Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard go over Apple's 2025 Design Award winners, exploring groundbreaking apps that showcase the best of Apple's platforms. From AI-powered language learning tools to visually stunning adventure games, these winners represent the pinnacle of mobile innovation and design excellence. Delight and Fun Category
CapWords - Revolutionary language learning app that transforms everyday objects into interactive stickers, supporting nine languages with AI-powered photo recognition
*Balatro *- Award-winning poker-inspired deck builder that cleverly teaches poker fundamentals while delivering addictive gameplay across multiple platforms
Innovation Category
Play - Developer-focused app enabling interactive SwiftUI prototype creation with seamless cross-device syncing between iPhone and Mac
PBJ, the Musical - Quirky Shakespeare adaptation telling Romeo and Juliet with condiments as characters, featuring original soundtracks and creative storytelling
Interaction Category
Taobao - Pioneering Apple Vision Pro shopping experience with photorealistic 3D models allowing users to visualize furniture and products in their actual spaces
*DREDGE *- Atmospheric horror fishing adventure with seamless gameplay continuity across iPhone, iPad, and Mac platforms
Inclusivity Category
Speechify - Accessibility-focused text-to-speech app supporting 50+ languages and hundreds of voices, designed for users with dyslexia, ADHD, and low vision
Art of Fauna - Beautiful wildlife puzzle game featuring vintage-style artwork with full voiceover support and innovative block-based puzzle mechanics
Social Impact Category
Watch Duty - Critical wildfire tracking app providing real-time evacuation updates and emergency information faster than traditional services
*Neva *- Emotionally resonant adventure game exploring environmental themes through the relationship between a girl and her wolf companion
Visuals and Graphics Category
**Feather **- Intuitive iPad app enabling users to transform 2D designs into stunning 3D models using touch and Apple Pencil interactions
Infinity Nikki - Visually spectacular open-world adventure game featuring magical outfits, whimsical creatures, and breathtaking rendering quality
Shortcuts Corner
New "Use Model" action in Shortcuts enables cloud, local, or ChatGPT model integration for AI-powered automation
Apple's Shortcuts Gallery now features dedicated Apple Intelligence examples including leftover recipe generation and PDF summarization
App Caps
Mikah's Pick: Gigapixel
AI-powered photo upscaling app that enhances image resolution and quality using sophisticated machine learning models
Features standard and low-res enhancement modes plus specialized face recovery for portrait photographs
Particularly useful for printing older photos or enlarging images without quality loss
Rosemary's Pick: Dark Noise
Premium white noise app enabling custom sound mixing with extensive library of ambient sounds
Supports audio layering with other apps, iCloud sync across devices, and Siri Shortcuts integration
Includes whimsical features like "unnamed goose mode" and developer-friendly privacy controls
These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today/episodes/757)
Hosts: Mikah Sargent) and Rosemary Orchard)