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6,254 'Apps' stories April 2010 - August 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.

Upcoming Secret update removes ability to access photo library or post real names, adds Flickr search, polls

Avatar for Mike Beasley Aug 22 2014 - 5:13 pm PT
2 Comments
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The popular anonymous social sharing network Secret may be under fire in Brazil, but in the U.S. and abroad the software lives on, and today received a big new update on the Android platform, with the iOS version expected to be released sometime over the next few days. The new version both adds and removes several capabilities to the app.

One of the most important changes in the new build is the removal of the ability to access photos saved to a device’s photo library. The camera is still fair game, but Secret is attempting to cut down on personally-damaging photos by taking away the option to upload older images.

That’s not to say that the camera is the only way to upload photos, though. The app now supports Flickr search so users can still find just the right photo for their posts without the need to go through their photo libraries.


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9to5Toys Last Call: LG 42″ LED HDTV $300, WD 2TB portable HDD $85, Belkin Bluetooth adapter $24, more

Avatar for Aug 22 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:

LG 42-Inch 1080p 60Hz LED HDTV $300 shipped (orig. $550)

Storage Deals:

Belkin Song Stream Bluetooth Music Receiver $24 Prime shipped (Reg. $40+)

Reversible USB Lightning cable available for purchase ahead of its potential launch alongside iPhone

Apple Deals:

Other new deals:

  • New! Games/Apps: PlayStation 4 bundle $400 ($460+ value), DualShock 4 $40, more
  • New! Daily Deals: Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone: $49, Geneva WorldRadio: $95, more
  • New! Sony aims to up your tennis game with new racket sensor


More tech deals still alive:

Home/fashion/magazines/games/media:

New products/ongoing promos:

Google/Microsoft/misc tech:

Apple removes Secret app from Brazilian App Store for not conforming with local laws

Avatar for Mike Beasley Aug 21 2014 - 6:39 pm PT
15 Comments
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Following a recent ruling that Apple would have ten days to remove the anonymous social app Secret from its Brazilian App Store, Apple has complied with the order. The justification for the removal, according to a source close to the situation, can be found in section 22.1 of the App Store Guidelines:

Apps must comply with all legal requirements in any location where they are made available to users. It is the developer’s obligation to understand and conform to all local laws

As noted by the judge, the Brazilian constitution prohibits anonymous freedom of expression, which essentially makes Secret and other apps like it illegal with that country.

Per Article 5, Section IV of the Constitution of Brazil:


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iWork for Mac and iOS updated with bug fixes and stability improvements, iMovie for Mac with iCloud fixes

Avatar for Mike Beasley Aug 21 2014 - 2:21 pm PT
5 Comments

Apple has published updates to all of the apps in its iWork suite on the Mac and iOS platforms. Pages for iPhone and iPad was bumped to version 2.2.2, while Pages for Mac reached version 5.2.2. Keynote for Mac was updated to version 6.2.2 and its iOS version went to 2.2.2. Both versions of Numbers were also updated, with the iOS version coming to 2.2.2 and the Mac version hitting 3.2.2.

Each of today’s update has the same exact change log:


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Intuit debuts redesigned Quicken 2015 for Mac with free mobile apps

Avatar for Zac Hall Aug 21 2014 - 9:33 am PT
12 Comments
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Intuit is out today with a new version of its personal finance app with the release of Quicken 2015 for Mac. The latest version of Quicken boasts an overhauled design to simplify the app as well as “new investment capabilities”, Intuit says. The new Mac version is accompanied by a sync compatible, updated Quicken Money Management app for iPhone which supports snapping and saving receipts as well as displaying charts on-the-go…


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9to5Toys Last Call: Monoprice Lightning keychain $13, Samsung 1TB EVO SSD $380, Hitman GO for iOS $2, more

Avatar for Aug 21 2014 - 9:08 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:

Put a 6-inch MFi Lightning cable on your keychain for $13.49 (Reg. $14.99)

Storage Deals:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9kJxrLSwHU?rel=0]

Hitman GO for iOS/Android now available at 60% off: $2 (Reg. $5)

Apple Deals:

Other new deals:

More tech deals still alive:

Home/fashion/magazines/media:

New products/ongoing promos:

Google/Microsoft/misc tech:

Google Play Music for iPhone updated w/ ability to remove music on-the-go, improved playback, more

Avatar for Zac Hall Aug 21 2014 - 8:19 am PT
5 Comments
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It’s been just over a month since the last big update to Google Play Music for iPhone, and today the Google Play Music team is rolling out another update with new features and improvements. The latest release brings the version number to 1.3.2.2559 for those keeping track at home, and adds a handful of new functionality like the ability to remove music from your library via the iPhone app. The update also boasts additional accessibility features which will surely be appreciated as well as fixes for issues with skipping during track playback and eliminating duplicate listings in the music library. You can see the full change log below.
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LucasArts’ ‘Star Wars: Commander’ is a free-to-play iOS shooter, invading US right now

Avatar for Stephen Hall Aug 21 2014 - 6:51 am PT
5 Comments

A new Star Wars game from the now Disney-owned LucasArts is landing on iPhones and iPads, and it’s a free-to-play combat strategy game (which won’t be free for too long if you don’t have the patience to wait real time for your structures to be built). The game is called Star Wars: Commander, and while it’s only today reaching the US, it has been available in at least one other country for a little while and has received some great reviews. 
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Swing Copters from Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen now rolling out on the App Store

Avatar for Stephen Hall Aug 20 2014 - 8:34 pm PT
5 Comments

In case you hadn’t heard, the creator of the infamous Flappy Bird is back and making another attempt at stealing your attention when you just need a quick iPhone gaming fix. The game is called Swing Copters and, quite frankly, it looks like a vertical remake of its predecessor—which spawned dozens of clones without the help of this spin-off. While we won’t know for a while whether or not this game will live up to the success of Flappy Bird, it’s now rolling out on the App Store in many locales.
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Tesla to allow iPhone to start Model S without key/fobs with v6.0 update

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Aug 20 2014 - 8:28 pm PT
8 Comments
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Tesla Motors, known for changing the automobile industry with its innovative electric cars, will update its Model S firmware in the coming months to allow owners to start and drive the Model S with only an iPhone. While it isn’t yet exactly certain how this will work, there is speculation that it will involve Touch ID and may coincide with the launch of iOS 8 next month. The above screenshot of Version 6 is said to be in late beta stages and being finalized for full rollout now.

Tesla’s iPhone app won our 2013 app of the year and the ability to start the car and drive it would continue down that same innovative road.  Other systems for starting a car and driving it from a mobile phone already exist for 3rd parties like Viper and others.

Tesla has been busy snapping up Apple employees over the past year. Only weeks after poaching Apple Mac Hardware Vice President Doug Field to run Vehicle Design, Tesla snapped up Director of Manufacturing technology Rich Heley. Then security researcher Kristin Paget joined in February. Also, much of Tesla’s UI design team comes from Apple.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk was also spotted at Apple last year and while speculation was that Apple was considering a buyout (shot down) or becoming an investor in Tesla’s battery Gigafactory, perhaps Musk was simply looking to better integrate the iPhone with his cars.


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OS X Server 3.2 developer preview, Safari 7.1 and 6.2 beta 3 now available for developers

Avatar for Mike Beasley Aug 20 2014 - 4:12 pm PT
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Apple has released new beta builds of two coming versions of its Safari browser, versions 7.1 and 6.2. The two updates will be available for Mavericks and Mountain Lion users later this year, presumably. The update will introduce updates to the WebKit engine, including support for IndexedDB, Javascript Promies, and new CSS capabilities.

The last seed for these updates was published nearly a month ago, while the first build of each was made available in early July. You can read the full seed notes below. The betas are available on Apple’s developer website. OS X Yosemite will ship with Safari 8.0.

Also available for the first time today is the beta version of OS X Server 3.2. It requires OS X 10.9.4 and has a build number of 13S5165.


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Vine for iOS updated with new camera, packs a plethora of new capture tools

Avatar for Stephen Hall Aug 20 2014 - 11:00 am PT
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Vine for iOS is getting a big update today, packing a new camera that adds a feature that those who use Instagram to share video have had for quite some time: the ability to create posts using clips from your camera roll. The new camera does more than add this method of creating posts, though, and includes many new tools for editing these videos to make your posts exactly what you want them to be.
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NFL Now channel added to Apple TV w/ instant in-game highlights, live events and press conferences, more

Avatar for Zac Hall Aug 20 2014 - 10:12 am PT
3 Comments
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Earlier this month we reported that the NFL network was testing its NFL Now service as a channel on the Apple TV. The subscription sports service launch followed a few days later with apps for iPhone and iPad in tow, and today the Apple TV channel has arrived as well. While the football channel does not support viewing live games, it does feature highlight clips and other programs as part of the service. Here’s how NFL Now describes the service:

NFL Now gives you personalized access to the largest digital library of NFL content available anywhere including news, analysis and highlights, plus NFL Films archives all on your favorite devices. Some premium content requires a paid subscription.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: iPad Air from $365 w/ .edu, Case-Mate 60% off, Samsung 48″ smart HDTV $600, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Aug 20 2014 - 9:01 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:

Apple Deals:

Case-Mate sitewide sale: 60% off with free shipping, iPhone cases $6, more

Samsung 48″ 1080p Smart HDTV 120Hz $600 shipped (Reg. $1000)

 

Storage Deals:

Other new deals:

More tech deals still alive:

Home/fashion/magazines/media:

New products/ongoing promos:

Google/Microsoft/misc tech:

Uber introduces API for integrating the transportation service into other apps

Avatar for Zac Hall Aug 20 2014 - 8:38 am PT
3 Comments
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The popular transportation service Uber has quickly been growing this year with new features like adding your destination right on the smartphone app when requesting a ride and poaching long time Apple engineering manager Chris Blumenberg who managed the Maps team. The service is even integrated into the Google Maps app on iPhone and Android, and check out the Uber care package the company sends new employees.

Today Uber is taking a major step toward integrating its service into even more apps and services as it introduces an API for developers to use in their own apps and a list of partners already planning to take advantage of it.

As of today, we officially open—to all developers—access to many of the primitives that power Uber’s magical experience. Apps can pass a destination address to the Uber app, display pickup times, provide fare estimates, access trip history and more.


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Skype makes chat notifications less annoying when using multiple devices

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Aug 20 2014 - 8:37 am PT
3 Comments

Skype announced today that it’s finally fixing the way notifications work for users with multiple devices by only delivering chat notifications to the device you’re actively using. If you’re signed into Skype on multiple devices like your Mac, iPhone and iPad, Skype will now recognize which device you’re actively using to chat and only send notifications to that device. It will also notice when you stop actively using a device and continue sending notifications to all devices. The changes are only for chat, however, as call notifications will continue to come through on all devices you’re signed into:

The moment you stop actively using Skype on any device, all devices will receive notifications again to make sure you never miss anything important. When you pick up any one of your devices to respond, we will stop send notifications to all other devices. Call notifications are still sent to all devices so you can answer on whichever gadget you prefer, not just the one you’re closest to.

Skype notes that with the change to notifications chat history will continue to “sync across all devices allowing you to continue a conversation from any one of them.”

Skype is rolling out the feature to all users on the latest version of Skype over the next few weeks.

Brazilian judge orders Apple, Google remove Secret from the app stores, remotely delete from users’ phones

Avatar for Mike Beasley Aug 19 2014 - 6:40 pm PT
17 Comments
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Update: At the moment, this ruling is still unofficial. A Brazilian prosecutor is pushing for the removal of these apps, but the judge has not officially ordered any action just yet. A source tells us that Secret has sent counsel to Brazil to investigate the situation, though we’ve been told this ruling would really be against Apple, Google, and Microsoft rather than the Secret app itself. Original story below:

A judge in Brazil has had it with the anonymous bullying carried out on social networking apps like Secret and has stepped in to put a stop to it, according to a report from  Estadao [translation]. Judge Paulo Cesar de Carvalho has ruled that Apple and Google must delete the application from their respective app stores, but the ruling doesn’t stop there.

According to the report, the judge has demanded that both companies remotely delete the application from every device that has installed it in the country. While that might sound like a hilarious case of a judge not understanding how technology works, you may be surprised to learn that it’s actually a capability that both companies possess.


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Simple for iOS gets redesigned from the ground up in 2.0 update

Avatar for Stephen Hall Aug 19 2014 - 11:15 am PT
4 Comments

If you haven’t heard of Simple, it’s definitely one of the most 2014-friendly banks out there. Known for its excellent mobile applications, the bank works just like any bank, but gives you a plethora features in both its mobile and web applications to make banking and tracking spending much easier. Today, the company is pushing version 2.0 of the app to Android and iOS users—and the latter will be especially happy because the app still hadn’t been updated to match the iOS 7 aesthetic until today.
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Mailbox for Mac reaches public beta, packs draft support, new “snooze to desktop” feature

Avatar for Stephen Hall Aug 19 2014 - 9:24 am PT
1 Comment

The team behind the famed Mailbox mobile application demoed a very early preview of the app for Mac back in April of this year, not long after announcing that the platform had been acquired by Dropbox. But the team has seemingly been making steady progress, hoping to create the perfect desktop counterpart to its mobile email client. Today, Mailbox announced that the app has reached public beta and that it will be rolling out soon to those who have signed up for the wait list.
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Google releases new Photo Sphere Camera app for iPhone

Avatar for Zac Hall Aug 19 2014 - 9:02 am PT
5 Comments

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9D3PxwGvC8&feature=youtu.be]

Google has dropped a new app for iPhone this morning called Photo Sphere Camera. The app offers a special camera that allows you to capture 360º images – everything above, below, and around you – for viewing and sharing. The new app even allows you to publish 360º images you capture to Google Maps for others to see as well. Google notes that the app requires iPhone 4S or higher for capturing images. Photo Sphere Camera is available for free on the App Store joining a long list of other Google apps including its popular game augmented reality game Ingress.
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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad Air 64GB WiFi $580, Sonos Play:1 $170, JBL Charge Bluetooth speaker $100, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Aug 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:

Apple Deals:

Sonos Play:1 Wireless Music System (black) $170 shipped (Reg. $200)

Bluetooth Speakers: JBL Charge Portable (Gray/White) $100 shipped (orig. $170), HMDX JAM PLUS $24 shipped (Reg. $60)

Other new deals:

More tech deals still alive:

Home/fashion/magazines/media:

New products/ongoing promos:

Google/Microsoft/misc tech:

Good news for iTunes podcasters: Adam Carolla just beat patent trolls Personal Audio

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Aug 19 2014 - 7:10 am PT
8 Comments
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Good news today for iTunes podcasters: Adam Carolla has won in his fight against patent trolls Personal Audio after more than a year of litigation. The outcome likely means that the patent troll will cut its losses with suing other podcasters, something it has been threatening to do with others in the community throughout the case with Carolla.
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The creator of Flappy Bird is launching a new game this week called Swing Copters

Avatar for Zac Hall Aug 18 2014 - 11:54 am PT
6 Comments

After months of countless Flappy Bird clones hitting the App Store, Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen is taking his best shot at hopefully cloning the success of his bizarrely popular iPhone game with a new title called Swing Copters.

According to Touch Arcade, which had an early peak at the game (Nguyen seems to be marketing this game despite pulling Flappy Bird for getting too popular), Swing Copters is just as challenging (therefore probably as addictive) as you pilot a helicopter upward through gates with menacing, swinging hammers that crash your flight on impact. The gaming site also has footage of early gameplay of the Flappy Bird successor as you can see below:

The official successor to Flappy Bird is said to be ready to soar on Thursday, August 21st, and be free with a single 99¢ in-app purchase to remove advertisements. Will Dong Nguyen’s next game be yet another hit or is the Flappy Bird concept too played out?