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6,288 '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.

Dish subscribers can now access ESPN, Disney & ABC content through mobile apps & online

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Apr 1 2014 - 3:56 pm PT
10 Comments
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Dish and The Walt Disney company announced today that they have reached a multi-year distribution deal that will see Dish subscribers gain access to a ton of Disney content including its ABC and ESPN networks. That means if you subscribe to Dish, you’ll now be able to access the WATCH ABC, WATCH ABC Family, WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH DisneyXD and WatchESPN through your computer, smartphone, tablet and other connected devices like game consoles and Apple TV. The deal will also see Dish launch a number of Disney and ESPN networks while pending litigation between the two companies comes to an end:

The agreement will result in dismissal of all pending litigation between the two companies, including disputes over PrimeTime Anytime and AutoHop. As part of the accord, DISH will disable AutoHop functionality for ABC content within the C3 ratings window. The deal also provides a structure for other advertising models as the market evolves, including dynamic ad insertion, advertising on mobile devices and extended advertising measurement periods.

DISH will make available Disney Junior, Fusion, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Buzzer Beater, as well as Longhorn Network and the upcoming SEC ESPN Network upon its launch. In addition, DISH, ESPN and ESPN Deportes customers will have access to the live and video-on-demand channel ESPN3… As part of the agreement, DISH will launch ESPNEWS, ESPNU, Disney Channel and ABC Family in high definition. ESPN Classic will be reintroduced as a video-on-demand channel.

For Apple device users, the majority of the content is available through dedicated iOS and Apple TV apps including WatchESPN, WatchABC, and WatchDisneyChannel. 
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Apple releases Safari 7.0.3 with push notification changes, security improvements, and more

Avatar for Mike Beasley Apr 1 2014 - 2:59 pm PT
2 Comments
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After updating iWork for iCloud and its Mac and iOS counterparts, Apple has pushed out a new Safari update as well. The new version is 7.0.3 and contains mostly bug and security fixes. Apple has been beta testing this update with developers for the past few weeks. The two biggest parts of this update are changes to push notifications and the way URLs are handled.

For users who don’t want to be asked about push notifications from any site, there’s now a checkbox in the notification preferences that disables them entirely. Unchecking the box for “Allow websites to ask for permission to send push notifications” (seen above) will block all notification prompts in the future.

The second big change enables Safari to recognize new generic top-level domains (the .com bit at the end of the URL). The organization responsible for managing these has recently created several new ones for generic terms (like “.pizza”). Safari will now recognize these and go to the correct URL rather than trying to search for the term.
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Apple updates iWork for Mac and iOS with read-only sharing modes and much more

Avatar for Mike Beasley Apr 1 2014 - 2:15 pm PT
7 Comments
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Following today’s iWork for iCloud update, Apple has pushed out new versions of the iOS and OS X version of the productivity suite, providing feature parity with the online version. Pages (iOS / Mac), Keynote (iOS / Mac), and Numbers (iOS / Mac) each received a new read-only sharing mode to work with the iCloud version of that feature.

Each app also got a long list of changes and enhancements, which are listed below. You can get all of the updates for free if you already own the latest version of iWork. Apple recently started including a copy of the iWork and iLife suites along with new iOS devices and Macs, but users with older devices will need to purchase the current version separately if they haven’t already.
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9to5Toys Last Call: WD My Passport Pro RAID 15% off, Mpow 12000mAh bank $30, Audio-Technica headphones, more

Avatar for Apr 1 2014 - 10:12 am PT
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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 Coupon for Two Months of Audiobooks from Audible ($60 value)

 

WD My Passport Pro portable RAID storage w/ integrated Thunderbolt cable: 2TB $257 (Reg. $300), 4TB $369 (Reg. $430)

Mpow 12000mAh External Battery Portable Charger Power Bank $30 shipped (Reg. $66)

Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M50 (Refurb) $75 (Reg. $199 new), Monster Inspiration Noise-Canceling $125 (Reg. $250)

 

Samsung 840 EVO Series 250GB 2.5″ SATA III Solid State Drive $130 shipped (Reg. $250)

Other great deals from today:

  • New! Daily Deals: urBeats Noise Isolating Headphones refurb $39, Roku 3 Media Player $70, Samsung Smart Blu-ray Player refurb $40, more
  • New! Up to $250 off Native Instruments DJ rigs: Traktor Kontrol S2/S4: $292/$455 shipped (Reg. $499/$799)
  • New! Games/Apps: 25 to 50% off Aspyr Mac titles – BioShock, Borderlands, Star Wars, Stealth Inc. $1, Domino FREE, iOS freebies, more

More great deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

  • Samsung’s new billion-color, 28-inch 4K monitor is now available to preorder: $699
  • The best storage, drives, and NAS deals & tips for World Backup Day 2014

Comedy Central debuts new iPhone & iPad app featuring full episodes for free

Avatar for Zac Hall Apr 1 2014 - 7:08 am PT
6 Comments
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Rather than having a dozen, show-specific iOS apps to follow your favorite Comedy Central shows, the network has finally bundled the content into a single app featuring full episodes (listen up, cable cutters) for free. Much like Hulu and on-demand services through cable providers, the Comedy Central app will feature the latest episode of several shows from the network the day after it airs… no cable subscription required, no joke.

The list of free shows includes The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, South Park, @midnight, and original digital shorts. For cable subscribers, there’s even more content available including full seasons of new shows like Tosh.0 and archived seasons of shows like Chappelle’s Show and RENO 911.
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United Nations uses iBeacons to simulate a minefield & raise awareness at NY museum

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 31 2014 - 11:11 am PT
4 Comments
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We’ve been seeing more and more interesting implementations of iBeacons, Apple’s Bluetooth LE standard that opens up a ton of opportunities for location-based experiences as iOS devices communicate with the beacons around them. This, however, might be the most unique use of iBeacons we’ve seen yet:  For the UN’s International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action taking place on April 4, New Museum in New York City will host an exhibit that uses iBeacons to simulate a virtual minefield and let anyone experience the danger of land mines.

Visitors will download an app called Sweeper for iOS or Android that will allow them to experience the fear of land mines as they walk through the space. Here’s how it works:
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Rdio, Crackle, & Vudu updated with Chromecast streaming support

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 31 2014 - 10:05 am PT
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Adding to the catalog of Chromecast-supported content, Rdio and Crackle are both adding the ability to play more content from your smartphone, tablet, or browser to your TV today.

Crackle has refreshed its Android and iOS apps with support for Chromecast streaming. The Sony-backed content provider serves up a number of movies and TV shows for free including comedian Jerry Seinfield’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” original.

Video streaming service Vudu has also added Chromecast support in the latest versions of its Android and iOS apps. The Walmart-owned service includes HD movies and TV shows with no subscription.
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MLB At Bat app updated for 2014 season w/ new expanded instant replay feature

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 31 2014 - 10:02 am PT
2 Comments
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This season will be the first that Major League Baseball uses a new expanded instant replay system that it first announced back in January. Now, the MLB At Bat app for iOS devices has been updated with support for the 2014 season and the new replay system. That means that users of the app will be able to view “every decisive instant replay video clip and review explanation,” the same footage the umpires review, through the app’s Gameday feature. 

A little more on the new replay system from the MLB’s announcement:
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9to5Toys Last Call: Case-Mate iPad cases $10, VIZIO/Samsung/Seiki HDTVs, storage deals, more

Avatar for Mar 31 2014 - 9:59 am PT
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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:

Nearly all Case-Mate tablet cases are $10 with free shipping: iPad, Nexus, Kindle, more HDTVs:

Samsung 840 EVO Series 750GB 2.5″ SATA III Solid State Drive $339 shipped (Reg. $600)

Other great deals from today:

More great deals still alive:

Want to upgrade your iPhone 5s camera to 2k video? All you need is this app …

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Mar 31 2014 - 5:41 am PT
21 Comments
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[vimeo 90202587 w=800 h=451]

If you like to use your iPhone to shoot video and Apple offered to upgrade your iPhone 5s from 1080p HD to 2k video for just $7, the decision wouldn’t require much thought. That’s exactly the trick Ultrakam has pulled off with its new iPhone app.

If you’re wondering how a mere app can convert your camera to a higher resolution, it doesn’t: it simply allows the software to use more of the hardware capabilities of your camera. Apple may say that your iPhone 5s has a 1080p HD videocamera, but that’s not quite true: the camera hardware itself is capable of anything up to 3264×2448, it’s just that the software can’t process that many pixels at a sensible frame-rate … 
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Review: Dragon Dictate 4.0 for Mac – The best speech recognition app gets even better

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 29 2014 - 2:03 pm PT
38 Comments
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Using our voice to control computers has never really taken off. For many of us, using voice recognition technology wasn’t even a consideration until features like dictation and Siri arrived on our iPhones and iPads. There’s good reason too: the voice recognition features built into our devices have always had the reputation of being half-baked. They simply aren’t accurate and consistent enough to replace our tried and trusted mouse and keyboard or touchscreen. While half decent dictation features come with every Mac (and are powered by Nuance’s technology), the voice recognition features you get with latest version of Nuance’s Dragon Dictate for Mac go well beyond simply dictating speech to text. 
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Sharp 42″ 1080p HDTV $330, GoPro HERO3+ Black $320, Kensington Lightning car charger $13, more

Avatar for Mar 28 2014 - 9:48 am PT
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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:

Sharp 42″ LED 1080p 120Hz HDTV with DTS sound $330 shipped (Reg. $480)

REI members 20% coupon: GoPro HERO3+ Black Edition $320 shipped (Reg. $400) or $340 w/ a new lifetime membership

Kensington PowerBolt car charger w/ built-in MFi Lightning cable $13 (Reg. $25)

Save 15% on select iTunes gift cards at Best Buy

Other great deals from today:

  • New! Daily Deals: Western Digital 2TB External HD refurb $65, Noise-Cancelling Headphones $15, 3-in1 Chargers $8, Portable Power bank $8, more
  • New! Eton Rugged All-Terrain Portable Solar $57 shipped (Reg. $100), Merkury Portable w/ mic & earbuds $35 shipped (Reg. $80)
  • New! Get 33% off 1yr Office 365 Home Premium subscriptions: $67
  • New! Apple iPad mini 64GB WiFi $380 (Reg. $499)

More great deals still alive:

 

BeHere app uses iBeacons to automatically take attendance as students enter the classroom

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 28 2014 - 7:55 am PT
19 Comments
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A new app called BeHere aimed at teachers uses Apple’s new Bluetooth LE iBeacon technology to recognize students and automatically take attendance as they enter a classroom.

With the BeHere app installed, the teacher’s iPad acts as an iBeacon and students entering the classroom with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch will automatically appear in the app with a profile picture and name. Students will have to install the app on their device too, but thanks to recent iBeacon improvements in iOS 7.1, they won’t have to even open the app or take the device out of their pocket to be recognized as they walk in. 
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Microsoft to hand out free Office 365 subscriptions to iPad owners in retail stores tomorrow

Avatar for Mike Beasley Mar 27 2014 - 6:59 pm PT
20 Comments
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Microsoft finally took the wraps off of its long-awaited Office for iPad suite this morning, only to reveal that most of its functions require a $99 subscription to the Office 365 service. Even though you can get a discounted subscription through Amazon, $70 may seem pretty steep. Rest assured, Microsoft is planning to offer free one-year subscriptions to the service tomorrow.

All you have to do to get your free subscription is show up at one of Microsoft’s retail stores with your iPad in hand. The first 50 people to do so will get the sub completely free of charge. Microsoft announced the promotion in a tweet earlier today:
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Facebook Messenger updated to version 4.0 with groups and message forwarding

Avatar for Mike Beasley Mar 27 2014 - 5:26 pm PT
1 Comment

Facebook has updated its Messenger app for iPhone to version 4.0. The new update introduces the ability to create and manage groups of contacts within the app. You can find all of your groups in a new tab and quickly select one to send a message to everyone at once.

Also new in this update is the ability to select a message to forward to a new recipient, much like you can do with an iMessage in the native Messages application. The usual general bug fixes and improvements round out the 4.0 update.

You can grab the app for free on the iPhone App Store. The full change log is below:

What’s New in Version 4.0
Groups: Now you can create groups for the people you message most. Name them, set group photos and keep them all in one place

Forwarding: Want to send a message or photo to someone who isn’t in the conversation? Just tap to forward it

Plus, continued improvements to make the app faster and more reliable

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Yes, Apple is taking 30% of every Office 365 subscription purchased through Office for iPad

Avatar for Mike Beasley Mar 27 2014 - 3:18 pm PT
11 Comments

When Microsoft announced its Office for iPad apps earlier today, it confirmed that the software will require a subscription to Microsoft’s $99/year Office 365 service for most functions. If you don’t have one already, you can get a subscription directly through the Office apps for the regular price of $99.

As you may recall, Apple and Microsoft went toe-to-toe last April on the issue of whether or not Apple should get a 30% cut for SkyDrive storage space purchased through the SkyDrive app. Apple has always maintained the position that any goods or services sold through iOS apps should use the in-app purchase system created by Apple—allowing the Cupertino company to take its regular 30% cut of the price.

In the case of the SkyDrive dispute, Apple’s decision remained unchanged, which prompted Microsoft to simply remove the option to purchase additional storage space through the SkyDrive app altogether. In the case of today’s Office launch, however, the two companies seem to be on much better terms.

Apple has confirmed to Re/code that the company is taking its full 30% share of all Office 365 purchases made through the iPad software. This apparent agreement, along with friendly tweets between the CEOs of both companies, could be the first signs of a much less combative Microsoft under the leadership of new CEO Satya Nadella, who replaced Steve Ballmer in the role this year.

Perhaps in the future we’ll see even more collaboration between the two companies.

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Want the new Microsoft Office apps for iPad? Get 33% off 1yr Office 365 Home Premium subscriptions: $67

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 27 2014 - 2:03 pm PT
1 Comment

In case you missed it, Microsoft finally released its suite of Office apps for iPad today with the introduction of standalone Word, PowerPoint, & Excel apps in the App Store. The Office app for iPhone remains the same apart from dropping the requirement of a 365 subscription (it’s now free for all!), but the new iPad versions of the Office apps WILL require an Office 365 subscription to create or edit documents. So, if you plan on using the Office apps on your iPad in the future, you’ll want to take advantage of a big discount on 365 subscriptions currently on Amazon.

Normally $99/year or $10/month, you can grab a 1 year Office 365 Home Premium subscription for $67.15 with free shipping. That’s a savings of $32.84 (33%) and gets to an access code for 5 Macs or PCs with access to all Office 365 app and services. That includes 20GB OneDrive storage for each for up to 4 household member, 60 minutes of Skype calls per month and all the apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access.

1 year Office 365 Home Premium subscription for $67.15

Word, PowerPoint, and Excel are now available on the App Store.
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XTouch turns any surface into touch-enabled controls for iOS apps

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 27 2014 - 2:01 pm PT
19 Comments
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XTouch Commercial/Proof of Concept – make every surface tap sensitive from Vladimir Druts on Vimeo.

XTouch, an SDK created by a group at the University of Toronto’s Mobile Applications Lab and funded by JOLT, turns any surface into a touch-sensitive controller for iOS apps with no additional hardware. Since XTouch uses acoustics and vibrations to recognize taps on a surrounding surface, the only requirement is that your iPhone or iPad is placed on the same surface you want to use as a touchpad. An SDK is coming soon that will allow developers to think up many interesting implementations, but for now the company has released two apps that show off what XTouch is capable of.
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Office Mobile for iPhone goes free for all users

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 27 2014 - 1:58 pm PT
1 Comment

While Microsoft’s biggest news of the day might have been the debut of its Office productivity app suite for iPad, there was also news on the iPhone side as well.

Microsoft didn’t make dedicated apps for Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, but the company did make Office Mobile for iPhone free for all users. Previously, Office Mobile for iPhone required an active subscription to Office 365.

Just like Office Mobile for Windows Phone, we are making Office Mobile for iPhone and Android phones free for everyone. With Office Mobile, you have the ability to view and edit your Office content on the go. Office Mobile is available in the App Store and Google Play.

Now that Microsoft has moved that requirement to its dedicated iPad apps, Android and iPhone users can now enjoy Office Mobile’s full feature set without any limitations and not subscribe to the membership.

Office Mobile for iPhone is available for free on the App Store.

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9to5Toys Last Call: 1Password 50% off, Onkyo network A/V receiver $285, Toshiba Canvio 1.5TB HDD $65, more

Avatar for Mar 27 2014 - 10:12 am PT
1 Comment

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:

1Password for Mac goes 50% off: $25 (Reg. $50)

Onkyo TX-NR626 7.2-Ch. Network A/V Receiver with WiFi and Bluetooth (Refurb.) $285 shipped (Reg. $599 new)

Toshiba Canvio 1.5TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $65 shipped (Reg. $100)

Save 15% on select iTunes gift cards at Best Buy


Other great deals from today:

  • New! Panasonic RPHT480CS flat-fold headphones with inline remote and mic $28 (Reg. $150)
  • New! Daily Deals: Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone 4/4s $22, LG 47″ 1080p HDTV $380, iPad 2 16GB refurb $220, more
  • New! Foscam Indoor Pan/Tilt 720p Wireless IP Camera $85 shipped (Reg. $160)
  • New! Home Deals: Dyson DC25 Vacuum Cleaner refurb $235, Cuisinart 5-Speed 1000-Watt Juice Extractor refurb $49, more
  • New! PNY Attache 3 128GB USB 2 flash drive: $40 shipped (Reg. $70)
  • New! Games/Apps: GTA IV Complete $10 (Reg. $30), Walking Dead GOTY $20, TowerMadness HD FREE, more iOS freebies
  • New! $200 Toys “R” Us gift card for $180 shipped (10% savings)

More great deals still alive:

 

PencilCase reimagines HyperCard to let non-developers create native iOS apps

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 27 2014 - 8:04 am PT
5 Comments
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViKORN8URAQ]

Robots & Pencils, a company that has up until now been making mobile apps for others, is launching a new platform for Mac that it says reimagines Apple’s HyperCard and allows non-developers to create & publish native iOS apps. Dubbed ‘PencilCase,’ users can create native apps with a drag and drop interface for adding UI elements, 3D models, programmed animations, and physics with no code required. There’s also a full built-in Javascript engine for those that might want to add some code.

We’ve seen a few similar build-your-own app platforms aimed at non-developers, but Robots & Pencils CEO Michael Sikorsky told us a little bit about why PencilCase is different:
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UpTo calendar app relaunches with a renewed, balanced focus on what matters

Avatar for Mike Beasley Mar 27 2014 - 7:00 am PT
6 Comments
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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXELeBT8L2o]

When UpTo originally launched, it focused on being what it described as “half-social, half-calendar.” Unfortunately, that didn’t work out so well as the social side and the calendar side fought for dominance, resulting in an app that felt like it didn’t know what it wanted to be when it grew up.

Today the company behind UpTo is re-launching the app with a new design and a new focus: rather than trying to turn calendars into a social network, the app is now focused entirely on being the best calendar app it can be. That being said, the new version of the app is not entirely devoid of social features.

Keep reading to find out how the developers finally figured out how to balance these two sides to the software.


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Twitter announces photo tagging, multiple photo uploads per tweet rolling out to iPhone users

Avatar for Mike Beasley Mar 26 2014 - 2:15 pm PT
4 Comments
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Twitter has announced a few new features for its iPhone app today. Users with the latest update to the Twitter for iPhone app will soon see the ability to select up to four photos at a time to upload when composing a tweet. These photos will be displayed as a collage on the tweet’s detail screen.

Along with the multi-photo support, users are also now able to tag other people in their photos. A new “who’s in these photos?” button allows you to add the username of other people in the picture. Photo tags won’t take up any characters in the body of the tweet, so the full character count will be available for composing a message.


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