This week’s roundup features updated apps from MLB and the PGA—but we also have offerings for productivity, video-making, and weather forecasting.
Version 3.0 of CalPal, the free “smart scheduler” for iPhone, introduces a total redesign of its user interface, including the addition of a new “block-based” calendar view to its original list view—and, developers promise, a seamless transition between the two. The chat feature (which lets you converse with collaborators inside a calendar item) has also been overhauled. The app synchronizes with other calendar programs that are compatible with your iPhone, including Google, Exchange, iCloud, and Facebook Events.
We’ll let the developers explain Fountain: “Live video chat with home and garden experts. Talk to an architect, interior designer, master gardener, carpenter, plumber, or appliance repair specialist right now. Show your problem with live video and pictures you can draw on. $7 for 15 minutes. $10 free credit for new users.” You’ve just become your home’s handyman.
The new Meerkat app for iPhone lets you live-stream video to your Twitter followers. Streams are sent to followers—who can only watch live, not after the fact—via push notifications. Followers can retweet the stream to their followers as long as it’s live. And when you’re finished? Your stream can be kept locally on your phone, but never on the cloud.
The biggest, baddest sports app of them all has returned, still trying to stay at the forefront. The iPhone version of MLB at Bat has a new UI for all 30 team pages, an expanded player search function that now includes all active and historical MLB players, team-by-team statistical data filters, and the ability to display the app in Spanish. The iPad update includes the Spanish feature and a redesigned news reader.
The free Momentum app for iPhone helps you develop good habits by reminding you to do the hard work of… developing good habits. Choose a habit, decide how many days a week you need to perform that task to make it a habit, then schedule the task and a reminder. You get three “free” habits before the app makes you upgrade to a premium version.
Nat Geo View is “is a new daily digest from National Geographic, featuring the day’s best pictures, stories, and videos.” It features dozens of new photos each day, plus articles and videos—and stores that content for seven days, so you always have time to catch up on your reading.
PGA Tour has been updated for the 2015 golf season—this year, it’s also on the iPad. Other new features include live shot trails, real-time predictive stats, and streaming audio and video. It’s a must-have for golf fans.
With the Week Weather iPhone app, you can see a week’s view of the weather on one glanceable screen. It can quickly show you which days—and which times of the day—it will be sunny, raining, or really cloudy. Separate views show you predicted times for cloudiness, rain, wind, and humidity.
Tinder now lets you rewind a swipe to choose differently … Ellentube is now supported on the iPad … Google Maps now lets you get quick facts on popular points of interest.
Author: Joel Mathis
Joel Mathis is a regular contributor to Macworld and TechHive. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and young son.