Kevin Bostic
Activision has revealed a new Call of Duty game built for iOS devices, a new app Ping has reimagined certain aspects of email on mobile devices, and the Google Drive app has gotten a redesign bringing it in line with its other iOS apps.
Call of Duty: Strike Team hit the App Store on Thursday, giving iOS gamers a new first- and third-person shooter built from the ground up for the iPad and iPhone. It also features the novel ability to switch between first- and third-person views in order to run and gun or send out orders to a squad.
The game is set in the year 2020, with tensions high between the world's superpowers. Suddenly, the United States is under attack, and the player must lead a Joint Special Operations Team to hunt down those responsible.
The new game is available as a $7 download in the iTunes App Store. It weighs in at 1.31GB, and it requires an iPhone 4S or iPhone 5, iPad mini or iPad 2 and up, or fifth-generation iPod running iOS 6.0 or later.
Ping rethinks the email experience on iOS
A new email app is preparing to hit the iTunes App Store in September, aiming to pick up where Mailbox left off in transforming the email experience. Ping will launch on September 18, and it adds a number of features that are particularly novel to email.
Among these is an iMessage/Google Hangouts-like feature where an email exchange can essentially become a chat session between two users. One user can see when the other is typing, and emails appear instantly on one end or the other.
Users can also set notifications for certain contacts, assigning weight of importance to their messages. The app also features an array of novel interface choices and options for users.
Ping will launch on September 8, but interested iOS device owners can reserve a spot at PingApp.com.
Google Drive for iOS gets redesign
The newest version of Google Drive for iOS now sports a redesigned look meant to bring the app in line with the look of Google's other offerings on Apple's platform. Google Drive, after the update, should sport a flatter, brighter aesthetic, one reminiscent not only of the Google+ and Gmail apps, but also the general feel of iOS 7.
The new look allows users to switch between a thumbnail view and a traditional list just by pressing a button. It also groups folders more intuitively, and it makes it easier to copy the link for any particular Drive file. Google also brought search more to the forefront in the app, making it easier to find what one is looking for.
The new version of Google Drive is available as a free download in the App Store. It requires an iPhone, iPad, or iPod running iOS 5.0 or later.
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Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
9 Comments
It's good that they keep getting exclusive games for the platform but full titles would be nicer than these mobile equivalents: [VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqROQj_kPW0[/VIDEO] It's so dumbed down there's barely any point in playing. Skip to 5:00, enemies facing away, tap to snap the sight to the enemy and tap for a one shot takedown. The textures are terrible. The next hardware revision should be powerful enough to move beyond this. Maybe they'll demo the controllers at the September 10th event.
Thanks for posting the trailer, Marvin.
edit: Whoa. I missed that it's 1.31 gigs. Hmm a bit hefty for my little 16gb machine.
I still don't get what Ping does. Mailbox is brilliant for keeping my inbox uncluttered, and deferring emails that I do need to get to, just not now.... so I don't lose them. I can't see how Ping takes off from that, it doesn't seem to do that at all, in fact it seems a totally different take on what you could do with email. (Email will have some amazing evolution in the next few years, it'll be interesting)
It's a social networking interface for musicians and music lovers to…
Oh.
[quote name="Marvin" url="/t/159362/new-call-of-duty-hits-ios-ping-remakes-email-google-drive-gets-redesign#post_2390453"]It's good that they keep getting exclusive games for the platform but full titles would be nicer than these mobile equivalents: [VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqROQj_kPW0[/VIDEO] It's so dumbed down there's barely any point in playing. Skip to 5:00, enemies facing away, tap to snap the sight to the enemy and tap for a one shot takedown. The textures are terrible. The next hardware revision should be powerful enough to move beyond this. Maybe they'll demo the controllers at the September 10th event.[/quote] I don't think it is hardware related. There are arguably better looking and definitely better playing shooters on bloody PSP. Lack of controls aside, I'd say it is due to developer/publisher trying to make a game for a few $ and still make a profit out of it.