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6,291 '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.

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
0 Comments

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?

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Xbox One SmartGlass app adds ability to buy & install Xbox games remotely, more

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Aug 18 2014 - 11:38 am PT
2 Comments

Microsoft updated its Xbox One SmartGlass app for iPhone and iPad today with a few interesting new features including the ability to purchase and remotely begin installing games to your Xbox.

The app now lets users browse new and popular games, add-ons, and bundles as well, which will come in handy now that you can also purchase and begin automatically installing content on your Xbox right from your iPhone or iPad.

Also included in version 2.8 of the app is the ability to “rate your favorite game clips and activity feed entries” and “receive and view shared Activity Feed and Game Clips”.

The updated Xbox One SmartGlass app for iOS is available on the App Store now. A full list of what’s new in the update is below.

What’s New in Version 2.8

•Rate your favorite game clips and activity feed entries
•Purchase things on your phone or tablet and they will start installing on your Xbox
•Browse new and popular games, add-ons, and bundles
•Receive and view shared Activity Feed and Game Clips
•General stability and polish improvements
•Bug fixes

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App developers can now earn affiliate commissions via Store Kit in iOS 8

Avatar for Mark Gurman Aug 18 2014 - 9:17 am PT
2 Comments

Apple’s iTunes Affiliate program has notified users of the program that developers can now earn affiliate commission via the Store Kit feature in iOS 8. StoreKit Product Sheet, which has existed since 2012’s iOS 6, allows developers to put a page inside of their apps to download other items from the iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore. However, the feature was not compatible with affiliates until iOS 8. Here’s Apple’s email to affiliate users:

We are excited to announce that Store Kit Product Sheet is now affiliate commissionable on iOS 8.

Store Kit Product Sheet allows app developers to promote the purchase of music, apps, books and more directly from a sheet within your app and earn the standard affiliate commission on all sales within 24 hours.

We encourage you to use Store Kit Product Sheet to provide a superior user experience and keep users in your app longer. Learn how to integrate your affiliate token into the Store Kit Product Sheet in the Developer Documentation.

Apple briefly discussed this iOS 8 enhancement for developers during a WWDC 2014 session, but this email indicates Apple is pushing developers to utilize all of the resources available to increase their monthly revenues.


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9to5Toys Last Call: PowerAll power bank $80, B&W Z2 AirPlay speaker $200, iPad mini $199 at Target, more

Avatar for Aug 18 2014 - 9:05 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:

 

PowerAll Portable Power Bank and Car Jump Starter $80 shipped (Reg. $120)

Bowers & Wilkins Z2 AirPlay speaker w/ Lightning dock $200 shipped (orig. $400)

Apple iPad mini for $199 (33% off) goes live at Target stores

Samsung 840 EVO 500GB Solid State Drive $210 shipped (orig. $350)

The Apple Store now sells an $89 refurbished iPod touch and it may actually be worth your time/money

Other new deals:

More tech deals still alive:

Home/fashion/magazines/media:

New products/ongoing promos:

Google/Microsoft/misc tech:

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Pokemon is coming to the iPad, just not in the way you were probably hoping

Avatar for Mike Beasley Aug 15 2014 - 6:55 pm PT
0 Comments

The world has long clamored for Pokemon on iOS, and now it looks like those users may finally get their wish. But don’t get your hopes up to play the upcoming Omega Ruby on your iPhone, or even the classics like Pokemon Red. The game headed for the iPad isn’t part of the popular adventure game series at all. It’s actually a digital version of the Pokemon trading card game.

YouTuber Josh Wittenkeller spied an early build of the app earlier today, snapped a photo and posted it to Twitter.

[tweet https://twitter.com/TheJWittz/statuses/500350510403432448 align=’center’]

The Pokemon Company has confirmed that the app is in development, but there’s currently no established timetable for when it will become available to the public. Mac and PC versions of the app have be available for some time.

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TweetDeck for Mac gets Regional/City Trends column, other improvements

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Aug 15 2014 - 9:38 am PT
0 Comments

TweetDeck for Mac was updated via the Mac App Store to version 3.8.4 and with it comes a new feature that will show regional and city trends. “You can now find locally trending topics for Regions and Cities, and add a column based on the trend.”

The update also includes a number of other improvements and fixes. You can now remove scheduled tweets from the Scheduled column by removing the time from a tweet and the other update also includes improvements for multiphoto tweets in large columns. In addition, the updated app fixes a few annoyances like the empty columns bug after a computer wakes from sleep as well as retweets with emoji not display properly.

The updated TweetDeck for Mac is available on the Mac App Store now.

What’s New in Version 3.8.4

– Fixes issue with empty columns after computer wakes from sleep.
– Regional + City level Trends. You can now find locally trending topics for Regions and Cities, and add a column based on the trend.
– Retweeting a Tweet with emoji no longer scrambles Tweet contents
– Removing time from a scheduled tweet now removes that Tweet from the Scheduled column.
– Multiphoto inprovements for large columns

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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad Air $100 off, WD 4TB Desktop Drive $130 or less, Anker 13000mAh charger $30, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Aug 15 2014 - 9:03 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:

The Apple Store now sells an $89 refurbished iPod touch and it may actually be worth your time/money

Storage deals:

Battery charger deals:

Media players:

Award-winning MacLovin’ Bundle $40 for djay, Boom, Cinemagraph Pro, Keyboard Maestro, NetSpot Pro, much more
Other new deals:

  • New! Review: Omaker MOMI Ultra Portable Metallic Wireless BT Speaker: $16 (Orig. $80)
  • New! Daily Deals: LifeProof Case iPhone 5/5s $49, BT Shower Speaker $17, more
  • New! Games/Apps: Dead Rising 3 $35, Star Walk $1, iOS freebies, more
  • New! Foscam 720p Wireless Pan/Tilt IP Camera w/ night vision $85 shipped (orig. $160)
  • New! Home Deals: Breville Hemisphere Control Blender (refurb) $105 ($200 new), more

More tech deals still alive:

Home/fashion/magazines/media:


New products/ongoing promos:

Google/Microsoft/misc tech:

Apple interviews Tom Hanks via Twitter about his new Hanx typewriter iPad app

Avatar for Zac Hall Aug 14 2014 - 11:15 am PT
14 Comments
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Tom Hanks has played many roles throughout his acting career in movies like Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile, and even Pixar’s Toy Story trilogy, and today the actor is finally adding app developer to that list.

Hanx Writer, a flashy new app with a very classic concept revisited for the tablet age, is the result of close collaboration between Tom Hanks and the game/mobile app development studio Hitcents. The app brings the old school typewriter experience to the iPad with clicking and clacking and dings and includes various inks, ribbons, and keyboards. It’s also very functional in that you can share you documents in all their vintage glory over email, AirDrop, print, and more just like any modern iPad writer. Catch the interview after the break…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Retina iPad mini $320, Crucial 1TB SSD $377, Macworld magazine w/ digital sub $7.50, more

Avatar for Aug 14 2014 - 9:05 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:

Solid-State Drives:

One year magazine subs w/ digital access from $5: Wired, GQ, ESPN, Macworld, more

RAVPower Element 10400mAh external power bank: $25 shipped (Reg. $36)

Media players:

Award-winning MacLovin’ Bundle $40 for djay, Boom, Cinemagraph Pro, Keyboard Maestro, NetSpot Pro, much more


Other new deals:

  • New! Games/Apps: PDF PROvider & Sough Ninja go FREE, more iOS freebies
  • New! Daily Deals: OtterBox Defender iPhone cases: $15, Jawbone Jambox: $90, more
  • New! ASUS M004U Chromebox 1.4GHz/2GB/16GB w/ $20 gift card: $169 or less ($220 value)

More tech deals still alive:

Home/fashion/magazines/media:


New products/ongoing promos:

Google/Microsoft/misc tech:

Report shows iBeacon battery drain is worse on iOS than Android

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Aug 14 2014 - 8:43 am PT
21 Comments
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Aislelabs, a Toronto-based company offering in-store analytics and solutions for building mobile shopping experiences, today released a report examining how Apple’s Bluetooth iBeacon technology impacts battery life on iOS devices vs Android. The study found that Apple’s iBeacon framework, first introduced with iOS 7 to let iOS developers take advantage of Bluetooth beacons for sending location-aware notifications, actually performs better with Android, at least when it comes to battery life:
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Sony’s discounted ‘Album of the day’ app goes international, up to 70 percent off popular artists

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 14 2014 - 3:50 am PT
0 Comments

Sony’s Album of the Day app for iPhone and iPod Touch, which provides a daily discount of up to 70 percent on albums by popular artists, has gone international. Originally launched in Germany in March, it is now available in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Every 24 hours, Album of the Day offers you one album from the artists you know and love at a special limited time promotional price. All deals live on your iPhone and are purchased safely through iTunes and saved to your iTunes library.

If you allow push notifications, you’ll receive a notification of each day’s deal, which is available for just 24 hours. You can download the free app from iTunes.

(via TNW)

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Dash releases its smart driving application for iPhone with support for third-party hardware

Avatar for Mike Beasley Aug 13 2014 - 5:47 pm PT
0 Comments

Dash, a popular smart driving tool that originally launched on Android in January, is now finally available for iPhone users. The free app pairs with a device that plug into your car and transmit data back to the app. From there you can see data about your car’s performance and alert you of any potential issues and an average cost for any repairs you might need.

Dash can also track your driving habits and suggest ways to improve your car’s gas mileage, increase performance, or generally increase the overall lifespan of your vehicle.


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