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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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Cannes Lions Festival app will use iBeacons to let attendees network

Like it did for SXSW, Tribeca Film Festival, and the Olympic Games, event app platform Eventbase will be in charge of rolling out iBeacons at the upcoming Cannes Lions 2014 Festival that will provide attendees with unique features via the event’s official iOS app. This time around, rather than speeding up check-ins or interactive audience features, the company is allowing attendees to network with an “Around Me” feature in the event’s app that displays nearby attendees using iBeacons. The festival is the same one that Apple’s Jony Ive and Bono will appear at on June 21 for a rare interview about the (RED) charity organization.

The feature will integrate with LinkedIn profiles and allow attendees to send messages and connect instantly if they’ve opted in. The app will also be sending out other targeted notifications using iBeacons:

Eventbase co-founder Jeff Sinclair says the Cannes Lions app combines the power of iBeacon technology with tight LinkedIn integration to allow attendees to see who is around them, read their profile and immediately reach out to them through the app… “We’re excited to be pioneering the use of iBeacon technology for attendee-to-attendee networking,” says Sinclair. “The ability to find out more about the people around you and instantly connect has the potential to transform the event experience entirely.” Eventbase is partnering with mobile relationship management platform Urban Airship to deliver highly targeted and relevant messages via iBeacon-triggered push notifications to attendees during the event, including those visiting the festival’s Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) Tent — a showcase for mobile, creativity and marketing innovation.

Last week Apple introduced some new features that it hopes will improve the iBeacon experience including indoor mapping features coming for developers in iOS 8. The company explained the new indoor navigation and indoor positioning features will make for an even richer iBeacon experience by allowing, for example, event spaces to guide users to iBeacon-powered exhibits using the indoor location features.

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Google Wallet ‘Instant Buy’ checkout now available for iOS apps

Google today announced that it’s bringing the Google Wallet “Instant Buy” checkout feature it first launched on Android to iOS developers. The API allows developers to integrate a fast checkout experience using Google Wallet and with today’s announcement will work across the web, iOS and Android apps.

Merchants and developers selling physical goods and services can use Instant Buy to take advantage of the following:

  • Easy integration that works with existing payment processors
  • Secure payments with 24/7 fraud monitoring
  • No Google fees

Google noted that it’s already worked with some partners including B&H, Eat24, Fancy, Newegg, Sionic Mobile and Wish to integrate the feature in their iOS apps, but it’s opening up the API to all developers today.

The feature is launching first to iOS developers in the US and will require developers to integrate the Instant Buy API for iOS. Google has more info on the process here and a sign-up page for interested developers here.

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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad Air $400, 2-pack 128GB USB3 flash drives $80, Weight Gurus smart scale $24, 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:

  • Home Deals: Dyson vacuums (refurb) $199, up to 50% off Panasonic electric shavers, patio furniture, kitchen items, more

iPad Air $400 shipped (Reg. $499), iPad mini at Target and Best Buy Stores $199 (Reg. $299)

More iPad deals:

PNY Turbo Plus USB 3.0 flash drives (2-pack) $80 shipped (Reg. $125)

Weight Gurus Smartphone-Connected Digital Bathroom Scale $24 shipped (Reg. $40)

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

Other new deals:

  • New! Games/Apps: Rocksmith 2014 w/cable $40, iOS freebies, more
  • New! Daily Deals: Panasonic Lumix 16.1MP Camera: $110, Universal Car Mount: $8, more
  • New! Macphun’s Creative Kit+: SnapHeal Pro, Intensify, Focus Pro, more $99 ($260 value)
  • New! Certified Refurbished Samsung Galaxy Gear Smart Watch $90 shipped (Reg. $300)

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

Launch Center Pro 2.3 for iOS adds IFTTT, geolocation, and iBeacon support

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Contrast today is releasing a major update to Launch Center Pro for iPhone and iPad adding support for If This Then That and location-based actions. The update includes support for sharing GIF images from within the app using Giphy search integration (fun, right?) as well as support for scanning barcodes and QR codes from Launch Center Pro.

While there’s certainly a lot of potential with connecting web services to native apps using LCP and the IFTTT automation service, the location-based actions using geofencing and iBeacons unlock some really cool use cases for me personally…
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Apple launches new ‘Soccer Fever’ App Store section prior to FIFA World Cup

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Apple has launched a new “Soccer Fever” section on the App Store, fittingly with June 12th marking the first day of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The page has four app sections, including one for “Soccer Apps” (such as the official FIFA app itself), one for featured soccer-related games, a variety of typical social apps labeled as “Share the Fever,” and a plethora of apps for exploring the country of Brazil.
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Spotify 3-for-1 promo, Nest Thermostat discounts, iTunes HD movie bundles $15, 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:

Nest Thermostat (2nd gen): $183 w/ Amazon Visa, $229 w/o (Reg. $250)

Media: dozens of Blu-ray movies $5 each, iTunes HD movie bundles $15, more

Kindle Deals: Fire HDX 16GB WiFi $199 shipped (Reg. $229), Paperwhite $100, 20% off accessories, more

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

iPad Deals:

Father’s Day roundup: free $10 Amazon credit, Samsung 60-inch HDTV $680, Philips Sonicare toothbrush $30more

Other new deals:

  • New! Games/Apps: PS4 Cam $50 (17% off), Sony Gold Headset $80 (Reg. $100), more
  • New! Daily Deals: Logitech Solar Keyboard and Mouse: $46, Samsung Smartwatch: $85/99, more
  • New! Headphones: Audio Technica over-ears (refurb) $35 shipped (Reg. $120), more

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

Ringly introduces new iPhone-connected smart ring

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New startup Ringly seeks to help solve a problem that many busy women have: missing important phone calls, texts or notifications because they cannot hear their phone go off in their purse, or find the phone quickly enough to get to it. Personally, I’ve run into this problem several times.

Ringly’s solution looks like an ordinary fashionable ring, but is actually a high-tech smart ring that can notify users of incoming messages, notifications, phone calls, and more.


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Amazon integrates Audible audiobooks directly into Kindle mobile apps

Amazon announced today that it’s integrating the Audible audiobook service it purchased back in 2008 directly into the Kindle apps for both iOS and Android. After installing a free update landing today for the apps, users will be able to listen to Audible audio books without ever having to leave the app.

“We continue to hear from a growing number of Whispersync for Voice converts who tell us the innovation has profoundly changed the way they read—in fact, switching back and forth between reading and listening has become their preferred way of experiencing stories,” said Audible founder and CEO Donald Katz. “And the feature has gotten easier and easier to use, as this exciting integration into Kindle apps attests.”

The service is an extension of the Whispersync for Voice feature that Amazon recently launched. That feature allowed users to switch “seamlessly” between reading and listening but required users to have both the Kindle and Audible apps. With the updated Kindle apps, users will be able to get narrations for 45,000 Kindle books and growing as well as purchase Audible upgrades for previously purchased Amazon Kindle books ranging from $1 to $4. The audio and text versions of the book will stay in-sync, pages turn automatically, and narration includes a x2 speed mode and sleep timer option. The best part is that you won’t be pulled out of Kindle and into the Audible app now when switching between text and audio. 

The update includes other new features too, including: improvements to the X-Ray reference tool for textbooks and the ability to download an entire collection with a single tap. A full list of new features is below.

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

What’s New in Version 4.3

Listen to Audible audiobooks! Customers owning both the Kindle and Audible versions of a title can now listen to the audiobook right in the Kindle app.

Now you can use the Kindle app to switch back and forth between reading a Kindle book comfortably at home and listening to the story while driving to work.

Additional Features Include:
•Access to more than 45,000 Kindle/Audible title pairs, including best sellers
• Find audiobooks compatible with items in your Kindle library – audiobooks are delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
• Whispersync for Voice automatically synchronizes reading progress between the Audible and Kindle versions of a book
• Read and listen to a Kindle book at the same time; pages turn automatically
• Narration speeds up to 2x and a sleep timer
• Download an entire collection – gives customers the ability to download an entire collection with the tap of a button, making it easier for readers to download in bulk and load their favorite books on a new iOS device
• Students can now find terms that are in X-Ray for Textbooks by using search – occurrences in X-Ray are shown right above occurrences in the book
• Finding where an X-Ray term occurs on a textbook page is now easier – tap a page thumbnail in the X-Ray feature and you will see the term highlighted in the page of the book
• Performance and stability improvements

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Apple cracking down on apps offering third-party music downloads, incentivized ad watching & social sharing?

Apple has reportedly started cracking down on apps offering the ability to download music from third-party services like YouTube that normally don’t allow users to do so. In addition, a separate report claims that Apple has also started going after apps that incentivize users to either watch ads or share content through social media networks.

The first report comes from MacRumors, which notes the App Store has replaced results for the search query “music download” with an advertisement for iTunes Radio followed by other music services like Spotify (pictured right). At first glance it appears to be Apple simply cleaning up search on the store (I’d expect to get iTunes Radio, Spotify, etc for the search “music download”), but MacRumors also claims that “Apple has asked them to remove audio downloading functionalities from their app, perhaps to prevent potential piracy.” For now the apps still live on the App Store and the change doesn’t appear to have taken place in countries outside iTunes Radio availability. Results in the Canadian App Store continue to show apps for download music illegally from YouTube and other online services. 

Another report has popped up claiming that Apple is also not too happy about apps that are encouraging users to watch ads or share to social networks in exchange for rewards. A report from TechCrunch detailed the change, which also appears to extend to apps promoting apps other than their own through the methods mentioned above.

It’s worth noting that Apple’s App Store guidelines have always had rules against promoting other apps and we’ve seen Apple reject apps in the past that include functionality that might compete with the App Store. There are a lot of grey areas in the App Store guidelines.

We’ll have to wait and see if this is part of a broader change to the App Store in iOS 8, which also introduced app bundles, Editor’s Choice picks, app video previews, and more, and if Apple is truly going to remove these third-party music downloading apps for good.

Facebook’s Snapchat competitor arrives on the App Store, then appropriately disappears

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Screenshots via Engadget

As we noted a few weeks ago, Facebook is currently in the process of developing a new Snapchat-like chat service separate from its main Messenger/Facebook inbox offering, even though it just recently removed its Poke app from the App Store.

Today Facebook “accidentally” published an early version of the upcoming software, called Slingshot, to the iOS App Store in a few countries. The app allows users to share a photo (or video) with friends, but those friends are unable to view the photo until they respond with a photo of their own. A “react” button allows recipients to quickly snap their reaction to an incoming message and send it back as a response.


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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad Air 32GB $490, Toshiba 5TB desktop HDD $175, MLB.TV subscription $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:

Last Call updates:

Amazon Gold Box: up to 60% off SanDisk memory products (iOS/Android flash drives, SSDs, SDXC cards, more)

Seagate Expansion 3TB desktop hard drive $80 shipped (Reg. $120+)

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

iPad Deals:

Father’s Day roundup: free $10 Amazon credit, Samsung 60-inch HDTV $680, Philips Sonicare toothbrush $30more

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

More on why public transit directions got lost in iOS 8 Apple Maps

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TechCrunch is out with a story today with details on why some of the mapping features originally scheduled for iOS 8 didn’t make the cut at Apple’s WWDC keynote last week. The report quotes a few sources close to the mapping teams that say most of the improvements originally planned for iOS 8 weren’t finished on time due to talent departures and internal politics:

Why didn’t they appear? One tipster says it was a personnel issue: “Many developers left the company, no map improvements planned for iOS 8 release were finished in time. Mostly it was failure of project managers and engineering project managers, tasks were very badly planned, developers had to switch multiple times from project to project.”… It’s a take that is both contested and corroborated by our other source. “I would say that planning, project management and internal politics issues were a much more significant contributor to the failure to complete projects than developers leaving the group,” the source said.

We reported leading up to WWDC that the transit directions in iOS 8 might be pushed back to instead focus on other priorities.

While the TechCrunch report doesn’t mention any names, we do know that the mapping team has lost a few key people recently. Back in March, reports popped up that Cathy Edwards, who happened to be in charge of Maps Quality after joining Apple through the company’s acquisition of Chomp, was leaving the company. The reason behind Cathy’s departure was unknown at the time, but we’ve learned from sources that disagreements with employees on the Maps team working under Edwards and an opposition to her management style lead to problems on the Maps team and ultimately her leaving in April. Apple also lost key Maps team member Jared Waldman from Placebase who worked as Head of Geo at Apple Maps until late last year. In addition, we’ve heard from former employees of the mapping team that recently left the company due to issues with Edwards and management of the Maps team. 
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9to5Toys Last Call: Father’s Day deals, Seiki 39” 4K UHDTV $390, Logitech UE BT speaker (refurb) $88, 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:

Father’s Day roundup: free $10 Amazon credit, Samsung 60-inch HDTV $680, Philips Sonicare toothbrush $30more

Seiki 39” Class 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV $390 shipped (Reg. $700)

Logitech UE Boombox Bluetooth speaker (refurb): $88 shipped (orig. $250 new)

iTunes gift cards: $100 for $85, buy one-get one 30% off, more

ZAGG iPad mini w/ backlit keys $30 (Reg. $100), ZAGG iPad 2/3/4 $50 (Reg. $100)

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

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Osmo gaming system for iPad meets funding goal in 6.5 hours, two year incentives for backers

We showed you the real world meets iPad app gaming system for kids called Osmo last month as it launched a crowdfunding campaign ahead of their product debut. Today the team is announcing the results of that campaign: Osmo reached its $50,000 goal in less than seven hours. In addition to reaching their goal, Osmo is opening a second batch of discounted pre-order sales for early backs at $49 (half off the launch price) and promising extra incentives for two years to early backers as well.

For the next two years, early backers will be able to download the future apps on Osmo platform for free. In addition to free games, backers will also be able to replace any lost or broken game pieces for up to two years after the purchase of Osmo.

Find out more about Osmo and pre-order here to lock in the 50% off price and added incentives.
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Official FIFA iPhone/iPad app updated ahead of 2014 World Cup Brazil

The Official FIFA iPhone and iPad apps, which also happen to act as the Official FIFA World Cup app, has been updated today with a number of new features ahead of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil tournament kicking off on June 12.

The app gets a few pre-tournament features leading up to the first official World Cup match, but it will also be getting another update before then to introduce additional features. In today’s update, you’ll find a World Cup latest news section, the ability to discover info for all coaches and players across 32 teams, and a full schedule of all 64 games planned for the tournament. The update will also let you “Explore the host country Brazil and get familiar with the stadiums and cities where the action will happen.” 

In another upcoming update the app will introduce “minute-by-minute action, live from all 64 games” and other features for keeping up with the latest.

The updated Official FIFA World Cup app for iPhone and for iPad are available on the App Store now.

HealthKit supports some Bluetooth products natively, lets accessory makers skip app development

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Withings Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor

Apple’s new HealthKit platform and Health app for iOS 8 acts as a central location for users to store and share health data from third-party apps, but Apple is also supporting some Bluetooth accessories natively in the Health app. That means that some accessory manufacturers will be able to skip the process of developing a companion app for their product and instead allow HealthKit to automatically connect to and control the device itself. 
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PayPal reportedly planning to integrate iOS 8’s Touch ID API in mobile payment app

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When Apple unveiled the Touch ID API during its WWDC keynote earlier this week, users and developers alike immediately started considering possible uses. It seems PayPal was also quite interested in putting the fingerprint technology to work in its mobile app.

According to Business Insider, several PayPal developers attended a WWDC session on the new API and the company is actively considering its implementation. The idea here is likely to get a head-start on Apple, which is currently said to be working on its own mobile payment service in conjunction with several major payment processors.


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GoPro iOS app finally gets completely redesigned for iOS 7

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An update to the GoPro app that allows users to remotely control their GoPro cameras has been a long time coming. Just in time for iOS 8, today the app finally gets an overhaul for iOS 7 with a completely redesigned UI that ditches that super outdated design the app has been sporting for quite a while now. 
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Runtastic talks potential for HealthKit, plans integration for its health & fitness apps

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Runtastic, the popular iOS app that has long been among the top 10 fitness & health apps on the App Store, is looking forward to Apple’s new HealthKit platform and planning to support it in a future update. Like the other companies we spoke with earlier this week including Strava, RunKeeper, iHealth, and Withings, Runtastic is embracing HealthKit and thinks it will ultimately make its iOS app better for users. We spoke with the company’s CEO and Head of iOS development to get their thoughts on HealthKit…
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9to5Toys Last Call: 128GB MicroSD $100, free $5 Amazon credit, Logitech iPad mini keyboard case $24, WD 4TB NAS HDD $140, 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:

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/474378908033617920]

 

iPad Keyboard cases:

Western Digital Red 4TB NAS optimized 3.5″ hard drive $140 shipped (Reg. up to $200)

iTunes gift cards: $100 for $85, buy one-get one 30% off, spend $25 or more and save 15%

9to5Toys Specials:

  • 1-year of Backblaze online backup storage for $25 (Reg. $50) – ends in less than 24 hrs
  • Scrivener 2: Winner – Best of the Mac App Store $20 (Reg. $45) – ends in 9 days

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

RunKeeper, Withings, Strava, & iHealth plan HealthKit integration, excited for medical industry tie-in

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Whenever Apple introduces a new feature baked into iOS that was previously a domain ruled by third-party apps like its new HealthKit platform and Health app in iOS 8, questions inevitably come up about how it will impact other developers and competing platforms. That’s why we were interested in finding out how some of the top fitness and health app developers and accessory makers are reacting to Apple’s HealthKit announcement.

We reached out to some of the big names in the health and fitness app world, as well as companies like Withings and iHealth that sell iOS-connected health and medical accessories such as blood pressure monitors through Apple stores. Not only did all of the companies we spoke with— RunKeeper, Withings, Strava, and iHealth— confirm they are already planning integration with their ecosystems, they also talked about how having one central location for users to manage health and fitness data will indeed be a good thing for the business.

RunKeeper CEO Jason Jacobs told me he’s excited that Apple is bringing “some of the other key players in the ecosystem (doctors, EMRs, etc) into the discussion” and confirmed both his RunKeeper and Breeze app will soon support Healthkit. Others are also excited for integration with the medical industry that currently uses a highly fragmented record keeping system for health data.

Here’s what they had to say:
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: ZAGG iPad keyboard cases up to 70% off, Samsung 250GB SSD $125, free iTunes music, 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:

 

ZAGG BT keyboard cases: iPad mini w/ backlit keys $30 (Reg. $100), iPad 2/3/4 $50 (Reg. $100)

Samsung 840 EVO Series 250GB 2.5″ SATA III Solid State Drive $125 shipped (Reg. $250)


Get eight top country music songs
from iTunes for free


Canon PIXMA Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer w/AirPrint $100 shipped (Reg. $200)


9to5Toys Specials:

  • 1-year of Backblaze online backup storage (PC/Mac) for $25 (Reg. $50) – ends in 2 days
  • Scrivener 2: Winner – Best of the Mac App Store $20 (Reg. $45) – ends in 10 days
  • PasswordBox Unlimited Subscription $9.99 (Reg. $72) – ends in 1 day

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Giveaways presented by SlickWraps: Apple TV, $100 iTunes gift card, $50 SlickWraps gift card, more

The above contest is now over, congratulations to our winners: @Jemarch86, @austinkeith and @robertburnspr – stay tuned for more great giveaways…

Microsoft/Google/Android: