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6,375 'Apps' stories April 2010 - April 2015
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Learn about the latest news for iOS, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV apps

Apps for iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS power our modern world. 9to5Mac will update you on the latest news, review, and updates for all types of apps. “There’s an App for that”.

The term came became part of our vocabulary when Steve Jobs announced The App Store as part of the iPhone 2.0 software update in 2008.

Over the years, the term has become as common as kleenex for describing applications on all of our devices. Apple’s platforms have apps for just about anything from finance, banking, sports, social media, podcasting, music, and more. We have a guide for helping you discover the best ones as well. Apps are now on everything from our TV, to our smartphones, on our laptops, and all the way down to our wrists.

As new ones are released or existing ones have major updates, the team here at 9to5Mac will bring you the latest news and reviews. If you want to follow along with video footage, be sure to follow 9to5Mac on YouTube. Scroll down below our latest updates on all things relating to applications on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch.

Opinion: How soon is too soon for an Apple Watch 2?

Avatar for Zac Hall Apr 3 2015 - 7:00 am PT
74 Comments

Apple’s<a href="http://9to5mac.com/2015/03/29/apple-store-revamp-for-apple-watch-revealed-magical-tables-demo-loops-sales-process/" target="_blank"> upcoming retail overhaul</a> for displaying the Watch

A lot of my techie friends are saying that the entry priced-Apple Watch Sport will be their pick next month, and not because of the exterior look. The theory is that Sport is the cheapest way to experience Apple’s new product category in 2015, and since the second-gen Apple Watch will inevitably be upgraded, why pay a premium this year for nicer materials such as stainless steel and sapphire glass?

Despite the Apple Watch’s desire to marry jewelry with technology, it hasn’t lost the baggage gadgets carry, namely the reality that they’ll be outdated and replaced in a relatively short period of time. If the Apple Watch evolves anything like the original iPad did when it became the iPad 2, the differences could be dramatic.

Personally, when I think about getting more perceived value out of a higher-priced stainless steel Apple Watch rather than testing the waters with the cheaper aluminum model, I’m more concerned with how soon the Apple Watch 2 will be announced rather than how much more functional the newer device could be. No matter what happens with the first-generation model, an Apple Watch 2 will come to market. How will Apple balance keeping the Apple Watch evolutionary momentum going with keeping the first-generation model “modern” for enough time to satisfy early adopters?


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9to5Toys Last Call: 11″ MacBook Air (early 2014) $650 w/ .edu, 50% off iOS & Mac Photo Editing Apps, more

Avatar for Apr 2 2015 - 9:16 am PT
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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Apple MacBook Air 11.6-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB + Office 365 for $650 w/edu (orig. $899+)

Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series is IGN’s free iOS game of the month ($5 value)

This no fuss cover makes it stupid easy to add USB power to any outlet

Pixelmator – the best photo editor for Mac – cuts its price in half to $15 (Reg. $30)

Small States Review: TM1985’s Weekend Duffel is the perfect companion for any excursion, $371 giveaway

More new gear from today:

HP X702 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive $31 shipped (Reg. $45+)

Seagate Central 3TB Personal Cloud Storage External Hard Drive $80 shipped (orig. $180)

More deals still alive:

Buy Apple TV for $69 and get a free $10 Target gift card, more savings for REDcard holders

Outsource your house chores to Amazon and get a free $20 gift card

New products & more:

Onkyo’s new portable headphone digital-to-analog converter uses a Lightning cable to boost your iPhone’s sound

Microsoft brings its OneNote scanner to the iPhone with Office Lens

Avatar for Zac Hall Apr 2 2015 - 9:00 am PT
4 Comments
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Microsoft is bringing its OneNote scanner app called Office Lens to the iPhone after first launching on Windows Phone a year ago. Office Lens is similar to other on-the-go scanner apps letting you use your iPhone camera to capture information from receipts, documents, and other information around you. Office Lens is different, however, because it’s connected directly with OneNote, Microsoft’s cloud-syncing notebook service.


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Skype iOS app adding language support for Vietnamese, Thai, Croatian, Hindi, and 8 others

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Apr 2 2015 - 8:37 am PT
3 Comments

Skype is about to add support for 12 new languages to its iOS app in an update arriving over the next week.

The new languages include Croatian, Slovak, Catalan, Vietnamese, Thai, Hindi, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Malay, Turkish, and Estonian.

The update follows version 5.11 released last month with language support for Czech, Romanian and Ukrainian.

The new Skype app, version 5.12, will be available on the App Store sometime in the coming week.

Skype’s Qik iPhone app is also receiving an update today:

We created 8 new effects you can use while recording your videos to make them more fun and playful. Once you open the viewfinder, you can select an effect to apply to your video. You can even switch from one to another while you’re recording to include multiple effects in one video message. Choose from favorites like mirror, x-ray and Minecraft (a staff favorite that makes you look 8-bit) or go crazy with hearts or snow.

Adobe Slate lets you publish magazine-like stories from your iPad without design expertise

Avatar for Zac Hall Apr 2 2015 - 6:00 am PT
3 Comments
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Adobe is out today with its latest app for content creators on the iPad. The new Adobe Slate app is available for free and joins the similar Voice app Adobe launched last May. Where Adobe Voice focused on using the iPad and later the iPhone for story telling with the spokenword backed by visual elements, the new Adobe Slate app pairs text with fluid and customizable attractive layouts that look great whether you’re a designer or not.
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Twitter’s live streaming video app Periscope updated as it crushes Meerkat

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 2 2015 - 4:28 am PT
3 Comments

Twitter has updated Periscope, the free iPhone app that allows anyone to stream live video to the world. Rather than display a random video stream when you open it, it now puts people you follow at the top of your feed. The update also includes a number of performance improvements and bug-fixes.

Periscope was beaten to launch by rival app Meerkat, which made a big splash at SXSW, but Twitter’s app quickly took the crown, as QZ tech editor Dan Fommer noted.

Frommer tweeted a graph comparing the number of tweets per day made from the two apps, with Meerkat’s share falling steeply as soon as Periscope launched. Within 24 hours, Periscope was approaching 50k tweets while Meerkat fell from a high of 35k to a little over 20k.

[tweet https://twitter.com/fromedome/status/582200679885905920]

Via The Verge

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Apple highlights autism-related apps on World Autism Awareness Day

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 2 2015 - 3:56 am PT
1 Comment

On the eighth annual World Autism Awareness Day, Apple has highlighted a small number of iOS apps designed to assist autistic individuals. These range from learning life skills to text-to-speech apps for those who have difficulty speaking.

The apps appear within an Autism Awareness Month section of iTunes, within the Education heading. iTunes also features a large number of podcasts by non-profit Autism Empowerment.

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9to5Toys Last Call: Pixelmator for Mac $15, 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive $31, 3 ft. MFi Lightning Cable $5, more

Avatar for Apr 1 2015 - 9:03 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Pixelmator – the best photo editor for Mac – cuts its price in half to $15 (Reg. $30)

PNY Turbo 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive $31 shipped (Orig. $70)

Buy Apple TV for $69 and get a free $10 Target gift card, more savings for REDcard holders

Aukey 3600mAh power bank + free Lightning cable $16 Prime shipped ($26 value), more

Small States Review: TM1985’s Weekend Duffel is the perfect companion for any excursion, $371 giveaway

More new gear from today:

Daily Deals: LG 27″ HD LED monitor $170, MacBook Air 13″ $750 (w/.edu), more

Get your dunk on w/ this mini indoor Basketball hoop for $15 Prime shipped (50% off)

More deals still alive:

Home theater upgrade: Bose Acoustimass 6 speaker set $369 shipped (Reg. $400+)

Outsource your house chores to Amazon and get a free $20 gift card

New products & more:

Amazon’s Dash Service brings push button ordering to your washing machine

Apple + IBM add 8 new enterprise iOS apps, first for industrial products & healthcare industries

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 31 2015 - 10:18 pm PT
10 Comments

Apple CEO Tim Cook with IBM CEO Ginni Rometty

Through its MobileFirst for iOS initiative, Apple and IBM have added 8 new enterprise apps for designed exclusively for iPhone and iPad. The latest apps developed as part of the partnership between the two companies include two new industries: healthcare and industrial products. The 8 new apps brings the total of MobileFirst for iOS apps to 22, while the two new industries now totals 10 including banks, law enforcement, travel, and retail. Here are the latest iPhone and iPad enterprise apps from Apple and IBM.


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Pandora CFO promises CarPlay support, talks Apple relationship in recent interview

Avatar for Chance Miller Mar 31 2015 - 7:00 pm PT
0 Comments

The limited selection of CarPlay apps has not grown much since its launch, with one of the most prominent hold-outs being Pandora. In a recent interview with Fox Business, however, Pandora CFO Mike Herring said that the company plans to add CarPlay support soon. “We’ll definitely be in CarPlay,” Herring said in the interview.


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9to5Toys Last Call: QNAP 2-Bay NAS $149, Crucial 960GB SSD $293, Bluetooth speakers from $20, more

Avatar for Mar 31 2015 - 9:06 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Amazon Gold Box – up to 50% off Hard Drives & Networking: 2-Bay NAS $149, 1TB Wi-Fi HDD $120, more

Crucial M500 960GB 2.5-inch Internal Solid State Drive $293 shipped (Reg. $360)

Gold Box: OontZ Angle Bluetooth speaker by Cambridge SoundWorks: $20 Prime shipped (Orig. $80), waterproof: $35 (orig: $130)

MacBook Air 11-inch (Early 2014) 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB: $700 shipped (Orig. $899)

Aukey 3600mAh power bank + free Lightning cable $16 Prime shipped ($26 value), more

Outsource your house chores to Amazon and get a free $20 gift card

Small States Review: TM1985’s Weekend Duffel is the perfect companion for any excursion, $371 giveaway

More new gear from today:

This Limited Edition Batman: Arkham Knight PlayStation 4 is one of the best looking consoles ever, pre-order today

More deals still alive:

Media: Hobbit – Battle of the Five Armies BR/DVD/Digital $13, much more

New products & more:

Play Super Mario 64 in beautiful HD for free in your browser

Neo smartpen N2 instantaneously sends handwritten words and doodles to its iOS/Android app

New York Times, Uber and Flipboard get ready for Apple Watch

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Mar 31 2015 - 8:13 am PT
10 Comments
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As the Apple Watch launch draws nearer, with preorders starting April 10th, more and more developers are jumping on board. Uber rolled out a new update of its iPhone app today including its Apple Watch app — originally announced at the March event. The app allows users to request rides in one action and you can check on driver progress with a quick glance.

The New York Times is adding ‘one sentence stories’ to its portfolio for the Watch, including emoji-driven recipes and quick headlines. Push notifications will update Apple Watch users of breaking news right on the wrist. Full stories can be saved for later to be read at leisure on user’s iPhones, as the Watch form factor isn’t really appropriate for prolonged reading.


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Adobe releases Comp CC layout-design iPad app

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 30 2015 - 9:59 am PT
13 Comments
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Adobe today released a new iPad app dubbed Comp CC that offers “rapid creation of layout concepts for mobile, Web and print projects” that can later be used in Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC and InDesign CC. Adobe first previewed the new app last year when it was still an early prototype, but today the app is arriving on the App Store for all.
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9to5Toys Last Call: 10400mAh power bank $17, Noise Canceling headphones 50% off, PS4 Bloodborne bundle $400, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Mar 30 2015 - 9:03 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

USB charging: Lumsing 10400mAh power bank $17, Anker 25W 5-port charger $16 Prime shipped, more

Tune out the riffraff with 50% off Sony Noise Canceling Headphones: MDR10RNC Premium $125 (Reg. $250), more

This PlayStation 4 Bloodborne bundle includes 2 games, a gift card and is on sale for just $400

Outsource your house chores to Amazon and get a free $20 gift card

Buy iPhone 6/6Plus on a new line with T-Mobile and save $200 on iPad mini 3

Apple adds 12 different iMac w/ Retina 5K models to its refurb store, up to $660 off

Small States Review: TM1985’s Weekend Duffel is the perfect companion for any excursion, $371 giveaway

More new gear from today:

Nintendo deals: amiibo figures 25% off, 3DS games $25, eShop 10% off

More deals still alive:

iTunes Free App of the Week: Tangent, make pictures into unique works of art ($2 value)

New products & more:

Neo smartpen N2 instantaneously sends handwritten words and doodles to its iOS/Android app

The software used by Pixar to create visual effects for movies like Toy Story, Up, and WALL-E is now free

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9to5Toys Last Call: $200 off iPad mini 3 w/ iPhone purchase, iMac 5K $660 off, Free App of the Week, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Mar 27 2015 - 9:03 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Buy iPhone 6/6Plus on a new line with T-Mobile and save $200 on iPad mini 3

Apple adds 12 different iMac w/ Retina 5K models to its refurb store, up to $660 off

iTunes Free App of the Week: Tangent, make pictures into unique works of art ($2 value)

Amazon announces unlimited Cloud Drive storage for all of your photos and files

The software used by Pixar to create visual effects for movies like Toy Story, Up, and WALL-E is now free

LAST CHANCE – Small States Review: Grado’s GR10e in-ear headphones hit every note, $299 giveaway

More new gear from today:

This best-selling Netgear Wi-Fi extender will help cover your home’s dead zones for $29 (Reg. $37)

More deals still alive:

WD Elements 750GB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive: $40 shipped (orig. $100)

New products & more:

Former Apple Designer launches new iOS and Android connected timepiece

Apple begins releasing the first set of third-party Apple Watch apps

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 26 2015 - 12:03 pm PT
32 Comments
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The Apple Watch is still almost a month away from shipping and 15 days away from being available to preview in Apple Stores, but a select few apps selected by Apple to be available for the Apple Watch have started hitting the App Store today. These app updates that add Apple Watch support include Twitter, Things, Target, Dark Sky, and Sky Guide, and many more apps are continuing to roll out with support.
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9to5Toys Last Call: refurb iMacs w/ 5K display up to $660 off, iTunes Free App of the Week, iPad Air 2 $75 off, more

Avatar for Mar 26 2015 - 9:08 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Headphones: Sol Republic Tracks Air Bluetooth $75, Klipsch Image X10 in-ears $80, more

WD Elements 750GB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive: $39.95 shipped (orig. $100)

Daily Deals: iPad Air 2 $75 off, BenQ 3000L 3D Projector $320, HP 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive $35, more

Amazon announces unlimited Cloud Drive storage for all of your photos and files

JBL Spark Bluetooth Speaker $35 shipped (Reg. $130)

The software used by Pixar to create visual effects for movies like Toy Story, Up, and WALL-E is now free

Small States Review: Grado’s GR10e in-ear headphones hit every note, $299 giveaway

More new gear from today:

Call of Duty Strike Team for iOS/Android drops to its lowest price yet: $2 (Reg. $7)

Incase Apple Accessory Sale: Andy Warhol iPhone 5 case $10 (orig. $40), MacBook and iPad sleeves, more

More deals still alive:

2K’s best iOS games are on sale from $3 ea: BioShock, XCOM, Civilization Revolution 2, NBA 2K15, more

New products & more:

Here’s how to install Kano OS on your Raspberry Pi 2 for free

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Backblaze launches free update, potentially increasing speed of Mac backups more than five-fold

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Mar 26 2015 - 8:00 am PT
5 Comments

Backblaze is today launching version 4.0 of its Mac backup app, potentially allowing file uploads to happen five times faster. This will primarily be of benefit for the initial backup, which can take several weeks. Faster downloads will also be available when restoring from a backup.

Although you’ve always been able to choose how much of your upload bandwidth the app uses, latency issues meant that the app didn’t always take advantage of higher speeds. You can now assign multiple processes (or threads, in Backblaze’s terminology) to the job. The company says those more than 500 miles from its California data center should see the greatest benefit.

It won’t magically add extra bandwidth out of thin air, and the company suggests limiting usage to two or three threads, but if you’ve told the app to use a decent chunk of your upload capacity and it isn’t doing it, adding an extra thread or two should help. The update is free to all users.

Backblaze costs $5/month for unlimited backup per Mac, including any connected external drives.

Review: Filters, a new photo editor for iPhone with over 800 image effects and a stunning design

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Mar 25 2015 - 11:21 am PT
18 Comments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCwIycCsNiE

Mike Rundle, an independent designer and developer, is today releasing Filters for iPhone ($0.99), a visual effects photo editor. Rundle’s integrated development workflow, both writing the code and designing the interface, shows through in his work. This is how Filters describes itself.

You don’t take photos with Filters. You transform them. Filters has over 800 ways to transform your photographs including fully adjustable authentic vintage film recreations, hand-painted textures, vibrant colored gel overlays, special multi-effect adjustments (Shine, Luna, Color Boost, Intimidate and Smart Fade) as well as standard image adjustment tools like brightness, contrast, color temperature, exposure and more. All features are included with nothing extra to purchase.
The app features over 800 different image effects presented with some of the best UI design I’ve seen. However there’s no getting away from the fact Filters enters a crowded market with stiff competition. It’s interesting to see how Rundle has tried to differentiate his app from the rest. Read on for our full review of the iPhone’s newest image app.


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Facebook unveils platform to integrate third-party apps, customer support for businesses into Messenger

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 25 2015 - 10:41 am PT
4 Comments
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During its F8 Developer Conference today, Facebook announced a new Facebook Messenger Platform that will allow third-party apps to integrate with its popular Messenger app.
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