Author

Jordan Kahn

Dir. Partnerships

9to5Mac / 9to5Google / 9to5Toys / Electrek.co / DroneDJ / SpaceExplored

Jordan manages the internal Partner Program for sponsorships and partnerships across the 9to5 network’s media brands including 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, Electrek.co, SpaceExplored and DroneDJ.com.

Jordan also writes about all things Apple as a Senior Editor of 9to5Mac. He covers Google for 9to5Google.com, the best gadgets and deals on 9to5Toys.com, and EV and solar news on Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series and makes music sometimes.

Contact Jordan with partnership inquiries and long-winded complaints:

Connect with Jordan Kahn

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Instagram updates mobile apps with new ‘Photos of You’ feature

Jordan Kahn May 2 2013 - 10:19 am PT

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http://vimeo.com/65246801

Instagram announced today that it is updating its iOS and Android apps with a new feature dubbed ‘Photos of You’ making it easier to view and be notified of photos you care about most. The feature will make it easier for users uploading images to add mentions of people or things and also adds a new “Photos of You” section on your profile where tagged photos will gather:

When you upload a photo to Instagram, you’re now able to add the people and things in the photo as easily as you add a location and hashtags. When someone adds you to a photo, you’ll receive a notification and the photo will appear in your “Photos of You” – the new section on your profile where you can curate all of the photos you’ve been added to. Want to make sure you like the photo first? No problem: you can easily adjust your settings so nothing appears on your profile until you approve it.

The feature will be in a sort of beta mode until May 16th at which time the Photos of You section will become visible on users’ public profiles.

Version 3.5 of Instagram with the new Photos of You feature should be hitting the App Store any minute.

You can check out the feature via profiles of a few Instagram employees already using Photos of You:

http://instagram.com/kevin

http://instagram.com/mikeyk

http://instagram.com/Jeffreydgerson

http://instagram.com/Maxvoltar

http://instagram.com/Dantoffey

Blockbuster On Demand app finally launches on iPhone & iPad

Jordan Kahn May 2 2013 - 8:31 am PT

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Earlier this year Blockbuster relaunched its digital video rental service dubbed “Blockbuster on Demand” by releasing apps for Android, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, PC & Mac and introducing new features such as 1080p HD streaming and 5.1-channel surround sound. The service hasn’t picked up much steam since relaunching in January, but today it appears Dish is pushing ahead by finally releasing an app for iPhone and iPad.

Available as free download on the App Store now the app offers single title rental options that can be streamed instantly or saved for later viewing on any supported device. Users initially complained of no HD video support on mobile devices but, according to the app’s iTunes page, the iOS app does indeed support “stunning HD and full Surround Sound.”

•Thousands of hit movies and new releases – rent and watch instantly or save to your Watchlist and view later
•Tons of movies you love – hand-selected titles with the highest ratings from Rotten Tomatoes®
•Stream Instantly — phone, tablet, laptop, Samsung Smart TV, Roku, and more
•Amazing sound and video – stunning HD movies in full Surround Sound
•Easy shopping and viewing – prime movie watching experience
•No subscription or late fees – pay only for what you watch

Acorn version 4 brings revamped UI, speed enhancements, non-destructive filters & much more

Jordan Kahn May 2 2013 - 7:26 am PT

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Acorn-version-4-update-01

Acorn-version-4-update-02 Flying Meat, the developer behind the popular Photoshop-like image editing app called ‘Acorn’, today has released version 4.0 of the app bringing a number of new highly requested features and performance enhancements. Acorn 4 brings new non-destructive filters, multiple layer selection, new shape tools such as “Stars, Arrows, and a Bezier anchor,” and a revamped UI with the tools palette in a separate window.

Layer styles and filters are now merged together into a happy new UI. Chain filters together to create endless combinations of unique effects knowing you can always change your mind later on.

Other improvements include enhancements to speed, a new UI for filters dubbed the ‘Merlin HUD’, and Boolean shape operations, and Curves to “Adjust the tonal response and even the individual color channels to perfect the midtones, shadows, highlights, and contrast.”

Acorn version 4.0 is available to purchase now for a special price of $29.99 until the end of the month. Photoshop 11 Elements sells on the Mac App Store for $79.99, while competitor Pixelmator sells for $14.99.

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/65273340 w=400&h=300]

IDC: iPad drops below Android with 40% share of worldwide tablet market, Apple still top vendor

Jordan Kahn May 1 2013 - 1:22 pm PT

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Research firm IDC is out today with preliminary data from its quarterly study tracking worldwide tablet market share putting Apple at 40% market share compared to Android’s 56.5% of the market in Q1 2013. In the year ago quarter, Apple held 58.1% of the market surpassing Android’s 39.4%. IDC says Android shipments were increased thanks to strong growth of Samsung’s smaller sized tablets, while ASUS moved into the number 3 spot with 350.0% year over year growth due to strong demand for the Nexus 7:

ASUS managed to move into the number 3 vendor spot as it continued to see decent tablet shipment demand from the highly marketed Nexus 7 device. But, with Google’s I/O conference right around the corner and expectations of an imminent device refresh, the company will need to find a way to sustain its momentum. Amazon fell to the number 4 position, once again the victim of a highly seasonal product cycle.

Despite Apple taking number two behind Android for tablet shipments by operating system, it remains the top vendor by OEM taking a 39.6% share of the market vs Samsung’s 17.9% and 5.5% for ASUS. IDC notes that Apple actually exceeded expectations for Q1, where it typically experiences a drop off in shipments, by selling 19.5 million units compared to a forecast of 18.7 million:
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DoD to grant Apple’s iOS 6 & Samsung Galaxy devices security approval for widespread use by US government agencies

Jordan Kahn May 1 2013 - 12:03 pm PT

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DOD-iPad-US The iPhone and iPad have already been cleared for use by a number of US government agencies, and in February the US Defense Department confirmed plans to open its networks to 100,000 new devices from Apple and Google by February of next year. Today, The Wall Street Journal reports the DoD is about to grant two more important security approvals that could increase the number of agencies allowed to deploy iPhone, iPads, and Samsung Galaxy devices:

The Defense Information Systems Agency, or DISA, the agency that sanctions commercial technology for Pentagon use, is set to rule that Samsung’s Galaxy line of smartphones, preloaded with Samsung’s Knox security software, conforms with the Pentagon’s so-called Security Technology Implementation Guide, according to people familiar with the approval process. That would allow it to be used by some Pentagon agencies for things like sending and receiving internal emails, according to these people.

Separately, DISA is expected to rule that Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 6, conforms to a different security-requirement guide, these people said. That would allow iPhones and iPads to be used by military agencies for nonclassified communications, like email and Web browsing.

The report from WSJ explained Samsung has been steadily increasing its attempt to break into corporate and government markets by hiring a new team of security experts and former RIM employees to reach out to Western governments and corporations:
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T-Mobile & MetroPCS complete merger bringing iPhone availability to 9 million new customers

Jordan Kahn May 1 2013 - 8:34 am PT

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=T1AYqBdhfo4

Update: Talking to AllThingsD, T-Mobile CEO John Legere says an iPhone on MetroPCS is a possibility but “not imminent.”

“The answer to that is not ‘No,’” Legere said, but added, “It’s not imminent; I think that’s safe to say.” “It’s also something that involves Apple…. we’ve started those dialogues with our partners.”

We already knew that both company’s boards had approved the merger of T-mobile USA and MetroPCS, but today the No. 4 and No. 5 U.S. carriers have officially announced the merger is now complete. Starting today the two companies will become one and begin trading under the ticker “TMUS” on the New York Stock Exchange:

Under the terms of the business combination agreement, MetroPCS effected a 1 for 2 reverse stock split, made a cash payment of $1.5 billion to its stockholders (approximately $4.05 per share prior to the reverse stock split), and acquired all of T-Mobile’s capital stock from Deutsche Telekom in exchange for approximately 74% of MetroPCS’ common stock on a pro forma basis.

MetroPCS has never offered the iPhone to its 9 million customers, but today’s announcement means the carrier will begin migrating to T-Mobile’s network infrastructure and presumably eventually support the iPhone alongside T-Mobile for its customer base. The new combined company will be lead by T-Mobile CEO John Legere, but for now T-Mobile and MetroPCS will continue to operate as separate brands.

Amazon updates Kindle iOS app with new accessibility features, VoiceOver support for the visually impaired

Jordan Kahn May 1 2013 - 7:56 am PT

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Amazon announced today that it is updating its Kindle mobile apps, starting with an update to the Kindle iOS app,to include new accessibility features for the blind and visually impaired. The updated app now includes VoiceOver support and new accessibility features, the addition of the Hiragino Mincho ProN (Serif) font selection for Japan, and an enhancement to the app’s ‘Before you go’ feature that now offers “the ability to download a free sample and email yourself a reminder about recommended books.”

A full list of new accessibility features available in today’s update below:

Read aloud over 1.8 million titles available in the Kindle Store using Apple’s VoiceOver technology. Over 300,000 of these books are exclusive to the Kindle Store. Over 900,000 books are less than $4.99; over 1.5 million are less than $9.99.
Seamlessly navigate within their library or within a book, with consistent title, menu and button names; navigate to a specific page within a book and sort books in the library by author or title.
Read character-by-character, word-by-word, line-by-line, or continuously, as well as move forward or backward in the text.
Search for a book within their library or search within their book and navigate to specific text.
Add and delete notes, bookmarks, and highlights.
Use customer-favorite features like X-Ray, End Actions and sharing on Facebook and Twitter.
Look up words in the dictionary and Wikipedia.
Customize the reading experience including changing the font, text size, background color, margin, and brightness.
Use iOS accessibility features like Zoom, Assistive Touch, and Stereo to Mono, as well as peripheral braille displays.

AT&T U-Verse customers now have access to WatchESPN and FOX NOW iOS apps

Jordan Kahn May 1 2013 - 6:34 am PT

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AT&T U-Verse customers will be pleased to learn that today they have access to new content on their iPhone and iPad. The WatchESPN app was previously available to most that subscribe to an ESPN package, but up until today AT&T U-Verse subscribers were not included. With update to version 1.6.6 today, U-Verse customers can now access live streaming feeds from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNU directly from within the universal iOS app for iPhone and iPad.

More great TV content is available on iOS devices today for AT&T U-Verse subscribers. The FOX Now iPhone and iPad app, which provides access to latest episodes from popular FOX shows like Family Guy, American Dad, and Hell’s Kitchen, was updated today providing access to both AT&T U-Verse and Suddenlink subscribers. The app also gets a bunch of new features including automatic full screen for videos, a streamlined universal navigation drawer, filters, and much more.

Bloomberg: Jony Ive’s new software design role could lead to delays for iOS 7

Jordan Kahn May 1 2013 - 5:39 am PT

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Jony-Ive-Excited-on-stage

Not much news coming out of a new Bloomberg piece today on Sir Jonathan Ive’s new software design role. Earlier this week, 9to5Mac first reported on some big upcoming changes to iOS spearheaded by Ive based on multiple sources who have seen or been briefed on the new “flatter” OS. While echoing most of what we already reported, Bloomberg adds that Ive’s new role will provide potential delays for iOS 7:

The introduction of new features, along with an emphasis on cooperation and deliberation, comes at a cost for Cupertino, California-based Apple. Engineers are racing to finish iOS 7, the next version of the mobile software, in time for a June preview at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference. While the company still expects to release iOS 7 on time as soon as September, internal deadlines for submitting features for testing are being set later than past releases, people said… Bigger shifts, to such features as e-mail, may not even be ready this year and may be introduced in future releases, people said.

The report from Bloomberg doesn’t go into specific details about features which it claims “remain secret”, but earlier this week 9to5Mac shared details of other new features planned for iOS 7 including further Maps and Siri integration in vehicles. Apple is also toying with additional features that could possibly make their way to iOS 7, including new “glance-able” information and settings panels, such as the ability to access new panels via swipes from the left and right side of an iOS device’s display.

Bloomberg adds that Ive has met with companies behind gesture control technology that sounds similar to the Leap Motion controller. The report also noted that Ive led a two-hour town hall meeting in March to discuss upcoming changes, while pointing out that he now regularly attends meetings with Greg Christie and the software design team and has provided them with “an earlier look at what future hardware products will look like”
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Apple seeds OS X 10.8.4 build 12E40 to developers

Jordan Kahn Apr 30 2013 - 1:35 pm PT

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A week after seeding build 12E36 to developers on April 23, Apple has just pushed out OS X 10.8.4 beta build 12E40 to developers. Apple is once again asking developers to focus on WiFi performance, Graphics, and Safari. We’ll update this post if developers have anything new to report. Thanks, Anonymous!

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Users complain Path sending spam messages to contacts, company says it’s a feature not a bug

Jordan Kahn Apr 30 2013 - 12:48 pm PT

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Screen Shot 2013-04-30 at 3.43.51 PM Today a number of reports are flowing in claiming that social network app Path is sending spam messages to people listed in the user’s address book. The issue apparently isn’t new with some Android users on Reddit experiencing the spam a few months back, while a growing number of users on Twitter today have complained of their contacts receiving both spam text messages and calls. The messages, as pictured right, say the user has photos to share on Path and urges the recipient to downed the free Path app.

However, Path confirmed to The Verge that the issue is actually a feature of the app that sends messages to a user’s Facebook friends during sign-up:
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Mother’s Day must have: Felt app lets you create and send beautiful handwritten cards via iPad for $4/ea

Jordan Kahn Apr 30 2013 - 9:25 am PT

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Felt-iPad-app-01 Just launched on the App Store in time for Mother’s Day, the Felt iPad app lets you create and send real handwritten cards directly from your iPad for a flat rate of $3.99 including shipping. It has competitors with Apple’s own Cards app ($4.99 per card), and the Inkly app, which lets you upload handwritten messages via a photo, but neither have found a way to integrate the handwritten aspect right in the iPad app like Felt. The slick interface shown in the video above allows you to easily handwrite not only the letter but also address the envelope by hand. Once your done the app handles the rest by sending out a real card printed on “premium Mohawk card stock and a kraft paper envelope” within 24 hours.

MirrorCase for iPad lets you shoot video and take notes at the same time

Jordan Kahn Apr 30 2013 - 7:00 am PT

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Just launched on Kickstarter today, RHP Multimedia is hoping to bring an iPad version of its MirrorCase originally launched for iPhone that allows users to shoot hands free photos and video while continuing to use the iPad. Normally iPad users would be forced to hold up the tablet in a vertical position in order to capture photos and video using the device’s main, rear camera. MirrorCase offers a hands-free solution by integrating “a high-quality first surface mirror to reflect back any image that is in front of the device”, allowing you to keep the iPad in a horizontal position ideal for taking notes or multitasking while shooting video.

The key is the MirrorCase companion app that the company is attempting to fund through its Kickstarter campaign. The app will include, for instance, the ability to take notes or make annotations while viewing a live, resizable preview of the video you’re shooting, PDF and Dropbox integration, and adjustable video resolution and frame rates.

You can preorder a MirrorCase for iPad now for $50 with shipments expected to start in August.

Jawbone launches new ‘UP Platform’ to integrate other health tracking services with iPhone app

Jordan Kahn Apr 30 2013 - 6:25 am PT

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Jawbone-UP-Platform-API Jawbone, the company behind the Jawbone Up fitness tracking wristband and companion app, today is announcing some big news including a new API to allow other apps to access its fitness tracking data and the acquisition of competitor BodyMedia. The new API dubbed the “Up Platform” will see the company create its own app ecosystem of sorts, allowing other developers to access Jawbone UP data and integrate their apps to “complement your UP experience.”

To go along with the new API, Jawbone has already updated its UP iOS app with a new side menu that allows users to share their data with integrated apps and the ability to “to seamlessly integrate new data into your feed, lifeline, and trends.”

Initially Jawbone has partnered with a number of fitness related apps including: IFTTT, LoseIt!, Maxwell Health, MapMyFitness, MyFitnessPal, Notch, RunKeeper, Sleepio, Wello and Withings. Here are a few examples of how Jawbone UP integration works with these third-party services:

-Log a run or bike ride with RunKeeper or MapMyFitness, and view your workout data in UP, including maps of your route, to see how last night’s sleep may have impacted your speed or distance.
-Step on your Withings Smart Body Analyzer and automatically import your weight into UP to track it in the context of how you sleep, eat and move, and get support from your UP teammates as you work toward your goal.
-Create IFTTT Recipes to receive nudges based on your UP activity, like texting you to go for a run if the weather is sunny, or tweeting at your workout partner when you reach 15,000 steps.
-Complete a workout with a live personal trainer in your home or hotel room using Wello, and log the workout directly into UP.

Devs can reach out to Jawbone here if they are interested in integrating their service with UP.

Tech Industry

Belkin finally announces availability of Thunderbolt Express Dock, now shipping for $299

Jordan Kahn Apr 30 2013 - 5:24 am PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a53YAiI8LSs]

Back in February, Belkin finally started accepting preorders for its much anticipated Thunderbolt Express Dock that was originally supposed to ship last September. Reports earlier this month noted that further delays meant the device would miss its new Q1 2013 launch date, but today Belkin has finally made things official announcing availability of the Thunderbolt Express Dock and posting the video above to its YouTube channel.

Belkin does have some competition now that it has waited to launch, including the popular Matrox Thunderbolt Docking station that we’ve been recommending and the new Sonnet Echo 15 Thunderbolt Dock.

Belkin is selling the slightly reconfigured Thunderbolt Express Dock for $299.99 through Belkin.com. Retailers are expected to have stock by the end of April.

Instant access to up to 8 desktop devices with one cable
Cable-clutter-free design for a cleaner workstation
2 Thunderbolt™ ports (1 upstream, 1 downstream for daisy-chaining up to 5 additional Thunderbolt™ devices)
3 USB 3.0 ports
1 FireWire 800 port
1 Gigabit Ethernet port
1 3.5mm audio-out port
1 3.5mm audio-in port

How to enable Google Now on iOS for Google Apps accounts

Jordan Kahn Apr 29 2013 - 3:16 pm PT

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From 9to5Google:

Earlier today Google officially pushed out an update to its existing Google Search app for iPhone enabling the Google Now service with weather and traffic conditions, updates on breaking news and sports, and more. Some users logging into Google Search through a Google Apps account might have noticed that using the features would prompt an error that “your administrator hasn’t enabled Google Now for your domain.” Hanselman.com shares instructions on enabling the feature which aren’t exactly obvious since the setting is buried in “Android settings”.

Google Apps for Business, Education, and Government: Google Now needs to be turned on by an administrator before it can be used.

If you are an administrator, you can enable Google Now for users in your organization by following these steps:

Sign in to your Google Apps control panel.
Go to Settings > Mobile > Org Settings > Android settings.
Click the checkbox next to Enable Google Now to turn on Google Now.
Click Save.

AAPL Company

Microsoft/Nokia attempt relevance with amusing Samsung vs. Apple fight ad [video]

Jordan Kahn Apr 29 2013 - 9:31 am PT

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Z19vR1GldRI

Nokia and the Windows Phone team appear to be launching a new “Make the switch” campaign for the Nokia Lumia 920 that pits iPhone 5 up against Samsung’s new flagship Galaxy S4. The latest ad, above, ends with the tag line “Don’t Fight. Switch” and kicks off with iPhone and Galaxy S4 users arguing with one another before breaking out in a full on brawl at a wedding. The entire spot from the Windows Phone team is amusing and only lightly promotes the Nokia Lumia 320 towards the end. No features or benefits, but hey its Engadget reader’s choice award winner.

Square Register gets kitchen tickets & barcode scanning on iPad + new UI, custom tipping, more on iPhone

Jordan Kahn Apr 29 2013 - 5:44 am PT

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The Square Register app was updated today with a number of new features for merchants on top of a redesigned UI for the iPhone app. Merchants running the Square Register POS app on their iPad will now have access to barcode scanning with the ability to sync a Bluetooth barcode scanner, new easy order modifiers, as well as customizable kitchen tickets.

iPhone users of the Square Register app are greeted today with an all new design that adds new features such as custom tipping, smarter payments with multiple custom amounts, and a customizable item library.

Square just posted the video above to coincide with the update showing off how owners of Piada in Midtown Manhattan are taking advantage of the Square Register solution.

A full list of of what’s new in version 3.0 of Square Register is below:

What’s New in Version 3.0

New on iPhone:
– Item library: Add items to a sale with a tap. Build your item library to simplify and speed up checkout. Customize items with photos, names, and prices.
– Smarter payment pad: Add multiple custom amounts to a sale, add notes to each amount, and view or edit all amounts in one place before charging.
– Custom Tipping: Allow customers to enter custom tip amounts.
– New look: Ring up customers and edit settings more easily than ever with an all-new design.

New on iPad:
– Easy order modifiers: Customize orders at the counter and send them to your kitchen while your line keeps moving.
– Customizable kitchen tickets: Include a custom name or number on each kitchen ticket.
– Barcode scanning: Sync your Bluetooth barcode scanner with Square Register to speed up your checkout.

Little Snitch updated to 3.1 with Automatic Profile Switching and more

Jordan Kahn Apr 29 2013 - 5:34 am PT

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Developers Objective Development just announced a nice update to its extremely popular network and application monitoring tool known as ‘Little Snitch’. For those of you unfamiliar, Little Snitch allows users to set up rules that control network access for specific apps and services, allowing you to control when and how apps on your machine talk to the internet. A previous update brought profiles to the app, offering users the ability to switch between different sets of rules for different workflows. Today’s update to version 3.1 enhances that feature by offering Automatic Profile Switching:

With the new Automatic Profile Switching these profiles now can be activated automatically when the computer starts using a specific network connection (e.g. the office, home or some public network) – thereby adapting your network security to the current environment…The first time you connect to a network, Little Snitch presents you the new Profile Switching Alert which lets you define the profile to be activated automatically the next time you join the same network. Of course, this also activates the profile right when you click the OK button.

New “Learn More About In-App Purchases” section helps protect consumers from apps like this [video]

Jordan Kahn Apr 26 2013 - 7:23 am PT

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In March Apple decided to add “offers in-app purchases” warnings in iTunes and on the App Store following a class action lawsuit brought on by parents arguing the iOS freemium model, i.e. in-app purchases, allowed children to easily rack up thousands of dollars. Today, as noted by AppAdvice, Apple has now added a new “Learn More About In-App Purchases” section on the App Store detailing how in-app purchases work and how parents can manage they preferences through Parental Controls (pictured below). On a related note, in the video above IGN shows off how kids could easily spend thousands of dollars in apps that aggressively push ridiculously expensive in-app purchases to games clearly aimed at children.

Learn-More-About-In-App-Purchases

Apple reverses decision to change VPN on Demand in VirnetX lawsuit, but only for devices that already shipped

Jordan Kahn Apr 26 2013 - 7:06 am PT

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VPN-On-Demand-Virtnex

Due to a loss in a patent lawsuit that awarded patent holder VirnetX $368.2 million, we reported earlier this month that Apple would be changing the behaviour of its VPN on Demand features for devices running iOS 6.1 and up. The changes would mean a downgrade in functionality for users effectively forcing them to start the VPN client before they run an app, or before they open mobile Safari to access an intranet site.

Now, in a recently updated knowledge base article (via MacRumors), Apple appears to be backtracking on that decision informing customers it “no longer plans to change the behavior of the VPN On Demand feature of iOS 6.1 for devices that have already been shipped.”

Apple continues by stating “The ‘Always’ option will continue to work as it currently does on these devices.” It seems as if Apple and VirnetX have reached some type of settlement, but what this means for future devices that have yet to ship is unclear.

Swype VP confirms talks with Apple on revolutionary keyboard technology

Jordan Kahn Apr 26 2013 - 6:26 am PT

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Swype-keyboard-iOS-nuance We reported earlier this week over on our sister site 9to5Google that the extremely popular Swype keyboard was now available for Android users on Google Play. Unfortunately its arrival came after the implementation of the similar Gesture Typing feature that Google introduced in Jelly Bean. While we know Swype owner Nuance has a pretty tight relationship with Apple through its voice recognition technology being used in Siri (although Siri’s co-founder told us Apple could “likely replace Nuance without too much trouble”), a Swype exec has now confirmed the company has had talks with Apple over its revolutionary keyboard tech.

iFans points us to a Reddit AMA with Swype Vice President Aaron Sheedy where the executive confirms discussions with Apple have taken place:
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Google adds ability to open Microsoft Office files directly in Chrome on Mac

Jordan Kahn Apr 25 2013 - 6:08 pm PT

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Google-Chrome-Microsoft-Office-viewer-Mac

Previously only available to Chromebook users, Google announced today on its Chrome blog that Mac and Windows users will now have the ability to open Microsoft Office files directly within Chrome. The functionality works for users running the latest Chrome Beta and requires installation of the Chrome Office Viewer (Beta) extension.

In addition to saving you time, the Chrome Office Viewer also protects you from malware delivered via Office files. Just like with web pages and PDFs, we’ve added a specialized sandbox to impede attackers who use compromised Office files to try to steal private information or monitor your activities.

Mailbox continues to say iPad app, iCloud support, more coming in future updates

Jordan Kahn Apr 25 2013 - 1:33 pm PT

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https://twitter.com/mailbox/statuses/327476894318600194

After some controversy for the popular Mailbox iOS app earlier this week, some good news for Mailbox users comes today in the form of confirmation of new features and an iPad app coming soon.

As noted in the tweets above and below, the Mailbox devs have publicly confirmed in a number of recent tweets that and iPad version of the app is currently “in the works” and expected to launch soon. We also learn that desktop and Android versions of the app are on the company’s roadmap, while iCloud support, landscape typing, alias support, and “Send as” features are also on the list for future updates:

https://twitter.com/mailbox/status/327480611428245504

https://twitter.com/mailbox/status/327494387955273729

https://twitter.com/mailbox/statuses/327476894318600194

(via TechCrunch)