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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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9to5Toys Last Call: iTunes Free App of the Week, Omaker 10000mAh power bank $17, SSD deals, 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: ProCam 2 ($1.99 value)

Omaker 10,000mAh Dual 2.1A USB Batteries with 1W flashlight: $17 Prime shipped, (+ 5200mAh battery: $30 shipped)

2.5-inch SATA III SSDs: Samsung 850 250GB $110 (Reg. $150), Crucial MX100 256GB $90 (Reg. $128)

Apple discounts nearly forty of the most popular productivity apps for iOS and Mac

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro w/ Retina display (newest) 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB: $1,599 ($200 off)

Apple 11.6-inch MacBook Air (newest version) 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB $750 (Reg. $899)

Apple 11.6-inch MacBook Air (mid 2013) 1.3GHz/4GB/256GB: $849 (orig. $1,099)

More new gear from today:

More deals still alive:

New products/ongoing promos/info:

Apple releases iTunes 12.1 with OS X Notification Center widget, syncing improvements, and more

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Apple has released a new update for iTunes on OS X that introduces support for a Notification Center widget. The widget will allow users to control their music and buy songs from iTunes Radio directly from the system-wide panel.

iTunes 12.1 also includes a “quick tour” feature that runs on the app’s second launch. It’s the same quick tour that has been available on Apple’s website since last year, but it is now included natively in the app to help users get acclimated to the new design.


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Apple discounts nearly forty of the most popular productivity apps for iOS and Mac

From 9to5Toys.com:

As usual, we’ve been tracking the best iOS price drops and freebies all week. About 48 hours ago we began to notice an influx of price drops for big name productivity apps. And now we know why. Apple has just unveiled its Get Productive App Store sale which features 19 insanely popular iOS productivity apps.

It’s rare to see so many all-time low prices from such a variety of top-tier developers. Here are our top picks:

On the Mac side of the sale there are twenty discounted productivity apps. Again, here are our favorites:

Check out our daily roundups for more of the best iOS apps sales.

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Uber is giving away Mophie Power Reserve battery packs in Phoenix this weekend ahead of the Super Bowl

Uber, the app-based transportation service which lets you request a ride from your iPhone, is running a pretty interesting promotion in Phoenix, Arizona starting today through Saturday for Super Bowl XLIX . Between 10 am and 6 pm each day, Uber will offer to deliver a free Mophie Power Reserve ($49.95 1350mAh battery charger) to its users through the app. The free Mophie option is listed alongside car types in the Uber app.

Since requesting Uber to deliver a mobile charger to you then having them wait for you to charge your phone would take potentially hours, Uber and Mophie are giving the Power Reserves away to keep.

In the past, Uber has ran similar short run promotions with ice cream and other offers. In DC, for example, Uber is currently promoting a puppy adoption drive.

As for the Mophie giveaway promotion, Uber says it expects demand to be high, obviously, so you’ll have to test your luck with picking up a free Power Reserve if you’re in the area. Uber says its cars are equipped with Mophies, too, if you’re taking a ride and just need a quick charge.
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Yahoo app for iPhone gets a new look with focus on magazine content

The Yahoo app for iPhone is getting a new look today that the company says puts a bigger focus on magazine content with “beautiful images and engaging features that make content from our ten digital magazines even more fun.”

New features included in the redesigned app to make the magazine experience more interactive include the ability to vote on Yahoo Style, swipe to see Yahoo Movies info including reviews and analysis, and content from Yahoo Food.

You’ll notice the new features mentioned above in all the magazine categories in the app and Yahoo also notes that it now has “Yahoo Weather and Yahoo News Digest content above the stream for your two favorite categories, All Stories and News.”

The updated Yahoo app for iPhone is arriving on the App Store today for users in the United States.

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9to5Toys Last Call: iTunes Free App of the Week, Sony storage up to 60% off, much 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:

 

Amazon Gold Box – Up to 60% Off Sony flash storage: USB drives from $6, Micro SDHC from $8, more

Media: The Wire Complete Series $50 iTunes download, DVD/Blu-rays as low as $3

Roundup: the best soundbars to bring your home theater to life

Gaming For Couples: The best PlayStation 4 bundles, games, demos and accessories

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVYimOiEya8?rel=0]

Duet Display uses your iPad as an extra Mac display, hits its lowest price ever: $8 (Reg. $15)

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro w/ Retina display (newest) 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB: $1,599 ($200 off)

Apple 11.6-inch MacBook Air (newest version) 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB $750 (Reg. $899)

Apple 11.6-inch MacBook Air (mid 2013) 1.3GHz/4GB/256GB: $849 (orig. $1,099)

Small States: Schoolhouse Electric – beautiful home goods w/ old school techniques, giveaway

More new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/ongoing promos/info:

Widespread iTunes Connect issue presenting wrong user name and apps for developers (Update: Resolved)

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iTunes Connect, Apple’s portal where developers manage software published on the App Store, is presenting many users with a widespread issue this morning. Several users are reporting logging in with their own credentials and being presented with both the name and apps of other iTunes Connect users, including upcoming, unreleased versions of apps. 9to5Mac has corroborated the errors with iTunes Connect.
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SoundCloud releases redesigned iPad app with new features, removes audio recording

SoundCloud today released a brand new iPad app that has been completely redesigned to offer a better experience for users uploading, sharing, and listening to music through the service.

You’ll have access to just about all the SoundCloud features available on desktop including the ability to build a Collection, explore genres, edit and view profiles, create playlists, and share tracks and artists with other users. 

One feature you won’t find is audio recording, however, as SoundCloud warns users to “Please upload any locally stored sounds before upgrading your iPad app, as audio recording has been removed from this version.” As an alternative, SoundCloud said it recommends downloading one of the many audio recording apps that offer SoundCloud uploads.

You also won’t be able to add or view comments, track info, and follower/following lists, but unlike the audio recording feature SoundCloud said these features will be returning in a later version.

The new SoundCloud app for iPad, version 3.7.1, is available on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 3.7.1

The beautifully redesigned SoundCloud iPad app gives you a simplified, more intuitive and more visual experience. Discover and hear fresh/new music & audio, and log in to build your Collection, create playlists, and be the first to share your favorite tracks & artists with friends and followers.

Please upload any locally stored sounds before upgrading your iPad app, as audio recording has been removed from this version. For future recording, we recommend downloading one of the many apps that allow you to record and post directly to SoundCloud. For your activity feed, track info and user comments, please go to www.soundcloud.com.

And for both iPhone & iPad users we made some performance improvements which give you a smoother scrolling experience!

Microsoft launches revamped Outlook mail app based on Acompli for iOS [Video]

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Microsoft announced plans today to launch a new app for its Outlook email service on iOS. The app is based on the Acompli software that the company purchased in December for $200 million. The app includes “email triage” features found in the old app as well as new features to help appeal to a wider audience, such as the ability to toggle threaded conversation views.

The Outlook iOS app will also support mail from third-party services beyond Microsoft’s. iCloud, Gmail, and Yahoo email accounts can be plugged into the app, and attachments can be added to messages from cloud services like Google Drive and Dropox. Check out the video below …


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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad Air 2 $109 off, Duet iOS app $8, PlayStation 4 console $350, 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:

 

Apple iPad Air 2 16GB Wi-Fi for $390 shipped ($109 off)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVYimOiEya8?rel=0]

Duet Display uses your iPad as an extra Mac display, hits its lowest price ever today: $8 (Reg. $15)

PlayStation 4 console $350 shipped (Reg. $400) plus CARROT Talking Task List $1, iAnnotate PDF $5, Clear Tasks $2, Calendars 5 $3, and iOS freebies

Apple iPhone 6: $498 off contract, (iPhone 6 Plus: $598) refurb at Walmart (23% off)

Apple 11.6-inch MacBook Air (newest version) 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB $750 (Reg. $899)

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro w/ Retina display (newest) 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB: $1,599 ($200 off)

Apple 11.6-inch MacBook Air (mid 2013) 1.3GHz/4GB/256GB: $849 (orig. $1,099)

Small States: Schoolhouse Electric – beautiful home goods w/ old school techniques, giveaway

More new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/ongoing promos/info:

Tim Cook: Apple Pay accounts for $2 out of every $3 spent with contactless payments, & other stats

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Apple CEO Tim Cook shared some stats on Apple Pay during the company’s fiscal Q1 2015 earnings call today. Among them: Cook said that around $2 out of every $3 spent using contactless payments across Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are being made with Apple Pay since the service launched in October.   

Also of note: Apple has now signed on around 750 banks and credit unions that will roll out support for the service. That’s up from the 500 banks Apple initially announced it had signed on to support the service. Currently Apple has rolled out support for cards from a 45+ banks and credit unions in the US. 
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Apple adds 11 new Flyover locations to Maps

Apple today added new additions to Flyover, the feature offering high resolution 3D imagery of select locales in its Maps app. The 11 new locations include cities from around the globe in places such as Puerto Rico, Texas, Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Sweden, England, France, and Denmark.

A full list of new cities below:

Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Amarillo, TX
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Beziers, France
Brno, Czech Republic
Cittadella, Italy
Clermont, France
Hamburg, Germany
Helsingborg, Sweden
Liverpool, England
Odense, Denmark

The 12 new cities added this week follow 9 new locations across the EU and U.S. that Apple added last month. Locations added in December included cities in France, Sweden, New Zealand, Wyoming, Arizona, and Arkansas.

Apple has a full list of cities with 3D imagery for the Flyover feature in Maps on its website.

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Misfit Flash fitness tracker adding remote controls for Spotify, Nest, IFTTT + other home automation gear

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGL02_jRFBA&w=704&h=396]

Misfit, maker of the Flash and Shine wearable fitness trackers, today announced a collection of partnerships that will extend Flash’s functionality to include limited remote control of certain apps and home automation accessories. According to Misfit, Flash — a coin-shaped accessory with an integrated accelerometer, button and small lights — will be able to work as a wireless on/off switch in the following situations:

  • Start and stop a Spotify playlist.
  • Wake up to an ideal temperature using Flash’s sleep tracker and smart alarm with the Nest Learning Thermostat.
  • Connect to over 160 products and services via IFTTT, using a double press and other triggers to turn devices on and off, send stored messages, and send fitness information to an archive.
  • Use certain Logitech Harmony systems to activate commands such as “Watch a Movie,” “Play Games,” and “Listen to Music.”
  • Double press to send a message via the Yo messaging system.
  • Unlock August Smart Lock and Latch doors.
  • Change colors or turn on/off the Leeo Smart Alert Nightlight.
  • Check the air quality of your room using Bitfinder.

Misfit says that the features are coming to Flash in March, which should be shortly after the release of Misfit Bolt, a $50 light bulb capable of being wirelessly controlled by Flash. Additional partners will be announced in the future.

Apple Pay coming to 200,000 vending machines, kiosks, paid parking & other self-serve locations

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While individual retailers have been announcing support for Apple Pay as more NFC terminals enable the service, it’s still hit and miss on vending machines and other self-serve, unattended hardware. USA Technologies today announced it’s bringing support to around 200,000 of these self-serve payment terminals that its customers use for everything from coffee brewers to vending machines, kiosks, laundry equipment and pay parking terminals.
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Logitech mice/keyboards/iPad gear up to 60% off, waterproof Bluetooth speaker $20, 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:

Amazon Gold Box – up to 60% off Logitech products: mice from $10, TK820 keyboard w/ touchpad $40, much more

Omaker M4 Rugged/Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker: $20 Prime Shipped + 15,600mAh battery: $45 shipped

Apple iPhone 6: $498 off contract, (iPhone 6 Plus: $598) refurb at Walmart (23% off)

Apple 11.6-inch MacBook Air (newest version) 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB $750 (Reg. $899)

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro w/ Retina display (newest) 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB: $1,599 ($200 off)

Apple 11.6-inch MacBook Air (mid 2013) 1.3GHz/4GB/256GB: $849 (orig. $1,099)

Apple 3TB AirPort Time Capsule (newest version) w/ 802.11ac Wi-Fi: $349 shipped (13% off)

Small States: Schoolhouse Electric – beautiful home goods w/ old school techniques, giveaway

More new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/ongoing promos/info:

Twitter rolling out group direct messages and native video sharing

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Twitter announced last November that it had a number of new features on its roadmap for this year, and today the social network says two of those features are starting to roll out to users. Starting this week Twitter will start allowing users to capture and share videos right from the camera in the mobile app, and direct messages will soon support group chatting for the first time. Here’s how the new video and group direct message features work:
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Western Union announces Apple Pay support for money transfers & bill payments

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Western Union announced today that it’s now accepting Apple Pay, Apple’s new iPhone-based NFC payment service, across all of its flagship locations in the US.

That means you can now use the contactless payment service to send money and pay bills through Western Union stores as well as kiosks in around 7,600 Walgreens and Duane Reade stores.
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Apple took down Photos for OS X preview pages, but launch plan still on track

Apple made a small change to its website last year upon the public release of OS X Yosemite that has led some to question the release date of Photos.app for Mac. Originally announced for an “early 2015” release, the Mac app has had virtually every mention scrubbed from Apple.com, save for a single help article that now lists it as being “available at a later date.”

Following a tip from a reader, we noted the change in the original version of this article. We’ve since learned that the application’s release is still on track via an update to OS X planned for “early 2015.” What does “early 2015” mean? According to Tim Cook’s comments today: by the end of April.


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Pandora for iPhone redesigned, adds mini-player and notifications

 

The Pandora iPhone and iPod touch app today received a thorough redesign that is slightly more starker and in line with the iOS 7/iOS 8 design style. The update formats the app for iPhone 6/iPhone 6 Plus’s higher-resolution display and adds various new mini-player and notifications features:

• With the new Personalization Icon, the Thumb History for your favorite stations is at your fingertips.
• Accidentally thumbed a song up or down – now you can un-thumb simply by re-tapping the Thumb Icon.
• We’ve included a new Mini-Player so you can control your music while you browse your track history.
• Stay in the loop when new music is added to your favorite stations and much more with our redesigned Notification & Activity Feed.

Pandora is free on iTunes.


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Stanford’s first Swift programming course now available on iTunes U

Today Stanford is releasing its first course on Apple’s new Swift programming language for iOS and OS X and it’s available to all through iTunes U.

The course, Developing iOS 8 Apps with Swift, is offered every year by professor Paul Hegarty through Stanford’s School of Engineering but now for the first time has been updated for iOS 8 and Swift. The course includes an Introduction to iOS, Xcode 6, and Swift, More Xcode and Swift, Using MVC in iOS, Swift and Foundation, and more.

Updated for iOS 8 and Swift. Tools and APIs required to build applications for the iPhone and iPad platforms using the iOS SDK. User interface design for mobile devices and unique user interactions using multi-touch technologies. Object-oriented design using model-view-controller paradigm, memory management, Swift programming language. Other topics include: animation, mobile device power management, multi-threading, networking and performance considerations.

The course is available through iTunes U now.

For $29 9to5Toys Specials offers a Mammoth Interactive Swift Course & Xcode 6 Templates

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9to5Toys Last Call: iPhone 6/Plus (refurb, no contract) $498/$598, 11-inch MacBook Air (newest) $149 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:

Apple iPhone 6: $498 off contract, (iPhone 6 Plus: $598) refurb at Walmart (23% off)

Apple 11.6-inch MacBook Air (newest version) 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB $750 (Reg. $899)

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro w/ Retina display (newest) 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB: $1,599 ($200 off)

Apple 13.3-inch MacBook Air (newest) 1.4Ghz/4GB/256GB: $1,000 ($199 off)

Apple 11.6-inch MacBook Air (mid 2013) 1.3GHz/4GB/256GB: $849 (orig. $1,099)

Apple 3TB AirPort Time Capsule (newest version) w/ 802.11ac Wi-Fi: $349 shipped (13% off)

Toshiba Canvio Connect 1TB Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive: $50 shipped (Reg. $75)

More new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/ongoing promos/info: