New Call of Duty hits iOS, Ping remakes email, Google Drive gets redesign

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.