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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.

Mattel plans to release its new Google Cardboard-based VR toy on iOS by end of the year

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Google and Mattel are holding a press event today to announce a new product that merges Google’s experimental Cardboard virtual reality platform with Mattel’s classic View-Master toy. Also announced at the event: Mattel plans to bring the new View-Master toy and with it Google’s Cardboard platform to the iPhone by the end of the year.
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Opinion: Could Apple’s Pinterest profile be an early step toward properly-curated apps?

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iOS and Android are completely different worlds when it comes to apps. Android is pretty much the wild west, with little control over quality or even safety (malware is commonplace). iOS, on a non-jailbroken device, is a walled garden, where Apple decides what apps can and can’t do, and which ones get approved for sale.

Yet despite that carefully-controlled approach, the App Store can still feel like a bit of a jungle. Which is why I wonder whether the Pinterest tie-in announced yesterday may offer hope for the future.

But let’s start with the problem I think needs to be solved, and that problem begins with search. Results may vary by country, and you can try the searches for yourself to compare your results with mine, but here’s what I get for a few obvious app searches … 
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Fleksy Keyboard updated with hotkey shortcuts, case-sensitive layout, animations, valentine hearts and more

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Fleksy has updated its popular custom keyboard app with a range of new features, mixing the practical and the fun.

On the practical side, you can now add a row of seven customizable hotkeys that act as shortcuts for anything from an emoji or symbol to an email address. The functionality of the globe button is also now customizable, for example making it dismiss the keyboard, and you can opt for a case-sensitive keyboard layout. More keys have been added to the iPad app, also appearing in the iPhone app in landscape mode, and dictionary words now sync between devices via iCloud … 
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Apple reverses decision barring marijuana apps from the App Store, now requires location-based restrictions

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Apple has apparently been revising its app review strategy this week and has decided to reverse a previous decision that banned MassRoots, a marijuana-centric social app, from its software storefront. The application was booted from the App Store late last year (though it lasted much longer on the store than some other apps).

According to App Store guideline 2.18:


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Apple begins enforcing rule requiring App Store screenshots and icons to meet 4+ rating standard

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Apple has started enforcing a long-ignored rule in its App Store guidelines regarding what kinds of content can appear in app metadata. According to rule 3.6 in the guidelines document:

Apps with App icons, screenshots, and previews that do not adhere to the 4+ age rating will be rejected

This rule has been mostly unenforced since the App Store launched, but according to a new report from Pocket Gamer, some app developers are starting to see their apps rejected for depictions of violence in their screenshots.


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Popular automation app Workflow updated w/ over 50 actions, new features, more

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Workflow iPhone iPad

Leveraging the power of iOS 8 extensions and new system customization options, Workflow debuted on the iPhone and iPad last year bringing a powerful automation app to users. Today the team behind Workflow is releasing version 1.1, which adds support for over 5o new actions in addition to including new features and updating some existing actions. Check out the latest from Workflow for iOS below:
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Apple introduces TestFlight Groups feature for organizing app beta testers

Apple announced today that it’s rolling out a new feature for its TestFlight beta distribution service called TestFlight Groups to improve the experience of managing builds with multiple testers.

Apple noted the Groups feature will allow developers to “organize your testers into groups to quickly send specific builds”, provide separate instructions on where to focus, and apply an action to several testers at once in TestFlight.”

The new feature is available to those using Apple’s in beta TestFlight service through iTunes Connect.

Apple acquired the TestFlight beta app testing platform through its purchase of Burstly in February of last year and repositioned the service as a feature of its iTunes Connect developer portal.

App Store responds to freemium haters, features ‘Pay Once & Play’ games with no in-app purchases

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 As part of Apple’s weekly App Store refresh, the company is currently highlighting iOS games for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch that are paid apps with no in-app purchases, MacStories points out. The featured section is notable as in-app purchases have been a source of confusion and frustration for many consumers since their introduction despite being an added revenue source for developers and Apple.
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Apple increases app size limit from 2GB to 4GB for App Store submissions

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Apple today announced that it is increasing the size limit for apps submitted by developers to the App Store through its iTunes Connect service. Previously limited to 2GB, app packages can now be a maximum of 4GB in size. Apple made the announcement on its website for developers earlier today but some apps have been over the 2GB limit since at least January. 
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Visa hopes to track smartphone locations to prevent credit card fraud for travellers

Currently most of us have to inform our bank by phone when we’re travelling to avoid purchases in other countries appearing as red flags for fraud and being declined. That could soon change as Visa looks to track smartphones with a service called Mobile Location Confirmation in order to help their security systems become smarter and reduce declined purchases by as much as 30%.
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9to5Toys Last Call: iPod Shuffle $35, iTunes Free App of the Week, LG 40″ 4K UHDTV $499, 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:

 

Get a free Fire TV/Roku streaming stick or 50% off Fire TV/Roku 3 when you sign up for Sling TV

PNY Turbo 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive: $35 shipped (Reg. $70)

Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR (refurb) w/ 18-55mm Lens Kit $336 shipped (orig. $599)

Best Buy takes up to $250 off Apple MacBook Pro w/ Retina display, starting at $1,200

Caseology iPhone 6/Plus cases in multiple styles and colors from $6 w/ free shipping

Baytek iPhone 6/Plus Holster Case w/Kickstand $6 Prime shipped

Apple TV (current version): $80 shipped (Reg. $99)

Rocketcases Afterburner iPhone 6 3200mAh Battery Case w/ Kickstand: $40 shipped (Reg. $60)

Valentine’s Day Roundup: ProFlowers 30% off, Gap/Timbuk2/J.Crew up to 40% off, more

Small States: Woodchuck USA complements Apple products w/ USA-sourced wood, 15% off & giveaways

More new gear from today:

More deals still alive:

New products & more:

ESPN app overhauled w/ new look, iPhone 6/6+ & iPad support, more

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ESPN is out with a brand new version of its iPhone app today adding native resolution support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6+ while also debuting on the iPad for the first time. The new app not only sports a new look right down to its icon, but ESPN says it “pulled a Puff Daddy and changed the name.” Previously, the app was branded as ESPN SportsCenter, but now it’s simply “ESPN”.
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Apple teams up with Pinterest to help make app discovery even easier

Pinterest today debuted a new type of post that users can expect to see showing up in their feeds soon. The new “app pin” shows additional information, such as an app’s developer, when users link to software in the iOS App Store. These new pins feature a prominent “Install” button that opens a standard App Store preview pane and allows users to install an app without ever having to leave Pinterest.

The change was almost certainly prompted by Apple, as Pinterest also announced that the tech company had created an App Store profile to share both popular and undiscovered applications. The profile currently features collections like “Editors’ Choice” and “Fashion Apps.”

You can download the updated Pinterest app from the App Store.

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Stanford Health Care launches MyHealth app for iOS for appointment management and more

Stanford Health Care released an iOS app today for its MyHealth service. The new software allows patients to track their health data and keep track of the information in their online MyHealth account. A HealthKit syncing feature allows the app to pull in your data from Apple’s built-in data tracker and upload it to Stanford for a “virtual checkup.”

The app can also be used to make appointments, see test results, and consult with your doctor over a video chat. Users can also manage prescriptions and message Stanford’s medical staff. Support for paying bills is also built in.


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Starbucks iPhone app updated w/ Apple Pay, enhanced menu, more

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Apple announced Starbucks as an Apple Pay partner when it unveiled the mobile payment system last fall, and today the coffee chain is beginning to roll out support for Apple Pay through the latest version of its iPhone app.

While Starbucks does not yet accept Apple Pay in its brick-and-mortar stores, customers have long been able to pay with the iPhone app in stores using a digital Starbucks Card barcode scanned by a barista. Starting today, customers can load credit to a Starbucks Card within the app using Apple Pay as a payment method.
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Google brings smooth Safari-like zoom to Chrome Canary for Mac

The latest build of Chrome Canary for Mac packs a great new feature that’s likely familiar to those who use Safari on a daily basis. While current stable builds of Chrome have a jaggedy pinch-to-zoom functionality that only zooms in 10% increments, the latest build of Chrome Canary provides a smooth buttery zoom experience like Apple’s browser.

As of right now, it looks like the feature works a little bit less fluidly than Apple’s offering, but that’s to expected in the most experimental public release version of Chrome. Zooming works the same way that it does in Safari and current versions of Chrome, so all it takes is pinching two fingers on the Trackpad.

If you’re sticking with Safari on your Mac for this reason or others (battery life, anyone?), it looks like this feature—once it makes its way to the stable release—will give you one more reason to switch over to Google’s browser. If you want to give it a try, head over and download the latest build of Chrome Canary.

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9to5Toys Last Call: Retina MacBook Pro $250 off, uNu iPhone 6 battery case $60, iPhone 6/Plus cases from $6, 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 TV (current version): $80 shipped (Reg. $99)

Amazon Gold Box: Philips Bluetooth speakers 40% off, starting at $30 Prime shipped

Bose Acoustimass 6 Home 5.1 Entertainment Speaker System $400 shipped, Acoustimass 10 Series IV: $700 shipped ($300 off)

Download the first episode of Better Call Saul in HD for free

Valentine’s Day bailout: up to 70% off select jewelry and free 1-day shipping

Valentine’s Day Roundup: ProFlowers 30% off, Gap/Timbuk2/J.Crew up to 40% off, more

Small States: Woodchuck USA complements Apple products w/ USA-sourced wood, 15% off & giveaways

More new gear from today:

More deals still alive:

New products & more:

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Personalized news feed app Pipes updated with new design, aggregated feeds, trending & more

Pipes News, an iOS app that pulls together news feeds on technology, business, sport and politics, has received a major update, introducing a new look and a bunch of new features.

Pipes 2.0 comes with a great new design. Great new typefaces, integrated Stories, Twitter & Wikipedia views. […] We’re also introducing Pipeline. After popular request on App Stores across the Globe, Pipeline has come into existence. Pipeline curates all your Pipes in a very interactive UI. If you just want to quickly read through all your Pipes without opening them, jump to Pipeline.

Pipes News works in a different way to conventional RSS newsreaders, the developers doing the newsfeed collation at their end–and including both Twitter and Wikipedia in the mix. This automated collation is either a good or bad thing, depending on your point of view … 
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Parallels Desktop 10 updated with support for Windows 10 and Microsoft Office previews

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Parallels announced this evening that its virtual machine software Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac has been updated with “experimental” support for the technical preview of Windows 10 from Microsoft. Users who want to take the latest version of Windows for a test run without overwriting their existing Boot Camp installation or creating a new partition can now do so safely and free within the confines of a VM.

The update also adds the ability to run the new preview version of Office for Windows 10, which includes updated versions of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Microsoft announced earlier this year that Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for one year for any users running Windows 7 or later.

Parallels Desktop 10 is available from the Parallels website for $79.99. Special pricing is available for students and users running previous versions of Parallels and a free trial is available here. Press release follows:
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Popular news reading service Flipboard launches a web version

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Flipboard for the web

The popular news reading service Flipboard is becoming more than an app on your iPhone or iPad today as it launches a web version for the first time. Flipboard first launched on the iPad in 2010 and later released a version specifically for the iPhone, and now Mac users can access Flipboard from any browser with today’s launch of the web version.
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9to5Toys Last Call: Mass Effect Infiltrator for iOS free download, 100GB of OneDrive storage for 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:

  • Nikon intros its first dedicated astrophotography DSLR alongside a slew of point-and-shoots
  • Scribd adds more than 10,000 comics to its unlimited eBook service, get a free trial now
  • Get 100GB of cloud storage at OneDrive for free
  • Apple iPad Air 32GB Wi-Fi (open-box): $290 shipped (orig. $599)
  • USB Charging: Omaker 3-port car chargers from $8, 10-port USB 3.0 hub $24, more
  • Home: up to 50% off Remington electric shavers/trimmers, Brentwood Kettle $19, more
  • Netgear DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem w/ built-in wireless router $90 shipped (Reg. $116)

Mass Effect Infiltrator is IGN’s free iOS game of the month ($4.99 value)

Belkin Fusive slim portable Bluetooth speaker $54 shipped (Reg. $90)

Anki announces its latest generation of iPhone connected racing with OVERDRIVE

Download the first episode of Better Call Saul in HD for free

Valentine’s Day bailout: up to 70% off select jewelry and free 1-day shipping

Valentine’s Day Roundup: ProFlowers 30% off, Gap/Timbuk2/J.Crew up to 40% off, more

Small States: Woodchuck USA complements Apple products w/ USA-sourced wood, 15% off & giveaways

More new gear from today:

More deals still alive:

New products & more:

Sling TV streaming service opens to the public, announces upcoming availability of AMC Networks content

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Dish Network-owned streaming service Sling TV announced today that it will finally allow the general public to sign up and watch live TV from a variety of networks from a Mac or iOS device (through the free Sling Television app), along with several other devices.

Sling TV offers plans starting at $20 (with $5 add-ons available for some networks) that includes streaming and video-on-demand viewing options for live TV networks that usually require a pricey cable subscription, such as ESPN, TNT, Disney, TBS, CNN, and many more.


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R.B.I. Baseball 15 coming to Mac w/ redesigned MLB ballparks & full rosters

MLB Advanced Media has announced that R.B.I. Baseball 15 will be released this spring and will be available for the first time on Mac. This is a follow-up to the popular version from last year that made its debut on iOS.

R.B.I. Baseball 15 promises a number of updates bringing the most realistic experience to date, most notability including authentic ballparks and full 25-man rosters for all 30 Major League teams. It also includes user stat tracking for the first time as well as an online multiplayer mode with both ranked and friendly games. Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo will be on the cover for this year’s rendition. A release date has yet to be announced.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyuIplh9E4U&w=704&h=396]
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9to5Toys Last Call: Lexar 256GB flash drive $80, Better Call Saul free on iTunes, Sling TV free trial, 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:

Lexar 256GB S73 USB 3 Jumpdrive Flash Drive (100mb/s read): $80 shipped (Reg. $170)

Download the first episode of Better Call Saul in HD for free

Sling TV is now available with free 7-day trial, details on new channel availability

Valentine’s Day bailout: up to 70% off select jewelry and free 1-day shipping

Valentine’s Day Roundup: ProFlowers 30% off, Gap/Timbuk2/J.Crew up to 40% off, more

Get 67% Off The Productivity Pack (Updated to include 3 Months of Dropbox Pro FREE)

Small States: Woodchuck USA complements Apple products w/ USA-sourced wood, 15% off & giveaways

More new gear from today:

More deals still alive:

New products & more: