Apps

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:

iTunes Free App of the Week: Twisty Hollow ($3 value)
Logitech K480 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard and iPad/iPhone stand $40 (19% savings)
D-Link Wireless N 300Mbps Range Extender: $25 shipped (Reg. $40)
Moleskine puts Batman on the cover with its new limited edition Gotham inspired notebooks
Home: Wink Relay Smart Home Controller $199 (Reg. $245), much more

Amazon Gold Box: 40% or more off SwissGear Laptop backpacks, starting at $34

Apple iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi 16GB in all colors for $400 shipped ($99 off)

Mac/iOS App Store promo discounts 35 Photo + Video apps by 50% or more

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

Last chance to grab the iTunes Free App of the Week: Back to Bed ($4 value) http://t.co/Lj0hOXR7Ab pic.twitter.com/1ked7dFrO5

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) April 9, 2015

Small States Review: This is Ground’s Mod 2 is the ultimate on-the-go iPad companion, giveaway worth $310

More new gear from today:

Motorola SB6141 DOCSIS 3.0 Modem + TP-LINK Archer C7 802.11ac Wireless Router $130 ($185+ value)

Amazon has the famous “not so bad” shitphone for $50 shipped today (44% off)
Games/Apps: Twisty Hollow for iOS free, Sony PS4 Last of Us Bundle w/ PS+ $395, more
Daily Deals: Seagate 4TB External Hard Drive $100, Foscam IP Camera $49, Jawbone BIG Jambox $185, more

More deals still alive:

Philips Hue Lux price drops make it cheaper than ever to add smart lighting to your house: single bulb $20, Starter Kit $80

Symphonized audio sale: headphones $16 (Reg. $25), Bluetooth speaker $26 (Reg. $35)
JBL SoundFly Air wireless speaker with Apple AirPlay (Refurb.): $29 shipped (Orig. $140)
Media: Harry Potter 8-film iTunes collection $50, Game of Thrones S1 Blu-ray $20, more
Parrot Zik Wireless Bluetooth $230 (Reg. $300), Sennheiser Over-Ear $70 (Reg. $80+)
Upgrade your HDTV’s audio w/ this 320W LG soundbar for $245 (Reg. $600)
AOC 17-Inch USB 3.0 Powered Portable LCD/LED Monitor $170 shipped (orig. $250)
AmazonBasics MFi Lightning cables: 6-ft $10 (Reg. $15), 3-ft $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $14)
Xbox One AC Unity bundle w/ Halo MCC & 3-months Live $350, more
Roomlia hotel savings app adds loyalty program: stay 7 nights, get 1 free

New products & more:

DJI’s Phantom 3 drone shoots 4K video, uses new sensors to navigate indoor airspace

Microsoft announces over-the-air antenna compatibility for Xbox One
Orange Chef’s Countertop kitchen prep accessory integrates with Apple Watch and Vitamix
Give your MacBook a boost with this stunning USA-sourced wooden stand from Grovemade
NuDock wants to charge your Apple Watch, iPhone and every other USB device you own
Monoprice introduces new line of 5 USB-C cables for connectivity & displays as low as $10
This Tiko 3D Printer has a unibody design and direct drive titanium setup, costs only $179
Roku announces new features and upgrades to its line of streaming media players
Dust off your Game Boy cartridges, this case will let you play them on your iPhone 6 Plus
Samsung’s Radiant360 R7 wireless speaker has a blimp-like design & 360 degree sound

Tado smart thermostat app gets smarter with multiple temperatures in the day

Ben Lovejoy Apr 9 2015 - 5:36 am PT

The app for the Tado smart thermostat, which I reviewed back in 2013, just got a little smarter.

You like to have it cozy and warm when you enjoy your evening on the sofa but a cooler temperature is preferable during the day? No problem, with the new multi-temperature feature tado° now lets you create different temperatures for different times of the day. Just select the times and the temperatures and label them accordingly.

Perfect for me, as my home office is upstairs and 2C warmer than the living-room downstairs, so now I can set it for 19C during working hours (which means 21C in the office), and 21C in the evenings. It still automatically turns down the temperature when everyone is out, of course.

Small business owners in USA can now claim points of interest in Apple Maps within iOS app

Ben Lovejoy Apr 9 2015 - 4:40 am PT

Apple started allowing local businesses to add or manage their listing in Apple Maps back in October of last year, but this had to be done through the Maps Connect web service. As of today, it can be done directly through the Apple Maps app on an iOS device running the latest iOS 8.3.

To claim your business, search for it in the app, tap the Info icon, select Report a problem and then select Claim this business at the bottom of the screen.

Businesses in selected other countries can still claim their business through Maps Connect, which was expanded from the US to Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Singapore and the UK in January; to Canada, France and Germany in February; and to Italy, Switzerland and Mexico in March.

Twitter now supports the iPhone’s gorgeous slow-motion videos

Ben Lovejoy Apr 9 2015 - 3:56 am PT

[tweet https://twitter.com/twitter/status/585919167833870336/]

One of the stand-out features of the iPhone 5s was the 120fps slow-motion video, and the iPhone 6/Plus took this even further, allowing silky-smooth 240fps video at 720p. Sharing that video, however, isn’t always easy: many online services don’t recognize that the video is slo-mo, and play it instead at full speed.

There are clunky workarounds, but these are no longer needed for Twitter: upload slo-mo video from your iPhone 5s, 6 or 6 Plus and it now plays at the correct speed …
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New Facebook Messenger web experience gets an unofficial standalone Mac app

Chance Miller Apr 8 2015 - 4:43 pm PT

14 Comments

Earlier today Facebook unveiled a dedicated website for its Messenger service, accompanying dedicated apps for the iPhone and iPad. Now, however, a third-party developer has taken that newly unveiled web interface and put it into a dedicated OS X desktop app.

Apple acquired keyboard app maker Dryft last year

Jordan Kahn Apr 8 2015 - 1:32 pm PT

Apple bought keyboard app maker Dryft sometime last year and brought on talent from the company to lead development of its onscreen iOS keyboards, according to a new report from TechCrunch.
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Apple adds Siri features (Sports, Twitter, Facebook, directions & Shazam) in 9 new countries, CarPlay in 5

Jordan Kahn Apr 8 2015 - 11:44 am PT

Apple today updated its iOS 8 feature availability list to add support for 9 new countries for a handful of Siri features and 5 new countries for CarPlay.
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9to5Toys Last Call: WD 2TB Portable USB 3.0 HDD $80, Philips Hue Lux bulb $20, more

Apr 8 2015 - 9:05 am PT

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:

Pick up the new Roku 3 streaming media player w/ voice search for $85 (Reg. $100)
Symphonized audio sale: headphones $16 (Reg. $25), Bluetooth speaker $26 (Reg. $35)
Microsoft announces over-the-air antenna compatibility for Xbox One
DJI’s Phantom 3 drone shoots 4K video, uses new sensors to navigate indoor airspace
Home: up to 60% off Moen Faucets w/ MotionSense, more

Spigen’s new aluminum Apple Watch dock is down to $10 shipped (Reg. $20)

WD My Passport Ultra 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $80 shipped (Orig. $140)

Philips Hue Lux price drops make it cheaper than ever to add smart lighting to your house: single bulb $20, Starter Kit $80

JBL SoundFly Air wireless speaker with Apple AirPlay (Refurb.): $29 shipped (Orig. $140)

Mac/iOS App Store promo discounts 35 Photo + Video apps by 50% or more

iTunes Free App of the Week: Back to Bed ($4 value)

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

Small States Review: This is Ground’s Mod 2 is the ultimate on-the-go iPad companion, giveaway worth $310

More new gear from today:

Games/Apps: Royal Trouble Hidden Adventures free (Reg. $7), Mortal Kombat X for iOS/Android launches, iOS freebies, more

Daily Deals: DJI Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter $599, CaseCrown Pro Case for iPad Air 2 $5, Vaas Waterproof Bluetooth Shower Speaker $15, more

More deals still alive:

Media: Harry Potter 8-film iTunes collection $50, Game of Thrones S1 Blu-ray $20, more

Parrot Zik Wireless Bluetooth $230 (Reg. $300), Sennheiser Over-Ear $70 (Reg. $80+)
Upgrade your HDTV’s audio w/ this 320W LG soundbar for $245 (Reg. $600)
AOC 17-Inch USB 3.0 Powered Portable LCD/LED Monitor $170 shipped (orig. $250)
AmazonBasics MFi Lightning cables: 6-ft $10 (Reg. $15), 3-ft $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $14)
JBL Headphones: J55i $20 (Reg. $35+), J56BT wireless $55 (Reg. $70+)
Xbox One AC Unity bundle w/ Halo MCC & 3-months Live $350, more
Roomlia hotel savings app adds loyalty program: stay 7 nights, get 1 free

New products & more:

Orange Chef’s Countertop kitchen prep accessory integrates with Apple Watch and Vitamix

Give your MacBook a boost with this stunning USA-sourced wooden stand from Grovemade
NuDock wants to charge your Apple Watch, iPhone and every other USB device you own
Monoprice introduces new line of 5 USB-C cables for connectivity & displays as low as $10
This Tiko 3D Printer has a unibody design and direct drive titanium setup, costs only $179
Roku announces new features and upgrades to its line of streaming media players
Dust off your Game Boy cartridges, this case will let you play them on your iPhone 6 Plus
Samsung’s Radiant360 R7 wireless speaker has a blimp-like design & 360 degree sound

Controversial kids app After School back in App Store with new protections in place

Ben Lovejoy Apr 8 2015 - 5:04 am PT

An app that allows school children to make anonymous posts about other students in their school – what could possibly go wrong? Little surprise that After School received numerous complaints about cyberbullying, and was pulled from the App Store by Apple for objectionable content.

Today the app is back, reports Daily Dot, but with a whole raft of new features designed to guard against abuse. All posts are now moderated before they appear on the service, keyword-checking is used to filter out offensive content and detect threats, and the app offers immediate live support when someone makes a post suggesting that they are depressed or thinking about harming themselves …
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Instagram iOS app adding Fade and Color tools, post notifications

Jordan Kahn Apr 7 2015 - 10:48 am PT

Instagram is adding a few new features to its iOS app this week including two new creative tools for editing photos and a new post notifications feature.

For the two new creative tools, the Fade feature offers “a quiet tone to your photos by softening colors,” while the Color tool allows you to apply a yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, blue, cyan or green tint to the shadows and highlights in your photos.

Also new in the updated Instagram app is a Post Notifications feature that allows you to receive notifications when people you follow post once enabled: You will see an option to “Turn on Post Notifications.

The updated Instagram app, version 6.10.0, will hit the App Store this week.

9to5Toys Last Call: iPad mini 2 WiFi+Cell 64GB $320, iPhone 6 cases from $2, AirPlay speaker (refurb) $29, more

Apr 7 2015 - 9:04 am PT

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:

Orange Chef’s Countertop kitchen prep accessory integrates with Apple Watch and Vitamix
Give your MacBook a boost with this stunning USA-sourced wooden stand from Grovemade
Media: Harry Potter 8-film iTunes collection $50, Game of Thrones S1 Blu-ray $20, more
Monoprice introduces new line of 5 USB-C cables for connectivity & displays as low as $10
Home: KRUPS Espresso Machine $40, Rubbermaid Outdoor Storage $119, more
Free songs on Google Play from P!nk, Shakira, John Legend and others

Apple iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular 64GB in Space Gray or Silver for $320 shipped (Orig. $729)

Verus Cases for iPhone 6/Plus 80% off w/ deals as low as $2 Prime shipped (Orig. $17+)

JBL SoundFly Air wireless speaker with Apple AirPlay (Refurb.): $29 shipped (Orig. $140)

Mac/iOS App Store promo discounts 35 Photo + Video apps by 50% or more

iTunes Free App of the Week: Back to Bed ($4 value)

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

Small States Review: This is Ground’s Mod 2 is the ultimate on-the-go iPad companion, giveaway worth $310

More new gear from today:

Games/Apps: Baldur’s Gate II:EE $5 (Reg. $10), Run 10K Pro! Free, more

New! MacBook Air 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (early 2014) $880 shipped (Orig. $1,199)
New! Roomlia hotel savings app adds loyalty program: stay 7 nights, get 1 free
New! PSA: Today’s the last day for Prime members to reserve Amazon Echo at for $99

More deals still alive:

Headphones: Parrot Zik Wireless Bluetooth $230 (Reg. $300), Sennheiser Over-Ear $70 (Reg. $80+)

Upgrade your HDTV’s audio w/ this 320W LG soundbar for $245 (Reg. $600)
AOC 17-Inch USB 3.0 Powered Portable LCD/LED Monitor $170 shipped (orig. $250)
AmazonBasics MFi Lightning cables: 6-ft $10 (Reg. $15), 3-ft $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $14)
JBL Headphones: J55i $20 (Reg. $35+), J56BT wireless $55 (Reg. $70+)
Xbox One AC Unity bundle w/ Halo MCC & 3-months Live $350, more

New products & more:

NuDock wants to charge your Apple Watch, iPhone and every other USB device you own

This Tiko 3D Printer has a unibody design and direct drive titanium setup, costs only $179
Roku announces new features and upgrades to its line of streaming media players
Dust off your Game Boy cartridges, this case will let you play them on your iPhone 6 Plus
Samsung’s Radiant360 R7 wireless speaker has a blimp-like design & 360 degree sound
Philips’ Hue Go puts smart lighting everywhere so you’ll never have to rough it again
Nostalgia runs high w/ the iOS release of DuckTales: Remastered
Outsource your house chores to Amazon and get a free $20 gift card
This no fuss cover makes it stupid easy to add USB power to any outlet
Onkyo’s new portable headphone converter: Lightning cable to boost your iPhone’s sound
Sling TV will offer HBO plus on-demand content in time for Game of Thrones premiere
Amazon’s Dash Service brings push button ordering to your washing machine

HBO NOW standalone streaming service debuts on Apple TV, iPhone & iPad with 1-month free trial

Zac Hall Apr 7 2015 - 8:08 am PT

32 Comments

HBO’s new standalone streaming service called HBO NOW has officially launched on Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad. HBO NOW allows subscribers to watch the premium network’s movies and TV shows online. The service is similar to Netflix as it’s delivered over a high-speed Internet connection rather than cable or satellite and doesn’t require long-term committments through contracts. Here’s how to get HBO NOW works:
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Adobe Document Cloud now available w/ Acrobat DC, Fill & Sign, & eSign Manager DC for iOS

Zac Hall Apr 7 2015 - 7:17 am PT

Adobe announced its new Document Cloud service a few weeks ago including new iOS apps for handling documents on-the-go. Described as the digital document hub, Adobe’s Document Cloud includes integration with new apps for iPhone and iPad.

Adobe Fill & Sign for iPad is out now with integration with new Adobe Acrobat DC app allowing you to complete PDF forms right down to your signature from your iPad. Adobe EchoSign for both iPhone and iPad is now Adobe eSign Manager DC as it now integrates with the Document Cloud service. At the center of the mobile experience is the previously mentioned Adobe Acrobat DC for both iPhone and iPad. Formerly Adobe Reader, the new Adobe Acrobat DC app is the company’s PDF management app showcasing the new Document Cloud service.

The new and updated apps are available now on the App Store and come included with an Adobe Document Cloud subscription which starts at $14.99/month after a 30-day free trial. Full Adobe Creative Cloud members can also access Document Cloud through Adobe Acrobat DC at no additional charge.

1Password Mac app updated to support one-time passwords, in line with iOS app

Ben Lovejoy Apr 7 2015 - 5:07 am PT

19 Comments

A couple of months after the 1Password iOS app was updated to support one-time passwords, the Mac app has been given the same feature, allowing the popular password manager to support two-factor authentication.

Version 5.3 of the pricey but powerful app also gains a number of other improvements, including improved credit card filling on a number of sites, among them Hilton, Cineplex, Drafthouse, Amazon, and PayPal. More custom fields have been added, and you can add your own fields in secure notes also …
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Twitter unveils revamped ‘quote tweet’ functionality, rolling out to iPhone & web users today

Chance Miller Apr 6 2015 - 5:14 pm PT

Twitter this evening has announced a change to the “quote tweet” functionality of its service. With an update that’s rolling out to iPhone and web users today, using the quote tweet feature will now embed the actual tweet instead of simply quoting it as text.

9to5Toys Last Call: iPad mini 2 WiFi+Cell 128GB $370, Belkin Surge Protector w/ USB $15, Parrot Zik $230, more

Apr 6 2015 - 9:13 am PT

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:

NuDock wants to charge your Apple Watch, iPhone and every other USB device you own
This Tiko 3D Printer has a unibody design and direct drive titanium setup, costs only $179
Upgrade your HDTV’s audio w/ this 320W LG soundbar for $245 (Reg. $600)
AOC 17-Inch USB 3.0 Powered Portable LCD/LED Monitor $170 shipped (orig. $250)
Roku announces new features and upgrades to its line of streaming media players
Home: Dremel 3000 w/ 28 piece accessory kit $60, more

Apple iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular 128GB in Space Gray for $370 shipped (Orig. $829)

Amazon Gold Box – up to 70% off Belkin Surge Protectors: Travel SurgePlus 3-Outlet w/ Dual USB ports $15, more

Headphones: Parrot Zik Wireless Bluetooth $230 (Reg. $300), Sennheiser Over-Ear $70 (Reg. $80+)

Mac/iOS App Store promo discounts 35 Photo + Video apps by 50% or more

iTunes Free App of the Week: Back to Bed ($4 value)

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

Small States Review: This is Ground’s Mod 2 is the ultimate on-the-go iPad companion, giveaway worth $310

More new gear from today:

OtterBox iPhone 5/5s cases 50% off w/ free 2-day shipping: Defender Series $30 (Reg. $60), more

New! Games/Apps: Brutal Street Free, Super Smash Bros for Wii U $45, more
New! Daily Deals: DJI Phantom Quadcopter $315, RCA 5.1-Ch. Home Theater $50, more
New! WD Red 3TB NAS HDD $100 shipped, Toshiba 5TB HDD $150 shipped
New! Samsung PRO Class 10 SDXC Memory Cards: 16GB $12 (Reg. $20), 32GB $17 (Reg. $38), 64GB $30 (Reg. $60)

More deals still alive:

AmazonBasics Apple-certified MFi Lightning cables: 6-ft $10 (Reg. $15), 3-ft $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $14)

JBL Headphones: J55i $20 (Reg. $35+), J56BT wireless $55 (Reg. $70+)
Xbox One AC Unity bundle w/ Halo MCC & 3-months Live $350, more

New products & more:

Dust off your Game Boy cartridges, this case will let you play them on your iPhone 6 Plus

Samsung’s Radiant360 R7 wireless speaker has a blimp-like design & 360 degree sound
Philips’ Hue Go puts smart lighting everywhere so you’ll never have to rough it again
Nostalgia runs high w/ the iOS release of DuckTales: Remastered
Outsource your house chores to Amazon and get a free $20 gift card
This no fuss cover makes it stupid easy to add USB power to any outlet
Onkyo’s new portable headphone converter: Lightning cable to boost your iPhone’s sound
Sling TV will offer HBO plus on-demand content in time for Game of Thrones premiere
Amazon’s Dash Service brings push button ordering to your washing machine

Reeder 3 for Mac coming soon w/ redesigned interface, will be a free update

Chance Miller Apr 3 2015 - 6:41 pm PT

4 Comments

After Google Reader announced its closure, popular RSS client Reeder was forced to step back, retool, and eventually relaunch its Mac client with support for multiple RSS services. Now, Reeder is preparing to launch another major update to its Mac app with heavy design tweaks for OS X Yosemite.

9to5Toys Last Call: MacBook Air (2015) $99 off, iPhone 6 Plus Game Boy case, 4K AirPlay A/V Receiver $200, more

Justin Kahn Apr 3 2015 - 9:04 am PT

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:

Dust off your Game Boy cartridges, this case will let you play them on your iPhone 6 Plus
PNY 128GB microSDHC Flash Memory Card $70 shipped (Orig. $120)
V-MODA Crossfade LP2 Limited Edition Over-Ear Headphones $100 shipped (Reg. $160)
Samsung’s Radiant360 R7 wireless speaker has a blimp-like design & 360 degree sound
Omaker 6.6A 3-port car charger and 5200 power charger $21 Prime shipped (Reg. $32)
Home: Ninja Master Prep Pro blender $40, In-Wall Speaker Cable Kit $10, more

Here’s the first real discount for Apple’s 2015 MacBook Air lineup

Best Buy 2-Day Sale: 13-inch MacBook Air 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB $900 or $850 w/ .edu, much more

Mac/iOS App Store promo discounts 35 Photo + Video apps by 50% or more

iTunes Free App of the Week: Back to Bed ($4 value)

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

Pioneer 5.2-ch. Network AirPlay 4K A/V Receiver $200 shipped (Reg. $320)

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

More new gear from today:

AmazonBasics Apple-certified MFi Lightning cables: 6-ft $10 (Reg. $15), 3-ft $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $14)

You can still get an AirPort Extreme refurbished by Apple for just $129 http://t.co/BIF5QMI9Wk pic.twitter.com/oZvSPmUJvu

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) April 3, 2015

New! PNY Attaché 2 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive $30 shipped (Orig. $60)
New! Crucial M500 960GB 2.5-inch Internal Solid State Drive $290 shipped (Reg. $360)
New! Daily Deals: Klipsch speaker $105, Samsung Smart TVs (refurb) from $240, more
New! Harman 5.1-Ch Theater System (black or white) $199 shipped (Orig. $379)
New! Headphones: AKG K 545 over-ears (refurb) $130, Senn HD518 $60, more
New! Games/Apps: Borderlands Pre-Sequel for Mac $25, The Evil Within $20, more
New! Acer 11.6″ Chromebook 2.16GHz/4GB RAM/16GB SSD $129 shipped (orig. $199)

After quickly selling out, Amazon is again taking preorders for the Limited Edition Batman PS4 http://t.co/ds5SJp7E9G pic.twitter.com/LNDFpLo3Ir

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) April 3, 2015

More deals still alive:

Apple iPad 4 Retina 16GB 4G GSM/LTE Unlocked: $300 shipped or $50/mo for 6 months

Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series is IGN’s free iOS game of the month ($5 value)
2K Drive now available for free on iOS (Reg. $7)
JBL Headphones: J55i $20 (Reg. $35+), J56BT wireless $55 (Reg. $70+)
ZeroLemon iPhone 6 battery case $31 Prime shipped (Reg. $51)
Home: Hamilton Beach slow cooker $25, Dyson fans, more
Buy Apple TV for $69 and get a free $10 Target gift card, more savings for REDcard holders
Beam a 300″ 1080p projection w/ this $500 Acer projector (Reg. $800)
Xbox One AC Unity bundle w/ Halo MCC & 3-months Live $350, more
Aukey 3600mAh power bank + Lightning cable $16 Prime shipped ($26 value), more
Buy a 2TB Portable HDD for $80 or a 5TB Desktop HDD for $125
Home theater upgrade: Bose Acoustimass 6 speaker set $369 shipped (Reg. $400+)
TP-LINK 300Mbps Universal Wi-Fi range extender $18 shipped (Reg. $24)
PlayStation Plus announces free games for April: Dishonored, Never Alone, more
Media: LOTR films, much more
Clean up your diet w/ free Kindle downloads of these healthy cookbooks
Nintendo deals: amiibo figures 25% off, 3DS games $25, eShop 10% off
Mackie speakers + ATH-M40x Pro Headphones $130 shipped ($200 value)
Apple adds 12 different iMac w/ Retina 5K models to its refurb store, up to $660 off

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

New products & more:

Philips’ Hue Go puts smart lighting everywhere so you’ll never have to rough it again

Nostalgia runs high w/ the iOS release of DuckTales: Remastered

This no fuss cover makes it stupid easy to add USB power to any outlet
Onkyo’s new portable headphone converter: Lightning cable to boost your iPhone’s sound
Sling TV will offer HBO plus on-demand content in time for Game of Thrones premiere
Amazon’s Dash Service brings push button ordering to your washing machine
DeNA’s new Marvel Mighty Heroes brawler is now available on iOS & Android
Quirky’s new line of home automation includes a gorgeous coffee maker w/ iOS integration
This Batman: Arkham Knight PS4 is one of the best looking consoles, pre-order
Neo smartpen N2 sends handwritten words and doodles to its app
This case lets you deck out your MacBook with LEGO bricks
Spotify finds an exclusive gaming console home w/ Sony’s new PlayStation Music service
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 is now free
Former Apple Designer launches new iOS and Android connected timepiece
Relive the most epic battles from the Final Fantasy series in Record Keeper for iOS/Android
Here’s how to install Kano OS on your Raspberry Pi 2 for free
The iDrink iPhone case includes a built-in breathalyzer, bottle opener and driving game
InfiniteUSB cables offer an endless supply of USB ports for your laptop

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

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?

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

Apr 2 2015 - 9:16 am PT

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:

Mac/iOS App Store promo discounts 35 Photo + Video apps by 50% or more
iTunes Free App of the Week: Back to Bed ($4 value)
Apple iPad 4 Retina 16GB 4G GSM/LTE Unlocked: $300 shipped or $50/mo for 6 months
Philips’ Hue Go puts smart lighting everywhere so you’ll never have to rough it again
Home: Hamilton Beach slow cooker $25, Philips Norelco razor $75, Dyson fans, more

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)

New! Nostalgia runs high w/ the iOS release of DuckTales: Remastered
New! 2K Drive now available for free on iOS (Reg. $7)
New! Games/Apps: Evolve $40, PS4/Xbox One controllers $42, iOS freebies, more
New! JBL Headphones: J55i $20 (Reg. $35+), J56BT wireless $55 (Reg. $70+)
New! ZeroLemon iPhone 6 battery case $31 Prime shipped (Reg. $51)
New! Daily Deals: Touch Chromebook $180, Logitech Harmony Remote (refurb) $25, more
New! Amazon Gold Box: Jackery Giant+ 12Ah Dual USB Battery: $30 shipped, Eton Rukus rugged solar battery/bluetooth speaker: $45 shipped

More deals still alive:

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

Beam a 300″ 1080p projection w/ this $500 Acer projector (Reg. $800)
Xbox One AC Unity bundle w/ Halo MCC & 3-months Live $350, more
Aukey 3600mAh power bank + Lightning cable $16 Prime shipped ($26 value), more
Buy a 2TB Portable HDD for $80 or a 5TB Desktop HDD for $125
Home theater upgrade: Bose Acoustimass 6 speaker set $369 shipped (Reg. $400+)
TP-LINK 300Mbps Universal Wi-Fi range extender $18 shipped (Reg. $24)
PlayStation Plus announces free games for April: Dishonored, Never Alone, more
Media: Hobbit – Battle of the Five Armies BR/DVD/Digital $13, much more
Clean up your diet w/ free Kindle downloads of these healthy cookbooks
Nintendo deals: amiibo figures 25% off, 3DS games $25, eShop 10% off
Storage: Samsung 250GB SSD $100, Toshiba 500GB Portable HD $35
Mackie speakers + ATH-M40x Pro Headphones $130 shipped ($200 value)
Headphones: Sol Republic Tracks Air Bluetooth $75, more
Apple adds 12 different iMac w/ Retina 5K models to its refurb store, up to $660 off

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

Sling TV will offer HBO plus on-demand content in time for Game of Thrones premiere
Amazon’s Dash Service brings push button ordering to your washing machine
DeNA’s new Marvel Mighty Heroes brawler is now available on iOS & Android
Quirky’s new line of home automation includes a gorgeous coffee maker w/ iOS integration
This Batman: Arkham Knight PS4 is one of the best looking consoles, pre-order
Neo smartpen N2 sends handwritten words and doodles to its app
This case lets you deck out your MacBook with LEGO bricks
Spotify finds an exclusive gaming console home w/ Sony’s new PlayStation Music service
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 is now free
Former Apple Designer launches new iOS and Android connected timepiece
Relive the most epic battles from the Final Fantasy series in Record Keeper for iOS/Android
Here’s how to install Kano OS on your Raspberry Pi 2 for free
The iDrink iPhone case includes a built-in breathalyzer, bottle opener and driving game
InfiniteUSB cables offer an endless supply of USB ports for your laptop

Microsoft brings its OneNote scanner to the iPhone with Office Lens

Zac Hall Apr 2 2015 - 9:00 am PT

4 Comments

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.

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

Jordan Kahn Apr 2 2015 - 8:37 am PT

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

Zac Hall Apr 2 2015 - 6:00 am PT

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

Ben Lovejoy Apr 2 2015 - 4:28 am PT