O'Grady's PowerPage

Category: iOS

  • Alien: Isolation now available for iPhone and iPad

    Alien: Isolation now available for iPhone and iPad

    If you’re hankering for a good sci-fi game, this is it.

    Alien: Isolation is now available for iOS and iPadOS devices.

    Players take on the role of Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda, as she strives to unravel the mystery behind her mother’s disappearance. Aboard the desolate Sevastopol space station, her search for answers soon becomes a desperate fight for survival as she’s relentlessly hunted by a deadly, unknown menace. 

    The game includes all seven DLC packs, gamepad support, and a customizable touchscreen interface that’s been redesigned for mobile devices.

    Alien: Isolation retails for $14.99 and requires iOS 14.8 or iPadOS 14.8 or later to install and run.

    If you’ve had a chance to try the game on your iPhone or iPad, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via The Mac Observer and the App Store

  • Apple releases Swift Playgrounds 4, offers full support for creating iOS and iPadOS apps directly from an iPad

    Apple releases Swift Playgrounds 4, offers full support for creating iOS and iPadOS apps directly from an iPad

    Apple on Wednesday released Swift Playgrounds 4, the newest version of its free Swift Playgrounds app used for teaching code in the education market. The newest version of the app allows iPhone and iPad apps to be created directly on an ‌iPad‌ without the need for a Mac. 

    The new version includes the following new features and changes:

    – Build iPhone and iPad apps with SwiftUI right on your iPad (requires iPadOS 15.2 or later)
    – App Store Connect integration lets you upload your finished app to the App Store
    – App Preview shows live updates as you make changes to your app
    – Full-screen preview lets you see your app edge-to-edge
    – Smart, inline code suggestions help you write code quickly and accurately
    – App Projects make it easy to move projects to Xcode and back
    – Project-wide search finds results across multiple files
    – Snippets Library provides hundreds of SwiftUI controls, symbols, and colors
    – Swift Package support lets you include publicly-available code to enhance your apps 

    Designing and uploading an app on the ‌iPad‌ requires the iPadOS 15.2 update that was released earlier this week. Swift Playgrounds can be downloaded from the ‌App Store‌ for free.

    Apple has also released Swift Playgrounds 4 for the Mac, with support for its Swift 5.5 programming language.

    If you’ve had a chance to try Swift Playgrounds 4, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via MacRumors and the App Store

  • Apple releases iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2 updates

    Apple releases iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2 updates

    Apple on Monday released iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2. The updates, which can be located, downloaded, and installed by navigating to Settings > Software Update, offer assorted new features and fixes.

    Amongst the new features in iPadOS and iOS 15.2 are the Apple Music Voice Plan, App Privacy Report, and the Digital Legacy program.

    The Apple Music Voice Plan retails for $4.99 per month, is available across all Siri-enabled devices and offers access to all 90 million songs in the Apple Music library, playlists, personalized mixes and genres stations, as well as Apple Music Radio. Siri can also be used for full playback controls. A free three-month trial is also available.

    The new App Privacy Report feature helps users find out when apps access data including camera, location, and microphone.

    In iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2, each user can assign five people as Legacy Contacts. These people are able to access the user’s iCloud data and personal information when they die, without needing to know their password.

    If you’ve had a chance to try iOS 15.2 or iPadOS 15.2 and have any feedback to offer, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via The Mac Observer

  • Apple releases updated firmware for AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max units

    Apple releases updated firmware for AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max units

    Apple released firmware version 4C165 for its AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max units on Thursday.

    While a specific list of changes has yet to be released, it’s believed that the update fixes assorted functionalities with the wireless earbuds and wireless headphones.

    To check your AirPods firmware version, make sure your AirPods are connected via Bluetooth to your iPhone and navigate the following steps:

    • Open the Settings app on your iPhone
    • Navigate to the “Bluetooth” menu
    • Find your AirPods in the list of devices
    • Tap the “i” next to them
    • Look at the “Firmware Version” number

    Again, the newest AirPods Pro firmware version is 4C165. If this is what you see in the Settings app, then it means your AirPods are fully updated. If not, the update should install when connected to your iPhone via Bluetooth.

    If you’ve tried the new firmware, let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via 9to5Mac

  • GeForce Now updated, offers improved service on Apple Silicon-based Macs

    GeForce Now updated, offers improved service on Apple Silicon-based Macs

    If you’re looking to use GeForce Now’s gaming service on your Apple Silicon-enabled Mac, you’re going to like this.

    A new update to the service now offers improved gameplay, and RTX 3080 members can play at native 1600p on their Apple Silicon-enabled Macs.

    The GeForce Now update brings a few new perks for members like linking Nvidia and Ubisoft accounts for fast sign-in. Mac users get a treat with improved streaming performance and new gaming modes for the Apple Silicon Macs.

    In addition to the streaming improvements, Mac players using Apple Silicon hardware can now run their games at their native 1600p resolution. This is restricted to RTX 3080 members and enables streaming sessions for up to 8 hours.

    Set RTX on for both RTX 3080 and Priority members to experience real-time ray tracing without the need for a PC. Of course, players will need robust network connections for great streaming sessions.

    Nvidia also cited that the update includes a fix for streaming in the correct aspect ratio when gaming on a MacBook Pro with M1 Max.

    GeForce Now functions as a cloud gaming service that offers players access to their PC library over Ubisoft connect, Steam, and other platforms. Players can enjoy their games on any supported browser from Macs to Safari on iPhone.

    Finally, Nvidia removed a previous statement saying that GeForce Now is Apple Silicon-native, and cited that it is actually Intel-based running on Apple’s Rosetta 2 software.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and blogs.nvidia.com