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6,270 'Apps' stories April 2010 - September 2013
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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.

Adobe updates Photoshop and Premiere Elements 12 with professional features and Cloud access

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Sep 24 2013 - 2:49 am PT
1 Comment
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This morning, Adobe announced Photoshop and Premiere Elements 12, an upgrade to their consumer photo and video editing tools for Mac and PC.  A year to the day from the release of Elements 11, this release focuses on cloud organizing, sharing, syncing and editing photos and videos with Adobe Revel Cloud. New features like Content Aware Move and Auto Smart Tone for Photoshop and additional FilmLooks and Subject Spotlight for Premiere headline the updates.

What’s New in Photoshop Elements 12:

Photoshop Elements 12 gives you new options for perfecting and sharing your favorite memories with friends and family. Organize, edit, enhance, and share more quickly and easily thanks to bold icons, a helpful Action bar, and the ability to choose from Quick, Guided, or Expert editing modes so you can edit your photos the way that works best for you.

  • Take your photos with you wherever you go: Easily view, relive, and share your Elements photos on your smartphone and tablet. And finally—unlock the photos from your mobile device, and see them in your Elements albums back at home.
  • Share: Quickly and easily post on Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter, and more. Share your Elements photos in Private Web albums, and view them on your smartphone or tablet.
  • Easily move objects: Move objects in a photo and have the background automatically filled in with Content Aware Move.
  • Add your personal touch in an instant: Use one-touch Frames, Effects, and Textures to add depth to your snapshots.
  • Correct pet eye: Remove green, yellow, and other “pet eye” discolorations as easily as you remove red-eye in photos of people.
  • Make it uniquely yours: Get intelligent photo corrections with Auto Smart Tone, which learns your preferences in a snap.

New in Premiere Elements 12:
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iMessage makes the jump to Android in the form of a shady unofficial app (updated: removed)

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 23 2013 - 9:59 pm PT
29 Comments
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Update: The app has been removed from the Google Play Store.

Earlier this month, iMessage Chat for Android appeared on the Google Play store. The app is by no means an official Apple-created iMessage solution for Android, but the creation of a third-party developer named Daniel Zweigart. Surprisingly, according to a few users who have tried the app, it actually works. You can send messages from your Android device to your iPhone or iPad, and vice versa.

However, it’s quite possible that the Apple IDs and passwords being entered into the app are being collected by the developer for nefarious purposes.

[tweet https://twitter.com/b3ll/status/382364776497545216 align=’center’]

If you’re really curious about how the app works, software developer Adam Bell has discovered that it connects to Apple’s iMessage server posing as a Mac mini. Cydia creator Jay Freeman (aka saurik) has also noted on Google+ that the app forwards all communication from Apple to a server running in China. That means every message you send or receive using this app is being processed—and possibly stored—on a server run by the creator.

[tweet https://twitter.com/b3ll/status/382369290243952640 align=’center’]

However, Steven Troughton-Smith also points out that the app has the ability to download and install software in the background, meaning it is capable of putting malware on your phone without your knowledge. Given this information, we highly advise staying away from the app.

[tweet https://twitter.com/stroughtonsmith/status/382369055887589376 align=’center’]

Should you decide to try downloading the app from the Google Play store, we recommend only testing it with a throwaway Apple ID that has none of your payment or personal information attached. We really can’t stress that point enough.

iOS 7 How-to: Redeem iTunes gift cards with your device’s camera

Avatar for Sarah Guarino Sep 23 2013 - 11:02 am PT
3 Comments
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iTunes gift cards are a great gift for iOS Device users. They can be used to purchase content from the iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore. However, entering in the string of characters to redeem the gift card balance has typically been a pain with the touch keyboards on iPads, iPhone, and iPod touches. Like iTunes 11 on the Mac, iOS 7 moves to solve this problem. You can now use your device’s camera to scan in the code.

Go to the main/featured page in whichever store you choose and to get to the redemption screen, scroll all the way down, and press on redeem:


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Apple now allows customers to check iPhone retail availability via Apple Store app

Avatar for Mark Gurman Sep 23 2013 - 8:04 am PT
12 Comments

In line with our report from last week, Apple has flipped the switch in its Apple Store app to allow for customers to check availability for the new iPhone models at Apple Stores. The process is similar to the one for Personal Pickup on Apple’s online store.

To check for availability on the iPhone and iPod touch Apple Store app, navigate to the buy iPhone page, add your iPhone to the cart, then choose “Check Availability.”

The app will show you a list of your favorite and nearby stores. With Personal Pickup, you can order an iPhone through the app and then pick it up at your local Apple Store. With iPhones now shipping in October, this might be your best bet at soon getting an iPhone 5s.


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Review: Perfect Shot for iOS 7 helps with group camera shots

Avatar for Sarah Guarino Sep 21 2013 - 8:49 am PT
7 Comments

Perfect Shot by TapMedia is a new iOS 7 app that is designed to make it very easy to take the perfect pictures of their friends and family. While holding either an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, to take a picture, Perfect Shot detects how many people are in the image. The app monitors and detects everyone’s sets of eyes and their smiles. Once everyone in the group is not blinking and smiling, the app automatically snaps the photo, without the need for the user to press the shutter button.

Perfect Shot also can detect when you (yourself) are in prime position for a photo. The “selfies” I’ve taken of myself with this app are the best I’ve ever taken on an iPhone. They sometimes even look like professional head shots. My eyes are centered and straight, as opposed to being crooked or unfocused because I’m concentrating on the act of trying to take a good shot of myself.


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iOS 7 How-to: Set up Automatic App Updates

Avatar for Sarah Guarino Sep 20 2013 - 6:52 am PT
15 Comments

In earlier versions of iOS, the system would notify users of available App Store updates with a badge on the icon (seen above).

You had to open up the App Store, press the Update button, then press Update All. It was rather annoying to keep up with all the apps that needed updating. Sometimes by the time you finished updating, more apps would need updating.

Now with iOS 7, the apps will now automatically update. To make sure that the apps are set to automatically update, go into Settings and scroll until you see iTunes and App Store.


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Google Translate for iOS adds new UI, handwriting input, & translations in 7 new languages

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 20 2013 - 5:56 am PT
2 Comments

Google has updated its Google Translate app for iPhone and iPad today with a few new features that were previously only available to Android users. The app also receives a brand new UI that makes it fit more in with iOS 7 and the rest of Google’s apps.

Version 2.0.0 of Google Translate includes support for handwriting input, allowing users to write words using their finger for 49 different languages. The app also adds translations for seven additional languages, including: Bosnian, Cebuano, Hmong, Javanese, Khmer, Lao, Marathi.

The updated Google Translate app is available on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 2.0.0

• Translation is now available for 7 new languages: Bosnian, Cebuano, Hmong, Javanese, Khmer, Lao, Marathi
• A sleek and modern user interface
• Handwriting input – write words with your finger to enter text for 49 languages

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Apple Configurator updates to version 1.4 with support for iOS 7

Avatar for Sarah Guarino Sep 19 2013 - 5:44 pm PT
2 Comments

Apple Configurator, allows schools and businesses an easy way to manage multiple iOS devices. Apple Configurator is now updated to include support for iOS 7 and allowing some of the new features or restricting the new features. With Apple Configurator 1.4 you can allow AirDrop, Configure AirPrint Printers, Configure AirPlay mirroring destinations and passwords, Allow Control Center or Notification Center on the lock screen and more. The full release notes are listed here.
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9to5Toys Last Call: The best MFi Lightning cables, Cycloramic / Quickoffice iOS apps go free, games, more

Avatar for Sep 19 2013 - 3:00 pm PT
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From 9to5Toys.com:

A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.

Today’s featured deals:

iOS7 is rendering many 3rd party Lightning cables useless, check out our list of the best Apple-certified (MFi) Lightning cables in various lengths, colors, and styles

Other great deals from today:


The best deals that are still alive:

New product announcements & reviews:

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Google-owned QuickOffice goes free on iOS and Android, 10GB of Drive space offered

Avatar for Mark Gurman Sep 19 2013 - 11:34 am PT
7 Comments

 

Google today made its QuickOffice suite for both iOS and Android free to use with a Google Account. QuickOffice is a cross-platform document editor that can manage and edit Microsoft Office documents. The app is downloadable for free on both iTunes and Google play for no charge. Better yet, Google says that those who login to the updated app by September 26th will receive a 10GB storage boost in Google Drive for the next two years.


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Google releases Google Wallet app for iPhone

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 19 2013 - 8:18 am PT
1 Comment
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Following the launch of an all new Google Wallet app for Android that brought the service to all Android devices in the US and customers on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, today Google has launched an official Google Wallet app for iOS devices.

Since in-store payments are still limited to a handful of Android devices in the U.S. with NFC, the new app, available on the App Store now, includes many of the new features that Google announced in its latest Android update. That includes the ability to send money to any friend in the US with an email address, support for adding loyalty cards, and integration with Google Offers for redeeming discounts based on location using the app. The app will let iOS users in the U.S. scan to add debit and credit cards for sending money and making purchases online.
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App Store makes it easier for parents to find apps for their children with new Kids Category in iOS 7

Avatar for Sarah Guarino Sep 19 2013 - 8:17 am PT
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In iOS 7, Apple has made it easier for parents to find great age-appropriate, kid-friendly educational apps by gathering them all in one location. It’s currently being featured on the Featured page. Also you can find it by pressing on the blue word Categories in the upper left hand corner of the screen and then scroll down until you see Kids or click here. (ages 5 & under, ages 6-8 and ages 9-11).

By pressing on the Kids category the apps are split up based off the kids age. They have sections for ages 5 & under, ages 6-8 and ages 9-11.

There are even categories that cover key learning concepts like creating, shapes, colors, discovering the world, reading, music, and interactive books. To see them all, just swipe right to left on the boxes to view them all.

So parents, the next time you give your device to your children, you can now have them play with apps that are truly developed with them in mind and that are educational!

App Store developers now allowed to manage legacy app availability

Avatar for Mark Gurman Sep 19 2013 - 6:12 am PT
6 Comments
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Earlier this week, we noted that Apple has begun allowing users on older versions of iOS to download older versions of their previously purchased apps. This feature exists because some iOS users are running hardware that no longer supports newer versions of App Store applications. At launch, this feature was auto-activated for all developers, and these developers were not able to manage what users on older hardware could download. Now, Apple has informed developers that they could manage the availability of their legacy software:


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9to5Toys Last Call: $50 MacUpdate Bundle featuring 9 Mac apps, free music from Google, game deals, free apps, more

Avatar for Sep 18 2013 - 3:00 pm PT
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From 9to5Toys.com:

A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.

Today’s featured deals:

$50 MacUpdate Bundle: Snapheal Pro, Civ V Gold, PDF Pen, TechTool Pro 7, ScreenFlow, more

Google Play ‘Free For Fall’ music promo featuring 12 free or discounted tracks from Phoenix, MGMT, Kaskade, and more

Game/App Deals: Far Cry 3: $20, AC3: $20, Bioshock Infinite: $25, iOS freebies, more


Other great deals from today:

The best deals that are still alive:

New product announcements & reviews:

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Apple raises App Store downloads over cellular limit to 100MB per app

Avatar for Mark Gurman Sep 18 2013 - 1:30 pm PT
2 Comments

Alongside the launch of iOS 7, Apple has raised the limit for an application file size that could be downloaded over a cellular network via the App Store. The new limit is 100MB, and that is double the previous limit of 50MB (via MacRumors). Back in 2008, the App Store launched with a 10MB cap, but as iOS devices gained new features such as 3G, LTE, and Retina Displays, Apple has been raising the limits. It seems likely that the limit was raised due to the influx of new app designs that Apple is expecting to be rolled out in the coming weeks. 


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Facebook updates iOS app with new look for iOS 7

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 18 2013 - 12:47 pm PT
9 Comments

Facebook announced on its blog today that it’s rolling out a new update for iOS 7 (alongside just about every other developer today) that brings a brand new iOS 7 style design to the app. On top of a lighter color palette and the new iOS 7 translucent top bar, you’ll also now be able to “swipe from left to right to get back to News Feed” after tapping a story.

There are some other tweaks included in the update as well. The iPhone app, for example, now includes a new tab style menu along the bottom of the screen. The new menu design is something Facebook has actually been testing with many users in recent months, although not with the new iOS 7 design included in today’s update. Facebook is hoping the new menu makes it “easier to switch from News Feed to your friend requests, messages or notifications.”

The new Facebook app for iOS has begun rolling out to the App Store. A video of the new design in action is below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnXggjgWC3U&feature=youtu.be

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iOS 7 How-to: Use the new multitasking interface

Avatar for Sarah Guarino Sep 18 2013 - 11:46 am PT
9 Comments

Multitasking came out for the iOS devices with iOS 4. Multitasking is a way to manage all of the apps running on your iOS device.

Previously, when you double tap the home button, you would get a small tray on the bottom of the screen filled with apps running. To close the apps, you would have to tap and hold on one of them until it wiggles and jiggles, and then once it is wiggling and jiggling you would tap on the red minus button in the upper left hand corner of the app.

Now, with iOS 7 that is no longer the case. When you double tap the home button, it takes you out of the app you were in, and it shows you a fullscreen thumbnail preview of the app you were most recently in, as well the rest of your recent applications.

If you want to see the rest of your open apps, you would just swipe left to right or right to left to see them all.

The home screen even appears as a fullscreen thumbnail view. To get into any of your open apps, simply tap on the app in the switcher to bring it up.

If you want to close an app, just swipe up on any application preview. You cannot close all of the apps at one, just like before. However, if you swipe up with two fingers, it will close out two apps at a time.

This new method of multitasking is similar to the popular jailbreaking tweak Auxo. For those of you who used this jailbreak tweak, this is going to be very similar, except for the fact that there will not be a way to close all the apps at once, as well as there will not be a media control, or any setting controls. Instead, you will find these in Control Center.

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BlackBerry announces BBM for iPhone arriving on September 22

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 18 2013 - 11:41 am PT
6 Comments

After first announcing that its popular BBM messaging service would be arriving on iOS and Android sometime during the summer, BlackBerry finally confirmed in a blog post today that the app would be released on Sept. 21 for Android followed by a release on iOS on Sept. 22.

BBM will be available as a free download for Android smartphones running Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean (Android 4.x) beginning at 7AM EDT on September 21. BBM for iPhones running iOS 6 and iOS 7 will become available for each market on the App Store schedule of 12:01 AM local time on September 22. For more information, or to download BBM for Android or iPhone, visit www.BBM.com.

BBM for iPhone and Android will initially include chat, photo and voice note sharing, multi-person chats with up to 30 people, and the ability to post status updates and personal messages. However, BlackBerry says the apps will get BBM Channels in a future updates:

BBM will continue to evolve quickly. Later this year, BBM Channels will provide a forum for active, real conversations between you and the people, brands, celebrities, artists, service providers, communities and more, that matter to you. By creating a Channel, individuals and brands can engage their friends and communities in conversations sparked by their thoughts, ideas and passions. Subscribing to a Channel will let you join conversations with people who share your interests. In addition, BBM Video calling and BBM Voice calling are planned for availability for Android and iPhone in a future version.

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Xcode 5.0 released with iOS 7 SDK, 64-bit app compiler

Avatar for Scott Buscemi Sep 18 2013 - 10:32 am PT
3 Comments

Alongside the release of iOS 7 this morning, Apple has just pushed out Xcode 5.0 to the Mac App Store. The free app includes the SDKs for iOS 7 and Mountain Lion as well as the 64-bit app compiler:

What’s New in Version 5.0

• Includes SDKs for OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and iOS 7.
• LLVM compiler builds 64-bit apps for iOS 7.
• Automatic Configuration enables services like iCloud and Game Center with one click.
• Test Navigator helps you quickly add, edit, and run unit tests.
• Test Assistants display tests and code side-by-side for test driven development.
• Auto Layout in IB can generate constraints automatically, or allow free-form design.
• Preview Assistant demonstrates your UI in portrait or landscape, for iOS 6 or iOS 7.
• Asset Catalog organizes all your project’s images in a single .xcassets archive.
• Debug Gauges show CPU, memory, iCloud, and OpenGL ES usage at a glance.
• Source Control top-level menu enables context sensitive branching and merging.
• Modules build setting speeds compile times, and enables auto-linking system frameworks.

The update comes in at 1.96GB, which might take awhile with all of the iOS 7 downloading traffic.

Apple has also given its developer portal an iOS 7 style tweak today that brings a cleaner design to the site:

Top App Store developers discuss their iOS 7 development and design processes

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 18 2013 - 10:19 am PT
8 Comments
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With iOS 7 launching today, many of the apps on the App Store will be updated and overhauled to match Apple’s new aesthetic and incorporate the new features introduced in the redesigned operating system.

We asked the developers of some of the most popular iOS software how they adapted their design and functionality to iOS 7. You’ll find their answers below, along with a few first looks at some of the upcoming updates.

Please note that not all of the updates described in this post will be available today. Some are still in progress, while others have recently been submitted to iTunes and will be available shortly.


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Pocket updated for iOS 7 with improved reading view, background syncing

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 18 2013 - 10:00 am PT
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Pocket, the popular read-later service formerly known as Read It Later, released an update to its iOS app today that brings several enhancements to iOS 7 users.

The first change is the introduction of background syncing. When users add items to their reading list, the Pocket app on their iOS 7 device will automatically update itself in the background to ensure the in-app list is always up-to-date the moment it is opened.

Several performance and design tweaks have been made to accommodate for the changes in the latest version of Apple’s mobile OS. Small modifications have been made throughout the app to fit into the new look.

The reading view has also seen several improvements. Typography has been improved to better match the system design, an automatic fullscreen mode has been added to allow articles to use all of the available space, and spacing and hyphenation adjustments make articles easier to read.

Pocket for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

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Screens 3 arrives with iOS 7 compatibility, a redesigned interface, and more

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 18 2013 - 8:30 am PT
3 Comments

The popular VNC client Screens has been updated to version 3.0, bringing with it a completely redesigned interface for iOS 7 and a host of new features. Some of these features include support for pasting between a remote computer and iOS device, a new quick connection screen for quickly connecting to your favorite devices, support for multiple displays on the remote computer, and a customizable toolbar that lets you better control the functions of the app.

Screens 3 is available as a new download for all users for $19.99. It requires iOS 7.

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Photoful receives iOS 7 overhaul, iPad support, and more

Avatar for Mike Beasley Sep 18 2013 - 8:14 am PT
0 Comments

Photoful, an app for taking, editing, and sharing photos and albums, has been updated with full support for the new features in iOS 7. The app has undergone a complete redesign and features a new icon, but the changes go well beyond the appearance.

One of the biggest features in the new version is iPad support. Photoful is now a universal that runs natively on all of Apple’s mobile devices. The update also includes several new sharing options, such as Dropbox, Tumblr photosets, and AirDrop. All of this is built into a custom share sheet that looks almost exactly like the built-in version.

The update should be making its way onto the App Store shortly. The app and update are free to all users.

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Clear for iOS 7 delivers iPad support, UI refinements, and more

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 18 2013 - 8:02 am PT
5 Comments

As promised, Realmac Software has brought its modern to-do list Clear to the iPad with its latest version release for iOS 7. Clear for iOS 7 also features enhancements to its user interface that better suit it for the lighter environment of Apple’s latest UI overhaul. For the first time, Clear is a universal iOS app, meaning one purchase provides an app for both the iPhone or iPod touch and the iPad. Below we’ll take a look at the brand new version of Clear for iPad.
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