Apps

Microsoft has just published a new iOS app for Windows Azure Active Directory users. The app, called “My Apps,” allows users to login to a variety of web apps and services using a single Active Directory login, saving them the trouble of having to manually log into those services through the mobile Safari browser every time.

My Apps is available for free on the iOS App Store. It requires a Windows Azure account to work.

Google Wallet adds “Orders” feature to track online purchases using receipts from Gmail

Jordan Kahn Mar 12 2014 - 11:42 am PT

From 9to5Google:

Google announced today on its Google Commerce blog that it’s rolling out an update for the Google Wallet mobile apps that includes a new “Orders” feature for tracking online purchases. Google says the feature will let you stay on top of your online orders (including past purchases) as well as get notifications for status updates regarding deliveries. How will Google know what you’ve purchased? In order to track your recent online orders, the feature pulls receipts out of your Gmail account :

Once you activate Orders in Google Wallet, you’ll be able to see any receipts sent to your Gmail right in the Google Wallet app. We’ve also worked with primary package carriers in the US so that when your order status is updated, you’ll get notified of the update through Wallet. So whether your order is shipped, out for delivery, or delayed, you’ll never wonder about the status of your order.

The app also includes “products you’ve ordered, merchant contact information, and shipping details in the app” for your purchases and links to quickly contact retailers.

Google said the feature is rolling out to Android and iOS users in the US this week. You can activate Orders by tapping “Activate” under “Track your orders” or by tapping “Orders” in the app’s main menu.

Rovio’s next Angry Birds game is a turn-based RPG, called Angry Birds Epic

Benjamin Mayo Mar 12 2014 - 11:00 am PT

Rovio has announced details of its latest game in the Angry Birds series(Via Kotaku). The game is a turn-based role player, a significant departure from the mobile mini-game physics puzzler Angry Birds is known for. The game will feature turn-based combat and a crafting system — players can craft armor, potions and weapons. This item system will apparently be funded through a game currency, or via in-app purchases.

The game is launching in Australia and Canada this week (likely tomorrow), with more countries to follow. Rovio is touting it as the most ‘epic’ soft launch ever.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6Nh92eGP8I]

Speedtest.net for iOS updated with iPad support, speedometer improvements, more

Zac Hall Mar 12 2014 - 10:19 am PT

5 Comments

<em>Please, please, don’t laugh at my blazing fast network speed</em>

This is a welcome feature update for iPad users: Ookla’s popular Speedtest.net app for iOS received an update today bringing native iPad support to the app for the first time.

Speedtest.net is a popular site for checking your network speed whether you want to show off your better-than-mine download speed or see how far from advertised your speed rates really are, but iOS doesn’t support the site, and iPad users have had to made due with the stretched out iPhone app for a long while.

The update also includes enhancements to the speedometer for high speed connections and a number of bug fixes. Speedtest for iOS is a free app and update with an optional 99¢ in-app purchase to remove the banner ad.

9to5Toys Last Call: WD 2TB portable HD + Lightroom 5 $129, RAVPower 2800mAh travel battery $9, up to $79 off Retina iPad mini, more

Mar 12 2014 - 10:09 am PT

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:

Western Digital My Passport Ultra 2 TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive Black + Photoshop Lightroom 5 $129 ($100 off)
ColorStrokes: Selective photo coloring app for Mac – FREE (Reg. $3)

20% off of iTunes gift cards in $25, $50 and $100 sizes via Paypal https://t.co/2FEK33ePT9

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) March 12, 2014

RAVPower External Batteries: Travel Pack 2800mAh AC / Battery Charger / Power Bank $9 shipped, Element 10400mAh $26

1-Day Best Buy Sale: Up to $79 off the iPad mini with Retina display

Daily Deals: OtterBox Defender Cases for iPhone 5/5s $13, Lightning MFi wall charger $12, Beats headphones, more

Give your iPad a place to tilt and sit, all while you take a….http://t.co/hMBLGTOvx7 pic.twitter.com/mnVtFSPfa1

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) March 12, 2014

Other great deals from today:

New! MacMall has two models of the new Mac Pro in-stock and ready to ship
New! Lexar 32GB JumpDrive $15 (Reg. $33), PNY 128GB $49 shipped (Reg. $70)
New! 1 year magazine subs: Wired + Pop Science $9 (Reg. $108), Rolling Stone $5 (Reg. $102), Macworld, more
New! HP SlateBook x2 tablet w/ keyboard dock station: $395 shipped (Reg. $480)

More great deals still alive:

Harman AKG K550 over ears: $130, Sennheiser on-ears: $146, Monster Diesel VEKTR on-ears: $120
Select OtterBox Armor Series Waterproof Cases for iPhone 5 $25 (Reg. $100)
Bose OE2 Over-Ear, fold flat headphones and case: $84 (Reg. $150), QuietComfort 3 Acoustic noise-canceling headphones $285 (Reg. $349)
Sony SRS-BTX300 Bluetooth/NFC portable speaker and power bank $98 shipped (Reg. $200)
Anker 2nd Gen Astro3 12000mAh External Battery Charger $40 shipped (Reg. $100)
Ultimate Ears BOOM Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – Black: $180 shipped
TP-LINK 500Mbps Gigabit Powerline network extender: $30 (Reg. up to $60)
RAVPower Travel Battery Pack 2800 mAh AC / Battery Charger / Power Bank: $12.50 shipped AC
Free HD movie download of ‘Big’ featuring Tom Hanks on Google Play (up to $15 savings)
Water/Dirt/Snow/Shock…LifeProof Fre case for iPad Mini (Black or White): $59 shipped
Bluetooth Speakers: Eton Rugged Rukus All-Terrain Portable Solar $65 (Reg. $100), Klipsch KMC 1 $250 (Reg. $300)
Free coupon for 30% off select Kindle accessories from OtterBox, Belkin, and more

New products:

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

Apps

Microsoft reportedly releasing Mac version of OneNote this month for free

Jordan Kahn Mar 12 2014 - 7:10 am PT

10 Comments

According to a report form The Verge, Microsoft is about to for the first time ever release a new OneNote app for Mac users. The popular note taking and productivity app was for most of its 10 year life available to only Windows users and only in recent years became available for iOS and Android devices. While the mobile versions of the app are available for free, Microsoft has traditionally charged for the desktop Windows version of the app. That’s about to change, according to the report, as Microsoft will reportedly release both the new Mac and Windows versions for free:
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Starbucks app adds shake-to-pay and tipping that lets you change your mind

Ben Lovejoy Mar 12 2014 - 5:16 am PT

7 Comments

An updated version of the Starbucks app expected next week will add a shake-to-pay feature and let you add a tip of between 50 cents and $2, reports Engadget.

Shake-to-pay just means that if you’re on another screen of the app when you get to the front of the queue, you can simply shake your iPhone to bring up the barcode instantly.

The tipping function allows you to adjust the amount of your tip for up to two hours afterwards, presumably in case they manage to spill your second cup of Americano or the barista creates a particularly artistic piece of latte art for you.

The current free Starbucks app, incidentally, is Sleep Cycle alarm clock, normally $0.99.

Verbs IM client for iOS updated with overhauled design, iCloud message sync, and a lot more

Mike Beasley Mar 11 2014 - 2:34 pm PT

1 Comment

Verbs, the popular instant messaging app for iPhone and iPad, was updated today at long last with a revamped design for iOS 7 and a whole host of new features and fixes, including the removal of an in-app purchase to enable extra features.

One of the bigger notable features in version 3.0 is the ability to keep your conversations in sync across all of your devices via iCloud. This works a lot like iMessage’s syncing function, where every message you get will automatically show up on all devices whether Verbs is currently running on that specific device or not. Previously any devices that didn’t have the app running would miss any messages that were downloaded on other devices.

Other changes include the addition of Dropbox for file sharing (alongside the old CloudApp and Droplr options), Pocket and Safari Reading List options for saving links, tappable URLs in chat bubbles, per-contact muting, the ability to manage your contact lists, in-app notifications for messages that come in while you’re in the settings view or another thread, and notifications when certain contacts come online.

Speaking of notifications, the former “Verbs Pro” in-app purchase has been removed, and all of its features are now included standard in the app. These include push notifications and longer connection times after the app closes.

You can grab the completely overhauled Verbs 3.0 from the iOS App Store for $2.99 today. The complete change log is below:

What’s New in Version 3.0.0

• Designed for iOS 7
• Completely rewritten server side code
• Supports Jabber protocol
• Added OAuth support for GTalk
• Real time syncing of chat messages across devices
• New Conversations view
• Use Dropbox to share files in chat
• Sync Chat, File Sharing and Read Later accounts over iCloud
• Pocket (Read later) support
• Safari’s Reading Lists support
• Sent bubble color changes when messages are delivered
• Notify when a buddy comes online
• Ability to mute buddies
• New Notification sounds
• HTML hyperlinks are supported in messages
• Use shapes to indicate Buddy Status
• Ability to create Lists (Groups)
• In-app notifications
• Lotta bug fixes!

IMPORTANT NOTES:
• Before upgrading, please back up your existing conversations using the “Email conversation” feature. Because of the new sync features, your existing (2.x) accounts and conversations would not be available after upgrade.
• We’re removing Facebook chat support for the time being
• Also, we’re deprecating Verbs Pro and the basic app itself will include all the pro features.

Apps

Microsoft confirms new version of Office for Mac coming this year

Jordan Kahn Mar 11 2014 - 1:29 pm PT

17 Comments

According to a new report from Computerwoche (via Macworld), Microsoft representatives have apparently confirmed that a new version of Office for Mac will arrive this year. The update would be the first major release of Office for Mac since Office Mac 2011 released almost four years ago.

The news apparently came straight from a Microsoft representative at the Cebit trade show in Hanover, Germany who told the publication to expect a new version by the end of 2014 and more news in the second quarter of the year.

Macworld was able to get a comment from Microsoft confirming that development of a new version of Office for Mac is underway. It wouldn’t confirm a specific release date in the statement, but it said Office 365 subscribers will get the update for free:

A representative for Microsoft confirmed that development work for the next version of Office for Mac is ongoing. “The team is hard at work on the next version of Office for Mac,” she said in an email. “While I don’t have details to share on timing, when it’s available, Office 365 subscribers will automatically get the next Office for Mac at no additional cost.”

Microsoft has long been rumored to bring a version of Microsoft Office to iOS devices. Recent reports claimed that Office for iPad is under development and coming soon, but the company has never officially confirmed the reports.

9to5Toys Last Call: iPhone 5 OtterBox Armor Series $25, PNY 128GB USB 3 flash drive $46, several headphones, more

Mar 11 2014 - 10:01 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:

Select OtterBox Armor Series Waterproof Cases for iPhone 5 $25 (Reg. $100)

PNY 128GB Turbo USB 3.0 Flash Drive $46 shipped (Reg. $70)

Headphones:

Harman AKG K550 over ears: $130, Sennheiser on-ears: $146, Monster Diesel VEKTR on-ears: $120
Bose OE2 Over-Ear, fold flat headphones and case: $84 (Reg. $150), QuietComfort 3 Acoustic noise-canceling headphones $285 (Reg. $349)

Other great deals from today:

New! Apple TV 3rd gen. 1080p streaming media player $85 shipped (Reg. $99)
New! Crucial M500 240GB SATA III 2.5″ Solid State Drive $113 shipped (Reg. $180)
New! Nikon 1 J1 SLR Red Digital Camera w/ 10-30mm VR Lens refurb $150 shipped (Reg. $500)
New! Games/Apps: Assasin’s Creed 4: Black Flag 360/PS3/Wii U $25 shipped, 50 -70% off Moog iOS apps, Mutant Mudds FREE (Reg. $9), more iOS freebies
New! Daily Deals: Beats by Dre urBeats $45, JBL OnBeat Speaker Dock $40, Kindle Fire 8GB refurb $75

More great deals still alive:

Sony SRS-BTX300 Bluetooth/NFC portable speaker and power bank $98 shipped (Reg. $200)
Anker 2nd Gen Astro3 12000mAh External Battery Charger $40 shipped (Reg. $100)
Ultimate Ears BOOM Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – Black: $180 shipped
TP-LINK 500Mbps Gigabit Powerline network extender: $30 (Reg. up to $60)
RAVPower Travel Battery Pack 2800 mAh AC / Battery Charger / Power Bank: $12.50 shipped AC
Free HD movie download of ‘Big’ featuring Tom Hanks on Google Play (up to $15 savings)
Water/Dirt/Snow/Shock…LifeProof Fre case for iPad Mini (Black or White): $59 shipped
Bluetooth Speakers: Eton Rugged Rukus All-Terrain Portable Solar $65 (Reg. $100), Klipsch KMC 1 $250 (Reg. $300)
Free coupon for 30% off select Kindle accessories from OtterBox, Belkin, and more

New products:

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

Flappy Bird creator says he’s considering letting the bird loose again

Zac Hall Mar 11 2014 - 9:56 am PT

11 Comments

In an extensive interview with Rolling Stone, Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen shared that it’s possible he will make the incredibly challenging iOS game available for users again… but with a disclaimer.

As for the future of his flapper, he’s still turning down offers to purchase the game. Nguyen refuses to compromise his independence. But will Flappy Bird ever fly again? “I’m considering it,” Nguyen says. He’s not working on a new version, but if he ever releases one it will come with a “warning,” he says: “Please take a break.”

But is there room for Flappy Bird to return in an App Store saturated with disturbing Flappy Bird clones? Probably so. While it may be (mostly) out of the center of everyone’s attention in headlines and our conversations, I have a number of friends still challenging themselves to top their high score. (Maybe Nguyen was right.) Myself? I gave up before hitting double digits.

Shortly after it went viral (after several weeks mostly undiscovered), Flappy Bird’s developer promised to pulled the game from availability and has since kept that promise creating more demand for the game.

You can read the full interview at Rolling Stone.

Apps

Vevo will live stream Apple’s SXSW iTunes Festival kicking off tonight

Jordan Kahn Mar 11 2014 - 8:43 am PT

Vevo announced today that a deal with Apple will allow it to live stream all of the performances from Apple’s iTunes Festival at SXSW kicking off at 10pm CT tonight. Last month, Apple originally announced that the 5-night festival would be arriving at the SXSW festival in Austin and would be available to live stream, like its past festivals, through iOS devices, Macs, and Apple TV. It appears Apple is restricting Vevo to those same viewing options, so it’s Apple users only, but users that prefer can catch the live stream through Vevo’s iOS and Apple TV apps as well as through Safari on Macs.

Apple has already rolled out its own updated iTunes Festival apps including a new iTunes Festival channel for Apple TV.

The full schedule for the iTunes Festival, courtesy of Vevo, is below:
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Apps

Apple’s Logic Remote iOS app updated with new streamlined design & more

Jordan Kahn Mar 10 2014 - 12:32 pm PT

Along with the release of iOS 7.1 and a few updates to Remote, Podcasts, and Garageband, Apple has just updated its Logic Remote app to Version 1.1. The new update brings a revamped, streamlined interface that makes the app better fit in on iOS 7 as well as the darker color scheme of the recently released Logic Pro X.

Also included in the update is “more scale choices for Touch instruments” which brings a number of new scale options for those playing Apple’s built-in virtual instruments.

Version 1.1 will be available as an update for Logic Remote on the App Store any minute now.

Remote for iOS now features purchased TV show & movie browsing, iTunes Radio control, more (U: GarageBand, Podcasts bug fixes)

Zac Hall Mar 10 2014 - 12:15 pm PT

In addition to releasing iOS 7.1 and Xcode 5.1 today, Apple has shipped a new version of its Remote app for iOS. In version 4.2, users can browse previously purchased movies and TV shows from the iOS app for playback on Apple TV. The update also includes the ability to control iTunes Radio playback on Apple TV from iOS (without AirPlaying content from iOS). Remote 4.2 is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch for free on the App Store.

GarageBand for iOS and Podcasts for iOS were also updated with minor big fixes.

9to5Toys Last Call: Bose OE2 headphones $84, iPad mini 64GB LTE $435, Anker charger $40, Sony BT speaker $98, more

Mar 10 2014 - 10:13 am PT

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 iPad mini 64GB WiFi+4G LTE (Verizon or AT&T) $435 shipped (Reg. $660)
Anker 2nd Gen Astro3 12000mAh External Battery Charger $40 shipped (Reg. $100)
Mpow Bluetooth 4.0 Audio Receiver Adapter: Add Bluetooth to any speakers: $24 (Reg. $70)
Ultimate Ears BOOM Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – Black: $177 shipped

Bose OE2 Over-Ear, fold flat headphones and case: $84 (Reg. $150), QuietComfort 3 Acoustic noise-canceling headphones $285 (Reg. $349)

Sony SRS-BTX300 Bluetooth/NFC portable speaker and power bank $98 shipped (Reg. $200)

9to5Toys Specials has Assassin’s Creed 2 + AC: Brotherhood on Mac $15 (Reg. $40)
50% off all Call of Duty games (+ DLC packs) for Mac

Samsung 840 EVO Series SSD: 500GB $276.99, 750GB $349.99

Other great deals from today:

New! Amazon Gold Box: Up to 50% off select Logitech PC gaming accessories
New! Games/Apps: Splinter Cell Blacklist: $20, Gran Turismo 6: $35, Angry Birds Star Wars: $10, Snapheal for Mac: $15, iOS freebies, more
New! Daily Deals: HP 27″ LED-IPS Monitor refurb $350, Sony Blu-ray Player $52, Roku 3 $70, much more
New! Canon imageCLASS LBP6000 Compact Laser Printer $50 shipped (Reg. $120)

More great deals still alive:

TP-LINK 500Mbps Gigabit Powerline network extender: $30 (Reg. up to $60)
RAVPower Travel Battery Pack 2800 mAh AC / Battery Charger / Power Bank: $12.50 shipped AC
Free HD movie download of ‘Big’ featuring Tom Hanks on Google Play (up to $15 savings)
Water/Dirt/Snow/Shock…LifeProof Fre case for iPad Mini (Black or White): $59 shipped
Bluetooth Speakers: Eton Rugged Rukus All-Terrain Portable Solar $65 (Reg. $100), Klipsch KMC 1 $250 (Reg. $300)
Onkyo HT-RC560 wireless/Bluetooth A/V receiver $300 (Reg. $600)
Sony MDR-10RNC noise-canceling $198 (Reg. $250)
Samsung 840 EVO Series 2.5″ Solid State Drives: 500GB $279, 750GB $350, 1TB $495
Free coupon for 30% off select Kindle accessories from OtterBox, Belkin, and more
Lepow Moonstone Series 6000mAh External Battery (Green) $19.99 AC shipped
75% off OtterBox Armor Series waterproof cases for iPhone 4/4s/5, and Galaxy S III
Logitech Ultrathin Wireless Keyboard Cover/stand in White/Black for iPad 2,3&4 (refurb): $25 shipped
PNY 128GB Turbo USB 3.0 Flash Drive $50 shipped (Reg. $80)

New products:

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

Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock drops way down to $150 shipped at Amazon (Reg. $300) http://t.co/H5Axfpy4GR

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) March 7, 2014

Tweetbot for iPhone adds Avenir font option, thumbnail and filter toggles, more

Zac Hall Mar 10 2014 - 8:26 am PT

4 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

Mar 8 2014 - 1:00 pm PT

6 Comments

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

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

Benjamin Mayo Mar 8 2014 - 6:06 am PT

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

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

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

Mar 7 2014 - 10:13 am PT

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:

TP-LINK 500Mbps Gigabit Powerline network extender: $30 (Reg. up to $60)
Apple AT&T iPad with Retina Display 16GB Wi-Fi + Cellular in White $400 shipped (Reg. $629)

Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock drops way down to $150 shipped at Amazon (Reg. $300) http://t.co/H5Axfpy4GR

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) March 7, 2014

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

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

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

Other great deals from today:

New! Game/App Deals: Memento for iPhone: $1 (Reg. $2), Chop Chop Soccer & Lost Cubes go FREE, Humble Bundle Pop Cap sale, more
New! Autel MaxiScan MS300 OBDII Auto Diagnostic Scan Tool $15.50 shipped (Reg. $40)
New! iPhone pricing war heats up as Walmart offers 5s for $119 and Target launches iPad trade-in promotion
New! 1 year magazine subs: Wired + Car & Driver: $10 (Reg. $110), Bloomberg BusinessWeek: $15 (Reg. $250), Maxim, Macworld, more
New! Moto X now $339 off-contract for students (Reg. $399) w/ new school colors & logos

Samsung 840 EVO Series 2.5″ Solid State Drive 750GB $350 (Reg. $600) http://t.co/6zN6PWXNGb

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) March 7, 2014

More great deals still alive:

Water/Dirt/Snow/Shock…LifeProof Fre case for iPad Mini (Black or White): $59 shipped
Bluetooth Speakers: Eton Rugged Rukus All-Terrain Portable Solar $65 (Reg. $100), Klipsch KMC 1 $250 (Reg. $300)
Onkyo HT-RC560 wireless/Bluetooth A/V receiver $300 (Reg. $600)
Sony MDR-10RNC noise-canceling $198 (Reg. $250)
Samsung 840 EVO Series 2.5″ Solid State Drives: 500GB $279, 750GB $350, 1TB $495
Free coupon for 30% off select Kindle accessories from OtterBox, Belkin, and more
25% off select Timbuk2 custom laptop messenger bags and backpacks
Lepow Moonstone Series 6000mAh External Battery (Green) $19.99 AC shipped
75% off OtterBox Armor Series waterproof cases for iPhone 4/4s/5, and Galaxy S III
HPDeskjet 1010 Inkjet Printer w/ Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 (Mac/PC) $77 shipped ($198 value)
Seagate Backup Plus 3TB External USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive $96 shipped (Reg. $135)
Dr. Seuss’s Birthday Sale: Over 60 classic book apps for iPhone/iPad on sale up to 80% off
Logitech Ultrathin Wireless Keyboard Cover/stand in White/Black for iPad 2,3&4 (refurb): $25 shipped
PNY 128GB Turbo USB 3.0 Flash Drive $50 shipped (Reg. $80)

New products:

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

Apps

Samsung launches ‘Milk Music’ iTunes Radio competitor for Galaxy users, free ‘for a limited time’

Jordan Kahn Mar 7 2014 - 9:19 am PT

12 Comments

Milk-Music

From 9to5Google:

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

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

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

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

The app is available to download now on Google Play.

iBetterCharge puts iPhone & iPad battery notifications on your Mac

Jordan Kahn Mar 7 2014 - 6:54 am PT

10 Comments

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

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

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

You can download iBetterCharge for free here.

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

Beats Music announces its API now open for developers

Zac Hall Mar 7 2014 - 6:27 am PT

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

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

Zac Hall Mar 6 2014 - 1:36 pm PT

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

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

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

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

Jordan Kahn Mar 6 2014 - 12:02 pm PT