An incoming update for the Amazon app for iOS will add the company’s Alexa voice assistant that was previously limited to the users of its Echo speaker and other Alexa-enabled hardware.
Building on the app’s ability to order using your voice, Alexa will act as your assistant while shopping the Amazon app, allowing you to search and reorder items, track your orders, and more. But it will also include most of the other functionality Alexa has to offer.
Once you start down the smart home path, you quickly realize that it’s a never-ending journey. Not only are there always more devices out there waiting to tempt you, but there are all the apps.
From Apple’s Home app through manufacturer companion apps to third-party apps, there are plenty to choose from – especially when it comes to Philips Hue lighting.
We look at three manufacturer apps you might want to continue to use even after you have your devices configured, together with six third-party apps that can help your smart home become even smarter …
Spotify is considering a move that would mean some of its biggest new releases will be restricted to paid users, according to a new report from Financial Times. The decision would come as part of a negotiation with record labels that would reduce the amount of royalties Spotify pays for songs and also allow the company to prepare for an initial public offering, the report claims:
Earlier this month, we told you about a new mobile ordering app being planned and tested by McDonald’s. Now, a new report from Reuters offers more details on the upcoming app, as well as the company’s push to catch up with established mobile ordering offerings from competitors like Starbucks…
Spark, Readdle’s free email app for macOS, has been updated today to version 1.2 with new features that should help out compulsive inbox organizers. The update introduces labels, improved folder management, and a smarter search functionality, helping round out the app’s overall productivity.
We reported last week that Chrome for iOS would soon gain a new Safari Reading List-like feature, and today that feature is officially rolling out. Google has updated Chrome for iOS to version 57, bringing with it a new “Read Later” functionality.
As it continues to expand its reach, Snapchat today is rolling out a new widget to its iOS and Android applications. The new widget allows users to instantly start chatting with a Snapchat fried by simply tapping on their Bitmoji. The move comes as Snapchat puts an increased focus on private messaging, as noted by TechCrunch.
Microsoft is introducing shared calendar support to its Outlook client for iOS starting today. The new feature is available as part of the 2.16 update available on the App Store now.
Stickershift is a new iMessage sticker pack for iOS 10 from Tapbots, the makers of popular apps including Tweetbot, Calcbot, and Pastebot. Here’s how Tapbots describes the new sticker pack:
This week Pandora is launching its on-demand music service with features like what other subscription services including Apple Music and Spotify offer. Before now Pandora has primarily served streaming radio stations based on artists and tracks. Pandora Premium opens the service’s catalog of music up to on-demand access for a monthly fee.
Google’s famous ’20 percent time’ – where employees could spend the equivalent of one day a week working on a side project of their own choosing – has led to some pretty impressive results, including Gmail, Google Maps and the company’s ad network Adsense.
Microsoft has quietly updated its Skype client for Mac to version 7.48 with a notable new feature for MacBook Pro users: Touch Bar support. The update, which is available now, allows MacBook Pro with Touch Bar users to more easily control their calls…
Pinterest introduced a new point-and-shoot discovery tool in February called Lens that lets you use your iPhone camera to find design inspiration and more. Now Pinterest is officially launching its new Lens feature to all users in the United States on iOS and Android.
Earlier today, Google pushed the stable version of Chrome 57 to Mac, Windows, and Linux users. This means that Chrome 57 for iOS is next around the corner and one of the features that will arrive as part of that update is a Reading List feature similar to that of what’s currently support in Safari…
Apple today has pushed a minor update to the Apple Store application on iOS. The update brings the app to version 4.2 and while it doesn’t add any major new features, Apple says it is full of under-the-hood improvements.
With the launch of Allo and Duo last year, Google telegraphed that Hangouts would become an enterprise product. Today, the service is being fully revamped into Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet. The former is a Slack-like group chat app, while the latter improves video conferencing.
Facebook has officially announced its new Messenger Day feature for iOS and Android after previously testing the Snapchat Stories clone with a limited number of users. Messenger Day is rolling out globally to Facebook’s Messenger app beginning today.
Annotate is a new visual tool from cloud-based sharing service CloudApp launching today for Mac. Annotate lets you quickly create GIFs and annotated images or capture HD video workflows in a modern native tool. Dropbox also has news for Mac users as the cloud service detailed a new auto-updater for the service coming soon to macOS.
Twitter today is rolling out an update to its iOS app that makes it easier to manage the storage space used by the app, allowing you to regain some of your device’s internal storage. The update brings Twitter for iOS to version 6.7.31 and is available now on the App Store.
Skoove is a new iPad app launching today that helps you learn how to play piano from iOS. The app includes more than 250 interactive lessons and courses that you can follow along with at home as if your iPad was a private piano instructor.
Finances 2 is a new personal and business bookkeeping app for iOS and macOS from developer Matthias Hochgatterer. Prior to Finances 2, Hochgatterer created the excellent third-party HomeKit app Home before Apple’s version in iOS 10. Like his Home app, Finances 2 takes advantage of modern iOS technologies including 3D Touch, Spotlight integration, and Split View on the iPad.
As it continues to play catch up to Snapchat, Instagram today updated its Stories feature with support for geostickers, a capability that Snapchat has supported for a while now and is arguably one of its most unique features.
At this point, Instagram’s geofilters aren’t nearly as widespread as Snapchat’s, but presumably that will change as time progresses…
A Kickstarter project to fund the relaunch of Twitterrific for Mac has now been fully-funded, enabling Iconfactory to proceed. At the time of writing, the project had raised $78,616 against its $75k goal.
Adobe has released a new version of Photoshop Lightroom for iOS that includes more powerful tools for shooting on the iPhone. Authentic HDR is a new mode that rivals competing high-dynamic-range methods. Version 2.7 also includes exporting raw images and a new widget for 3D Touch and the Today view in Notification Center.