Apps

6,254 'Apps' stories April 2010 - October 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.

Nike+ Running iPhone app adds HealthKit integration, elevation tracking, more

Zac Hall Oct 28 2014 - 11:11 am PT

27 Comments

Nike has updated its Nike+ Running app for iPhone with optimized support for the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screen sizes as well as integration with Apple’s Health app for iOS 8. The new version takes full advantage of the new iPhones so text and images no longer scale up. Integration with HealthKit means the Nike+ Running app can now add NikeFuel data and workout data to the Health app that comes installed on iOS 8.
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Phone 2 Go app brings Time Warner Cable home phone service to mobile devices for no additional cost

Jordan Kahn Oct 28 2014 - 9:36 am PT

3 Comments

Time Warner Cable today announced a new smartphone app that will let its customers use their home phone service on mobile devices for no additional fees. That means that users with a Time Warner Cable home phone service, which starts at $10/month, can now text and call through the new Phone 2 Go app on smartphones and tablets. The service requires a Wi-Fi or cellular data connection and will also work for international calling and texting:
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Taco Bell’s new iPhone app lets you order before you arrive

Zac Hall Oct 28 2014 - 7:55 am PT

6 Comments

The popular ~~fine dining~~ restaurant chain Taco Bell has blacked out its Facebook and Twitter accounts as well as its website today to draw full attention to its new iPhone app. Why? Because you can finally order your Nacho Cheese Doritos® Chips Taco Supreme® right from your iPhone and pay in the app.
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Plex iOS app updated w/ support for iPhone 6/6 Plus resolutions, iOS 8 & Chromecast improvements

Jordan Kahn Oct 28 2014 - 7:11 am PT

0 Comments

Plex, the popular media server software, today gets an updated iOS app that brings full support for the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. That means that the app now supports the higher resolutions of the new iPhones providing more screen real estate for content on the larger 4.7 and 5.5-inch displays.

In addition to the update for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users, the app also receives improved compatibility for iOS 8 and enhancements for streaming to a device connected to Google’s $35 Chromecast streaming stick. The release notes say version 3.5.2 of the app includes “Updated Chromecast software from Google.”

The update also brings the usual dose of bug fixes.

The updated Plex app for iPhone and iPad, version 3.5.2, is available on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 3.5.2

– Improved compatibility with iOS 8.
– Support for the full resolution of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
– Updated Chromecast software from Google.
– Additional minor bug fixes.

Algoriddim brings its popular Mac and iOS ‘djay’ app to Android w/ Spotify integration

Zac Hall Oct 28 2014 - 7:00 am PT

13 Comments

Algoriddim, the team behind the popular music mixing app djay, first shipped the commercial version of its flagship app in 2007 on the Mac followed by the iPad version in 2010 and the iPhone version in 2011. Adding to the history of djay, today Algoriddim is launching djay for Android through the Google Play Store and Amazon App Store making the app its first on Google’s platform.

While djay is rooted in digital music mixing on the Mac then iOS, the new Android version is just as desktop class with high quality music playback and real time analyzing and mixing. Better yet, djay for Android packs in deep Spotify integration from day one–the iOS version first added up Spotify integration earlier this year–which means you have access to over 20 million songs for mixing together and playback.

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Favorite apps: How to Cook Everything, the (almost) perfect iOS cookbook

Ben Lovejoy Oct 28 2014 - 6:33 am PT

1 Comment

We write reviews when a great new app comes out, but there are also older ones that we think worthy of recommendation, and How to Cook Everything is one of those.

I’m a decent enough cook, but not an instinctive one: I follow recipes to the letter. If it says to put something in the oven at 170 degrees for 15 minutes, you’ll find me carefully setting the dial and starting a timer, not casually spinning the dial to roughly the right temperature and glancing in ten minutes later to decide that’s good enough.

But there are times when first I need to decipher exactly what the instructions mean. What’s the technical difference between dicing and chopping? Is sautéing the same thing as frying? And what exactly does it mean when it says ‘prepare the chiles’?

If you find yourself empathising with these types of questions, How to Cook Everything may just be the perfect iPad based cookbook for you too.

It attempts to be the only thing you’ll need in your kitchen when planning and cooking a meal. You can choose a recipe and, with one tap, add all the ingredients to a shopping list, sorted by aisle. If you’re not sure what a term means, you can click on an illustrated explanation. And whenever that recipe tells you to cook something for, say, 15 minutes, you can tap the instruction to automatically start a timer for the correct period.

It’s not the slickest-looking app by a long way – it has a distinctly old-fashioned appearance, especially in the b&w illustrations. But it has a great range of recipes with all the extra help you might need to cook them.

At $9.99 from iTunes, it seems expensive for an app – but it’s a cheap price for a decent cookbook. Recommended.

9to5Toys Last Call: Amazon Fire TV Stick pre-order $19, RAVPower 10400mAh power bank $22, more

Oct 27 2014 - 3:43 pm PT

0 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Amazon announces $39 Fire TV Stick to take on Chromecast, Prime members get it for $19

RAVPower Element HUGE 10400mAh dual USB External Battery for $22 (Reg. $80) Prime shipped http://t.co/21mqTqFm9L pic.twitter.com/19cmRlLWU2

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) October 27, 2014

Omaker Premium 3-Port USB Car Charger $9 Prime Shipped (Reg. $13)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12WZiLf3KPo?rel=0]

Oakley teams up with Garmin to bring new video recording features to its Airwave 1.5 goggles

Apple 13.3-inch MacBook Air 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB: $850 or $800 w/ .edu email (Reg. $999)

Small States: Former Nike designer brings together form and function with the Spool Dock, multiple giveaways

Other new deals:

New! Save $5 off any $25 purchase at Amazon
New! DieHard power inverters: 750-Watt $25 (Reg. $90), 120-Watt $10 (Reg. $40), more
New! Daily Deals: UE BOOM Bluetooth speaker: $139, more
New! Microsoft announces $50 price drop coming to Xbox One consoles next week
New! Canon PowerShot A4000 IS (refurb) $40 (Reg. $110) + an extra 20% off refurb lenses
New! Games/Apps: Alien Isolation for Xbox One $48, Metro Redux $35, iOS freebies, more
New! SanDisk Ultra II 960GB SATA III 2.5-inch SSD $370 shipped (orig. $500)
New! Smart 1080p HDTVs: Panasonic 55-inch $600 (Reg $1,000), RCA 46-inch: $320, more
New! Home Theater: Bose CineMate GS Series II $360 (orig. $600), more
New! Home: Keurig single cup brewer $60 (orig. $130), more
New! Sam’s Club 1-yr membership + $20 gift card & free food vouchers $45 ($142+ value)
New! Gift Cards up to 20% off: Sears, Aeropostale, Sunglass Hut, GameStop, more

Oral-B Precision Black 7000 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush $102 shipped (orig. $220) http://t.co/qDWUVbSL9P pic.twitter.com/An8litLYii

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) October 27, 2014

More deals still:

Camera+ for iOS now available for free inside the Apple Store app ($2.99 value)
Grand Theft Auto Trilogy for iOS: GTA III & Vice City $3 ea, San Andreas $4
iTunes Free App of the Week: RGB Express Mini Truck ($2.99 value)
Desktop HDDs: Seagate Backup Plus 2TB $70, WD Elements 3TB $91
Western Digital 1.5TB portable USB 3.0 external hard drive $65 shipped (Reg. $120)
Samsung 840 Pro 2.5″ SSDs: 256GB $140 (orig. $270), 512GB $279 (orig. $720)
Beats By Dr. Dre Solo2 on-ear headphones (all colors): $160 shipped (Reg. $200), more
Lumsing Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker $29 Prime shipped (Reg. $70)
Mophie accessories (refurb): Phone 5/5s battery cases from $29, more
Fantastical 2 calendars and reminders app: iPhone $3 (Reg. $5), iPad $7 (Reg. $10)
Best Buy trade offer is the best way to jump from iPad 2 to iPad Air 2
MacBook/iPad stickers (multiple options) from $5 shipped (Reg. up to $20)
TigerDirect $10 off $50 or $27 off $270 coupon codes
UE Mini Boom Bluetooth speaker $80 shipped (Reg. $100)

New products/ongoing promos:

PSA: original iPad Air Smart Covers will fit iPad Air 2, save up to 50% now
VisionTek packs a high-performance Solid-State Drive into a USB 3.0 flash drive
Dyson’s first blade-less humidifier keeps your family healthy and comfortable
MacMall has the new Mac Minis & Retina iMac slightly marked down w/ tax in few states
PSA: you may be overpaying for bundled iOS apps/games )
Bang & Olufsen enters Bluetooth speaker arena with its gorgeous BeoPlay A2
2K Games releases NHL 2K for iOS and Android
Ikea’s new Bekant desk adjusts between standing and sitting heights on the fly
Apple drops refurbished iPad pricing: Retina iPad mini from $249, more
Olloclip for iPhone 6/Plus adds four advanced photo lenses to front and rear cameras
Homeboy cam simplifies surveillance w/ extended battery life & magnetic mounting
Target announces free shipping for all items through the holiday shopping season
Avi-on utilizes a little ingenuity to create “world’s first wireless, movable light switch”

Facebook releases updated iOS client with improved support for sharing multiple photos

Mike Beasley Oct 27 2014 - 3:10 pm PT

6 Comments

Facebook has announced that it will be releasing an updated version of its mobile application later today that will improve the process of sharing multiple photos in a single post. The new composer will allow users to choose multiple images from their device’s photo library or camera, then show a preview of the post with each image in the order they were selected.

From here users will be able to add captions to each photo, write an introduction for the post, or rearrange the order of the photos. The post will show up in friends’ news feeds as a photo collage rather than a horizontal group of photos.

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Wells Fargo offers up to $20 credits for Apple Pay users, says business Visa support coming next month

Jordan Kahn Oct 27 2014 - 12:46 pm PT

4 Comments

As others have in promotion of Apple Pay service, Wells Fargo is offering customers up to $20 credits on their bill just for trying out the new NFC-based payments service. Readers sent in screenshots of an email (pictured above) that Wells Fargo has sent out to customers informing them of the credits in a promotion that will last until November 30. The company also confirmed that Apple Pay support for its business Visa cards is arriving next month…
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Yelp iOS app updated for iPhone 6/6 Plus, new Directions button

Jordan Kahn Oct 27 2014 - 12:34 pm PT

0 Comments

Today Yelp updated its app for iPhone and iPad with optimizations for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which means you can now finally take full advantage of the increased screen real estate on the devices.

The optimizations include a number of UI tweaks for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus that allow you to view more content on larger displays of the new phones.

In addition to the update for new iPhone users, Yelp also notes new and improved features for Directions with a new “Directions button which tells you just how long it’ll take to walk or drive to the business.”

The updated Yelp app, version 8.7.0, is available on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 8.7.0

• For you early adopters with the new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, it’s time to get pumped. The Yelp app is now optimized for your fancy new phones.
• You’re going to love our new Directions button which tells you just how long it’ll take to walk or drive to the business.

9to5Toys Last Call: 13-inch MacBook Air from $800 w/ .edu email, Camera+ for iOS free inside Apple Store app, more

Oct 24 2014 - 5:23 pm PT

0 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Apple 13.3-inch MacBook Air 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB: $850 or $800 w/ .edu email (Reg. $999)

Camera+ for iOS now available for free inside the Apple Store app ($2.99 value)

VisionTek packs a high-performance Solid-State Drive into a USB 3.0 flash drive

Dyson’s first blade-less humidifier keeps your family healthy and comfortable

PSA: original iPad Air Smart Covers will fit iPad Air 2, save up to 50% now

Small States: Tinsel and Timber makes beautiful wooden homes for Apple TV and other accessories, multiple giveaways & 10% promo code

Other new deals:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_VBXRZuHTc?rel=0]

New! Grrand Theft Auto Trilogy for iOS: GTA III & Vice City $3 ea, San Andreas $4
New! Games/Apps: Breach & Clear (iOS) $1 (Reg. $4), Solar Walk $1 (Reg. $3), more
New! iRig Keys Pro Lightning MIDI keyboard controller $87 (orig. $150), more
New! Home: Rachel Ray cookware up to 60% off, Hamilton Beach slow cooker $10, more
New! Wilson Men’s Golf Clubs: Ultra Complete $100, Tour Distance $200, more
New! Fashion: Sperry Top-Sider 25% off, Neiman Marcus up to 30% off, more
New! Daily Deals: KitchenAid Mixers: $210, Aduro Bluetooth Headsets from $15, more
New! Western Digital 1.5TB portable USB 3.0 external hard drive $65 shipped (Reg. $120)

More deals still:

iTunes Free App of the Week: RGB Express Mini Truck ($2.99 value)
Desktop HDDs: Seagate Backup Plus 2TB $70, WD Elements 3TB $91
Samsung 840 Pro 2.5″ SSDs: 256GB $140 (orig. $270), 512GB $279 (orig. $720)
Beats By Dr. Dre Solo2 on-ear headphones (all colors): $160 shipped (Reg. $200), more
Lumsing Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker $29 Prime shipped (Reg. $70)
Mophie accessories (refurb): Phone 5/5s battery cases from $29, more
Fantastical 2 calendars and reminders app: iPhone $3 (Reg. $5), iPad $7 (Reg. $10)
Best Buy trade offer is the best way to jump from iPad 2 to iPad Air 2
MacBook/iPad stickers (multiple options) from $5 shipped (Reg. up to $20)
Media: Deadmau5 album free, DreamWorks 15-film iTunes collection $100, more
Belkin iPad accessories: Fridge Mount for iPad 2/3/4 $18, Chef Stand & Stylus $13
Multi-yr magazine subs from $4 per year: Popular Science, Wired, more
TigerDirect $10 off $50 or $27 off $270 coupon codes
LED Monitors: Dell 21.5″ $115, Asus 27″ w/ speakers & HDMI $220
Audio-Technica ATH-M50X $129 (Reg. $169), Klipsch S3M in-ear $10 (orig. $60)
R.B.I. Baseball 14 for iOS/Android $2 (Reg. $5)
Kensington WordLock combination device/laptop lock $13 Prime shipped (Reg. $28)
OtterBox Symmetry Series case for iPhone 6 $30 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)
MacMall has the new Mac Minis & Retina iMac slightly marked down w/ tax in few states
1Password for Mac $34.99 (Reg. $50)
PSA: you may be overpaying for bundled iOS apps/games )
UE Mini Boom Bluetooth speaker $80 shipped (Reg. $100)
Belkin 20% off: Thunderbolt 2 Express Dock HD $240, WeMo LED starter set $80, more

New products/ongoing promos:

Bang & Olufsen enters Bluetooth speaker arena with its gorgeous BeoPlay A2
2K Games releases NHL 2K for iOS and Android
Ikea’s new Bekant desk adjusts between standing and sitting heights on the fly
Apple drops refurbished iPad pricing: Retina iPad mini from $249, more
Olloclip for iPhone 6/Plus adds four advanced photo lenses to front and rear cameras
Homeboy cam simplifies surveillance w/ extended battery life & magnetic mounting
Target announces free shipping for all items through the holiday shopping season
Avi-on utilizes a little ingenuity to create “world’s first wireless, movable light switch”
Apple’s former Director of Industrial Design is behind the new Leeo Smart Alert Nightlight
Review roundup: Kindle Voyage is the best e-reader ever but is its $199 price tag justified?
Bowers & Wilkins releases its first Bluetooth speaker
Civilization: Beyond Earth is coming to Mac this holiday season
Marshall’s iconic vintage style comes to its most affordable Bluetooth speaker yet
2K Games releases NBA 2K15 for iOS

Creators of ‘Room’ say Facebook copied their chatroom app, threaten legal action

Jordan Kahn Oct 24 2014 - 12:36 pm PT

16 Comments

Facebook’s new ‘Rooms’ app Room Inc’s ‘Room’ app

Following the launch of Facebook’s new “Rooms” app for iPhone, the company behind a similar piece of software called “Room” is claiming the social media outlet copied its intellectual property. The Room application, which like Facebook’s app allows users to create and invite others to chatrooms while remaining anonymous, was first released on the App Store back in September.

The company’s Damien Rottemberg, Co-Founder and CTO of Room, sent over the following statement on the situation:
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PSA: Bitcasa ending unlimited cloud storage, data will be deleted if not migrated by 15th Nov

Ben Lovejoy Oct 24 2014 - 5:42 am PT

10 Comments

The (almost) free lunch promised by Bitcasa of unlimited cloud storage for just $99/year is coming to an end, and the company has also informed users that they will need to manually migrate all data to a new backend by 15th November or it will be deleted.

Bitcasa was able to offer low-cost “infinite storage” because it figured that most users would have only a relatively small proportion of unique content. As I mentioned in my comparative review:

The company estimates that most people have no more than 25GB of unique content on their computers, the rest – music, movies, etc – being content held in common with other people. For that data, Bitcasa stores only one copy of the file, with the rest of our backups containing a pointer to it.

But, says, Bitcasa, some people have been “abusing” the facility, which seems to be a reference to businesses storing large quantities of data in what is supposed to be a personal account.

While that may seem understandable, what is rather less so is giving users such a short time to migrate their data before it is lost, especially when the company’s support document recommends that people do this one folder at a time.

We recommend that you do not drag all your files and folders at once. Instead, drag one folder at a time and wait for it to complete before moving onto the next file/folder.

Those on unlimited subscriptions are being offered a choice of 1TB for the same $99/year, or 10TB for a rather eye-watering $999/year. The company says that only 0.5% of its subscribers have more than 1TB of data.

There is an attempt on Reddit to start a class-action lawsuit against the company.

Developer says Apple sent them pornographic image when rejecting app

Ben Lovejoy Oct 24 2014 - 4:06 am PT

36 Comments

Apple’s developer guidelines on explicit content

An iOS developer said Apple demonstrated that their app could be used to surf for porn by sending them a screenshot containing a pornographic image. Carl Smith shared the story of the rejection of Wave, an app for browsing Instagram and public images, in a blog post.

It turns out Apple thought the best way to tell us our app could be used to surf porn was to surf for porn using our app. Then send us some pictures and say take a look at these! Except they said, “Please see the attached screenshot for more information.” So with no warning […]

They sent us a picture of a guy masturbating.

The explicit image was attached to an email rejecting the app on the basis that the process for flagging inappropriate content was inadequate …
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BBEdit 11 released with updated clipping system, text extraction tool, and more

Mike Beasley Oct 23 2014 - 6:56 pm PT

0 Comments

Text/HTML editor BBEdit got upgraded to version 11 this week with a huge number of new features, improvements, and fixes. The highlights include improved syntax highlighting, an updated interface for the “Find Differences” feature, and a new text extraction capability. The Clipping system has been updated to allow for the creation of snippets that can be used in any language, or just in one.

You can get BBEdit 11 for $49.99 if you don’t own a previous verison, or $29.99 if you own version 10. Upgrading from version 9 or lower is also possible, but will cost $39.99. Customers who bought BBEdit 10 on or after May 1, 2014 will get version 11 for free. The app is available from the Bare Bones Software website. Like Realmac’s RapidWeaver 6, BBEdit 11 is not available on the Mac App Store.

The full (and lengthy) change log is below and goes into very fine detail about every change in the new version.

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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad Air Smart Covers up to 50% off, Seagate 2TB desktop HDD $70, Beats Solo2 $160, more

Oct 23 2014 - 12:42 pm PT

0 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:
PSA: original iPad Air Smart Covers will fit iPad Air 2, save up to 50% now

USB 3.0 Desktop HDDs: Seagate Backup Plus 2TB $70 (orig. $120), WD Elements 3TB $91 (orig. $160)

Beats By Dr. Dre Solo2 on-ear headphones (all colors): $160 shipped (Reg. $200), more

Bang & Olufsen enters the competitive portable Bluetooth speaker arena with its gorgeous BeoPlay A2

Small States: Tinsel and Timber makes beautiful wooden homes for Apple TV and other accessories, multiple giveaways & 10% promo code

Other new deals:

New! 2K Games releases NHL 2K for iOS and Android
New! Ikea’s new Bekant desk adjusts between standing and sitting heights on the fly
New! Amazon Gold Box – up to 50% off Netgear networking: routers, Powerline, more
New! Mophie accessories (refurb): Phone 5/5s battery cases from $29, more
New! iTunes Free App of the Week: RGB Express Mini Truck ($2.99 value)
New! Home: Braun Series 3 Wet/Dry Shaver $50 (orig. $80), more
New! Lumsing Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker $29 Prime shipped (Reg. $70)
New! Games/Apps: Bike Baron & Anodia go free, Republique $3 (Reg. $5), more
New! Samsung 840 Pro 2.5″ SSDs: 256GB $140 (orig. $270), 512GB $279 (orig. $720)
New Daily Deals: Vizio 42″ Smart TV: $330, 3 x Seagate 1TB Hard Drives: $150, more

More deals still:

Fantastical 2 calendars and reminders app: iPhone $3 (Reg. $5), iPad $7 (Reg. $10)
Best Buy trade offer is the best way to jump from iPad 2 to iPad Air 2
MacBook/iPad stickers (multiple options) from $5 shipped (Reg. up to $20)
Media: Deadmau5 album free, DreamWorks 15-film iTunes collection $100, more
Belkin iPad accessories: Fridge Mount for iPad 2/3/4 $18, Chef Stand & Stylus $13
Multi-yr magazine subs from $4 per year: Popular Science, Wired, more
Apple drops refurbished iPad pricing: Retina iPad mini from $249, more
TigerDirect $10 off $50 or $27 off $270 coupon codes
LED Monitors: Dell 21.5″ $115, Asus 27″ w/ speakers & HDMI $220
Audio-Technica ATH-M50X $129 (Reg. $169), Klipsch S3M in-ear $10 (orig. $60)
R.B.I. Baseball 14 for iOS/Android $2 (Reg. $5)
Kensington WordLock combination device/laptop lock $13 Prime shipped (Reg. $28)
OtterBox Symmetry Series case for iPhone 6 $30 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)
MacMall has the new Mac Minis & Retina iMac slightly marked down w/ tax in few states
1Password for Mac $34.99 (Reg. $50)
PSA: you may be overpaying for bundled iOS apps/games )
UE Mini Boom Bluetooth speaker $80 shipped (Reg. $100)
Belkin 20% off: Thunderbolt 2 Express Dock HD $240, WeMo LED starter set $80, more
Acer Iconia Android Tablet with 16GB Memory (refurb) $90 shipped (Reg. $180)

New products/ongoing promos:

Olloclip for iPhone 6/Plus adds four advanced photo lenses to front and rear cameras
Homeboy cam simplifies surveillance w/ extended battery life & magnetic mounting
Target announces free shipping for all items through the holiday shopping season
Avi-on utilizes a little ingenuity to create “world’s first wireless, movable light switch”
Apple’s former Director of Industrial Design is behind the new Leeo Smart Alert Nightlight
Review roundup: Kindle Voyage is the best e-reader ever but is its $199 price tag justified?
Bowers & Wilkins releases its first Bluetooth speaker
Civilization: Beyond Earth is coming to Mac this holiday season
Marshall’s iconic vintage style comes to its most affordable Bluetooth speaker yet
2K Games releases NBA 2K15 for iOS
Prime members will get 30 minute head start on some of Amazon’s best holiday deals
Ski Safari: Adventure Time for iOS is IGN’s free game of the month

Facebook releases ‘Rooms’ for iPhone, a chat room app that lets you go anonymous

Jordan Kahn Oct 23 2014 - 10:52 am PT

12 Comments

Facebook is today unveiling the latest app being released under the company’s Creative Labs project that recently released the new Paper, Slingshot, and Mentions apps. The new app, called Rooms, is described by Facebook as a meeting place inspired by early Internet chatrooms and web communities: Rooms lets you create places for the things you’re into, and invite others who are into them too.
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Apps

Continuity Activation Tool enables Handoff/Instant Hotspot/AirDrop features on unsupported Macs

Jordan Kahn Oct 23 2014 - 10:07 am PT

38 Comments

Apple decided not to support all Bluetooth 4.0 capable Macs for its new Continuity features in OS X Yosemite for undisclosed reasons, but it is possible to get the feature up and running on some older, unsupported Macs. Previously it required a bit of manual tinkering, but now a utility called OS X Continuity Activation Tool makes the process much easier.
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iHeartRadio iPhone app updated w/ CarPlay support & Today widget

Zac Hall Oct 23 2014 - 9:16 am PT

1 Comment

iHeartRadio, the Internet radio streaming app, is out with a new version for iPhone today adding a couple of new features for listeners. First up is support for Apple’s CarPlay feature for CarPlay-equipped vehicles. This presents an optimized version of the iPhone app on CarPlay equipped cars’ built-in screens when connected to the iPhone making it easier to navigate and control the app when driving.

Apple has mentioned that iHeartRadio is a supported CarPlay app since the re-branded feature was introduced earlier this year, but support was not yet available when we reviewed CarPlay in an aftermarket Pioneer display last month. iHeartRadio brings a wide variety of content to CarPlay with stations ranging from talk radio to sports to various music genres, and traditional AM/FM stations with online streams can be accessed through CarPlay using the new iHeartRadio app for iPhone.
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Review: Pixelmator for iPad out now, a desktop-class photo editor for a mobile device

Benjamin Mayo Oct 23 2014 - 4:00 am PT

26 Comments

Note: The app is still rolling out worldwide. Check back soon if the links don’t work for you!

Announced during Apple’s October event, Pixelmator for iPad ($4.99) is an important stepping stone in the iPad’s history. The Mac app is regularly featured by Apple as an exemplar app in the Mac App Store and it is clear Apple wants to use Pixelmator as a ‘trophy’ app in the same way. No doubt this app (aside from games) is one of a handful that will directly benefit from the A8X performance gains.

I tested the app on an iPad Air, although the app technically supports all the way back to iPad 3, even some operations on the Air felt slow. I would be a bit cautious if you intend to install it on one of Apple’s older tablets.

As a 1.0 release, the depth and breadth of this app is staggering. There are a myriad of effects, painting brushes, color adjustments and other features to help edit and create images. The vast majority of the Mac app’s functionality have been ported across to the iPad with a touch-friendly interface, including advanced editing options like layer styles. There are also some template options that aren’t currently included in the Mac app to appease the ‘Photo Booth’ selfie crowd.

Read on for 9to5Mac’s full review of Pixelmator for iPad …

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9to5Toys Last Call: Seagate 2TB $80/ WD 1.5TB $60, Foscam wireless IP cam $73, Olloclip for iPhone 6/Plus pre-order, more

Oct 22 2014 - 3:04 pm PT

0 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Daily Deals: Seagate 2TB $80 or WD 1.5TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $60, more

Foscam FI9821W V2 HD Wireless Pan/Tilt IP Camera $73 shipped (orig. $160)

Olloclip for iPhone 6/Plus adds four advanced photo lenses to front and rear cameras

Target announces free shipping for all items through the holiday shopping season

SanDisk Connect Wireless iOS Flash Drive: 64GB for $68 (Reg. $100) and 32GB for $45 (Reg. $60)

Best Buy trade offer is the best way to jump from iPad 2 to iPad Air 2

Small States: Tinsel and Timber makes beautiful wooden homes for Apple TV and other accessories, multiple giveaways & 10% promo code

Other new deals:

New! Belkin iPad accessories: Fridge Mount for iPad 2/3/4 $18, Chef Stand & Stylus $13
New! Fantastical 2 calendars and reminders app: iPhone $3 (Reg. $5), iPad $7 (Reg. $10)
New! Homeboy cam simplifies surveillance w/ extended battery life & magnetic mounting
New! Avi-on utilizes a little ingenuity to create “world’s first wireless, movable light switch”
New! MacBook/iPad stickers (multiple options) from $5 shipped (Reg. up to $20)
New! Games/Apps: Tomb Raider DE $30, Xbox One COD controller $57, more
New! Multi-yr magazine subs from $4 per year: Popular Science, Wired, more
New! Acer Iconia Android Tablet with 16GB Memory (refurb) $90 shipped (Reg. $180)

More deals still:

Media: Deadmau5 album free, DreamWorks 15-film iTunes collection $100, more
Apple drops refurbished iPad pricing: Retina iPad mini from $249, more
TigerDirect $10 off $50 or $27 off $270 coupon codes
LED Monitors: Dell 21.5″ $115, Asus 27″ w/ speakers & HDMI $220
Audio-Technica ATH-M50X $129 (Reg. $169), Klipsch S3M in-ear $10 (orig. $60)
R.B.I. Baseball 14 for iOS/Android $2 (Reg. $5)
Kensington WordLock combination device/laptop lock $13 Prime shipped (Reg. $28)
OtterBox Symmetry Series case for iPhone 6 $30 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)
MacMall has the new Mac Minis & Retina iMac slightly marked down w/ tax in few states
1Password for Mac $34.99 (Reg. $50)
Fashion: 20% off boots of various styles from Timberland, Rockport, Cole Haan, more
iTunes free App of the Week: Tower Madness 2 ($1.99 value)
PSA: you may be overpaying for bundled iOS apps/games )
UE Mini Boom Bluetooth speaker $80 shipped (Reg. $100)
Belkin 20% off: Thunderbolt 2 Express Dock HD $240, WeMo LED starter set $80, more

New products/ongoing promos:

Apple’s former Director of Industrial Design is behind the new Leeo Smart Alert Nightlight
Review roundup: Kindle Voyage is the best e-reader ever but is its $199 price tag justified?
Bowers & Wilkins releases its first Bluetooth speaker
Civilization: Beyond Earth is coming to Mac this holiday season
Marshall’s iconic vintage style comes to its most affordable Bluetooth speaker yet
2K Games releases NBA 2K15 for iOS
Breeze tracks your drinking in HealthKit and connects you w/ Uber when you get too drunk
Prime members will get 30 minute head start on some of Amazon’s best holiday deals
Ski Safari: Adventure Time for iOS is IGN’s free game of the month

Inbox for Gmail: hands-on and first impressions

9to5 Staff Oct 22 2014 - 1:08 pm PT

22 Comments

Google this afternoon announced Inbox for Gmail, its all-new emailing solution that is intended to coexist with the regular Gmail platform (Think Paper for Facebook?). Inbox for Gmail is available on an invite only basis for Android, iOS and Chrome. I am fortunate enough to have received an invite to Inbox for Gmail, and I have been giving the iPhone app a rundown to see how it works. For the most part, Inbox is everything that you know and love about Gmail in a sleeker package.

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Yahoo Mail iOS app updated w/ travel & event notifications in Today view

Jordan Kahn Oct 22 2014 - 12:47 pm PT

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Yahoo updated its Yahoo Mail mobile apps today bringing new travel and event notifications to the app for iPhone and iPad.

For travel, the app’s “Today” view will now display information on flights including when flights are cancelled or delayed, and users will be able to “get directions to the airport, call the airline to rebook your flight or go directly to the airline website” in a single tap.

“And once you land at your destination, you’ll receive suggestions for the top restaurants and attractions in the area, with reviews and pictures from Yelp.”

The updated Yahoo Mail app also provides notifications for events in the Today view from Evite, Eventbrite, and Ticketmaster, event information, and the ability to view and share directions.

Yahoo also said the update includes “the latest headlines with News notifications” that can be switched off in Settings. All of the new features are available in the U.S. only.

The updated Yahoo Mail app for iPhone and iPad is available on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 3.2.8

– The Multi-talented Yahoo Mail app is now even smarter. Now in Yahoo Today, view your upcoming flight details plus get real time updates of flight delays or changes. Also, see your upcoming events which you can map directions to and easily share with friends. Available in the US only.
– Stay on top of the latest headlines with News notifications. Turn it on or off anytime under Settings. Available in the US only.
– Performance improvements
– Bug fixes

A fix for Apple Pay bug displaying incorrect card designs is on the way

Jordan Kahn Oct 22 2014 - 10:08 am PT

30 Comments

A fix for a bug in Apple Pay that causes credit cards from Chase and others to not display the correct physical card design is being worked on, according to sources close to the situation.
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