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Apps

Learn about the latest news for iOS, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV apps

6,063 'Apps' stories April 2010 - March 2014
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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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Tweetbot for iPhone adds Avenir font option, thumbnail and filter toggles, more

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 10 2014 - 8:26 am PT
4 Comments

In its first update since December of last year, Tweetbot for iPhone  (review) is newly updated with a few additional features in version 3.3 today.

Joining the system font of Helvetica is an option to use Avenir found in the app settings. Additional features include toggles for image preview size (larger or disabled) and improvements to list filtering as well as standard bug fixes.

Tweetbot for iPhone is $4.99 on the App Store. Version 3.3 is a free update to Tweetbot 3 users.

(Now we’re hoping the time between updates means progress on Tweetbot for iPad is well under way!)

Review: Font Studio provides affordable custom fonts for all of your creative needs

Avatar for Mar 8 2014 - 1:00 pm PT
6 Comments
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Font Studio from Paolo Quadrani is a Mac app that allows you to modify and customize fonts. It provides you with the ability to create a range of font styles. It also includes in impressive collection of fonts that can be customized, saved and organized. In this article we will discuss scenarios in which this app can be useful, how the app works, and what you should expect if you purchase it.


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f.lux for Mac gets smarter with screen-dimming based on daily schedule, Movie Mode and more

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Mar 8 2014 - 6:06 am PT
3 Comments

f.lux, the popular utility that changes the color temperature of your Mac’s display to reflect the sun’s daylight cycle, has received a major update. Whilst still being in beta, the app can now calibrate your screen based on your actual schedule, not just sunrise and sunset times.

This means the app is now useful for people who have non-standard schedules, such as people who work night shifts. The app smoothly transitions between ‘daytime’,’sunset’ and ‘bedtime’ presets based on the schedule information provided. You tell the app when you wake up and it automatically calculates the color temperature levels for every hour of the day.


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9to5Toys Last Call: Free HD download of the movie Big, RAVPower battery pack/charger $12.50, daily deals, more

Avatar for Mar 7 2014 - 10:13 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 subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

Free HD movie download of ‘Big’ featuring Tom Hanks on Google Play (up to $15 savings)

RAVPower Travel Battery Pack 2800 mAh AC / Battery Charger / Power Bank: $12.50 shipped AC

Daily Deals: Jawbone Jambox BT Speaker $58, ZAGGkeys BT Keyboard Case $39, External Battery Charger $45, much more

Other great deals from today:


More great deals still alive:

New products:

  • Roku announces a new HDMI streaming stick for $50
  • D-Link Releases the First Portable 11AC Router/Server/Charger for $99 shipped
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Samsung launches ‘Milk Music’ iTunes Radio competitor for Galaxy users, free ‘for a limited time’

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 7 2014 - 9:19 am PT
12 Comments

Milk-Music

From 9to5Google:

Samsung announced today that it’s launching a new free and ad-free music service called “Milk Music” that’s powered by Slacker and available to customers of select Galaxy devices. Samsung says the app, which is available now on available as a download on Google Play, is “fully customizable” and offers over 200 stations and a library of over 13 million songs.

“Milk Music introduces a fresh approach to music that reflects our innovation leadership and our focus on creating best-in-class consumer experiences,” said Gregory Lee, president and CEO of Samsung Telecommunications America and Samsung Electronics North America Headquarters. “We’re offering consumers amazing, rich music experiences built around what matters most to them and their lifestyle.”

The service is launching today in the U.S. and available to those with a Galaxy S® 4, Galaxy S® III, Galaxy Note® 3, and Galaxy Note® II  as well as the upcoming Galaxy S 5. Samsung added that it will soon offer “unique music programming from top selling and emerging artists available exclusively through Milk Music.”

While Samsung is promoting the service as completely free and without ads, the Google Play page for the app says that the app will only be without ads and cost for a for a limited time. No mention of that in the company’s official press release, however.

The app is available to download now on Google Play.

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iBetterCharge puts iPhone & iPad battery notifications on your Mac

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 7 2014 - 6:54 am PT
10 Comments

A nice, new utility called iBetterCharge brings those 20% and 10% battery warnings from your iPhone or iPad onto your Mac. Rather than picking up your phone before heading out the door only to realize your battery is almost dead, the app will remind you to plug in with warnings that pop up as desktop notifications on your Mac. This is a handy little tool for anyone that likes to leave their iPhone or iPad out of sight while working on their Mac or people with multiple iOS devices to manage. It has already saved me a few times this week as I’ve been testing it.

You can connect multiple devices, set granular preferences for notifications when your battery gets lower than 50%, 20%, 10%, or 5%, and also select options to play sounds, animate the menu bar icon, or show a notification. Another preference will let you get notified when a device is fully charged and an ignore list lets you quickly mute notifications for certain devices.

The app is rather lightweight and a free download. Once you’ve installed it, iBetterCharge sits in your menu bar and automatically finds your devices over WiFi. Note: For this to work you have to have WiFi Sync enabled on your device.

You can download iBetterCharge for free here.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaWovz5WviI]

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Beats Music announces its API now open for developers

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 7 2014 - 6:27 am PT
3 Comments

Paid streaming service Beats Music is one of the newest players to the subscription-based entertainment scene, but the company isn’t letting that hold them back. As CNET reports, Beats Music has opened its API to developers allowing others to include the service in new implementations without direction partnership.

“This isn’t just about giving access to the catalog of music,” said Rogers. “This is about people who are subscribers to a premium music service that has premium music features, as a subscriber you should have access anywhere.”
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iTunes Festival for iOS updated with refreshed design, SXSW streaming support

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 6 2014 - 1:36 pm PT
3 Comments

As MacStories notes, an updated version of Apple’s iTunes Festival app has appeared in the App Store with an iOS 7 redesign and streaming support for next week’s iTunes Festival at SXSW (although the app does not appear ready for download just yet).

Earlier this week, John Gruber offered that Apple’s iTunes Festival app could require iOS 7.1 and suggested a correlation between the absence of both software releases. Compatibility notes, though, list iOS 7.0 is supported and some users are reporting success with downloading the app with iOS 7.0.6.

At any rate, iOS 7.1 is still expected to debut sometime this month.

SXSW Festival using iBeacons for interactive sessions, speedy badge pickup through iOS app

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 6 2014 - 12:02 pm PT
2 Comments
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On top of the many uses for iBeacons we’ve seen in retail environments, event organizers are another group that have started taking advantage of Apple’s new Bluetooth tech recently. The MLB is deploying them in stadiums to send notifications to baseball fans, CES hosted an iBeacon scavenger hunt this year, and today we’ve found out the upcoming SXSW festival where Apple is hosting its latest iTunes Festival will also be using the technology.

Eventbase, the company that has been building the official SXSW festival app for a few years now reached out to let us know it will be deploying some iBeacons around the event this year to improve the experience. Specifically, it will be using the technology to “help attendees in Austin pick up their badge faster and get more involved in the sessions they attend.” One feature in the app will allow for real-time audience interaction during sessions:
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9to5Toys Last Call: LifeProof iPad mini frē case $59, Beats Solo HD headphones $100, Pioneer/Onkyo A/V receivers, more

Avatar for Mar 6 2014 - 10:03 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 subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Water/Dirt/Snow/Shock…LifeProof Fre case for iPad Mini (Black or White): $59 shipped

Headphones: Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD $100 (Reg. $200), Sony MDR-10RNC noise-canceling $198 (Reg. $250)

A/V Receivers: Pioneer 980W iOS/Android compatible $250, Onkyo HT-RC560 wireless/Bluetooth $300

Games/Apps:

Other great deals from today:

More great deals still alive:

New products:

  • Roku announces a new HDMI streaming stick for $50
  • D-Link Releases the First Portable 11AC Router/Server/Charger for $99 shipped

Apple Store app featuring new, free music from iTunes

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 6 2014 - 9:31 am PT
0 Comments
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Once again, Apple is back to giving away free music through an iTunes promotion within its Apple Store app for U.S. customers. The new giveaway highlights three artists with “new tracks helping to define this year’s musical landscape.” Specifically, the app features tracks from Master Blaster Sound System, Bad Suns, and Kris Bowers. It’s worth checking out if you’re into discovering new music, but Amazon has some more traditional artists like George Strait, The Beach Boys, and Dean Martin in its Icon Series music giveaway over at 9to5Toys. Check below for how to grab the free tracks from iTunes.
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Shazam debuts Linkin Park song through Warner deal, Spotify buys competing service ‘The Echo Nest’

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 6 2014 - 7:40 am PT
0 Comments

Back in February news broke that Warner Music Group made a deal with popular music recognition app Shazam that would see the label have access to Shazam’s proprietary music data gathered from its users as well as the formation of a new Shazam-branded label. Today, Shazam announced another perk of that deal with the app launching its first exclusive single, offering users the first chance to listen to the latest from Grammy Award-winning band Linkin Park before anyone else.

Shazam® today announced that multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning band Linkin Park and Warner Bros. Records, are launching the band’s new single “Guilty All The Same” (feat. Rakim), and are giving Shazamers around the world the first chance to hear the song.  When users Shazam any song today, they’ll see a special link to hear the new Linkin Park track, then will be able to buy it from all major digital retailers after wider release Friday… Last night, Linkin Park fans who had previously Shazamed the band were treated to an exclusive opportunity to hear “Guilty All The Same” via a notification in the app’s News Feed, giving them advance access to the new single.

While the deal with Warner Music Group was originally thought to be mainly Warner’s attempt to get its hands on Shazam’s valuable user data— the data helps labels and services identify what’s popular and what music users are interested in purchasing— we see that the other end of the deal is exclusive content for Shazam. It’s unclear if the Linkin Park promotion, however, is part of the co-branded label deal that Shazam and Warner Music announced they would create as part of the original deal.

In other related music industry app news today, Spotify announced that it has acquired music recommendation service ‘The Echo Nest’, a tool currently used by many similar services such as Rdio, Vevo, and Xbox Music.
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9to5Toys Last Call: Seiki 47″ LED HDTV $329, Kindle accessories 30% off, iPads/other tablets $30 off, more

Avatar for Mar 5 2014 - 10:03 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 subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

Seiki 47-inch LED 1080P HDTV: $329 shipped

Free coupon for 30% off select Kindle accessories from OtterBox, Belkin, and more

Staples $30 off tablets priced $149 or more: Kindle Fire 16GB $119, iPad mini 16GB $269, more

Daily Deals: Up to 65% off Sony memory, LaCie 1TB portable HD $80, iPad Mini w/4G LTE Unlocked $390, 8GB Flash Drive $5, much more


Other great deals from today:

More great deals still alive:

New products:

  • Roku announces a new HDMI streaming stick for $50
  • D-Link Releases the First Portable 11AC Router/Server/Charger for $99 shipped
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Real Racing 3 iOS app updated w/ vehicle customizations, Aston Martin cars, iOS 7 controller support, more

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 4 2014 - 5:36 pm PT
2 Comments

The popular Real Racing 3 title from EA for iPhone and iPad received a big update today that on top of introducing tons of new content brings iOS 7 controller support. That means you’ll now be able to pick up and play the game with any of Apple’s new authorized Made-for-iPhone controllers. We’ve reviewed the majority of controllers to hit the market so far including products from Logitech, Moga, and SteelSeries.

Perhaps the most notable new feature is new customization options that allow users to “Change rims, tweak ride height, and apply a multitude of awesome vinyls using the powerful customization tools.”

In addition, the update introduces a photo mode to easily capture a snapshot of the action at any moment, the “All Star Vendetta Series”, and new Gold Achievements.

Version 2.1.0 of Real Racing 3 also brings new vehicles from Aston Martin including the DB9, Vanquish and V12 Vantage S.

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

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9to5Toys Last Call: New $50 Roku streaming stick, Kindle e-readers $20 off, Timbuk2 bags 25% off, more

Avatar for Mar 4 2014 - 10:12 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 subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

Roku announces a new HDMI streaming stick for $50

Amazon 1-Day Kindle E-Reader Sale: Kindle $49 (Reg. $69), Kindle Paperwhite $99 (Reg. $119)

25% off select Timbuk2 custom laptop messenger bags and backpacks

Best Buy knocks up to $200 off iPads: Airs start at $440, Minis up to $50 off

Other great deals from today:

  • New! Crucial M500 2.5″ SATA III Internal Solid State Drive 120GB $67 shipped (Reg. $80)
  • New! Game/App Deals: GTA V: $30, Star Wars KOTOR (Mac/PC): $3, Dishonored GOTY: $20, Anodia: FREE, iOS freebies, more
  • New! Daily Deals: Macbook Air 11.6″ refurb $770, JBL Flip BT speaker refurb $59, iJoy iPhone or Galaxy S4 cases $10 shipped, much more
  • New! Lepow Moonstone Series 6000mAh External Battery (Green) $19.99 AC shipped

More great deals still alive:

New products:

  • D-Link Releases the First Portable 11AC Router/Server/Charger for $99 shipped
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Mercedes-Benz gives hands-on demo of CarPlay in new C-Class [Video]

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 4 2014 - 7:17 am PT
15 Comments

Yesterday Mercedes-Benz sent over some images of Apple’s new CarPlay feature for iOS running in its new C-Class set to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show this week. Today the company has released a new video that gives us a better look at the feature up and running in the vehicle. Some people have been not so impressed with Mercedes’ implementation of the touch display in the new C-Class. It does look like somewhat of an afterthought the way it floats above the dash rather than being built right into the console like in Volvos and other vehicles. Ferrari, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz are showing off CarPlay this week, but Apple expects many more partners to launch the feature in new vehicles later in the year.

(via iFun)

Nuance announces Dragon Dictate 4, with pre-recorded transcription features and Gmail integration

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Mar 4 2014 - 5:22 am PT
7 Comments

Nuance has just announced the next major version of its Mac dictation software, Dragon Dictate 4. The new version improves recognition accuracy as well as several new features, including the ability to machine transcribe from a pre-recorded audio file. You no longer have to be recording a voice live to get transcription.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRfbZ0h4yBo]

We’ve had a quick play with the software and the accuracy is almost scary good compared to older versions of the software. Speaking in a normal voice gives you almost 100% accuracy and even mumbling seems to work. While Mavericks uses the same Nuance speech engine, Dictate 4 has a better interface for transcription and tons of extra features as outlined in the videos above and below.

Dragon Dictate software has also been updated for modern system architectures — it is a 64-bit app now.  This results in better performance and better memory management over its predecessors. The company says it has drastically reduced latency when interpreting speech.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnGKb854CNI]


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The making of Writing Aid — behind the scenes of app development

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Mar 3 2014 - 11:34 am PT
7 Comments

I released Writing Aid to the App Store today. Due to the glaring conflicts of interest in reviewing my own app for 9to5Mac or even having my colleagues review it, I thought instead I’d give some insight into the creative and development process behind the app. If you are looking for a more traditional review, please check out these writeups over at MacStories, Beautiful Pixels and iMore.

As a finished product, Writing Aid is best described as a dictionary app that also works in reverse. However, it didn’t start that way. For a while, I have been annoyed by the offerings on the store. Most apps are bogged down with gimmicky extras like ‘Word of the Day’ and such and many have been abandoned by their owners (which means they aren’t updated for iOS 7 either). When I’m writing, I don’t want distractions. I want to be able to type a word in a box and get a definition.


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Microsoft reportedly working on a cross-platform Xbox Live for iOS & Android apps

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 3 2014 - 10:57 am PT
1 Comment

Microsoft is considering taking Xbox Live cross-platform and allowing developers to integrate the service in iOS and Android games, according to a report from The Verge. The report cites a job listing from the company’s website seeking an engineer to work on “a modern framework that is open-source, lightweight, extensible and scalable across various platforms,” including iOS and Android. The report also cites its own sources reportedly familiar Microsoft’s plans to take Xbox Live cross-platform.

“New Devices and Gaming” is looking for passionate and experienced developers to join us. Your contribution will have direct impact on how we win back our game developers from our competitors. As a member of the newly formed team, you will have the rare opportunity to influence our planning and design from the beginning. We will create a modern framework that is open source, light-weight, extensible and scalable across various platforms including Windows Store, Windows Phone, iOS and Android. Working on the gaming technologies, you will collaborate with both internal partner teams across the company and external ecosystem partners to enable end-to-end gaming scenarios.

The idea, according to the report, is that Xbox Live would act as a cross-platform alternative to Apple’s Game Center and similar services, allowing users to earn achievements, manage friends and more through a single service across Xbox and mobile platforms. No details on specific features or when we might expect to see more.

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9to5Toys Last Call: Best Buy iPad sale gets better, OtterBox Armor Series 75% off, new lows on Samsung SSDs, more

Avatar for Mar 3 2014 - 10:08 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 subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

Best Buy knocks up to $200 off iPads: Airs start at $440, Minis up to $50 off

75% off OtterBox Armor Series waterproof cases for iPhone 4/4s/5, and Galaxy S III

Samsung 840 EVO Series 2.5″ Solid State Drives: 500GB $260, 750GB $369, 1TB $495

Other great deals from today:

  • New! HPDeskjet 1010 Inkjet Printer w/ Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 (Mac/PC) $77 shipped ($198 value)
  • New! Game/App Deals: Rayman Origins for Mac $14, Minecraft for Xbox 360 $14, FMX Riders FREE, more iOS freebies
  • New! Home Deals: Omega VRT350 Heavy Duty Juicer $250 (Reg. $430), Kyocera ceramic coffee grinder $29, more
  • New! Daily Deals: iPad 2 32GB $250, Incipio Waterproof iPhone 5/5s case $20, CarbonAudio BT speaker $25, much more
  • New! Headphones: Sony MDR10R over-ears: $100/$150 w/ Bluetooth (Reg. $150/$200), up to 50% off Yamaha PRO series: $100-$200, more

More great deals still alive:

Finish to-do manager goes free for new users, introduces Finish More, and announces upcoming iPad version

Avatar for Mike Beasley Mar 1 2014 - 11:00 am PT
0 Comments
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Finish, the Apple Design Award-winning to-do manager that launched at the beginning of last year is going free for new users today. There is a catch, though: the free app will now be limited to only ten tasks, and those tasks will only be able to be set to a specific date. Setting a time of day and enabling Bother Me alerts will not be available in the free app, either.

To get those features, the developers are introducing an in-app purchase for $.99 called Finish More. For users who previously purchased Finish, this is a free upgrade that can be unlocked by tapping “restore purchase” on the Finish More screen.


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9to5Toys Last Call: Dr. Seuss iOS apps up to 80% off, Beats in-ear headphones 60% off, iOS 7 dev course $59, more

Avatar for Feb 28 2014 - 1:03 pm 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 subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Dr. Seuss’s Birthday Sale: Over 60 classic book apps for iPhone/iPad on sale up to 80% off

Beats In-Ear Headphones: Powerbeats $65 shipped (Reg. $150), urBeats $45 shipped (Reg. $99)

The Complete iOS 7 Developers Course: Learn XCode 5 + Objective-C in Over 31 Hours of Training + Build 14 iOS 7 Apps $59 (Reg. $499)


Other great deals from today:

More great deals still alive:

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