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6,235 'Apps' stories April 2010 - April 2014
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Learn about the latest news for iOS, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV apps

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

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

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

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

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Facebook Messenger 5.0 adds video sharing, faster photo and sticker access, more

Avatar for Zac Hall Apr 28 2014 - 10:49 am PT
2 Comments

Facebook today updated Messenger to version 5.0 bringing a list of feature improvements to the iPhone messaging app. The new version boasts a streamlined design for accessing and sharing photos as well as a new shortcut for downloading sticker packs (tap and hold a sent sticker to download the pack), but it’s main feature addition tackles video. Users can now access and share video clips to other users within the app. Previous versions were limited to only sharing photos and voice recordings. The update also includes improvements to searching people and groups by name.
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9to5Toys Last Call: Automatic: iPhone driving assistant $80, two iPad Air cases $11, SOUL BT headphones $40, more

Avatar for Apr 28 2014 - 10:28 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:


Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant for iOS/Android $80 shipped (Reg. $100)

 

2-pack of rooCASE Apple iPad Air cases for $11 with free shipping (Reg. $36)

 

Headphones:

Staples Coupon $30 off select $60+ purchases: Save on wireless network cams and more

Other deals from today:

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

  • XCOM: Enemy Unknown now available on Android for $10
  • Google Play Premium App Sale: The Room Two, The Dark Knight Rises, Need for Speed, many more
  • Save 25% on three wireless accessories at AT&T, includes new Samsung wearables
  • Microsoft’s new 365 subscription gets you Office on one Mac or PC & tablet for $69/year

Review: Stride 2 jailbreak tweak brings a customizable gesture-based passcode to iOS 7 devices

Avatar for Dom Esposito Apr 28 2014 - 9:14 am PT
0 Comments

If you’ve been around the jailbreak community for a while, it’s possible that you’re familiar with the popular iOS 5/6 gesture-based lock screen tweak Stride. This tweak worked as a lock screen passcode alternative and allowed users to set a custom gesture to unlock an iOS device.

Created by the popular tweak developer Adam Bell, Stride is making a comeback and is fully compatible with iOS 7 devices. This exciting release provides a very similar experience, but has been given a very clean makeover. This results in a beautiful native-like iOS 7 gesture-based lock screen and I just can’t get enough of it.


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Skype brings free group video calling back to the Mac (and PC)

Avatar for Zac Hall Apr 28 2014 - 6:34 am PT
0 Comments

You may recall Skype debuted a very useful (and social) feature for Mac way back in 2010: group video calling. Specifically, the feature was in a public beta stage with widespread testing thus carried a price tag of $0 with idea being it would eventually be a paid feature when the service was stable enough. Fast forward a few months to 2011 and Skype rolled the feature out to its official version of the app for Mac and put a price tag on it. As you can imagine, as the price of entry went above nothing, free alternative services including Google’s Hangouts video calling emerged. Three years later, the Microsoft-owned company is back in the business of bringing multiple faces together over video for free (hooray!) as today it announced group video calling for everyone at no cost… again.
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Apple Maps adds ancient Stonehenge monument to 3D Flyover

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 28 2014 - 5:19 am PT
16 Comments

Nobody is quite sure why or how Stongehenge was constructed, but the stone circle constructed sometime between four and five thousand years ago has long fascinated visitors.

As a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the closest most visitors can get to it these days is a pathway around the outside. (I probably shouldn’t admit this, but as a young child who lived nearby before all the restrictions were put in place, I used to climb on the stones …)

But thanks to Apple adding the site to its 3D Flyover library of Apple Maps, you can now take a tour around the site from the comfort of your sofa. Just enter Stonehenge into the search box.

Apple added 3D Flyover coverage of Perth, Saint-Tropez and Cordoba last month. This followed Cape Town, Helsinki and Marseille back in January. After a less than stellar start, Apple is working hard on an upgraded version of the Maps app ready for iOS 8.

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9to5Toys Last Call: Two D-Link DCS-932L wireless cams $80, Seagate 4TB desktop HDD $130, Synology NAS $280, more

Avatar for Apr 25 2014 - 10:02 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:


Seagate Expansion 4TB Desktop External USB 3 Hard Drive: $130 shipped, 3TB: $100 shipped

eneloop rechargeable Power Pack with batteries, a charger, carrying case, more $30 shipped (Reg. $50) Sold Out

NAS Setup: Synology DiskStation DS214 $280 (Reg. $330), WD Red 3TB HDD $120 (Reg. $150)

Other deals from today:

More deals still alive:


New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

  • XCOM: Enemy Unknown now available on Android for $10
  • Google Play Premium App Sale: The Room Two, The Dark Knight Rises, Need for Speed, many more
  • Save 25% on three wireless accessories at AT&T, includes new Samsung wearables
  • Microsoft’s new 365 subscription gets you Office on one Mac or PC & tablet for $69/year
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Hulu Plus for iOS updated with remote control support for Xbox One and PS4

Avatar for Mark Hearn Apr 24 2014 - 1:12 pm PT
1 Comment

The folks at Hulu have expanded their recent Chromecast efforts and thanks to a new update the company’s iOS app now moonlights as a remote control for the Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 game consoles. Users can pause, stop fast-forward and rewind content directly from their mobile device. This will definitely come in handy, because it takes the strain off your controller’s battery, which should be reserved strictly for gaming.


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eBay revamps iOS apps, adds in-store pickup on iPad, Passbook integration, more

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Apr 24 2014 - 11:31 am PT
1 Comment

Ebay has pushed out a notable update to its main iPhone and iPad apps today that include a number of new features and updated designs. Most notably, the iPad now includes an in-store pickup option that shows a “Free In-Store Pickup” option under the “Shop Locally” search filter to show items from local merchants available for purchase.” That feature was previously limited to the iPhone. To go along with the new in-store pickup option on iPad, you can also now save your in-store pickup orders directly to Apple’s Passbook app.

For the iPad app, eBay says it’s also added a new selling landing page, smarter search results, and “more current shipping tracking”:

When something is on the way, where is it? We’ve updated our tracking capabilities to provide more timely status updates from within the app. Pull to refresh and get the latest info.

On the iPhone, users will noticed an updated Home page that provides quick access to Watched items, Feed and eBay Deals, and the updated app also includes larger photos, product reviews for many items, the ability to attach photos to messages, and support for selling from Austria and Netherlands.

Ebay for iPhone and Ebay for iPad versions 3.3.0 are on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 3.3.0

Version 3.3.0

• Updated Home page includes Watched items, Feed and eBay Deals!
• Larger photos on search and item pages
• Product reviews now included for many items in the eBay catalog
• You can now attach photos to messages
• Selling support added for Austria and Netherlands
• Save your in-store pick up order details to iPhone’s Passbook
• Brazilian Portuguese language support
• Speed improvements and Bug fixes

Trademark filings might show future OS X names: Yosemite, Redwood, Mammoth, California, Big Sur, Pacific

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Apr 24 2014 - 10:04 am PT
9 Comments
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Following the introduction of OS X Mavericks and Apple’s new naming scheme inspired by locations in California, there has been much speculation about which famous California destination might be the name of future releases. Today, French blog Consomac has discovered trademark filings for other California locations that appear to be linked to Apple.

The site found trademarks for Yosemite, Redwood, Mammoth, California, Big Sur, and Pacific, all of which are registered by one of two shell companies, Yosemite Research LLC and Coast Research LLC. While that wouldn’t normally be enough evidence to assume Apple is behind the filings, the site also found the trademarks include protection for operating systems and connections to Apple through the lawyers that filed the application. From the translated report:
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Facebook buys fitness app Moves as health race heats up

Avatar for Zac Hall Apr 24 2014 - 7:19 am PT
5 Comments

There’s certainly no shortage of buzz around health tracking and fitness-related products and software these days, and Facebook is making sure it its not going to be left out of the race (there’s also no shortage of Facebook acquisitions).

Finnish company ProtoGeo Oy, the developers behind the iPhone and Android fitness app Moves (seen above), has been acquired by Facebook as it posted this on its site today:

Today, we’re delighted to announce that Facebook has acquired our company and the Moves app. Since we launched Moves, we’ve been focused on running a simple and clean activity diary that millions of people have enjoyed using.

Now, we’re joining Facebook’s talented team to work on building and improving their products and services with a shared mission of supporting simple, efficient tools for more than a billion people.

The company also rounded out its announcement with a thank you to customers for making its product a success and the standard promise that data gathered by the service won’t “commingle” with Facebook, but such promises are mostly “feel good” reassurances and surely have no legal merit especially with the “there are no plans” qualifier.

All of this is made much more interesting in the context of Apple’s plans to take a major step into owning the fitness category with the company’s upcoming Healthbook software first reported by 9to5Mac and widespread rumors of some sort of fitness-related band on the new product horizon (not to mention Nike reportedly stepping away from its FuelBand product).

Couple that with numerous fitness and health-related hires by Apple that continue as recently as this month and it’s easy to understand why Facebook would want to buy Moves: it doesn’t want to be the last one to the finish line.

Opera’s Coast browser adds iPhone support, adds iCloud syncing of bookmark tiles

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Apr 24 2014 - 6:30 am PT
1 Comment

Opera first launched Coast back in September 2013, on the iPad. Although it didn’t make a huge impression on the App Store first time around, Opera is probably hoping its new version will be more popular.

The app has been fully reworked for the iPhone size. There are hardly any buttons onscreen; the app relies almost exclusively on gesture-based navigation.


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Weather Channel launches redesigned iPhone app with ‘social weather’ and flight info

Avatar for Mike Beasley Apr 23 2014 - 9:50 pm PT
6 Comments

The Weather Channel app for iPhone has been updated with a brand new iOS 7-inspired design and features. The new design gives each bit of information a more prominent location on the screen, though it does so at the expense of an all-in-one overview. Where previously all relevant weather information was contained on the main screen, the updated app places various types of information on separate pages that can be swiped through.

The addition of a new airport mode that provides users with information about weather-related flight delays and cancellations could serve as a useful tool for travelers. A new severe weather mode causes the entire app’s interface to change if severe weather is reported in your area, putting critical information front-and-center. Finally, a social component has been added that allows users to submit weather reports and photos of their own.

You can grab the redesigned Weather Channel app on the iPhone App Store free of charge.

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IMDb iOS app adds U.S. TV listings, links to Amazon Instant Video, more

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Apr 23 2014 - 10:57 am PT
0 Comments

The IMDb app for iPhone and iPad was updated today with a few notable new features. You can now view TV listings directly within the app, but the feature is initially limited to users in the US. Also new, listings will now tell you if the content is available on Amazon Prime and provide a link to starting playing a title directly in the Amazon Instant Video app (as pictured to the right).

Other new features in version 4.2 of the app include a redesigned showtimes page for iPhone and showtimes for upcoming movies being released in theatres directly from the title page.

Version 4.2 of the IMDb app is available on the App Store now for iPhone and iPad.

What’s New in Version 4.2

• US TV listings! See when and where you can watch things, wherever you are in the US.
• Amazon Prime availability! You can now tell at a glance when a title is available on Amazon Prime. If you have the Amazon Instant Video app installed already, tap to play!
• New showtimes page design on iPhone.
• For a movie coming out Friday (or any other day in the future and we know about it), you can get its showtimes right from the title page!
• Bug fixes, including a weird bug where your ratings history would show your most recently rated titles twice.

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9to5Toys Last Call: iPhone 5c 32GB $50, IDrive 100GB cloud storage $0.99/yr, iTunes HD movie bundles $10, more

Avatar for Apr 23 2014 - 9:51 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:

WD My Passport Slim 2TB Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive $90 shipped (Reg. $150)

MEElectronics Air-Fi AF32 Bluetooth headphones (multiple colors): $40 shipped (Reg. $100)

Apple TV 3rd gen 1080p streaming media player $80 shipped (Reg. $99)

iPads:

Other deals from today:

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

NYOP Mac software bundle: Few bucks gets RapidWeaver, Tuneup, Snapheal Pro, Crossover, PDF Converter and much more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Apr 22 2014 - 9:00 pm PT
16 Comments
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StackSocial and 9to5Toys Specials are offering another Name Your Own Price Mac Bundle with 10 Mac apps regularly priced at $655. This bundle has some incredibly solid apps, and currently less than $5 will unlock all of the apps. In addition, 10% of your purchase will go to a charity of your choice including Child’s Play, World Wildlife Foundation, or Creative Commons. Also, if you are on the leaderboard at any time, you are entered to win a MacBook Air. The price will go up as more people buy so it is best to get in early.

Some of the notable apps in the bundle are photo editing software Snapheal Pro (Reg. $40), simple website builder RapidWeaver 5 (Reg. $79), Windows software utility CrossOver 13 For Mac, iTunes organizer TuneUp and screen capture software Voila ($30). You can see a full list of the apps in the bundle below, as well as more Mac deals on 9to5Toys Specials and in our daily app deal round-ups.


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Apple updates App Store content ratings system with new descriptions and market-specific ratings

Avatar for Mike Beasley Apr 22 2014 - 3:27 pm PT
4 Comments

Apple has made some changes to the way it handles content ratings in the App Store, as outlined in an email (included below) sent to developers today. These ratings aren’t the five-star reviews that users assign apps, but the age-based restrictions assigned to each app based on the type of content in the app. While most apps are rated 4+ (the lowest), some that contain violent or potentially offensive content may have higher ratings (as seen above).

Starting today, developers will be able to assign a few new content descriptions to their apps in order to help better determine what age group the software is appropriate for. These new descriptions include “Medical/Treatment Information, Gambling and Contests, and Unrestricted Web Access.” That last one is good news for many developers previously forced to use a 17+ rating just because their app included a web browser that could be used to accesss anything on the web.


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9to5Toys Last Call: FitBit Aria smart scale $100, Godfather Trilogy iTunes download $10, IM+ Pro 7 for iOS $0.99, more

Avatar for Apr 22 2014 - 10:07 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:

iPads:

Seagate Expansion 3TB USB 3.0 Desktop external drive: $90 shipped (Reg. $125)

Games/Apps: Titanfall (all platforms) $37 shipped, Watch Dogs preorder w/ $25 GC, 50% off InstaFisheye, iOS freebies, more

Netflix price increase is coming, but it’s not too late for new members to lock in the current rate

$100 iTunes gift card for $85: Save 15% on future apps, music, movies, more

Other deals from today:

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

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1Password for Mac updated with improvements to 1Password Mini, better URL matching, and more

Avatar for Mike Beasley Apr 22 2014 - 6:00 am PT
6 Comments

1Password 4 for Mac was updated today to version 4.3 with a bevy of enhancements and new features. Unlike today’s update to the iOS version of the app, the OS X-based update is not an overhaul of the application, but instead focuses on refining the software’s feature set.

This update features big updates to the 1Password Mini plugin, which now allows you to edit your saved items and generated passwords, recognizes a number of new keyboard shortcuts, and supports “fuzzy search” for saved items; the auto-save system, which now prompts you to update your existing password if you create a new password for a saved website; and a lot more.


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1Password for iOS updated with all-new design, support for multiple vaults, and more

Avatar for Mike Beasley Apr 22 2014 - 6:00 am PT
11 Comments
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1Password 4 launched last year to much fanfare as a major redesign of the most powerful password management software available. Today the app has been updated to version 4.5, which brings the biggest update to the app’s design since the 4.0 release.

With this update, the entire app has once again been redesigned completely, this time for compliance with iOS 7’s new look. You’ll still find the layout familiar, though some tweaks have been made to a few areas.


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9to5Toys Last Call: Samsung 28″ 4K monitor $600, free $5 audible credit, PNY 128GB USB3 flash drive $43, more

Avatar for Apr 21 2014 - 10:02 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:

Samsung 28-inch 4K UHD LED 60Hz Monitor $600 shipped (Reg. $699)

Audible $5 audio book credit for free

PNY 128GB Turbo USB 3.0 Flash Drive $43 shipped (Reg. $70)

$100 iTunes gift card for $85: Save 15% on future apps, music, movies, more

Vizio 40″ 120Hz 1080p LED LCD HDTV + $200 Dell GC for $500 shipped


Other deals from today:


More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

Beats Music updated with subscriptions via in-app purchase, Facebook friend search, and a lot more

Avatar for Mike Beasley Apr 18 2014 - 5:48 pm PT
2 Comments
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Beats Music for iOS was updated today to version 1.0.7, but don’t let the minor version number bump fool you: this update has a lot of new stuff, including an entirely new subscription model, packed in.

The biggest news in this update is the option to purchase a subscription directly from the iTunes Store through an in-app purchase. Previously users had to add the Beats Music service to their carrier phone bill in order to enjoy the full feature set, such as on-demand streaming music and downloads.


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Facebook updates Paper app w/ birthdays, events, photo comments, group updates & more

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Apr 18 2014 - 10:16 am PT
0 Comments

Facebook released a big update today to its recently released Paper mobile app. The app, which provides a full Facebook experience alongside a news reader-style collection of content from around the web, today integrates birthdays and events from Facebook via the app’s “notifications globe” icon.

Version 1.1 also introduces the ability to add photos in comments, and updates from Groups:

Don’t miss posts from your favorite groups. Swipe down to open the Main Menu. Tap the More Options icon to the right of the Search box. When you see your groups, check the new unread counts to catch up on the posts you’ve missed.

Also new in the updated Paper app is new navigation buttons for stories and 9 new “article covers” with news from sources including Fox News, Bloomberg News, Mashable, FT, kottke, Popular Science, The Hollywood Reporter, Vanity Fair and Hacker News. Facebook also noted that the app now includes basic accessibility features in all sections and that it’s “working to extend accessibility throughout the app.”

Version 1.1 of Paper for iPhone app is available on the App Store now.

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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad Air/mini $50 off, Denon AV receiver w/ AirPlay $200, Dyson/Fellowes home deals, more

Avatar for Apr 18 2014 - 10:16 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:

Apple Deals:

Denon AVR-E300 5.1-Ch. A/V Network Receiver $200 shipped (Reg. $400) Home Deals: Fellowes Air Purifiers up to 52% off, Dyson Tower Fan $280 (Reg. $450), kitchen items, more

One year magazine subs: Men’s Health & Maxim Bundle $9 shipped (Reg. $93), Rolling Stone $5 shipped (Reg. $102), Macworld, Car & Driver, more  Western Digital Hard Drives:

Other deals from today:

More deals still alive:

https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/456869873273274368 https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/456789199606120448 New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

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Facebook for iPhone updated to version 9.0, allows replying to comments on certain pages and more

Avatar for Mike Beasley Apr 17 2014 - 9:38 pm PT
12 Comments

Facebook has pushed out version 9.0 of its iPhone application today, adding new features to the commenting system among a few smaller changes. The biggest change in this minor update allows users to reply to comments on pages that have enabled that specific feature.

Aside from that, administrators will now be able to review and approve posts by group members, and everyone will see posts related to the site’s trending topics highlighted in the iPad version’s News Feed. This update follows the news from earlier today that the company is launching a “friends near me” feature within the app, similar to Apple’s “Find My Friends” service.

Facebook 9.0 is available on the iOS App Store. The full change log is below:

What’s New in Version 9.0

• Reply directly to comments on stories by Pages that have this feature turned on
• Group admins can easily review and approve pending posts by group members
• See posts about trending topics highlighted in News Feed on iPad