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.
Google today is releasing a pretty big update to its Gmail app that on top of introducing tweaked visuals for iOS 7 also includes a handful of new features for iPad.
The iPhone app appears to have received a few tweaks including a slightly redesigned side navigation bar, but the majority of the UI changes are most noticeable in the iPad app. It receives a slimmed down navigation bar on the left that lets users switch between accounts and inboxes in landscape view, as well as new full-screen moss for messages in portrait an composing new emails. Google also says the updated iPad app includes “better scrolling.”
If you hold your iPad in landscape mode, you’ll immediately notice the new left hand navigation bar, which allows you to quickly switch between inbox categories, or between multiple accounts, with a single tap. To help you get through your email faster, you’ll also see a new message counter for each category.
Version 2.7182 of the Gmail iOS app is available on the App Store now.
What’s New in Version 2.7182
iPhone & iPad: Visual update for iOS 7
iPad: Major Update
– New navigation bar to switch between categories and accounts in landscape
– Full screen view of your messages in portrait
– Better scrolling
– Compose new messages in full screen
The Mint mobile app is rarely updated with new features, but it’s not like it has been abandoned — it receives maintenance updates every few months. Today, though, Mint has pushed version 2.7 to the App Store which does bring more than just bug fixes.
Just a few weeks ago, Pandora became the latest app to receive support for streaming via the Chromecast, as did Hulu Plus just before that. This left a couple of key holdouts, one of which being HBO Go. HBO Go has been rumored as coming to the Chromecast since the device’s launch, with HBO confirming earlier this summer that it was in talks to support the Chromecast in the “future.” It now looks as if the launch is not very far off.
As first noted by Droid Life, Google’s “Now Casting” support page has been updated to include HBO Go. It’s touted as a “new” app, along with Pandora and Hulu Plus. Oddly, however, there is no HBO icon and the description simply reads “none.” This makes it seem like Google’s support page was updated a bit prematurely, although it does signal that a launch is imminent and that the two are still in talks to work together. We wouldn’t be surprised to hear an official announcement from Google and HBO relatively soon. Expand Expanding Close
Dropbox today announced some big upcoming changes to Dropbox for Business, its paid enterprise offering that provides accounts for multiple users and enhanced security, support, and team management features. The big new feature is the ability to connect your business account to your personal account and use both simultaneously (pictured above), but the screenshots of an upcoming iOS 7 redesign for Dropbox is what really caught our eye.
Above is the image posted to Dropbox’s blog today showing a completely redesigned iOS app. It looks a lot like a couple images that we’ve got our hands on of the upcoming redesign. Head below for two more shots: Expand Expanding Close
YouTube Capture, which is essentially a dedicated video camera app by Google, delivered version 2.0 today bringing with it an iOS-7 friendly user interface and new features for editing what you record. Getting started is made easier now with support for Google’s single sign-in across its iOS apps; alternatively, you can use the app without logging in sans YouTube sharing. Expand Expanding Close
Taking advantage of a new technology introduced in iOS 7, eBay for iPhone has integrated sharing support for AirDrop in the latest update to its app.
AirDrop sharing allows you to share content you are viewing with others around you without your friends having to search the app or click any links. eBay also integrated Pinterest board sharing in its new version.
Customers in the US and UK now have the option to pickup purchases at local retailers as well.
Download or update the latest version eBay for iPhone for free on the App Store.
If I could only make one game recommendation for Mac users, at the moment it would have to be BioShock Infinite. The game received amazing reviews from critics on the consoles and our friends at Aspyr quickly followed up with a flawless Mac version back in August. If you’ve yet to pick up a copy, you now officially have no excuse: GameAgent and 9to5Toys are offering BioShock Infinite for Mac for 75% off from now until Sunday.
That means you’ll get BioShock Infinite for $10 instead of the usual $40, and we’re also throwing in the $4.99 Columbia’s Finest DLC for free. Best price on Amazon: $31
On top of that, GameAgent is giving away some crazy prizes to celebrate its brand new site redesign. The new site has a “Mac Match” feature that lets you setup profiles for your Macs to easily find supported content, and also a new Wish List feature to get automatic deal alerts when games you’re interested in go on sale.
Go create an account on GameAgent.com and make sure to put a name and legit email when completing the contest entry page to win a fully loaded 27-inch iMac with a 3.4GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5, 16GB of RAM, 1TB drive, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M 4GB GDDR5 graphics. It will also come loaded with every BioShock, COD, Duke Nukem, Quake 4, Civilization and Star Wars title GameAgent sells, along with a long list of other titles and DLC, and there are many other prizes too. Full details of the contest rules can be read here (contest rules).
To get your 75% off BioShock Infinite, click here and enter promo code “9to5Mac” at checkout. Deal expires 11:59pm CST, Sunday, November 17. Note: BioShock Infinite through GameAgent is the Mac version of the game and authenticates on Steam.
GameAgent also announced the release of the BioShock Burial at Sea- Episode 1 DLC yesterday with a same day release as the PC title.
Update: GameAgent ran into some “inventory issues” because so many of you are trying to take advantage of this awesome deal. Everything is sorted now and the deal is still live, but if you ran into issues, GameAgent will sort you out:
Update 2: The deal site PC gamer spambots have officially ruined the fun for everyone. GameAgent had to shut the deal down due to a high amount of fraud from bots eating up all the inventory on the deal code. We’re working with GameAgent to bring the deal back. Stay tuned.
It’s no secret that Messages on OS X, Apple’s IM app that’s integrated with its iMessage service on iOS devices, has long been a frustration for users. The app has received a name change and slightly new look since the iChat days, but it hasn’t improved much in terms of functionality or reliability– some would say it’s gotten worse. While many of you would probably settle for a Messages app that simply works reliably, app developer Denis Pakhaliuk just sent over his concept of a completely revamped Messaging app for OS X.
On top of a redesigned UI that implements “Smart Colors” and some iOS 7-style translucency, the concept imagines a Messages app with much needed filter and sync features, truly instant sync between devices, new indicators for statuses, media uploads, and more.
Although Apple is yet to provide official confirmation, developers are finding that they are now being allocated 100 promo codes per version of their apps. Until today, the limit was 50.
Thank you to everyone who entered the iPad Air / SlickWraps Giveaway! We were absolutely blown away by the response we received. The winner has been contacted via twitter direct message. If you didn’t win, keep tabs on 9to5Toys all month long as we will continue to hold giveaways as we lead up to Black Friday.
Popular Twitter client Tweetbot 3 has received an expected 3.1 update with many enhancements. In our review of the application, we noted that it has a great new interface over Tweetbot 2, but it lacked a couple of features from the older version: the ability to adjust the text size independently of iOS’s new system-wide text size setting, lists in the central timeline view, and a right swipe gesture. All three of those features have returned in Tweetbot 3.1, and the new right-swipe gesture can be set to quickly reply to, favorite, or retweet a Tweet…
Twitterrific 5 received a nice update for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch tonight bringing a new user profile layout and pull-to-refresh animation as well as performance improvements.
Seriously, I think the Iconfactory undersold the major speed increase in the latest version of Twitterrific 5. Check out the full change log below.
Twitterrific 5 is a universal app (meaning you can buy it once and use it on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch) for $2.99 in the App Store. The update is available for free for existing customers.
Apple seems to have “been inspired” by popular collage app Pic Stitch when redesigning iPhoto for iOS 7. Taking a look at the share sheet in iPhoto reveals the icon for Photo Journals as being almost identical to that of the Pic Stitch for iOS icon, save for a quick 90˚ rotation and a color swap. What’s more, both Pic Stitch and iPhoto Journals perform very similar functions, allowing you to build photo collages to share with your friends.
We’ve reached out to the developers of Pic Stitch for comment.
Update: It looks like Facebook is pushing out version 6.7.1 of the app now, with “Bug fixes”, although some users are currently reporting issues downloading the update.
Following a small update to the Facebook app for iOS yesterday that let users edit posts on the iPad for the first time, many users are reporting that the app seems to be inexplicably crashing.
Twitter users have been voicing their frustration about the update today, as they discover the app attempt to launch, and immediately crash. The problem effects both iOS 7 and iOS 6 users, as verified by our own tests. It’s currently unknown whether the bug is on the app side or the server side, but it’s likely that Facebook will release a fix soon.
Some users are reporting that simply deleting the app from your device and reinstalling it will fix the issue:
Take a few minutes out of your lunch to cash in on some incredible deals. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.
Weekend update:
2nd Generation AppleTV, perfect for hacking, $80 shipped
Popular scientific calculator app PCalc was updated today with new features including 64-bit support for the iPhone 5s and new iPads. The updated app also includes a new nighttime theme on iOS 7 called “Samurai Night” that can automatically switch on when it’s dark.
Version 3.1 of PCalc for iPhone and iPad also includes a long list of other new features and fixes:
What’s New in Version 3.1
Added 64-bit support for the iPhone 5s and new iPads.
Added a new darker iOS 7 theme, “Samurai Night”.
Added an option to automatically switch to “Samurai Night” when it’s dark outside.
Added an accounting mode that automatically enters a decimal point and rounds the display to two decimal places.
Added an option to make the text on the keys bold.
Added new commands to the user functions and conversions.
Now display dark menus on an iPhone when using a dark theme.
Now disable the deg / rad buttons when not in decimal mode.
Now support touch typing using VoiceOver.
Fixed a problem adjusting sliders using VoiceOver.
Fixed a problem displaying the tape and registers in certain themes.
Fixed a problem hiding the status bar.
Fixed a problem with double-height status bars.
Fixed the sorting in the “Density” section of the conversions.
Back in October Facebook added the ability to edit posts and comments and also view all of your changes. However, at the time the feature was only available to iPhone users. Today iPad users can finally edit posts too with an update to the Facebook iOS app that just rolled out on the App Store.
Also new in version 6.7 of the app is new languages for icons, but Facebook doesn’t list the specific languages in its release notes.
• Now in additional languages: Use icons to share how you’re feeling and what you’re doing
• Now on iPad: Edit your posts and tap to see all your changes
• Bug fixes
As we reported earlier this week, Apple has been preparing updates for Mail, iBooks, and other built-in apps on OS X Mavericks to address several issues noticed by users after the operating system’s launch. Earlier today the company released a fix for Gmail-related problems in Mail. Now they have also released an update for iBooks that addresses performance and stability problems as well as other miscellaneous bugs.
The update is only 14 MB and is available for free in the Software Update tab of the Mac App Store.
The holiday season is quickly approaching and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Simply put, Black Friday is our Super Bowl. It’s the one day of the year when all eyes are on the deal world. We typically see historical lows on the hottest products. Once again, 9to5Toys will be providing wall to wall coverage throughout the holiday season.
To help us pass the time until Black Friday, we’re raiding our review closet and bringing our readers dozens of giveaways until we reach Thanksgiving Eve. It all gets started tomorrow with a giveaway that ANY Apple fan would love to win. It’s going to be HUGE. Be sure to check back tomorrow as we will unveil all the details for the giveaway. In the meantime check out our coverage of Black Friday ads that have already leaked.
Pioneer A1 Wi-Fi Speaker featuring AirPlay for Apple iPod, iPhone and iPad $40 shipped
