App Store

1,949 'App Store' stories December 2010 - March 2015

See All Stories

Atari’s new gamified fitness app lets you unlock classic arcade games by working out

Jordan Kahn Mar 19 2015 - 8:27 am PT

0 Comments

Atari is releasing a new fitness app today called Atari Fit that lets users unlock classic Atari arcade games by working out.

The app acts as a personal trainer of sorts with over 100 exercises and fitness routines as well as integration with Apple’s Health app and fitness tracking wearables like Fitbit and Jawbone.

It also has a few interesting gaming features including multiplayer, online leaderboards, and the ability unlock classic Atari games like Pong, Super Breakout, and Centipede:

Multiplayer – Play with friends all over the world anytime. Join a team and workout together or race against each other. Track your stats as a group and encourage each other to workout. Compete to become the fittest team of gamers worldwide!

In addition to unlocking games using points earned by working out, Atari is teaming up with Walgreens to offer Walgreens Balance Rewards loyalty program points as in-game rewards.

The Atari Fit iPhone app is available for free on the App Store.

Unscrupulous website adverts again redirecting some users to App Store from Safari

Benjamin Mayo Mar 18 2015 - 12:22 pm PT

73 Comments

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MucM1Cwe3t8]

Update: Some of the websites shown in the video cannot be explained by the hypothesis posted below about adverts redirecting to the App Store. The large amount of corroboration by readers about this happening to them suggests there is a mechanism, somewhere along the line, causing a real problem.

Website advertisement companies have found a way to circumvent the protections introduced in iOS 8 to stop users from being kicked to the App Store because of certain cleverly-coded JavaScript advertisements.

I am now experiencing this myself, and it makes browsing on the iPhone unusable. Browsing to websites such as Reddit and Reuters and others now automatically open the App Store. In many cases, there is no way for me to read the actual content on the pages. You can see this happen in the video above.

This flared up as a serious issue last year, when users found they were being taken to random App Store pages without granting any kind of permission…

In iOS 8 beta 2, Apple supposedly had remedied the issue: “Safari now blocks ads from automatically redirecting to the App Store without user interaction.”. However, it seems that ad companies have now managed to work around these safeguards.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Opinion: Don’t hold your breath for real Nintendo games on your iPhone or iPad

Jeremy Horwitz Mar 17 2015 - 8:56 am PT

26 Comments

My feelings for Nintendo are complicated. I’ve loved its games ever since the original Donkey Kong, owned every Nintendo console (including the Virtual Boy), and recommended the Wii U as the best game console for families and kids. But if I was mildly displeased with Nintendo as a company during its haughtiest years — the time when most of its key third-party developers walked away — I’m downright angry with it today. At a press conference in Japan this morning, Nintendo announced its second collaboration with a mobile game publisher in two months, the headline from which was what millions of people have been waiting years to read:

“Nintendo to start making iPhone games, including first-party IP like Mario.”

Sure, the official Nintendo press release actually says “smart devices” including phones and tablets, but iPhones and iPads are a safe bet. The press release also says “gaming applications” rather than games, but a press release from Nintendo’s new mobile partner DeNA confirms that the companies will indeed produce mobile games together. Just think about it: Super Mario World on the iPad! Donkey Kong Country on the iPhone! That’s just what everyone has wanted! But there’s a catch…

Expand
Expanding
Close

OSMO’s new iPad drawing Masterpiece app draws impressive reviews

Seth Weintraub Mar 12 2015 - 1:17 pm PT

7 Comments

What kind of parent are you if you don’t plunk down $80 for one of these OSMO things right now? I just got one. Amazon reviewers gave it an impressive 4.8/5 stars and it comes with 4 apps. The latest, Masterpiece for iPad [free, App Store] lets kids learn to draw by a type of tracing using the iPad camera illustrated in the excellent Sandwich video above.

After the kids are done you can send it all over the place or print it out. There is a nice video capture feature as well that replays the drawing which looks like it will pump up your kids for the next drawing.

The OSMO game system has three other games at present: Words, Newton and Tangram

It looks pretty cool but I’ll see if I can corral my 6 year old into a review.

Press release follows:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple login services down, iOS and Mac App Stores suffering outages [Update: Apple apologizes]

Ben Lovejoy Mar 11 2015 - 3:46 am PT

183 Comments

Apple looks to be having a ~~few~~ lot of problems with its servers this morning. At the time of writing, iTunes Connect is refusing logins, the iBooks store is not responding and there are intermittent outages when viewing some individual items in both iOS and Mac App Stores …
Expand
Expanding
Close

RadPad now lets you easily split rent with roommates using Apple Pay

Jordan Kahn Mar 4 2015 - 7:07 am PT

0 Comments

RadPad, an app we told you about back in November when it launched as one the first to let you pay rent using Apple Pay, now lets you easily split rent with roommates.

Pay with RadPad Roommates makes it really, really easy for renters who have roommates to pay their rent together, using their own credit, debit card or Apple Pay… A roommate signs up and invites their other roommates to pay rent together: RadPad sends invites to each roommate, via text and email. The roommate receives the invite, accepts it and then enters in their credit or debit card or elects to use Apple Pay. That’s it!

You’ll also be able to see when your roommates are slacking with status information on their half of the rent. The app allows up to four roommates to split the rent and sends a check to the landlord on behalf of the tenants. You can even setup rent payments to your landlord through the app if they aren’t using RadPad.

RadPad tells us it’s expecting to process $14M in annual rents this year after launching in October.

The RadPad app is available on the App Store for free.

MLB At Bat app redesigned, updated with new features for Spring Training

Jordan Kahn Feb 27 2015 - 11:17 am PT

2 Comments

The MLB.com At Bat app for iPhone and iPad gets a big update today in time for Spring Training bringing Spanish language support, new features, and all the details on what content will be available. Most of the app has also been redesigned including all new UI’s for team pages, scoreboards, and the newsreader.

Also new in the app for version 8.0.0 and 2015:

• New UI for all 30 team pages & the league-wide scoreboard (iPhone only)
• Player search expanded to include all active and historical MLB player cards (iPhone only)
• Re-designed UI for the newsreader (iPhone & iPad)
• Team-by-team statistical data filters (iPhone only)
• Native resolution to optimize At Bat for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
• Easy access to every game with new team schedule navigation (iPhone only)
• Application available in Spanish language, requires device language set to Spanish (iPhone & iPad)

As for Spring Training content, here’s what you’ll get with the usual $2.99/month or $19.99/year subscription:

Watch live streaming of more than 200 available Spring Training games with an MLB.TV Premium subscription (iPhone, iPad, select Android phones and tablets, Kindle Fire, Fire Phone)
Listen live to available Spring Training radio broadcasts (all)
Multi-platform live audio access for At Bat Premium subscribers (portable to Mac or PC with a valid MLB.com account)
Universal support for At Bat Premium subscribers, with accessibility on iPhone, iPad and other supported smartphones and tablets
Track batter-by-batter action for every Spring Training game (all)
Comb through sortable batting, pitching and fielding statistics (all)
Stay on top of breaking news, schedules, interactive rosters and player stats for every team (all)
Customize At Bat’s home screen to feature your favorite team (all smartphones)
Access to a video library archive, searchable by player, team or keyword (all smartphones)
Classic games video archive, featuring dozens of baseball’s most legendary games (all)

The updated MLB.com At Bat app for iPhone and iPad is available on the App Store now.

Apple adds crash log reporting for developers in latest Xcode 6.3 beta

Zac Hall Feb 23 2015 - 1:40 pm PT

1 Comment

Alongside releasing the second OS X 10.10.3 preview release and iOS 8.3 beta 2, Apple shared Xcode 6.3 beta 2 through the Mac and iOS Developer Center today. The latest beta version of Xcode, which developers use to build and manage software, includes a new crash log reporting system to show developers issues users may experience with their apps.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Dropbox gets more powerful on iOS 8 with new sharing extension

Zac Hall Feb 17 2015 - 10:02 am PT

10 Comments

Dropbox for iPhone and iPad users is getting a lot more powerful today as the latest version includes a new action extension for iOS 8. This allows you to save information from various apps to Dropbox on iOS without having to open the cloud-syncing app.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Microsoft updates Office for iOS apps w/ support for iCloud, other third-party storage providers

Jordan Kahn Feb 17 2015 - 5:59 am PT

10 Comments

Microsoft is today rolling out an update to its Office apps for iOS devices bringing the ability to save to iCloud and tap into storage from other services across all three apps.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple invites developers to Cupertino to finish Apple Watch apps, test out device

Mark Gurman Feb 16 2015 - 1:57 pm PT

2 Comments

Apple has been working with several third-party App Store developers at its Cupertino, California offices to assist developers in finishing up applications for the upcoming Apple Watch. Development and design representatives from dozens of different development firms have visited Apple last week, or are coming to Cupertino this week, to work with Apple engineers to finish up WatchKit-based applications. One source claims that Apple is holding workshops for over 100 different developers across February. Apple also met with a smaller number of developers to assist with WatchKit development and discuss future plans in early January…

Expand
Expanding
Close

Opinion: Could Apple’s Pinterest profile be an early step toward properly-curated apps?

Ben Lovejoy Feb 13 2015 - 6:45 am PT

8 Comments

iOS and Android are completely different worlds when it comes to apps. Android is pretty much the wild west, with little control over quality or even safety (malware is commonplace). iOS, on a non-jailbroken device, is a walled garden, where Apple decides what apps can and can’t do, and which ones get approved for sale.

Yet despite that carefully-controlled approach, the App Store can still feel like a bit of a jungle. Which is why I wonder whether the Pinterest tie-in announced yesterday may offer hope for the future.

But let’s start with the problem I think needs to be solved, and that problem begins with search. Results may vary by country, and you can try the searches for yourself to compare your results with mine, but here’s what I get for a few obvious app searches …
Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple reverses decision barring marijuana apps from the App Store, now requires location-based restrictions

Mike Beasley Feb 12 2015 - 8:30 pm PT

11 Comments

Apple has apparently been revising its app review strategy this week and has decided to reverse a previous decision that banned MassRoots, a marijuana-centric social app, from its software storefront. The application was booted from the App Store late last year (though it lasted much longer on the store than some other apps).

According to App Store guideline 2.18:

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple begins enforcing rule requiring App Store screenshots and icons to meet 4+ rating standard

Mike Beasley Feb 12 2015 - 8:11 pm PT

9 Comments

Apple has started enforcing a long-ignored rule in its App Store guidelines regarding what kinds of content can appear in app metadata. According to rule 3.6 in the guidelines document:

Apps with App icons, screenshots, and previews that do not adhere to the 4+ age rating will be rejected

This rule has been mostly unenforced since the App Store launched, but according to a new report from Pocket Gamer, some app developers are starting to see their apps rejected for depictions of violence in their screenshots.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple introduces TestFlight Groups feature for organizing app beta testers

Jordan Kahn Feb 12 2015 - 12:18 pm PT

4 Comments

Apple announced today that it’s rolling out a new feature for its TestFlight beta distribution service called TestFlight Groups to improve the experience of managing builds with multiple testers.

Apple noted the Groups feature will allow developers to “organize your testers into groups to quickly send specific builds”, provide separate instructions on where to focus, and apply an action to several testers at once in TestFlight.”

The new feature is available to those using Apple’s in beta TestFlight service through iTunes Connect.

Apple acquired the TestFlight beta app testing platform through its purchase of Burstly in February of last year and repositioned the service as a feature of its iTunes Connect developer portal.

App Store responds to freemium haters, features ‘Pay Once & Play’ games with no in-app purchases

Zac Hall Feb 12 2015 - 12:09 pm PT

12 Comments

As part of Apple’s weekly App Store refresh, the company is currently highlighting iOS games for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch that are paid apps with no in-app purchases, MacStories points out. The featured section is notable as in-app purchases have been a source of confusion and frustration for many consumers since their introduction despite being an added revenue source for developers and Apple.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple increases app size limit from 2GB to 4GB for App Store submissions

Jordan Kahn Feb 12 2015 - 11:57 am PT

10 Comments

Apple today announced that it is increasing the size limit for apps submitted by developers to the App Store through its iTunes Connect service. Previously limited to 2GB, app packages can now be a maximum of 4GB in size. Apple made the announcement on its website for developers earlier today but some apps have been over the 2GB limit since at least January.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Cleveland Cavaliers now sending iBeacon push notifications to iPhone users at games

Jordan Kahn Feb 5 2015 - 1:29 pm PT

1 Comment

Like several other professional sports teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers will now be sending out location-aware notifications to iPhone users at its games using Apple’s Bluetooth beacon iBeacon tech. The team will send out the usual reminders, video content, and promos available to those at the game.

The team announced today that the notifications (pictured above) will be sent to fans through the official Cleveland Cavaliers app. YinzCam, Inc develops the app and is using Gimbal Bluetooth beacon hardware at the Cav’s Quicken Loans Arena to get the job done.

The opt-in notifications will include the following:

Welcome messages and exclusive video content for fans as they enter and explore different areas of the arena
Exclusive content delivered by points of interest, such as the 1976 Miracle of Richfield video highlights, viewable when fans pass the display of the original hardwood classic court from the Richfield Coliseum
Promotional incentives and giveaways to fans who attend games
Reminders about game times and to pick up 50/50 raffles tickets when volunteers are close by
Fan-controlled privacy with up-front opt-in, so engagement is only on the terms the fan wants

The MLB was one of the first professional sports team to adopt the tech for beaming location sensitive notifications to attendees at games, while the Golden State Warriors became the first NBA team to take advantage last year followed by several others.

The Cleveland Cavaliers app is available on the App Store now.

Reuters TV app for iPhone launches w/ on-demand & live video content

Jordan Kahn Feb 4 2015 - 1:49 pm PT

1 Comment

Reuters is today releasing a new app for iPhone called Reuters TV that offers access to on-demand video content and live feeds of Reuters’ live coverage of certain events.
Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS 8 hits 72% adoption in latest data, still trails iOS 7 rate a year ago (Updated 2x)

Zac Hall Feb 3 2015 - 10:53 am PT

16 Comments

Update 2/17: 73% iOS 8 adoption measured on February 16th, up 1% since February 2nd. Change shows 1% moving from iOS 7 to iOS 8 with ‘Earlier’ remaining at 3%.

Update 3/3: A month later, iOS 8 is now running on 3 out of 4 iOS devices according to Apple’s data. 75% of devices are now running iOS 8, with 22% still running iOS 7.

Apple released a new count today for the percentage of iOS devices accessing the App Store and running iOS 8. According to App Store Distribution data, 72% of iOS devices are now running iOS 8 with a quarter of devices running iOS 7 and a tiny 3% of users running iOS 6 or earlier versions using data “measured by the App Store on February 2, 2015.” That puts iOS 8 adoption up 3% since Apple last reported data two weeks ago with only 69% of devices running iOS 8 at the time.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Opinion: Square Enix’s flip-flop on iOS 8 support spotlights App Store ambiguities, risks

Jeremy Horwitz Feb 3 2015 - 9:06 am PT

16 Comments

Square Enix’s The World Ends With You

Buying an app from the App Store is designed to be as easy as possible. A large button with a price tag sits as close to the app’s icon and name as possible, while additional details linger below. You’re not supposed to think or worry too much about each purchase — the transaction is impulse-driven when the price is low — and the implication is that the app will work when you get it, and keep working for a long time thereafter.

But what happens when an app — marketed as compatible with current iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches — is never updated for the latest version of iOS, and either stops working after an iOS upgrade, or never works at all on new devices? That’s the situation buyers of Square Enix’s $18 The World Ends with You: Solo Remix (and $20 iPad version) have found themselves in since iOS 8 was released. The game’s description claims that it “requires iOS 4.3 or later” and is compatible with devices that shipped with iOS 8, but it wasn’t actually iOS 8-compatible. Yesterday, Square Enix publicly flip-flopped on whether it would leave the game unplayable or fix it. Before changing its tune, the company told customers that they’d need to continue to keep using iOS 7 in order to play the game — an unrealistic alternative, though one that’s faced by users of numerous iOS apps that aren’t being updated by their developers.

By considering abandonment of the 69% of iOS users who are currently on iOS 8, Square Enix wasn’t just making a business choice; it was also spotlighting the risk App Store customers take every time they purchase an app. And it also revealed how long-unsolved App Store listing ambiguities are subjecting users, developers, and Apple itself to unnecessary problems.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple discounts nearly forty of the most popular productivity apps for iOS and Mac

Jan 29 2015 - 1:18 pm PT

3 Comments

From 9to5Toys.com:

As usual, we’ve been tracking the best iOS price drops and freebies all week. About 48 hours ago we began to notice an influx of price drops for big name productivity apps. And now we know why. Apple has just unveiled its Get Productive App Store sale which features 19 insanely popular iOS productivity apps.

It’s rare to see so many all-time low prices from such a variety of top-tier developers. Here are our top picks:

Fantastical 2: $1.99 (Reg. $5)
Calendars 5: $2.99 (Reg. $7)
Clear – Tasks, Reminders & To-Do lists: $1.99 (Reg. $5)
GoodNotes 4 – Notes & PDF: $2.99 (Reg. $7)
Duet Display: $7.99 (Reg. $15)
… and the rest of the deals…

On the Mac side of the sale there are twenty discounted productivity apps. Again, here are our favorites:

Clear – Tasks, Reminders & To-Do Lists: $4.99 (Reg. $10)
Day One: $4.99 (Reg. $10)
Notability: $2.99 (Reg. $6)
Fantastical – Calendar and Reminders: $9.99 (Reg. $20)

Check out our daily roundups for more of the best iOS apps sales.

Widespread iTunes Connect issue presenting wrong user name and apps for developers (Update: Resolved)

Zac Hall Jan 29 2015 - 8:40 am PT

9 Comments

iTunes Connect, Apple’s portal where developers manage software published on the App Store, is presenting many users with a widespread issue this morning. Several users are reporting logging in with their own credentials and being presented with both the name and apps of other iTunes Connect users, including upcoming, unreleased versions of apps. 9to5Mac has corroborated the errors with iTunes Connect.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Huge iPhone growth is more than a one-off blip, argues Tim Cook, with most still to upgrade

Ben Lovejoy Jan 29 2015 - 7:06 am PT

28 Comments

Updated quote with WSJ correction:

https://twitter.com/daiwaka/status/560882525854121984

While few would expect the record-breaking surge in iPhone sales generated by the larger-screened models to continue into subsequent quarters, Tim Cook argued in a WSJ interview that the potential is there.

In an interview, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, not surprisingly, argued that the demand is more than temporary. He said fewer than 15% of older iPhone owners upgraded to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and that the majority of switchers to iPhone came from smartphones running Google Inc.’s Android operating system.

“We certainly believe there are legs to it,” said Mr. Cook of the iPhone sales surge.

Cook noted during the Q1 earnings call that the current iPhone lineup had experienced “the highest Android switcher rate in any of the last three launches.” With CIRP data suggesting that the US rate of switching from Android to iOS has remained broadly constant, that suggests the bulk of switchers have been outside the US–China in particular …
Expand
Expanding
Close