All the best new apps and app updates to land in the App Store this week [April 27 – May 1]

BY Kelly Hodgkins

Published 2 May 2015

app store

Each week, a new round of apps and app updates land in the iOS App Store. This week is no exception with the debut of Jurassic World™: The Game and a major update to Airbnb. These titles are only a sampling of what is available. Read on for our weekly picks of the best new apps and app updates that you shouldn’t miss.

New and notable apps

  • b-social [$0.99] b-social Turns Smartphone Use Into a Game.
  • DUFL [Free] DUFL is a premium, luxury service- a personal travel valet that simplifies business travel by shipping, cleaning and storing your business attire.
  • Jurassic World™: The Game [Free] Return to Isla Nublar with the creators of the smash hit Jurassic Park™ Builder for your next adventure: Jurassic World™: The Game, the official mobile game based on this summer’s epic action-adventure.
  • MARVEL Future Fight [Free] The Avengers…Spider-Man…the Guardians of the Galaxy! You can unite the greatest heroes from all corners of the Marvel Universe for the epic battle that will decide the fate of all realities – MARVEL Future Fight!
  • Wrassling [Free] Wrassling is the national sport of Slamdovia, champion Wrasslers are regarded as the strongest athletes in the world.
  • Battledots [$0.99] Battledots is an intense, fast-paced strategy game where you must attack the opponent while defending your base, and everything is done with dots.
  • Stella’s Journey [$2.99] Stella’s Journey is a fairy tale style adventure platform game about a girl who wakes up in a mysterious world after reading the first page of a strange book.
  • Wings Remastered [$4.99] Relive the action, glory and seat of the pants daring of a WWI Allied fighter pilot!
  • Microgue [$0.99] Climb a dark tower in this Micro sized Rogue-like that focuses more on character movement, than stats and gear.
  • BIAS FX [$29.99] BIAS FX turns your iPad into a world-class, guitar amp-and-effects processor.
  • R.B.I. Baseball 15 [$4.99] The legendary Major League Baseball franchise returns to the diamond. Make History.
  • Forgotten Memories : Alternate Realities [$4.99] TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND GET READY FOR THE HORROR OF FORGOTTEN MEMORIES.
  • Print Screen Pro [$1.99] Brand new menu bar application for taking screenshots.

App updates you shouldn’t miss

iMovie [$4.99] With a streamlined design and intuitive Multi-Touch gestures, iMovie lets you enjoy your videos and tell stories like never before. . Version 2.1.2 includes the following changes:

  • Addresses issue in which portrait photos may be cropped incorrectly when added to a project
  • Updates compatibility with sharing to YouTube

Airbnb [$Free] Airbnb opens the door to the world’s most interesting places to stay and is the simplest way to earn money from your extra space. Version 11.1 includes the following changes:

  • Introducing Airbnb for iPad!
  • We customized our app for iPad so everything you need as a traveler and a host is at your fingertips. Enjoy seamless navigation, access your itinerary, check your messages, and respond to your guests with a few simple swipes.

Amazon Instant Video [Free] Instantly stream thousands of movies and TV shows at no additional cost with your Amazon Prime membership.Version 4.5.0 includes the following changes:

  • Watch videos using your mobile data plan
  • Control your mobile data usage settings
  • Control your download quality settings
  • Watch videos in HD

broken age [$9.99] Broken Age is a family friendly, hand-animated, puzzle-filled adventure game with an all-star cast, including Elijah Wood, Jack Black and Masasa Moyo. Version 2.0 includes the following changes:

  • The full Broken Age adventure is here, in all its beautiful, 2D, hand-painted glory!
  • Previously players were only able to play until the end of Act 1, but this update unlocks the full game.

Lifeline… [$2.99] Lifeline is a playable, branching story of survival against all odds. Version 1.2 includes the following changes:

  • Improved scrolling on Apple Watch.
  • Fixed story typos & bugs, especially a spot where you could get stuck by following a specific sequence of choices. If you got stuck here, you may have to back up to the last decision point and make your choice again to proceed.
  • Fixed a problem where you could not review recent messages if you returned to the game after Taylor has disconnected. Instead of an automatic popup, a system message button will now appear at the end of the story log.
  • Clarified how to restart the story once you’ve completed any path (tap the button at the bottom of the screen and choose “Start Story Over”).
  • Clarified that once you’ve finished any path you can revisit previous choices by scrolling back and tapping either of the response buttons.
  • Improved scrolling & Fast Mode: it will only auto-scroll if you’re already at the end of the story log. By the way, Fast Mode unlocks after completing any two story paths.

Knock – unlock your Mac without a password using your iPhone and Apple Watch [$4.99] Knock and Apple Watch: a match made in heaven. Knock 2.0 makes unlocking your Mac faster and more secure than ever. Version 2.0 includes the following changes:

  • Knock and Apple Watch: a match made in heaven. Now you can lock and unlock your Mac from your wrist using your Apple Watch!
  • Want extra security? Turn on Touch to Unlock to require Touch ID on your iPhone – or a tap on the Apple Watch on your wrist – to unlock your Mac. It’s all the security of two-factor authentication, but all the convenience of Knock.
  • Admin Password Support. Now you can use Knock to install software, unlock System Preferences and more.
  • Improvements to Knock’s connection speed and stability

Waterlogue [$2.99] You don’t need to paint to create beautiful watercolor images—Waterlogue captures the essence of your photos in brilliant, liquid color. Version 1.1.4 includes the following changes:

  • This update provides important bug fixes and improvements.

Apple’s App of the Week

Mighty Switch Force! Hose It Down!: WayForward’s award-winning Mighty Switch Force series, transformed into a pick-up-and-play puzzler! $1.99 → Free

Apple’s highlighted collections

Apple this week updated the iOS App Store and is now featuring apps for planning a summer vacation and games you can play while you wait.

Top iPhone and iPad Apps in the App store

  • Top Free iPhone: Facebook Messenger [Free] Instantly reach the people in your life—for free. Messenger is just like texting, but you don’t have to pay for every message (it works with your data plan).
  • Top Paid iPhone: Lifeline… [$2.99] Lifeline is a playable, branching story of survival against all odds.
  • Top Free iPad: YouTube [Free] Get the official YouTube app for iPhone and iPad. Catch up with your favorite channels, enjoy the world’s largest music collection, and share easily with friends.
  • Top Paid iPad: Minecraft – Pocket Edition [$6.99] Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures.
  • Top Grossing iPhone and iPad: Clash of Clans [Free] From rage-­filled Barbarians with glorious mustaches to pyromaniac wizards, raise your own army and lead your clan to victory! Build your village to fend off raiders, battle against millions of players worldwide, and forge a powerful clan with others to destroy enemy clans.

Know of a new app or app update that is not on the list? Then share your personal favorites in the comments.