Apps

6,295 'Apps' stories April 2010 - July 2014

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.

Hands-on: Fantastical 2.1 for iPhone & iPad adds snooze, invitation/birthday notifications, keyboard shortcuts, more

Zac Hall Jul 23 2014 - 6:59 am PT

2 Comments

We’ve already taken a close look at Fantastical 2 for iPhone and Fantastical 2 for iPad, and today Flexibits is releasing Fantastical 2.1 for both platforms with a list of new features and discounting Fantastical for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Among the list of changes include new snooze functionality, event invitation notifications and badges, notifications for upcoming birthdays, external keyboard shortcut support, and more. Below we’ll take a look at each new feature added to Fantastical for iPhone and iPad…
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FiftyThree launches SDK to bring its ‘Pencil’ Bluetooth stylus to other iOS apps

Jordan Kahn Jul 23 2014 - 5:59 am PT

1 Comment

FiftyThree, the developers behind the popular drawing app Paper, today announced it’s releasing an SDK that will let all developers take advantage of its Pencil stylus for iOS devices. First launched last year alongside an update to Paper, Pencil is a $60 Bluetooth stylus for the drawing app that aims to offer a realistic pencil-to-paper drawing experience.

The SDK will allow for a smooth experience with the Pencil stylus in other apps and that also means in some cases FiftyThree will be working to improve the apps of its direct competitors while hopefully selling its stylus as a platform in the process. Devs will get access to palm rejection, erase, easy pairing, and all the pencil and touch classifiers the company uses in the Paper app. Support for surface pressure is also arriving with iOS 8:
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Apple TV to gain FXNOW channel w/ new Simpsons World content within 12 months

Jordan Kahn Jul 22 2014 - 1:13 pm PT

7 Comments

The Apple TV will soon be getting more content thanks to a new FXNOW channel set to debut on the platform in the near future, according to two new reports (via iLounge). The news comes from the Television Critics Association Press Tour with TV writer Jason Lynch reporting the FXNOW channel will arrive on Apple TV within 12 months. The FXNOW channel, which is already available on iOS devices via an app for iPhone and iPad, offers on-demand video streaming from across the FX, FXX, and FXM networks.
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AMC debuts trailer for ‘The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land’ mobile game arriving w/ season 5

Jordan Kahn Jul 22 2014 - 10:50 am PT

3 Comments

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aiRboM4fok]

AMC announced today that it will release a new mobile game for The Walking Dead early next year alongside season 5 of the hit TV show. The TV network is teaming up with Next Games to develop the title and today shared the first trailer for the game that it plans to show off at Comic Con International later this month.

The game, titled The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land, will allow players to experience the world of the iconic show through gameplay exclusively developed for smartphones and tablet devices. Developed by Next Games in close collaboration with AMC, the game will feature themes familiar to the TV series, where characters fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic, walker-infested world. A recurring theme of choosing the right survival strategy and making the most human choices possible is at the heart of the first-of-its-kind game.

Telltale games already publishes a game based on universe of The Walking Dead comic book series, but this is AMC’s first official game based on its TV show version of the franchise. It isn’t, however, sharing many details on what we can expect from gameplay other than the description above or specifics on platforms.

The Walking Dead Season 5 is coming this October and the game, The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land, will hit smartphones and tablets early next year when the mid-season premiere of Season 5 airs.

9to5Toys Last Call: MacBook Air up to $250 off w/ .edu, MacBook Pro 15″ $300 off, Eric Clapton free iTunes stream, more

Jul 22 2014 - 9:34 am PT

3 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:

Media: Man of Steel Blu-ray set w/ figurine $15, Eric Clapton free iTunes First Play, American Hustle $10, more
New and upcoming Bluetooth speakers: Denon HEOS, Scosche boomBOTTLE black & Fugoo +Sport
Logitech Harmony remotes & keyboards now work together to create the ultimate home theater experience
Google Nexus 7 2nd gen 32GB unlocked LTE (Refurb) $220 shipped (orig. $350 new)

Save up to $250 on current gen. MacBook Airs w/ .edu email, 13-inch from $750, more

Belkin charge & sync iPhone dock w/ built-in Lightning cable $19 Prime shipped (Reg. $35) (price bumped up slightly at 2:15pm)

Apple deals:

MacBook Pro w/ Retina display (ME293LL/A) for $1,699.99 shipped (Reg. $1,999.00)
iPad mini 32GB WiFi for $279 shipped (orig. $429)
Airport wireless routers (Refurb): Express $60 (Reg. $99 new), Extreme $120 (Reg. $199)
$100 iTunes Gift Card for $85: Save 15% on apps, movies, music, books, more

Other new deals:

New! Daily Deals: Kindle Fire 7″ HDX 4G: $229, more
New! Seiki Retro 1080P HDTV w/Yamaha 20W: $100 shipped (75% off)
New! Monitors: LG 24″ Widescreen $140 (orig. $249), Acer 27″ G6 Series $180 (Reg. $220+)
New! Timbuk2 Large 25-inch Aviator Wheeled Backpack $99 shipped (Reg. $200)
New! Home: Bissell Sweepers from $20, Worx cordless trimmer $100, kitchen items, more
New! Enercell Dual-USB 3.1A: Auto Charger + USB Travel Wall Charger $6 shipped
New! Games/Apps: BioShock Triple Pack $11 (Reg. $60), Trine $2 (Reg. $10), freebies, more
New! One year magazine subs: Macworld $7.50, Bloomberg Businessweek $15, more

GoPro HERO3+ Black Edition $330 shipped (Reg. $400) http://t.co/Kq4cFuU48h pic.twitter.com/WL51CAoNzi

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) July 22, 2014

More deals still alive:

Save an extra 25-30% at Canon refurb store: T3 w/ Lens $252, T3i w/ lens $336, SL1 $360, more
SOUL Volt Bluetooth On-Ear Headphones w/dual Mics: $23 shipped (85% off)
Blue Condenser Mics: Nessie $59 (Reg. $100), Yeti Pro $168 (Reg. $200+)
Power banks: Lepow 6000mAh $16 (Reg. $60), more
Gift cards/in-store credit: Sports Authority $20 for $10, more
11.6″ Acer Chromebook 1.4 GHz/2GB RAM/16GB SSD $179 shipped (Reg. $199)
Routers: Linksys Dual-Band refurb $35 (Reg. $80), HooToo Repeater $20 (Reg. $50), more
Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter $30 shipped (Reg. $40)
RAVPower Bolt 30W/6A 4 Port USB Wall Charger: $13 Prime shipped
Mpow Dual USB Portable Car Charger $8 Prime Shipped
Belkin Thunderstorm iPad Theater: Lightning or 30-pin $50 shipped (orig. $200)
Fashion: Nordstrom Sale yields significant savings on Lacoste, Under Armour, more
External USB Batteries: OXA 10,000mAh $20, RAVPower 5,600mAh: $16
Staples offers 20% off in-store purchases (15% off technology items)
Lenmar Adjustable Battery Charger w/ LCD $8, 8-pack of AA Rechargeable Batteries $13
Logitech Ultrathin iPad Air Keyboard Folio in Navy (refurb) $30 shipped (Reg. $78+ new)
Home Deals: Bissell Cordless Vacuum $49, Cuisinart espresso maker (refurb) $69, more
Smart 48″ 1080p HDTVs: Samsung 120Hz: $600, Sony w/ Free movies: $618
Mac graphics editing app Pixelmator drops to $16, down from $30
Sporting Goods: Callaway X2 Driver $160 (Reg. $330), Dick’s 40% off clearance, more
TP-LINK wireless USB-powered 150Mpbs travel router $15 shipped (orig. $50)
4K Displays: Dell 28″ LED: $405 (Reg. $700), Seiki 39″ 120Hz TV: $339 (Reg. $699)
JBL OnBeat Venue Wireless Lightning speaker $80 Refurb, $110 new (Reg. $200)

New products/ongoing promotions:

Jump into the world of LED light bulbs for less than $5 a pop with Ikea Ledare
Verizon FiOS goes symmetrical, upload speeds now same rate as downloads at same cost
Save 30% on an AppleCare Protection Plan for your 13 or 15-inch MacBook
ZTE’s new LivePro is the first Android-powered projector and hotspot
Nyko’s latest Power Pak doubles the battery life of a DualShock 4 controller
SlingBox M1 and SlingTV debut alongside free PC/Mac desktop app
Raspberry Pi B+ microcomputer available w/ enhancements, same $35 price tag
Smart Home:
- Free Philips Hue personal wireless lightning bulb ($60 value) w/ purchase of Philips Hue pack
- $25 off the Wink Hub w/ one accessory purchase or $49 off w/ two accessory purchases
Woot founder’s new daily deal website ‘Meh’ officially opens its doors today
Save 25% on Nomad’s new carabiner, key & credit card sized MFi Lightning cables

Amazon’s unlimited ebook and audiobook subscription service finally goes live in the U.S., try it free http://t.co/M9q7crx7bl

— 9to5Google (@9to5Google) July 18, 2014

Hillshire increases sales w/ iBeacon, 20x increase in purchase intent, 500x increase over average mobile ads

Jordan Kahn Jul 22 2014 - 8:56 am PT

4 Comments

With more and more retailers, event spaces, and others deploying Apple’s Bluetooth LE iBeacon technology in order to beam iPhone and iPad users context and location aware notifications, we still haven’t seen much data on how the beacons are improving ad engagement for marketers. InMarket, a company installing iBeacons in grocery stores around the country that talk to a number of apps from its advertising partners, today shared some of the first stats from a specific consumer brand using the platform.
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Facebook introducing ‘Save’ read later feature for iOS & Android

Jordan Kahn Jul 21 2014 - 1:09 pm PT

2 Comments

[vimeo 101133002 w=700 h=381]

Facebook announced today that it’s rolling out a new feature for its mobile apps that will let users save content for easy access at a later date. A list of saved content from Facebook— including links to things like places, movies, TV, and music— will appear in the Facebook mobile apps in the “More” section and on the left side bar on the web.
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Contest winners turned pirates leak early copy of Modern Combat 5, and Gameloft’s furious

9to5 Staff Jul 21 2014 - 11:34 am PT

3 Comments

Earlier this week, Gameloft hosted a contest on their Facebook page rewarding winners with a free, early copy of Modern Combat 5: Blackout. The upcoming next installment of the popular first-person shooter is slated for release July 24th for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 8 devices. Unfortunately for Gameloft, however, you can already download it-for free. According to the company, one of the contest winners pirated the game made it available for download as a torrent. Unsurprisingly, Gameloft is livid. Gameloft Community Manager Florian Weber said in a statement on Facebook:
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9to5Toys Last Call: AirPort routers (refurb) from $60, iTunes gift cards 15% off, Ikea LED light bulbs $5 each, more

Jul 21 2014 - 9:33 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:

Jump into the world of LED light bulbs for less than $5 a pop with Ikea Ledare
Verizon FiOS goes symmetrical, upload speeds now same rate as downloads at same cost
Routers: Linksys Dual-Band refurb $35 (Reg. $80), HooToo Repeater $20 (Reg. $50), more
Gift cards/in-store credit: Sports Authority $20 for $10, Domino’s gift cards 15% off, more

Airport wireless routers (Refurb): Express $60 (Reg. $99 new), Extreme $120 (Reg. $199) Save an extra 25-30% at Canon refurb store: T3 w/ Lens $252, T3i w/ lens $336, SL1 $360, more Apple deals:

$100 iTunes Gift Card for $85: Save 15% on apps, movies, music, books, more
Apple tablets: iPad mini $230 (Reg. $300), iPad mini w/ Retina display $330 (Reg. $399), more

Headphones:

SOUL Volt Bluetooth On-Ear Headphones w/dual Mics: $23 shipped (85% off)
Skullcandy: Aviator over-ears $80 (Reg. $120+), Navigator on-ears $50 (orig. $100)

Other new deals:

New! Blue Condenser Mics: Nessie $59 (Reg. $100), Yeti Pro $168 (Reg. $200+)
New! Games/Apps: Batman Arkham Origins $20, Thief $35, DataMan Next FREE, more
New! Power banks: Lepow 6000mAh $16 (Reg. $60), more
New! Gift cards/in-store credit: Sports Authority $20 for $10, more
New! Daily Deals: Insignia 24″ 1080p HDTV: $120, Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone: $59, more
New! 11.6″ Acer Chromebook 1.4 GHz/2GB RAM/16GB SSD $179 shipped (Reg. $199)
New! Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter $30 shipped (Reg. $40)
New! RAVPower Bolt 30W/6A 4 Port USB Wall Charger: $13 Prime shipped
New! Mpow Dual USB Portable Car Charger $8 Prime Shipped
New! Belkin Thunderstorm iPad Theater: Lightning or 30-pin $50 shipped (orig. $200)

More deals still alive:

Fashion: Nordstrom Sale yields significant savings on Lacoste, Under Armour, more
External USB Batteries: OXA 10,000mAh $20, RAVPower 5,600mAh: $16
Staples offers 20% off in-store purchases (15% off technology items)
Lenmar Adjustable Battery Charger w/ LCD $8, 8-pack of AA Rechargeable Batteries $13
Logitech Ultrathin iPad Air Keyboard Folio in Navy (refurb) $30 shipped (Reg. $78+ new)
Home Deals: Bissell Cordless Vacuum $49, Cuisinart espresso maker (refurb) $69, more
Smart 48″ 1080p HDTVs: Samsung 120Hz: $600, Sony w/ Free movies: $618
Mac graphics editing app Pixelmator drops to $16, down from $30
Sporting Goods: Callaway X2 Driver $160 (Reg. $330), Dick’s 40% off clearance, more
TP-LINK wireless USB-powered 150Mpbs travel router $15 shipped (orig. $50)
4K Displays: Dell 28″ LED: $405 (Reg. $700), Seiki 39″ 120Hz TV: $339 (Reg. $699)
JBL OnBeat Venue Wireless Lightning speaker $80 Refurb, $110 new (Reg. $200)
Memory Deals: Seagate 5TB HD $170, Eye-Fi Mobi 16GB SDHC $60
4-pack of 16GB Lexar JumpDrives $20 shipped (Reg. $32)
Klipsch STATUS Over-Ear Headphones (black or white) $110 shipped (Reg. $250)
Smart Home:
- Free Philips Hue personal wireless lightning bulb ($60 value) w/ purchase of Philips Hue pack
- $25 off the Wink Hub w/ one accessory purchase or $49 off w/ two accessory purchases

New products/ongoing promotions: https://twitter.com/9to5Google/status/490112071686553601

Save 30% on an AppleCare Protection Plan for your 13 or 15-inch MacBook
ZTE’s new LivePro is the first Android-powered projector and hotspot
Nyko’s latest Power Pak doubles the battery life of a DualShock 4 controller
SlingBox M1 and SlingTV debut alongside free PC/Mac desktop app
Raspberry Pi B+ microcomputer available w/ enhancements, same $35 price tag
Woot founder’s new daily deal website ‘Meh’ officially opens its doors today
Save 25% on Nomad’s new carabiner, key & credit card sized MFi Lightning cables

PackPoint handy packing checklist app now available on iOS

Ben Lovejoy Jul 21 2014 - 4:35 am PT

1 Comment

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hugJHCHvWJ8]

There’s nothing worse than arriving at your hotel for a trip, unpacking and then realizing you’ve forgotten something vital – like your MacBook power supply, to pick an entirely random example **cough**. Packing checklists offer a good solution, but what you need for a business trip in the winter will be very different to what you need for a holiday in the summer.

PackPoint is an app that asks you a series of questions about your trip, then generates suggested packing lists based on everything from the forecast weather to the things you expect to be doing there. Previously only available on Android, it’s now available for iOS. Going out for a fancy dinner at some point? PackPoint will ensure you remember suitable attire. Business trip? Your VPN fob and gets added in along with the ubiquitous laptop and power.

You can edit the suggested lists by removing suggested items and adding in your own ones. The result is highly-customized packing checklists that should ensure nothing is forgotten.

Best of all, the app is completely free. You can download it now from the App Store.

Upcoming Twitter for iPhone update will allow you to browse your entire DM history

Mike Beasley Jul 18 2014 - 5:09 pm PT

5 Comments

Twitter has announced that an upcoming update to its mobile clients will allow users to go back and review their entire direct message history. Currently the app only provides a limited look back, but that restriction will be removed in a new version that will also make deleting messages more reliable across its web and mobile platforms.

[tweet https://twitter.com/Support/status/490260546818543618 align=’center’]

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iPhone app Numerous previews iOS 8 Notification Center integration

Zac Hall Jul 18 2014 - 11:30 am PT

0 Comments

We’ve already seen a few developers preview how new technologies introduced in iOS 8 make new features possible. Last month we saw 1Password’s iPhone app take advantage of the new access developers have to Touch ID and systemwide Extensions with their iOS 8 beta, and a number of health and fitness app developers have discussed their excitement for Apple’s new HealthKit tool. Today the developers of the fairly new iPhone app Numerous have previewed in a blog post their plans to include an app widget for presenting numbers from the app in the new Today view in Notification Center coming to the iPhone and iPad in iOS 8…
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9to5Toys Last Call: Pioneer 2-way speakers $50, AppleCare 30% off, Canon AirPrint Inkjet printer $45, more

Jul 18 2014 - 9:39 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:

ZTE’s new LivePro is the first Android-powered projector and hotspot
Five 1-year magazine subs for $20: Wired, Macworld, ESPN, GQ, many more
Verizon FIOS Triple Play + $300 Visa Gift Card + LG G Pad Tablet: $79.99/mo
Sporting Goods: Callaway X2 Driver $160 (Reg. $330), Dick’s 40% off clearance, more
Lenmar Adjustable Battery Charger w/ LCD $8, 8-pack of AA Rechargeable Batteries $13
Logitech Ultrathin iPad Air Keyboard Folio in Navy (refurb) $30 shipped (Reg. $78+ new)
Home Deals: Bissell Cordless Stick Vacuum $49, Cuisinart espresso maker (refurb) $69, more

Back in stock! Jawbone Mini Jambox Wireless Bluetooth Speaker $99 shipped (Reg. $130) http://t.co/iKgyWLmmKl pic.twitter.com/rcmK2RwGUM

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) July 18, 2014

Pioneer 80-Watt 2-Way Speakers: $50 (Reg. $130), JBL OnBeat Speaker Dock: $20 (Reg. $45), more

Save 30% on an AppleCare Protection Plan for your 13 or 15-inch MacBook

Canon PIXMA MX472 Wireless Office All-In-One Inkjet Printer with AirPrint: $40+$5 shipping

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqkVhfMohvc]

DJI Phantom FC40 Wi-Fi Drone w/ HD Camera: $449 w/ coupon code phantom50 (Reg. $769)

Other new deals:

New! Fashion: Nordstrom Sale yields significant savings on Lacoste, Under Armour, more
New! Games/Apps: Breach & Clear for iOS goes free (Reg. $4), more
New! Wireless routers: Edimax AC1200 $58, NETGEAR AC R6100 $79, more
New! External USB Batteries: OXA 10,000mAh $20, RAVPower 5,600mAh: $16
New! Daily Deals: Samsung 50″ Smart HDTV: $580, MacCase Backpack: $14, more
New! Staples offers 20% off in-store purchases (15% off technology items)

Amazon’s unlimited ebook and audiobook subscription service finally goes live in the U.S., try it free http://t.co/M9q7crx7bl

— 9to5Google (@9to5Google) July 18, 2014

More deals still alive:

Griffin takes 15% off Site Wide This Week With promo code NAMM14 http://t.co/rwyZSlvodF

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) July 16, 2014

Smart 48″ 1080p HDTVs: Samsung 120Hz: $600, Sony w/ Free movies: $618
Mac graphics editing app Pixelmator drops to $16, down from $30
TP-LINK wireless USB-powered 150Mpbs travel router $15 shipped (orig. $50)
4K Displays: Dell 28″ LED: $405 (Reg. $700), Seiki 39″ 120Hz TV: $339 (Reg. $699)
JBL OnBeat Venue Wireless Lightning speaker $80 Refurb, $110 new (Reg. $200)
Memory Deals: Seagate 5TB HD $170, Eye-Fi Mobi 16GB SDHC $60
Western Digital My Book 4TB USB 3.0 Desktop HD $130 shipped (orig. $240), more
1 year magazine subs from $4.50: Maxim, Wired, Rolling Stone, Men’s Health
4-pack of 16GB Lexar JumpDrives $20 shipped (Reg. $32)
Samsung 840 EVO Series 1TB 2.5″ SATA III Solid State Drive $400 shipped (orig. $850)
Omaker 3.3ft MFi Lightning cable (black or white) $10 Prime shipped (Reg. $20)
Klipsch STATUS Over-Ear Headphones (black or white) $110 shipped (Reg. $250)
Media: last chance on all South Park episodes for free, dozens of hit iTunes albums for $8 each, more
3-Pack of Etekcity Wireless Remote Controlled Outlets $17 (Reg. $76)
Slingbox Pro HD TV Streamer refurb $60 (Orig. $200)
Bluetooth sound bars from Yamaha, Philips, and Samsung starting at $70 shipped
1 year magazine subs from $5: ESPN, Macworld, The Economist, more
Activewear: REI up to 35% off, Eastbay 20% off, 2014 Nike Free from $79
Mpow Dual-Port USB Wall Charger $9, Car Charger $8, MFi lightning cable $10
4TB Samsung D3 Station desktop drive $115 shipped (Reg. $150+)
Epson WorkForce All-in-One $190 (orig. $300), more
Smart Home:
- Free Philips Hue personal wireless lightning bulb ($60 value) w/ purchase of Philips Hue pack
- $25 off the Wink Hub w/ one accessory purchase or $49 off w/ two accessory purchases

New products/ongoing promotions:

Nyko’s latest Power Pak doubles the battery life of a DualShock 4 controller
SlingBox M1 and SlingTV debut alongside free PC/Mac desktop app
Raspberry Pi B+ microcomputer available w/ enhancements, same $35 price tag
Woot founder’s new daily deal website ‘Meh’ officially opens its doors today
Angry Birds Star Wars II for iOS goes free ($0.99 value)
UE Boom Bluetooth speaker wins Gold at Design Excellence Awards, now $180 (Reg. $200)
Rayman Fiesta Run available for free on iOS (Reg. $3)
Samsung’s new 850 Solid State Drives pre-order from $129.99 shipped
Save 25% on Nomad’s new carabiner, key & credit card sized MFi Lightning cables

Android/Microsoft deals:

LG G3 (AT&T, Sprint, VZW): $100 w/ 2-yr agreement (Reg. $200)

EU accuses Apple of dragging its feet on protections for ‘misleading’ IAP-driven free apps

Benjamin Mayo Jul 18 2014 - 4:43 am PT

24 Comments

The European Commission has complained that Apple is taking too long to implement protections for freemium games in the App Store, reports BBC News. The Commission has decreed that both Apple and Google, the two biggest app store vendors, must make the “true cost of apps” clear before purchase. However, officials are upset that Apple has not yet committed to any such measures.

“Regrettably, no concrete and immediate solutions have been made by Apple to date to address the concerns linked in particular to payment authorisation,” the Commission said in a statement.

“Apple has proposed to address those concerns. However, no firm commitment and no timing have been provided for the implementation of such possible future changes.

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Buffer releases official app for Mac, lets you add to your queue from the menu bar

Stephen Hall Jul 17 2014 - 1:33 pm PT

5 Comments

Buffer has released its first official app for the Mac today, bringing an easy way to add content to your Buffer queue right from the menu bar. Buffer already lets you share social media updates from multiple accounts at once via its web, iOS, and Android clients, but now you can do much the same via Mac OS X.

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Google updates 2D physics engine LiquidFun with Chrome extension and iOS support

9to5 Staff Jul 17 2014 - 11:08 am PT

0 Comments

Google today announced the release of LiquidFun 1.1, an update to the open-sourced 2D physics engine originally released last December. New in today’s release is browser support and this allows games using the engine only found on Android devices to be ported over as Chrome extensions. Also new in the update is iOS support. Google says previous versions of the engine could be modified to work on iOS, but today’s update brings native support to the platform. The release notes are below:

LiquidFun now runs in your browser! Using Emscripten, we’ve translated LiquidFun into JavaScript. You can see LiquidFun’s Testbed application, rewritten in JavaScript, running on our landing page.

We’ve added iOS support for LiquidFun’s internal Testbed and EyeCandy applications. Earlier versions of LiquidFun could be made to run on iOS, but iOS is now officially supported.

We’ve optimized LiquidFun’s particle simulation. In particular, we’ve written NEON (a.k.a., Advanced SIMD) code to improve performance on ARM processors.

We’ve stabilized the simulation, fixed bugs, and added some cool new functions, including one that automatically splits a particle group into multiple, disjoint particle groups.

We’ve clarified and improved the documentation, thanks to questions from the LiquidFun community.

Continuity Keypad adds a dialer to OS X Yosemite for iPhone Handoff calls

Zac Hall Jul 17 2014 - 10:35 am PT

41 Comments

Anyone testing iPhone Handoff calling on OS X Yosemite, Apple’s latest Mac operating system, have probably noticed one major detail missing: a dialer. Student developers Eytan Schulman and Harrison Weinerman have created a very useful utility called Continuity Keypad that solves that problem.

Essentially what the app does is bridge a gap created by Handoff and FaceTime when making calls on your Mac using your iPhone. It creates a dialer similar to the one found on your iPhone allowing you to easily call numbers using your iPhone from your Mac, and it uses transparency to fit in with the new look of OS X.
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9to5Toys Last Call: Jabra REVO BT headphones $95, iPad mini Retina 32GB $420, Samsung 48″ smart HDTV $600, more

Jul 17 2014 - 9:34 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:

4K Displays: Dell 28″ LED: $405 (Reg. $700), Seiki 39″ 120Hz TV: $339 (Reg. $699)
Western Digital My Book 4TB USB 3.0 Desktop HD $130 shipped (orig. $240), more
4-pack of 16GB Lexar JumpDrives $20 shipped (Reg. $32)
Nyko’s latest Power Pak doubles the battery life of a DualShock 4 controller

Jabra REVO wireless Bluetooth headphones now $95 shipped (orig. $249)

Apple Deals:

iPad mini w/ Retina display 32GB WiFi $420 (orig. $499)
iPad mini 64GB WiFi + LTE (VZW or AT&T) $350 (orig. $659)

Smart 48″ 1080p HDTVs: Samsung 120Hz: $600 shipped, Sony w/ 5 Free HD movies: $618 shipped

Mac graphics editing app Pixelmator drops to $16, down from $30

Other new deals:

New! TP-LINK wireless USB-powered 150Mpbs travel router $15 shipped (orig. $50)
New! Games/Apps: Little Inferno $1 (Reg. $5), Flick Kick Football & Photo Wall HD go FREE, iOS freebies, more
New! JBL OnBeat Venue Wireless Lightning speaker $80 Refurb, $110 new (Reg. $200)
New! Memory Deals: Seagate 5TB HD $170, Eye-Fi Mobi 16GB SDHC $60

More deals still alive:

Griffin takes 15% off Site Wide This Week With promo code NAMM14 http://t.co/rwyZSlvodF

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) July 16, 2014

Samsung 840 EVO Series 1TB 2.5″ SATA III Solid State Drive $400 shipped (orig. $850)
Omaker 3.3ft MFi Lightning cable (black or white) $10 Prime shipped (Reg. $20)
Klipsch STATUS Over-Ear Headphones (black or white) $110 shipped (Reg. $250)
Media: last chance on all South Park episodes for free, dozens of hit iTunes albums for $8 each, more
3-Pack of Etekcity Wireless Remote Controlled Outlets $17 (Reg. $76)
Slingbox Pro HD TV Streamer refurb $60 (Orig. $200)
Bluetooth sound bars from Yamaha, Philips, and Samsung starting at $70 shipped
1 year magazine subs from $5: ESPN, Macworld, The Economist, more
Activewear: REI up to 35% off, Eastbay 20% off, 2014 Nike Free from $79
Mpow Dual-Port USB Wall Charger $9, Car Charger $8, MFi lightning cable $10
4TB Samsung D3 Station desktop drive $115 shipped (Reg. $150+)
Epson WorkForce All-in-One $190 (orig. $300), more
Smart Home:
- Free Philips Hue personal wireless lightning bulb ($60 value) w/ purchase of Philips Hue pack
- $25 off the Wink Hub w/ one accessory purchase or $49 off w/ two accessory purchases

New products/ongoing promotions:

SlingBox M1 and SlingTV debut alongside free PC/Mac desktop app
Raspberry Pi B+ microcomputer now available w/ several enhancements, same $35 price tag
Woot founder’s new daily deal website ‘Meh’ officially opens its doors today
Angry Birds Star Wars II for iOS goes free ($0.99 value)
UE Boom Bluetooth speaker wins Gold at Design Excellence Awards, now $180 (Reg. $200)
Rayman Fiesta Run available for free on iOS (Reg. $3)
Samsung’s new 850 Solid State Drives pre-order from $129.99 shipped
Save 25% on Nomad’s new carabiner, key & credit card sized MFi Lightning cables

Android/Microsoft deals:

LG G3 (AT&T, Sprint, VZW): $100 w/ 2-yr agreement (Reg. $200)

Facebook rolling out Mentions iPhone app for verified public figures

Jordan Kahn Jul 17 2014 - 8:19 am PT

2 Comments

Facebook is releasing a new app today called Mentions, an app exclusively for public figures with verified pages that previous reports noted the company was experimenting with.

According to Facebook, the app is made specifically for actors, athletes, musicians, and other influencers and makes for a better experiencing when sharing content and interacting with fans. The app puts a bigger focus on sharing and viewing mentions from other users opposed to viewing content posted by others. The mentions tab in the app, which provides a stream of replies to your content from other users, is something other Facebook apps don’t offer that will benefit public figures spending a lot of time interacting with their audience. Facebook told Recode that “celebrities who have tested the app have been posting twice as much as before.”

See what fans are saying about you and join the conversation… Share your story by posting updates, sharing photos or videos, or hosting a live Q&A… Get streamlined notifications about your posts, including mentions from other influencers or the media.

The new Facebook Mentions app is arriving on the App Store today for verified public figures with public profiles in the US. At launch the company says that will include “tens of thousands” of users, but it eventually has plans to roll it out internationally to more users including public figures without verified public profiles:

Mentions is currently only available for people with verified Pages in the US. We plan to roll out to more countries and verified Profiles in the coming months. If you are an admin of a verified Page, you can request access to Mentions directly. If you are a public figure, you can also download the iPhone app to request access.

Review: Hours, the world’s simplest time-tracking app from former Apple Design Award winner Tapity

Ben Lovejoy Jul 17 2014 - 7:42 am PT

9 Comments

Anyone who has ever had the misfortune to have to use a corporate hours-tracking/billing system will know that they typically give every impression of being designed by an enraged gorilla working to a spec provided by a sadistic accountant.

Tapity, which won an Apple Design Award back in 2011 for “the ultimate app for students” Grade, has today launched Hours, a simple color-coded app it says aims to take the pain out of time-tracking. I’ve been using a pre-release version for the past week so that I could let you know my thoughts on the day it launched …

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Amazon brings its mobile ad network to iOS apps

Jordan Kahn Jul 17 2014 - 7:04 am PT

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Amazon announced today that it’s bringing support for its Amazon Mobile Ads API to iOS, allowing app developers to place ads from the Amazon Mobile Ad Network in apps across platforms. The ads were previously only available to display on Android and Fire OS devices.

The Amazon Mobile Ads API lets you place high-quality display ads from the Amazon Mobile Ad Network in your app, helping you better monetize your apps and gain access to highly relevant ads from brand advertisers, including Amazon and its subsidiaries. Starting today, both Interstitial and Banner ads can now be displayed across iOS devices in addition to Android and Fire OS devices. Beginning on July 25, 2014, ads can also be displayed on the Fire phone. As a developer, you can now monetize your apps with the Amazon Mobile Ads API across iTunes, Google Play, and the Amazon Appstore while taking advantage of multiple targeting features.

The Amazon Mobile Ad Network rolls out to iOS today for users in the US, the UK, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy.

Amazon has more detailed info about the API on its blog for developers that want to get started integrating the ads in iOS apps.

HBO’s Game of Thrones Ascent game arrives on iPhone

Jordan Kahn Jul 17 2014 - 6:27 am PT

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Following a release for iPad back in March, HBO’s Game of Thrones Ascent game developed by Disruptor Beam & Kongregate is now available for iPhone. The game already racked up around 2,500,000 players on Facebook and the web before making its way to iPad in March, and it comes to the App Store with new art, optimized imagery for Retina displays, and Game Center leaderboards.

With Game of Thrones Ascent, fans can immerse themselves beyond the books and show, living the life of a noble in Westeros, working with (or against) each other in a persistent, authentic game world. Taking part in thousands of story-driven quests, players delve deeply into the lore and develop their own lands and reputation among the Great Houses. Players explore an expansive world filled with deep political and social play involving diplomatic agreements, pacts, marriages, and betrothals. Through Alliance challenges, players work with hundreds of others to accomplish great tasks and rise to the top of the Power Rankings.

The developers update the game weekly and alongside new episodes of the TV show when it’s airing. That includes new quests, in-game items and more that follow the storyline of the show.

Game of Thrones Ascent is available for iPhone now as a free download on the App Store.

Google Wallet iOS app adds gift cards, invoicing, ability to send money from debit cards for free

Jordan Kahn Jul 16 2014 - 1:31 pm PT

1 Comment

Google today announced new features for its Google Wallet app for both iOS and Android that makes it easier to manage gift cards and request and send from debit cards.

Like Google Wallet already allowed for loyalty cards, the app now lets users store, redeem, and check gift card balance:
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Jawbone’s UP iPhone app gets new weight management & food-tracking features

Jordan Kahn Jul 16 2014 - 11:47 am PT

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Jawbone today announced new weight management and food-tracking features via an update for the UP by Jawbone fitness tracking app that pairs with its UP wearables.

Jawbone’s entirely new food-tracking interface for UP helps you simply log food and water, quickly assess the healthiness of foods, and easily track progress toward your target weight… The UP Insight Engine™ provides intelligent guidance around your food choices, calorie consumption and weight goals, helping you understand how each of those is related to activity and sleep.

Highlights for the version 3.2 update include the ability to set goals for weight and calorie intake while using new tools for logging and tracking food consumption. It’s also teaming up with food apps like HealthyOut, Munchery, Nutrisystem, and PlateJoy to sync data and automatically track food ordered through those services.

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

More details on the new features are in the company’s press release below:

Jawbone Launches New Weight Management Features For UP

After Steps and Sleep, Jawbone’s UP App Now Offers an Easier, Smarter Way to Track Food and Manage Weight

SAN FRANCISCO, July 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Jawbone® today unveiled new weight management features for UP® , the system that helps you manage your weight, sleep better and stay fit.

Jawbone’s entirely new food-tracking interface for UP helps you simply log food and water, quickly assess the healthiness of foods, and easily track progress toward your target weight.

The UP Insight Engine™ provides intelligent guidance around your food choices, calorie consumption and weight goals, helping you understand how each of those is related to activity and sleep.

“UP and UP24 have inspired millions of people to get engaged in their own health – we’ve shown that living better really is a universally popular proposition,” said Travis Bogard, vice president of product management and strategy at Jawbone. “For the nearly three out of four Americans that are overweight or obese*, living better often includes weight loss. Our new food and weight features for UP, combined with some exciting new food apps we’ve added to the platform, make UP the most complete solution for weight management and a healthy lifestyle.”

Simplified Weight Management

Jawbone’s new and intuitive food-tracking interface for UP delivers an easier, smarter way to track what you eat and manage your weight:

Personalized Food Library: Quickly see and select from the foods you eat most frequently, right from the front and center of your food-logging screen. More than a quarter of meals logged in UP include regularly consumed items, making easy access to them a time-saving shortcut. UP also surfaces foods that are commonly paired with the items you’re eating via Jawbone’s intelligent food database. Enter eggs, and UP will show you other items that may be included in your meal, like bacon, toast, or potatoes.
Access to Restaurant Menus: With half of meals in the US eaten outside of the home**, UP now lists dining establishments nearby based on your location and lets you quickly log menu items from many restaurants you visit. Quick access to menus lets you instantly select what you’re eating and automatically import calorie information when available. At local restaurants where nutrition information may not be on hand, add nutrition details and UP will save it in your library for future visits. Jawbone’s data science team will aggregate data entered from multiple users, making it available to the entire UP community for a more complete restaurant menu database.
Food Score: Use UP’s food detail screen to quickly evaluate how healthy a dish is at a glance. UP shows you the breakdown of healthy nutrients to less healthy nutrients for any given item, along with a new Food Score to help you quickly asses the overall healthiness of individual items and full meals. You’ll also see a rolling average of the score throughout your entire day.
Weight Goal: Log your weight and set a personal goal in the app to see your progress toward your target weight. UP will recommend a daily calorie goal and balance calories burned versus calories consumed to show you your remaining allowance for the day. And as you log new meals, a convenient progress meter shows you the number of calories you’ve already consumed – and how many you’ll be adding with each new item.
Insights: A completely redesigned Insight Engine for UP makes its intelligent guidance and useful health tips even more accessible and intuitive. Complete with new food-specific insights and opt-in “Today I Will” commitments, you’ll be motivated to try original recipes, reinforce your diet with fiber and protein, and start building new food habits to keep you on track.

New Food Apps on the UP Platform

Jawbone teamed up with several meal planning and delivery services to take the UP system a step closer toward the promise of automatic logging and customized meal recommendations:

Order a fresh, chef-prepared meal from the daily menu of Munchery , now in San Francisco and Seattle, and have it delivered that night . When you connect your Munchery account with UP, each meal ordered will be automatically entered for you in UP’s food-logging system, including detailed nutrition information.
Use HealthyOut to order healthy meals from nearby restaurants nationwide, at any time.
Use the Prep Pad WiFi connected scale from The Orange Chef Co. ™ to create recipes that can be automatically logged in UP. Prep Pad can also factor in your activity from UP to provide more personalized meal recommendations.
Get meal plans and recipes from PlateJoy that are tailored to your preferences and customized based on your activity and sleep from UP – complete with ingredients delivered to your home.
And coming soon, you’ll be able to choose recipe recommendations from NuMi™ by Nutrisystem® that are personalized based on your calorie goals, lifestyle preferences, and the time of day. UP will automatically log the recipes you select, and NuMi will use your activity and calorie information to make even smarter recommendations.

Backed by Industry-Leading Experts

Jawbone’s new weight management system and food tracking tools have been backed by leading dietitian Ashley Koff, RD, an international nutrition expert and regular commentator on health and food issues.

“Food journaling is proven to be an effective method for weight management and weight loss, but writing everything you eat down with pen and paper isn’t convenient for most people. What Jawbone has developed is a really simple solution to this challenge,” said Koff. “While calorie counting is a key part of weight management, the balance of your nutrient intake is equally, if not more, important. It’s great to see a simple Food Score – intelligently developed using several nutrient ratios – alongside calorie counts in the UP system to show you at a glance how well-balanced your food is.”

Development of the new features has been led by Laura Borel, a product manager at Jawbone and founder and former CEO of Nutrivise, a consumer nutrition company acquired by Jawbone last year. Nutrivise delivered personalized and automated meal recommendations based on a user’s unique biometrics and dietary preferences, and was voted “most promising health company” by Stanford Medicine X in 2012.

Available on July 16

UP by Jawbone™ 3.2 for iOS is available today as a free download from the App Store. The UP or UP24™ wristband is required for the app.