonus classic slide puzzle at the end of each room, which is composed of the hidden tiles found in each level. While I wouldn’t call it a particularly difficult gam...