Apps

6,304 'Apps' stories April 2010 - June 2012

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.

Apps

Control your Xbox with the updated My Xbox LIVE iPhone app

Jordan Kahn Jun 13 2012 - 10:55 am PT

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Microsoft just updated its My Xbox LIVE app to include functionality for controlling content on your Xbox from your iPhone (or iPod touch). The app previously let you access Xbox LIVE achievements, connect with friends, and change your 3D avatar, and now it lets iPhone users “connect, control and discover content” from their console through a number of new features. Among them are a remote with “play, pause, fast forward and rewind” and a new Quickplay list of recently viewed Xbox content. The update also brings high-resolution images and improved authentication for iPad, but no support for the new controls.

Earlier this month, Microsoft previewed a new AirPlay-like wireless streaming app called “SmartGlass” that will allow users to share video content from their mobile devices (iOS included) with their Xbox. The previewed app will also include integration with Xbox games, but Microsoft only mentioned Windows 8 support for those features.

A full list of new features in version 1.5 of the My Xbox LIVE app is below:

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Phil Schiller: App Store is more democratic than traditional retail, Passbook is not a direct payment service

Jordan Kahn Jun 13 2012 - 9:39 am PT

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In a recent story about growing concerns among app developers who want better ways to promote their apps in the App Store, The Wall Street Journal published quotes from an interview with Apple’s Vice President for Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller about the “tremendous amount” of work Apple does to help new apps get discovered. Schiller also talked about how things will improve with the redesigned App Store, Facebook integration, and new user tracking tools for developers in iOS 6:

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Microsoft providing mapping data for Apple’s new Maps app

Jordan Kahn Jun 12 2012 - 9:31 am PT

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Update: A reader just sent the images above that show Apple’s maps are identical to Microsoft’s for certain locations.

Evidence surfaced yesterday that showed Apple was crediting TomTom, in addition to OpenStreetMap, for at least some of the data used in its new in-house Maps app. Today, a report from TechPP (via TheNextWeb) pointed to proof that Apple’s Maps data appears to come from Microsoft too:

our friend, Cody Cooper, a New Zealand based developer, found something more interesting. While playing with Apple Maps on iOS 6 beta, Cody found that some of the Maps images had Microsoft attribution. Check out the image below showing the response headers with attributions to Microsoft Corp 2012. Click on the image for a better view.

We have not been able to confirm the evidence, so we are marking this as unconfirmed for now. Apple’s full list of acknowledgments for its Maps app can be viewed here, while the full-sized image of the evidence is below:

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Amazon Cloud Player app for iPhone finally lands in App Store

Jordan Kahn Jun 12 2012 - 7:53 am PT

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Almost a year after first debuting its cloud-based music service, Amazon released an iPhone version of the app today that provides access to most of the features offered in the Android and desktop versions. Not surprisingly, the ability to buy music from directly within the app is missing. Otherwise, you will be able to get access to all the music stored in your Amazon Cloud Drive and features such as creating and editing playlists, downloading for offline listening, and streaming over Bluetooth.

As noted in Amazon’s full press release below, on top of the automatic free 5GB of storage, it will offer a launch promotion providing “those who purchase any storage plan will receive unlimited space for MP3 and AAC (.m4a) music files at no additional cost.”

Amazon Cloud Player App Now Available for iPhone & iPod touch

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jun. 12, 2012– (NASDAQ:AMZN) – Amazon.com, Inc. today announced its Amazon Cloud Player App for iPhone and iPod touch is now available on the App Store. The app allows customers to stream or download music stored in Cloud Player to their iPhone or iPod touch, play music that is already stored on their device, and manage or create playlists.

“Customers tell us that they want access to all of their music, wherever they are, and on all of the devices they use,” said Steve Boom, Vice President of Digital Music for Amazon. “By bringing Cloud Player to iPhone and iPod touch, we now have the most widely compatible cloud playback solution available, giving our customers the ability to buy once and enjoy their music everywhere.”

Customers using the Amazon Cloud Player App can stream, download, and manage their music in the cloud, eliminating the need to download files before playing them. With this new app, customers have full access to their Cloud Player music libraries and also can seamlessly add playlists that are currently on their iPhone or iPod touch.

All Amazon customers automatically start with 5 GB of free storage to begin uploading their digital music library to Cloud Player, and for a limited time, those who purchase any storage plan will receive unlimited space for MP3 and AAC (.m4a) music files at no additional cost.

The Amazon Cloud Player App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

Apple updates Final Cut Pro, Aperture, and iPhoto with enhancements for Retina MacBooks

Jordan Kahn Jun 11 2012 - 2:57 pm PT

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Click image for Retina display resolution

Several of Apple’s popular Mac apps received updates today after the opening keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference. Many of the updates help apps take full advantage of the new 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro’s display. The details for Final Cut Pro, Aperture, and iPhoto are below.

Final Cut Pro: Final Cut Pro received a small update today that included enhancements for the MacBook Pro’s Retina display and improvements to overall stability. Version 10.0.5 of Final Cut Pro is available from the Mac App Store now.

iPhoto: Version 9.3 of iPhoto was released on the Mac App Store today with a number of new features and improvements, including: iPhoto libraries are now accessible in Aperture 3.3, support for AVCHD video, and new Export options that auto-organize images into event subfolders.

Aperture: The biggest update of all apps today is version 3.3 of Aperture. Other than being “fully optimized for the Retina display on the new MacBook Pro,” the update includes the following new features and fixes:

What’s New in Version 3.3

• New unified photo library for both iPhoto (v 9.3 or later) and Aperture; no import/export required; Faces, Places, slideshows, albums and web sharing work across both applications
•Support for AVCHD video has been added
• Aperture now lets you use camera-generated previews for faster browsing of RAW files immediately after import
• Highlights & Shadows tool has been updated to deliver higher-quality results and work with extended range data
• A new Auto Enhance button has been added to the Adjustments panel
• White Balance tool now includes Skin Tone and Natural Gray modes to simplify color balance
• Auto button has been added to the White Balance tool for one-click color balancing
• Set Desktop command has been added to Share menu so you can set a desktop background from within Aperture
• A new Manual option allows you to drag and drop projects to customize sort order in the Projects view
• New preference allows you to set the background brightness of the full screen browser
• Facebook, Flickr, and MobileMe albums are now displayed as thumbnails in the main window when accounts are selected in the source list
• Minor terminology changes, including “Original” instead of “Master” and “Info” instead of “Metadata”
• Source list includes a new “Recent” section, showing Last Import and recently-viewed projects
•Raw Fine Tuning is no longer displayed in the Adjustments panel by default
• Faces can now be named by dragging them from the Unnamed Faces browser to existing snapshots on the corkboard
• The Faces corkboard now includes a menu that allows you to set the order of face snapshots
• Newly designed monochrome source list and toolbar icons
• Addresses numerous issues related to overall performance and stability

Apps

Chrome for Mac updated with improved Mountain Lion support

Jake Smith Jun 11 2012 - 2:34 pm PT

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In wake of today’s announcement about Mountain Lion becoming available in July for $19.99 to consumers, Google released a small update to Chrome for Mac (via The Next Web). The update adds stability for developers running Mountain Lion. It also provides the newest version of Flash Player (version 11.3).

The Stable channel has been updated to 19.0.1084.56 for Mac. This build contains a new version of Flash Player (11.3), in addition to more patches to support transitioning to OSX Mountain Lion.

You can download the latest version of Chrome for Mac here.

Apple partnering with TomTom for new Maps app

Jordan Kahn Jun 11 2012 - 2:10 pm PT

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Update May 12: TomTom confirmed to Reuters today that “its global agreement with Apple covers maps and related information” but declined to comment further on the specifics of the deal.

Engadget just posted the screenshots above by an anonymous tipster who claimed to be running an iOS 6 developer beta on the iPhone 4S. It appears Apple is at least getting some data for its new Maps app through a partnership with TomTom. As noted in the report, the screenshots list “others” next to TomTom, but it does not list specific companies. It is unclear exactly what data or service of TomTom’s Apple is using. As pointed out by The Verge, Apple is crediting OpenStreetMap for data in the new app. The company also used OpenStreetMap in the past for iPhoto.

Report: Apple’s iOS 6 Maps app with 3D mapping gets rendered [Photos] (9to5mac.com)

Apple shows off new Passbook card/ticket management app

Jordan Kahn Jun 11 2012 - 11:42 am PT

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During its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, Apple demoed a new app called “Passbook” with its unveiling of iOS 6. The app allows you to manage boarding passes, movie tickets, store cards, and other passes that have QR codes, barcodes, or visual, scannable codes. Scott Forstall demonstrated how the feature is integrated into the iOS 6 lock screen by allowing cards or tickets to be displayed when—for instance—walking by a movie theatre. The cards are also live, so things such as boarding passes or show tickets will update live with cancellations or show times.

Forstall noted that Apple would make templates available to developers to make it easy for companies to offer their cards and tickets through Passbook. Apple’s press release described the app:

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Apple announces Mountain Lion ships in July for $19.99

Jordan Kahn Jun 11 2012 - 11:11 am PT

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After giving a demonstration for some of the new features in Mountain Lion today, Apple confirmed during its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote that Mountain Lion would ship in July for just $19.99. That price is good for Lion and Snow Leopard users who want to upgrade all their personal Macs. Apple also noted it would be free for all developers attending WWDC. Apple will ship a developer preview today.

Stay tuned to our live blog for the latest updates.

Apps & updates: Adobe Photoshop Express, Growl, SketchBook Express, Angry Birds Space, and more

Jordan Kahn Jun 8 2012 - 1:01 pm PT

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Below is our usual list of newly released apps and updates that landed in the App Store today. Some of the more notable apps on the list include updates to iOS apps Adobe Photoshop Express, and SketchBook Express, and Mac App Store apps Growl and Angry Birds Space. We will keep the list updated as more apps and updates are released throughout the day.

Adobe Photoshop Express Version 2.5: The free universal iPhone and iPad app was updated to include the Adobe Effects Pack of “45- eye-catching effects” and the Enhanced Adobe Border Pack with 18 new borders as in-app purchases. The update also includes improvements to borders, effects, and editing, as well as Tumblr and Twitter sharing options, improvements to Facebook and Flickr sharing, and support for the iPad’s Retina display.

SketchBook Express Version 2.5: The free version of Autodesk’s SketchBook Pro app was updated today with a few new features including palm rest, a random color option in Color Editor, and other enhancements and bug fixes.

Voice Answer Version 1.3: We told you about the Voice Answer app before when Apple rejected it for being too much like Siri. Today, Apple has finally allowed an update to the app that turns the app’s AI— named Eve—into a “a fully animated 3D robot.” The update also includes voice messaging, email, and calling, and it now supports 54 languages for translations.

Growl Version 1.4: Popular Mac notification app Growl received an update on the Mac App Store today with dozens of enhancements and tweaks to the service. The app’s release notes mentioned: “Major improvements to networking,” “Applications Tab Redesign,” and a long list of other improvements.

Angry Birds Space Version 1.2.0: The same as the iOS apps the other day, the Mac App Store version of Angry Birds Space now includes the “delicious food planet of Utopia,” which features 10 new levels for the title that recently reached 100 million downloads.

Apps and updates: Little Things Forever, Diet Coda, Sparrow, Netflix, Angry Birds Space, and more (9to5mac.com)
Apps and updates: LinkedIn passwords leak, Sparrow teases iPad app, and Angry Birds Space hits 100M downloads (9to5mac.com)
Adobe Photoshop/Premiere Elements 10 $47/ea or $70 for both (9to5mac.com)
Adobe Photoshop Touch updated to version 1.2 (9to5mac.com)

WWDC 2012 Roundup: iOS 6, new Macs, iCloud updates, and OS X Mountain Lion (+ Bonus new Apple App)

Mark Gurman Jun 8 2012 - 12:00 pm PT

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Thanks @astern for the imagery

WWDC 2011 was the last Apple event Steve Jobs would be a part of and one of the last public appearances he made. Since then, Apple has continued to soldier on, adding value to its market cap and releasing new smash hit products like the iPhone 4S last fall and the new Retina iPad and 1080P Apple TV this spring.

This year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, WWDC 2012, will pick up where last year’s event left off. It will introduce major updates to Apple’s mobile and desktop operating system, the cloud-based syncing strategy, and it will bring Mac hardware back to a Mecca of Apple’s top software developers for the first time in three years.

There have been a lot of WWDC predictions, many made on information we made available. Over the past month and change, we’ve revealed the lion’s share of what’s now known about WWDC 2012, and we have some more to share in our highly anticipated WWDC 2012 round-up.

We break down everything you should expect into categories of iOS 6, iCloud updates, OS X Mountain Lion, and the exciting updates to multiple Mac hardware lines. Our complete round-up is available after the break:

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Phil Schiller explains why Apple removed Rogue Amoeba’s Airfoil Speakers Touch app (Update: Rogue responds)

Jordan Kahn Jun 8 2012 - 9:47 am PT

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Update: Rogue Amoeba replied to Phil Schiller’s email in a response published on its website. The full response is below.

Following Apple’s decision to pull Rogue Amoeba’s Airfoil Speakers Touch app for a feature allowing iOS devices to stream to one another over AirPlay, Apple explained the app was removed for the feature’s use of non-public APIs. It currently only allows Apple TV and certain third-parties such as speaker manufacturers to access the AirPlay streaming protocol. The app was earlier this week allowed back into the App Store without the iOS-to-iOS streaming feature, but today we get word from Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller who explained in an email the reason behind removing the app.

An email to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook from concerned consumer Kevin Starbird regarding the app’s removal was met with a direct email response from Schiller. 9to5Mac independently confirmed the emails are authentic. Here is Kevin’s full email addressed to Cook followed by Schiller’s response:

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Retina Mac apps begin appearing in App Store ahead of Apple’s WWDC unveiling

Jordan Kahn Jun 8 2012 - 5:45 am PT

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As noted by The Next Web, at least one developer has updated its Mac App Store app to include high-resolution “Retina graphics” for the new lineup of Retina display Macs that we revealed last month (here and here).

The Mac App Store app is Folderwatch. It was updated today with several new features, one of which is “Retina graphics.” We are not ready to speculate that the developers know something we do not, but Apple obviously allowed the update. It is likely we will begin to see Mac Apps updated with high-resolution artwork leading up to Apple’s introduction of Retina Macs at the Worldwide Developers Conference next week.

Some have pointed to the unusually high number of to-be-announced sessions on the WWDC schedule as proof of the introduction of a new app platform, but we noted that many of these sessions could relate to Retina Mac apps.

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Facebook officially launches its App Center with access to 600 apps

Jake Smith Jun 7 2012 - 5:31 pm PT

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Facebook addicts, rejoice! You favorite social network has finally launched its pre-announced App Center, complete with 600 apps that feature Facebook integration of some sort. We reported this morning that Facebook’s App Center appeared in its iOS app for one user, perhaps indicating a launch this evening. Just as we predicted, the time has come. Facebook is currently holding an app-themed event to go over features. The company said it would push the App Center heavily on the left-hand sidebar on both the desktop version and mobile version of the app. A page for the App Center should launch sometime this evening. It will also appear on mobile devices soon. The best thing about Facebook App Center is that it will give you personalized recommendations based on your interests. Check out a video demo!

To download an app from the App Center, you simply click a link. It will send a prompt to your mobile device for downloading. Downloads occur through the iTunes App Store, rather than Facebook’s servers. It is important to note that this is not a store; it is just a hub to find cool apps. Check out the press release below for the full details.

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Apps & updates: OmniPlan for iPad, IM+, SoundHound, NFL ’12, more

Jordan Kahn Jun 7 2012 - 10:09 am PT

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As always—we keep you updated on notable apps and updates that are released throughout the day. A few to already land in most App Stores today include the new OmniPlan for iPad app from Omni Group, Retina support for the popular IM+ messaging apps, a SoundHound update, and more.

OmniPlan for iPad: Omni Group released its OmniPlan for iPad app to fulfill “the company’s two year commitment to bring its core, premium apps to the iPad.” The organization and project planning tool packs many of the Mac version’s features including enhanced collaboration, visual timelines, and change tracking, and is available now for $50 from the App Store.

IM+ Pro Version 6.5: One of the most popular third-party, cross-platform messaging apps updated today with “complete optimization” for the iPad’s Retina display, as well as the addition of support for Mamba.Ru and Fetion. The service dropped support for the MySpace IM service going forward, but existing users can continue to access their accounts. The free version received the same update.

SoundHound Version 5.0: Another notable update today goes to music discovery and recognition app SoundHound. The update includes even faster music recognition, “big, beautiful album art and hi-res artist photos,” and a redesigned home screen and SoundHound Player. There are also improvements to LiveLyrics, and a “cleaner, easier to use interface.” The free SoundCloud app also received the update.

NFL 12′: The official NFL ’12 for iPad app was just updated with bug fixes, and it now has the entire 2012 schedule.

Incredible vjay iPad video mixing app goes live

9to5 Staff Jun 7 2012 - 6:29 am PT

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[slideshow]

Algoriddim released its highly anticipated Vjay app for iPad [iTunes $9.99] today following up on the popular Djay app.

As of this writing, every review is 5 stars. The downside is that it does not work on the original iPad.

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Foursquare 5.0 hits the App Store with an all-new user interface

Mike Beasley Jun 6 2012 - 9:46 pm PT

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Foursquare has just released an all-new version of their iOS app that features a completely revamped design. Version 5.0 is much simpler and cleaner than previous versions, taking some of the functions previously in the tab bar along the bottom and moving them to the front page, making checkins faster and easier than before.

The new version also has a reworked Explore tab, which lets you search near your location for interesting locations in several of categories such as restaurants and locations with special deals for checking in, and automatically sorts them by proximity to your current location. The Explore tab will also show you locations in your area that are popular as well as locations visited by your friends, and places that may interest you based on your checkins at previous businesses or locations. Of course, all of this will be plotted on a full screen map so that you can easily find your way.

Oddly, the new update seems to put much less emphasis on one of the previous version’s flagship features, the Radar, which actively grabs your location while running in the background and alerts you if you find yourself near a popular place or a spot that you want to remember to visit. It took me several minutes of digging around to figure out where the Radar toggle, which used to be on the front page, had been moved.

Foursquare 5.0 is available in the App Store right now for free. There are more screenshots after the break.

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Osfoora for Mac 1.2 brings streaming support

Mike Beasley Jun 6 2012 - 5:40 pm PT

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Osfoora, one of the newer Twitter clients for Mac, got a very nice update today, bringing to version 1.2. Aside from a much-improved icon (which sports a resolution of 1024×1024, making it ready for those upcoming Mac refreshes), the new version finally brings Twitter’s live streaming API, joining a handful of other apps to provide instantaneous updates to the timeline, including the seemingly-neglected official Twitter app.

Osfoora also supports Tweet Marker, the syncing service adopted by many mobile Twitter clients, allowing you maintain your timeline position across devices when using supported mobile apps such as Tweetbot or Twitterrific.

Finally, Osfoora has many features I had previously found only in the official Twitter app, such as a global keyboard shortcut for composing a new tweet, and uses similar keyboard shortcuts to the official app. It also supports several image upload services, multiple accounts, Growl notifications, and other useful and convenient features.

The app isn’t perfect. There are a few little bugs in the timeline and the way it handles certain streaming events, and it doesn’t support drag-and-drop image uploads at this time, but the good here outweighs the annoyances. I’ve made Osfoora my Twitter client of choice after using Twitter for Mac for months.

Osfoora costs $4.99 in the Mac App Store, and I highly recommend it.

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Reflection and AirParrot apps bring Windows screen mirroring to Apple TV, iOS mirroring to PCs

Jordan Kahn Jun 6 2012 - 9:13 am PT

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We told you about Mac OS X apps AirParrot and Reflection in the past. Developed by app makers Squirrels, AirParrot allows you to mirror your Mac’s screen on an Apple TV-connected TV, while Reflection provides mirroring of iOS devices to any Mac display. The developers have since followed up with updates to both of the apps bringing many requested features such as audio and Mountain Lion support, but they released PC versions of both apps today that allow you to mirror your iOS device to a Windows machine or a PC’s screen to an Apple TV.

As for the Windows version of Reflection, it will release with all the same features as the OS X client, including: screen recording, audio support, frame colors, full screen mode, multiple device mirroring, and more. The first release of the AirParrot PC app will just provide basic screen mirroring features initially due to roadblocks during development. Head developer David Stanfill, who is also the founder of Napkin Studio, told us about the difficulties of bringing the AirPlay mirroring functionality to PCs and provided us with screenshots of the apps below:

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Apps and updates: LinkedIn passwords leak, Angry Birds Space hits 100M, and Sparrow teases iPad app

Élyse Betters Jun 6 2012 - 9:00 am PT

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[slideshow]

The blogosphere is abuzz this morning regarding a few key developments—some good, some bad—within notable iOS apps, including: Linkedin, Angry Birds Space, and Sparrow.

Linkedin

UPDATE at 1:02 p.m. PST.: According to LinkedIn’s Director Vicente Silveira: “We can confirm that some of the passwords that were compromised correspond to LinkedIn accounts.” More information about what LinkedIn is doing to remedy the situation is detailed in a blog post by the company’s director.
UPDATE at 10:01 a.m. PST.: LinkedIn just updated its iOS app to version 5.0.3 to bring “miscellaneous bug fixes” and “improvements in calendar.” The company promised earlier that it would no longer send sensitive data from the meeting notes section of calendar events and that it would provide a “learn more” link to offer more information on how it crops data. These improvements are also live on the Android counterpart.

LinkedIn’s free iOS app is in the middle of a scandal after reports from last night indicated the professional network scrubs calendar entries filled with business and personal data, and then transmits the sensitive particulars to the company’s servers without users’ knowledge. LinkedIn promptly took to its official blog and tried to reassure users that all is well. Unfortunately, the website’s troubles do not stop there: According to a report from The Verge today, a Russian forum member [translated] claimed to have hacked and uploaded nearly 6.5-million LinkedIn passwords. The company posted a tweet this morning notifying users that it is “currently looking into reports of stolen passwords.” A later tweet from the company revealed it could not confirm the existence of a security breach, but asked users to “stay tuned.”

[tweet https://twitter.com/linkedin/status/210390233076875264]

Angry Birds Space

Rovio, the gurus behind the popular iOS app Angry Birds Space, announced in a tweet this morning that its latest offering in the popular Angry Birds series hit 100 million downloads across all platforms. The game passed 50 million downloads within 35 days of its launch, and the company revealed last month that all Angry Birds titles cumulatively hit 1 billion downloads across all platforms. Those are some astonishing stats for a 99-cent app.

[tweet https://twitter.com/AngryBirds/status/210363760307732481]

Sparrow

Sparrow launched a landing page today on its website with the message: “We are preparing something bigger.” The URL, sprw.me/ipad, is an indication that the popular email client for Mac and iPhone is now coming to the iPad. A contact field to sign up for updates is centered on the page. Once an email is submitted, an image of the iPad immediately springs from below.

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Apps and updates: Found, Sparrow, Napster, Yelp, productivity bundle, and more

Jake Smith Jun 5 2012 - 9:19 am PT

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A few notable app updates and deals crossed our path today, and we will continue to update as the day goes on, but first a bit of news. New to-do list app Any.DO launched this weekend and hit 100,000 total downloads in only 24 hours, according to TechCrunch. The app first became popular on Android, and then it finally jumped ship to iOS. Any.DO enables you to manage tasks cross-platform by allowing you to keep them synced up for all your devices and in a number of lists. It is free on iOS, Android, and the Chrome Web Store. The number of downloads in only 24 hours is certainly a notable feat, especially considering the app did not receive any type of special promotion from Apple on iTunes.

Moving on…Every tech journalist in New York seems to be at the launch of Airtime, former Facebook president and Napster founder Sean Parker’s latest venture. Airtime is sort-of like Chatroullete and Omegle. It allows people to video chat with random strangers who have the same interests. Airtime is based on Facebook in order to find who to chat with, but an identity is not revealed until both participants add each other on the social network. Shawn Fanning, another founder of Napster and then Facebook, also assisted Parker in founding Airtime. With $33 million in venture capital, this is sure to make some rumblings in the tech community.

Update: It appears Airtime is making noise outside of the tech world, as a few celebrities were spotted taking the new video service for a spin. Check out actress Jessica Alba and Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg in the screenshots below (click to enlarge).

Go after the break for app deals and updates:

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Microsoft announces AirPlay-like ‘SmartGlass’ wireless streaming app for Xbox/iOS

Jordan Kahn Jun 4 2012 - 11:44 am PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IYvQu00t75w]

Microsoft just wrapped up its presentation at this year’s E3 event. While we did not hear anything about iOS support for its new cross-platform Xbox Music service, the company did confirm Xbox SmartGlass would come to Apple devices. SmartGlass incorporates at least some AirPlay-like features that enable users to send video from their mobile devices to Xbox Live and Windows 8. It would also allow phones and tablets to be used as a second screen for providing content related to video or games on Xbox.

Microsoft demoed the feature with Madden on Xbox. It allowed players to use their tablet’s touchscreen to draw plays. Unfortunately, Microsoft only mentioned support for Windows 8 mobile devices for the Xbox gaming features:

Microsoft announced ahead of the E3 conference a new software application called “SmartGlass,” which can be downloaded on Windows phones and Windows 8 tablets, as well as devices powered by rivals such as Apple Inc’s iOS and Google Inc’s Android operating systems… For TV, someone watching “Game of Thrones” on the “HBO GO” streaming service via Xbox could simultaneously browse websites about the show’s cast.

Brightcove CEO: Apple’s cable TV strategy will focus on AirPlay, not an HDTV

Jordan Kahn Jun 4 2012 - 6:53 am PT

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While the media is quick to jump on any hint that Apple might be working on an HDTV—and many analysts even pinpoint a late 2012 launch—CEO of video cloud company Brightcove Jeremy Allaire said Apple’s approach to cable TV will not focus on a traditional TV monitor product (via AllThingsD). Instead, he makes the case for beaming content from iOS devices through dedicated cable TV apps using AirPlay. This follows reports late last month that claimed Apple is set to introduce a new Apple TV OS at WWDC this month. Allaire explained:

I believe Apple will seek partnerships with the top cable companies for them to open up their APIs for their EPG, VOD libraries and Network DVR infrastructure so that Apple can offer a superior user experience on top of those services… In such a model, you’d purchase and use an Apple TV device (more on what the devices will actually be below) and use it in concert with an existing subscription from a TV operator, and access the TV functionality as an App. Yes, cable TV will just be an app among what will be tens and then hundreds of thousands of apps on your Apple TV.

As for new devices and software, Allaire claimed Apple’s main focus would be to enhance its current TV platform and integration with iOS devices, while possibly entering the TV monitor business. He further claimed Apple will release a completely redesigned Apple TV set-top box as a “thin black bar,” a “TV monitor” device that includes the same features as the set-top box, and updates to iOS APIs and AirPlay to include “new camera and microphone, motion detection and speech recognition” capabilities:

First, Apple will release a new Apple TV add-on product, though I expect that rather than using the current “puck” design it will instead be a thin black bar, perhaps 1 inch tall and 3 inches wide, that can easily mount to the top of almost any existing HD capable TV set. Like the existing Apple TV, it will have HDMI and power jacks on the back, but it will also include a high-def camera built into it’s face, as well as an embedded iOS environment that provides motion-sensing and speech processing.

Second, Apple will also release a TV monitor product as well with identical capabilities as the updated Apple TV add-on device, but in a design and form factor that presents the Apple brand effectively. Why would they do this when it is such an established market with such long replacement cycles? In short, because they can, and it will be gorgeous and include the latest innovations in display technology, and will sell at a premium price that ensures a reasonable gross margin for Apple.

Third, Apple will provide updates to iOS that include significantly enhanced and improved AirPlay functionality, and where AirPlay capabilities become a more front and center aspect of the iOS experience. Additionally, they will release new iOS APIs for dealing with second screen device capabilities such as the new camera and microphone, motion detection and speech recognition. Developers will be encouraged to build iOS apps that are Apple TV ready, using dual-screen features and motion user interaction, among other things.

iOSLiveTV.com streams Airplay compatible TV from all over the world to your iOS device (9to5mac.com)
Gruber: TBA sessions on WWDC schedule could point to apps for Apple TV (9to5mac.com)

Facebook in iOS 6: Integration is system-wide, ‘Liking’ of App Store apps present

Mark Gurman Jun 4 2012 - 5:37 am PT

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Mockup of Facebook sharing in iPhone Photos app (thanks, Spencer Caldwell)

A few days ago, TechCrunch reported that Facebook will be integrated into iOS 6 in some fashion. This is not a major surprise given Apple CEO Tim Cook’s hint at the AllThingsD D10 Conference of iOS Facebook integration. We heard many weeks ago that Apple and Facebook engineers were working in collaboration on implementing some sort of integration of Facebook into iOS 6. Simultaneously, Apple and Facebook executives were discussing the terms of the deal and exactly how Facebook would be integrated into iOS 6. While we knew that some sort of integration was incoming, we have been waiting to learn the exact spots in which integration is present, something that has up in the air due to the agreement talks just recently coming to a close. The thought of Facebook integration into iOS is a dubious one itself, given that the two tech leaders talks of integration into iOS 4 and Ping both abruptly fell apart.

According to sources familiar with the Facebook integration into iOS 6, the integration will be very similar to Twitter’s integration that launched with iOS 5. The integration’s biggest presence will be in the iOS Photos application. Like you are able to send photos to Twitter from the Photos application, you will be able to post photos to Facebook. A single sign-on section for all Facebook connected applications is present in the iOS 6 system settings application. Like with Twitter, a new “social sheet,” as some people familiar with the matter call it, will appear for an accompanying status message.

More details after the break…

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