Apps

Learn about the latest news for iOS, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV apps

5,952 'Apps' stories April 2010 - May 2013

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.

UPS finally releases iPad app for tracking & scheduling deliveries

Jordan Kahn May 16 2013 - 10:08 am PT

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UPS announced today that it is finally rolling out a native iPad app that brings the ability to track and schedule deliveries as well as access to features of UPS My Choice® and enhanced mapping features. These features were previously available to users in the free UPS Mobile app for iPhone, but today they come to iPads through the UPS for iPad app available on the App Store now.

Some of the features below will require enrollment in the UPS My Choice program:

Without logging in, you can:
– Track packages and freight shipments
– Save up to 5 tracking numbers in your tracking list
– See the current location of your package on a map
– Find UPS service locations via GPS

When you log in, you can also:
– Sync your recent tracks from ups.com
– Nickname tracked shipments
– Enroll in UPS My Choice
– Use UPS My Choice to take action on your incoming deliveries
– Set your delivery preferences

eBay’s iPhone app gets new interface, quick sign-up with Drivers License scanning, iPad app gets enhancements

Mark Gurman May 16 2013 - 9:11 am PT

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eBay’s iPhone application has received a significant update that affects both the user-interface and some core features.

Notably, the application’s interface has been tweaked for simplicity and features an improved bidding process for soon-to-be-ending auctions, larger photo views, and the ability to checkout multiple items simultaneously in the United States and United Kingdom.

Perhaps the most interesting and handy feature, though, is the ability to quickly sign-up for an eBay account by scanning your Drivers License with the iPhone’s camera. eBay owns high-profile barcode scanning technology, so perhaps that is used to make that new feature a reality. The free update is available on iTunes.

eBay’s (separate) iPad app also got a notable update today: release notes below.

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Pebble releases updated Pebblekit SDK & Sports API with full support for iOS & Android apps

Jordan Kahn May 16 2013 - 8:18 am PT

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Pebble, the popular Bluetooth smartwatch that raised over $10M on Kickstarter before shipping to backers in January, today announced the release of an updated SDK and APIs that will allow iOS and Android developers to create apps for the platform. Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky had this to say about the updates:

“The tremendous response we received from Kickstarter backers validated our belief in the value of a smart watch as a wearable computer, but also in the value an open platform brings to truly personalizing the watch to their daily activities”, said Eric Migicovsky, Pebble’s founder. “This new investment will help us build out the Pebble development ecosystem and deliver on Pebble’s extraordinary potential.”

The updated Pebblekit SDK will now allow developers to create third-party apps that will be able to send and receive data to apps on the Pebble smartwatch. The updated SDK will effectively allow developers to build new apps for the platform, for example, taking weather or news information from an iOS or Android app and displaying it on the watch. Previously devs were limited to implementing the basic functions of Pebble.

You might have heard RunKeeper recently added support for tracking data using Pebble and today Pebble is making easier for similar fitness apps to do the same with a new Sports API for accessing the GPS features of the watch.
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Pixelmator 2.2 hits 500,000 downloads in a week and we have promo codes to giveaway!

Jordan Kahn May 16 2013 - 6:26 am PT

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Pixelmator

Just last week we gave you our rundown on the latest features to Pixelmator that landed in the 2.2 Blueberry update and were quite impressed how far the inexpensive Photoshop alternative has come. It appears we weren’t the only ones as the developers have just informed us that the new version reached 500,000 downloads since last Thursday making it the company’s most successful release ever:

“Pixelmator 2.2 downloads have surpassed the previous record downloads and topped half a million making it the most successful release in our history,” said Saulius Dailide of the Pixelmator Team. “Also, the customer response to Pixelmator 2.2 is absolutely incredible. We’ve been overwhelmed by the 5-star reviews on the Mac App Store and the fantastic support we receive from our customers.”

Normally the app goes for $14.99 on the Mac App Store, but the Pixelmator team just sent over a few copies for 9to5 readers that we’ll be giving away at the end of the day. To enter, follow us on Twitter then comment on this post, Facebook, or Twitter. We’ll be randomly grabbing winners all day.

You can get a quick look at what’s new in 2.2 in our video review below or check out our full review here.

Apple announces 50 billionth app download winner, awards $10,000 App Store gift card

Jordan Kahn May 16 2013 - 5:45 am PT

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Apple-50-billion-app-downloads

Apple today has officially announced the winner of its $10,000 iTunes gift card giveaway in a press release after reaching 50 billion app downloads yesterday.

And the app that marked the 50 billionth download goes to: Say the Same Thing by Space Inch, LLC. Lucky winner Brandon Ashmore from Mentor, Ohio will be receiving a $10,000 App Store gift card for his download.

Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue provided the following statement:

“Apple would like to thank our incredible customers and developers for topping 50 billion apps downloaded,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “The App Store completely transformed how people use their mobile devices and created a thriving app ecosystem that has paid out over nine billion dollars to developers. We’re absolutely floored to cross this milestone in less than five years.”

Apple’s full press release below:
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Apple’s App Store reaches 50 billion downloads

Michael Steeber May 15 2013 - 1:54 pm PT

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In just over a year since its 25 billion milestone, Apple’s App Store has just crossed the threshold of 50 billion downloads. As a reminder, the App Store launched just shy of five years ago, on July 10, 2008. The App Store has celebrated three major milestones since its launch, the first for the 10 billionth download in January of 2011, followed by 25 billion just a little over a year later.

In a press release this January, Apple noted that over 40 billion apps had been downloaded, meaning that one-fifth of all downloads from the App Store have already come in 2013. It remains quite remarkable that five years after launch, the App Store is still seeing such accelerated growth.

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Google Maps coming to iPad this summer, updated with new design, improved rating system, in-app offers, much more

Zac Hall May 15 2013 - 12:22 pm PT

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THxJHcR1D2c&feature=player_embedded

We showed you significant updates to Google Maps which leaked early this morning, and Google just announced updates to Maps at Google I/O.

Google also announced that its Maps API is used by over 1 million active sites and accessed by 1 billion unique visitors weekly.

Maps will now feature a 5 star rating system for locations across all platforms. Users can now swipe across results in a simple, gesture user interface. Zagat reviews are now more prominent with badges and cards simplifying its appearance. These cards now include a new Offers experience with partners including Starbucks.

Google Maps for Mobile also includes improvements to rerouting in transit and explore features. Google Maps for iPad was demoed during the keynote, which we expect to see with the iPhone update this summer.
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Google’s new Hangouts app now available for iPhone and iPad

Jordan Kahn May 15 2013 - 11:37 am PT

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Google just announced a new unified messaging service today that will be available across multiple platforms and now the iOS app is officially available to download on the App Store.

The free Hangouts app is available as a universal download for both iPhone and iPad and offers group conversations with photos or 850 emojis, Video calls for hanging out with up to 10 friends, alerts that are synced across devices and more.

More Hangouts awesomeness:
— View and continue your Hangouts across devices.
— Get notifications just once. After you see an alert, it’ll be removed on other devices.
— Snooze your notifications if you’d prefer to respond later.
— See what you talked about in the past, including shared photos and your video call history.
— Keep a record of any Hangout for just a short period of time by turning history off.
— View collections of photos shared from each of your Hangouts.
— Choose from over 850 emoji to express what’s on your mind.

The Hangouts feature will also be coming to Gmail users today:
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Google beats Siri to the Desktop with Google Now-like voice search for Chrome

Jordan Kahn May 15 2013 - 11:12 am PT

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Google today announced that it is revamping the Google voice search feature available in Chrome on the desktop. While users have always been able to search with their voice through Chrome, Google is attempting to make the service work more like it does through Google Search apps and Google Now on mobile devices.

Chrome will now include “conversational search” with a brand new interface that doesn’t require users to click in order to search with their voice. Like on mobile devices with Google Now, users will now be able to simple say “Google” in order to activate voice search.

Today, we previewed what this conversational experience will look like in Chrome on your desktops and laptops. Soon, you’ll be able to just say, hands-free, “OK Google, will it be sunny in Santa Cruz this weekend?” and get a spoken answer. Then, you’ll be able to continue the conversation and just follow up with “how far is it from here?” if you care about the drive or “how about Monterey?” if you want to check weather somewhere else, and get Google to tell you the answer.

The new interface, as pictured above from Google’s demo of the feature, is much like the voice search interface for Google Now on Android devices.

The new feature will be coming to Macs and PCs through Chrome soon.

Google also briefly showed off some new content coming to Google Now including new cards for Reminders, Music Albums, TV Shows, Books, Public Transit, and Video games rolling out today:

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Google announces Hangouts messaging service coming to iOS, Android, and desktop today

Jordan Kahn May 15 2013 - 10:43 am PT

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Update: The app is now live on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.

Google today launched its much rumored messaging service live on stage at its I/O keynote and announced the service would be coming to multiple platforms later today. While some thought the service would be dubbed “Babel,” Google instead rolled out a standalone app called simply “Hangouts” that will be making its way to iOS, Android and Gmail on the desktop.

Google execs provided a demo of the app running on Android , but also gave us a glimpse of the iOS version as pictured above. The demo mostly focused on showing a list of conversations (not contacts) as well as one-on-one and group messaging, photo albums stored in the cloud, and the ability to start text conversations and video calls with contacts in one tap.

As for Gmail:
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Belkin announces availability of Dyle mobile TV receiver for iPhone & iPad

Jordan Kahn May 15 2013 - 9:04 am PT

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Belkin today announced that it is launching a new TV receiver for iPhone and iPad specifically designed to work with the Dyle Mobile TV service which provides live local broadcasts through a growing number of accessories for mobile devices. We’ve already seen some Dyle TV receivers for iPad, like this one from Elgato, as well as the technology baked into select Android devices on MetroPCS, but Belkin is the first big name iOS accessory maker to launch a receiver for iPhone and iPad.

For now, Belkin is making a 30-pin version of the receiver available:

Weighing less than six ounces and less than half the size of a deck of cards, the Belkin receiver with Dyle mobile TV is a compact and portable accessory that easily fits into a pocket or small purse. To enable, simply plug the accessory into the iPhone or iPad’s 30-pin connector, extend the flexible titanium antenna for maximum reception coverage and launch the Dyle TV app, currently available for free in the App Store.

The free Dyle TV service is currently available to 37 major markets across the US. You can check out a full coverage map to see what networks are available in your area here.

Belkin’s Dyle TV receiver will sell for $129 starting today through Belkin’s website and later hit other retailers such as Amazon.
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DirecTV iPhone app adds ‘Voice Search’ feature, displays dialogue & results onscreen with TV Mode

Jordan Kahn May 15 2013 - 7:12 am PT

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DirecTV-voice-mode DirecTV has updated its iPhone app that allows users to access live and on demand programming, as well as manage their DIRECTV DVR, with new voice recognition features today. Accessible from a new tab called “Voice” within the app, the Voice Search feature allows users to “speak to the app just as you would to a person” in order to find and play specific programs.

As you can see from the screenshot to the right, DirecTV has created a UI similar to Siri and other voice-based apps that allows users to see their dialogue as they speak. The app will also let users switch to a TV mode in order to view dialogue and results from Voice Search on their TV instead of the iPhone’s display.

With Voice Search, DirecTV said users will be able to “search for programs by mentioning title, channel, keyword, actor, time frame, genre and more,” and also “change the channel, record, and play content” at home. The new TV Mode also offers a view of personalized recommendations on the big screen.

The update has not yet hit the iPad app and the TV Mode will require users to have an Internet-connected HR24 DVR model or above.

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Yahoo Mail for iOS updated with AirPrint, performance improvements, more

Zac Hall May 15 2013 - 5:57 am PT

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Yahoo! Mail for iOS received an update that brings support for printing attachments via AirPrint on compatible printers. The update also includes improvements to the performance of the app as well as bug fixes.

The update is available now in the App Store.
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QuickRes 3.0 makes switching resolutions on your Retina MacBook Pro quick and easy

Mike Beasley May 14 2013 - 5:56 pm PT

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Switching resolutions on a Retina MacBook Pro usually requires going through System Preferences, but an app called QuickRes is designed to mitigate that annoying process.

QuickRes puts an icon in your Mac’s menu bar that allows you to quickly jump between a variety of preset display resolutions, even beyond supported by Apple, all the way up to 3840×2400. QuickRes can also enable HiDPI mode on non-Retina Macs, effectively doubling the resolution and giving a clearer (albeit bigger) picture.

To switch resolutions, you can right-click the app’s menu bar icon to select which display you want to change (if you have more than one), then select a resolution from a list of presets. You can also setup anywhere from two to eight of your favorite resolutions and switch between them quickly by clicking on the menu bar icon.

QuickRes is available in two flavors. The paid version is available for a 9to5Mac-exclusive price of $.99 (regularly $1.99) through this discount link. The free version, which supports fewer resolutions and does not include a quick HiDPI toggle for non-Retina, is available on the Mac App Store.

EA confirms ‘Frostbite Go’ engine for mobile games will come to iOS & Android

Jordan Kahn May 14 2013 - 3:33 pm PT

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Logo_of_Frostbite_3 As noted over at NeoGAF, EA has recently updated its website for the popular Frostbite engine to list details regarding a new version of the development platform for mobile devices dubbed “Frostbite Go”. While there aren’t many details, the page confirms that EA has plans to bring the engine to both iOS and Android, something that was previously rumored based off job listings for Frostbite.

One of our most exciting current projects is called Frostbite Go, a mobile division empowering EA game developers with Frostbite’s proven excellent workflows and features to bring true Frostbite experiences to all major mobile platforms.

Runtime in Frostbite supports a highly scalable model in order to appeal to the diverse array of platforms available on today’s market. Efficiency in both our runtime memory and runtime performance are both key factors to enabling code and data systems to deploy content to diverse targets from XBOX360 and PlayStation 4 to iOS and Android.

The Frostbite engine is best known for powering EA’s Battlefield and Need for Speed series, and back in January a job listing hinted that EA has plans to bring the engine to Mac OS X as well.

Seems EA sees iOS as a more viable platform than the Wii U.

RT @9to5mac: EA confirms ‘Frostbite Go’ engine for iOS http://t.co/YeOJtIkhHV

— Mike Beasley is on Mastodon and Bluesky (@MikeBeas) May 14, 2013

EA is currently developing Frostbite 3, which is expected to ship first with the much anticipated Battlefield 4.

Pinterest for iOS updated with push notifications, @mentions, search suggestions, more

Jordan Kahn May 14 2013 - 12:17 pm PT

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Pinterest is rolling out a big update to its mobile apps today that brings a number of highly requested features to both the iPhone and iPad. Some of the more notable updates include notifications and push notifications for comments and mentions, the ability to @mention friends from within the app, and improved search that provides suggestions as you type.

The updated app will also now let users invite friends to group boards.

A full list of what’s new in Pinterest 2.4 for iOS is below:

What’s New in Version 2.4

– Send a pin to someone and we’ll seal it with love (iPhone & iPod only)
– Get push notifications so you never miss a beat
– Search…and you shall receive suggestions
– Invite friends to pin with you on group boards
– Pin from more places — now more easily from the web
– Mention your friends (at last)!

‘Watch ABC’ app goes live on App Store, brings live TV to New York and Philadelphia

Jordan Kahn May 14 2013 - 9:29 am PT

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On Sunday we noted that Disney’s ABC apps for iOS devices would this week begin live streaming TV to users in New York and Philadelphia. It’s the first time a major broadcaster is offering a live TV experience in its iOS apps and today the updated ABC apps have officially hit the App Store. The ABC Player is now called “Watch ABC” and with it comes the new live TV experience as well as the full length on demand episodes that were previously available. The new live streaming service will also be available to users on Kindle Fire and online at ABC.com.

The live video features will initially be limited to Philadelphia and New York City and starting July 1 users will have to verify their “eligible TV provider account for continued access.” For now eligible cable providers include Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, AT&T U-verse, Charter, and Midcontinent.

There are also plans to roll out the app to other markets this summer including: Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno.

Watch ABC version 3.0 is available now for iPhone and iPad.

What’s New in Version 3.0.0

– The ABC Player is now called WATCH ABC.
– Now in select markets, WATCH ABC is a new way to experience ABC television. You can watch your favorite TV shows and local programming – LIVE.*

*Live video available in Philadelphia and New York City area only. Must be within each station’s local viewing area. Program substitutions may apply. Starting July 1, 2013, simply verify your eligible TV provider account for continued access to LIVE video.

BlackBerry announces BBM coming to iOS and Android later this summer

Jordan Kahn May 14 2013 - 8:02 am PT

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BlackBerry-BBM-iOS

Although BlackBerry has been rumored to bring its BBM messaging platform to iOS and other devices before, today the company has made things official announcing at its event that support for both iOS and Android will be arriving in the coming months. The service, which BlackBerry says currently has about 60 million monthly active users, will come to devices running iOS 6 and Android 4.0 or above when it’s launched as a free app sometime this summer in the App Store and Google Play.

The company said that it would be bringing messaging and groups functionality to new platforms first but also has plans to introduce voice features, screen sharing, and its just announced “social engagement platform” dubbed ‘Channels’ in future releases. BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins said the company is “committed to making the BBM experience on other platforms as fully featured” as possible.
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Philips updates ‘Hue’ app with geofencing, recurring schedules & visual cues for weather, email, social media, more

Jordan Kahn May 14 2013 - 7:25 am PT

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FdvqZNJP6oA

Philips today launched a big update to the Hue app that provides users with control over their network connected Philips Hue lighting system which the company began selling exclusively through Apple Stores last year. Version 1.1 of the app adds a ton of new features including Geofencing to trigger scenes when you leave or return home, recurring schedules for functions such as alarms, a new synchronous scenes, and much more.

Philips-Hue-app-update-03 One of the big announcements accompanying the launch of the updated app is a new IFTTT (If This Then That) channel for Hue. IFTTT is a service that allows online applications to talk to one another by letting users set up actions for one app that are triggered by another. For example, with the Hue channel, users can have “access to any application programming interface (API) on the Internet, allowing Hue smart bulbs to act as informational gateways and visual cues for updates on weather, stock quotes, sports scores, email, social media and more.” Imagine getting a notification through Hue related to a weather forecast or update on a social network.

The Philips Hue starter kit is available now for $199 with 3 bulbs and additional bulbs are available to purchase for $59 each.

A full list of what’s new in the update Philips Hue app is below:

What’s New in Version 1.1.0

– Geofencing feature: Scenes can now automatically turn on when coming home and turn off when leaving home
– Scenes can now be switched on or off using a timer between 1 and 59 minutes
– Alarms can now be set to recur in a weekly schedule and with a random offset for the start and end time
– Fades of alarms now start at the set time instead of ending at the set time
– Increased reliability of alarms
– Improved vibrant colors for LivingColors and hue lights and added support for LivingWhites
– When activating a scene the lights change at the same time synchronously
– Compatible lights can now be added to the system using their serial number

Preview of Analog Camera for iPhone by Realmac Software

Zac Hall May 14 2013 - 6:00 am PT

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Analog Camera for iPhone by Realmac Software

Analog Camera for iPhone by <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=jZ6GP8Fu9UU&subid=&offerid=146261.1&type=10&tmpid=3909&RD_PARM1=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fnl%2Fartist%2Frealmac-software%2Fid310591643%3Fl%3Den" target="_blank">Realmac Software</a>

From the wonderful folks who brought you Clear for iPhone and Mac, Realmac Software announced today it will bring a few of its stunning filters from Analog for Mac to the iPhone with Analog Camera.

Analog Camera for iPhone resembles the simplistic, gesture based UI of Clear for iPhone, featuring soft square or rectangle buttons that pop up upon contact and prompt fun, clever sounds.

Check out my observations of the app and a teaser video below:
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Amazon announces standalone Cloud Player desktop app, Mac version coming soon

Jordan Kahn May 13 2013 - 3:15 pm PT

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Amazon-Cloud-Player-Mac-App

Amazon today announced that it is launching a standalone desktop app for its Cloud Player cloud music service that was previously only available through a web app and mobile apps. The desktop app brings offline support and, like the service on other platforms, will offer its usual unlimited storage of songs purchased through Amazon plus 250 imported songs for free. Unfortunately, today’s roll out only includes an app for PC with Amazon promising Mac users “we’re working on a version just for you.”
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1Password for iOS updated to version 4.2 with new features and fixes

Mike Beasley May 13 2013 - 12:58 pm PT

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1Password 4, the popular login manager for iPhone and iPad has been updated to version 4.2 today. The new version sports a bunch of new features and bug fixes, including the ability to search for items in your vault by their URL, improved sharing of vault items, and more. This update also features the fill animation that appeared in the desktop browser extension recently.

The update is available for free on the App Store for existing users. New users can get the fantastic password manager (see our review) for $17.99. The entire change log can be found below.

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Daft Punk’s new ‘Random Access Memories’ album now available to stream on iTunes

Jordan Kahn May 13 2013 - 12:11 pm PT

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Daft-Punk-iTunes

Low quality and fake versions of the much anticipated new album from electronic music super group Daft Punk have been leaking online for weeks now, but today we get our first official, high quality stream of the album through a free preview being offered on iTunes.

iTunes is currently streaming the full 74-minute album, ~~but the stream appears be limited to users in the US~~ and is now going live for iTunes users around the world. Random Access Memories is available to preorder through iTunes now and is expected to be released on May 21st.

Twitterrific 5 iOS app gets Readability, Droplr support, improved notifications, more

Jordan Kahn May 13 2013 - 12:03 pm PT

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The Twitterrific 5 for Twitter iOS app has been updated today to version 5.2.2 with a number of new features and enhancements. Among them, the popular iOS Twitter client gets support for the Readability bookmarking service, Droplr as a new image service, and a few welcomed performance enhancements such as Indicators in timeline tabs that “are updated as tweets are read” and updating read/unread notifications for tweet timestamps as you scroll.

A full list of what’s new in version 5.2.2 of Twitterrifc for Twitter is below:

What’s New in Version 5.2.2

NEW FEATURES

• Added new bookmarking service: Readability
• Added new image service: Droplr

IMPROVEMENTS

• The read/unread state of tweet timestamps are updated as you scroll
• Indicators in timeline tabs are updated as tweets are read
• Added VoiceOver feedback after performing profile actions (follow, unfollow, etc)
• Third party logins are now cleared out when a service is disabled
• Additional larger font size setting on iPad

BUG FIXES

• Compose attachment buttons are now disabled during @name autocomplete
• Fixed a bug that could cause replies to be counted more than once
• Improved reliability when clearing push notification badges
• VoiceOver no longer repeatedly announces new tweet count
• When composing replies, VoiceOver reads text first instead of original tweet

NOTES

• Yfrog links now open in the in-app browser instead of the photo viewer