The thing is, the idea of app development is enough to send shivers down the spines of many people. Why? Well, if you’re not a programmer, learning how to code can be a scary prospect. If you want to build an iOS app, the good news is you can stop hiding behind your screen!

Believe it or not, the process of creating an iOS app is much easier than you might think! In today’s blog post, I will show you how. Keep reading to find out more:

Image Source: Pixabay

Decide why you want an app

The first thing you should do is consider the purpose of your new iOS app. In other words, what do you want it to do? If you run a business, is your goal to attract new customers? Or perhaps market mouthwatering offers to existing ones? Maybe you’d like to launch an app for an idea or invention you’ve got?

As with most things in life, research and planning are the keys to success. Before you get started with app development, it’s essential to build the groundwork first.

Do you want to sell something?

Many people decide to create iOS apps as a way of earning a passive income. For instance, they might display ads in their apps. Or they might create a virtual shopfront to complement their e-commerce site.

If you already sell products through your website, there’s one thing you should do first. And that is to decide how to plug that functionality into your app.

The easiest way is to create a Safari browser window within your app. Doing so means you can just load up your site in that window without doing any further programming. Of course, it makes sense to ensure your website is mobile-friendly first.

I recommend having your site checked by an OpenCart or Magento 2 agency. That way, they can suggest ways to improve the “responsiveness” of your site’s design. Let’s face it. You don’t want your users to squint their eyes to look at your site’s content on their iOS device!

How to create an iOS app without any programming (or any magic)

So, just how do you get started “coding” your new app? Well, here’s the shocker: you don’t need to do any programming! Do a Google search for a term like “app builder” and you’ll notice one thing. There are dozens of online app building services available to use.

To get started, all you do is set up the design and layout of your app. You can then attach all kinds of human-understandable logic to various components. To put it another way, you don’t need to be an Objective-C or Swift guru to create an iOS app. Online app builders do the hard work for you. All you need to worry about is making it look great!

An alternative to such services is to hire an iOS developer. It’s a useful option if you want to add a feature that an online app builder can offer you.

Good luck!

The post How To Create An iOS App The Easy Way appeared first on AppTrawler.

Monument Valley

Monument Valley is a short but incredibly addictive game. Once you start, you won’t put it down until you’ve completed the whole thing. The genius of Monument Valley is the design. Every level is a work of art, inspired by MC Escher’s impossible puzzles. The simple, minimal design is unlike anything you’ve seen in gaming, let alone smartphone gaming. The puzzles are excruciatingly difficult, but oh-so-satisfying when you solve them too! Trust us, you won’t put this one down.

Threes!

The best gaming apps are simple, just like all the best puzzles. They are the ones that seem so easy, you can’t stop until you figure it out! Threes! is one such example. The aim is simple; slide the tiles around until you create multiples of three. It’s so simple it almost sounds boring. Until you try it for yourself! The app received critical acclaim across the board and became one of 2014’s most popular apps.

Hi Guess The Movies

This app was part of a larger ‘Hi Guess The ___’ franchise. It included movies, books, characters, food and just about anything else you can think of. It shows you an image, cartoon or pixelation, and you have to guess what it is. Again, simple, intuitive, but mind-bendingly addictive.

Proust

Proust is the fun game that proves ranking things never gets old. The app offers you a category and five options relating to it. All you have to do is rank the options from best to worst. For example, the category might be Harry Potter characters. From there, you rank the five options from best to worst. The addictive bit sets in when you realise you can see what your friends have put. Hours and hours of fun!

Minecraft

Minecraft is perhaps the most successful gaming app of all time. The irresistible game allows you to build just about anything from small blocks. The game benefited from some powerful online app marketing that sent it stratospheric. It became an instant hit on all corners of the internet. There are now entire websites, manuals and YouTube channels dedicated to the game.

Dumb Ways To Die

This app is just as silly as the name suggests. Dumb Ways To Die presents the player with a number of ridiculous situations. It’s your job to save the cartoon characters from silly deaths, all set to an irritatingly brilliant soundtrack. As you progress, the game gets faster and harder until your characters die. Silly, dumb, but genius.

And that brings us to the end of our list, folks. We hope you enjoyed our short trip through the most addictive games. We’ll see you again soon.

The post The Six Most Addictive Apps On The Planet appeared first on AppTrawler.

In AFDL you play Officer Robert Campbell, aka Vengeance, an armour suited, super soldier trying to keep the peace in a world collapsing into the zombie apocalypse.

The game is reminiscent of Halo: Spartan Assault with a sprinklings of Resident Evil. It balances frantic twin stick zombie shooting action in a psuedo-top down viewpoint with an array of different puzzle elements. One minute you will be cutting your way through an onslaught of charging zombies with your assault rifle and the next you are playing a memory game with a psychotic Prison Director.

The game has a decent budget with scripted ‘in-engine’ cutscenes and passable voice work but it would benefit from some final polish. This action packed shooter works hard to cram in as many options as possible. A swipe control is used to change weapons and sporadic shop keepers offer a slew of different weapon types and upgrades. All of which are a little too expensive to get on a ‘free’ play through. A jump button creates some verticality and allows the protagonist to navigate over small obstructions and access higher levels. The melee button comes in very handy when swamped by the undead and become invaluable when reloading. Finally, the gadgets functionality means you can drop mines, release drones and throw smoke bombs. This mass of options does make you feel like you are getting a lot of game for your money, and it is pretty cool to have a drone fly around the screen taking out your enemies. However, all of these buttons do make the GUI a touch overcrowded and if you have fat fingers you might press shoot, melee and jump at the same time (on my iPhone 6, not on iPad).

The story moves along at a fast pace with twists and turns throughout introducing additional characters such as the sword wielding ninja and a maniacal scientist.

Overall, the game deserves its ‘app store’ featured status as it looks great and has responsive controls. The game feels cinematic, with an engaging narrative despite some dodgy voice acting. The gadgets are a exciting addition and there is plenty of game to keep to busy. The additional weapons and upgrades are a bit on the pricey side and many will not want to spend more than a couple of dollars on upgrades. However, the game is fun and congratulations has to go out to the team at Fedeen Games For translating this third-person twin stick shooter to mobile devices. It’s well worth a play.

ITUNES LINK: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/a-few-days-left/id908844751?mt=8

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Here are some of the best gambling apps available today. Of course, you could always read through http://www.sportsgamblingapps.com/ if you need more information.

William Hill

This app comes from one of the most successful gambling companies in existence. While you can’t play casino games like poker or blackjack, you can place bets on almost anything. The app mainly covers sports, but you can find odds on the next president, and even the next member of the British royal family to pass away. William Hill are famous for giving the best odds in town, so you should definitely add this application to your collection today.

To download this app from the Apple store to your iPhone or iPad, simply click the link: Download.

Bet365

If you’re looking for an alternative to William Hill, but you don’t want to stray too far from the nest, Bet365 could be perfect. The application is completely free to download, and once you’ve opened an account, you could be gambling in minutes. Again, this app focuses mainly on sports betting, but you’ll also find occasional odds on global events and the like.

If you’re a fan of horse racing, you need to get this on your smartphone as quickly as possible. The software provides real-time information and always keeps you updates on any wins or losses you might experience.

To download this app from the Apple store to your iPhone or iPad, simply click the link: Download.

Jackpot City

Presuming you prefer casino games, Jackpot City might be of interest to you. While it’s not the most famous casino app around at the moment, it offers the widest variety of games and winning potential. Regardless of whether you like to spend time on the slots, play roulette or engage in poker tournaments, there is something for everyone on this app.

Best of all? It’s completely free to download, and you don’t have to risk money if you don’t want to. There is an unlimited free-play option for people who don’t want to spend a penny while playing. That said, is there any point in using a gambling app if you have no intention of gambling?

To download this app from the Apple store to your iPhone or iPad, simply click the link: Download.

Having taken a look at the applications mentioned in this post, we hope you will have added them to your download list. All of the apps we’ve highlighted today are used by thousands of people all over the world. So, it’s safe for you to assume they’re completely safe and reliable.

The post The Best Gambling Apps Available Today appeared first on AppTrawler.

I began online shopping with Tesco and as with many thousands of others have stuck with them not because of loyalty but because of ease. I knew my way around their website and all my address details were stored with them. They capitalised on my laziness by offering a reduction in the delivery charge if I paid 6 months in advance.

I now use their Tesco App on my iPad every week and as I know it so well feel that I should use this knowledge to go through the pros and pitfalls of this as a way of shopping. The App is very simple to use, you log in and up comes your own list of options. This has grown over the years to now accommodate shopping with Tesco Direct and being able to browse recipes for inspiration.  The list of options is a little unnecessary but easily averted by simply choosing groceries and away you go.

A simple choice when shopping is available, either you opt for a search whereby you type in the product you want or you can browse for the item you need. The option to search has never been satisfactory as the items presented are contrived and far less than you would see if you browsed yourself.

The browsing option, for example, looking in household items for kitchen roll, is also problematic. on occasion the items are in the wrong place and kitchen roll is under the heading ‘tissues’ by mistake making the shopping experience a frustrating one.

I am more frequently finding myself using the website as I am unable to book a slot for delivery and complete my order as I am told the servers are busy, when in fact the App is simply not working properly.

The recipe section is also something I have used and is very useful for inspiration and being able to add the necessary ingredients to your basket. All the items are not always needed though and further there is no evident way of bookmarking the recipient that you have chosen for future reference, when you come to making the meal.

The Tesco App has the same limitations as many others I am sure, and although it has it’s problems it certainly beats shopping for real with two toddlers! It seems to get updated quite regularly which is great but I think that more effort should be put into the search and categorisation than adding new features for Tesco Direct.

The post Review: Tesco Shopping App | iPhone | iPad appeared first on AppTrawler.

It’s back with a vengeance

Hairbrained Schemes wanted to stay loyal to the original and the screenshots in the Kickstarter campaign really sold it. The project raised nearly 2 million in funding after only asking for $400k and the IP returned to the original creator.

but what about the game

The first thing that will put you off is the price. £7 / $10 is a lot to pay for a mobile game in this day in age, especially one by a small development company. As the game was originally built for PC you can expect more depth than the average mobile title.

The graphic mix detailed 2D backdrops with 3D character models and whilst both are good in their own right, the merging of the two is a little jarred. Personally I would have preferred one or the other. The team have tried the best to merge the two using subtle animations and the ability to walk behind the 2D backgrounds but its not without fault. I think the optimization done on the graphics in order to bring the file size down has give some of the visuals a slight grainy texture that might not be present on the PC version.

Sounds and music are limited but solid and the music fits the grungy and tired future it portrays. Weapon Sounds are spot on and whilst I understand why there is no voice acting I think the odd street vector call or ‘hello’ here and there would not have gone a miss.

The story and dialogue is where it really shines. There is a lot of text, a lot of story and decision trees aplenty. This is why voice acting was never on the cards as the audio files alone would have filled up a standard iPad’s memory. The film Noir style story mixes seamlessly with the crime thriller narrative and you feel like a futuristic Humphrey Bogarde after the next lead in your hot case.

The game-play is mainly point and click with turn based fighting. These work well and stay true to the original game.

Many on the App Store complained of problems and sections not loading. I did suffer some issues after downloading but once I had rebooted my tablet I did not have any further issues.

Overall, this is a big game so you get your money’s worth and if you liked the original then this trip down memory lane will be a lot of fun. If you are new to Shadowrun you might find it different to more recent titles, as it requires a lot of reading and remembering, as there is little hand holding so you will have to concentrate. This is not a game you can dip in and out of in 10 minute intervals as there is a lot to take in so i would recommend tackling it is large 2-3 hour sittings. The game plays well but the mix of graphics is slightly off putting at times but if you are a fan of the cyber punk genre then you will find a lot here to keep you busy.

The post Review: Shadowrun Returns | Android Tablet appeared first on AppTrawler.

If you grew up in simpler times you might find yourself reminiscing about the golden years, when cameras used film, hair was teased, jeans were acid-washed and portable sounds came from a Walkman. If you love the idea of revisiting your youth, but can’t bear the thought of parting with your iPhone or iPad, add a touch of nostalgia into your day with these fun and functional retro-inspired iOS apps.

The post Retro-Inspired Apps You’ll Love appeared first on AppTrawler.

This is a great app if you you enjoy the news as well as the joy of the classic newspaper design and layout. Each paper, once downloaded looks almost scanned in from the original with all the headlines, bylines and copy all where the editor intended. Should you be more familiar with web type content then a simple click changes the format to a web centric view. Pages can be easily navigated through swipe gestures or using a pagination bar across the bottom. Images and text are crisp and clean and zooming is as easy as a pinch or double tap.

The bottom bar allows for easy navigation

With many of the online publications now trying to adopt a subscription model to pay for their services this is a great way to subscribe to many publications for a single fee. The concept is great and the execution is solid

This would be a great app for those who travel a lot or has periodic Internet connection as users could download various papers (around 70mb each) and enjoy whilst offline or in transit.

Jump to different sections

Where’s the but…

There are a few it’s and buts however. Firstly, is fact that much of the worlds news is easily accessible through the Internet so paying for it might put a few people off. If you are already considering a newspaper subscription however this is a great place to start. Secondly, not all papers are represented here so if you wanted to read the Times, Telegraph or FT you will not find them on this app.
Finally, the download times can be slow (depending on connection) so you have to pre-plan your paper downloads in advance. A ‘read online’ mode might be good for the more impatient of us.

Overall, this app is a taste of the future of news. Soon many news outlets will move to payment models for their content. Nowadays, we read newspapers for their comment and opinion on news, as much as for the breaking headlines (twitter, and other social channels have made breaking news almost instantaneous) so if you enjoy reading the news (from all over the world) this is a great app well worth the £25 a year subscription.

Web style view

Just some of the UK papers

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The post Review: PressReader iPad appeared first on AppTrawler.

It all started about three months ago whilst looking for a iPad game for my two year old daughter Lucy. Happy street looked harmless enough and had plenty to look at. The graphics are lush using a combination of simplistic stylized characters and an array of more detailed shops, houses, accessories and extras. The player starts with one house and one shop and only two villagers but through building additional houses as shops you earn money, increase the number of villagers, and when there is enough love in the air from happy visitors you can throw a fiesta. This loved up street party gives your shops a boost whilst elevating the general happiness around the village. Add to that a forest area that you can nip over to for wood, fish, plants and rare gemstones and you have a happy little Eco system.

This was supposed to be for my daughter so every so often we would dip into the game, restock the shops, chop down some trees and set the next timer to go. Like other town sims, players must wait for objects and building to be built. You can pay to have the buildings created instantly but as you can probably guess this costs a lot of virtual money (coins and flooze?). You do earn money throughout the game but for this kind if action you would need to purchase a ‘top up’ pack which costs real money.

Anyway…

Lucy and I would dip into the game and slowly but surely our village grew. I should have known I had a problem when I started checking it without her, and humming the happy little tunes that are the soundtrack to the game. Before I knew it, I was checking it daily and I had more a thriving town that a street that the name suggests. The game is great at drip feeding different houses and shops and add extras such as bus stops, arcade machine, park equipment and its regular updates means it changes with seasonsal celebrations. I have seen various themes come and go such as Chinese New Year and even St. Patrick’s day. All of which have their own ‘collectors items’ which you can add to your village.

This is a fantastic game which doesn’t push in app purchases on you all the time. Instead it lays out everything clearly so you can see what can be bought with virtual money and what needs real cash.

I think the game is slightly to old for my two year old but give it another year and she’ll be taking over my town or perhaps deleting and starting over. Either way this is a great game for both children and adults and I’m sure there is a few lessons about saving up and caring for other people in there. Which is never a bad thing.

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• The Zynga Partners program made a hit out of Village Life

The post Game Review: Hooked on Happy Street appeared first on AppTrawler.

There’s not going to be many people who haven’t played this game. It’s been given away free at various times including during the recent ’12 Days of Christmas’ promotion by Apple.

The premise of the game is simple; guide your jet pack clad hero through miles of tunnels whilst avoiding obstacles, layers, missiles and other assorted troubles. Pressing the screen fires your jet pack and letting go sending the protagonist down to the floor. The simple aim is to get as far as you can and collect as many coins as you can.

What really makes this game fun is the massive amount of extras there are. In game, there are various vehicles to pick up from a Bad As Hog which is a Harley Davidson esqe bike to a Chinese style robotic dragon. Each of which give the player an addition level of protection meaning it will take two hits to kill you instead of one. These vehicles also add an extra dimension to the game as the dragon reveres the controls, the gravity suit either sticks you to the floor or ceiling and the transporter zips from one random space to the next. Out side the main game there is a massive amount of collectables and customization options to buy with you well earned coins from zombie outfits to coin magnets for your vehicles. Couple that with a huge range of challenges such as ‘high five 20 scientists’ and go 1000 meters without collecting a coin’ and such like. These additional extras are really what will keep you playing again and again in an attempt to beat your longest distance, get those elusive extra coins and acquiring that bubble powered jet pack.

This is a truly fun, pick up and play title which has been excellently executed and ideal for any smartphone user. The game is fun, it lasts for ages, and the regular updates from the developer will ensure that this app doesn’t get deleted any time soon.in an attempt to beat your longest distance, get those elusive extra coins and acquiring that bubble powered jet pack.

This is a truly fun, pick up and play title which has been excellently executed and ideal for any smartphone user. The game is fun, it lasts for ages and the regular updates from the developer will ensure that this app doesn’t get deleted any time soon.

iTunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/jetpack-joyride/id457446957?mt=8

The post Review: Jetpack Joyride – Thrusting fun on the iPhone and iPad appeared first on AppTrawler.

A couple weeks ago we first caught wind of Archetype, an online first person shooter by iPhone developer MunkyFun which is comprised of veterans of LucasArts and the creators of both Shift [99¢] and Ivory Tiles [99¢] for the iPhone. Much like ngmoco’s Eliminate [Free], Archetype is said to work over WiFi, 3G, and also EDGE connections. Players will rank up as they play, earning experience and winning medals along the way.

The main differentiator between Archetype and other similar online shooters is that Archetype will be playable with up to ten players at once, in teams of five, with an assortment of six different weapons to choose from. We’re anxious to see how the game works, and likely won’t have to wait too long as per the Archetype web site the game is launching in “early July” for $2.99.

For more information on the game, including a few hands-on impressions from a few people who managed to snag the game early, check out the thread in our forums. I’m not entirely sure how MunkyFun is going to be able to provide a solid 5v5 first person shooter experience that will even play well over EDGE, but needless to say we’re going to be keeping a very close eye on this game to give it a try once its released.

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Angry Birds is a game that could easily be described with any number of cliches such as “easy to play, difficult to master”, “polished”, “addictive”, and others. When it comes down to it, what makes Angry Birds great is how incredibly accessible the game is to everyone, even non-gamers. Gameplay amounts to a number of different birds, each with different abilities, loading themselves in to a slingshot. You then use a single finger to fling them at a fort filled with smug, smiling pigs.

There isn’t really any quick reaction elements to the game, or really anything that requires more than just intelligently analyzing the weaknesses in the pigs’ fortresses and aiming at them with your birds. Levels are scored and stars are awarded based on performance. Completionists can shoot for three stars, perfecting every level, and gamers just looking to have fun can generally clear levels with one star without too much trouble.

A previous update added Chillingo’s Crystal for all kinds of online scoring, achievements, and all that fun stuff along with 40 new levels. The last update added a new bird and 15 additional levels. This update adds another 15 levels and a new level theme. The amount of content in Angry Birds when it first launched was more than enough, but after all these updates, you really need to pick this game up if you haven’t already.

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