App Recap: Cosmicast, Incognito, Pager, and Major App Updates

In this week's App Recap, we've compiled a list of several apps released recently that are worth checking out. We've also compiled a second list highlighting some apps that received major updates this week.

Cosmicast App Recap Week 3

New Apps

  • Cosmicast ($7.99) - Cosmicast, a new semi-skeuomorphic podcast player available for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Apple Watch, has a very simple and intuitive interface. As podcasts are playing, podcast artwork spins in the center of a digital vinyl record and easy speed and play/pause controls are conveniently located at the bottom of the screen. The app also features an adjustable sleep timer and chapter markers that makes using the app even easier. Users can also have the option to change the app's icon with tens of different choices. Cosmicast is one of the latest apps to take advantage of Apple's universal purchases feature, so buying the app once will allow you to have access to it across all of your devices.
  • Incognito - Private Browser (Free) - Incognito is a new browser built for ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ with user privacy in mind. After each session, all cookies and web data are discarded. The app touts having no ads, no third-party trackers, and the ability to keep your web history and bookmarks locked with a passcode or disabled altogether. Although the app is free to download, it can only be used for 14 days under a free trial before users must pay a one-time fee of $1.99 to have lifetime access to the app.
  • Pager: Alerts for Reddit (Free) - Pager is an app available for both ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ that allows to you create and set custom alerts for content on Reddit. The app allows users to create monitors that match post titles and usernames, so you can be notified when your favorite artist releases new music or be alerted when a news story is released within seconds.

App Updates

  • Darkroom - Darkroom, a popular camera editing app for ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌, was updated this week with a new feature that allows users to edit videos as well as photos. With the new update, all of Darkroom's photo editing tools can now be used with videos. Video editing is a feature that is included in the app's Darkroom+ subscription option, which is priced at $3.99 per month, $19.99 per year, or a one-time fee of $49.99.
  • GameClub - Subscription-based iOS gaming service GameClub last week brought open world RPG Aralon Sword and Shadow back to the App Store. The game has received substantial upgrades to graphics since its early days on the ‌App Store‌, so fans of the original version will definitely enjoy the improvements.
  • Messenger Kids - Messenger Kids, a Facebook app available for ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌, was launched in over 70 new countries this week and debuted several new features. Among the new features is Supervised Friending, which gives parents the option to allow their kids to accept, reject, or add or remove contacts. Additionally, Facebook is now allowing parents approve other adults to connect their child with other children through group chats.
  • Twitter - Twitter this week updated its Mac app to let users set timelines to automatically stream new Tweets, thus removing the need to manually refresh. To enable the new feature, users just need to simply enable the "Pin to top" toggle in their timeline settings.

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Top Rated Comments

japanime Avatar
73 months ago
Remember the native iOS podcasts app that had the hidden reel-to-reel player? For those of us who love skeuomorphic design, that was the best!



Attachment Image
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Populus Avatar
73 months ago
Beware of Cosmicast: As many people said on another blog, this developer has a history of releasing a new, eye candy app, with some bugs, and then abandoning it soon after.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dwalls90 Avatar
73 months ago

I don't know anything about Comicast beyond what's in the article, but take a serious look at Overcast for your podcast needs - I've been very happy with it for years.

I love Overcast. Would be interested in a comparison between these two apps.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oneMadRssn Avatar
73 months ago

Apple Podcasts has been broken for years, and I love Spotify but like my podcasts separate from my music.
Overcast and Pocket Casts are the two most highly regarded podcast players. I use Overcast and love it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KaliYoni Avatar
73 months ago

Anyone have any feedback on the incognito browser?
I've been using a free, open-source equivalent, Firefox Focus, for several years now. I say try FF first. Then you can get a sense if you need Incognito and, even more important, let Incognito mature more before buying it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarlJ Avatar
73 months ago

I need to suss Comicast! Apple Podcasts has been broken for years, and I love Spotify but like my podcasts separate from my music.
I don't know anything about Comicast beyond what's in the article, but take a serious look at Overcast for your podcast needs - I've been very happy with it for years.


Anyone have any feedback on the incognito browser?
Nope, first I've heard of it, but I'd be very skeptical of such an app (any app that suggests itself for your most private information) if they don't have a substantial track record to back it up.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)