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6,285 'Apps' stories April 2010 - September 2014
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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.

Jawbone’s UP app adds HealthKit support, wristband not required

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 29 2014 - 7:07 am PT
14 Comments
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Now that Apple has announced its entry into the fitness-tracking wearable space with the Apple Watch, Jawbone, the makers of the UP and UP24 activity trackers, has introduced a version of its UP iPhone app that works without requiring the fitness band. Instead, the new version of Jawbone’s health and fitness iPhone app adds support for Apple’s HealthKit feature and Health app on iOS 8 making UP’s software for tracking activity and sleep as well as logging meals more valuable to iPhone users wanting to fill the new Health app with data.
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Apple removes Launcher app from App Store for ‘misuse’ of iOS 8’s widget capability

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 28 2014 - 12:50 pm PT
87 Comments
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An iOS 8 app that allowed users to create custom shortcuts and access them from a Notification Center widget has been removed from the App Store by Apple for what it calls “misuse of widgets,” the developers said in a notice posted on the app’s website.

The app, called Launcher, worked by letting users enter a URL or select an application to be launched when a shortcut was tapped. The shortcuts would then be displayed in Notification Center, allowing quick access to a variety of tasks such as starting a phone or FaceTime call, creating a new text message, email, or iMessage, opening an application, or more.


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Secret developers launch new notification-focused app called Ping

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 26 2014 - 9:21 pm PT
6 Comments

The developers behind the controversial Secret social app have launched another piece of iOS software today. The new app is called Ping and its entire purpose is to send you notifications when certain events happen. It’s essentially like an automated version of Yo.

When you first launch Ping, you’ll be presented with a screen that allows you to choose what topics you want to be notified about. This can be anything from weather updates to “pickup lines for Friday night.” After you’ve picked a few topics to subscribe to, you close the app and wait. When there’s a change to one of those topics, you’ll get a push notification.

There’s not really much to the application beyond that. New topics can be pushed over-the-air by the developers, and you’ll be notified when new ones become available (several new ones have been added just since the app launched a few hours ago). The developers say that as you use the application it will learn to adapt to what you like or don’t like based on your usage.

Ping is free on the iOS App Store.

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MLB At Bat app will for the first time live stream every World Series game, select Postseason games

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 26 2014 - 2:13 pm PT
1 Comment

The MLB.com At Bat app was updated today alongside a couple notable announcements including the league’s plan to live stream every World Series game and select Postseason games to all of its MLB.TV Premium subscribers through the app. The 2014 World Series is set to kick off on October 21. 

The release notes add that the app will now also offer “Live Postseason coverage for every game through the 2014 World Series” and a Postseason.TV feature with “Live companion coverage featuring up to 10 alternate camera angles for the AL Wild Card, AL Division Series and AL Championship Series (TBS broadcasts only).”

The update MLB.com At Bat app is available in the App Store now for iPhone and iPad. Regular $129 for the full year, an MLB.TV Premium subscription is available to purchase now for $3.99 for the remainder of the season, World Series, and postseason. 

What’s New in Version 7.4.2

• For the first time we will be streaming live every World Series game and select other Postseason games to all authenticated MLB.TV Premium subscribers
• Live Postseason coverage for every game through the 2014 World Series
• Postseason.TV: Live companion coverage featuring up to 10 alternate camera angles for the AL Wild Card, AL Division Series and AL Championship Series (TBS broadcasts only)
• General performance improvements

HealthKit support added to WebMD, Carrot Fit, Yummly, more

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 26 2014 - 2:02 pm PT
12 Comments
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In addition to FitPort and MyFitnessPal, a few more app updates with HealthKit support have become available on the App Store. These updates allow you to share health and fitness data with Apple’s new Health app on iOS 8 now that Apple has enabled HealthKit with the release of iOS 8.0.2 after issues in iOS 8.0 and iOS 8.0.1.

First up is WebMD for iPhone. Users of the WebMD iPhone app can now allow the health information service’s Healthy Target feature to communicate with data shared with Apple’s health app. The benefit to this is WebMD uses this information to create “actionable insights on your health data”. WebMD’s update was previously available on iOS 8 launch day until Apple pulled HealthKit-enabled apps due to a late-discovered bug.

Carrot Fit is another app affected by the launch day issue, but its back today with full HealthKit integration. The unconventional workout app uses data from Apple’s Health app to monitor workouts, weight, and dieting for monitoring your fitness. This is how Carrot describes Fit’s HealthKit integration:
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iOS 8 Roundup: The best weather widgets for Notification Center

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 26 2014 - 12:50 pm PT
30 Comments
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When Apple introduced iOS 7 with an overhauled design for the iPhone and iPad software, it replaced the weather widget showing current temperature and weekly forecast introduced with iOS 5 with a text summary of the day’s weather conditions. This weather summary includes an icon for the current weather condition as well as a text description like ‘mostly cloudy’, but it tends to give you the high and low temperatures of the day and not the current temperature like Apple’s former weather widget.

Luckily, iOS 8 allows developers to create third-party widgets including – you guessed it – weather widgets with current temperature and forecast. Since iOS 8 was released last week, I’ve been trying a variety of apps with included weather widgets, and below I’ll share with you what I’ve discovered so far.


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MyFitnessPal updated w/ HealthKit support for tracking calories, weight, & workouts

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 26 2014 - 11:14 am PT
17 Comments
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MyFitnessPal, an app focused on helping you track your diet habits and caloric intake, has released a new version today with support for HealthKit and Apple’s new Health app on iOS 8. The new version allows users to interface three types of data with Apple’s Health app and other HealthKit-enabled apps: meal summaries, weight syncing, and workout data from exercises. Specifically, MyFitnessPal can share meal data you add to the app with other HealthKit apps while weight and workout data can be shared back and forth with other apps.
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9to5Toys Last Call: iOttie iPhone 6 car mount $18, Anker 15000mAh power bank $33, iMac up to $220 off w/ .edu, more

Avatar for Sep 26 2014 - 9:01 am PT
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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:

Last Call updates:

iOttie Easy One Touch 2 smartphone car mount (works w/ iPhone 6/6 Plus): $18 Prime shipped (Reg. $30)

Anker Astro 15000mAh Dual USB Portable Charger $33 Prime shipped (Orig. $100)

iMac current gen. lineup $120 off or $220 off w/ .edu email, 21-inch as low as $880 shipped (Reg. 1,099)

Roundup: the best ultra tough Lightning cables for your new iPhone 6/6 Plus

Small States: The jamstik wireless MIDI guitar controller for iPad, iPhone and Mac, $560 worth of giveaways

Other new deals:


More deals still alive:

More iPhone 6/6 Plus deals, accessories, and trade offers:

New products/ongoing promos:

Apps with HealthKit integration start appearing in App Store following iOS 8.0.2 fixes

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Sep 26 2014 - 5:27 am PT
33 Comments
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After a series of botched updates, which meant HealthKit apps could not launch alongside iOS 8’s release, Apple has finally started allowing apps that integrate with the Health app into the App Store. The first of many is FitPort, which acts as a replacement dashboard for Health information, with all data being synced back into the Health database.

On opening the app, the Health permissions screen opens which asks users to individually enable access to health statistics. This allows users to be very selective about what information they share with third-party apps. Users have to explicitly enable read and write capabilities for every health data type the app wants to integrate. Just like asking for location access, this sheet is presented by the OS, meaning all apps benefit from this level of privacy.


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Post-it note app lets you import physical notes into your iPhone or iPad

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 26 2014 - 4:27 am PT
8 Comments

It’s hard to think of anything lower-tech than a Post-it note: you write on a sticky square of paper and slap it onto a physical surface. But 3M has just launched a clever iOS app that allows you to photograph a bunch of Post-it notes, tap on-screen to select the ones you want to keep and then organize them on your iPhone or iPad before outputting to apps like PowerPoint.

The Post-it® Plus App takes the momentum from your collaboration sessions and keeps it rolling. Simply capture your notes, organize and share with everyone. That way your great ideas don’t stop when the meeting ends.

Getting started is easy. Use the app to capture an image of the Post-it® Notes from your work session. Arrange, refine and organize the notes and ideas on your board anyway you see fit. Then share your organized board with your team and send to your favorite applications —including PowerPoint, Excel, Dropbox and plenty more.

The app recognizes any size Post-it note so long as they are square (and, indeed, even works with Mac OS Stickies if you photograph your desktop). It’s a free download from iTunes.

Instagram’s Hyperlapse video shooter adds support for front camera & iPhone 6/6 Plus

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 25 2014 - 10:23 am PT
2 Comments
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Last month Instagram launched a new video shooting app for iPhone and iPad that combines effects like time-lapse and cinema stabilization called Hyperlapse. Today Instagram is introducing what they call the “selfielapse” by adding support for shooting Hyperlapse videos with the front facing camera on your device using the same features previously only available on the back camera…


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1Password iOS beta previews upcoming iPhone 6/6 Plus enhancements

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 25 2014 - 9:36 am PT
2 Comments

The popular password and data management app 1Password was ready on day one with a powerful, systemwide extension for accessing your vault and Touch ID support for unlocking the app with your fingerprint. The latest beta version sent to testers today promises one more useful feature its users will appreciate: iPhone 6 optimization.

The new version of 1Password currently being tested by beta users no longer relies on zoomed scaling on the larger display devices and takes advantage of the new screen sizes more efficiently. iPhone 6 Plus users have shared that the new version supports the new iPad-like split-view introduced to certain Apple apps as well.

1Password recently changed its pricing model from a paid application to a freemium model allowing new customers to try 1Password and unlock pro features within the password management app.

While the iPhone 6/6 Plus-optimized version is currently in beta, 1Password users should expect to see the update on the App Store after adequate testing and approval.

Angry Birds Transformers soft launched in New Zealand, hits the App Store for all on October 15th

Avatar for Mark Hearn Sep 25 2014 - 9:14 am PT
5 Comments
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After months of teasing, Angry Birds Transformers is now available in select parts of the world. Gamers in New Zealand and Finland can now sample Rovio’s mashup of fowl and robots, with Canada and Australia set to follow soon afterwards. In addition to a soft launch for its new title, Rovio released a new gameplay trailer, revealing that this won’t be your typical Angry Birds title.


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9to5Toys Last Call: MacBook Air (refurb) $599 from Apple, LifeProof iPad cases from $23, Sharp 39″ HDTV $250, more

Avatar for Sep 25 2014 - 9:02 am 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:
Last Call updates:

 

Logitech Ultimate Ears 500vm Noise Isolating Headset w/ Mic & Controls $14 shipped (Reg. $30+)

iPad cases:

Sharp AQUOS 39-inch 1080p LED HDTV $250 shipped (orig. $420)

Google Chromecast streaming media player refurb: $15 shipped AC (Reg. $35)

Roundup: the best ultra tough Lightning cables for your new iPhone 6/6 Plus

Dragon Dictate for Mac 4 (digital download) $100 (Reg. $200)

Small States: The jamstik wireless MIDI guitar controller for iPad, iPhone and Mac, $560 worth of giveaways

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

More iPhone 6/6 Plus deals, accessories, and trade offers:

New products/ongoing promos:

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Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance now available on Mac

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 25 2014 - 6:27 am PT
2 Comments

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3InlCxliR7w]

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, a spinoff in the popular Metal Gear franchise that was originally released for consoles in 2013, is today arriving for Mac users. Unlike most previous installments in the series, Revengeance replaces the game’s usual stealth-based gameplay for a sword-slashing cyborg ninja named Raiden. It’s technically part of the Metal Gear series and universe, but the incredibly unique hack and slash gameplay mechanics in this title are quite the departure from what Metal Gear fans are used to with previous games in the series. 

METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE, originally developed by Kojima Productions and Platinum Games, expands the METAL GEAR franchise into exciting new territory with its frenetic action experience. The game seamlessly melds pure action and cinematic storytelling that surrounds Raiden, a child soldier transformed into a half-human, half-cyborg ninja, who uses his high-frequency katana blade to cut through anything that stands in his vengeful path

The game is available starting today on the Mac App Store and on Steam for $24. That’s a promotional price that will increase to the regular $30 after the first 5 days of release. 

App developer warns not to enter personal info using in-app browsers due to security issue

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 24 2014 - 11:32 am PT
7 Comments
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bl-pJBHYuc]

App developer Craig Hockenberry has published an article today titled “in-app browsers considered harmful” warning both devs and users of security issues related to apps that take advantage of the feature. “Would it surprise you to know that every one of those apps could eavesdrop on your typing? Even when it’s in a secure login screen with a password field?”
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9to5Toys Last Call: Beats Studio wireless headphones $299, Dragon Dictate 4 $100, LifeProof/Logitech iPad Air cases from $28, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Sep 24 2014 - 9:00 am 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:

Last Call updates:

 

 

Noise canceling headphones: Beats by Dr. Dre Studio Wireless $299 (Reg. $380), Bose QC15 $250 (orig. $300)

LifeProof water/shock proof nüüd case for iPad Air $68 shipped (Reg. $130)

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for Apple iPad Air (refurb) $28 shipped (Reg. $100)

13.3-inch MacBook Pro w/ Retina display (newest version) $1,300 w/.edu ($199 off)

Small States: The jamstik wireless MIDI guitar controller for iPad, iPhone and Mac, $560 worth of giveaways

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

More iPhone 6/6 Plus deals, accessories, and trade offers:

New products/ongoing promos:

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Adobe announces Photoshop and Premiere Elements 13 with ‘Guided Edits’ and more

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 23 2014 - 9:32 pm PT
0 Comments

Image via Engadget

Adobe has announced its next major upgrades to its popular Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements applications, with each being bumped up to version 13.

Both apps add new editing features, such as “photomerge compose” for lifting subjects from one photo and quickly moving them into another with proper lighting and other effects. New cropping tools allow you to automatically compose perfectly cropped by detecting faces and other details and determining how to best frame them in the shot.


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2013 Apple TV revision gets its first exclusive feature: iOS 8’s Peer-to-Peer AirPlay

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 23 2014 - 1:25 pm PT
38 Comments
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When Apple released Apple TV software update 7.0 earlier this month, it came with support for new iOS 8 features including the new Peer-to-Peer AirPlay feature. First announced when Apple unveiled iOS 8 earlier this year, Peer-to-Peer AirPlay allows users on iOS 8 and the upcoming OS X Yosemite release to stream content to an Apple TV without having to connect to the same wireless network. What we didn’t know at the time, however, is that the feature is limited to only the latest Apple TV hardware:
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The first GIF Keyboard made for iOS 8 has landed courtesy of Riffsy, and it’s free

Avatar for Stephen Hall Sep 23 2014 - 12:16 pm PT
9 Comments

Although dozens of custom keyboards have been launching left and right just in time for iOS 8, most of them have stayed rather traditional. Yes, there’s new features here and there that are firsts for iOS like the ability to swipe to type using Swype and SwiftKey, but these are still just keyboards for typing letters. A new keyboard from Riffsy called GIF Keyboard, on the other hand, isn’t really a keyboard—it’s a great way to quickly and easily send GIFs to friends using your favorite apps.


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Google’s Currents iOS app redesigned & renamed ‘Google Play Newsstand’

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 23 2014 - 12:09 pm PT
0 Comments

Following the renaming of its Google Currents news reader app to “Google Play Newsstand” on Android back in February, Google has now given a similar treatment to the iOS app. The app, like the Android version earlier this year, also receives a makeover in the process with a streamlined design and new features:

What’s new
• New navigation helping you easily access the articles and editions you love including:
– Read Now – Easily access articles you subscribe to and discover new articles and editions all in one place
– Topics – Subscribe and get news from topics you are most interested in
– My Library – All of your subscriptions will be found here
• A brand new design giving you a streamlined news reading experience

The Google Play Newsstand app is available for free for iPhone and iPad on the App Store now.

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Apple’s rebranding of Beats Music streaming service rumored for February

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 23 2014 - 10:55 am PT
8 Comments

Yesterday news broke that Apple was reportedly going to shut down its newly purchased Beats Music streaming service which Apple quickly dismissed as false although it does sound like changes for the brand and service are in the works as you might expect. Re/code’s John Paczkowski shared today that such a rebrand could be slated for February:

Now that we’ve established that Apple is not “shutting down” Beats Music, the streaming service that Tim Cook in May lauded as the “first music subscription service that really got it right,” and we’re all agreed that it makes far more sense for the company to dump the Beats Music brand and integrate the service into an offering of its own, we can move on to another more interesting question: When will Apple show off the new version of its subscription service and its new brand? Here’s a guess backed up by some industry scuttlebutt: February — presumably timed to the Grammy Awards, which will be held Feb. 8.

With Apple currently maintaining a streaming music service branded as iTunes Radio and a separate on-demand music service branded as Beats Music, it’s not hard to believe that the service is due for some reworking under Apple’s ownership.

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9to5Toys Last Call: iPhone 6/6 Plus quick chargers, Sony 50″ WiFi HDTV $700, Retina MBP $200 off w/ .edu, more

Avatar for Sep 23 2014 - 9:00 am 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:

Last Call updates:

Faster 2.1A car/chargers/batteries/surge protectors for iPhone 6/Plus quick charging (roundup)

Sony 50-inch 1080p 3D WiFi HDTV w/ PlayStation Now: $700 shipped (orig. $1,200)

Apple deals:

Amazon Goldbox: Corsair gaming accessories up to 55% off – Headset: $55, Mouse $34, Keyboard $33, more

Small States: The jamstik wireless MIDI guitar controller for iPad, iPhone and Mac, $560 worth of giveaways

Other new deals:


More deals still alive:

More iPhone 6/6 Plus deals, accessories, and trade offers:

New products/ongoing promos: