iLounge

Google’s personal assistant, Google Now, is apparently ready to debut on iOS sometime in the near future — but just when appears to be up to Apple. Google Chairman Eric Schmidt was asked at the Google Big Tent Summit, “When can I get Google Now on my iPhone?” Schmidt said, “You’ll need to discuss that with Apple. Apple has a policy of approving or disapproving apps that are submitted into its store, and some of the apps we make they approve and some of them they don’t.” Schmidt also referred to Google Maps, saying it was “recently” approved by Apple. [via TechCrunch]

Update: Apple says Google Now hasn’t been submitted to its App Store. [via CNET]

In an unusual move of supporting third-party APIs, Apple has released an update to GarageBand for iOS adding the ability to receive audio from other iOS apps via Audiobus. Designed to facilitate mixing audio across multiple apps on a single iOS device, Audiobus is a third-party app that other iOS music apps can interface with to send and receive audio with other compatible apps. The addition of Audiobus support in GarageBand now allows users to record and sequence sounds from a wide variety of other Audiobus supported apps, such as Amplitube, Music Studio, AmpKit, BeatMaker, and dozens more.

The latest GarageBand update also adds the ability to disable grid snapping for finder editing control and resolves an issue with connecting third-party audio accessories to the 3.5mm headphone/mic jack. GarageBand 1.4 is available from the App Store for $5.

Just released, Speedbump’s Kingpin Lanes ($2) is an iOS universal bowling game completely rendered in 3-D, and impressively built by one man using the Unreal Engine. In addition to the expected ball-tossing, pin-knocking action, the game offers a fully explorable bowling alley, including a functioning pro shop, and an arcade with four playable mini games. Five fully voiced and animated characters can compete on a variety of lanes. The game also lets users create their own soundtrack using a device’s on-board music.

Now featuring full French and German translations in version 1.2, The Orchestra ($14) from Touch Press is an iPad app that features eight symphonic works performed by London’s Philharmonia Orchestra. As the orchestra plays extended extracts of the works — from the likes of Beethoven, Haydn, Debussy, Stravinsky, and others — the app lets users select from multiple video and audio tracks in real-time. A synchronized score and note-by-note visualization of each piece are also included. Audio and subtitled commentaries are also available on every piece, from the conductor and the players. Each instrument is also profiled, and the musicians explain their roles in the orchestra.

As the latest Peapod Labs ABC-themed title, ABC Farm ($3) teaches children vocabulary in English or Spanish through sight, sound, and touch. More than 50 farm-related words are taught through photos, interactive scenes, videos, pictures, and sounds. ABC Farm’s major new feature is the addition of a bilingual mode that enables the app to pivot with a single button push from English to Spanish — this feature can be used to teach a single Spanish word after seeing the English version, or the entire Spanish word set, alphabetized, as an alternative to the English word set. Every word and letter is spoken aloud in the currently selected language. While it looks familiar on the surface, ABC Farm boasts impressive new depth, and kids will enjoy it.

Evernote’s Evernote Food (free) has been updated to version 2.1. The update adds OpenTable integration, so users can make restaurant reservations and view restaurant ratings from within the app. It’s also easier to share recipes, both from Evernote to Evernote Food’s My Cookbook section, and via Facebook, Twitter, and email. It’s also possible to browse and search for recipes in Japanese and Chinese. Other improvements involve bug fixes, better image uploading, and improved search results.

Apple’s free Apple Store app has been updated to version 2.5. The app, which lets users research, personalize, and purchase products, as well as make service appointments, now features new shipping options for different items in an order. It’s also easier to see if a product is available for pickup at any selected U.S. location of the Apple Store.

CBS Interactive has released a brand new CBS app (free) which offers full streaming HD episodes of popular CBS shows, including NCIS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, How I Met Your Mother, Survivor, Elementary, The Young and the Restless, and The Late Show with David Letterman. It’s noted that some shows are available 24 hours after airing, while others are available 8 days after the initial broadcast. The CBS app also includes a personalized show list, live social feeds, photo galleries and cast pages, and the CBS primetime schedule.

Apple is updating its iOS Maps “often and significantly,” according to a new report. Flyover support was added to numerous cities in recent months, and other cities have seen flyover coverage and 3-D buildings expanded. Some city labels, satellite imagery in numerous countries, and location information have also been updated.

The map content was also recently updated in Japan, with toll road notifications, improved pronunciation during turn-by-turn navigation, updated icons and labels, and added 3-D buildings. Maps in China has a new coloring scheme, updated roads, re-prioritized locations, and a new character font for improved readability.

A full list of cities recently updated is included below. However, it’s notable that not all users might see the updates as of yet; for instance, Buffalo, NY supposedly now has flyover support, but the app doesn’t appear to show anything new. [via The Loop]

Rovio has issued a major update to one of its popular Angry Birds games, Angry Birds Rio. Most notably, version 1.6 of the game features 36 new levels and an all-new episode, the marmoset-filled Market Mayhem. Additionally, players can collect all the hidden fruit to unlock a new bonus level. Angry Birds Rio is currently available for free in the App Store.

Google’s Field Trip (free), available for Android since last year, has arrived for iOS. Field Trip is an interactive location guide that runs in the background, using location services and push notifications to tell users what’s around them. Categories such as architecture, historic places and events, lifestyle, offers and deals, food drinks and fun, movie locations, outdoor art, and obscure places of interest are all featured. Field Trip uses data from the likes of Thrillist, Food Network, Zagat, Run Riot, Sunset, Cool Hunting, WeHeart, Inhabitat, Remodelista, Atlas Obscura, Daily Secret, Songkick, and Flavorpill. If you’re using a headset, or Bluetooth audio, Field Trip will read the information aloud. The app is optimized for iPhone, but not iPad.

You’ve heard the classic story of the teenaged Japanese president, right? The girl who put on a mechanized battle suit and liberated Japan from robotic invaders? If not, Level-5’s new Liberation Maiden ($5) will let you experience her exciting adventure first hand. Mixing After Burner-style lock-on weapons with the 3-D urban mecha flavor of Konami’s Zone of Enders, Liberation Maiden isn’t going to win any raves for the depth or variety of its gameplay; you just fly from map point to map point with a virtual joystick, using taps and swipes to destroy towers called “spikes” and various war machines. But the brief and decidedly Japanese-feeling title comes to iOS via Nintendo’s 3DS, and has received resolution and texture upgrades that look respectable on Retina displays. If you’re hungering for a little robotic shooting action, this is a decent title.

SNK Playmore’s Metal Slug X ($4) is an updated remake of Metal Slug 2, with new elements, and bosses and other enemies placed at different points within the game. New weapons, such as remote-controlled missiles, bouncing land mines, and homing missiles are also included. Multiplayer gameplay is also possible through Bluetooth, as a friend can fight beside you. Packed with cool 2-D animations and art, Metal Slug X is funnier and more diverse than the original Metal Slug, including not only the outdoor Middle Eastern scenes you’d expect—now complete with camel rides—but also mummy attacks inside pyramids, turning you into an undead soldier if you’re touched by a mummy or poisoned animal. It’s a great side-scrolling shooter, and certainly worth the low asking price.

Marvel Comics has released its new Marvel Unlimited iOS app, enabling iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users to access Marvel’s digital comics subscription program. Though the app is free, subscriptions to the Marvel Unlimited service are $10 a month, or $60 for a year.

About 13,000 back issues of Marvel comics are included with the service. Comics can be added to a user’s library, and six issues can be stored for offline reading; downloaded comics can be synced across all of a user’s devices. Peter Phillips, SVP of Marvel Digital, said most major Marvel titles “should be in there at six months,” according to a report; all of the comics available through Marvel Unlimited are at least six months old. [via Gizmodo]

The newest update for Google’s Chrome (free), the memorably-named version 25.0.1364.86, features improved search and sharing. In a feature rolling out in the coming weeks, a search term can be seen in the omnibox, instead of the long search URL. Holding the back button can now quickly access any page in your tab history, and any web page can now be shared via Messages. Bug fixes and stability and security improvements are included in the update, as well.

Also from Google, a version 1.1 update for the iPhone and iPod touch app Google Maps (free) brings a search for Google Contacts; signing in lets users access saved address for friends and family by name. Version 1.1 also introduces a quicker local search by category, and the ability to choose between miles and kilometers for distance units. Some features may not be available in all countries, and there is still no iPad-specific version of the app.

Apple has offered a refund to the family of Danny Kitchen, a British boy who spent £1,700 (about $2,550) of his parents’ money on in-app purchases in an iPad game within 15 minutes. The family believed the boy was downloading “a free game,” and entered a password for the download, which was followed by a collection of huge in-app purchases. Apple recently settled a class action lawsuit regarding freemium apps aimed at children, offering refunds for claims that minors made in-app purchases without parental knowledge or permission. [via BBC]

Amazon has debuted version 2.0 of Amazon Cloud Player (free), featuring an updated design with iPad and iPad mini support. The new interface includes a setting that allows users to manage the size of their offline cache of stored music, a buffer that lets Cloud Player function as an alternative to Apple’s Music app, getting around in-app purchasing by offering Safari-based track buying options.

Robocat’s Haze ($1) is a new weather app with a clean, simple interface and nice animations. Features include motion tilt/slide navigation and a gyroscope-driven wind compass. In addition to providing the standard high and low temperatures in celsius or fahrenheit, windchill, windspeed, wind direction, sunshine hours, UV info, cloud coverage, sunrise and sunset times are included, among other data. Multiple themes allow users to personalize the app.

Amazon is warning users not to update the iOS Kindle app, as the most recent release of the software appears to be deleting entire book libraries and saved settings from iOS devices, according to customer reviews. Amazon notes that version 3.6.1 of the app has a known issue: “If you are an existing Kindle for iOS user, we recommend you do not install this update at this time.”

Update: Amazon has released a new version of the iOS Kindle app, 3.6.2, which features a “fix for registration issue” and “various bug fixes and security fixes.”

Major League Baseball announced at a fan event that 13 teams will accept Passbook tickets at their ballparks this season, up from four stadiums last year. It’s confirmed that the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Oakland A’s, and Pittsburgh Pirates will start accepting Passbook tickets for the first time in the 2013 MLB season. Additionally, the Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants will accept Passbook again this season, as they did last September. Three more teams will also allow Passbook ticketing, but have yet to make an official announcement. One of those teams may be the Boston Red Sox, a team that allowed Passbook ticketing last year, but was not mentioned in the new report. [via GigaOM]

Adobe has released “Photoshop Touch for phone” ($5) as a standalone app for the iPhone and iPod touch. Overlapping with its previous Photoshop Touch app for iPads, it includes core Photoshop features such as combining images, applying professional effects, and sharing results on Facebook and Twitter, here capped at 12-Megapixel image sizes. The user interface has been modified to make better use of Apple’s smaller screens.

Prior Photoshop Touch features are also included, such as Scribble Selection, which offers high-precision selections using your finger, and Camera Fill, which lets users fill a layer using the iPhone or iPod touch’s camera. Since the app is not universal, users will have to buy both Photoshop Touch apps separately to take advantage of a feature that lets users start a project on the iPhone or iPod touch and finish on the iPad.

Elokence’s popular Akinator the Genie app ($2) has just been optimized for the iPhone 5. For those unfamiliar with the title, Akinator is a genie who guesses what real or fictional character you’re thinking of through yes-or-no questions and a surprisingly robust database. Results can be shared on Facebook, and the 12+ rated app also has a child filter so kids can play safely. People you know can also be added to the game through customization, and the database continues to grow through user-submitted results. If you want to sample the content for free, the Akinator website will give you a good idea of what to expect.

Though it has supported the iPad for quite some time, The Atlantic Magazine: Digital Edition (free) is now also formatted for the iPhone after a recent update, which includes adjustable font size and navigation elements that can be hidden on article pages. Also included in the app’s update is the magazine’s Sexes section, which “explores how the changing balance of power between men and women is transforming society.” Subscribers get free digital magazine access, of course, but the price for a single issue has gone up for non-subscribers: it’s now $7 for a single digital issue, instead of $5.

Apple’s App Review Team is now rejecting apps that use cookie tracking, according to a report. Previously, developers could open Safari to read a cookie, identifying a user’s interaction with ads, but some developers have recently seen rejections for apps using the technique. It’s speculated that Apple is rejecting these apps to increase use of its own Advertising Identifier technology. As Apple notes in its iOS 6 settings, “In the future all apps will be required to use the Advertising Identifier.” Users can opt to limit ad tracking from the Advertising Identifier through advertising, in the About section of iOS 6 settings. [via TechCrunch]

Apple has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit over freemium apps aimed at children—titles that could be downloaded for free, but offered in-app game purchases. As originally reported by Law360 (subscription link), Apple will offer a $5 iTunes credit for claims that a minor bought in-game items without knowledge or permission. If the in-game items cost more than $5, Apple will offer a matching iTunes credit, and if the charges exceeded $30, the user can claim a cash refund.

A group of parents first sued Apple in 2011 over the “bait apps” in question. An email notice will be sent to more than 23 million iTunes account holders “who made a ‘Game Currency’ purchase in one or more apps.” The settlement must receive preliminary approval from a federal judge before Apple can start accepting claims. [via GigaOM]

Acquired some time ago by Amazon, long-time audiobook vendor Audible has released version 2.0 of free its iOS app, now optimized for iPad. The clean, redesigned interface features improved navigation and the ability to sign in with an Amazon account. Finished audiobooks can now be hidden from view, and up to three hours of audio can be downloaded over 3G and 4G networks while on the go.

Cordy 2 (free to try, $5 full game) is the side-scrolling followup to SilverTree Media’s acclaimed iOS action game Cordy. Owing some debt to Sonic the Hedgehog, the fast-moving Cordy makes his way through levels while picking up new abilities along the way, such as a double jump and Bionic Commando-style skyhook. Four levels can be played for free, and all 48 levels become available via a $5 in-app purchase. Multiple “packs” are also available for varying prices, which allow players to customize Cordy with different costumes and colors. If you’re into iOS side-scrollers, Cordy 2 is a fun time with the same style of 2.5-D graphics found in the original title.

Kickstarter has unveiled an official free app for the iPhone and iPod touch, which functions much like a mobile version of the crowd funding site. Most users will use the app to discover new projects, watch videos, and get updates on projects they’ve funded straight from the app. Allowing location services also lets users find new nearby projects automatically. On the flip side, project creators can track their project’s progress, connect with backers, and post updates from anywhere. While we’re generally very hesitant to treat Apple-focused Kickstarter campaigns as real news, based on the frequency of delays, over-promising in campaigns, and other issues, users who are interested in trying their luck with the service may like the app.

Amazon’s free Kindle app has been updated to version 3.6 with several new features. Multicolored highlights allow users to select from four different colors to highlight important passages. After finishing a book, readers can now easily share that fact with friends on Facebook and Twitter, as well as rating the book and writing a review. Other books of interest can then be added to a wish list. Also, the brightness control within the app will now be saved, so when a user’s device goes to sleep, the settings will no longer be changed and needed to be reset.