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Learn about the latest news for iOS, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV apps

5,948 'Apps' stories April 2010 - June 2014
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Apps for iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS power our modern world. 9to5Mac will update you on the latest news, review, and updates for all types of apps. “There’s an App for that”.

The term came became part of our vocabulary when Steve Jobs announced The App Store as part of the iPhone 2.0 software update in 2008.

Over the years, the term has become as common as kleenex for describing applications on all of our devices. Apple’s platforms have apps for just about anything from finance, banking, sports, social media, podcasting, music, and more. We have a guide for helping you discover the best ones as well. Apps are now on everything from our TV, to our smartphones, on our laptops, and all the way down to our wrists.

As new ones are released or existing ones have major updates, the team here at 9to5Mac will bring you the latest news and reviews. If you want to follow along with video footage, be sure to follow 9to5Mac on YouTube. Scroll down below our latest updates on all things relating to applications on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch.

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Apple cracking down on apps offering third-party music downloads, incentivized ad watching & social sharing?

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 10 2014 - 6:21 am PT
3 Comments

Music-Download-apps-iOS-8Apple has reportedly started cracking down on apps offering the ability to download music from third-party services like YouTube that normally don’t allow users to do so. In addition, a separate report claims that Apple has also started going after apps that incentivize users to either watch ads or share content through social media networks.

The first report comes from MacRumors, which notes the App Store has replaced results for the search query “music download” with an advertisement for iTunes Radio followed by other music services like Spotify (pictured right). At first glance it appears to be Apple simply cleaning up search on the store (I’d expect to get iTunes Radio, Spotify, etc for the search “music download”), but MacRumors also claims that “Apple has asked them to remove audio downloading functionalities from their app, perhaps to prevent potential piracy.” For now the apps still live on the App Store and the change doesn’t appear to have taken place in countries outside iTunes Radio availability. Results in the Canadian App Store continue to show apps for download music illegally from YouTube and other online services. 

Another report has popped up claiming that Apple is also not too happy about apps that are encouraging users to watch ads or share to social networks in exchange for rewards. A report from TechCrunch detailed the change, which also appears to extend to apps promoting apps other than their own through the methods mentioned above.

It’s worth noting that Apple’s App Store guidelines have always had rules against promoting other apps and we’ve seen Apple reject apps in the past that include functionality that might compete with the App Store. There are a lot of grey areas in the App Store guidelines.

We’ll have to wait and see if this is part of a broader change to the App Store in iOS 8, which also introduced app bundles, Editor’s Choice picks, app video previews, and more, and if Apple is truly going to remove these third-party music downloading apps for good.

Facebook’s Snapchat competitor arrives on the App Store, then appropriately disappears

Avatar for Mike Beasley Jun 9 2014 - 5:13 pm PT
3 Comments
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Screenshots via Engadget

Screenshots via Engadget

As we noted a few weeks ago, Facebook is currently in the process of developing a new Snapchat-like chat service separate from its main Messenger/Facebook inbox offering, even though it just recently removed its Poke app from the App Store.

Today Facebook “accidentally” published an early version of the upcoming software, called Slingshot, to the iOS App Store in a few countries. The app allows users to share a photo (or video) with friends, but those friends are unable to view the photo until they respond with a photo of their own. A “react” button allows recipients to quickly snap their reaction to an incoming message and send it back as a response.


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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad Air 32GB $490, Toshiba 5TB desktop HDD $175, MLB.TV subscription $50, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Jun 9 2014 - 10:11 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:

Amazon Gold Box: up to 60% off SanDisk memory products (iOS/Android flash drives, SSDs, SDXC cards, more)

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Seagate Expansion 3TB desktop hard drive $80 shipped (Reg. $120+)

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$80 iTunes gift card for $65: save nearly 20% on future app, music, movie purchases

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iPad Deals:

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Father’s Day roundup: free $10 Amazon credit, Samsung 60-inch HDTV $680, Philips Sonicare toothbrush $30, more

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

More on why public transit directions got lost in iOS 8 Apple Maps

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 9 2014 - 6:53 am PT
27 Comments
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Maps Transit

TechCrunch is out with a story today with details on why some of the mapping features originally scheduled for iOS 8 didn’t make the cut at Apple’s WWDC keynote last week. The report quotes a few sources close to the mapping teams that say most of the improvements originally planned for iOS 8 weren’t finished on time due to talent departures and internal politics:

Why didn’t they appear? One tipster says it was a personnel issue: “Many developers left the company, no map improvements planned for iOS 8 release were finished in time. Mostly it was failure of project managers and engineering project managers, tasks were very badly planned, developers had to switch multiple times from project to project.”… It’s a take that is both contested and corroborated by our other source. “I would say that planning, project management and internal politics issues were a much more significant contributor to the failure to complete projects than developers leaving the group,” the source said.

We reported leading up to WWDC that the transit directions in iOS 8 might be pushed back to instead focus on other priorities.

While the TechCrunch report doesn’t mention any names, we do know that the mapping team has lost a few key people recently. Back in March, reports popped up that Cathy Edwards, who happened to be in charge of Maps Quality after joining Apple through the company’s acquisition of Chomp, was leaving the company. The reason behind Cathy’s departure was unknown at the time, but we’ve learned from sources that disagreements with employees on the Maps team working under Edwards and an opposition to her management style lead to problems on the Maps team and ultimately her leaving in April. Apple also lost key Maps team member Jared Waldman from Placebase who worked as Head of Geo at Apple Maps until late last year. In addition, we’ve heard from former employees of the mapping team that recently left the company due to issues with Edwards and management of the Maps team. 
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9to5Toys Last Call: Father’s Day deals, Seiki 39” 4K UHDTV $390, Logitech UE BT speaker (refurb) $88, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Jun 6 2014 - 3:58 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:

Dick's-sports-Fathers Day-outdoors-deals

Father’s Day roundup: free $10 Amazon credit, Samsung 60-inch HDTV $680, Philips Sonicare toothbrush $30, more

seiki-se39uy04-39e2809d-class-4k-ultra-hd-120hz-led-tv-sale-01

Seiki 39” Class 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV $390 shipped (Reg. $700)

ue-boombox-portable-bluetooth-speaker-qv-galleries-1

Logitech UE Boombox Bluetooth speaker (refurb): $88 shipped (orig. $250 new)

itunes-gift-card-deal

iTunes gift cards: $100 for $85, buy one-get one 30% off, more

zagg-ipad-mini-keyboard-black

ZAGG iPad mini w/ backlit keys $30 (Reg. $100), ZAGG iPad 2/3/4 $50 (Reg. $100)

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

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Osmo gaming system for iPad meets funding goal in 6.5 hours, two year incentives for backers

Avatar for Zac Hall Jun 6 2014 - 9:00 am PT
0 Comments

Screen Shot 2014-06-06 at 9.34.06 AM

We showed you the real world meets iPad app gaming system for kids called Osmo last month as it launched a crowdfunding campaign ahead of their product debut. Today the team is announcing the results of that campaign: Osmo reached its $50,000 goal in less than seven hours. In addition to reaching their goal, Osmo is opening a second batch of discounted pre-order sales for early backs at $49 (half off the launch price) and promising extra incentives for two years to early backers as well.

For the next two years, early backers will be able to download the future apps on Osmo platform for free. In addition to free games, backers will also be able to replace any lost or broken game pieces for up to two years after the purchase of Osmo.

Find out more about Osmo and pre-order here to lock in the 50% off price and added incentives.
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Official FIFA iPhone/iPad app updated ahead of 2014 World Cup Brazil

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 6 2014 - 6:30 am PT
2 Comments

The Official FIFA iPhone and iPad apps, which also happen to act as the Official FIFA World Cup app, has been updated today with a number of new features ahead of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil tournament kicking off on June 12.

The app gets a few pre-tournament features leading up to the first official World Cup match, but it will also be getting another update before then to introduce additional features. In today’s update, you’ll find a World Cup latest news section, the ability to discover info for all coaches and players across 32 teams, and a full schedule of all 64 games planned for the tournament. The update will also let you “Explore the host country Brazil and get familiar with the stadiums and cities where the action will happen.” 

In another upcoming update the app will introduce “minute-by-minute action, live from all 64 games” and other features for keeping up with the latest.

The updated Official FIFA World Cup app for iPhone and for iPad are available on the App Store now.

HealthKit supports some Bluetooth products natively, lets accessory makers skip app development

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 5 2014 - 8:10 pm PT
7 Comments
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Withings-Wireless-Blood-Pressure-Monitor

Withings Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor

Apple’s new HealthKit platform and Health app for iOS 8 acts as a central location for users to store and share health data from third-party apps, but Apple is also supporting some Bluetooth accessories natively in the Health app. That means that some accessory manufacturers will be able to skip the process of developing a companion app for their product and instead allow HealthKit to automatically connect to and control the device itself. 
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PayPal reportedly planning to integrate iOS 8’s Touch ID API in mobile payment app

Avatar for Mike Beasley Jun 5 2014 - 3:18 pm PT
12 Comments
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Screenshot 2014-06-02 14.34.56

When Apple unveiled the Touch ID API during its WWDC keynote earlier this week, users and developers alike immediately started considering possible uses. It seems PayPal was also quite interested in putting the fingerprint technology to work in its mobile app.

According to Business Insider, several PayPal developers attended a WWDC session on the new API and the company is actively considering its implementation. The idea here is likely to get a head-start on Apple, which is currently said to be working on its own mobile payment service in conjunction with several major payment processors.


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GoPro iOS app finally gets completely redesigned for iOS 7

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 5 2014 - 10:49 am PT
3 Comments
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An update to the GoPro app that allows users to remotely control their GoPro cameras has been a long time coming. Just in time for iOS 8, today the app finally gets an overhaul for iOS 7 with a completely redesigned UI that ditches that super outdated design the app has been sporting for quite a while now. 
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Runtastic talks potential for HealthKit, plans integration for its health & fitness apps

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 5 2014 - 10:23 am PT
0 Comments
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Runtastic, the popular iOS app that has long been among the top 10 fitness & health apps on the App Store, is looking forward to Apple’s new HealthKit platform and planning to support it in a future update. Like the other companies we spoke with earlier this week including Strava, RunKeeper, iHealth, and Withings, Runtastic is embracing HealthKit and thinks it will ultimately make its iOS app better for users. We spoke with the company’s CEO and Head of iOS development to get their thoughts on HealthKit…
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9to5Toys Last Call: 128GB MicroSD $100, free $5 Amazon credit, Logitech iPad mini keyboard case $24, WD 4TB NAS HDD $140, more

Avatar for Jun 5 2014 - 9:58 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:

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/474378908033617920]

 

logitech-ultrathin-ipad-mini-silveriPad Keyboard cases:

wdred_NAS-hard-drive

Western Digital Red 4TB NAS optimized 3.5″ hard drive $140 shipped (Reg. up to $200)

itunes-gift-card-deal

iTunes gift cards: $100 for $85, buy one-get one 30% off, spend $25 or more and save 15%

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9to5Toys Specials:

  • 1-year of Backblaze online backup storage for $25 (Reg. $50) – ends in less than 24 hrs
  • Scrivener 2: Winner – Best of the Mac App Store $20 (Reg. $45) – ends in 9 days

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

RunKeeper, Withings, Strava, & iHealth plan HealthKit integration, excited for medical industry tie-in

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 4 2014 - 11:44 am PT
13 Comments
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Healthkit-WWDC-01

Whenever Apple introduces a new feature baked into iOS that was previously a domain ruled by third-party apps like its new HealthKit platform and Health app in iOS 8, questions inevitably come up about how it will impact other developers and competing platforms. That’s why we were interested in finding out how some of the top fitness and health app developers and accessory makers are reacting to Apple’s HealthKit announcement.

We reached out to some of the big names in the health and fitness app world, as well as companies like Withings and iHealth that sell iOS-connected health and medical accessories such as blood pressure monitors through Apple stores. Not only did all of the companies we spoke with— RunKeeper, Withings, Strava, and iHealth— confirm they are already planning integration with their ecosystems, they also talked about how having one central location for users to manage health and fitness data will indeed be a good thing for the business.

RunKeeper CEO Jason Jacobs told me he’s excited that Apple is bringing “some of the other key players in the ecosystem (doctors, EMRs, etc) into the discussion” and confirmed both his RunKeeper and Breeze app will soon support Healthkit. Others are also excited for integration with the medical industry that currently uses a highly fragmented record keeping system for health data.

Here’s what they had to say:
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: ZAGG iPad keyboard cases up to 70% off, Samsung 250GB SSD $125, free iTunes music, more

Avatar for Jun 4 2014 - 10:15 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:

 

ZAGG BT keyboard cases: iPad mini w/ backlit keys $30 (Reg. $100), iPad 2/3/4 $50 (Reg. $100)

samsung-ssd-deal-evo

Samsung 840 EVO Series 250GB 2.5″ SATA III Solid State Drive $125 shipped (Reg. $250)

country-music-free-itunes-9to5toys
Get eight top country music songs from iTunes for free

canon-pixma-printing-solutions-mg7120-wireless-inkjet-photo-all-in-one-printer-cloud-enabled1
Canon PIXMA Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer w/AirPrint $100 shipped (Reg. $200)


9to5Toys Specials:

  • 1-year of Backblaze online backup storage (PC/Mac) for $25 (Reg. $50) – ends in 2 days
  • Scrivener 2: Winner – Best of the Mac App Store $20 (Reg. $45) – ends in 10 days
  • PasswordBox Unlimited Subscription $9.99 (Reg. $72) – ends in 1 day

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Giveaways presented by SlickWraps: Apple TV, $100 iTunes gift card, $50 SlickWraps gift card, more

The above contest is now over, congratulations to our winners: @Jemarch86, @austinkeith and @robertburnspr – stay tuned for more great giveaways…

Microsoft/Google/Android:

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Fleksy previews its third-party keyboard already running on iOS 8

Avatar for Zac Hall Jun 4 2014 - 9:09 am PT
9 Comments

In less than 48 hours since Apple officially announced native support for third-party keyboards as a major feature of iOS 8, Fleksy has already implemented their own keyboard on their iOS 8 test devices. Fleksy is also currently taking signups to join its beta program.
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Microsoft updates its SmartGlass mobile apps with a universal remote for your TV and cable box

Avatar for Mark Hearn Jun 4 2014 - 8:29 am PT
1 Comment

SmartGlass-iOS

Today, Microsoft released a highly anticipated update for its SmartGlass mobile apps for Xbox One. Following suit with a full system update for Redmond’s newest game console, this refreshed companion app adds fast access to all of your TV and app channels with the introduction of OneGuide support. Also new to SmartGlass are the abilities to compare Achievements, filter recorded game clips and organize your console’s pins remotely. But the standout new feature here is the addition of a universal remote that can be used to control your cable, satellite box or TV.


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New iOS 8 feature makes it easier to track missing devices

Avatar for Mike Beasley Jun 3 2014 - 5:40 pm PT
15 Comments

fmi

A new feature in Apple’s iOS 8 software might make it easier for users to track down missing or stolen devices. The setting seen above can be found in the Find My iPhone panel of the device’s iCloud settings, and enables the phone to automatically send its last known location to Apple’s iCloud service if the phone’s battery is almost dead.

The data will apparently be stored for 24 hours after the phone’s battery dies, so even if the phone is no longer turned on users can at least have some idea of where it was active.

Of course, there’s still a chance that thieves could just turn off the device before the battery reaches a critical level and avoid being caught by this feature. Perhaps a future update will allow the phone to send this information as part of its regular shutdown process, but for now it’s at least a step in the right direction.

iOS 8 turns iPhone into the ultimate game controller for iPad & Mac, Game Center hits 130M monthly active users

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 3 2014 - 12:22 pm PT
20 Comments
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iOS-8-controller-forwarding

Apple took some time to talk gaming during a presentation closed to the public yesterday at WWDC. While noting that gaming is now an area that Apple is “pushing on very strongly”, the company also announced a new feature coming for gamers and developers: Controller Forwarding. 
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Apple shows off completely redesigned iTunes Connect coming later this year

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 3 2014 - 11:45 am PT
3 Comments
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During its Platforms State of the Union presentation at WWDC yesterday, Apple showed off more features for developers that didn’t make the cut for its publicly streamed keynote event. One announcement made for developers is a redesigned version of iTunes Connect— the web app developers use to upload and maintain content on the App Store. 
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9to5Toys Last Call: Jawbone UP $80, Backblaze online backup 50% off, iPad mini $240, WD 3TB external HDD $94, more

Avatar for Jun 3 2014 - 10:09 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:


9to5Toys Specials:

  • 1-year of Backblaze online backup storage (PC/Mac) for $25 (Reg. $50) – ends in 3 days
  • Scrivener 2: Winner – Best of the Mac App Store $20 (Reg. $45) – ends in 11 days
  • PasswordBox Unlimited Subscription $9.99 (Reg. $72) – ends in 2 days

apple-ipad-mini-16gb-wi-fi-7-922-display-led-backlit-multi-touch-tablet-1st-gen1Apple iPad Mini 16GB Wi-Fi (1st gen) $240 shipped (Reg. $299)

wd-3-tb-elements-external-desktop-hard-drive-sale-01Western Digital Elements 3TB external desktop drive: $94 shipped (Reg. $150)

 

 

bond-skyfall-collection-blu-rayBond 50 Blu-ray collection $74, Breaking Bad Complete BR $130, Jack White First Play, more

seiki-se39uy04-39e2809d-class-4k-ultra-hd-120hz-led-tv-sale-01Seiki 39-inch 4K Class Ultra HDTV w/ HDMI: $400 shipped (Reg. $700)

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Giveaways presented by SlickWraps: Apple TV, $100 iTunes gift card, $50 SlickWraps gift card, more

The above contest is now over, congratulations to our winners: @Jemarch86, @austinkeith and @robertburnspr – stay tuned for more great giveaways…

Microsoft/Google/Android:

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Flappy Bird recreated in Swift, Apple’s programming language announced just hours ago

Avatar for Zac Hall Jun 3 2014 - 9:17 am PT
2 Comments

687474703a2f2f692e696d6775722e636f6d2f314e4c6f546f552e676966

Okay, it may just be Flappy Bird, the addictive game that once took over the news cycle for days and still threatens to return again some day, but the thing here is it was written in Apple’s new programming language for developers called Swift. What’s so special about that? Swift was only announced yesterday, less than 24 hours ago, so what this simple Flappy Bird clone really means is Swift is off to a good start given its only a few hours old. You can view the code for the Swift version of Flappy Bird by Nate Murray on Github, and read more about Apple’s new programming language Swift on iBooks.

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Creators of Alfred say OS X Yosemite’s Spotlight is not another case of the Sherlocks

Avatar for Zac Hall Jun 3 2014 - 8:25 am PT
7 Comments

Sherlocked?

Sherlocked. It’s a word that often gets thrown around after Apple casually integrates a feature offered by some other software into one of its operating systems. Its origin goes back to a time before OS X’s Spotlight feature when Sherlock was the Internet and file search software offered by Apple. Watson, at the time, was a third party utility by Karelia Software that offered very similar functionality, and one of Apple’s versions of Sherlock closely resembled the popular Watson.

Yesterday Apple introduced a more powerful version of Spotlight on OS X after quite a while of letting the feature remain unchanged. The easiest way to describe the updated version of Spotlight is to compare it to the popular Mac utility Alfred. For this reason, several Alfred users voiced concern about Alfred’s fate going forward, enough people that its creators addressed Alfred’s place in a Yosemite world on their blog:

A few users have voiced concerns that Spotlight in Yosemite looks more like Alfred, and wonder whether this changes anything for Alfred and his future.

What you have to remember is that Spotlight’s primary objective is to search your files and a small handful of pre-determined web sources. Meanwhile, Alfred’s primary objective is to make you more productive on your Mac with exceptional and powerful features like Clipboard History, System commands, iTunes Mini Player, 1Password bookmarks, Terminal integration, fully bespoke and customisable user-created workflows and much, much more.

Their message is very similar to last year’s WWDC when Apple introduced its iCloud Keychain which closely resembles a specific feature of 1Password and similar apps. 1Password has since shipped several updates adding new features to its software on the Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and it sounds like Alfred is planning to do just the same.

In fact, we’ve been working on some pretty special and truly amazing new features that you’ll hear about over the next few months. We think these will blow your mind and can’t wait to tell you more.

 

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