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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.

VLC for iOS back on the App Store, OS X app updated alongside massive cross-platform release

VideoLAN has today launched several updates to VLC across its apps on iOS, Android, OS X, and every other platform where the app is available, marking the first time that the company has pushed such a massive coordinated release and the re-release of the iOS app. The new versions (with the main app numbered 2.2.0), include several features across the various platforms, and VLC says it took more than a year of volunteer work to put them together…


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9to5Toys Last Call: iPhone 6/Plus Gift Card w/ Purchase, Beats Studio Headphones $230, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Monoprice MFi Lightning cables extra $5 off + free shipping: keychain, metal, micro-USB combo, more

Beats Studio Wired Over-Ear Headphones (matte black, white, titanium) $230 shipped (Reg. $300)

Elgato 256GB  Portable Thunderbolt Drive $368 shipped (orig. $500)

Crucial M500 960GB SATA 2.5-Inch Internal SSD $315 (Reg. $420), Inatek SSD Enclosure $10 (Reg. $25), more

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnkVkwH2qbE?rel=0]

Readdle’s wireless printing app Printer Pro goes free on iOS for the first time (Reg. $7)

 

iPad Air 2 16GB for $400 shipped ($99 off)

Life Hack: Fix your iMac’s biggest annoyance by moving its USB ports, deals from $6 Prime shipped

LAST CHANCE! Small States: Etwas builds timeless bags with legacy and heirloom design in mind – giveaway worth $380

More new gear from today:

  • New! Games/Apps: Wii U console $260 (Reg. $300), Transistor 50% off, freebies, more
  • New! Daily Deals: BeyerDynamic Headphone amp $200, LG Tone BT Headset $30, more

More deals still alive:

New products & more:

Google Maps for iOS adds POI quick facts, upcoming events for select venues, more

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Google is packing even more useful information into the latest version of its Maps app for iOS. Google Maps 4.3.0 for iPhone and iPad adds several contextual data points to locations like nearby businesses for address searches, quick facts for notable locations, and even event information for select venues.
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Pages, Numbers, & Keynote apps arrive on iCloud.com for users without Apple devices

Apple has opened access to its Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps at iCloud.com to all, even those without an Apple device (via TechCrunch). Earlier this month Apple opened the apps to those without an Apple device while offering 1GB of free storage (an iCloud account with an Apple device has free access to 5GB). However, previously access to the apps for those without an Apple device was limited to the iCloud beta site at beta.icloud.com where Apple frequently tests new iCloud features before launching them to the primary site. Today they move to the main site at iCloud.com.

While the apps themselves remain in beta mode, they are now accessible to all through iCloud on the web. 

Apple has a new FAQ with all the details regarding web-access to iCloud and the Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps on its website.

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Tapbots aiming to release major Tweetbot updates for iPhone & iPad before June, Tweetbot 2 for Mac coming next

 

Tapbots has announced on its website that it is officially discontinuing some of its apps to focus on Tweetbot and Calcbot, for the time being. Convertbot’s features have been built into Calcbot, as we covered last week, so it’s not surprising that app is going away. Pastebot and Weightbot have also been discontinued. Although Pastebot is getting pulled, Weightbot is now free on the App Store for “sentimental value” as it is the app that started Tapbots as a company. The blog post says that the company may return to Pastebot in the future.


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9to5Toys Last Call: Printer Pro for iOS goes free, Speck 50% off sitewide, iPad Air 2 $99 off, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnkVkwH2qbE?rel=0]

Readdle’s wireless printing app Printer Pro goes free on iOS for the first time (Reg. $7)

Speck 50% off sitewide sale: MacBook cases starting at $25, iPhone 6/Plus cases from $17, more

64GB iPad Air 2 $500 shipped or 16GB for $400 shipped ($99 off)

Life Hack: Fix your iMac’s biggest annoyance by moving its USB ports, deals from $6 Prime shipped

Small States: Etwas builds timeless bags with legacy and heirloom design in mind – giveaway worth $380

More new gear from today:

Jabra Solemate Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker w/ NFC in black $60 shipped (Reg. $95+)

More deals still alive:

New products & more:

Apple Maps adds animated 3D imagery starting w/ UK’s London Eye & Big Ben (Videos)

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Apple has added some nice new touches to Apple Maps with animated 3D imagery for iconic landmarks starting with the UK. Apple Maps now shows the correct time on Big Ben and a rotating London Eye when users viewing the landmarks access the app’s 3D Flyover feature.

Videos showing off the animated London Eye and Big Ben in Apple Maps are below:
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Spotify’s Mac app getting integrated Musixmatch lyrics in the coming weeks

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI7KH14PAwQ]

If you’re a fan of impromptu karaoke sessions, Spotify is about to make life easier by integrating Musixmatch lyrics into its desktop apps.

Simply fire up any song on our desktop app and hit the new Lyrics button. You can also search and browse popular lyrics from Spotify’s top songs using the Explore feature.

The music streaming service is also improving the Friend Feed, to make it easier to see what your friends are listening to, and introducing daily viral charts, showing you the most-shared tracks both globally and in your own region.

Spotify says the rollout of the updated app will take place “gradually” across all its desktop apps over the coming weeks. The company updated its iOS app last month with a touch preview function and new swipe gestures.

First Hollywood film edited with Final Cut Pro X hits theaters this week

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It’s no secret that Final Cut Pro X, the overhauled follow up to Apple’s widely used video editing software, wasn’t exactly a hit with its users when the app was first released in 2011.

A comprehensive change in the way the software functioned and a lack of legacy features from the prior version gave the app a reputation for being “iMovie Pro” rather than a true professional desktop video editor. Soon after its launch, Apple addressed the flood of criticism with an FAQ site and a promise that more features would slowly become available in the new version.

Nearly four years later, the first Hollywood film edited in Final Cut Pro X is set to be released. To showcase the movie debut and FCPX’s role in the film, Apple has launched a microsite detailing the production.
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Skype 7.5 for Mac adds 14 new languages, several performance improvements

Microsoft is releasing the latest version of Skype for Mac today adding support for over a dozen additional languages and performance improvements for users. Beginning with Skype 7.5 for Mac, the communication app will now feature localization for the following languages: Hindi, Turkish, Czech, Ukrainian, Greek, Hungarian, Romanian, Indonesian, Catalan, Croatian, Slovak, Vietnamese, Thai and Malay
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9to5Toys Last Call: iMac USB extender $6, iPhone 6/Plus cases from $5, Samsung 55″ Smart HDTV $700, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

Life Hack: Fix your iMac’s biggest annoyance by moving its USB ports, deals from $6 Prime shipped

Samsung 55-inch 1080p 120Hz Smart LED HDTV $700 shipped (Reg. $800+)

Logitech 330W 2.1-Channel Desktop Speaker System $100 shipped (orig. $150)

Southwest Airlines has one-way flights from $73 to cure your winter blues

iTunes gift cards 20% off w/ email delivery from PayPal: $100 for $80 or $50 for $40

LifeProof finally begins accepting preorders for its first waterproof iPhone 6 Plus case

Small States: Etwas builds timeless bags with legacy and heirloom design in mind – giveaway worth $380

More new gear from today:

Bose QuietComfort 20/i Noise Cancelling in-ear headphones w/ mic from $245 shipped (Reg. $300)

  • New! Games/Apps: Botanicula $2 (Reg. $5), Kingdom Rush Origins $1 (Reg. $3), more
  • New! Power Banks: Goal Zero Solar/Hand Crank $60 (Reg. $80), 11,200mAh $20 (Reg. $30) 
  • New! Kitchenaid 300w Stand Mixer Tilt 4.5-Quart (Metallic/Red): $180 shipped
  • New! 50% off Calvin Klein Underwear – 3pack boxers:$14, thong panties: $12, more

More deals still alive:

New products & more:

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iPhone battery life compared on latest iOS 8 betas (Video)

Battery life is always a concern for those updating to new versions of iOS. With that in mind, today we get a detailed comparison of battery life across the most recent versions of iOS including iOS 8.0.2, 8.2 Beta 2, and 8.3 Beta 2. A reader sent in the video below using a brand new out of the box 16GB iPhone 5 and Geekbench to record the results.

While the results are a close call, the latest iOS 8.3 Beta 2 seems to be underperforming in battery life slightly compared to other versions in the test. iOS 8.1.3 clocked the highest score, as pictured above.

Earlier this week we had the debate over whether or not you’d like to see Apple prioritize battery life over thickness in future iPhones. The results: Around 60% of participants said Apple should thicken the next iPhone to improve battery life.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6-dX7OWHiU&feature=youtu.be]

Number tracking app ‘Numerous’ adds channels for Google Sheets, Tesla, & Celestial Events like SpaceX launches

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New channels added to Numerous for iOS

Numerous, a dashboard app for tracking a wide range of numbers, is an iOS app gem in terms of taking advantage of Apple technologies and one of my favorite lesser known apps for that reason. Today a new version of Numerous is being released adding new channels including a Tesla channel for Model S owners as well as a Google Sheets channel for tracking numbers from spreadsheets…
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Facebook Messenger adds iOS 8 extension, WordPress gains WYSIWYG editor & image features

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Facebook is out with a useful update to its Messenger app for iPhone and iPad today adding an action extension for sharing content from other apps on iOS 8. This adds the ability to have deep Facebook Messenger integration with other apps including Safari and Photos just like Apple’s own Messages app.

Once enabled, you can do things like share images and videos from the Photos app or links from Safari directly to your contacts on Facebook Messenger without having to jump back and forth between apps. Facebook Messenger version 22.0 is rolling out now on the App Store.

WordPress’s mobile blogging app for iPhone and iPad also received a new update bringing the experience closer to that on the desktop … 
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9to5Toys Last Call: iTunes gift cards 20% off, Lumsing speaker & car charger $25, Wired magazine $5, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

iTunes gift cards 20% off w/ email delivery from PayPal: $100 for $80 or $50 for $40

Lumsing 4-port USB wall charger $11, Bluetooth speaker and dual USB car charger $25 Prime shipped

One-year magazine subs from $5/yr: Architectural Digest, Wired, Dwell, Runner’s World, more

LifeProof finally begins accepting preorders for its first waterproof iPhone 6 Plus case

Small States: Etwas builds timeless bags with legacy and heirloom design in mind – giveaway worth $380

More new gear from today:

Headphones: Klipsch X11 in-ears $100 (Reg. $132+), Sennheiser HD205-II over-ears $25 (Reg. $50)

More deals still alive:

New products & more:

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FTC fines apps that falsely claimed to detect melanoma using iPhone camera

The FTC is fining the creators of two different smartphone apps, both of which were previously available as paid apps on the App Store, for falsely claiming to detect symptoms of melanoma. The two apps, MelApp and Mole Detective, have long been removed from the App Store (although a version of Mole Detective remains on Google Play for $4.99), and Apple appears to have cracked down on similar apps that were available on the store as recently as early 2014.

The Federal Trade Commission has challenged marketers for deceptively claiming their mobile apps could detect symptoms of melanoma, even in its early stages. In two separate cases, marketers of MelApp and Mole Detective have agreed to settlements that bar them from continuing to make such unsupported claims. The agency is pursuing charges against two additional marketers of Mole Detective who did not agree to settle.

It’s not the first and it likely won’t be the last time app makers face scrutiny from government officials over health care claims as fitness becomes more of a focus on mobile devices and companion wearables. As recently as November, the FTC was said to be pressing Apple on how it plans to use sensitive health related data collected from its upcoming Apple Watch launching in April.

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Microsoft extends free Office 365 offer to students & teachers outside the U.S.

U.S. students and teachers have been able to get free access to Microsoft Office 365 since 2013, and the company has now extended the deal to a range of other countries.

Millions of students around the world are eligible for free Office from their school and today we are announcing that we’ve made it easy for all eligible students globally to sign up themselves to get Office 365 and install free Office.

That includes the 5.5 million eligible students in Australia, the nearly 5 million eligible students in Germany, 7 million more in Brazil, 1.3 million at Anadolu University in Turkey, every student in Hong Kong and millions more.

Qualifying students and teachers can install the latest version of Office on up to five Macs, as well as a further five mobile devices. The deal is available if you study or teach in a school with an Office license.

To check if you’re eligible for the deal, you’ll need your school-provided email address, then visit the eligibility-checker for students or for teachers.

Via Windows Central

Apple reportedly acquired audio software developer Camel Audio in January

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Audio software developer Camel Audio announced in January that it would be shutting down for good and removing its software from sale, but no one knew quite why. However, it now appears that the company has been acquired by Apple.

Today Camel Audio updated some of its corporate information, including its address and directors, as listed on the UK government’s Companies House website. The new address is 100 New Bridge Street in London, which also happens to be the address of Apple’s UK offices.


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Tweetbot for iPhone gains support for Twitter videos, improved GIF handling, and more

Tweetbot for iPhone 3.5.2 has been released today to support the native videos introduced by Twitter recently. The update allows users to play back the clips recorded and shared natively in the official Twitter app. Today’s new build also adds improvements to how the app handle’s GIFs shared using the pic.twitter.com service and fixes a variety of bugs.

The developers have also promised “exciting updates” coming to the app soon. You can get Tweetbot for iPhone for $4.99 on the iOS App Store.

What’s New in Version 3.5.2:

We’ve got some exciting updates coming up over the next few months. Stay tuned…

– Support for viewing Twitter videos
– Better support for Twitter GIFs
– Various bug fixes

9to5Toys Last Call: LifeProof iPhone 6 Plus case pre-order, JLab up to 80% off, Incipio iPhone 6 case $9, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Griffin MFi Apple-Certified retractable Lighting cable $10 shipped (orig. $20)

Amazon Gold Box – JLab headphones up to 80% off: in-ear buds w/ mic $10 Prime shipped, more

Incipio NGP impact-resistant iPhone 6 case in black $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $20)

Small States: Etwas builds timeless bags with legacy and heirloom design in mind – giveaway worth $380

More new gear from today:

Xbox One w/ 2 controllers & 3 games $349 shipped (Reg. $443+), PlayStation 4 + free PSTV $400 shipped (Reg. $470+)

More deals still alive:

New products & more:

YouTube Kids iOS app arrives w/ family-focused content & parental controls

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUmMAAPX6E8]

Google just announced that its new YouTube Kids app is available for both iOS and Android devices starting today. The new app for kids is the first of its kind for Google, but the launch follows reports that Google was preparing kid-friendly versions of YouTube, Chrome, Search and other apps.
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9to5Toys Last Call: Free App of the Week, iPhone 6/Plus kick stand case $5, 200GB OneDrive Storage free, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

iTunes Free App of the Week: Duet Game ($2.99 value)

Baytek iPhone 6/Plus kick stand case $5 Prime shipped (Reg. $15)

Confirmed! Stack these two Microsoft promos for 200GB of OneDrive storage for free

$40 Mac Bundle: Things, ScreenFlow, Typed, Civ, ExpanDrive, Aftershot Pro 2, more

LAST CHANCE! – Small States: Cord Shoes churns out handmade boots with a story behind every pair, $250 giveaway

More new gear from today:

More deals still alive:

New products & more:

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Yahoo unveils new suite of dev tools including search integration for other apps

After announcing its first dev con last December, Yahoo today kicked off its mobile developer conference in San Francisco where it unveiled five new products for mobile app makers. As suspected, Yahoo revealed the latest tools from Flurry, the mobile ad and analytics firm it acquired last July.

This includes Flurry Analytics Explorer, a new dashboard for the Flurry Analytics system which it says enables developers to discover more insights with than before, and Flurry Pulse, which lets app builders “share app signals with partners using their existing Flurry SDK implementations and the click of a button.”
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