Apps

6,275 'Apps' stories April 2010 - November 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.

Critically acclaimed console game ‘Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath’ arrives remastered for iOS devices

Jordan Kahn Nov 28 2014 - 7:18 am PT

3 Comments

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd2CxwPP6ks]

Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath first debuted on the original Xbox in 2005 to praise from critics and today the game has officially arrived for iOS devices with some new additions and enhancements specifically for the smaller screens.

Developed by Oddworld Inhabitants, Stranger’s Wrath is the latest installment in the franchise despite being first released on the original Xbox almost 10 years ago. The title foregoes the side scrolling puzzler gameplay that made the original Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee and follow up games in the series popular when released on PlayStation in the late 90’s. Instead, Stranger’s Wrath is half first-person shooter, half third-person platformer with lots of the usual Oddworld exploration and theatrical soundtrack.

The developers say the new iOS release includes “exciting new controls that make the most of the mobile format and improved visuals throughout.” The game also includes support for Made-for-iPhone game controllers and supports English, German, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Finish, Swedish, and Polish languages.

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is available on the App Store now for $5.99.

Upcoming port brings CarPlay to iPhone/iPad without an external display

Jordan Kahn Nov 27 2014 - 12:54 pm PT

13 Comments

Developer Adam Bell has published a preview of his latest project that attempts to allow CarPlay, Apple’s iOS feature usually reserved for in-car entertainment systems, to run directly on iOS devices.
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Twitter to start tracking the apps on your iPhone

Mark Hearn Nov 26 2014 - 2:18 pm PT

19 Comments

Image via: @kristinatastic

Twitter is about to get very nosey with its mobile subscribers, and if you’re among the millions of people using the company’s app on your smartphone, you’ll definitely want to listen up. The short-form social media outlet’s new app graph feature will soon start tracking which applications you have installed on your devices. This opt-out feature is being introduced to help the firm insert better ads and recommendations into your timeline.

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Skype 7.2 for Mac released w/ improved readability & fixes for crashing issues

9to5 Staff Nov 26 2014 - 12:23 pm PT

2 Comments

Microsoft has released the latest version of Skype for Mac with adjusted color contrast for improved readability and a long list of bug fixes. Skype 7.2 for Mac arrives less than two months after the voice calling and messaging app received a major overhaul in time for OS X Yosemite.
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Flexibits Black Friday sale goes live early: up to 65% off Fantastical for iOS & Mac, more

Zac Hall Nov 26 2014 - 10:09 am PT

3 Comments

Flexibits, makers of Fantastical for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, just kicked off their huge Black Friday holiday sale early with savings up to 65% off the regular price of their apps.

If you haven’t already tried Fantastical, it’s my favorite calendar replacement app–especially for iPhone–with natural language input and a clear list view for finding your appointments easily. Both the iPhone and iPad versions feature Today view widgets, extensions, and interactive notifications for iOS 8 users, and the Mac app is a simple menu bar app for accessing from anywhere.

Here are the deals:

Fantastical for iPhone: ~~$4.99~~ $1.99 (60% off)

Fantastical for iPad: ~~$14.99~~ $4.99 (65% off and lowest price yet)

Fantastical for Mac: ~~$19.99~~ $9.99 (50% off)

In addition to discounting Fantastical for each platform, Flexibits is also taking half off its Chatology app which helps you archive and search messages on your Mac. Available from Flexibits.com, the $19.99 app is on sale for $9.99 for the holidays. For more deals and savings, stay tuned to 9to5Toys for all the best Black Friday deals.

iTunes Radio is ad-free for all & offering $5 iTunes credits today courtesy of Verizon

Jordan Kahn Nov 26 2014 - 9:25 am PT

36 Comments

iTunes Radio, Apple’s ad-supported Internet radio service, is today available with “limited interruptions” courtesy of Verizon. That means that you won’t be seeing the normal ads you’re used to on the service and instead just a message from Verizon that states, “Enjoy with limited interruptions courtesy of Verizon.” The company is also handing out $5 iTunes store credits through a banner ad on iTunes Radio (pictured above).

It’s not just for Verizon customers, however, as the offer comes today only as part of Verizon’s “Connection Day” promotion offering free digital content and services to all users, not just Verizon customers.
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These are the most popular non-Apple apps people keep on their homescreens

Ben Lovejoy Nov 26 2014 - 5:02 am PT

28 Comments

You don’t need to go any further than iTunes to see the most popular iPhone apps, but a couple of days after Betaworks launched #Homescreen, an app which allows people to share their homescreens on Twitter, we thought it would be interesting to check the results so far. The above image was the result at the time of writing.

#Homescreen is an app with a single function: it allows you to share your current iPhone homescreen on Twitter. Betaworks uses image-recognition to identify the apps, and pulls together a constantly-updated image showing the most popular dock and homescreen apps.

Betaworks excludes Apple’s own apps, but does note that “between 45 percent and 65 percent of the home screens examined had replaced Apple’s default apps with third-party options,” reports TechCrunch.

One trend the company noted in a Medium blog post is the growing popularity of third-party messaging apps.

Facebook is Messenger is on 14% of people’s homescreen, Whatsapp is on 12 percent, Snapchat is on 11%, Path on 5 percent (while snapchat and path arent straight messaging app’s, worth noting them here for comparison), Groupme 4.7%, HipChat on 2.6 percent, Line on 1.5 percent, Viber 1%, Kik is on 0.5 percent.

Facebook, unsurprisingly, took the title of most popular third-party app provider, with 68.6% of homescreens having at least one of Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Pages or Instagram.

If you want to share your homescreen but can’t be bothered to download an app to do it, you can tweet a screengrab with the hashtag #homescreen2014.

Vine’s new favorites option literally keeps you in the loop

Mark Hearn Nov 25 2014 - 2:09 pm PT

0 Comments

If getting lost in Vine videos is one of your favorite pastimes and you follow a lengthy list of content producers, then you’ll definitely appreciate the platform’s latest update for its mobile apps. Starting today, you’ll be able to favorite a Vine user’s profile simply by tapping a Twitter-esque star.

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9to5Toys Last Call: Beats Studio headphones $200, Pebble Smart Watch $80, Seagate 5TB Desktop HDD $130, more

Nov 25 2014 - 12:27 pm PT

0 Comments

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:

Best Buy Black Friday Early Access for everyone: Pebble from $80, GoPro Hero3+ Silver bundle $250, Beats Studio $200, much more

Seagate 5TB Backup Plus USB 3.0 External Desktop Hard Drive: $130 shipped (Reg. $150)

RAVPower Element 10400mAh USB Power Bank $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)

The best Mac Black Friday deals that we’ve seen so far this week

Listen to the entire new AC/DC album “Rock or Bust” for free on iTunes a week before its release

Small States: JDS Labs makes powerful iPhone headphone amps, giveaway worth $279

Other new deals:

New! Bose Black Friday up to 40% off: QC3 Noise Cancelling headphones $200, more
New! Apple 27-inch iMac w/ Retina 5K display + AppleCare $2,229 shipped (Reg. $2,499)
New! Top 10 kids’ toys of 2014 per early Google Search data
New! Games/Apps: Disney Infinity Marvel Heroes $40, MEGA MAN X $1, more
New! Home: Dyson DC59 cordless stick vac $298 shipped (Reg. $500), more
New! Toys & Games for kids: Save on Lego, Nerf, Lionel Trains, more
New! 1-yr magazine subs w/ digital access for $3.90: GQ, Rolling Stone, more
New! XYZprinting Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer w/ 5 filament cartridges $449 ($640 value)
New! Headphones: Harman Kardon over-ears $140, Klipsch Wireless on-ears $80, more
New! TigerDirect: Save $25 off orders of $100 or more w/ PayPal checkout
New! Akai Pro MPC Slimline Controller for Mac/PC $279 shipped (Reg. $400), more
New! Daily Deals: JLab BT Speaker $40, 2-pack Urge Touchscreen Gloves: $9, more
New! Nexus 7 + Nexus 4 bundle refurb: $160 shipped for both
New! Caseology iPhone 6/Plus and 5/5s cases starting at $4 (up to 50% off)

More deals still alive:

Black Friday media X-Men Future Past $10, Blu-rays $4, more
Black Friday fashion Gap, Banana Republic, J.Crew, more
Amazon Fire TV Stick in stock and on sale for $25 w/ free in-store pickup (Reg. $39)
WD 3TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive $90 shipped (orig. $160)
Free gift card $20-$50 w/ purchase of Sonos speakers and accessories
Samsung 840 EVO 1TB Solid State Drive $360 shipped (Orig. $500)
Toshiba Canvio Connect 1TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive: $45 shipped (Reg. $75)
Canon ImageCLASS wireless laser printer: $50 shipped
Storage: Samsung microSD cards $8, USB flash drives $10, more
iPod touch 32GB: $220 or $249 w/ $50 gift card (Reg. $249)
Giveaway: 10 limited Skrillex Ultimate Ears BOOM Bluetooth speakers ($200 value)
Canon Pre-Black Friday Sale: 40% off refurb DSLR cams, lenses, more
Motorola 50% off accessories: JBL Micro speaker $30, more
Adobe Creative Cloud up to 68% off NOW: $16 edu, $40 individual
Energy 5.1 Home Theater System (Six, Black): $300 shipped (50% off)
VIZIO soundbar, wireless sub, speakers from $190 (Reg. $298), more
Mophie Juice Pack 1500mAh case iPhone 5/5s $40 (Reg. $80)
LG 4K UHDTVs 15% Amazon credit back: from $593
Review/Giveaway Aukey 4-port car charger for 4 tablets at once: $17 (66% off)
Free iOS app courtesy of Apple Store: The Whole Pantry ($2.99 value)
Google gives 1TB Drive Data FREE ($240 value) w/Chromebook
Things for iOS goes free (Reg. up to $20), 30% off Mac version
Refurb. Apple AirPorts: Extreme (newest) $120 (Reg. $199 new), Express $60 (Reg. $99 new)

Black Friday:

We’re updating our email newsletter with Black Friday/holiday shopping ideas and savings

Top leaks:

Amazon announces its Black Friday gameplan and prices, new deals every 10 minutes
Best Buy’s 2014 Black Friday ad is out! Samsung 55″ 4K $900, iPad Air 2 $100 off, more
Black Friday ad roundup: eBay Daily Deals, iPhone 6, iTunes, more
Walmart’s Black Friday ad revealed: iPad mini w/ $30 GC $199, Xbox One/PS4 deals, more
Pre-order Samsung Black Friday: 40″ 4K Smart TV $600, Blu-ray player $55, more
Target Black Friday preview: iPad Air 2 w/$140 GC $499, iPad mini w/$80 GC $249, more
Toys R Us Black Friday ad leak: PS4 bundles, BOGO 40% off games, more
Staples Black Friday Ad: save 20% on iPad, printers, streaming devices, more
GameStop’s full Black Friday ad leak: PS4 bundle $400, Xbox One from $330, more

All other leaks/info:

Canada Black Friday: Best Buy, Walmart, Future Shop, Amazon, more
Hotel Tonight iOS/Android app offers $7 rooms on Black Friday
BJ’s Wholesale Black Friday deals kick off this weekend
GameStop pre-Black Friday sale w/ discounts on Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel, more
TigerDirect in-store Black Friday: WeMo, Xbox One bundles, Samsung 4K UHDTV, more
Black Friday Ad Roundup: Costco, Bed Bath and Beyond, Old Navy, more
hhgregg Black Friday Ad: Apple iPad Air $299, Beats by Dre Solo 2 $150, discounted HDTVs
Black Friday Ad Roundup: Costco, Macy’s, CVS, Big Lots, more
OfficeMax/Office Depot Black Friday: 20% off iTunes gift cards, more
Staples Black Friday preview: Jawbone or Fitbit w/$25 Visa GC, more
More Black Friday ad leaks: JCPenney, Kohl’s, Pier 1, Walgreens, more
Sam’s Club: 60″ VIZIO 4K Smart UHDTV for under $1,000 ahead of Black Friday
Sports Authority Black Friday: Garmin Vivofit $80, up to 70% off North Face, more
Meijer Black Friday: $100 credit w/ iPads, Xbox One bundle w/ $50 credit $330, more
Sears Black Friday leak: Samsung 55″ Smart HDTV $600, Dewalt drill kit $100, more
Dell Black Friday ad leak: discounts on monitors, Xbox One/PS4, HDTVS, more
Xbox One holiday price drop now live with prices starting at $349 (or lower)
Amazon’s countdown to Black Friday kicks off w/ thousands of Lightning Deals
Target announces free shipping for all items through the holiday shopping season

New products/ongoing promos:

Bang & Olufsen: new lambskin lined BeoPlay H2 headphones
Moleskin teams up w/ Adobe to take notes and sketches from paper to the cloud
ShotTracker brings Bluetooth LE and data collection to your hoop game
Twelve South makes the best iPhone 6/iPad dock even better
Logitech AnyAngle is a protective case with an ‘any-angle’ stand for your iPad
littleBits: DIY Smart Home Kit, options for creating an internet-connected home
Logitech announces limited ed. UE BOOM Bluetooth speaker designed by Skrillex
Ollie gets murdered-out with the new Darkside bundle, Sphero 2.0 $40 off
Internet Archive brings 900 classic arcade titles to your web browser for free
The thinnest iPhone 6/Plus cases we’ve found so far

Dropbox’s Microsoft Office integration arriving in updated mobile apps today

Jordan Kahn Nov 25 2014 - 9:47 am PT

0 Comments

Following an announcement earlier this month that Microsoft was adding Dropbox integration for syncing and sharing to the Office for iOS apps, Dropbox announced today that the feature is now available in its latest app updates for iOS and Android.

The integration essentially allows users to tap into Dropbox storage directly from within the Office mobile apps, but it will also include the ability to send links to files from Office using Dropbox, open documents from Dropbox in Office, and more. Dropbox has instructions on how to use the new integration with Microsoft’s Office apps on its website.

To get started, make sure your Dropbox app is up to date on your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone, then open any Office doc, spreadsheet, or presentation in your Dropbox. Tap the new Edit icon (shown above) to start editing in the latest Office apps. When you’re done, your changes will be saved back to Dropbox automatically.

You can get the new features through the latest Dropbox app for iOS starting today and the latest versions of Microsoft’s Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Office apps. The integration is also expected to arrive for web users early next year.

Retailers w/ iBeacons have upper hand this holiday as shoppers embrace location-based offers

Jordan Kahn Nov 25 2014 - 6:25 am PT

4 Comments

The latest stats from Swirl Networks, the company behind a number of beacon deployments at high-profile retailers, shows that shoppers in the US are embracing Bluetooth beacons and along with it Apple’s iBeacon framework for app developers sending location sensitive notifications to users. More specifically, data collected from the company’s beacon deployments in recent months shows that beacons are influencing the way we shop with more than half engaging with the feature and many redeeming beacon offers when making purchases.
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Twitterrific 5 for Mac may become the first casualty in Twitter’s war on developers, but it won’t be the last

Mike Beasley Nov 25 2014 - 6:00 am PT

17 Comments

If you open the Mac App Store right now and do a search for “twitter,” you’ll find results just like the ones in the image above. You may recognize the official Twitter app along with some of the most popular and prolific third-party clients. Right below Twitter for Mac you’ll find Twitterrific.

Twitterrific has been around for quite a while now, and was the very first native Twitter application ever built for Mac. It was also the first app to use the word “tweet” to refer to the posts on the network, and introduced many modern staples like conversations and replies. To this day it remains a popular choice among users and has seen many major updates and redesigns. It’s currently on its fourth major version.

In December 2012, Twitterrific 5 was released for iOS devices. The Iconfactory, Twitterrific’s developers, promised that a Mac version of the updated app was in development and would include support for the new iCloud syncing feature and an all-new design. Three days shy of a year after releasing the iPhone update, however, users were given what is currently the app’s most recent update. It included only two bug fixes. The developers have noted that the 5.0 update for Mac is facing big delays.

So what’s going on here? Why has it taken two years for any more news of the update? When will the new version finally be available?

The unfortunate truth? Not even the developers know.

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9to5Toys Last Call: Toshiba 1TB Portable HDD $45, Retina iPad mini 32GB $299, Amazon Fire TV Stick $25, more

Justin Kahn Nov 24 2014 - 3:56 pm PT

0 Comments

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Toshiba Canvio Connect 1TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive: $45 shipped (Reg. $75)

Apple 32GB iPad mini 2 w/Retina display: $299 shipped ($50 off)

Amazon Fire TV Stick in stock and on sale for $25 w/ free in-store pickup (Reg. $39)

Giveaway: 10 limited edition Skrillex Ultimate Ears BOOM Bluetooth speakers ($200 value)

Amazon announces its Black Friday gameplan and prices, new deals every 10 minutes

Small States: JDS Labs makes powerful iPhone headphone amps, giveaway worth $279

Other new deals:

New! Seagate 5TB USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive $135 (Reg. $150)
New! WD 3TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive $90 shipped (orig. $160)
New! Storage: Samsung microSD cards $8, USB flash drives $10, more
New! iPod touch 32GB: $220 or $249 w/ $50 gift card (Reg. $249)
New! Adobe Ink & Slide Creative Cloud iPad Stylus: $130 shipped (Reg. $200)
New! LG 4K UHDTVs 15% Amazon credit back: from $593
New! Mophie Juice Pack 1500mAh case iPhone 5/5s $40 (Reg. $80)
New! Motorola 50% off accessories: JBL Micro speaker $30, more
New! Canon ImageCLASS wireless laser printer: $50 shipped
New! VIZIO soundbar, wireless sub, speakers from $190 (Reg. $298), more
New! Free gift card $20-$50 w/ purchase of Sonos speakers and accessories
New! Energy 5.1 Home Theater System (Six, Black): $300 shipped (50% off)
New! Samsung 840 EVO 1TB Solid State Drive $360 shipped (Orig. $500)
New! Daily Deals: Logitech speakers/sub $29, USB charging station $15, more
New! Best Buy Elite/Elite Plus members can score Black Friday deals today
New! Canon Pre-Black Friday Sale: 40% off refurb DSLR cams, lenses, more
New! Target: Black Friday deals available online starting on Wednesday
New! Free Google Play download of Imagine Dragon’s Night Visions album
New! Games/Apps: Plex media app $2 (Reg. $5), iOS freebies
New! Black Friday ad roundup: eBay Daily Deals, iPhone 6, iTunes, more
New! Black Friday fashion Gap, Banana Republic, J.Crew, more
New! Black Friday media X-Men Future Past $10, Blu-rays $4, more
New! One-year magazine subscription to Men’s Fitness $3 shipped (Reg. $20)
New! $25 AMC & Regal Theater Gift Cards for $20 w/ email delivery (20% off)
New! Home: Black & Decker hand vac $30, Cuisinar Salt & Pepper $47, more
New! Home: Dyson DC59 vac $350, Nespresso espresso maker $160, more
New! Hamilton Beach K-Cup coffee maker $72 (Reg. $100), more
New! Canada Black Friday: Best Buy, Walmart, Future Shop, Amazon, more
New! Samsung Galaxy S5 $1 on contract (Reg. $99)

More deals still alive:

Adobe Creative Cloud up to 68% off NOW: $16 edu, $40 individual
Extra 40% off KAYSCASE protection for iPhone 6/Plus, iPad Air 2, and more
Review/Giveaway Aukey 4-port car charger for 4 tablets at once: $17 (66% off)
Walmart’s Pre-Black Friday sale live: HDTVs, personal goods, more
Free iOS app courtesy of Apple Store: The Whole Pantry ($2.99 value)
Monitors: Dell 27″ $480, LG 34″ UHD w/ Thunderbolt $880, more
Google gives 1TB Drive Data FREE ($240 value) w/Chromebook
Things for iOS goes free (Reg. up to $20), 30% off Mac version
First look: LifeProof starts taking orders for its waterproof iPhone 6 frē case
Audio-Technica Noise Isolation In-Ear Headphones $33 shipped (orig. $80)
40% off all prints at Shutterfly with free shipping on orders of $39 or higher
50% off some hilarious (and mildly offensive) Ugly Christmas Sweaters
Kensington KeyCover keyboard case for iPad Air $15, more
Amazon Prime deal: Adobe Photoshop Elements 13 (Mac/PC): $50 (Reg. $100)
Refurb. Apple AirPorts: Extreme (newest) $120 (Reg. $199 new), Express $60 (Reg. $99 new)
$80 mobile app prototyping software for Mac goes free
Omaker iPhone 6 slim bumper case $7 Prime shipped (orig. $30)
Lenmar Meridian MFi iPhone 5/5s Battery Case $30 Prime shipped (Reg. $90)
Free download: “How to build an iPhone App Using Swift” guide
WD My Book 6TB USB 3.0 Hard Drive $220 shipped (Reg. $249+)
Sennheiser RS 180 Wireless Headphones $200 shipped (orig. $390)
Sennheiser MM30i in-ear headphones $30 shipped (orig. $80), more
Minisuit selfie stick pro w/ built-in Bluetooth $15 shipped (Reg. $20+)

Black Friday:

We’re updating our email newsletter with Black Friday/holiday shopping ideas and savings

Top leaks:

Best Buy’s 2014 Black Friday ad is out! Samsung 55″ 4K $900, iPad Air 2 $100 off, more
Walmart’s Black Friday ad revealed: iPad mini w/ $30 GC $199, Xbox One/PS4 deals, more
Pre-order Samsung Black Friday: 40″ 4K Smart TV $600, Blu-ray player $55, more
Target Black Friday preview: iPad Air 2 w/$140 GC $499, iPad mini w/$80 GC $249, more
Toys R Us Black Friday ad leak: PS4 bundles, BOGO 40% off games, more
Staples Black Friday Ad: save 20% on iPad, printers, streaming devices, more
GameStop’s full Black Friday ad leak: PS4 bundle $400, Xbox One from $330, more

All other leaks/info:

Hotel Tonight iOS/Android app offers $7 rooms on Black Friday
BJ’s Wholesale Black Friday deals kick off this weekend
GameStop pre-Black Friday sale w/ discounts on Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel, more
TigerDirect in-store Black Friday: WeMo, Xbox One bundles, Samsung 4K UHDTV, more
Black Friday Ad Roundup: Costco, Bed Bath and Beyond, Old Navy, more
hhgregg Black Friday Ad: Apple iPad Air $299, Beats by Dre Solo 2 $150, discounted HDTVs
Black Friday Ad Roundup: Costco, Macy’s, CVS, Big Lots, more
OfficeMax/Office Depot Black Friday: 20% off iTunes gift cards, more
Staples Black Friday preview: Jawbone or Fitbit w/$25 Visa GC, more
More Black Friday ad leaks: JCPenney, Kohl’s, Pier 1, Walgreens, more
Sam’s Club: 60″ VIZIO 4K Smart UHDTV for under $1,000 ahead of Black Friday
Sports Authority Black Friday: Garmin Vivofit $80, up to 70% off North Face, more
Meijer Black Friday: $100 credit w/ iPads, Xbox One bundle w/ $50 credit $330, more
Sears Black Friday leak: Samsung 55″ Smart HDTV $600, Dewalt drill kit $100, more
Dell Black Friday ad leak: discounts on monitors, Xbox One/PS4, HDTVS, more
Xbox One holiday price drop now live with prices starting at $349 (or lower)
Amazon’s countdown to Black Friday kicks off w/ thousands of Lightning Deals
Target announces free shipping for all items through the holiday shopping season

New products/ongoing promos:

Bang & Olufsen: new lambskin lined BeoPlay H2 headphones
Moleskin teams up w/ Adobe to take notes and sketches from paper to the cloud
ShotTracker brings Bluetooth LE and data collection to your hoop game
Twelve South makes the best iPhone 6/iPad dock even better
Logitech AnyAngle is a protective case with an ‘any-angle’ stand for your iPad
littleBits: DIY Smart Home Kit, options for creating an internet-connected home
Logitech announces limited ed. UE BOOM Bluetooth speaker designed by Skrillex
Ollie gets murdered-out with the new Darkside bundle, Sphero 2.0 $40 off
Internet Archive brings 900 classic arcade titles to your web browser for free
The thinnest iPhone 6/Plus cases we’ve found so far

Betaworks launches ‘#Homescreen’ to make app sharing and discovery easier

9to5 Staff Nov 24 2014 - 10:53 am PT

2 Comments

If you have ever caught yourself peering at someone else’s iPhone home screen, be it the person sitting next to you on the subway or in a college lecture hall, look no further. New York-based startup studio and venture capital firm Betaworks on Monday released a new app called #Homescreen for sharing your iPhone home screen and discovering apps.
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Report: App Store downloads surge to highest ever in October following iPhone 6/6 Plus launch

Jordan Kahn Nov 24 2014 - 5:03 am PT

1 Comment

According to the latest data from Fiksu, the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus alongside iOS 8 accounted for a massive increase and an all-time high for app downloads. Specifically, the report points to a 42 percent increase from the previous month among the top 200 free iOS apps tracked by the company. Around 7.8 million downloads for the top 200 free apps accounted for a 42 percent increase over September and a 39 percent increase year-over-year.
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GarageBand, Star Walk, Threes and more apps go (RED) until December 7th, all proceeds going to charity

Benjamin Mayo Nov 23 2014 - 2:22 pm PT

11 Comments

A range of apps have been updated today with limited-time promotions, in aid of the (RED) charity. Apple has participated in the event with an update to GarageBand, offering a limited-edition In-App Purchase that makes over 300 new drum, guitar, synth and bass loops available as an In-App Purchase. All proceeds from the sale of this expansion pack go directly to the (RED) charity, which sends the money to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The In-App Purchase, which is priced at $0.99, will be available until December 7th.

Other notable developers are also participating, many of which including exclusive additional content. For example, Threes has been updated, with a fresh red theme and updated icon. Monument Valley has added one special (RED) level, Star Walk has added exploration of Mars, The Red Planet. The popular drawing app, Paper, has also participated with a red application theme and icon. The ‘Over’ app has made special edition font and artwork packs available for purchase. djay and Heads Up! are also taking part in the event. Like GarageBand, 100% of proceeds of app and IAP sales go to the (RED) fund.

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Apple’s A8 processor found in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus can reportedly handle 4K video playback

Mike Beasley Nov 21 2014 - 5:47 pm PT

7 Comments

When Apple debuted the A8 processor that would be used in its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, it appears the company decided to omit one big detail: the chip, according to a new discovery by the developers behind the app WALTR. Using that app, they found that it was possible to load 4K videos onto an iPhone 6. Not only that, but the device managed to play it back without any issues.

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This week’s Apple Pay arrivals: Sephora, tickets.com, Disney Store app, Square coming in 2015

Jordan Kahn Nov 21 2014 - 2:38 pm PT

0 Comments

Apple is steadily rolling out more support for banking and card issuer partners since first launching its new Apple Pay payments service last month. The other part of the equation is retailers and app developers supporting the service and this week saw the rollout of additional support including announcements from Sephora, venues that utilize tickets.com, and the Disney Store iOS app. In addition, Square is today confirming that its previously announced under development bitcoin and NFC capable register will arrive with Apple Pay support sometime in 2015.
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9to5Toys Last Call: Seiki 40″ HDTV w/ USB $200, The Whole Pantry for iOS free, Intel 240GB SSD $110, more

Nov 21 2014 - 2:13 pm PT

0 Comments

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Seiki 40″ 1080P LED HDTV w/ USB & 3 HDMI inputs: $200 shipped more

Free iOS app courtesy of Apple Store: The Whole Pantry ($2.99 value)

Intel 730 Series 2.5-inch Solid State Drives: 240GB $110 (orig. $270), 480GB $200 (orig. $500)

Giveaway: 10 limited edition Skrillex Ultimate Ears BOOM Bluetooth speakers ($200 value)

Amazon announces its Black Friday gameplan and prices, new deals every 10 minutes

Small States – TM1985: former Ralph Lauren designer goes American made w/ elegant backpacks, $407 giveaway + 25% discount

Other new deals:

New! Adobe Creative Cloud up to 68% off NOW: $16 edu, $40 individual
New! Games/Apps: Skylanders Trap Team (iPad) $37 (Reg. $75), iOS freebies
New! Extra 40% off KAYSCASE protection for iPhone 6/Plus, iPad Air 2, and more
New! Monitors: Dell 27″ $480, LG 34″ UHD w/ Thunderbolt $880, more
New! Review/Giveaway Aukey 4-port car charger for 4 tablets at once: $17 (66% off)
New! Daily Deals: 500GB Video Recorder: $69, Bem BT speaker: $20, more
New! Walmart’s Pre-Black Friday sale live: HDTVs, personal goods, more
New! Bang & Olufsen: new lambskin lined BeoPlay H2 headphones
New! Fashion: Eddie Bauer 30% off sitewide: jackets, winter gear, more
New! Home: Philips electric shaver $170, Hamilton Beach Grill $40, more
New! Google gives 1TB Drive Data FREE ($240 value) w/Chromebook
New! Gold Box Deal of the Day: 20% or more off Windows laptops

More deals still alive:

Things task manager app for iOS goes free (Reg. up to $20), 30% off Mac version
First look: LifeProof starts taking orders for its waterproof iPhone 6 frē case
iPhone 6 Plus TPU rubber ultra thin bumper case and stylus $3 shipped
Audio-Technica Noise Isolation In-Ear Headphones $33 shipped (orig. $80)
40% off all prints at Shutterfly with free shipping on orders of $39 or higher
Apple 13.3-inch Retina MacBook Pro (2013) 2.4GHz/8GB/256GB: $1,149 (orig. $1,399)
Harman Kardon CL Precision Headphones (refurb) $49 (orig. $250), more
Save up to 50% on some hilarious (and mildly offensive) Ugly Christmas Sweaters
Amazon offers $40 off Kindles, Fire TV and more w/ Prime membership purchases
Apple TV (newest version) at Black Friday pricing right now: $79 shipped (Reg. $99)
Kensington KeyCover keyboard case for iPad Air $15, more
Amazon Prime deal: Adobe Photoshop Elements 13 (Mac/PC): $50 (Reg. $100)
B&H matches Amazon’s Pre-order sale on Samsung HDTVs for Black Friday
Refurb. Apple AirPorts: Extreme (newest) $120 (Reg. $199 new), Express $60 (Reg. $99 new)
Bluetooth car kits: MPOW FM transmitter: $35, Belkin handsfree $29
$80 mobile app prototyping software for Mac goes free
Omaker iPhone 6 slim bumper case $7 Prime shipped (orig. $30)
Lenmar Meridian MFi 2300mAh iPhone 5/5s Battery Case $30 Prime shipped (Reg. $90)
Free download: “How to build an iPhone App Using Swift” guide
WD My Book 6TB USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive $220 shipped (Reg. $249+)
Marshall Stanmore Bluetooth Speaker (multiple colors) $340 shipped (Reg. $400)
Brother MFC-7360N 4-in-1 Laser Printer: $100 shipped (orig. $200)
Sennheiser RS 180 Wireless Headphones $200 shipped (orig. $390)
Sennheiser MM30i in-ear headphones w/ mic & remote $30 shipped (orig. $80), more
Minisuit selfie stick pro w/ built-in Bluetooth $15 shipped (Reg. $20+)

Black Friday:

We’re updating our email newsletter with Black Friday/holiday shopping ideas and savings

Top leaks:

Best Buy’s 2014 Black Friday ad is out! Samsung 55″ 4K $900, iPad Air 2 $100 off, more
Walmart’s Black Friday ad revealed: iPad mini w/ $30 GC $199, Xbox One/PS4 deals, more
Pre-order Samsung Black Friday: 40″ 4K Smart TV $600, Blu-ray player $55, more
Target Black Friday preview: iPad Air 2 w/$140 GC $499, iPad mini w/$80 GC $249, more
Toys R Us Black Friday ad leak: PS4 bundles, BOGO 40% off games, more
Staples Black Friday Ad: save 20% on iPad, printers, streaming devices, more
GameStop’s full Black Friday ad leak: PS4 bundle $400, Xbox One from $330, more

All other leaks/info:

Hotel Tonight iOS/Android app offers $7 rooms on Black Friday
BJ’s Wholesale Black Friday deals kick off this weekend
GameStop pre-Black Friday sale w/ discounts on Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel, more
TigerDirect in-store Black Friday: WeMo, Xbox One bundles, Samsung 4K UHDTV, more
Black Friday Ad Roundup: Costco, Bed Bath and Beyond, Old Navy, more
hhgregg Black Friday Ad: Apple iPad Air $299, Beats by Dre Solo 2 $150, discounted HDTVs
Black Friday Ad Roundup: Costco, Macy’s, CVS, Big Lots, more
OfficeMax/Office Depot Black Friday: 20% off iTunes gift cards, more
Staples Black Friday preview: Jawbone or Fitbit w/$25 Visa GC, more
More Black Friday ad leaks: JCPenney, Kohl’s, Pier 1, Walgreens, more
Sam’s Club: 60″ VIZIO 4K Smart UHDTV for under $1,000 ahead of Black Friday
Sports Authority Black Friday: Garmin Vivofit $80, up to 70% off North Face, more
Meijer Black Friday: $100 credit w/ iPads, Xbox One bundle w/ $50 credit $330, more
Sears Black Friday leak: Samsung 55″ Smart HDTV $600, Dewalt drill kit $100, more
Dell Black Friday ad leak: discounts on monitors, Xbox One/PS4, HDTVS, more
Xbox One holiday price drop now live with prices starting at $349 (or lower)
Amazon’s countdown to Black Friday kicks off w/ thousands of Lightning Deals
Target announces free shipping for all items through the holiday shopping season

New products/ongoing promos:

Moleskin teams up w/ Adobe to take notes and sketches from paper to the cloud
ShotTracker brings Bluetooth LE and data collection to your hoop game
Twelve South makes the best iPhone 6/iPad dock even better
Logitech AnyAngle is a protective case with an ‘any-angle’ stand for your iPad
littleBits: DIY Smart Home Kit, options for creating an internet-connected home
Logitech announces limited ed. UE BOOM Bluetooth speaker designed by Skrillex
Ollie gets murdered-out with the new Darkside bundle, Sphero 2.0 $40 off
Internet Archive brings 900 classic arcade titles to your web browser for free
The thinnest iPhone 6/Plus cases we’ve found so far

iCloud Photos upload support for images added to public iCloud site

Zac Hall Nov 21 2014 - 11:19 am PT

1 Comment

In addition to updating iCloud.com with support for eight new languages when using iWork for iCloud, Apple has also turned on the ability to upload photos to iCloud Photos from the web. Upload support for iCloud Photos on the web was previously rolled out to the beta.iCloud.com site at the beginning of this month. Video uploading currently isn’t supported by either version of the iCloud site..
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AirParrot 2 brings Mac & Windows screen mirroring to Chromecast, drag and drop media streaming

Jordan Kahn Nov 21 2014 - 8:54 am PT

7 Comments

AirParrot, the app that lets you send your desktop display to an Apple TV-connected TV, is today releasing version 2 with Chromecast support and number of other new features. Sure, you can mirror your Mac’s display to an Apple TV using Apple’s built-in AirPlay feature, but AirParrot provides features beyond what Apple offers and also support for screen mirroring from Chromebooks and Windows. Today’s release makes it the first to enable full screen mirroring support to Chromecast with audio support and more.

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iWork for iCloud updated with eight new languages, easier document renaming and more

Ben Lovejoy Nov 21 2014 - 5:25 am PT

5 Comments

Apple has updated its iWork for iCloud web-based productivity suite with eight new languages, the ability to rename documents in the editor and a few minor additional enhancements.

Pages gets all eight new languages: Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Spanish – including bidirectional support for Arabic and Hebrew. Numbers and Keynote get all but Arabic and Hebrew …
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iPhone app predicts whether you’ll like the beer or wine you’re looking at in the store [Video]

Ben Lovejoy Nov 21 2014 - 3:58 am PT

14 Comments

Sure, there are shopping apps out there that will read the barcode of a product and let you know whether you could buy it more cheaply online, but someone has now tackled a far more more important issue: will you actually enjoy that bottle of beer or wine you’re eyeing up in the store?

Next Glass is a free iPhone app that uses your own personal taste preferences to predict how likely you are to enjoy a beer or wine you’ve never tried before. If you’re buying for a dinner party or other social occasion, you can link to friends using the same app and it’ll show you how much they’ll like it too …
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Dropbox says this week’s OS X 10.10.1 release fixes crashes on Yosemite

Jordan Kahn Nov 20 2014 - 3:08 pm PT

6 Comments

Dropbox is sending out an email to let users know that crashes related to Yosemite have been resolved in the latest OS X 10.10.1 release that landed earlier this week.

“We’re reaching out to let you know about an issue in Apple’s new OS X Yosemite that causes problems with Dropbox. You can resolve this issue by installing the latest Software for OS X Yosemite…

OS X Yosemite 10.10.1 arrived earlier this week for users bringing with it a number of bug fixes and Wi-Fi improvements. The problem for Dropbox, according to the company, is caused by a Yosemite bug related to how applications, not just Dropbox, use Yosemite’s official Finder integration. The bug can lead to crashing for Dropbox and other apps when using open, save, or save-as functions. Dropbox notes that “if the program crashes because of this interaction, unsaved changes may be lost.”

Fortunately, users can easily remedy the issue by updating to the latest OS X 10.10.1 release through Software Update in the Mac App Store.

In related news: earlier today Apple released its first seed of OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 beta to AppleSeed users and developers ahead of a public release.

The full email sent out by Dropbox to users today is below: