Apps

The popular Flipboard app has received a significant upgrade in version 3.0, in what the company is describing as “the most personal and most magazine-like experience we’ve ever built.”

In addition to a slicker interface, users are now presented with top-level topics that drill down into increasingly specific ones (for example, from Technology to iPhone). In all, there are more than 30,000 topics …
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Microsoft outs upcoming fitness ‘Band’ with premature Mac and iPhone app releases (updated)

Mike Beasley Oct 29 2014 - 5:44 pm PT

16 Comments

Update: Microsoft has now announced the Microsoft Band, a $199 fitness band that does everything described below. It goes on sale Thursday.

Microsoft hasn’t officially announced its wearable device, but it seems the company has accidentally published its desktop syncing client to the Mac App Store early. Whoops. The device is called the Microsoft Band (possibly Lumia Band, according to some currently non-functional support URLs) and sports a 310 x 102 resolution display.

The Microsoft privacy policy for the app lists some of the Band’s features: “Microsoft Band sensors help you keep track of things like your heart rate, steps, calories burned, and sleep.” Links in the document claiming to lead to a page with additional data, such as a list of sensors, currently lead to a 404 page.

Other key feature include the ability to get phone notifications on the Band, create reminders using Cortana, and more:

Skype updated to version 7.1 with support for OS X Yosemite and bug fixes

Mike Beasley Oct 29 2014 - 5:23 pm PT

Skype has been updated to support the newly released OS X Yosemite and fix several issues. It is now easier to copy a link in a group chat, or leave the conversation. A few crashes related to video calls and searching have been addressed as well. You can grab the update from the Skype website.

Version 7 was recently released with a redesigned interface and other changes.

9to5Toys Last Call: the thinnest iPhone 6/Plus cases, Snowball USB Mic $40, LG 49″ LED HDTV $400, more

Oct 29 2014 - 2:42 pm PT

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:

The thinnest iPhone 6/Plus cases we’ve found so far and some that are just thick enough to prevent ‘camera wobble’

Blue Microphones Snowball USB mic for Mac/PC/iPad (w/ adapter) $40 shipped (orig. $100)

1080p LED HDTVs: Samsung 60-inch Smart $850 (orig. $1,000), LG 49-inch $400 (orig. $700), more

Kodak’s PIXPRO 360 degree action camera is now available for $349

iTunes gift cards w/ email delivery 20% off from PayPal

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

Other new deals:

New! Daily Deals: Bose SoundLink Mini: $159, Bose SoundDock speaker: $150, more
New! Games/Apps: LIMBO for iOS/Mac up to 60% off, The Room Two $1, more
New! Griffin Technology 20% off: iPhone 6/Plus & iPad Air 2 accessories, more
New! Cowboom 20% off: HDTVs, digital cameras, Apple accessories, more
New! Home: Honeywell Germ-Free Humidifier $49 (orig. $70), more
New! Cree introduces shatter-proof LED lightbulbs for less than $8 a piece
New! Multi-yr magazine subs from $4 per year: Popular Science, Wired, ESPN, more
New! Google Play offers a selection of classic rock songs for free

More deals still:

Media: 22 Jump Street early iTunes release/discounted bundle, 8 country songs free, more
D-Link DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem $60 shipped (Reg. $80), more
D-Link 309AV Mini Powerline Starter Kit $25 shipped (orig. $80)
Samsung D3 Station 4TB USB 3.0 external hard drive $110 shipped (orig. $220)
Acer 13.3-inch Chromebook 2.1GHz/2GB/16GB: $249 shipped (Reg. $280)
Save $5 off any $25 purchase at Amazon
Omaker Premium 3-Port USB Car Charger $9 Prime Shipped (Reg. $13)
Canon PowerShot A4000 IS (refurb) $40 (Reg. $110) + an extra 20% off refurb lenses
Microsoft announces $50 price drop coming to Xbox One consoles next week
DieHard power inverters: 750-Watt $25 (Reg. $90), 120-Watt $10 (Reg. $40), more
Gift Cards up to 20% off: Sears, Aeropostale, Sunglass Hut, GameStop, more
Sam’s Club 1-yr membership + $20 gift card & free food vouchers $45 ($142+ 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)

New products/ongoing promos:

Tidal brings Hi-Fi audio streaming to iOS/Android, a guide to music services
Razer’s Leviathan Sound Bar combines surround sound gaming/Bluetooth music
Amped Wireless introduces a high powered WiFi range extender w/ touchscreen
Amazon announces $39 Fire TV Stick to take on Chromecast
Oakley teams w/ Garmin to bring new video recording features to its Airwave 1.5 goggles
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

Google Wallet adds recurring bank transfers for automatically adding money, low balance alerts

Jordan Kahn Oct 29 2014 - 1:31 pm PT

Google today announced it’s adding new ways to add money to its Google Wallet service in addition to some new features that will make keeping an eye on your balance easier.

First up, you will now be able to setup automatic bank transfers that will ensure there is always money to spend in your Google Wallet account. The recurring transfers allow you to schedule weekly, bi-weekly or monthly deposits and can be cancelled at any time:
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Apple making iOS 8 Notification Center a bit less useful by banning calculator widgets

Jordan Kahn Oct 29 2014 - 10:27 am PT

25 Comments

Developer James Thomson of popular calculator app PCalc announced today via his Twitter account that Apple is forcing him to remove the app’s Today Widget due to a restriction that iOS widgets “cannot perform any calculations.”

Apple’s new Today Widgets feature in iOS 8, which allows developers to build functions into the system-wide Notification Center, does have some limitations that Apple outlines i n developer documentation. For example, Apple encourages developers not to use Today Widgets for multistep tasks: “If you want to create an app extension that enables a multistep task or helps users perform a lengthy task, such as uploading or downloading content, the Today extension point is not the right choice.” There doesn’t, however, appear to be specific references to apps that perform calculations in Apple’s developer guidelines.
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Google updates its official Analytics app with iPad support

Zac Hall Oct 29 2014 - 8:49 am PT

Earlier this year, Google released an official app for its Google Analytics service on iOS allowing users of the popular service to view data and reports on the go, but the dedicated app has only been available for iPhone and iPod touch users. Today that has changed, however, as Google has updated its official Analytics app for full iPad support.
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Microsoft expected to announce Office for Mac timing “very soon,” release rumored for early 2015

Ben Lovejoy Oct 29 2014 - 3:51 am PT

Following yesterday’s leaked screenshots of a new version of Office for Mac, ZDNet is reporting that its contacts have told it that Microsoft will announce timings for the new edition of Office for Mac “very soon.”

The company also is expected to disclose timing and possibly a public preview of its next Office for Mac release very soon, as well […] The latest rumored release target for the next Office for Mac is early 2015.

Yesterday’s report suggested a flattened look, support for Retina screens and integration with Notification Center.

Microsoft OneNote for iPhone and iPad updated with iOS 8 support, iPhone 6 design, and more

Mike Beasley Oct 28 2014 - 9:27 pm PT

Microsoft has pushed out updates for its OneNote client on both iPhone and iPad, adding support for new features added in iOS 8 and a design that’s optimized for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Users can now password protect sections of documents directly from mobile devices (a feature that used to require a Windows PC). Those with an iPhone 5s or newer will also find that they can now unlock password-protected sections of documents using Touch ID. That feature isn’t mentioned in the iPad change log, so users on the iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 3 might need to wait for a future update to enable it.

9to5Toys Last Call: iTunes gift cards 20% off, Tidal Hi-Fi music streaming, 22 Jump Street iTunes release, more

Oct 28 2014 - 12:44 pm PT

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:

iTunes gift cards w/ email delivery 20% off from PayPal

Tidal brings Hi-Fi audio streaming to iOS/Android, a guide to music services

Media: 22 Jump Street early release on iTunes & discounted bundle, 8 country songs from iTunes for free, more

You’ve got less than 24 hours left to lock in an Amazon Fire TV Stick for $19 http://t.co/cdEtmJgS3U pic.twitter.com/VcSjoSui9o

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) October 28, 2014

D-Link DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem $60 shipped (Reg. $80), more

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

Other new deals:

Xbox One Limited Edition Advanced Warfare & Assassin’s Creed bundles are now $50 off at Amazon http://t.co/7dI8h7JxJK pic.twitter.com/QRQLTKAu0t

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) October 28, 2014

New! Sony Lightning Bluetooth Speaker Dock for iPhone/iPad $143 (Reg. $250), more
New! Razer’s Leviathan Sound Bar combines surround sound gaming/Bluetooth music
New! Games/Apps: Dead Rising 3 w/ DLC $40, Forza 5 GOTY $40, iOS freebies
New! Samsung D3 Station 4TB USB 3.0 external hard drive $110 shipped (orig. $220)
New! Daily Deals: iPad Air 2/iPad mini 3 $10 off, Hisense 40-inch 1080p HDTV: $205, more
New! D-Link 309AV Mini Powerline Starter Kit $25 shipped (orig. $80)
New! Acer 13.3-inch Chromebook 2.1GHz/2GB/16GB: $249 shipped (Reg. $280)
New! Home: Shark Sonic Steam Mop (refurb) $55 (orig. $130), more
New! Amped Wireless introduces a high powered WiFi range extender w/ touchscreen

More deals still:

Save $5 off any $25 purchase at Amazon
Omaker Premium 3-Port USB Car Charger $9 Prime Shipped (Reg. $13)
Canon PowerShot A4000 IS (refurb) $40 (Reg. $110) + an extra 20% off refurb lenses
Microsoft announces $50 price drop coming to Xbox One consoles next week
DieHard power inverters: 750-Watt $25 (Reg. $90), 120-Watt $10 (Reg. $40), more
Gift Cards up to 20% off: Sears, Aeropostale, Sunglass Hut, GameStop, more
Smart 1080p HDTVs: Panasonic 55-inch $600 (Reg $1,000), RCA 46-inch: $320, more
Home Theater: Bose CineMate GS Series II $360 (orig. $600), more
Sam’s Club 1-yr membership + $20 gift card & free food vouchers $45 ($142+ value)
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)

New products/ongoing promos:

Amazon announces $39 Fire TV Stick to take on Chromecast
Oakley teams w/ Garmin to bring new video recording features to its Airwave 1.5 goggles
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”

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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