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1,949 'App Store' stories December 2010 - July 2012

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Quick Review: Tweetbot for Mac finally arrives in public alpha, download now!

Jordan Kahn Jul 11 2012 - 10:08 am PT

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: Tweetbot vs Twitter for Mac

: Tweetbot on the Retina MacBook Pro

We reported late last month that Tweetbot for Mac, a desktop version of the popular third-party iOS Twitter client, would likely come soon after the company’s graphic designer, Mark Jardine, tweeted an image of the client running on a MacBook. Today, Tweetbot developers decided to make things official with the release of a public alpha, and we recently got a chance to play around with it. (Blog post here.)

The Tweetbot alpha, which at this point runs on 10.7+ and 10.8 Mountain Lion, has a lot going for it despite warnings of “Bugs! Lots of them.” According to Tapbots, the main goal of the alpha was to replicate the core functionality of the iOS client. Like tapping a tweet in the iPad app, hovering over a tweet in the Mac client provides you with the same Reply, Retweet, Favorite, Share, and Actions button to get access to details, conversations, retweets, and etc.

In addition, like the iPad app, you will find a button to quickly switch lists in the upper right, while a Lists button on the left sidebar will let you manage and edit your lists within the app. The app also bakes in the familiar “Mute Filters” for your main timeline. However, only the ability to mute “Clients” appears to be an option now—with the option for muting keywords greyed out. You will also get Twitter, bit.ly, CloudApp, and Droplr URL shortening options, and all the same image and video-uploading options as on iOS, including: CloudApp, Droplr, img.ly, Lockerz, Mobypicture, Pikchur, Posterous, Twitgoo, TwitPic/TwitVid, and yfrog. Syncing options only feature Tweet Marker currently (iCloud coming soon), while all the Read Later services are present such as bitly, Instapaper, Pinboard, Pocket, and Readability.

We have had a lot to say about the Twitter experience on the new Retina MacBook Pros. The official Twitter for Mac app is unfortunately not Retina-ready and almost unusable on the new Retina displays. Fortunately, we have a Retina update to Twitterific to tie us over, but the Alpha Tweetbot release today is also built for the new Retina display. We have no complaints. It looks great, but Tapbots said further improvements are coming…

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Apps & updates: Amazing Alex, Hulu Plus, Weather Channel, Tweetbot, and more

Jordan Kahn Jul 10 2012 - 8:50 am PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk7vezL36IU]

Amazing Alex: (iPhone $.99/iPad $2.99)We recently got a little teaser for Rovio’s new game, but today we get the official launch trailer for Amazing Alex that now has a solid July 12 release date for iOS devices. Also included in today’s list of apps and updates is a refreshed Weather Channel iPad app, and updates to CloudOn and the VLC Remote app.

Weather Channel for iPad v3.3.0: The popular Weather Channel app for iPad was updated today with a number of notable new features and enhancements. Included in the update are improved radar maps, HD backgrounds for the iPad’s Retina display, and improvements to crashes experienced by first-gen iPad users. You can now also refresh data by tapping the Weather Channel logo within the app.

CloudOn v2.0.55: CloudOn allows you to access Microsoft Office on the iPad with DropBox and Google Drive integration, and today’s update brings even more functionality, including: the ability to open password protected Office files, an improved experience for Retina iPad users, and more.

Hulu Plus: Hulu Plus is now offering a free two-month trial opposed to its usual 1-month offering. The Hulu Plus iOS app is available here.

VLC Remote v6.02: The app that controls the VLC Media Player on Macs and PCs received a minor updated today that fixes issues with YouTube browsing and translations in several languages.

Tweetbot v2.4.1: A small updated to the Tweetbot iPhone and iPad client today brings the ability to “toggle smart quotes in the compose view (tap in the text input area)” and various fixes including one related to crashes for Droplr uploads.

Apps & updates, DRM still misbehaving edition: eBay, TED Books, InstaTalks, more

Jordan Kahn Jul 9 2012 - 1:06 pm PT

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[tweet https://twitter.com/marcoarment/status/222411178842918912]

A few apps and updates hit the App Store today, unfortunately some are still reporting issues with apps not launching after updates. Let us know if you run into any issues in the comments.

eBay version 2.6.0: ebay’s main iPhone app received an update today alongside a small update to the eBay for iPad app. Unfortunately, eBay has now posted warning on at least the eBay for iPad release notes that some have reported the app is not working. As for the iPhone app, version 2.6.0 includes the following features and fixes:

• Improved selling flow

• Landscape support for easy typing of eBay item descriptions

• Faster bidding experience

• Check auto parts for compatibility before you buy

• Ability to search for items in My eBay

• Add and remove your Favorite Sellers

• Filter Feedback for buyers and sellers

• Payment support for Singapore and Malaysia

• More UI, stability and performance improvements

TED Books: TED, the people behind the TED conferences that are later made available online as TED Talks, released a free app today, which offers paid subscriptions to “Ted Books.” The books are produced every two weeks and “are typically under 20,000 words. They also consist of audio, video, and built-in social features. Subscriptions cost $15 for three months or $2.99 per book for non-subscribers.

InstaTalks: Recently released on the App Store, InstaTalks is a third-party messenger built for Instagram that allows you to exchange private messages and photos with Instagram users. There is no registration required (just an Instagram account), and the app is available for free now.

NBA Summer League: NBA Digital just dropped the official Summer League app, while the NBA Game Time app has also been updated with live video and scoring content for Summer League games.

Apps and updates: Cabinet PDF Reader, Scoople, iAnnotate PDF, Kindle, dJay and Gemini for Mac, and more

Élyse Betters Jul 2 2012 - 2:34 pm PT

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[slideshow]

A slew of popular iOS and Mac apps updated, launched, or went on-sale recently, and 9to5Mac gathered the most noteworthy ones in our usual round up below. Today’s crop includes the iOS Kindle app expanding its offering for children, iAnnotate PDF for iPad beefing sync options, dJay and Gemini for Mac slashing their price tags by half, Sparrow for Mac going Retina, and more.

Check them out:

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Avid sells off its consumer M-Audio brand and video editing apps

Jordan Kahn Jul 2 2012 - 6:40 am PT

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Avid is best known for its Pro Tools software, the music industry’s leading DAW used by pros worldwide, and it is the biggest competitor to Apple’s Logic Pro, but perhaps just as popular among Mac musicians is Avid’s consumer M-Audio brand. It offers midi controllers, keyboards, audio interfaces, speakers, and DJ gear.

Today, Avid announced that it will sell off its consumer audio and video product lines to focus on “Media Enterprise and Post & Professional customers and to drive improved operating performance.”

Avid will sell M-Audio to inMusic, the parent company of well-known gear makers Akai, Alesis, and Numark. Its video editing apps, such as the recently launched Avid Studio for iPad, will be sold to Corel Corporation:
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Google Chrome lands No. 1 spot for free iOS apps

Élyse Betters Jun 29 2012 - 7:37 am PT

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Google’s Chrome browser for iOS is now No. 1 in the App Store for free apps.

The mobile browser went live for iPhone and iPad owners yesterday, and now it holds the top spot for both device categories. The app notably allows users to view open tabs, bookmarks, and other browser particulars running on other computers and devices. Users can even send pages from Chrome on a computer to their iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad with “one click and read them on the go, even if you’re offline.”

Chrome for iOS already touts 4.5-stars based on over 3,500 reviews as of press time. Despite the glowing accolades, some folks are noticing its lack of Apple-given attention:

[tweet https://twitter.com/piecykw/status/218530635013300224]

This article is cross-posted on 9to5Google.

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Apps and updates: Splashtop 2, Square Card Reader, iBank, JamUp Pro, iHeart Radio, and more

Élyse Betters Jun 27 2012 - 2:28 pm PT

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[slideshow]

A slew of popular apps either updated or launched on the App Store recently, and 9to5Mac gathered the most noteworthy ones in our usual round-up below. Today’s crop includes Splashtop 2 going Retina, iBank launching on iPad, Square Card Reader adding more payment collection options, and much more.

Check them out:

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Report: Apple developer kit shows iPhone Maps app with Yelp check-ins

Élyse Betters Jun 25 2012 - 1:42 am PT

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Scott Forstall showed Yelp on Apple’s new Maps app during the opening keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference last week, but he neglected to mention Yelp check-ins

Those using iOS 6 probably noticed this feature in the Maps app when clicking a location.

According to Bloomberg, the Apple developer kit, which the Cupertino, Calif.-based Company distributed to software developers earlier this month, visually depicts how the upcoming Apple Maps essentially lets users alert friends of their location through Yelp without leaving maps or launching a new app.

Bloomberg added:

Mobile check-ins use the GPS capability in smartphones to let users share what local businesses or events they’re visiting. The feature can show how many other people have checked in at a location, whether those individuals are friends, and can publish users’ whereabouts through social-networking services such as those operated by Facebook and Twitter Inc.

Yelp is ramping efforts to attract local advertising, which made up 70 percent of revenue in 2011. Check-ins are used by 18 percent of adult smartphone owners, the Pew Research Center found earlier this year.

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Is Apple already juicing its App Store search results with Chomp acquisition?

Jake Smith Jun 23 2012 - 11:01 pm PT

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It is no secret that Apple’s search results within its App Store for both the iOS and Mac do not always turn up the best results. In return, many hoped that Apple’s recent acquisition of app search engine Chomp, which revealed in February, would start leading to better results. That time may now be here.

TechCrunch reported earlier this afternoon that developers of popular, high quality apps with good ratings have seen better search results for their apps. This certainly makes it sound as if Chomp is behind the technical change. Chomp’s technology has been described to search for what apps can do, and not keywords and other buzzwords in an app’s description. Users are then able to get better search results with listings for high-quality, useful apps. You know—the good stuff.

It is certainly a hard thing to judge now, because search results are different from region-to-region. TechCrunch pointed out that the developer of the Best Parking app found his app jumped to the top of results recently, which is a place it has never been before (historically overshadowed by lower quality apps). For example, an app including “best parking” certainly does not look like it would be the top of an “sf parking” search. You would rather think an app that has “sf parking” in its title would be selected, but things seem to be changing for the better. The App Store now looks to be recognizing apps with more downloads and user reviews—like Best Parking (see screenshot below).

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Apps and updates: Modern Combat 3 slashes price, Gabi launches, OmniPlan fixes bugs, and FIFA goes Retina

Élyse Betters Jun 22 2012 - 12:59 pm PT

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[slideshow]

A slew of popular apps updated, launched, or cut their price tags on the App Store today, and 9to5Mac gathered the most noteworthy ones in our usual round-up below. Today’s crop includes FIFA Soccer 12 getting optimized for the new iPad, Disney Film Pulse bringing interactive gaming to cinemas, Modern Combat 3 dropping to 99 cents, details on Gabi—the new Facebook-integrated service, and much more.

Check them out:

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OmniPlan for iPad packs a professional punch at $50, despite limited sharing and syncing features

Élyse Betters Jun 21 2012 - 11:47 pm PT

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

So, you want to manage a project and need the perfect app to aid the process. First decide whether you are a professional manager, or an amateur just seeking a better scheduling app, before jumping into this hands-on. If you are the latter, OmniPlan for iPad is definitely not the productivity app for you. With that said, this review is a little ironic for me. I am probably the most unorganized person alive. Anyway, let’s delve into the nitty gritty on this whopping $49.99 app available at the App Store.

A picture gallery is below.

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Apps & updates: Sparrow update/sale, Spotify radio, Bento 4 for iPad, Square reward cards, more

Jordan Kahn Jun 19 2012 - 9:51 am PT

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Below is our usual list of the most notable app-related news from today, including, among others: new web radio features for Spotify, the release of Bento 4 for iPad, and updates to both the Square Register and Pay With Square iOS apps.

Spotify Version 0.5.2: First, we have an update to the Spotify iOS app that brings a new radio experience to the service. A report from AllThingsD detailed the new web radio service and described it as “more or less mirrors Pandora’s core radio service.” The service would include advertising and offers users the ability to listen free on mobile devices, and it would initially launch for iPad and iPhone with an Android version in development. The iTunes page explained users could now start radio stations based on genres, artists, playlists, and albums, as well as customize their stations “by voting tracks up or down.”

Square Register & Pay with Square: Square updated two of its main iOS app today with new features. The Square Register app now allows merchants to offer reward cards including punch cards for repeat customers and “Visit specials” to attract new customers. On the customer’s side of things, the Pay with Square app was updated with an interface to view and manage the rewards, specials, and punch cards. FastCompany has a nice breakdown of all the new features.

Bento 4 for iPad: Filemaker released Bento 4 for iPad today for the introductory price of $4.99 (goes up to $10 on July 31). It also included a ton of new features, such as: new drag and drop tools, 40 new themes, “Direct Access to the Bento Template Exchange,” and “Form view, Table view, Split view and Full Screen view.” As noted by The Loop, Apple posted Bento 4 as a new app on the App Store, which means owners of previous Bento apps will have to pay for the upgrade.

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Previously jailbreak only, Apple allows iOS Display Recorder app into App Store

Jordan Kahn Jun 18 2012 - 7:32 am PT

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Update 2, July 03, 2012: It looks like Apple has now pulled the Display Recorder app from the App Store.

The ability to record your iOS display was a functionality previously limited to a Cydia app for jailbroken iPhone users that is called “Display Recorder.” As noted by JBN, Apple has allowed an app of the same name, and with even more screen recording functionality, into the App Store. The App Store version of Display Recorder, released by Bugun Software, allows you to export to YouTube or your Camera Roll, adjust video and audio settings, and settles for recording and merging audio picked up by the built-in microphone.

It appears the app might take a succession of screenshots to compile the video. Apple does not allow third-party screen capturing apps for even screenshots into the App Store (apart from third-party browser apps), because it would mimic the native screenshot functionality in iOS. It is possible Apple will pull the Display Recorder app, but it is still available in at least the U.S. and Canadian App Stores for $1.99. A video of the app in action, courtesy of JBN, is below. We will let you know if Apple decides to pull it.

[tweet https://twitter.com/rpetrich/status/214745592310661121]

Update: The developer of the original Cydia Display Recorder app, Ryan Petrich, confirmed in a tweet (above) that he is not affiliated with the new app. He also filed a complaint with Apple.

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Review: Griffin StudioConnect audio/midi interface & dock for iPad

Jordan Kahn Jun 17 2012 - 5:12 pm PT

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We first told you about Griffin’s StudioConnect audio interface when it unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year. There are more than a few products on the market that make it easy to hook up your guitar, mic, or MIDI controller to the iPad for use with the many iOS apps that include built-in DAWs with CoreMIDI support (such as Apple’s own GarageBand). While it might not be the prettiest iPad dock we have seen, there are a few reasons why it beats the competition.

With StudioConnect, in terms of inputs and outputs, what you get is pretty basic: standard 5-pin MIDI in and out, one 1/4-inch mono input, and left and right RCA output. The large knob out front controls the 3.5mm headphone jack below it, while a separate volume wheel on the side is for your main output. It is more than enough to plug in supported mics, a guitar, or a MIDI controller, but it is clear that Griffin did not build the StudioConnect with professionals in mind. Most pros will not do anything too heavy-duty inside of an iOS app at this point. The inputs above will likely be sufficient for most musicians using the iPad as a mobile or writing setup.

While it does not offer some of the standard inputs and outputs that pros are familiar with, Griffin used its experience making iOS accessories to nail the design where the competition gets it wrong….

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Apple launching Podcast app with iOS 6 and working on podcast-producing technology

Jordan Kahn Jun 15 2012 - 12:43 pm PT

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Much like Apple did when introducing its standalone iTunes U app at its education event last January, it is also planning to launch a standalone app for podcasts. A report from AllThingsD first mentioned Apple’s plans to include the app in iOS 6 this fall. We also heard that the app is in the works for a release with the final version of iOS 6.

People familiar with Apple’s plans tell me that when its new iOS 6 software becomes widely available this fall, podcasts will have their own app, where users will be able to discover, download and play them on mobile devices. Users who access iTunes via laptop and desktop machines will still find them in that version of iTunes, though.

Apart from the podcast app that AllThingsD noted would allow users to “discover, download and play” on iOS devices, we heard separately that Apple is working on podcast-producing technology, perhaps for inclusion into this app.

As part of its process of breaking the different content categories into standalone apps, many noticed with iOS 6 that Apple removed the Podcasts, Audiobooks, and iTunes U sections from the iTunes app.

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‘Rage of Bahamut’ game reaches No. 1 on iOS and Android, pulls similar revenue from both platforms

Élyse Betters Jun 13 2012 - 10:31 am PT

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Japan-based DeNA announced that its “Rage of Bahamut” app became the No. 1 grossing game on both iOS and Android yesterday, while earning roughly the same revenue per day from each mobile platform.

The game’s success pokes holes in recent findings from Flurry, which claimed revenue generated per active user is four times greater on iOS than Android. The analytics firm noted that for every $1 earned on iOS, a developer could expect to earn about 24-cents on Android.

“Contrary to what we read, we’ve been very happy with Android monetization. There is not a big discrepancy between the two now,” said DeNa Director Neil Young to TechCrunch.

Rage of Bahamut is a free trading card game that lets users battle either through a live single or multiplayer action mode against a “database of battle hungry foes.” It is on Apple’s App Store and boasts a 4.5-star rating on nearly 4,000 reviews as of press time.

TechCrunch further elaborated:

The game had the top slot on both platforms yesterday, but Kabam’s Kingdoms of Camelot took back the #1 iOS slot in the U.S. this morning. […]Young says Rage of Bahamut is seeing some impressive revenue numbers per day per user. In casual games, you usually see an average revenue per daily active user of a couple cents to 10 cents per day on mobile. The better games can get to 15 to 25 cents per day per daily active user. But Young says Rage of Bahamut has been able to do 4 or 5 times that. He didn’t say how much revenue overall the title is earning, but we’ve seen dual platform hits like Draw Something earn anywhere between $5 and 10 million per month through in-app purchases and advertising.

Those numbers are welcomed news for developers with growing concerns about mobile platforms lacking solid business models that encourage monetization.

This article is cross-posted on 9to5Google.

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Phil Schiller: App Store is more democratic than traditional retail, Passbook is not a direct payment service

Jordan Kahn Jun 13 2012 - 9:39 am PT

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In a recent story about growing concerns among app developers who want better ways to promote their apps in the App Store, The Wall Street Journal published quotes from an interview with Apple’s Vice President for Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller about the “tremendous amount” of work Apple does to help new apps get discovered. Schiller also talked about how things will improve with the redesigned App Store, Facebook integration, and new user tracking tools for developers in iOS 6:

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Two new Apple iOS apps to be announced today: Organize.app and…

Seth Weintraub Jun 11 2012 - 8:08 am PT

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Fox News’ Clayton Morris tweeted today that he got word there will be two new iOS apps revealed today:

[tweet https://twitter.com/ClaytonMorris/statuses/212195055782469632]

We detailed one called Organize.app:

Get Organized… with an all-new app from Apple?

iOS 6 will likely feature everything we’ve reported thus far (above: Siri on iPad, a 3D Apple-based Maps application, and features from OS X Mountain Lion), but there has been one possible feature that we’ve been hearing whispers about, but not full, concrete details like we heard for other features. Apple is working on a new in-house application for iOS called “Organize,” but we’re not sure if Organize will be announced with iOS 6 at WWDC, or if it is a future App Store app from Apple, a future iOS enhancement, or something scrapped all together. The application is said to be a virtual pocket, and the app’s purpose is to be able to replicate a person’s pocket and store things such as coupons, travel information, credit card info and more. We speculate that Apple will be using the neat camera-based scanning software that we reported to be in development for the scanning in of business cards, receipts, and using that to provide virtual items that get used when shopping and travelling. We can’t help but think that this application will eventually tie into the rumored Apple wallet/NFC service at some point in the future.

So, what is the other app?
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Apps & updates: Adobe Photoshop Express, Growl, SketchBook Express, Angry Birds Space, and more

Jordan Kahn Jun 8 2012 - 1:01 pm PT

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Below is our usual list of newly released apps and updates that landed in the App Store today. Some of the more notable apps on the list include updates to iOS apps Adobe Photoshop Express, and SketchBook Express, and Mac App Store apps Growl and Angry Birds Space. We will keep the list updated as more apps and updates are released throughout the day.

Adobe Photoshop Express Version 2.5: The free universal iPhone and iPad app was updated to include the Adobe Effects Pack of “45- eye-catching effects” and the Enhanced Adobe Border Pack with 18 new borders as in-app purchases. The update also includes improvements to borders, effects, and editing, as well as Tumblr and Twitter sharing options, improvements to Facebook and Flickr sharing, and support for the iPad’s Retina display.

SketchBook Express Version 2.5: The free version of Autodesk’s SketchBook Pro app was updated today with a few new features including palm rest, a random color option in Color Editor, and other enhancements and bug fixes.

Voice Answer Version 1.3: We told you about the Voice Answer app before when Apple rejected it for being too much like Siri. Today, Apple has finally allowed an update to the app that turns the app’s AI— named Eve—into a “a fully animated 3D robot.” The update also includes voice messaging, email, and calling, and it now supports 54 languages for translations.

Growl Version 1.4: Popular Mac notification app Growl received an update on the Mac App Store today with dozens of enhancements and tweaks to the service. The app’s release notes mentioned: “Major improvements to networking,” “Applications Tab Redesign,” and a long list of other improvements.

Angry Birds Space Version 1.2.0: The same as the iOS apps the other day, the Mac App Store version of Angry Birds Space now includes the “delicious food planet of Utopia,” which features 10 new levels for the title that recently reached 100 million downloads.

Apps and updates: Little Things Forever, Diet Coda, Sparrow, Netflix, Angry Birds Space, and more (9to5mac.com)
Apps and updates: LinkedIn passwords leak, Sparrow teases iPad app, and Angry Birds Space hits 100M downloads (9to5mac.com)
Adobe Photoshop/Premiere Elements 10 $47/ea or $70 for both (9to5mac.com)
Adobe Photoshop Touch updated to version 1.2 (9to5mac.com)

Phil Schiller explains why Apple removed Rogue Amoeba’s Airfoil Speakers Touch app (Update: Rogue responds)

Jordan Kahn Jun 8 2012 - 9:47 am PT

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Update: Rogue Amoeba replied to Phil Schiller’s email in a response published on its website. The full response is below.

Following Apple’s decision to pull Rogue Amoeba’s Airfoil Speakers Touch app for a feature allowing iOS devices to stream to one another over AirPlay, Apple explained the app was removed for the feature’s use of non-public APIs. It currently only allows Apple TV and certain third-parties such as speaker manufacturers to access the AirPlay streaming protocol. The app was earlier this week allowed back into the App Store without the iOS-to-iOS streaming feature, but today we get word from Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller who explained in an email the reason behind removing the app.

An email to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook from concerned consumer Kevin Starbird regarding the app’s removal was met with a direct email response from Schiller. 9to5Mac independently confirmed the emails are authentic. Here is Kevin’s full email addressed to Cook followed by Schiller’s response:

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Facebook’s iOS App Center going live tonight?

Jordan Kahn Jun 7 2012 - 10:28 am PT

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[tweet https://twitter.com/sondheim4dinner/status/210812155879096320]

Update: Facebook confirmed to TechCrunch it has been “testing it with a small percentage of users” since it launched last month, but the social network has “no further details to announce at this time.”

The image above is a screenshot just posted by TechCrunch. A reader who claims to be seeing the Facebook App Center already live in the iOS app sent it. As noted in the report, Facebook has an “app-themed” event in San Francisco tonight where we could see more of the App Center. The company announced the new HTML5-based App Center last month and said the iOS and Android Facebook apps would have access to the app marketplace in the coming weeks.

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Apps & updates: OmniPlan for iPad, IM+, SoundHound, NFL ’12, more

Jordan Kahn Jun 7 2012 - 10:09 am PT

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As always—we keep you updated on notable apps and updates that are released throughout the day. A few to already land in most App Stores today include the new OmniPlan for iPad app from Omni Group, Retina support for the popular IM+ messaging apps, a SoundHound update, and more.

OmniPlan for iPad: Omni Group released its OmniPlan for iPad app to fulfill “the company’s two year commitment to bring its core, premium apps to the iPad.” The organization and project planning tool packs many of the Mac version’s features including enhanced collaboration, visual timelines, and change tracking, and is available now for $50 from the App Store.

IM+ Pro Version 6.5: One of the most popular third-party, cross-platform messaging apps updated today with “complete optimization” for the iPad’s Retina display, as well as the addition of support for Mamba.Ru and Fetion. The service dropped support for the MySpace IM service going forward, but existing users can continue to access their accounts. The free version received the same update.

SoundHound Version 5.0: Another notable update today goes to music discovery and recognition app SoundHound. The update includes even faster music recognition, “big, beautiful album art and hi-res artist photos,” and a redesigned home screen and SoundHound Player. There are also improvements to LiveLyrics, and a “cleaner, easier to use interface.” The free SoundCloud app also received the update.

NFL 12′: The official NFL ’12 for iPad app was just updated with bug fixes, and it now has the entire 2012 schedule.

Incredible vjay iPad video mixing app goes live

9to5 Staff Jun 7 2012 - 6:29 am PT

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[slideshow]

Algoriddim released its highly anticipated Vjay app for iPad [iTunes $9.99] today following up on the popular Djay app.

As of this writing, every review is 5 stars. The downside is that it does not work on the original iPad.

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Apple lets Airfoil back into the App Store, without its coolest feature

Seth Weintraub Jun 6 2012 - 3:12 pm PT

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Apple removed Rogue Amoeba’s Airfoil from the App Store last month shortly after it began offering the ability to AirPlay music from one iOS device to another, effectively making your old iPod touch an AirPlay speaker. Some thought the app removal was due to use of private APIs. Apple gave a statement on the matter:

The feature in question permits any iOS device running the app to play back audio beamed from a variety of sources using Apple’s AirPlay wireless streaming protocol. Apple presently only allows designated products to act in this capacity — such as the Apple TV and (often expensive) AirPlay-enabled third-party hardware

From a post today, it seems pretty clear that Apple just did not want that functionality in the app and that third-party hardware vendors were to “blame.”

You may be asking why Apple would want to prevent users from having this functionality. Only Apple can provide a full answer here. We do know that Airfoil Speakers Touch’s ability to receive audio directly from iTunes and iOS enabled some users to forgo purchasing expensive AirPlay hardware, hardware which Apple licenses. It seems Apple has chosen to use their gatekeeper powers to simply prevent competition.

Perhaps as part of its costly AirPlay licensing, Apple gives speaker manufacturers exclusive rights to the AirPlay protocol. Maybe some of these makers cried foul when Airfoil allowed other iOS devices to sling audio to each other. Apple was then forced to remove it, otherwise breaking their exclusivity agreement. That does not seem too outlandish to me.

Oh, and there is a workaround.

Apple removes Rogue Amoeba’s audio streaming app without reason (9to5mac.com)

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