Apps

6,283 'Apps' stories April 2010 - May 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.

Facebook adds ‘Stickers’ to Messenger iPhone app, brings back swipe-to-delete

Mark Gurman May 6 2013 - 3:57 pm PT

Facebook has updated its Facebook Messenger for iPhone and iPod touch application to add the popular Stickers functionality. Stickers will roll out to users gradually and is already available in the standard Facebook for iOS app. Additionally, by popular request, the company has brought back swipe-to-delete functionality for conversations. The update also includes unspecified bug fixes. The app is available for free on the App Store.

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Nike+ Fuel Band successor rumored with improved display, heart rate monitor, bolstered API

Mark Gurman May 6 2013 - 2:17 pm PT

Following the launch of FitBit’s Bluetooth 4.0-powered wrist device, Andru Edwards at GearLive claims to have a series of details about Nike’s next-generation Nike+ Fuel Band.

Some of the notable rumored additions:

Heart rate/pulse monitor
More responsive, faster data display
Bluetooth 4.0 for improved battery life, syncing
Accelerometer data for developers via a more robust API

GearLive claims the new device is being actively tested in the wild, but details about a release timeframe are currently uncertain.

Nike’s Fuel Band is known for being an easy-to-use, easy to wear wearable health accessory. The device is also notable as Apple CEO Tim Cook wears one. Apple is rumored to be developing a wrist watch-like device that could include some of the features of the Fuel Band and FitBit products.

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Adobe adds new features to Creative Cloud ‘CC’ web tools: Dreamweaver, Flash Professional, Edge Animate & Edge Reflow

Jordan Kahn May 6 2013 - 11:42 am PT

Adobe has officially dropped support for its CS6 suite today and made the announcement at its MAX 2013 conference that it is moving to updates for Creative Cloud members only going forward. We have already detailed a ton of new features coming to Photoshop, video apps such as Premiere and After Effects, and its brand new CC design tools including updates to Illustrator, InDesign, and new Kuler, and Adobe Ideas iOS apps.

Adobe also announced today that it is rolling out big updates for its design tools starting June 17 including new features for Dreamweaver, Edge Animate, Flash Professional, and Edge Reflow. Head below for details on the new features:
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Adobe shows off new features for Premiere, After Effects, Audition, Prelude, SpeedGrade, & Story Plus for Creative Cloud users

Jordan Kahn May 6 2013 - 11:11 am PT

Adobe isn’t just announcing big updates to Photoshop and its web & design products for Creative Cloud customers It’s also rolling out a ton of new features for its video products including Premiere, After Effects, Audition, Prelude, SpeedGrade, and Story Plus. Below the fold we have all the details on new features:
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Adobe rolls out huge update to Creative Cloud ‘CC’ design tools: Illustrator, InDesign, Muse, InCopy, Kuler, Ideas

Jordan Kahn May 6 2013 - 10:48 am PT

Adobe’s MAX 2013 keynotes are happening right now, and below we have the details on the brand new features added to its suite of Creative Cloud products that are now branded with “CC” and apparently replacing its CS6 offerings, which will no longer be supported going forward. We’ve already covered big updates rolling out today to Photoshop and Adobe’s video products such as Premiere and After Effects, but the company also just announced some of the biggest updates yet to its design tools including many highly requested features for apps such as Illustrator, InDesign, Muse, a new iPhone app for Kuler, and new features for the now free Adobe Ideas iOS app.

Head below for all the details:

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Adobe announces rebranded Creative Cloud ‘CC’ apps with big updates to Photoshop and more

Jordan Kahn May 6 2013 - 10:12 am PT

Live from Adobe’s MAX 2013 Creativity Conference in LA, the company has just unveiled possibly the biggest update yet to its suite of web, design, and video products for Creative Cloud members. Today the company is announcing it is rebranding its Creative Cloud products to “CC” and introducing a ton of new features that will only be available to Creative Cloud members when they launch in June.

One of the biggest updates goes to Photoshop CC with a long list of highly requested new features including: All-new Smart Sharpen, Intelligent Upsampling, Camera Raw 8 and layer support, features from Photoshop Extended, and much more.

Enlarge a low-res image so it looks great in print, or start with a larger image and blow it up to poster or billboard size. New upsampling preserves detail and sharpness without introducing noise.

Other new features rolling out today include live previews up to a 100x faster when painting 3D objects and texture maps, the ability to resize and re-edit shapes at any time, camera shake reduction, and multi-shape and path selection:
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Watch our LIVE 9to5Mac Happy Hour May 3, 2013

9to5 Staff May 3 2013 - 1:50 pm PT

Subscribe now on iTunes!

T-Mobile launches subscription based ‘T-Mobile TV’ app for iPhone

Jordan Kahn May 3 2013 - 10:11 am PT

T-Mobile has offered its TV service through an Android app since 2010, but today the carrier has finally released an iPhone version of the app that offers subscription based packages of popular TV shows, sports, and Live or On Demand programming (via TmoNews).

T-Mobile is currently offering 30 days free access to a number of networks including FOX news and Associated Press, Saturday Morning TV, Campus Insiders & ACC Digital Network, but $12.99 a month will get you access to the following:

• Live and On Demand sports from ESPN Mobile TV, NBC Sports, and CBS Sports.
• Kids programming including the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Discovery and Animal Planet.
• Streaming news from ABC News Now, Bloomberg, FOX News and FOX Business.
• On Demand Primetime and Reality shows from ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC and more.
• Includes programming from ABC Family, MTV, Spike TV, Comedy Central, E! and VH1.

T-Mobile is also offering additional discounts on the packages when purchasing 90 or 180 day subscriptions and you’ll be able to subscribe to additional premium packs of content ranging from $5.99 to $7.99 per month that include: Crackle Movies, E!, TLC, The Style Network, Lifetime, PBS Kids, Nick JR, Discovery for Families, and more:
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Verizon’s My FiOS iOS app adds remote control, DVR scheduling, TV listings, more

Jordan Kahn May 3 2013 - 7:15 am PT

Verizon has just pushed out a nice update to its My FiOS app for Verizon FiOS customers that brings more integration of TV functions to the app. Version 3.3.2.8 of the app now includes the ability to view FiOS TV and VOD listings, set parental controls, and access remote control options for functions such as scheduling DVR recordings & more.

The update also includes Voice Assistant feature for the Verizon support tool and the ability to opt-in to push notifications “for billing alerts, service outages, etc.”

What’s New in Version 3.3.2.8

Bug fixes
Integration of FiOS TV functions (TV Listings, DVR scheduling and Remote Control)
Enhanced Verizon Support tool – including Voice Assistant function
Support for opt-in Push notifications for billing alerts, service outages, etc.

The free Verizon My FiOS app for iPhone and iPad is available on the App Store now.

Apple counts down to 50 billion app downloads with all-time best sellers, $10,000 gift card

9to5 Staff May 2 2013 - 1:17 pm PT

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Apple’s doing another iTunes countdown, this time to the 50 billionth app downloaded. Along with the chance to win a $10,000 iTunes gift card, Apple also greets you with the all time most downloaded free and paid apps. Some interesting notes:
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Google denies reports of Google Now battery drain issues on iOS

Jordan Kahn May 2 2013 - 1:03 pm PT

In the days following the launch of Google’s predictive ‘Now’ feature now baked into its Google Search iOS app, some users complained of experiencing noticeable battery drain due the app’s process of accessing location data. Today, Google has weighed in with an official response to LifeHacker calling reports of battery drain “incorrect”:

Reports that Google Now drains battery life are incorrect. We understand people’s concern about seeing the Location Services icon stay on when they use Google Now. Many apps that keep the icon on actually do drain the phone’s battery because they require very accurate location. (For example a navigation app has to run your GPS all the time to keep you from missing your turn.)

Google explained that Now is “built very differently” than other apps that utilize Location Services by using “cell towers and wifi hot spots for much lower battery impact.”

Google’s response continues by noting it didn’t receive any reports of battery drain during its extensive month of testing the feature on iOS and encouraged users to contact them if they continue to see a problem:
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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

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.

YouTube Capture iOS app adds HD enhancement previews, Wi-Fi only uploads, more

Jordan Kahn May 2 2013 - 10:26 am PT

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

Instagram updates mobile apps with new ‘Photos of You’ feature

Jordan Kahn May 2 2013 - 10:19 am PT

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

Onavo Protect helps secure your data while on open and public Wi-Fi networks

Michael Steeber May 2 2013 - 9:00 am PT

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

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

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

Jordan Kahn May 2 2013 - 7:26 am PT

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]

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

Zac Hall May 2 2013 - 6:30 am PT

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.

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

Zac Hall May 1 2013 - 10:56 am PT

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

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.

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

Jordan Kahn May 1 2013 - 6:34 am PT

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.

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

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.

Apple seeds OS X 10.8.4 build 12E40 to developers

Jordan Kahn Apr 30 2013 - 1:35 pm PT

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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Users complain Path sending spam messages to contacts, company says it’s a feature not a bug

Jordan Kahn Apr 30 2013 - 12:48 pm PT

Today a number of reports are flowing in claiming that social network app Path is sending spam messages to people listed in the user’s address book. The issue apparently isn’t new with some Android users on Reddit experiencing the spam a few months back, while a growing number of users on Twitter today have complained of their contacts receiving both spam text messages and calls. The messages, as pictured right, say the user has photos to share on Path and urges the recipient to downed the free Path app.

However, Path confirmed to The Verge that the issue is actually a feature of the app that sends messages to a user’s Facebook friends during sign-up:
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