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6,509 '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.

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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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9to5Toys Last Call: 49-inch LG 4K Smart UHDTV $660, 2K iOS game sale, discounted Xbox Live/PS Plus, more

Avatar for Mar 25 2015 - 9:11 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:

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

The ultimate lifeline: this $60 power bank can jump start your car and charge your iPhone

Xbox Live Gold $36 (Reg. $60), PlayStation Plus $40 (Reg. $50)

iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi in all colors: 16GB $400 (Reg. $499), 128GB $600 (Reg. $699)

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:

More deals still alive:

GoPro HERO4 Black 4K Action Cam $399 shipped ($100 off)

Free money! Save up to 20% on gift cards from Staples, Lowe’s, Applebee’s, Facebook, more

New products & more:

InfiniteUSB cables offer an endless supply of USB ports for your laptop

Review: Fantastical 2 for Mac graduates to a full calendar replacement w/ Yosemite widget+extension, much more

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 25 2015 - 6:00 am PT
38 Comments
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Fantastical’s ability to parse natural language input and create detailed appointment entries on your calendar has always been the primary reason to use it instead of or in addition to Apple’s own Calendar app on the Mac. Apple Calendar has picked up some language parsing smarts in recent updates, too, but it still doesn’t match Fantastical’s control and real-time appointment preview.

Still, I say in addition to because Fantastical for Mac has lived in the menu bar next to your clock, WiFi status, and other utilities where you can quickly access it for reference or adding an appointment from anywhere in the OS. The menu bar app includes a compact month view calendar above a streamlined, scrollable list view of appointments and reminders, but sometimes it’s nice to stretch out and view your schedule in a different context.

So when Fantastical first debuted on iPad almost a year ago putting the efficient list view next to a larger full calendar, I wrote optimistically that “the iPad’s app design could spill over into a future version of the Mac app (maybe as a dock app rather than a menu bar app).”

What Fantastical 2 for Mac actually became is even better: the same menu bar calendar users know and love (but new and improved!), and a full-sized calendar app with an optional dock icon. Both have been designed with the aesthetics of OS X Yosemite in mind and loads of under-the-hood features and improvements including the ability to actually change which calendars you see based on your location.
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Inklet plug-in adds pressure-sensitive drawing on new Force Touch MacBook trackpad

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Mar 24 2015 - 7:13 am PT
3 Comments
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Ten One Design has released an updated version of its drawing plug-in, Inklet, adding pressure-sensitive drawing on the new Force Touch trackpad in all Mac drawing apps, including Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture and Illustrator. The new trackpad was introduced by Apple on the 12-inch MacBook and 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.

This means MacBook owners with the new trackpad will enjoy enhanced, highly-accurate pressure sensitivity when drawing on the trackpad whether drawing with a stylus or with a finger.

Inklet for Mac adds an icon to your menubar that you click when you want to draw on your trackpad in your chosen app … 
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Pro Tools 12 now available with new subscription models

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 23 2015 - 1:03 pm PT
6 Comments

After first announcing and showing off new licensing plans with Pro Tools 12 in January, today the latest version of Pro Tools has arrived at last alongside the new subscription plans on Avid’s online store.

Highlights for Pro Tools 12 include a new “Avid Cloud Collaboration” feature that lets users collaborate in real-time from different locations using built-in chat and other collaboration features, and a new “Avid Marketplace” for finding talent and accessing apps, plug-ins and third-party content.

For the first time, Avid is making Pro Tools, with version 12, available through license subscriptions starting at $29.99/month. An annual update is available for $199 (the one-time price of Apple’s competitive Logic Pro X), while the annual subscription plan will go for $299. Lastly, Avid has perpetual licenses starting at $899.

(via The Loop)

Apple and IBM rolling out MobileFirst iOS enterprise apps localized for Japan

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 23 2015 - 9:03 am PT
0 Comments
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Following the release of the MobileFirst suite of iOS enterprise apps last year, the result of a new partnership between Apple and IBM, today the companies are rolling out the apps to the Japanese market.

The companies haven’t made an official announcement yet, but sources close to the situation say seven apps are arriving for Japanese customers today.
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