Apple App Store

App Store users now have a convenient way to gift apps to friends and family. Apple has restored this function to iOS 6 by including the option on the sharing screen directly in the App Store. Not only can you gift an app today, but you can even schedule delivery of your gift for a future date.

The purchase you make will be sent to the gift recipient, who can download and install the gifted app for free. Charges for the gift will be applied to the iTunes account associated with your Apple ID. So how can you access this feature that comes to iOS 6 users just in time for the holidays?

Apple has released the App Store Best of 2012 list, which includes this year's Editor's Picks for best app and game, and the most downloaded free and paid apps of the year. The Editor's pick for App of the Year is Action Movie FX, with the $0.99 music app Figure nabbing the runner-up slot, and Rayman Jungle Run was voted the best Game of the Year.

Rovio Entertainment once again topped the paid charts with Angry Birds Space, and YouTube was the most downloaded free app (I wonder why?). Paper was announced as the iPad App of the Year, and The Room was chosen as the iPad Game of the Year by Apple. Read on for the complete App Store Best of 2012 results.

Not too long ago, iPhone owners outside of Japan needed an app to unlock emoji characters, otherwise known as emoticons with their own special keyboard. Now that iOS 6 has launched the feature is no longer restricted to a particular country.

This means that many apps that existed to provide access to emoji are no longer needed. Turning on emoji is simple, requiring only a few easy steps. Apps like Emoji Free! have over 40 million users who have used the trick to unlock emoji ahead of the iOS 6 release.

In celebration of E.T.'s 30th anniversary, Universal Pictures and Chillingo Ltd have released a brand new iOS game called The Green Planet. The app is basically a farming sim game where users must help E.T. save his dying planet by planting gardens and breeding new plants. Of course this means there is a lot of waiting around for things to grow and in-app purchases to buy cooler plants and decorations. However, the game looks amazing on the iPhone and is pretty addictive if you enjoy sim-type games. E.T. The Green Planet is free to download for both the iPhone and iPad via the App Store.

Universal also released an Anniversary Edition Combo Pack of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial a few days ago. There was also supposed to be an Amazon exclusive E.T. Spaceship w/ BD Combo Pack available, but it hasn't materialized yet. Check out the trailers for E.T. The Green Planet and the Anniversary Blu-ray combo pack below.

Apple is finally rejecting copycat apps that confuse users by mimicking other applications' icons and names. iOS developer Benjamin Mayo shared an app rejection notice with CultofMac that shows the app Clear Todo was rejected for violating the App Store guidelines by containing "false, fraudulent or misleading representations". Clear Todo looks a lot like the list-keeping app known as Clear.

Mayo explained on his blog:

"Traditionally, Apple has steered clear of protecting app trademarks which has resulted in a lot of copycat apps hitting the store."

"It appears this policy has changed and Apple is taking a much more proactive role; rejecting apps which attempt to mislead users by aping successful apps’ trademarks. In short, Apple is helping to protect real developers from being ripped off. This is a good thing."