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StubHub iOS app gets price alerts, improved search & more interactive venue maps

Jordan Kahn May 2 2013 - 10:59 am PT

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The StubHub iOS app was updated today to version 4.3.0 and added more interactive venue maps (now over 1000), price alerts to get notifications for your favorite events, easier account sign up, improved search, and more.

The updated StubHub app is available for free on the App Store.

What’s New in Version 4.3.0

Finding the tickets you want is even easier with Price Alerts, easy account sign-up, improved search, and more interactive venue maps (1,000+ and counting!).

• Set Price Alerts for your favorite events and get notifications on your device when we find tickets that match what you’re looking for.
• Don’t have a StubHub account yet? Now you can sign up without leaving the StubHub app – and it’s super quick.
• If we don’t find events with tickets in your location, we’ll automatically show you results in all locations.

• Apps & Updates
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• iOS
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YouTube Capture iOS app adds HD enhancement previews, Wi-Fi only uploads, more

Jordan Kahn May 2 2013 - 10:26 am PT

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YouTube’s Capture app for filming and sharing video to YouTube was updated today to version 1.3 bringing a few new features alongside performance enhancements. The updated app now includes high definition previews of enhancements, an option to “Only upload on Wi-Fi”, and more:

What’s New:
✓ HD preview of enhancements
✓ “Only upload on Wi-Fi” option
✓ Upload shows time remaining
✓ Faster launch speed

Things We Fixed:
☂ Misbehaving when low on storage space
☂ Misbehaving while uploading

• Apps & Updates
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• Android
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Instagram updates mobile apps with new ‘Photos of You’ feature

Jordan Kahn May 2 2013 - 10:19 am PT

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http://vimeo.com/65246801

Instagram announced today that it is updating its iOS and Android apps with a new feature dubbed ‘Photos of You’ making it easier to view and be notified of photos you care about most. The feature will make it easier for users uploading images to add mentions of people or things and also adds a new “Photos of You” section on your profile where tagged photos will gather:

When you upload a photo to Instagram, you’re now able to add the people and things in the photo as easily as you add a location and hashtags. When someone adds you to a photo, you’ll receive a notification and the photo will appear in your “Photos of You” – the new section on your profile where you can curate all of the photos you’ve been added to. Want to make sure you like the photo first? No problem: you can easily adjust your settings so nothing appears on your profile until you approve it.

The feature will be in a sort of beta mode until May 16th at which time the Photos of You section will become visible on users’ public profiles.

Version 3.5 of Instagram with the new Photos of You feature should be hitting the App Store any minute.

You can check out the feature via profiles of a few Instagram employees already using Photos of You:

http://instagram.com/kevin

http://instagram.com/mikeyk

http://instagram.com/Jeffreydgerson

http://instagram.com/Maxvoltar

http://instagram.com/Dantoffey

• Apps & Updates
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Onavo Protect helps secure your data while on open and public Wi-Fi networks

Michael Steeber May 2 2013 - 9:00 am PT

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Released today in the App Store, Onavo Protect promises to protect you while browsing the web on your iPhone. The app allows you to set up an always-on VPN connection, adding an extra layer of security to your browsing experience when you’re on public Wi-Fi networks. Unsecured wireless networks open up the possibility of your personal data being intercepted, and Onavo Protect is intended to keep you safe from those with malicious intent. Additionally, the app warns users when the site they are using is attempting to send a password in an insecure manner, and automatically blocks known phishing sites.

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Blockbuster On Demand app finally launches on iPhone & iPad

Jordan Kahn May 2 2013 - 8:31 am PT

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Earlier this year Blockbuster relaunched its digital video rental service dubbed “Blockbuster on Demand” by releasing apps for Android, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, PC & Mac and introducing new features such as 1080p HD streaming and 5.1-channel surround sound. The service hasn’t picked up much steam since relaunching in January, but today it appears Dish is pushing ahead by finally releasing an app for iPhone and iPad. 

Available as free download on the App Store now the app offers single title rental options that can be streamed instantly or saved for later viewing on any supported device. Users initially complained of no HD video support on mobile devices but, according to the app’s iTunes page, the iOS app does indeed support “stunning HD and full Surround Sound.”

•Thousands of hit movies and new releases – rent and watch instantly or save to your Watchlist and view later
•Tons of movies you love – hand-selected titles with the highest ratings from Rotten Tomatoes®
•Stream Instantly — phone, tablet, laptop, Samsung Smart TV, Roku, and more
•Amazing sound and video – stunning HD movies in full Surround Sound
•Easy shopping and viewing – prime movie watching experience
•No subscription or late fees – pay only for what you watch

• Apps & Updates
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• Photoshop
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Acorn version 4 brings revamped UI, speed enhancements, non-destructive filters & much more

Jordan Kahn May 2 2013 - 7:26 am PT

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Flying Meat, the developer behind the popular Photoshop-like image editing app called ‘Acorn’, today has released version 4.0 of the app bringing a number of new highly requested features and performance enhancements. Acorn 4 brings new non-destructive filters, multiple layer selection, new shape tools such as “Stars, Arrows, and a Bezier anchor,” and a revamped UI with the tools palette in a separate window.

Layer styles and filters are now merged together into a happy new UI. Chain filters together to create endless combinations of unique effects knowing you can always change your mind later on.

Other improvements include enhancements to speed, a new UI for filters dubbed the ‘Merlin HUD’, and Boolean shape operations, and Curves to “Adjust the tonal response and even the individual color channels to perfect the midtones, shadows, highlights, and contrast.”

Acorn version 4.0 is available to purchase now for a special price of $29.99 until the end of the month. Photoshop 11 Elements sells on the Mac App Store for $79.99, while competitor Pixelmator sells for $14.99.

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/65273340 w=400&h=300]

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Songza for iOS updated with shake-to-play, improved HQ Audio and playback, more

Zac Hall May 2 2013 - 6:30 am PT

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Popular music streaming service Songza for iOS updated to version 3.0 today featuring significant performance improvements and a few new features.

Users can now shake their device while on Songza’s concierge page, which allows you to make a playlist based on your activities like studying or working out. Pretty cool.

What’s New in Version 3.0

Welcome to Songza 3.0, reimagined to help make the things you do every day better!

– Doing something special? From the Concierge screen on iPhone or iPod Touch, shake your device and tell Songza exactly what you’re up to; Songza will then find the right music to make it better. For example, you could enter ‘Entertaining’ and Songza will find you music to soundtrack the perfect party.

– Enjoying your favorite artists is now better than ever. When you search for an artist, you’ll see every expert-curated playlist on Songza that features them. Any playlist you choose will begin with a song by that artist.

– Get faster performance and less buffering, even when you have so-so internet connection. We’ve also fixed the most common crashes and bugs.

– When you’re in a rush, a long press on any Concierge situation (e.g. Driving) immediately starts playing the playlist Songza thinks you’ll love most at that moment. Starting your Songza playlist can now be as fast as turning on your car radio.

– Songza’s HQ Audio feature, powered by Audyssey, significantly improves your headphone sound quality without increasing your data plan usage. With Songza 3.0’s improved HQ Audio, 200 headphone models are now available and it’s now easier to select your headphones whenever you add a new pair.

– A new full-screen Concierge experience takes advantage of the iPhone 5 screen and removes visual clutter, while a simplified navigation focuses on the most powerful and user-friendly additional features.

– To make music discovery easier, in-app tips on iPhone or iPod Touch help you move from playlists you’re getting tired of to new playlists that will make you feel fresh all over again.

– We’ve made navigation simpler by removing unnecessary things and unburying cool features like browsing playlists by mood, genre, decade or activity.

Songza 3 is available for free in the App Store.

• Apps & Updates
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• Twitter

Twitter for iOS updated with location-based trends, improved Vine playback, more

Zac Hall May 1 2013 - 10:56 am PT

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Twitter for iOS received an update today that brings location-based trends to your iPhone or iPad, first reported by AllThingsD.

See what’s happening near you or around the world by viewing Trends in hundreds of locations.

Also:
• Invite friends to join Twitter from within the app
• Improved playback of Vine videos
• Replies to retweeted Tweets now include both the author and person who retweeted the Tweet
• Enjoy a smoother experience due to bug fixes and other improvements.

The update is available now in the App Store.

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Amazon updates Kindle iOS app with new accessibility features, VoiceOver support for the visually impaired

Jordan Kahn May 1 2013 - 7:56 am PT

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Amazon announced today that it is updating its Kindle mobile apps, starting with an update to the Kindle iOS app,to include new accessibility features for the blind and visually impaired. The updated app now includes VoiceOver support and new accessibility features, the addition of the Hiragino Mincho ProN (Serif) font selection for Japan, and an enhancement to the app’s ‘Before you go’ feature that now offers “the ability to download a free sample and email yourself a reminder about recommended books.”

A full list of new accessibility features available in today’s update below:

• Read aloud over 1.8 million titles available in the Kindle Store using Apple’s VoiceOver technology. Over 300,000 of these books are exclusive to the Kindle Store. Over 900,000 books are less than $4.99; over 1.5 million are less than $9.99.
• Seamlessly navigate within their library or within a book, with consistent title, menu and button names; navigate to a specific page within a book and sort books in the library by author or title.
• Read character-by-character, word-by-word, line-by-line, or continuously, as well as move forward or backward in the text.
• Search for a book within their library or search within their book and navigate to specific text.
• Add and delete notes, bookmarks, and highlights.
• Use customer-favorite features like X-Ray, End Actions and sharing on Facebook and Twitter.
• Look up words in the dictionary and Wikipedia.
• Customize the reading experience including changing the font, text size, background color, margin, and brightness.
• Use iOS accessibility features like Zoom, Assistive Touch, and Stereo to Mono, as well as peripheral braille displays.

• Apps & Updates
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AT&T U-Verse customers now have access to WatchESPN and FOX NOW iOS apps

Jordan Kahn May 1 2013 - 6:34 am PT

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AT&T U-Verse customers will be pleased to learn that today they have access to new content on their iPhone and iPad. The WatchESPN app was previously available to most that subscribe to an ESPN package, but up until today AT&T U-Verse subscribers were not included. With update to version 1.6.6 today, U-Verse customers can now access live streaming feeds from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNU directly from within the universal iOS app for iPhone and iPad.

More great TV content is available on iOS devices today for AT&T U-Verse subscribers. The FOX Now iPhone and iPad app, which provides access to latest episodes from popular FOX shows like Family Guy, American Dad, and Hell’s Kitchen, was updated today providing access to both AT&T U-Verse and Suddenlink subscribers. The app also gets a bunch of new features including automatic full screen for videos, a streamlined universal navigation drawer, filters, and much more.

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Vemedio releases Instacast for Mac public beta (Updated 2x: early bird pricing, Instacast Mac 1.0 available)

Zac Hall May 1 2013 - 6:25 am PT

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Instacast for iOS is a hugely popular podcast catcher for podcast fans, but aside from iTunes, there hasn’t been much activity in this space on the desktop.

Last year, Vemedio, maker of Instacast, launched version 3.0 of their iOS podcast client, which moved from using iCloud sync to their own more reliable solution.

Today, Vemedio released its first public beta of Instacast for Mac for free, but I’m sure we can expect Vemedio to be a paid app when it launches.

Download the beta here.

Instacast for Mac public beta available for download. Have fun! http://t.co/pvBEqoGclZ

— Vemedio (@vemedio) May 1, 2013

Shameless plug: We just launched our own Happy Hour podcast on iTunes over the weekend. Subscribe here!

Update: Vemedio has announced early bird pricing for Instacast for Mac is now available at $14.99 and has no immediate plans for a Mac App Store version due to its robust feature set.

Update 2: Vemedio has taken Instacast out of beta after just 28 days with early bird pricing around until May 31st.

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Apple seeds OS X 10.8.4 build 12E40 to developers

Jordan Kahn Apr 30 2013 - 1:35 pm PT

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A week after seeding build 12E36 to developers on April 23, Apple has just pushed out OS X 10.8.4 beta build 12E40 to developers. Apple is once again asking developers to focus on WiFi performance, Graphics, and Safari. We’ll update this post if developers have anything new to report. Thanks, Anonymous!

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Vine updated with front-facing camera support, mentions

Zac Hall Apr 30 2013 - 9:35 am PT

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via guardian.co.uk

Your Vine stream will probably start to include a lot more faces, for better or worse, as the Twitter-owned video-sharing app received an update today to include support for the iPhone’s FaceTime camera as well at mentions:

Today we’re introducing an update to Vine that we think you’ll love. Over the last few months, we’ve asked for your feedback on a lot of things, from reporting bugs to suggesting new features. We’ve been listening. Here are a few new additions to Vine:

You can now shoot with the front-facing camera. When creating a post, tap the button in the bottom left corner to try the front-facing camera. You can switch back and forth between the regular and front-facing camera as many times as you want.

Vine now supports mentions, so you can tag people in your post. Users who are mentioned will receive a notification in Activity. To mention a user, type @username and select the name among the suggestions you’ll see. See the screenshot below for an example — when I type @chris, I see suggestions for Chris Fry, Chris Hardwick and Christofer Drew. When I select Chris Hardwick, his Vine profile will automatically link in my post’s caption.

The update is available now on the App Store.

(Source: Vine Blog)

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Mother’s Day must have: Felt app lets you create and send beautiful handwritten cards via iPad for $4/ea

Jordan Kahn Apr 30 2013 - 9:25 am PT

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Just launched on the App Store in time for Mother’s Day, the Felt iPad app lets you create and send real handwritten cards directly from your iPad for a flat rate of $3.99 including shipping. It has competitors with Apple’s own Cards app ($4.99 per card), and the Inkly app, which lets you upload handwritten messages via a photo, but neither have found a way to integrate the handwritten aspect right in the iPad app like Felt. The slick interface shown in the video above allows you to easily handwrite not only the letter but also address the envelope by hand. Once your done the app handles the rest by sending out a real card printed on “premium Mohawk card stock and a kraft paper envelope” within 24 hours.

• Apps
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MirrorCase for iPad lets you shoot video and take notes at the same time

Jordan Kahn Apr 30 2013 - 7:00 am PT

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Just launched on Kickstarter today, RHP Multimedia is hoping to bring an iPad version of its MirrorCase originally launched for iPhone that allows users to shoot hands free photos and video while continuing to use the iPad. Normally iPad users would be forced to hold up the tablet in a vertical position in order to capture photos and video using the device’s main, rear camera. MirrorCase offers a hands-free solution by integrating “a high-quality first surface mirror to reflect back any image that is in front of the device”, allowing you to keep the iPad in a horizontal position ideal for taking notes or multitasking while shooting video.

The key is the MirrorCase companion app that the company is attempting to fund through its Kickstarter campaign. The app will include, for instance, the ability to take notes or make annotations while viewing a live, resizable preview of the video you’re shooting, PDF and Dropbox integration, and adjustable video resolution and frame rates.

You can preorder a MirrorCase for iPad now for $50 with shipments expected to start in August.

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Jawbone launches new ‘UP Platform’ to integrate other health tracking services with iPhone app

Jordan Kahn Apr 30 2013 - 6:25 am PT

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Jawbone, the company behind the Jawbone Up fitness tracking wristband and companion app, today is announcing some big news including a new API to allow other apps to access its fitness tracking data and the acquisition of competitor BodyMedia. The new API  dubbed the “Up Platform” will see the company create its own app ecosystem of sorts, allowing other developers to access Jawbone UP data and integrate their apps to “complement your UP experience.”

To go along with the new API, Jawbone has already updated its UP iOS app with a new side menu that allows users to share their data with integrated apps and the ability to “to seamlessly integrate new data into your feed, lifeline, and trends.”

Initially Jawbone has partnered with a number of fitness related apps including: IFTTT, LoseIt!, Maxwell Health, MapMyFitness, MyFitnessPal, Notch, RunKeeper, Sleepio, Wello and Withings. Here are a few examples of how Jawbone UP integration works with these third-party services:

-Log a run or bike ride with RunKeeper or MapMyFitness, and view your workout data in UP, including maps of your route, to see how last night’s sleep may have impacted your speed or distance.
-Step on your Withings Smart Body Analyzer and automatically import your weight into UP to track it in the context of how you sleep, eat and move, and get support from your UP teammates as you work toward your goal.
-Create IFTTT Recipes to receive nudges based on your UP activity, like texting you to go for a run if the weather is sunny, or tweeting at your workout partner when you reach 15,000 steps.
-Complete a workout with a live personal trainer in your home or hotel room using Wello, and log the workout directly into UP.

Devs can reach out to Jawbone here if they are interested in integrating their service with UP.

• Apps
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How to enable Google Now on iOS for Google Apps accounts

Jordan Kahn Apr 29 2013 - 3:16 pm PT

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From 9to5Google:

Earlier today Google officially pushed out an update to its existing Google Search app for iPhone enabling the Google Now service with weather and traffic conditions, updates on breaking news and sports, and more. Some users logging into Google Search through a Google Apps account might have noticed that using the features would prompt an error that “your administrator hasn’t enabled Google Now for your domain.” Hanselman.com shares instructions on enabling the feature which aren’t exactly obvious since the setting is buried in “Android settings”.

Google Apps for Business, Education, and Government: Google Now needs to be turned on by an administrator before it can be used.

If you are an administrator, you can enable Google Now for users in your organization by following these steps:

1. Sign in to your Google Apps control panel.
2. Go to Settings > Mobile > Org Settings > Android settings.
3. Click the checkbox next to Enable Google Now to turn on Google Now.
4. Click Save.