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Apps for iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS power our modern world. 9to5Mac will update you on the latest news, review, and updates for all types of apps. “There’s an App for that”.

The term came became part of our vocabulary when Steve Jobs announced The App Store as part of the iPhone 2.0 software update in 2008.

Over the years, the term has become as common as kleenex for describing applications on all of our devices. Apple’s platforms have apps for just about anything from finance, banking, sports, social media, podcasting, music, and more. We have a guide for helping you discover the best ones as well. Apps are now on everything from our TV, to our smartphones, on our laptops, and all the way down to our wrists.

As new ones are released or existing ones have major updates, the team here at 9to5Mac will bring you the latest news and reviews. If you want to follow along with video footage, be sure to follow 9to5Mac on YouTube. Scroll down below our latest updates on all things relating to applications on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch.

iOS 7-optimized apps start hitting the App Store; here’s a running list of updates

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Apple has started releasing iOS 7-optmized apps into the App Store in preparation for tomorrow’s iOS 7 launch. News reader Flipboard and social check-in app Foursquare were among the first to be updated. Though neither received a substantial overhaul, a few changes have been made to each app’s interface to fit in with iOS 7.

Below you’ll find a list of every iOS 7-compatible app update. We’ll continue updating the list as more updates are released, so check back often.


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Review: Perfect Weather is a great new weather app designed with iOS 7 in mind

A beautiful new weather app called Perfect Weather for iOS launched this morning. Perfect Weather is designed for iOS 7, as it plays off of the updated color palette and uses the new weather icons introduced in iOS 7 Weather. However, Perfect Weather is a lot more in depth and informative than the default Weather app.

Upon opening Perfect Weather you can easily see the different locations in which you saved and view the weather for each. You can quickly add more locations by pressing the Edit button. To switch between the different locations just tap on the card with the city you want. Perfect Weather is able to retrieve weather data from the United States and parts of Canada. Tapping on the lighting bolts on the left hand side allows you to quickly see if there are any severe weather alerts.

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Pulling down on the white tab shows you the week view of the weather and gives you a minute-by-minute guide of the weather in an easy-to-interpret line graph. Hovering your finger on the graph shows you the time, the temperature, and the weather (sunny, partly cloudy, cloudy, raining). This feature is useful because in determining how to prepare for the day ahead.

In this view it is very easy to see when the high temperature and and when the low temperature will occur throughout the day.

Swiping right to left on the temperature chart brings you to the current conditions view, where you’ll find information such as what the temperature feels like, humidity, pressure, visibility, wind, sunrise, sunset, and dew point.

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You are also able to open a split view which lets you see a live satellite view and the forecast at the same time. By pressing the play button in the lower left hand corner, you can see the the rain and cloud patterns twenty minutes prior to the current time. You are able to switch between rain and cloud patterns by pressing the icon in the lower right hand corner. Adjusting the slider changes the transparency of the satellite view overlay on top of the map.

Perfect Weather looks pretty, but no where in the app is there a guide or  tutorial to show you how to interpret the satellite data. I’m not exactly sure how to interpret it, which limits its usefulness to me.

Overall, Perfect Weather does fit in with iOS 7 because it blends in stylistically and feels like a native iOS 7 app. It easily shows you the 7-day forecast and detailed current conditions. The temperature chart gives a unique perspective of the weather. Navigating Perfect Weather is very intuitive and feels natural. If you are looking for a more comprehensive alternative to the stock weather app on iOS 7, Perfect Weather is just the app you need at $2.99.

iOS App Store now allows legacy app downloads to support older hardware and software

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The iOS App Store has been silently updated on Apple’s end to allow users running older versions of iOS  to install legacy versions of apps that are no longer supported by their software. In the screenshot above, for example, an iPhone 5 running iOS 6.0.2 is prompted to install the “last compatible version” of Weatherbug, which normally requires iOS 6.1. Choosing to download the last compatible version grabs the most recent version of the app that supported 6.0.2 and installs it on the device.

This is especially good news for users on old hardware, such as the iPhone 3G which only supports iOS 4.2.1, or original iPhone which doesn’t support anything beyond version 3.1.3. Users of those apps will now be able to run apps that they ordinarily would have been unable to install due to their outdated OS. Also benefiting from this change are iPhone 3GS owners who cannot upgrade to iOS 7, or users of newer devices who choose not to update to Apple’s latest OS.

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Latest Mavericks Developer Preview includes updated iTunes 11.1 with new iOS app organizer, other fixes

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While the Developer Center still shows iTunes 11.1 beta 2, which was released August 16, today’s Mavericks Developer Preview 8 includes an updated version of iTunes 11.1 (build 110, as compared to 48 previously).

iOS 7 device icons are included in this build and a new “Apps” organizer for configuring apps on iOS devices (Thanks, Filipe!):

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Also noteworthy are two new buttons in the podcasts section for accessing old episodes and a new sidebar for settings.

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While listening to iTunes Radio, the history button now shows songs that were last played (along with audio preview and purchase buttons):

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When you’re down to just one final skip, “1 skip left” appears near the skip button while listening to iTunes Radio:

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With iTunes 11.1, a notification appears every time the song changes. In the latest beta, there is an option to turn off this notification in the Preferences pane and the option to keep song changes in Notification Center is also present.

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The update makes the shuffle button work again and disables the unlimited skips on iTunes Radio loophole.

iTunes 11.1, which brings with it Apple’s streaming service, iTunes Radio, is required for syncing devices that are on iOS 7 which will be released on Wednesday. Mavericks itself, however, will be released late next month.

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9to5Toys Last Call: PNY 64GB StorEdge MacBook SD card $50, Belkin Lightning dock $25, Fantastical + Chatology for Mac $20, more

From 9to5Toys.com:

A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.

Today’s featured deals:

pny-storedge-64gb-sale-discount

SOLD OUT PNY 64GB StorEdge MacBook SD card: $50 shipped

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Belkin Charge & Sync Lightning dock w/ built-in 4′ USB cable $25 Shipped (Reg. $40)

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The Flexibits Mini Mac Bundle: Fantastical & Chatology $20 (Reg. $40)

Other great deals from today:

The best deals that are still alive:

New product announcements & reviews:

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Facebook speeds up Messenger for iPhone, adds new languages

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Facebook has issued a notable update to its iPhone and iPod touch Messenger app, speeding the app up, improving general performance, and adding new languages:

– It’s now faster to open the app and switch between messages
– Available in more languages: Croatian, Hungarian and Slovakian
– Plus, improved scrolling and overall performance
– Bug fixes

The update is free in iTunes.


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Google Play Books for iOS updated with Single Sign-On support

Google-Play-Books-iconGoogle has been adding Single Sign-On support to lots of its iOS apps in recent months, making it easier to sign into Google apps on their iPhone or iPad. With Single Sign-On, users can sign in once in any Google app supporting the feature and will automatically be signed into all the other apps. The idea is to eliminate having to sign-in multiple times to the same Google account for different apps. The latest app to get the update is Google Play Books, which was updated today to version 1.6.1 with support for Single Sign-On and copying selected text.

Google also recently added Single Sign-On support for its Chrome, YouTube, and AdSense iOS apps.

What’s New in Version 1.6.1

Added support for Google Single Sign-On, so that you only need to sign in once to access all of the Google apps on your device.
Added support for copying selected text, if copyright allows.
Stability improvements.

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Feedie: an app that shares food pictorially and literally

A lot of people use the iPhone, to take pictures of their food, and share the pictures on Twitter and Facebook. Sharing photos of your meals online has become a phenomenon and you probably have several friends who participate in this trend. But what if you can actually make a difference for a great cause by taking pictures of your food? That’s exactly what a new app Feedie does. The pictures you take with Feedie can be posted and shared on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and Foursquare.

Because you took a picture at a Feedie restaurant, the restaurant donates to The Lunchbox FundChef Mario Batali is one of the spokesmen for Feedie and The Lunchbox Fund. The Lunchbox Fund is a non-profit organization that provides daily meals for orphaned children in South Africa. The organization works with several schools and have annually provided 240,000 meals since its inception in 2005. Feedie has provided 645 meals, since its launch in the end of April. This app is also now iOS 7 ready:


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9to5Toys Last Call: iPhone 4 on Virgin $199, Asphalt 8 for iOS: Free, more

From 9to5Toys.com:

A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.

Today’s featured deals:

Virgin slashes 8GB iPhone 4 to $199, (4S: 20% off) unsubsidized w/$30/month unlimited data plan

Other great deals from today:

The best deals that are still alive:

New product announcements & reviews:

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9to5Toys Last Call: $279 Time Capsule 2TB (Newest), $15 credit for a new Incase iPhone case, games/apps, more

From 9to5Toys.com:

A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.

Today’s featured deals:

apple-time-capsule-deal

Apple Time Capsule 2TB (newest version) 802.11ac wireless router/backup device $279 shipped (Reg. $299)

incase-deal-iphone-case

Trade in ANY old iPhone case and get $15 credit towards a new one from Incase

Other great deals from today:

The best deals that are still alive:

New product announcements & reviews:

  • Steam Family Sharing lets you share and borrow full game libraries, launches next week
  • Infinity Blade 3 debut trailer, coming September 18
  • Sony launches new mini home console, the Playstation Vita TV
  • Amazon announces the all-new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader, now available for preorder starting at $119
  • Western Digital fills out its NAS-optimized RED hard drive line with new 2.5 inch versions
  • Review: The Just-Mobile UpStand, a functional iPad stand wrapped in a beautiful design
  • Sony officially begins serving up 4K Ultra HD video downloads with one big caveat

A look at what some high-profile apps will look like when iOS 7 hits

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Apple announced on Tuesday that iOS 7 will be publicly available on September 18th. The revamped OS moves completely away from the realistic designs of the past six generations, dropping almost all “artificial shadows” (as Apple SVP Craig Federighi called them), gloss, and even button borders. Instead, the Jony Ive-inspired interface features an entirely rethought design language that focuses heavily on large icons, lightweight fonts, whitespace, transparency, and conservative use of color.

We previously took a look at what some of Apple’s own in-house apps could look like when redesigned for iOS 7. During Apple’s September 10th event, Federighi flashed up a slide displaying the upcoming iOS 7 updates for many third-party applications. None of the apps were labeled, but we’ve tracked down names for most of them.

The apps featured are:


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Chrome for iOS adds faster search results, data cost savings features & voice search pronoun support

Image (1) chrome-a_512.png for post 72530Google is rolling out an updated version of its iOS app for iPhone and iPad today that brings a few new features including faster search results. Google says after clicking back in Chrome to return to a search results page results will now “instantly appear, ready for you to choose the next one.”

The update also adds data cost savings features, rolling out to all users shortly, that provides a view of data savings in Bandwidth Management settings. Also new is voice search pronounce support:

Try queries like: “Who is the president of the United States?” followed by “Who is his wife?”

The updated version of Chrome for iOS also includes improvements to Single Sign On for other Google Apps, bug fixes, and other performance and security improvements.

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TeeVee 2.2 introduces unwatched episode tracking, iCloud sync, and more

The popular TV guide app TeeVee was updated late last night to version 2.2. The update brings a new design to the app’s main page, along with other tweaks to the iconography and typography throughout the app. Other notable new features include iCloud syncing of saved shows and unwatched episodes across devices, and an episode tracking feature that displays how many episodes of a show you have missed on the main page.

As with previous versions, you can view schedules for your favorite shows, schedule notifications before or after a new episode of any given show airs, get a summary of any episode, watch iTunes previews of most shows, and more.

TeeVee 2.2 is a free update for existing users and a $.99 purchase for new downloads.

Review: Grades 3 is a great way to track your classes and projects

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Earlier this year, at long last, I took my final exam and finished college. While I was in school, I tried a bunch of apps to keep track of my assignments and projects. I also spent a lot of time calculating how many projects I could ignore completely as well as the lowest possible grade I could get on the ones I actually did in order to maintain my GPA and scholarships.

Most of the time the apps didn’t help much and I just gave up and hoped for the best. This scared the heck out of my parents, who then proceeded to bother me about school even more.

When I saw the promo video for Grades 3, I’ll admit I got a little upset. I spent four years in college, and as soon as I get out, the app I always wanted finally exists. While I would never really wish to be back in school all over again, if I had to, Grades 3 would be the first app I put on my phone. Let’s dive in and see what this app can do for you.


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iPhone’s M7 motion processor to integrate with Maps as Apple develops indoor mapping, public transit

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Besides the main 64-bit A7 processor in the new iPhone 5s, Apple has included a dedicated motion co-processor called the M7. The chip powers many of the sensor technologies in the iPhone, such as the accelerometer, compass, and gyroscope in order to move the weight off of those technologies from the phone’s main chip. This, in turn, will make the new iPhone more efficient for both performance and battery life for the user.

Apple briefly explained some of the consumer-facing abilities of the M7 motion chip, highlighting that the chip could greatly enhance fitness apps such as those from Nike. But, just like with the new iPhone’s Touch ID fingerprint scanner, Apple’s ambitions for the M7 are greater than those discussed earlier this week. According to a source with knowledge of the chip’s development, Apple plans to tightly integrate the chip with its own Maps service in the coming years.

On its official website, Apple presents a brief teaser of what the M7 can do, highlighting a feature in the iPhone 5s (which was not discussed during the keynote presentation):


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Readdle releases ‘Calendars 5’ w/ new design for iOS 7, natural language input & much more

Developer Readdle has officially released the latest version of its popular Calendars app, which appears to be replacing the paid Calendars+ app that it rolled out back in May. Calendars 5 for iPhone and iPad introduces a new interface that focuses on upcoming events and a new look and feel designed specifically for iOS 7. It also adds new features including additional view modes, full offline support, natural language input for quickly creating events (much like Fantastical), and a new powerful task manager that syncs with iOS reminders.

Calendars 5 is available now on the App Store for an introductory price of $4.99 and Readdle’s free Calendar app also remains available.

A full list of what’s new in Calendars 5 is below:

What’s new:

1. Natural language event processing.

It’s the most natural way to enter an event. Everybody can understand and use it. But you can create events in Day view by tapping and holding, some might find that faster and more natural. Just try it yourself since we support it as well.

2. Clean UI focused on YOUR events.

There are no colorful bars or buttons in the elements of Calendars+5. The only elements in color on the screen are your events or buttons that need your attention. iOS 7 design philosophy is in its essence.

3. All complexity is hidden.

When you create an event in iOS calendar you see a 12-fields-dialog that confuses and disorients you. In Calendars+5 you have a single field to start with. The rest will unfold as you need it.

4. No compromises, you have ‘Day, Week, Month and List’ views of your events.

Depending on the situation you might need to see a different perspective of your schedule. We designed the best possible representation of your Day, Week and Month for the small iPhone screen.

5. Integrated task manager – syncs with iOS reminders.

Tasks and events should live in the same application while you may want to see all your tasks in your calendar when needed. At the same time a task manager should be first-class product and support everything you might ever need to successfully control your undertakings. I think we’ve done just that. And yes, you can sync your iOS reminders with the task manager in Calendars

6. Great for power users.

I know that till now I’ve been advocating for a perfect calendar for an ordinary person. But I hate compromises and I wanted to provide a remarkable tool for power users too, especially since our CEO is exactly this kind of person. Appointments, locations, notes and calendars with 10 000 events are something that you can easily manage with Calendars+ 5.

Moreover, you can create and events like “Do something every second month of the year on weekdays of the 1st, 2nd and last week”. Calendars+ 5 is the only iOS application that allows you to create custom recurring events.

7. First-class iPad app.

Calendars+ 5 is the first smart calendar for the iPad, since all other great calendar applications are for the iPhone only. I don’t get it because the iPad’s large screen is great for viewing your Weekly or Monthly schedule and enables richer interaction with events.

8. Transparent information sync between iPhone and iPad.

Your tasks and events are synced seamlessly in the background between all your devices. It just works, period.

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Adobe Revel cloud service gets updated iOS app with support for video

AAdobe-Reveldobe has updated its Adobe Revel app today, which allows users to store and access photos and videos in the cloud and sync across Mac, PC, and iOS devices. Previously only available for photos, Adobe has updated its iPhone and iPad apps today to include support for uploading, watching, and sharing videos with the service.

The Adobe Revel service provides unlimited uploads for the first 30 days for free, and 50 photos every month after that. Adobe didn’t specify if the same limits will apply to videos,  but upgrading to Revel Premium for $5.99/month will provide unlimited photo and video imports.

In other app news, Apple appears to have started accepting apps compiled with the iOS 7 SDK. We noticed one of the first– Local Cloud Pro— has been updated today with full iOS 7 support including iOS 7’s Dynamic Type and other new features.

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9to5Toys Last Call: D-Link wireless camera with iPhone/iPad support $29, 13″ / 17″ refurb. MacBook Pros from $650, free apps, more

From 9to5Toys.com:

A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.

Today’s featured deals:
dlink-wireless-network-camera

SOLD OUT  D-Link DCS-903L wireless network day camera w/ iOS integration $29 shipped (Reg. $50)

mac-refurb-pro-deal

Refurb Macbook Pro’s: 13″ Intel Core 2 Duo $650, 17″ Intel Quad-Core $1499

Other great deals from today:

The best deals that are still alive:


New product announcements & reviews:

Apple confirms Cards app for iOS is discontinued, recommends iPhoto

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We’ve received multiple tips indicating that Apple’s Cards app and service for iOS has stopped functioning. Cards was launched alongside the iPhone 4s in fall 2011 and served as an easy way for users to create custom-made letterpress cards and have them shipped to another person.

Apple has confirmed that Cards has been discontinued as of today:

Cards ordered before 1 PM Pacific time on September 10, 2013, will be delivered, and push notifications will continue to work. You can view your previous purchases by tapping Saved Cards in the app.

As a replacement, Apple recommends creating letterpress cards on iPhoto for Mac. Thanks, Zac Coffman!


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Apple makes iWork apps, iPhoto, and iMovie free with all new iOS devices

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Apple has just announced that setting up any new iOS device will ship with free copies of iWork, iPhoto, and iMovie for iOS. The 3 iWork apps including Pages, Keynote, and Numbers, in addition to the two iLife apps– iPhoto and iMovie– will be available for free to users purchasing a new device. During the setup process, users will be prompted to download the five Apple apps for free. Apple will be making the apps available to all iOS 7 compatible devices purchased after September 1st.

Prior to today’s announcement, we suggested that Apple could make the apps available for free after announcing its new iWork for iCloud web apps.

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Apple changes featured stations in iTunes Radio – likely for a demo today

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Apple has updated the Featured Stations in iTunes Radio, likely in preparation for a demo of the service during today’s iPhone launch.

The featured stations include Spin the Globe, Trending on Twitter, iTunes Top 100: Pop and the Pepsi-sponsored Pulse #Now.

iTunes Radio will be available on all iOS devices, including Apple TV, as well as in iTunes on both Macs and PCs, as a free ad-supported service. There will be one audio ad every 15 minutes, and one video ad per hour. However, iTunes Match subscribers will be able to listen to the service free from ads.

Thanks, Nick!

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9to5Toys Last Call: Up to 55% off Toshiba storage, Samsung EVO 250GB SSD $165, games galore, Logitech mini Boombox $80, more

From 9to5Toys.com:

A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.

Today’s featured deals:

amazon-ebay-storage-deal-9to5toysStorage deals:

ps-vita-tv

Gamers’ Deals:


Other great deals from today:

The best deals that are still alive:

New product announcements & reviews:

  • Amazon announces the all-new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader, now available for preorder starting at $119
  • Western Digital fills out its NAS-optimized RED hard drive line with new 2.5 inch versions
  • Review: The Just-Mobile UpStand, a functional iPad stand wrapped in a beautiful design
  • Sony officially begins serving up 4K Ultra HD video downloads with one big caveat
  • LifeProof’s new protective nuud case for iPad mini now available
  • JBL Spark Bluetooth speaker features a fresh design and promises big sound
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Yahoo! Screen app for iOS brings TV-like remote experience for Yahoo! content

Yahoo today announced the release of a new app called ‘Yahoo! Screen’ for iOS devices that it created to a be a TV-like remote control or channel guide experience for content from Yahoo!. The app, which is available starting today for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, will allow users to browse trending content, search for shows, and even switch between channels like a traditional TV experience by swiping up and down. Users will also be able to switch between episodes for the show they are currently viewing by swiping right and left.

As for content, Yahoo! has made new deals with Viacom that will bring new content from Comedy Central and elsewhere:

To get you going, we’re proud to announce a brand new deal with Viacom to bring you clips from some of Comedy Central’s best shows, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. Together with the exclusive digital clip archive of Saturday Night Live, Yahoo Screen now offers you access to some of the most storied franchises in comedy history, on any device. In addition, the Fall 2013 Comedy Lineup is now live. Whether you want to get lost in the best clips of Saturday Night Live or get hooked on new shows featuring stars like Jack Black in Ghost Ghirls, John Stamos in Losing It With John Stamos, you’ll have over 1,000 hours of comedy to watch.

Yahoo! Screen is available for free on the App Store now. 

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