Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest iOS app deals available from the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

Grocery List

Abandon the paper list and all the other complicated apps that end up hindering rather than helping. “Remember To Buy” was designed to be a more practical grocery list, and to make your life easier.

Available on:

iOS

English Ace

EnglishAce allows you to browse Princeton WordNet dictionaries without a network connection. Even if you’re offline, your vocabulary can be on point.

Available on:

iOS

Translator

With Translator, you can translate any text between 58 world languages. All you have to do is select your source and target languages, type your text and click on the translation button.

Available on:

iOS

AccessNote

AccessNote is the first notepad app for the iOS platform designed particularly for VoiceOver users looking for a highly efficient, feature-rich note-taking experience.

Available on:

iOS

Active Voice

Active Voice lets you use your voice to send messages and emails. Plus, you can translate your text into up to 32 foreign languages.

Available on:

iOS

GRIDy

Use this app to quickly and easily keep track of all your photos. Create various categories and organize all your shots so you never have to scroll endlessly through your camera roll again.

Available on:

iOS

LastPass focuses on security with its upcoming password-sharing feature

Why it matters to you

It’s not uncommon for families to share login credentials for subscription services, and these new features from LastPass will make doing so much safer.

One of the most crucial components of staying safe online is making sure that your account passwords don’t fall into the wrong hands. LastPass makes it easy for users to keep track of passwords for various different sites and services, and now it’s adding functionality that will facilitate sharing credentials with others.

Obviously, it’s generally not a good idea to let too many people know what your password is for any important account. However, it’s more and more common that a few different users might share one login — especially when it comes to subscription services like Netflix and Spotify — so the new family sharing functionality set to be offered by LastPass will no doubt come in handy for many.

Previously, the family sharing functionality offered up by LastPass was little more than a basic shared folder that could be accessed by several different users who held a paid account, according to a report from 9to5Mac. Before the end of the summer, this aspect of the service is set to receive some significant upgrades.

Soon, users will be able to share permission to log in to various accounts on a case-by-case basis, rather than just offering up access to the entire group. For instance, all members of the family might be given permission to log into Spotify, while only the parents have the ability to access online banking.

LastPass also plans to introduce a “family backup plan,” which will allow members of the family group to upload documents like their social security cards and medical records for use in an emergency. Other members of the group can be granted access to these documents so they’re accessible when they’re needed the most.

Family groups will be placed in the hands of one designated manager, who can nominate other members as managers, and add and remove people from the group. The primary manager will be the person who pays the subscription fee.

LastPass plans to launch these family sharing features to its millions of users before the end of the summer, but if you want a sneak preview, you can sign up for an early access program via the company’s website.

An iPhone smuggler was caught with 102 handsets strapped to her body

Why it matters to you

The iPhone continues to be the smartphone of choice for smugglers hoping to make a fast buck.

Smuggling smartphones into China across the border with Hong Kong is clearly still a thing. A woman recently tried to take in more than 102 of them, but was caught in the act. All of the phones were found underneath her clothes, strapped to her body.

While an X-ray machine, quick pat-down, or phone calls received simultaneously by several of the handsets as she passed through customs would no doubt have alerted the authorities that something was awry, it was apparently a visual inspection of the woman that gave officials reason to believe merchandise was being concealed.

Local media said that the suspect has been wearing more clothing than you’d expect to see during the hot and sticky summer weather, prompting officials to move in and and take a closer look.

XMNN

Besides the iPhones, the 44-pound haul also included 15 luxury watches, with most of the items strapped tightly around the woman’s torso.

The smuggling of Apple’s smartphones into China has been going on for years as the device is significantly cheaper in Hong Kong, leaving successful perpetrators with the prospect of making a tidy profit on illicit sales.

While most smugglers will only attempt to take in a few iPhones at a time, there are a few, like this recently arrested woman, who decide to take a major risk and attempt to hide considerably more as they cross the border into China.

We reported on a similar incident in 2015 when a Hong Kong man was caught trying to smuggle 94 iPhone 6 handsets. Officials realized something was up when they noticed his unusual walking style, with a more thorough check confirming their suspicions.

But among those caught, the record stands at 146 iPhones, set by a man who crossed the border in 2015 “at a really slow pace with a strangely stiffened back.” It sounds like he never stood a chance.

Looking for alternative methods of getting the handset into the country unnoticed, some smugglers have used Twinkie boxes to hide the devices, while a more daring effort back in 2011 involved sending them into China on a zip line under the cover of darkness.

Honor 9 Premium with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage now up for sale in Europe

Honor 9 Premium is available in select markets in Europe for €499.

Honor is rolling out an upgraded version of the Honor 9 with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage in select markets in Europe. The phone is called the Honor 9 Premium, and it is retailing for €499. There’s also a variant with 6GB of RAM and 64GB storage that is available for €450.

First spotted by WinFuture, the Honor 9 Premium is now up for pre-order on Three Italy and Switzerland’s Digitec. Both models sport 6GB of RAM and 64GB storage, and we’re yet to see the variant with 128GB storage go up for sale.

Read: Honor 9 review

The Honor 9 is one of the best phones in the mid-range segment, offering a 5.15-inch Full HD display, Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin 960 chipset, 12MP RGB camera at the back augmented by a 20MP secondary monochrome shooter, 8MP front shooter, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.2, and a 3200mAh battery. The phone runs EMUI 5.1 based on Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

There’s no word on availability in other markets, but we should know more in the coming weeks.

Satiate your hunger with a scrumptious food-themed wallpaper!

I like food.

Food is delicious, sometimes nutritious, and comes in so many shapes, forms, colors, tastes, and types. Food is everywhere, a lot of people take it for granted, and with the right tools, you can turn even the simplest and most popular foods into an edible art form. Sounds a lot like one of my other loves: Android theming. So it’s only right that we bring the two together and make your stomach growl the way mine does every time Lammes Candies’ talks about Chocolate Covered Strawberries.

GRRRRROOOOOOOWWWWWWLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!

False alarm, sweetie, they’re not coming back ’til the fall.

Chocolate Chip Cannoli. Do I really need to say more? I do? Okay. Look at the perfect crisp of the shells, the snowy dusting of the powdered sugar. Look at that delectable ricotta mascarpone filling. Well, it’s a little hard to look at it because each and every inch of this amazing filling has been covered with tiny, adorable, delectable miniature chocolate chips. When is dessert getting here?!

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cannoli by /u/ragsy1224

Bread wasn’t the base of the food pyramid for decades for nothing. Bread is an edible hug and the basis of so many dishes. Good bread is a meal unto itself, and with bread as fluffy and perfect as this Bahn mi, it could very well make me a wonderful breakfast, lunch, dinner, or midnight snack, depending on how much butter, jam, honey, or peanut butter is around…

Nah, I’ll just eat it straight up. NOM.

Bánh mì by /u/LittleVietmeomeo

This looks messy and sticky and I think there’s a lucky, lucky bastard somewhere who absolutely destroyed this mountain of perfectly grilled poultry. Forget deep fat drying, we need expertly grilled with wonderfully caramelized sauces! This succulent meal may be long gone, but this perfect picture of summer backyard grilling can forever taunt you from your home screen.

Grilled barbeque chicken legs with Bone Sucking brand rub and homemade sauce by /y/Under_Ach1ever

The french fry may forever be the favorite, but there’s something about a perfectly crispy, crunchy tater tot that will forever captivate the hearts of many a fried food foodie. And while the BLT here is crispy and I’m sure it was scrumptious, the star here are those perfectly seasoned, GBD (Golden Brown & Delicious) tots. You just want to put a few dozen in a brown paper bag and munch on them while you go walk around a street fair.

BLT with Tater Tots by /u/GeekGroovy

If this is truly this Redditor’s first time baking cupcakes, they’ve got a future in the business, because these are cupcakes I want to see at Walt Disney World when I’m walking up to Cinderella Castle. Or while I’m walking up to the Mad Tea Party, because it looks like Alice is painting the roses red with the beautiful marbled transition from red roses to white here. I want to eat them all, damn the tummy ache that will follow!

GRRRROOWWWWWLLLLLL

First time cupcakes by /u/mang0es

Designing a game for virtual reality is kind of like writing a movie

We talked to two of the creators of Virtual VR, about the process of developing the game for a mobile headset and how many drafts it took to get the story straight.

Take it from me, and the rest of the brains behind the site you’re currently perusing: writing a story is hard work, and writing one for other people to experience and enjoy is even more laborious. A good story requires more than relatable characters and a plot to hook the readers; it also requires iteration.

It’s the same process writing the plot for a game set in virtual reality. I talked to Samantha Gorman and Danny Cannizzaro, two of the creators behind the award-winning Virtual VR, about how designing and writing a narrative-driven game is kind of like putting together a play, or a movie. The Daydream VR-exclusive tells the story of a virtual world where robots are officially using humans for fun. The final product is an outstanding example of how effective VR storytelling can be, even if the device is small and the story is short.

Read more at VRHeads

Exercise stick trains your muscles with light-based feedback

Of all the products ripe for technological gimmicks, training gizmos take the (low-fat, sugar-free) cake. That said, a new gadget called Axon does look pretty cool, if you’re willing to risk Kickstarter. It’s a stick that resembles a stout pool cue, with sensors and lights that measure the force you apply when pushing it against a wall, floor, ceiling, rock or tree. You can then train your body to match the lights, helping you improve muscle and back strength.

The Axon stick shows a digital readout of exactly how much force you’re applying, but the lights, which extend down the stick as you press, are easier to follow during a workout. When you start a rep, the lights turn yellow and gradually move down the stick toward the sensor. The idea is to then “‘chase’ the yellow guidance light and turn it green by applying a target amount of force,” the company behind it says. Once you hit the target force, the lights turn green.

Meanwhile, the the AxonFit app gives you access to a library of exercises created by personal trainers (or your own custom workouts) that you can transmit to the Axon stick. “Axon then guides users through those workouts, provides accurate, real-time, visual feedback and sends data collected during workouts back to AxonFit app.” As with most other fitness apps, you can then track your progress, compete with friends and share on social networks.

While a stick might seem a pretty silly workout tool, you can use one to do full-body, iso-kinetic-type training by pulling or pushing it. Since you’re not hefting free weights, “Axon is accessible to people at any fitness level, including both children and the elderly,” its creators say. It’s reasonably light and small, so you can use and store it easily, even in a small apartment.

To make sure it was durable, light and stylish, the group hired Whipsaw, the company that helped create Nike’s Fuelband, to design it. The result is a nice-looking, 10 pound, five foot bamboo stick with a 5.5-inch circumference and chargeable battery (via the base) that lasts about three hours. The sensor uses durometer rubber that won’t scuff surfaces, and each stick can be paired with multiple accounts.

The Axon is available at an early bird price of $249, or $389 for a pair. So far, the company is about a quarter of the way to its $50,000 goal, with four weeks left in the campaign. The price isn’t cheap, but it’s no more than, say, a decent elliptical trainer or set of free weights. And if it ends up under your bed or the closet gathering dust like most training equipment, at least it won’t take up too much space. If you decide to make a pledge, remember that as with any Kickstarter product, there’s a chance it will never ship and that you’ll lose all your money.

NASA is putting hundreds of historical videos on YouTube

As part of its mission to make its research easier to access, NASA is uploading decades’ worth of archived footage to YouTube. So far around 300 videos have been uploaded, with a further 200 on the way. Each clip documents an important part of NASA’s history, including Space Shuttle landing research, X1 and X43A trial flights and the testing of the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle.

SpaceX chief Elon Musk has previously commented on how difficult it was to find historical footage on NASA’s website. Before the uploading project, curious flight-fans would have to laboriously search through the Dryden Aircraft Movie Collection via the Dryden Flight Research Center website. Standard search queries in Google would reveal nothing. Now, with the video library prominently on the (renamed) Armstrong Flight Research Center’s website and YouTube channel, everyone has easy access to these fascinating historical highlights.

Via: Motherboard

Source: Armstrong Video Gallery

Android’s phone app automatically shows GPS info during 911 calls

A lot can happen during a car accident. Between the initial shock from the impact, airbags going off and general disorientation, when you reach for your phone to call 911 you might not know where you are. Couple all that with cell phones’ notoriously flaky ability at transmitting your exact location information to emergency service operators, and getting an ambulance to the scene of your accident can be incredibly difficult. To help sidestep that, Google has updated its Phone app to automatically display your location when making a 911 call.

As 9to5 Google reports, the location card will show your current address, a map and even you latitude and longitude coordinates. Your device needs to be running Android Marshmallow or higher to take advantage of the new features. More than that, it looks like this could be tied specifically to Android One, Nexus and Pixel handsets.

Via: 9to5 Google

Source: Google Play

One single theory may have solved three Mars mysteries

We still aren’t quite sure how Mars formed; there are many questions about its distinct geology and weird (but lovable) potato moons that don’t really make sense. But now, a study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters may have solved some of the enduring mysteries of the red planet.

Mars has hemispheres that are geologically different from one another (smooth in the north, cratered in the south). Additionally, the afore mentioned potato moons and a composition that is different from Earth’s add to its mystery. Researchers Stephen Mojzsis and Ramon Brasser discovered that it was possible to have just one explanation for all three phenomena: a giant asteroid collision.

After the planets first formed, a lot of leftover debris was floating around the early solar system. These asteroids slammed into the planets as they were settling, violently bombarding and reshifting planetary compositions. The “giant impact” model theorizes that the rocky inner planets were initially smaller than they are now; asteroid impacts added to their masses as they absorbed the elements within this space debris and reformed themselves.

The researchers took a close look at Martian meteorites and realized that the composition of metals within its mantle could have come from one large asteroid impact. They calculated the size of the asteroid needed to deliver these metals found using Mars impact simulations. The final result: An asteroid the size of Ceres, roughly 1,200 km (745 miles) wide, may have impacted the planet around 4.43 billion years ago. Mars was likely subjected to smaller impacts afterwards.

The asteroid hit the northern hemisphere of Mars, which would explain the fact that the area’s crust is younger than that of other Martian areas, and ejected enough material from the surface to create a planetary ring. This could possibly have resulted in the formation of Mars’ two moons, Phobos and Deimos, which would also explain their composition: These bodies are made of both Martian and non-Martian elements.

We still don’t know anything for sure (such is space science), but the fact that this one theory solves multiple mysteries of Mars’ origins and geological features lends weight to it. The researchers hope to add further credence to their theory by studying more Martian meteorites and understanding how asteroids affected our solar system’s formation.

Source: Geophysical Research Letters, EurekAlert