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6,287 '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.

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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
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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:

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:

As shown at WWDC, Bing Search app brings translation extension to Safari

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Sep 23 2014 - 6:04 am PT
2 Comments
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The Bing Search app has been updated to include the translation feature first demoed at WWDC, as part of the initial unveiling of iOS 8 extensions.

Very simply, downloading the update adds a Bing Translate action to your Activities list in Safari. Enable the action and then visit a website in a foreign language. Pressing the Translate action in the share sheet will machine translate the webpage’s text to the system language, by default. The text content changes inline and happens very quickly.


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New two-factor authentication app Lockdown launches with iCloud syncing, recovery code storage, and more

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 22 2014 - 7:22 pm PT
6 Comments

A new iOS app for managing two-factor authentication keys called Lockdown launched this weekend with a set of unique features like the ability to sync your keys over iCloud with other devices (including an upcoming Mac counterpart). Accounts in the app will also be backed up along with your phone’s data so that you can restore the keys back to a new device, which isn’t possible with other two-factor apps.

Of course, while backing up the keys and syncing them with iCloud provide an increased level of convenience, it’s important to remember that those can also lead to a reduced level of security in some cases. It’s important to balance security with convenience when dealing with something like two-factor authentication, and thankfully Lockdown’s developer recognizes this. All data on the device or backed up to iCloud is encrypted whether it’s in transit or stored on the device or server.

Sites that use two-factor authentication typically also use backup codes for logging into your account in case you lose access to your device. Lockdown offers the ability to store these backup codes right in the app. While that’s an excellent convenience feature, it does somewhat defeat the purpose of the codes. If you’ve stored them only in Lockdown and then lose your phone, you won’t have access to those codes, and thus won’t be able to log into your account. So while this is a handy feature, it’s critical that you store these codes in a secondary location that isn’t on your phone as well.

The developer has told 9to5Mac that an update has been submitted to Apple which includes new features such as support for using Touch ID to protect the application. A Safari extension is planned for a later release to make logging into sites through the phone’s built-in browser even easier.

You can grab Lockdown on the iOS App Store for $3.99.

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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad 4 WiFi + AT&T LTE 128GB $499, iOS wireless storage, 2x Chromecast $50, more

Avatar for Sep 22 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:

Apple iPad w/ Retina display 128GB AT&T LTE $499 shipped (orig. $929), more

Couldn’t score a 128GB iPhone 6 or 6 Plus? Add storage to any iPhone with a wireless drive

Google Chromecast media player (refurb) $25 or two (new) for $50 (orig. $35 each)

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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Chrome iOS update enables third-party app extensions, iOS 8 support

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 22 2014 - 8:32 am PT
4 Comments

Google today updated its Chrome browser for iPhone and iPad with support for iOS 8’s new third-party App Extensions feature. That means that Chrome’s sharing menu will now show additional sharing options from apps you have installed supporting the new App Extensions feature. We previously put together a roundup of some of the best apps offering App Extensions when iOS 8 launched.

Google says the update, version 37.0.2062.60, also includes iOS 8 compatibility, stability improvements, and bug fixes.

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

What’s New in Version 37.0.2062.60

• Supports using 3rd party App Extensions to post and share content.
• iOS 8 Compatibility.
• Stability improvements and bug fixes.

Skype app updated for iOS 8, includes interactive notifications for calls and messages

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Sep 22 2014 - 5:52 am PT
7 Comments
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The Skype app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch has now been updated with support for iOS 8. Unfortunately, this does not include support for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus screen sizes, meaning Skype still renders at a scaled iPhone 5s resolution.

However, the update does add interactive notifications which helps streamline responding to content. Hence, new Skype notifications have buttons attached to the alert which can perform various actions. For voice calls, you can answer or decline. For video calls, you can choose between voice or video responses. For missed calls, you can respond with a message or call the person straight back.


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Google Search iOS app renamed ‘Google’, adds Chromecast integration, new Now cards

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 19 2014 - 10:04 am PT
5 Comments

Google just updated its Google Search app for iOS and in the process renamed it to simply “Google”, which seems to make a bit more sense considering the app integrates Google Now features and much beyond just search. Also in today’s update: new features for Chromecast and additional Google Now cards.

For Chromecast users, the app now allows users to ask “What’s on Chromecast?” and jump right into the Chromecast app to begin casting content to a TV. The update also includes new Google Now cards that Google says offer “personalized TV recommendations and traffic information.”

Version 4.2.0 of the Google app is available on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 4.2.0

This update includes new Google Now cards for personalized TV recommendations and traffic information. Chromecast users can now ask Google “what’s on Chromecast?” to open the Chromecast app and start casting. We’ve also made improvements to speed up your browsing experience.

Sign in to the Google app and enable Now cards to take full advantage of these new features.

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9to5Toys Last Call: iTunes GC 33% off, iPhone 6/6 Plus screen protector $1, Samsung 40″ LED HDTV $330, more

Avatar for Sep 19 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:

$15 iTunes gift card for $10: save 33% on future apps, music, movies, more

ArmorSuit iPhone 6/6 Plus screen protectors for $1 shipped (orig. $20)

Samsung 40-inch LED 1080p 120Hz 3D HDTV $330 shipped (Reg. $530)

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

Small States: Grovemade stays true to themselves w/ its handmade tech accessories, giveaway worth $306 + 15% discount – Last chance!

Other new deals:

More tech deals still alive:


New products/ongoing promos:

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Windows users get iCloud Drive support while Mac users await Yosemite

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 19 2014 - 8:05 am PT
18 Comments

While developers are warning iOS 8 and Mac users to avoid upgrading to Apple’s new iCloud Drive feature before the release of OS X Yosemite, Windows users now have access with an updated iCloud for Windows utility released by Apple. With the update, Windows users can now view and edit content stored in iCloud Drive through File Explorer (via Ars Technica).

As for Mac users, Apple explains in its support document: “If you upgrade to iCloud Drive before OS X Yosemite is available, documents on your Mac won’t be kept up to date with documents on your devices with iOS 8, or on iCloud.com.” Apple allows users to upgrade to iCloud Drive on devices running iOS 8. 

Windows users can download the latest iCloud for Windows here to access the new iCloud Drive features, while Mac users will have to wait for the OS X Yosemite release this fall.

Pebble 2.5 firmware lands w/ support for Emoji, new Compass app, iOS 8 notification dismissal, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Sep 18 2014 - 3:33 pm PT
11 Comments

Pebble has launched version 2.5 of its smartwatch firmware, packing a bunch of great new features—including some interesting new abilities for users who have recently upgraded to iOS 8. Notably, the update now allows iOS users to dismiss notifications by clicking the X button to dismiss one, and holding it down to dismiss all. Pebble also says that the app should stay live in the background more often on iOS, but the company says that users should make sure not to disable “Smartwatch Proximity.”

Additionally, the company says that the firmware brings the ability for the Pebble and Pebble Steel smartwatches to display Emoji, replacing the previous small white boxes that are all too familiar across platforms without Emoji support. And to round off the most interesting new features, the company is launching the Compass app that they promised long ago, which can be picked up on the Pebble appstore. I definitely recommend this one; I’ve tried it out and I’m quite impressed with how fluid the app is.

The smartwatch should have improved Bluetooth and notification reliability compared to previous firmware versions, and Pebble says that 2.5 also fixes a plethora of bugs.

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Flexibits says iOS 8 features coming soon to Fantastical following iPhone 6 update

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 18 2014 - 2:03 pm PT
0 Comments

With iOS 8 launching yesterday and the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus hitting stores and delivering to customers tomorrow, a number of apps have already begun shipping updates to take advantage of the new screen sizes and software features. With several customers asking where the update for Fantastical 2 on iOS 8 was, Flexibits today shared in a blog post its plans for the iPhones 6 and new version of iOS.

The makers of the smart calendar app note that the current version of Fantastical 2 has already been released with iOS 8 support and that a version of Fantastical 2 optimized for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus has today been submitted so users of the new device won’t have to wait long for the new version. More importantly, a version introducing a Notification Center widget and system extension will be “coming in the next few weeks.”
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Twitter for iPhone rolling out refreshed user profile design & interactive notifications

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 18 2014 - 1:36 pm PT
4 Comments
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Twitter shared in a blog post today that it will begin rolling out improvements to the user profile design for iPhone users in addition to new features for iOS 8.

The previous user profile design featured the user’s avatar centered over the cover photo with a swipe required to reveal the bio and photos further down in a carousel view. The refreshed design now presents all of this information in a more traditional layout with buttons distinguishing tweets, favorites, and photos. Each of these sections can be explored with an endless scrolling feed.

The update also offers up users interactive notifications, a feature introduced with iOS 8 but not readily available in many apps just yet.
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Apple releases Safari 7.1 for Mavericks w/ DuckDuckGo search engine, encryption for Yahoo searches

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 18 2014 - 9:05 am PT
14 Comments

Apple has just released Safari 7.1 to all users of OS X Mavericks following several beta releases in recent weeks. The update adds DuckDuckGo as a default search engine option, which was also just added to Apple’s mobile version of Safari alongside iOS 8. The update also includes a security improvement for Yahoo search engine users: Apple says Yahoo searches from the search field are now encrypted. 

In addition, Apple notes the release improves Reader and AutoFill compatibility with websites.

The release follows OS X 10.9.5 becoming available to all users yesterday with Safari 7.0.6. The Safari 7.1 update is available to users on OS X Mavericks 10.9.5 now through Updates in the Mac App Store. 

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9to5Toys Last Call: iOS 8 app bundles go live, VIZIO 42-inch Smart HDTV $420, rooCASE iPhone 6 cases $7, more

Avatar for Sep 18 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:

New iOS 8 app bundles offer popular apps/games at discounted prices

VIZIO 42-inch 1080p Smart LED $420 (orig. $500), Samsung 55-inch 4K Smart 3D LED $1500 (orig. $5100+), more

rooCASE iPhone 6 hybrid case w/ screen protector (multiple colors): $7 shipped (orig. $30)

More iPhone 6 deals:

Small States: Grovemade stays true to themselves w/ its handmade tech accessories, giveaway worth $306 + 15% discount

Other new deals:

More tech deals still alive:

Home/fashion/magazines/games:

New products/ongoing promos:

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CNN’s iPhone 6 app demoed during the Apple event is now available

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 18 2014 - 7:59 am PT
0 Comments

Apple showed off a number of its own apps at last week’s iPhone 6 event to illustrate how the larger display phones can show content in new ways, specifically using the iPad-like two-column view in landscape mode.

Apple also encouraged developers to update their own apps to take advantage of the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays rather than relying on system scaling to blow up content made for 4-inch displays, and CNN’s news app for iPhone was the shining example of what third-party app makers can do.
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Demoed at WWDC, Epic Zen Garden is now available to download in the App Store

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Sep 18 2014 - 6:09 am PT
4 Comments

First shown at WWDC to demonstrate Metal (Apple’s new graphics API), Epic Zen Garden is now available in the App Store to download and try out on your newly-updated iOS 8 device. Although this is more of a tech demo than a fully-fledged game, you can still get some enjoyment out of raking the sand or playing with the fish in the pond. There are several different areas to explore which show off the power of the GPU in your iOS device. It does look good.


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GarageBand’s iOS 8 update adds MIDI over Bluetooth for wirelessly connecting instruments

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 18 2014 - 5:38 am PT
2 Comments

As one of the last of its own apps to get an update for iOS 8, Apple has now updated its GarageBand app for iPhone and iPad with support for the new operating system and more.

On top of the expected iOS 8 support, the app also gains MIDI over Bluetooth support, which means compatible MIDI keyboards, DJ controllers and other MIDI-based instruments can now connect wirelessly and send MIDI data to the app over Bluetooth LE. We first told you about Apple’s new MIDI over Bluetooth support in iOS 8 and coming soon in OS X Yosemite, which will also allow users to advertise their device as a MIDI device for sending MIDI from virtual apps on either OS to the other.

Also new for GarageBand is iCloud Drive compatibility, although developers have warned users to avoid upgrading to the feature before the release of OS X Yosemite.

Lastly, the app adds the ability to “Toggle the metronome on and off directly from the control bar.”

The updated GarageBand is available on the App Store now.

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Dropbox and Carousel showing duplicate photos after earlier syncing outage

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 18 2014 - 3:45 am PT
0 Comments

An iOS 8 compatibility issue that led the Dropbox and Carousel iOS apps to fail to upload photos has now been resolved with a new version, but you may find that you are seeing duplicates of your photos, reports the company in its blog.

Some iOS 8 users who have downloaded the latest versions of Dropbox and Carousel might be experiencing ‘duplicate’ uploads of their photos. These ‘duplicates’ are backed up versions of thumbnails generated by Apple’s iCloud My Photo Stream and are being recognized as unique images by Dropbox.

Dropbox also acknowledges that “a small number” of users are finding that the app crashes on opening, and is working on a fix for both issues.

Apple released iOS 8 yesterday for the iPhone 4S and up, the iPad 2 and later and the 5th generation iPod Touch. Check out our roundups covering Today widgets, third-party keyboards and extensions and Touch ID support.

Update: Dropbox says it should be resolved.

[tweet https://twitter.com/dropbox_support/status/512670125997051904]

iMovie for iOS updated with iOS 8 support, video filters, clip speed settings, and more

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 17 2014 - 4:43 pm PT
20 Comments
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Update: Apple seems to have temporarily pulled this update in order to fix widely-reported crashes. It will likely be available again soon.
Update 2: It’s back now.

Apple has pushed out an updated version of iMovie for iOS (version 2.1) today that features support for the newly-released iOS 8 software and several other new features. The update includes 10 new Apple-designed filters that can be applied to your clips, speed settings for projects on newer iOS devices (iPhone 5s, iPad Air, and Retina iPad mini), as well as iCloud Drive support.

You can also now export your videos to other apps using iOS 8’s inter-app connectivity features. An iMovie extension for the Photos application allows you to enhance the videos in your camera roll without leaving the app. Titles can now be created with bi-directional text, and support for five languages has been added.


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Keymoji keyboard for iOS 8 translates everything you type into emoji

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 17 2014 - 4:09 pm PT
4 Comments
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The Apple Watch may be able to share your heartbeat with someone across the world, but I think we all know that the future of communication actually lies in those little smiling faces called emoji that are usually tucked away in a secondary keyboard on our phones. To ensure that the future of interpersonal conversation is not hindered by the relative difficulty of tracking down just the right icon to express your feelings, one iOS development team has released a keyboard that translates everything you say into emoji.

The keyboard is called Keymoji, and it uses a crowdsourced database of emoji combinations that can then be substituted for words in your text messages, emails, tweets, and other communications (via Re/code). As you type, Keymoji will figure out what you want to say and translate it into a collection of icons that properly convey your message.


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Apple updates mobile iWork apps w/ iOS 8 support & iCloud Drive compatibility

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 17 2014 - 3:58 pm PT
6 Comments

Following updates to a number of its other iOS apps for iOS 8 earlier today, Apple has just released an update for its Numbers app. The update includes iOS 8 support and iCloud Drive compatibility and comes ahead of what we expect will be similar updates for Apple’s other iWork apps, Pages and Keynote, later today. (Update: Pages and Keynote 2.4.2 are now available with these changes.)

Earlier today we noted that developers are warning users upgrading to iOS 8 to not opt into iCloud Drive until the release of OS X Yosemite. The feature, which allows users to store and access files stored in iCloud on Mac, Windows, and iCloud-enabled iOS apps, is available to users on iOS 8 starting today, but could break the ability to sync documents between Macs before the release of OS X Yosemite later this year.

The updated Numbers app is available on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 2.4.2

• Support for iOS 8
• iCloud Drive compatibility
• Stability improvements and bug fixes

Jailbreak tweak developer releases three new iOS 8 widgets for monitoring your calendar, weather, and more

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 17 2014 - 3:12 pm PT
4 Comments
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In March we reported on a new jailbreak tweak called ProWidgets that introduced a whole suite of widgets to the iOS 7 Notification Center. With today’s release of iOS 8, Avanio Labs, the company created by Alan Yip, has released several native widgets for the new operating system. These new add-ons will help you keep track of your calendar and to-do list, monitor the weather, and perform a ton of useful actions on the text stored in your clipboard.

The first of these is Agenda+, which you can see in the screenshots above. Agenda+ combines a list view of your calendar events with a summary of your iOS Reminders. iOS typically breaks these two up into separate widgets, with the Calendar widget showing a full timeline of your day (which can take up a lot of space depending on how many events you have and how late in the day they are).


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