Apps

6,257 'Apps' stories April 2010 - December 2014

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.

Apple announces changes to European App Store taxes to take effect January 1st

Mike Beasley Dec 17 2014 - 9:12 pm PT

7 Comments

Apple has sent an email to iOS developers informing them of upcoming changes to the way taxes are handled on European App Store purchases. Rather than use the same VAT rate across the entire European Union, Apple will now calculate the charges based on the customer’s home country.

This could lead to a rise in app prices in some countries where value-added taxes are higher than users are currently being charged. Apple also notes in the email that developer’s cuts of app profits will be calculated after the VAT has been deducted from the purchase price.

The changes will go into effect on January 1st. Apple’s tax practices recently came under fire from government authorities.

9to5Toys Last Call: iMac Retina 5K $200 off, Pencil by FiftyThree $40, Grado headphones giveaway, more

Dec 17 2014 - 3:05 pm PT

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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the brand new 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:

Mac Desktops: iMac 5K $200 off, Mac Pro up to $800 off, Mac mini up to $150 off

Pencil by FiftyThree smart iPad stylus: Graphite $40, Walnut $50 shipped (orig. up to $75)

Giveaway: Grado Prestige Series SR80e Open-Ear Headphones ($99 value)

PSA: Free Holiday shipping cutoffs start this week

More new deals:

New! Power Pen is the “world’s first pen with an integrated smartphone battery”
New! TP-LINK Nano Powerline Adapter Kit: $20, Wireless N150 Portable Router: $15
New! VIZIO 65″ 1080p 240Hz Smart LED HDTV: $1,000 shipped (Reg. $1,500)
New! USB 3.0 Flash drives: 64GB $20/ 128GB $40, more
New! Headphones: JBL Wireless BT on-ears (refurb) $60, AKG sport in-ears $19, more
New! Home: KitchenAid up to 50% off, Kryptonite bike lock w/ Flex cable $29, more
New! Games/Apps: Gangstar Vegas goes free (Reg. $3), more iOS freebies
New! Crucial M500 960GB SATA 2.5-Inch Internal SSD $329 shipped (Reg. $420)
New! Modern Combat 5: Blackout for iOS drops to $4
New! JAWBONE Up Move Activity Tracker $40 for Prime members (Reg. $50)
New! Daily Deals: Slingbox 350: $90, Jambox: $56, more
New! Four magazine subs for $16: Wired, GQ, ESPN, many more
New! Fashion roundup: Save sitewide at J.Crew, Gap, Brooks Brothers, more

More deals still alive:

The Beatles collections and single albums get price cuts on iTunes
Critically acclaimed iOS action/adventure game Oceanhorn is now $5 (Reg. $9)
Free songs from Google Play including Rihanna, Green Day, The Whites Stripes, more
Sennheiser HD 439 Over-Ear Headphones in black $40 (orig. $100)
Klipsch KMC 3 130W Bluetooth speaker w/remote: $165 shipped (orig. $400)
Google Chromecast + $40 Google Play credit, more: $30 shipped
iPad mini 2 w/ Retina display and iPad Air from $250 shipped ($50 off)
OtterBox iPhone 6 Plus Commuter Series Case $34 Prime shipped (Reg. $50)
Trade-in working smartphone: iPhone 6 $90 + $50 Target GC
$50 iTunes gift card for $42: save on apps, music, movies, more
Incase 40% off: save on iPhone, iPad and Mac accessories
Free HD download of “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” from Google Play
Philips Hue Lux LED Starter Kit: $80 (Reg. $100)
Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Computer Speaker System $110, $93 (open box)
Philips SoundRing Wireless Speaker w/AirPlay $97 shipped (orig. $300)
$10 off at Home Depot, Nest Protect smoke/CO2 detector $89, more
Sony PlayStation TV game console: $70 shipped ($30 off)
TP-LINK Nano Powerline Adapter Kit $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $30+)
MasterPass storage: Seagate 5TB HDD $118, Crucial 256GB SSD $83, more
Roundup: touchscreen gloves from $2, DIY options for iPhone

New products/ongoing promos/info:

The ODROID-C1 is a quad-core hobbyist computer priced at just $35
Kitchen Tech: Sous Vide water baths turn plain meat into succulent steaks
Review: Toffee’s Fitzroy Satchel is a solid gift for thoughtful commuters
Toshiba’s newest wireless hard drive streams media directly to a Chromecast
9to5 Guide: Nintendo’s rare Amiibo collectible figurines
Walmart readies the best iPhone 6/Plus discounts since Black Friday
Gaming For Couples: The Peggle Family + The Beatles Rock Band
New features/prices make these PS4/Xbox One/Wii U games worth second looks
Nano Drone: The “world’s smallest quadcopter” is also one of the most affordable
Marvel Contest of Champions free-to-play fighting game now available
Relive classic video games with the pocket sized Pitendo NES emulator
Kitchen Tech: Magical ice ball makers transform everyday drinks into classics

Holiday Gift Guides:

Justin’s holiday gift guide: accessories to amplify your Mac set-up
Trevor’s holiday gift guide: products that make life easier and look good doing it

Drafts for iOS regains Notification Center widget in latest update

Mike Beasley Dec 17 2014 - 2:38 pm PT

1 Comment

A few weeks ago, the popular note-taking app Drafts for iOS was updated at Apple’s request to remove its Notification Center widget, which the company said violated the rules for extensions. Now, it seems the tech giant has reversed its decision. Today’s 4.0.6 update to Drafts re-introduces the widget, which has gained additional functionality since the previous version.

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Emoji Type keyboard brings predictive emoji typing to iOS

Michael Steeber Dec 17 2014 - 11:06 am PT

2 Comments

If you’re a fan of emoji, you’ll want to 👀 at Emoji Type, a new third party predictive keyboard for the 📱. Emoji Type comes from the iOS developer of Product Hunt. Like with any iOS 🎹, installing the Emoji Type app prompts you to enable the keyboard in Settings. Once you’ve done that, you can switch to Emoji Type by hitting the 🌐 icon on the keyboard.

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Yahoo Weather iOS app adds new animated effects for weather conditions, updated design for iPhone 6/6Plus

Jordan Kahn Dec 17 2014 - 10:11 am PT

9 Comments

Yahoo announced an update to its Weather app today that brings more of the high-quality animations for weather conditions it first launched in its iOS app earlier this year. The update also adds a revamped design that offers a better experience on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

The new animated effects include visuals for lightning and frost, which come in addition to the fog, rain, heat, and snow effects the app had previously. Yahoo’s announcement says the effects utilize “bleeding-edge graphics technology typically only seen in video games.”

We’re excited to take your weather experience to the next level, as we make it even more delightful… So, instead of reading about the stormy conditions, you’ll actually see lightning flash across your screen.

The animations and updated design that takes advantage of the new larger iPhones are are available in the latest version of the Yahoo Weather app for iPhone and iPad.

What’s New in Version 1.6.5

– Updated designs for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
– Added animated effects for lightning and frost
– Bug fixes and performance improvements
– Updated Privacy Policy

Orlando Magic teams up w/ Chase for special promos for Apple Pay launch this Friday

Jordan Kahn Dec 17 2014 - 8:35 am PT

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We heard earlier this week that the Orlando Magic would become the first NBA team to offer Apple Pay to fans through a partnership with Chase. Today we get the official announcement from the team confirming an Apple Pay launch at the Amway Center for this Friday, Dec. 19 and some other details regarding special promos:
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Microsoft’s Xim photo app updated with support for Apple TV streaming over AirPlay

Mike Beasley Dec 17 2014 - 8:00 am PT

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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHAyOKtyjhs&feature=youtu.be]

Microsoft updated its Xim photo sharing application today with support for viewing photos over AirPlay on an Apple TV. The instructions for setting up AirPlay streaming (demonstrated in the video above) are relatively simple: just pull up Control Center and activate the AirPlay mirroing function that’s built into iOS. After that, you’ll see your slideshows on your TV in real time.

Xim allows users to create shared photo slideshows that stay in sync across multiple devices. Whenever a user changes the slideshow by zooming in, switching photos, or changing something else, all users currently viewing that slideshow will see the change in real time.

The Xim app is free for all users on the iOS App Store.

Fleksy keyboard for iOS updated with GIF support, extensions, and new themes

Mike Beasley Dec 17 2014 - 6:00 am PT

3 Comments

A major update to the Fleksy keyboard for iOS was released today, adding several big new features and a handful of new themes to the popular app. Most of the new features are added through a framework called Extensions.

Extensions allow the user to specify certain optional features to be included on the keyboard. Some of the extensions that come with the new app include a fifth row on the keyboard for numbers, the aforementioned GIF keyboard, and even a one-handed typing mode on newer iPhones. Several others are also included.

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Pixelmator for Mac gets pinch-to-zoom support and a bevy of other improvements

Mike Beasley Dec 16 2014 - 7:04 pm PT

5 Comments

Popular image editor Pixelmator has been updated today with a whole host of new features, fixes, and improvements. First on the list is something many users (myself included!) have been hoping to see for quite a while now: full support for Apple’s pinch-to-zoom gesture. The update also makes the Shapes, Gradients, and Styles palettes capable of scrolling and being resized.

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Waze mapping app updated with iOS 8 widget, improved traffic data, and more

Mike Beasley Dec 16 2014 - 5:48 pm PT

6 Comments

Popular mapping application Waze was updated today to version 3.9.2. According to the app’s change log (below), it’s gotten several design tweaks to areas, including the location sharing interface and quick-messaging screen, which allows you to quickly notify friends that you’re on the way.

The app also gained a Today view widget that displays the estimated travel time to your home or work addresses, and allows you to quickly get directions to either location by tapping on them. You can also send your ETA to friends from the widget while navigating to your destination.

Traffic data is now improved when changing a route to avoid slowdowns, and a new setting allows the map to automatically swap between 2D and 3D styles. Of course, the usual miscellaneous bug fixes are also included.

You can grab the updated Waze app for free on the App Store.

What’s New in Version 3.9.2

– Sending “I’m on my way” message is simpler than ever! With a new design and layout, you can easily keep your friends & family posted on the progress of your drive.
– New Waze Today Widget for iOS 8! Quickly view your ETA for Home or Work, navigate with one tap, and easily send your current drive & ETA (when navigating). Pull down your Notification Center and tap Edit to add the extension.
– Updated look and function for sending a location.
– ETA & route changes now include richer traffic information.
– New map display setting automatically switches between 2D and 3D view.
– Bug fixes and performance enhancements.