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

Apps for iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS power our modern world. 9to5Mac will update you on the latest news, review, and updates for all types of apps. “There’s an App for that”.

The term came became part of our vocabulary when Steve Jobs announced The App Store as part of the iPhone 2.0 software update in 2008.

Over the years, the term has become as common as kleenex for describing applications on all of our devices. Apple’s platforms have apps for just about anything from finance, banking, sports, social media, podcasting, music, and more. We have a guide for helping you discover the best ones as well. Apps are now on everything from our TV, to our smartphones, on our laptops, and all the way down to our wrists.

As new ones are released or existing ones have major updates, the team here at 9to5Mac will bring you the latest news and reviews. If you want to follow along with video footage, be sure to follow 9to5Mac on YouTube. Scroll down below our latest updates on all things relating to applications on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch.

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Facebook Paper 1.2 adds new photo features, trending section, performance improvements, more

In addition to a few changes to its iPad app, Facebook today released the second major update to its app Paper bringing it closer to feature parity with the main Facebook iPhone app. While the list of changes included in Facebook Paper 1.2 is rather long, the changes largely focus on improving the photo experience. For example, Paper uses can now adjust both profile and cover photos from the app. The update also includes photo tag support and improvements as well as greater support for tilt to explore feature for viewing photos.

Facebook Paper 1.2 is available for iPhone and iPod touch today on the App Store. For more on what’s new, view the full change log below…
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Domino’s Pizza launches voice ordering in mobile apps powered by Nuance

Dominos announced today that its launching a new voice ordering feature in its iPhone and Android apps that is powered by Nuance’s Nina Mobile voice speech recognition, speech synthesis and natural language understanding technology. The company says the feature will provide “a human-like, conversational customer service experience that allows users to speak an order and quickly add items to their cart.” Imagine opening the app and placing your order by saying, for example, “I’d like a large pizza with extra cheese, pepperoni and onions” or “I’ll take a 14-piece order of Hot Wings”.

“There will be a day where typing on keyboards or with thumbs on mobile devices will come to a close; we want to be the ones who continue to advance the technology experience – hand-in-hand with our customers,” said Patrick Doyle, Domino’s Pizza president and CEO. “Our mobile app users who are a part of this launch are truly helping set the foundation for the innovations of today, that will soon enough become the standards of tomorrow.”

The platform, in partnership with Nuance, will redefine technology convenience – and puts Domino’s at the forefront of an intuitive ordering method that is a true first within both traditional and e-commerce retail.

With the updated app rolling out today, you’ll also be able to browse menus, coupons and navigate through the app using your voice. The feature rolls out in beta today and is available in the updated Domino’s Pizza app for iOS now.

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9to5Toys Lunch Break: WD 3TB desktop HD $94, Samsung 1TB EVO SSD $410, Logitech Powershell $50, more

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Update: The 1TB portable drive has unexpectedly jumped back up in price.

WD 1TB Elements USB 3.0 portable external hard drive $48 shipped, WD 3TB Desktop USB 3 HDD $94 shipped (Reg. $129)

Samsung EVO 1TB 2.5-inch SATA-3 SSD $410 shipped (half off)

Games/Apps: Logitech Powershell controller $50, Nintendo 2DS $100, TurboScan $1, iOS freebiesmore

Best Buy slashes $100 off new MacBook Air, deals as low as $650 with .EDU email

Other new deals:

New! Beats by Dr. Dre DiddyBeats In-Ear Headphones w/ ControlTalk $33 (Reg. $150)
New! Drobo 5N 5-Bay NAS Storage Array with Gigabit Ethernet $400 shipped (Reg. $600)
New! Daily Deals: Samsung 55″ HDTV $700, Macbook Air $599, Otterbox cases $15, more
New! Home Deals: Cuisinart portable grill $110, Canopy Zero Gravity Chair $38, more

More deals still alive:

New products/ongoing promotions:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

 

Facebook rolling out new discovery panel for iPad with game and trending news access

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Facebook is now rolling out a new right-side panel for its iPad application to provide timely information, the social networking company told developers today. In the newest version of the Facebook iPad app, a new panel (shown in the image above) will provide instant access to trending news topics, calendar events, the weather, and games.

In the latest update to Facebook for iPad in the US, we’re testing new ways to help people discover more timely and entertaining content on tablet. This update will surface content on the right-hand side of the iPad that’s relevant to how people use tablets today, which is primarily to read news, watch videos and play games.

The move is primarily positioned by Facebook as a way to continue to attract gaming within the network. Facebook says that over 70% of iPad users have played a game on Facebook over the past three months, so it makes sense for the company to further promote gaming on the platform. This move also serves as a way for Facebook to keep users inside of its app while on the iPad.


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iBeacons in retail stores blowing up app usage, ad engagement

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One of the big debates regarding iBeacons, the tech that allows iOS apps to receive location-aware notifications over Bluetooth LE, is whether or not the experience will become intrusive for users. Imagine having your local grocery store’s app installed. Once the store has installed a few beacons, you could soon find yourself overcome with notifications as you walk around without ever even opening the app. You run the risk of users getting frustrated and potentially avoiding or deleting the app entirely. However, that hasn’t been the case when it comes to the iBeacons installed by inMarket in grocery stores across the country. It tells us app and ad engagement has skyrocketed since rolling out the platform:
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Angry Birds Transformers mash-up game coming soon from Rovio and Hasbro

Rovio has a lot in the works. The Finnish-game maker last week released Angry Birds Epic, an RPG-style game and a first for the series, and later this year Rovio will release Angry Birds Stella led by the lady bird in the saga.

On top of all that, Rovio is announcing something they’ve been working on with Hasbro: Angry Birds Transformers. The latest title in the series will be like Angry Birds Star Wars, another Hasbro partnership for Rovio, combining the iconic gameplay with characters that resemble those from the movies.
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Ahead of Apple’s HealthKit, WebMD app now tracks health & fitness data from connected accessories

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WebMD today launched “Healthy Target”, a feature within its iOS app that lets users track health data from a variety of sources like activity trackers, glucose meters, and other iPhone-connected health and fitness accessories. The feature lets users set goals, track habits, get easy to understand summaries of biometric data, and also provides progress reports and inspiration along the way. WebMD says the feature “will provide valuable assistance to individuals looking to manage chronic conditions like Type 2 diabetes and obesity, as well as to a broader audience interested in achieving their fitness goals or more generally living a healthier lifestyle.” The feature acts a lot like Apple’s new Health app, which is about to launch alongside its new HealthKit platform for developers this fall with iOS 8
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Bitcoin wallet apps returning to the App Store after Apple relaxes rules on virtual currency

After an App Store guideline change earlier this month, it seems that Bitcoin wallet apps are once again welcome on the platform, as noticed by Coindesk. The updated rules said that Apple would allow virtual currency apps if they do not violate any federal laws. Apps like eGift and are now available for download in the App Store.

Albeit merely a wrapper around a web app, Coin Pocket does indeed enable the exchange of Bitcoin from within the app itself. This would have not passed Apple approval just a few weeks prior, as Apple’s previous stance did not allow any app that allowed transfers to take place.


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9to5Toys Father’s Day roundup: New MacBook Airs from $650 w/ .EDU, two WeMo switches $70, iTunes 19% off, more

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Best Buy slashes $100 off new MacBook Airs, deals as low as $650 with .EDU email

  • 11.6-inch (MD711LL/B) 1.4Gz/4GB/128GB: $799.99 or $649.99 w/ .EDU (Reg. $899)
  • 11.6-inch (MD712LL/B) 1.4Gz/4GB/256GB: $999.99 or $849.99 w/ .EDU (Reg. $1,099)
  • 13.3-inch (MD760LL/B) 1.4Gz/4GB/128GB: $899.99 or $749.99 w/ .EDU (Reg. $999)
  • 13.3-inch (MD761LL/B) 1.4Gz/4GB/256GB: $1,099.99 or $949.99 w/ .EDU (Reg. $1,199)

2 Pack: Belkin WeMo Light Switch: $70 (Reg. $90)

$80 iTunes gift card for $65: save nearly 20% on future app, music, movie purchases

Get MLB.TV for the rest of the 2014 baseball season for just $50 (orig. $130)

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/ongoing promotions:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

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How-to: Request an iTunes purchase refund if you have a legitimate reason

When you purchase an item from the App Store or iTunes, it is possible to obtain a refund on items purchased within the past 90 days if you have a legitimate reason. For example, you might buy the live version of a song when you meant to get the studio version. It is certainly possible to download the wrong app inadvertently, especially on an iOS device.

In this article, I will outline the process of how report a problem (and request a refund) with items purchased in the App Store or iTunes.


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9to5Toys Last Call: 2-pack Belkin WeMo Light Switches $70, SanDisk 128GB microSD $100, OtterBox Armor Series $5, more

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

Headphones:

Games/Apps: Amazing Spider-Man 2 for iOS $1 (Reg. $5), Flick Kick Football FREE, more

Roku 3 1080p streaming media player w/ private listening mode $80 Shipped (Reg. $100)

Starbucks eGift card: $10 for $5

Apple deals:

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/ongoing promotions:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

 

iOS 8 lets apps access Safari AutoFill credentials for quick & easy login

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In iOS 8, Apple is making the process of logging into apps a much smoother experience by allowing native iOS apps to access usernames and passwords stored in Safari. The new feature, which works by letting iOS apps tap into Safari’s AutoFill & Passwords feature, will allow users to login to apps with a simple tap rather than having to type login info. Imagine your username and password are stored in Safari’s AutoFill for Facebook, for example. When launching the native Facebook iOS app, the feature will let users select from passwords stored in Safari to quickly login (as pictured above with Apple’s demo “Shiny” app).
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Facebook Messenger updated with 15-second video messages, even bigger likes

Facebook has updated its Messenger app with a new video messaging feature that allows users to shoot and send short, 15-second videos from with the app. It’s certainly an interesting addition, given the impending release of the company’s “Slingshot” messaging app. Also included in the update is the ability to send an even bigger thumbs-up icon as a reply to incoming messages by holding down the “like” button.

You can grab the Messenger update for free on the App Store. The change notes are below:

What’s New in Version 6.0

Instant Video Sending: Shoot and play 15-second video messages from the camera right in the app

Big Likes: Press and hold to send an even bigger thumbs up when you really, really like something.

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Beats Music on Android gets first feature update post-Apple acquisition announcement

When Apple announced its $3 billion acquisition of Beats last month, the company said it had no intentions of killing off the Android version of the app, with Tim Cook saying “It’s all about the music.” This evening, Beats announced a hefty update to its streaming app on Android. The update bumps the app to version 1.1 and includes a variety of features and changes that users have been calling for since the initial release. This is the first feature update the app has gotten since Apple announced it will acquired the company.


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Tweetbot for iPhone can now post and view multiple images per Tweet

Popular third-party Twitter client Tweetbot for iPhone was updated to version 3.4 with some nice new features and enhancements today. Most notably, the app can now post and view up to four photos per Tweet. This is in line with functionality that Twitter added to its official application a few months ago.

  • Support for viewing/posting multiple twitter images (multiple images won’t show up in search or streaming timeline until Twitter enables it in the future)
  • Image detail views show corresponding tweet when relevant
  • Instagram videos now marked with play icon
  • Spanish Localization

The update, as can be seen in the release notes above, also adds various other images enhancements, a new play icon for Instagram videos, and localization for Spanish. For what it’s worth, users are also reporting that this update fixes some problems for iOS 8 Tweetbot users. The update is free on the App Store, and the app costs $4.99 for new downloads. You can read our full review of Tweetbot 3.0 from launch here.


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9to5Toys Last Call: Seiki 50″ 4K UHDTV $590, Blek for iOS $1, Lumsing 11000mAh 5-port charger $20, more

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

Displays: Seiki 50″ 4K UHDTV 120Hz LED w/ Free BT Soundbar $590 (Reg. $1200), Samsung 40″ Smart LED $460 (Reg. $700)

Games/Apps: Blek for iOS $1 (Reg. $3) Wii U 32GB Deluxe w/ Nintendo Land (refurb) $200, iOS freebies, more

Lumsing 11000mAh 5 x USB External Battery Pack/Charger: $20 shipped (orig. $89)

Apple deals:

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

 

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Skype 5.0 for iPhone available now… for some lucky App Store users

We showed you an early behind-the-scenes look at Skype’s major update to its iPhone app including an interview earlier this week, and today Microsoft says that update will officially roll out to users. In fact, a few people are able to download/update it now, while others are still getting the “not available” as of this writing.

From Skype’s blog:

On June 9, we announced that an update to Skype for iPhone was on the way, and today it’s time to try it out for yourself: Skype 5.0 for iPhone has arrived! We were excited to use your feedback to remaster the app around you, to help you connect with your friends and family simply and quickly.

Earlier this week, Skype pulled its previous version from the App Store in anticipation of its major new release. Microsoft says Skype 5.0 for iPhone is rolling out today and the new version is already available for many users via the App Store now.

Update: Skype has offered the following statement below.

Today we announced Skype 5.0 for iPhone is available for download. We understand some users are having problems downloading the app while it populates in the Apple App Store. We’re sorry about the delay, but don’t worry – you’ll be able to try the new version very soon. In the meantime, you can learn about the great new features coming with Skype 5.0 for iPhone here.

Apple’s App Store editorial team now curating seven additional categories in Europe

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(Before and after screenshots via The Guardian)

Just over a week ago at WWDC, Apple announced several changes and improvements coming to the App Store this fall with the public release of iOS 8 including new ways to navigate through the App Store as well as explore new apps. As The Guardian points out (via MacStories), App Store customers across Europe will notice improvements in the following categories: health, lifestyle, music, photo and video, productivity, and sports. Prior to the editorial expansion, every App Store category aside from education, games, food, kids, and Newsstand were populated solely by use of an algorithm of new and popular apps…
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Amazon Prime music streaming service lands on iOS, Cloud Player app now “Amazon Music”

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Following the launch of Amazon’s new streaming music service on the web last night, Amazon has now updated its iOS app with the feature, which also gets renamed from Amazon Cloud Player to the much more suitable Amazon Music. Also along for the ride is an updated icon and revamped design for the app. 
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Get your Role Play on with new Angry Birds ‘Epic’ from Rovio

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCs_1NCLo90]

Rovio today launched Angry Birds Epic for free in the iTunes App Store globally after a brief soft launch in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.

Get ready for a bird-tastic FREE RPG adventure filled with “weapons” (whatever they could get ahold of), magic, bad guys and silly hats! Lead your feathery team into battle now – it’s going to be EPIC!

EPIC BATTLES! Turn-based battles between our heroic flock of warriors and those green snout-nosed scoundrels! It’s easy to play, but difficult to master!

EPIC WORLDS! Explore a fantasy Piggy Island with everything from tribal villages and frosty mountains to tropical beaches and mysterious caves!

EPIC CHARACTERS! Join Red, Chuck, Bomb and the other heroes as they face King Pig, Wiz Pig, Prince Porky and many more villains!

EPIC UPGRADES! Level up your characters, armor, weapons and potions to become a legendary hero ready to take on the mightiest pig warrior!

EPIC WEAPONS! Craft amazing battle-winning weapons like a wooden sword, frying pan or stick thingy with a sponge on top!

EPIC HUMOR! Plenty of offbeat humor and tons of quirky characters dressed in awesomely silly costumes – like a prickly cactus hat and a matching sword.

Phone Arena called it great for casual gamers but too simple and repetitive for hardcore gamers.

Overall, Angry Birds Epic is one of those must-try casual games. Chances are that hardcore gamers will find it too simple and shallow for their taste, but those who consider themselves casual gamers will surely love Rovio’s newest creation. The game is easy to learn, easy to play, and easy to put down when there’s more serious business to be done, which makes it a great choice for killing a few minutes while waiting for the bus. Although we wouldn’t mind spending an afternoon stashing loot, crafting weapons, and laying waste to those grunting green pigs. Best of all, we never had the feeling that we were being pushed towards buying extra in-game currency (which costs real money, by the way) so don’t be worried about IAPs spoiling your experience. The only thing you might be bothered by are the full-screen pop-up ads that appear from time to time.

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New app Audibly lets you share your music wirelessly to nearby iOS devices

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

A brand new app created by three 2013 WWDC student scholarship winners— Nick Frey, Chris Galzerano, and Veeral Patel—launched on the App Store earlier this month. The app is called Audibly, and it allows users to stream music from one device to any others nearby. The music plays in sync across all devices, allowing everyone to listen in on the same playlist.

The app is fairly straightfoward. You simply pick a playlist to share, pair with a few nearby iOS devices, and hit play. The connection is made over Wi-Fi when there’s a network available, or through a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection if the devices aren’t connected to the same Wi-Fi network.


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Flickr for iOS updated with new sharing options, support for tags, and better group support

Flickr updated its iOS app today to version 3.1.0. The update includes the ability to share albums on social networks like Twitter and Facebook, or through an email or SMS/iMessage. You can also add and edit tags and descriptions on your photos.

Finally, a few enhancements have been made to group support. Administrators can now invite photos to a group, and users can choose to get a notification when that happens. There are of course the usual “bug fixes” and “performance improvements” as well.


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Pocket Informant 4.0 released with iBeacon support, redesigned month view, and much more

The free Pocket Informer app for iPhone and iPad has been updated today with a host of new features, including improved location support, iBeacon compatibility, a revamped month view, and much more.

The new update allows users to accomplish new types location-based tasks, such as automatically activating specific calendar filters based on location. iBeacon support allows more precise location-based reminders and alerts. The app can also edit Apple’s native location-based Reminders.

Improvements to repeated calendar events have also been made, allowing users to create new types of recurring events, and a redesigned month view provides a more complete overview of the weeks ahead. A new travel mode allows users to enter future travel plans so that the app can automatically do time zone conversions based on where the user will be on the date of that event.

Pocket Informant is available for free on the App Store, but many features are locked behind in-app purchases ranging from $.99 to $14.99. The complete list of changes in this update can be found below.

What’s New in Version 4.0

Informant 4.0 is a MAJOR FREE UPGRADE. We’ve added exciting new features that you won’t find in ANY other calendaring app as well as ton of other additions and improvements across the board.

Here some highlights of what’s new:

◉ NEW! TravelAssist™ is completely unique approach to automating Time Zone handling while traveling. Simply tell Informant about your travel plans and after that, all new events scheduled between those dates will automatically default to the proper time zone. Likewise, while you are traveling, all new events scheduled outside your travel dates will default to your “home” time zone (instead of your “current” travel time zone).

◉ NEW! iBeacon Support. If you haven’t heard about iBeacons, check out Apple’s website to learn more. In short, iBeacons allow you to create location notifications at a much more precise location than GPS can give you. Here are a few things Informant can do with iBeacons:
◉ Informant can act as an iBeacon itself! This allows you to set Informant to remind you to do something next time you are near a specific friend, co-worker or family member.
◉ Pre-order hardware Informant iBeacons on our website today! You can place these small, convenient hardware beacons in your car, a room in your house, a conference room, your desk at work or anywhere else where you’d like to have Informant remind you to do something.

◉ LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
◉ Calendar Filters can now be automatically tied to a specific location (including a specific iBeacon)! Create a saved calendar filter for home and one for work. Then set Informant to automatically change between them based on you current location.
◉ Task locations notifications now have a radius that you can now conveniently adjust in the map view
◉ We now support editing Apple Location Reminders directly in Informant

◉ YOU’LL LOVE THE NEW MONTH VIEW
◉ Month View is now a vertically scrolling “Rolling Month View”
◉ Double-tap on a day to slide up a graphical day view
◉ Timed multi-day events now appear similar to “All Day” events in the Month View
◉ iPad now uses the “slide up” detail view instead of popovers when tapping on a day

◉ YOU’LL LOVE ALL THE OTHER VIEWS AS WELL
◉ We added support for iOS 7 Dynamic Text size and we added additional large text size options
◉ Details of events & tasks are now displayed in a convenient popover
◉ Informant now opens the contact card when you tap on a Birthday event
◉ Event conflict detection can be enabled/disabled per calendar

◉ GET HOLIDAY AND OTHER CALENDARS: We’ve partnered with SchedJoules to offer you a huge selection of calendars that you can purchase from their calendar store (integrated into Informant): everything from Name Days, Holidays, Phases of the Moon, Sports Calendars, and more.
◉ SEARCH MORE: Informant now searches the past 15 years and all future Apple Events in addition to all Pocket Informant native events.
◉ PRINT MORE: You can now print individual events, tasks, or any task list that is available in the Task View.
◉ SMART TITLE: Informant now offers to auto-complete Template names or Contacts as you type the title of a new event or task.
◉ NEW RECURRENCE OPTION: You can now create recurring events on the “5th of the month”. Finally.
◉ BACKUPS: Daily backups are now completely automatic!
◉ MUCH MUCH MORE: We have a more complete list of what’s new on our website.

By the way, did we mention this is a FREE upgrade to all of our amazing Informant Premium customers? If you haven’t purchased Informant Premium yet, it’s a great time to upgrade. And if you have – thank you so much for your support and don’t forget to tell your friends about your favorite calendaring app!!

As always, we recommend you back up your data before a major upgrade of any app (Informant will do this for you automatically). If you have any questions about what’s new, please contact our support team.

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Google Search iOS app adds World Cup Google Now cards ahead of event

Google has been adding StreetView, Maps, and new search features specifically for the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup, and today it brings new Google Now cards to the Google Search app for iOS. The new cards for the Google Now feature in the app will present the latest on World Cup news including “scorers, match statistics, group standings and more.”

Also new for this year’s tournament, you don’t even have to search to get updates on your favorite teams—just open Google Now. You’ll be given an option to start seeing cards with stats about each match that you can tap for more detail… Make sure you are signed in to Google, and have your Google Now turned on in your settings. Swipe up to see your Google Now cards and follow your favorite team!

The updated Google Search app for iOS is available on the App Store now.