MacRumors

Following yesterday's Gmail update that gave users the option to open links directly in apps like YouTube, Chrome, and Safari, Google has released a blog post detailing Chrome integration tools for iOS developers.

With the iOS Links functionality, developers can give users the option to open a link in Chrome rather than Safari. In addition to opening a link in Chrome, developers are also given a dedicated back button within the browser, which will return users to the original app.

As an iOS app developer, when your users want to access web content, you currently have two options: create your own in-app web browser frame, or send users away from your app to a browser.

With Chrome's OpenInChromeController class with x-callback, users can open a web page in Chrome and then return to your app with just one tap.

Chrome's integration tools for developers have existed for several months, but with the release of its own app that supports the opening of links in Chrome, Google is reminding developers about the available functionality.

Apple prevents third party browsers like Chrome from being set as the default iOS browsing option, which has prompted Google to create a workaround that provides a Google-centric experience on Apple's operating system.

Hotspot Wi-Fi provider Boingo Wireless today updated its Boingo Wi-Finder iOS app, adding the ability to sign up for a Wi-Fi subscription within the app itself. Boingo, which operates more than 600,000 Wi-Fi hotspots around the world, offers connectivity to any Boingo hotspot for $7.99 per month.

With iTunes integration, signing up for mobile Wi-Fi using Boingo is a simpler task, requiring just a few taps. Previously, users were required to sign up for a Boingo account outside of the app. The purchase is billed as a subscription, which will continue on at $7.99 per month unless cancelled.

"Signing up for a Boingo subscription just became as easy as typing in your iTunes password," said Dawn Callahan, senior vice president of marketing and sales for Boingo Wireless. "iOS device owners already use their iTunes account to buy apps, music and other products on their phone or tablet; we're adding that level of simplicity to the process of buying Wi-Fi."

The in-app plan appears to be limited to the iPhone, the iPad, and the iPod touch, though the company also offers a similarly priced mobile plan on its website that supports any two mobile devices.

Boingo Wi-Finder is a universal app that can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Following last week's introduction of Angry Birds Friends for iOS, Rovio yesterday announced a new "Rovio Account" feature that will allow users to synchronize game progress across devices.

Some of you may have noticed a new feature in your Rovio games called Rovio Account. Our fans have been asking for a way to play their game on different phones or tablets without losing their progress when changing the device. This is exactly what Rovio Account lets you do!

While a number of iOS games have taken advantage of Apple's iCloud/Game Center syncing to help users play on multiple devices, Rovio has deployed its own solution in order to support the wide range of platforms on which its games are available.

Rovio notes that the new Account feature is currently available only in The Croods on a worldwide basis and in the original Angry Birds in Finland and Poland, but that expansion to new apps and countries as well as additional features will come over time. Additional details are available in Rovio's FAQ.

Just over a year ago, popular workout tracking app RunKeeper announced that it was working on support for the Pebble smart watch, which ultimately broke a number of records in raising over $10 million on Kickstarter. With Pebbles having started shipping earlier this year, RunKeeper today announced the availability of updated versions of its iOS and Android apps to provide Pebble integration.

Integration is relatively simple for the time being, with a paired Pebble automatically displaying elapsed time, distance, and pace when a RunKeeper activity is underway, although TechCrunch reports that the RunKeeper team is working on expanding functionality.

This version of RunKeeper for Pebble is just a start, [RunKeeper CEO Jason] Jacobs says, noting that during the development process they realized they could add in much more, like setting pace on the smart watch, setting distance targets and more. RunKeeper also worked closely with Pebble to get this particular integration developed, and says we’ll see similar UI elements used as other fitness tracking apps come on board. Future work could go into helping RunKeeper differentiate its experience further as the development ecosystem for Pebble progresses.

For those who did not order Pebble through Kickstarter, the smart watch is available for pre-order with delivery scheduled for summer. RunKeeper is a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]

PopCap has shared few details about the sequel to its popular lane defense game Plants vs. Zombies after announcing the follow up in late March, but today the company offered up a more solid July release date along with a teaser trailer.

Though the trailer does not give any hints about the gameplay, it does poke fun at the lengthy amount of time between releases. The original Plants vs. Zombies game was released in 2009, with an iOS version available in 2010.

According to the video, PopCap will be officially calling the sequel Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time. Though no specific platforms have been announced for the release, the popularity of the title on iOS suggests that a simultaneous iOS and PC debut is likely. Apple recently revealed that Plants vs. Zombies is the 12th top all time paid app for the iPhone.

Jony Ive has been in the spotlight since late last year when he took over Apple's Human Design interface team after senior vice president of iOS software Scott Forstall was ousted from Apple.

Ive is said to be heavily involved with iOS 7's rumored redesign, which will feature a flat design that removes many of the skeuomorphic elements featured in iOS 6. Much of the talk of iOS 7 has focused solely on the look of the new operating system, but a former Apple intern points out that Ive's influence will be featured heavily below the surface as well.

Ben Thompson, who currently works for Microsoft's Windows Apps team, was at Apple from June to August 2010. In a post on his blog Stratechery, Thompson shares a never before released quote from Ive that highlights his focus on a product's overall aesthetic rather than attributes that can be measured with numbers.

But there are a lot of product attributes that don't have those sorts of measures. Product attributes that are more emotive and less tangible. But they're really important. There's a lot of stuff that's really important that you can't distill down to a number.

And I think one of the things with design is that when you look at an object you make many many decisions about it, not consciously, and I think one of the jobs of a designer is that you're very sensitive to trying to understand what goes on between seeing something and filling out your perception of it. You know we all can look at the same object, but we will all perceive it in a very unique way. It means something different to each of us. Part of the job of a designer is to try to understand what happens between physically seeing something and interpreting it.

As Thompson points out, Ive is in charge of Apple's Human Interface team rather than the visual design team, an important distinction that implies his role goes much deeper than offering a simple aesthetic overhaul. Design, hardware, and functionality are all inextricably linked in Ive's mind, suggesting that iOS 7's interface changes may be more important than its physical design changes.

Fitbit today launched its newest wearable activity tracking device, the Fitbit Flex. The wristband, which originally debuted at CES 2013, counts calories burned, distance walked, and steps taken, along with offering tools to record food intake and sleep quality.

At $100, the Fitbit Flex is more affordable than competing products like the Jawbone UP and the Nike FuelBand, priced at $130 and $150, respectively.

The waterproof band needs to be charged approximately every five days and syncs via Bluetooth 4.0. It works in conjunction with the Fitbit app. Engadget has posted a comprehensive review of the Fitbit Flex, finding the design to be appealing but the sleep and food tracking features to be lacking.

What Fitbit seems to have done is look at the rest of the fitness-tracking field, figure out what features have proven most successful and essential and then packed them in a surprisingly stylish and affordable package. At $100, the Flex isn't an impulse purchase considering its relatively niche appeal, but for those looking to pick up this particular type of lifestyle product, it's a solid choice.

The social aspects of racking up Fuel points and Jawbone's more robust mobile app certainly have their appeal, but we'd say the Flex offers the most well-rounded experience, not to mention the best bang for your buck.

The Fitbit Flex wristband can be purchased from the Fitbit website for $99.95.

Alongside new Creative Cloud software, Adobe today announced two new cloud-enabled hardware offerings: the "Project Mighty" stylus and the "Napoleon" guide and ruler.

The Mighty is a pressure sensitive stylus that connects to the iPad via Bluetooth to allow digital artists to create line drawings with variable widths based on pressure. According to TechCrunch, the pen is able to store a number of preferences and settings, including color palette themes, brushes, and assets saved in a cloud clipboard.

The Mighty pen itself looks similar to something like the Jot Touch 4 pressure sensitive pen, but with full access to Adobe's Creative Cloud services behind it. It's a little like an entire artist's box in a single device, judging by what Adobe has shown us on stage today. It also takes advantage of non-stylus touch, too, in a way that looks novel, allowing users to do things like erase with their free hand.

Adobe's Napoleon is designed to function alongside the stylus, allowing users to draw straight lines and arcs, much like traditional drafting tools.

Both the Mighty and the Napoleon remain in the development phase, with few details available and no launch date announced.

Google has updated its Gmail for iOS app with a pair of new features aimed at Google power-users.

Users clicking links in emails can now have those links open directly in Google's YouTube, Chrome or Google Maps apps, rather than going to the mobile web versions in Safari.

Also, users who use multiple Gmail accounts in the app can sign out of one of them without signing out of all of them, a useful update for some.

What's new

- YouTube, Google Maps and Chrome links go directly to the app instead of the mobile web, if installed. You can turn this off using the in-app settings.

- Added support for signing out of a single account instead of having to sign out of all accounts at once.

Gmail for iOS is a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]