Skip to main content

sync

See All Stories
Site default logo image

Infuse video playback app makes its way to the new Apple TV

DlSI4J_U3QnCCUR-w4dMG4vixUivi4X6rQccxhRMUzU

Infuse, a popular video library and playback application for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, is making its way to tvOS on the new Apple TV today. As with its iOS counterpart, Infuse on the Apple TV will serve as a way for users to store multiple video file types in a single library.

 

Qj65AOH222nLmJmA1cqswb_Tvnv8qMLonutDMkpm4bU

The application can stream video content from a computer, external wireless storage drives as well as apps like Plex, Kodi, and Servioo. This differentiating feature is handy for users who want a single view of all their video content stored across numerous devices and services.

Because the tvOS version of Infuse is tied to the iOS counterpart, the download is free for users of Infuse 3 on iOS devices. The tvOS version is labeled as Infuse 4.0, and the iOS client will be upgraded to the new version later this year, the developers tell us.

Infuse 4.0 on tvOS (and in the upcoming iOS version) adds automatically downloaded artwork and movie ratings, support for syncing how far along a user is into a video between devices, and support for downloadable subtitles.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Confirmed: New iPod nano and shuffle won’t get Apple Music to prevent piracy

Site default logo image

Apple-Music-iPod

You might have heard some discussing the state of Apple Music on the iPod nano and shuffle, two products that just got a minor facelift alongside a larger refresh for their bigger brother, the iPod touch. And you might have already guessed that streaming to the devices was a no-go from the lack of Wi-Fi capabilities, but it turns out you won’t even be able to store your offline Apple Music collection on the devices either.

The reason, according to sources, is simply to prevent piracy…
Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple quietly doubles total iCloud contact card limit

Site default logo image

iCloud

In a recent change to its iCloud syncing service, Apple has raised the total number of contacts it will store and sync across your devices before hitting the maximum allowed. Previously iCloud enforced a hard limit of syncing 25,000 contacts, but an updated support document (via iFun.de) highlights that limit doubling now to a total of 50,000 contacts…

Expand
Expanding
Close

Ford shares more details on CarPlay support, will offer close integration with SYNC

Site default logo image

iHeartRadio CarPlay

Ford was one of the first car manufacturers to announce its intentions to add support for Apple’s CarPlay to its in-dash systems. Questions concerning how Ford plans to integrate Apple’s solution, however, have remained since the initial announcement. In an interview with Re/code today, Ford CEO Mark Fields clarified some of the details regarding the company’s plans to offer CarPlay (and Android Auto) in its vehicles.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

1Password iOS app gets automatic backups accessible in iTunes, item printing, more

1password-app-icon-01Popular password manager app 1Password received a nice update today for iPhone and iPad that introduces a few notable new features and the return of one previously removed. Version 4.5.2 of the app now includes automatic backups of data that users can access via iTunes. It also sees the return of item printing, bug fixes and more.

The app also makes some overall performance improvements. Developer AgileBits notes “Sync is now much sync-ier” and “That pesky flickering while viewing an item’s details is no more.”

Version 4.5.2 of the 1Password app for iPhone and iPad is available on the App Store now.

What’s New in 4.5.2

◆ 1Password now keeps automatic backups of your data that are accessible via iTunes
◆ Item printing is back, baby!
◆ Sync is now much sync-ier
◆ That pesky flickering while viewing an item’s details is no more
◆ The report of bug deaths is *not* an exaggeration

Vesper 2 for iPhone adds sync support for backing up notes (Vesper for Mac next)

Site default logo image

Update: Brent Simmons write on his blog that Vesper for Mac is indeed next.

Vesper received a major feature update overnight bringing one of the most requested features to the note-taking app: support for sync. Vesper, the project of John Gruber, Brent Simmons, and Dave Wiskus under the name Q Branch, was released almost a year ago for the iPhone and decidedly lacked iCloud sync (due to reliability) or any alternative. Simmons has since been journaling his experiencing with building an in-house sync solution for Vesper on his Inessential blog if you are interested in reading the behind-the-scenes work that goes into such a project…


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Google Chrome iOS app updated w/ synced Autofill, long press for related image search

Image (1) chrome-a_512.png for post 72530Google today released an update to its Chrome app for iOS that it first announced last week and released for Android. As promised, Google has added a new synced Autofill feature that allows users to autofill forms in a few taps and also sign into their Google account on Mac or other iOS devices to sync the data.

Version 31 of Chrome for iOS also adds a new long press feature for images. When holding an image with a long press, Chrome will now automatically run a search for related images.

In addition, Google says the update brings stability and security enhancements.

What’s New in Version 31.0.1650.18

• Fast form completion with Autofill
Tired of filling out web forms with the same information time and time again? The Autofill feature lets you complete forms with just a few clicks. Sign in to sync this data from your computer to your iPhone or iPad and save even more typing.
• Long press on an image to search for related images
• Stability / security improvements and bug fixes

Dropbox lets third-party devs sync app data w/ new API, now at 175M users

Site default logo image

Dropbox-devs

Update: Mailbox just received the expected update with Dropbox integration for attachments.

Dropbox kicked off its developer conference in San Francisco today and with it came a few updates including new tools for devs and the announcement that the service now has 175 million users. That’s up about 75 million users from just last November.

The developer conference also included some announcements about new tools coming to let third-party app and website developers easier integrate Dropbox. The company is introducing a platform for developers that includes a new API called Datastores, allowing app devs to store and sync data from their apps across multiple devices and platforms. It’s something developers have been doing on their own for a while (for example 1Password), but now Dropbox is making easy for all:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Facebook aims to declutter the iOS Contacts app by no longer syncing friends without useful contact info

Site default logo image

Facebook-Contacts-iOS-6Over the past week a number of 9to5 readers have noticed issues with their Facebook contacts within the Contacts app on iOS 6 and up that are automatically synced when logging into Facebook through Settings. Some users have taken to the Apple support forums to discuss the problem, noting that a large portion of their contacts from Facebook no longer appear in the iOS Contacts app. Rather than a bug, we reached out to Facebook about the problem who told us it’s actually Facebook’s new effort to remove “phone book entries that were not useful.”

In other words, Facebook is trying to remove some of the spam from your iOS Contacts app by no longer syncing friends that have no useful contact information. According to a Facebook spokesperson, friends that have no contact information on their profile other than a @facebook.com email address will not be synced to the Contacts address book going forward.

The result, of course, is you might notice more than a few of your Facebook friends disappearing from Contacts. You can always add them back manually, but Facebook is thinking the majority of users will be happy with its decision to declutter its iOS sync feature. 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Amazon launches Cloud Drive Photos app for iPhone

Site default logo image

Amazon today released an iPhone version of its Amazon Cloud Drive Photos mobile app that it originally launched on Android only back in November. Amazon;’s Cloud Drive Photos app for iPhone, like the Android version, will allow users to back up and view photos to their Amazon Cloud Drive accounts. Up until today, iOS device users have only had access to Amazon’s Cloud Player app for streaming music stored in an Amazon cloud account.

The app provides everything a user might need to ditch Apple’s less than perfect iCloud Photostream feature, including the ability to automatically save photos taken on your iPhone to Cloud Drive, access your entire Cloud Drive photo collection from any device, and easily share through social networks.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Amazon Cloud Player app gets support for Ford’s voice-controlled SYNC AppLink platform

Amazon-Cloud-Player-App-icon-logoFollowing Spotify’s update early last month, Amazon has updated its Cloud Player iOS app today with support for Ford’s voice-controlled SYNC AppLink platform that allows users to control supported apps on their smartphones through voice commands and buttons on the steering wheel. The update brings Ford SYNC compatibility to the iPhone and iPod touch, as well as improved VoiceOver support and other enhancements.

The updated app will allow users with access to Ford’s SYNC platform in their vehicles to stream songs, albums, and playlists straight from the cloud or stored on the user’s device.

What’s New in Version 2.1.0

– Now supports Ford Sync on iPhone and iPod touch
– Improved experience when adding songs to a playlist
– Improved VoiceOver support

Site default logo image

Kickstarter: ZenBoxx promises to help eliminate desk clutter with the MacBook ZenDock

If your desk looks anything like mine, seen above, then you probably know the joys of constantly connecting and disconnecting a handful of cables every time you need to move your MacBook away from your desk or put it back.  In my case, I have to fiddle with these cables every few hours when I take my MacBook downstairs to work in the living room or bring it back upstairs to plug it into my monitor. I hate it.

The ZenDock, which hit Kickstarter today, promises to help eliminate most of this problem for me, and from the looks of it, the folks at ZenBoxx might just be on to something. The ZenDock comes in two varieties: Pro and Retina. As you might imagine, the names correspond to the MacBook model that the dock is designed to work with.


Expand
Expanding
Close