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6,271 '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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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
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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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iOS 8 Roundup: The latest apps with extensions and Touch ID support

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 17 2014 - 10:30 am PT
18 Comments
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As part of iOS 8’s new Extensibility features, developers can now create app extensions throughout the system for sharing information and performing actions without actually launching their apps.

What this means for users is that the familiar action or share button (the upward arrow in a box) will now contain way more options than ever before. Remember when Apple added Facebook and Twitter sharing, for example directly to Safari and Photos on iOS? Starting with iOS 8, Apple is allowing all app makers to create similar buttons for sharing and actions. An example of an action (like copy or add to Reading List) shared by Apple at WWDC was native language translation directly in Safari using Bing Translate. Extension support also includes photo filters allowing photo editing apps that provide filter extensions to work inside of the native Photos app.

A year after introducing Touch ID, the secure fingerprint scanner first introduced with the iPhone 5s, Apple is also now allowing apps to take advantage of Touch ID for the first time. Touch ID users can now authenticate log-ins and more in supported apps using the secure fingerprint scanner. Below we’ll tell you about the latest apps already taking advantage of extensions and Touch ID support for iOS 8.


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iOS 8 Roundup: The latest apps with Today widgets in Notification Center

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 17 2014 - 10:10 am PT
25 Comments
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Apple introduced a new concept for developers with iOS 8 called Extensibility. This allows users to use services from apps throughout the system without actually being in the app itself, and widgets in Notification Center’s Today view are a major example of this feature in action.

Widgets from supported apps can be enabled by swiping down to the Today view in Notification Center, scrolling down to the “edit” button at the bottom, and tapping the “+” icon next to any supported apps. When you install a new app that supports a Today view widget, a badge will appear on the edit button to subtly notify you of the widget. You can also rearrange widgets as well as remove Apple’s own Notification Center widgets.

Many of these widgets present up-to-date information like the number of steps you’ve taken today, upcoming tasks or events on your third-party task management app or calendar, and much, much more. Below we’ll show you several of the latest apps offering widgets right now in Notification Center’s Today view.
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Apple begins updating its apps for iOS 8 starting with iTunes U, Remote, Logic Remote, Podcasts, & more

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 17 2014 - 9:43 am PT
5 Comments

 

Ahead of iOS 8’s release later this morning, Apple has released new versions some of its iOS apps.

Remote, which allows you to control your iTunes library and Apple TV from your iOS device, received a performance improvement update with iOS 8 support. Logic Remote, which allows you to interface with both GarageBand and Logic X on the Mac, is also updated with iOS 8 support.

An updated version of iTunes U is also available bringing iOS 8 support and the ability to add assignment due dates to the calendar. Podcasts, which is included with iOS 8, has been updated as well.

Find My iPhone has been updated to support iOS 8 and Family Sharing. Beats Music has been updated with iOS 8 support which includes the ability to share links to music over Messages, Mail, Facebook, and Twitter. iTunes Movies Trailers for iOS 8 is now out too. Find My Friends as well with the ability to allow “users to move their friends list to their iCloud account if necessary.”

AirPort Utility, the app used to control Apple’s routers, is updated for iOS 8.

Each update is free on the App Store, and more Apple app updates are expected to follow.

 

 

Developers warn iOS 8 users not to upgrade to iCloud Drive before OS X Yosemite release

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 17 2014 - 8:33 am PT
20 Comments
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With the public release of iOS 8 landing today ahead of the new iPhone models shipping on September 19, developers are warning users not to upgrade to Apple’s new iCloud Drive feature just yet. 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 won’t be available for Macs until Yosemite is released later this year. That means that upgrading today will cause syncing issues for apps that previously used other methods of syncing between Macs and iOS devices. The graphics above come from developers of iOS app DayOne, while developer Ginger Labs explained the problem in release notes for its popular iOS Notability app today:
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WATCH Disney iOS apps updated with AirPlay and Chromecast streaming support

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 16 2014 - 12:54 pm PT
2 Comments

Disney’s popular apps iOS apps including WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney Junior, and WATCH Disney X D have all been updated today with support for AirPlay and Chromecast streaming.

That means that owners of an Apple TV or Google’s Chromecast can now send content from the iPhone and iPad apps to an Apple TV or Chromecast-connected TV. Apple TV already has dedicated Disney channels offering most if not all of content available through the apps, but AirPlay streaming offers another way to get content to the big screen if you prefer browsing from a mobile device.

The updated WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney Junior, and WATCH Disney X D apps are available now on the App Store.

What’s New in Version 4.0.2

AirPlay streaming now available via Apple TV
Casting now available via Google Chromecast

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9to5Toys Last Call: WD 2TB portable HDD $80, Beats headphones from $160, free iTunes music, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Sep 16 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:

 

Headphones: Beats Mixr on-ears $160, Beats wireless (multiple colors) $200, Sony over-ears $100, Bluetooth cans for $15, more

Canon Laser Printers: ImageClass Color AiO $180 (Orig. $449), ImageClass Monochrome AiO $150 shipped (Orig. $299)

Apple iPad mini w/ Retina display 16GB $75 off or $125 off w/ .edu email, deals as low as $275 shipped

Download  iTunes playlist with eight popular country songs for free (over $9 value)

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:

Paper by 53 introduces Mix, a community for sharing digital sketches & creations (plus a Pencil giveaway!)

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 16 2014 - 6:00 am PT
24 Comments
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Paper by FiftyThree is getting a whole lot more social today as the popular sketching app for iPad launches Mix, a community platform for sharing creations made in Paper. Mix allows users to share and view other sketches made in Paper on the web or right in the app.

With Mix, Paper uses can follow other creators, adding sketches to your own journal, view iterations of sketches, “star” ideas for viewing in a collection, and open sketches on the web. Probably the best feature of Mix is being able to use someone else’s sketch for inspiration for your own. You can jump right into a sketch found on Mix and add your own ideas and creations.

As part of the debut of Mix, 9to5Mac and FiftyThree will be giving away two Pencils by FiftyThree, the company’s stylus made specifically for Paper for iPad with surface pressure detection coming with iOS 8, blending, erasing, and palm rejection. Read more about Mix in Paper by FiftyThree and how to enter the giveaway below.
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Smart driving assistant Automatic partnering with Ford Motors through its in-car Sync platform

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 15 2014 - 9:01 pm PT
5 Comments
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Automatic Labs and Ford Motors are announcing today a new partnership to bring the Automatic Link accessory to more people and add more functionality to the platform. Ford Motors and Automatic Labs will work together to develop features to both the Automatic platform and Ford Sync, the automaker’s in-car infotainment system.

By integrating with Ford’s Sync platform, for example, Automatic users will be able to connect the in-car Sync button to the popular If This Then That automatic service. This turns the push-to-talk button into a one push button for a variety of programmable automation tasks in the car. The two companies say more enhancements will roll out soon through the partnership.
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iLife/iWork iOS apps to come pre-installed on 64GB and 128GB iPhone 6/6 Plus

Avatar for Sep 15 2014 - 8:20 am PT
25 Comments

You’ll notice a few new apps (and less available storage) on your new iPhone 6 or 6 Plus later this week when you fire it up for the first time. According to an internal Apple Retail training document (seen below), iOS 8 compatible iLife and iWork apps will come pre-installed on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

This includes iMovie, GarageBand, Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and iTunes U. Owners of the 16GB models of Apple’s newest smartphones will still have access to these apps for free, but they must be downloaded from the App Store manually or via an App Store prompt. It remains unclear as to whether or not GarageBand in-app purchases will also be available at no additional cost.

Just over a year ago, Apple announced that all new iOS devices would be allowed to download these apps for free alongside the release of major updated versions of each app.
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Will Microsoft’s purchase of Mojang mean the end of Minecraft for Mac & iOS users?

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 15 2014 - 6:42 am PT
13 Comments

With news breaking today that Minecraft-maker Mojang has officially sold to Microsoft, the first question that comes to my mind is what this might mean for Mac and iOS users.

Microsoft now has the ability and probably much incentive to make future versions of Minecraft Xbox and or Windows-only and, unfortunately, its statement on the topic isn’t reassuring to say the least. Here’s the statement from Mojang on development for various platforms:

There’s no reason for the development, sales, and support of the PC/Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Vita, iOS, and Android versions of Minecraft to stop. Of course, Microsoft can’t make decisions for other companies or predict the choices that they might make in the future.

We’re extremely proud of all editions and the awesome things you have achieved through playing together.

That’s far from a promise that Microsoft will indeed keep the game alive on all platforms, and also up in the air is where the company’s current employees and projects will end up after the deal. For now, versions of the game are still available to download for Mac and iOS. 

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Public version of Google Chrome for Mac will go exclusively 64-bit in November

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 12 2014 - 10:42 pm PT
31 Comments

Last month Google released a 64-bit version of the Chrome browser for OS X on its developer channel. However, this version of the app has not yet been made available to the general public. Google announced today in a blog post (via iMore) that the browser would be updated in version 39 not only to add 64-bit support, but to remove 32-bit support.

That means that any 32-bit plugins built on the Netscape Plugin API will no longer function until they are updated for 64-bit systems. This update will be released in November, though an exact release date hasn’t been given yet. Because Chrome uses a silent auto-update mechanism, users won’t have to do anything special to get the update.

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Apple says new iOS 8 SMS Continuity feature won’t arrive until October

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 12 2014 - 9:31 am PT
21 Comments

Apple’s website detailing Continuity features arriving with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite in the coming weeks has been updated to announce SMS support won’t arrive until October.

The feature, which allows users to send and receive SMS and MMS text messages from an iPad or Mac, could be held up by the upcoming release of OS X Yosemite this fall. Unfortunately, an October release for the feature means it won’t be available to iPad users when iOS 8 launches on September 17.

The SMS Continuity feature has been included in betas of iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, but it looks like it won’t be ready for public consumption later this month.

Apple is expected to release OS X Yosemite in October.

(via iLounge)

60 percent of apps fail basic privacy tests, finds international cross-governmental study

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 12 2014 - 5:10 am PT
8 Comments
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A review of 1,211 apps carried out by a coalition of privacy officials across 19 countries found that 60 percent of them failed at least one basic privacy test, reports the WSJ.

The officials found that 60% of apps raised privacy concerns, based on three criteria: They did not disclose how they used personal information; they required that the user give up an excessive amount of personal data as a condition of downloading the app; and their privacy policies were rendered in type too small to be read on a phone’s screen …


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Feral Interactive’s entire games catalogue on sale at up to 75 percent off in the Mac App Store

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 12 2014 - 4:14 am PT
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If you’re a fan of LEGO games on your Mac, or any of the many other games made by Mac gaming specialist Feral Interactive, you have six days to grab a bargain in the latest Mac App Store sale. This is the first time that the entire catalogue of apps from a developer has gone on sale, with discounts of up to 75 percent.

Notable titles include LEGO Star Wars Saga; the racing game GRID, which claims to combine the best of both arcade racing and driving sim worlds; defending the Earth from alien invasion in XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Elite Edition); and the award-winning Batman Arkham City GOTY.

Via TNW

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9to5Toys Last Call: TP-LINK WiFi extender $20, 2-pack Chromecast $55, Mophie iPhone 5/5s battery case $45, more

Avatar for Sep 11 2014 - 9:02 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:

TP-LINK 300Mbps Universal Wi-Fi range extender $20 shipped (orig. $35)

Two Google Chromecasts for $55 shipped ($15 savings)

Mophie Juice Pack Helium 1500mAh iPhone 5/5s battery case $45 shipped (Reg. $80)

$100 Staples gift card for $85: save 15% on electronics, office supplies, more

iPhone 6 deals:

Small States: Myro:Air wants you to have your high quality audio and AirPlay too, giveaway worth $599

Other new deals:

More tech deals still alive:

Home/fashion/magazines/games/media:

New products/ongoing promos: