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6,563 'Apps' stories April 2010 - March 2016
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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.

9to5Toys Last Call: Retina MacBook Pro $1,000, Tweetbot 4 $5, Pebble Time $95, more

Avatar for Trevor Daugherty Mar 18 2016 - 9:30 am PT
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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

Full 1080p 55-inch 120Hz HDTVs: LG $450 (Reg. $599), Insignia w/ Roku built-in $430 (Reg. $580)

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Save big on Apple’s newest laptops: Retina MacBook Pro $1,000 (Reg. $1,299), 256GB 11″ MacBook Air $870 (Reg. $1,099)

Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (newest) 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB $1,200 shipped (Reg. $1,499)

Tweetbot 4 for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch is now 50% off: $5 (Reg. $10)

Daily Deals: Pebble Time Smartwatch $95, Hisense 55-inch 1080p 120Hz LED Smart HDTV $370, more

App Store Free App of the Week: Sputnik Eyes puzzler goes free for the first time ($2 value)

iPad Pro Wi-Fi 128GB in all three colors: $790 shipped (Reg. $949)

Fresh iPad Pro discounts: 32GB Wi-Fi $650, 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular $890, all other models $100 off

Apple iPhone 6s/Plus Factory Unlocked up to $100 off, 16GB just $579 shipped (Reg. $649)

Apple TV Deals: 4th Gen 64GB $175 (Reg. $200), 3rd Gen $49 (Reg. $69), more

Buy or upgrade Parallels ($49-$79) & get 7 Mac apps free: 1Password, Parallels Access, & more (Reg. $269)

2016 All-Star Mac Bundle brings together 11 high-quality apps: $20 (Orig. $263)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Affinity Photo: Apple’s Mac App of the Year 2015 is now matching its lowest price ever: $40 (Reg. $50)

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MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Dock and charge your iPhone + Apple Watch in one place for $8 Prime shipped

Apple Watch 42mm Space Gray Milanese Loop Band + Aluminum Dock: $26 Prime shipped (Reg. $34)

Take home the Lexar JumpDrive 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive for $50 shipped (Reg. $80)

How-to: Use your car and an inexpensive inverter to replace the need for a home generator

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Nike’s self-lacing prophecy finally comes true with the HyperAdapt 1.0

This NES-inspired backpack is the perfect carryall for any gamer

Hands-on: Sonic the Hedgehog for Apple TV [Video]

Avatar for Jeff Benjamin Mar 17 2016 - 11:50 am PT
15 Comments
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Sega today released an update to its classic gaming title Sonic the Hedgehog. The update brings Apple TV support to the table, adding more value to the universal app.

Those of you who’ve already purchased Sonic the Hedgehog on iOS will therefore be able to enjoy the game on the 4th generation Apple TV free of charge. Everyone else will need to pony up $2.99 for the privilege of playing the classic game, but your money goes a long way, as it’s playable on the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV.
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Notability gets improved Apple Pencil support, new themes, copy & paste for pages, more

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 17 2016 - 10:36 am PT
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Popular note taking and annotation app Notability is getting an update today for both iPad and Mac that includes improved Apple Pencil support, new themes, copy & paste for pages, and more.

For the iOS app, version 6.2.0 brings enhanced Apple Pencil integration that adds supports for improved palm rejection and one finger scrolling. “With these improvements, Notability offers the most fluid writing experience on iPad Pro, so customers can focus more easily on their ideas and notes. In addition, the update supports copy and pasting pages between notes, saving time.”

In addition, the updated iOS app is receiving some refreshed themes today for the spring season that users can find tucked under settings, and a new “define” button for non-English languages.

And Mac users are also getting the ability to copy and paste pages between notes with today’s update to version 2.2.0 of the Mac app. Other new features in the update include an “improved text box insertion on PDFs” and the same Define button for non-English languages that the updated iOS app received. 

The updated Notability apps for iPad and for Mac are available on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 6.2.0

– Copy and paste individual pages into another note.
– One finger scrolling when using Apple Pencil.
– New Spring theme in settings.
– Define button for non-English languages.
– Bug fixes.

What’s New in Version 2.2.0

– Copy and paste pages into another note.
– Define button for non-English languages.
– Improved Text Box insertion on PDFs.
– Bug fixes.

LastPass Authenticator for iOS launches to improve the two-factor authentication process

Avatar for Greg Barbosa Mar 16 2016 - 12:02 pm PT
3 Comments
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Security-minded individuals looking to simplify their two-factor authentication logins may want to take a look at LastPass’s new app today, LastPass Authenticator. The iOS App Store currently has a few different apps that can already handle two-factor authentication logins, like Google Authenticator and 1Password. Most of them come with the minor annoyance that once the app is launched, a user has to find the site’s login, and then type the OTP into the site before it expires. LastPass Authenticator looks to improve that experience by allowing users to quickly approve the new login requests directly from their devices.


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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad Pro 128GB $790, Sony AirPlay Speaker $130, Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad mini $22, more

Avatar for Trevor Daugherty Mar 16 2016 - 9:30 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

Dock and charge your iPhone + Apple Watch in one place for $8 Prime shipped

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/710182557128769536 align=’center’]

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/710158057133703168 align=’center’]

iPad Pro Wi-Fi 128GB in all three colors: $790 shipped (Reg. $949)

Fresh iPad Pro discounts: 32GB Wi-Fi $650, 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular $890, all other models $100 off

Bluetooth Speakers: Sony SRSX7 w/ Wi-Fi + AirPlay $130 (Reg. $150+), Bohm SoundBlock $22 (Reg. $50), more

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad Mini 3, 2, & 1: $22 shipped (Reg. $30)

Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (newest) 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB $1,200 shipped (Reg. $1,499)

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB: $1,049 shipped (Reg. $1,299)

Apple iPhone 6s/Plus Factory Unlocked up to $100 off, 16GB just $579 shipped (Reg. $649)

Apple TV Deals: 4th Gen 64GB $175 (Reg. $200), 3rd Gen $49 (Reg. $69), more

Buy or upgrade Parallels ($49-$79) & get 7 Mac apps free: 1Password, Parallels Access, & more (Reg. $269)

App Store Free App of the Week: oneSafe Premium Password Manager on iOS goes free for the first time (Reg. $5)

App Store Indie Game Sale 50% off: The Room Three, BADLAND 2, Mutant Mudds, more

Splashtop 2 Remote Desktop for iPhone/iPod goes free for the first time in months (Reg. $3)

TomTom for iPhone goes free for first 50 miles per month w/ new “GO Mobile” app

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

HomeKit-enabled ecobee3 Wi-Fi thermostat w/ remote sensor: $190 shipped (Orig. $249)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/710127182899707904 align=’center’]

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Home Theater Audio: VIZIO 25-inch Sound Stand $150 shipped (Reg. $200), JBL Soundbar (Refurb) $70 (Orig. $200)

How-to: Use your car and an inexpensive inverter to replace the need for a home generator

Apple Watch 42mm Space Gray Milanese Loop Band + Aluminum Dock: $26 Prime shipped (Reg. $34)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Turn your paper airplane into a first person virtual reality experience with PowerUP’s FPV kit

Deezer Music hits the Apple Watch a few months after adding CarPlay support

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Mar 16 2016 - 3:58 am PT
4 Comments

A few months after Deezer Music added CarPlay support, the streaming music service has now launched an Apple Watch app. The app squeezes in an impressive amount of functionality to the small screen, as illustrated in the GIF below.

With Deezer on Apple Watch, listeners have access to all the best of Deezer, including:

  • Flow  – Your own personal DJ that knows exactly what you want to hear, utilising the best of man and machine to play all your favourite hits.
  • Player – Take control and “love” your favourite track or skip to play what you want every time.
  • Mixes – Let your mood dictate what you want to hear with mixes for every occasion.
  • Charts – Always stay ahead of what’s trending with Top Tracks, Top Albums, Top Playlists, and Top Artists.
  • My Music – Sync your watch with your iPhone and hear your entire saved music library including favourite tracks, albums, playlists, artists and podcasts.
  • Force Touch – Press firmly on the display to see your queue list, hit repeat, and play in shuffle mode … 


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Instagram to soon start showing content out of order and based on personalized algorithms

Avatar for Chance Miller Mar 15 2016 - 4:35 pm PT
15 Comments
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Following in the footsteps of Facebook, Instagram today announced in a blog post that it will soon adjust the way in which content is presented in its iOS and Android apps. While content is currently shown in chronological order, Instagram will soon switch to new personalized algorithms based on each user…


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Music Tracker’s latest iOS update improves large music library scans on older devices

Avatar for Greg Barbosa Mar 15 2016 - 11:30 am PT
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Music Tracker, an app that tracks your music library’s changes, received an update today that will make it process larger music libraries more efficiently. Ben Dodson outlines in his latest blog post that instead of needing to scan through an entire music library, it could handle the library in batches. Music Tracker keeps users aware of when music that had been added to their music library may have been removed by accident or because of music licensing deals expiring.


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How-To: Watch March Madness 2016 on your iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and Apple TV

Avatar for Chance Miller Mar 15 2016 - 10:46 am PT
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Update: Games airing on CBS are not available for streaming on Apple TV as of right now. The company’s reasoning for this is unclear, but we’re looking into it and will update further if we’re able to get to the bottom of it. CBS games are streaming via iOS devices and the web, so you can AirPlay to the Apple TV.

Furthermore, TruTV, TNT, and TBS games require a cable login for streaming on Apple TV.

Original Post:

Every basketball fan’s favorite time of year kicks off later today with the play-in round of the NCCA March Madness tournament. After tonight, we’re looking at non-stop basketball for the rest of the month and it really doesn’t get much better than that.

Earlier this month, the NCAA announced that it would be live streaming all of the 2016 March Madness games on various platforms, and even teased an exclusive feature for Apple TV users. With games commencing this evening, it’s time to make sure you have everything setup so you’ll never run the chance of missing a game this year…


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Buy Parallels ($49-$79) & get 7 Mac apps free: 1Password, Parallels Access, & more (Reg. $269)

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 15 2016 - 7:38 am PT
7 Comments

Starting today, Parallels is offering a new bundle for a limited time that will let you get 81% off 7 great Mac apps with the purchase or upgrade of Parallels Desktop for Mac ($50-$79).

That means if you either purchase Parallels Desktop for $79.99, or upgrade to the latest version for $49.99, you’ll get the following 7 apps free: 1Password, CleanMyMac, Kaspersky for Mac, PDF Expert, PDF Office for iPad & Parallels Access.

Get the Parallels Power Bundle now


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TomTom for iPhone goes free for first 50 miles per month w/ new “GO Mobile” app

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 14 2016 - 9:34 am PT
13 Comments

TomTom used to have a handful of paid apps, each specific to a region. The app covering just the U.S., for example, was $45. But today it’s making its premium navigation services free for iPhone users everywhere for the first 50 miles or 75km of use. The new freemium model comes as the company consolidates its TomTom apps for each region under a new, redesigned app simply called TomTom Go Mobile.


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Microsoft Outlook for iOS can now secure your email, contacts, & calendar with Touch ID

Avatar for Greg Barbosa Mar 14 2016 - 9:10 am PT
5 Comments

Microsoft has enabled Touch ID support to its email and calendar app Outlook today. This introduces a level of security not yet seen in any other major emailing application. Since its acquisition of Acompli a year back, Microsoft has slowly been revamping and adding new features to their purchase. Supporting multiple email account and cloud storage services, swipe options, Skype integration, and now Touch ID, Outlook is becoming quite a formidable email application.


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Adobe releases first Experience Design preview for Mac, its ‘Project Comet’ UX design tool

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 14 2016 - 8:48 am PT
5 Comments
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Adobe has released the first preview version of its new Experience Design CC app for creating and testing interactive design prototypes. The latest Creative Cloud tool was first announced last October at Adobe’s Max Creative Conference under the name Project Comet. As Experience Design is currently in preview, Adobe is letting anyone with a free Adobe ID try the new tool and provide feedback ahead of its commercial release.


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AirParrot Remote lets you remotely control AirParrot 2 from your iPad or iPhone

Avatar for Jeff Benjamin Mar 14 2016 - 7:04 am PT
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AirParrot 2, the popular Mac utility that lets you wirelessly broadcast content from your desktop, now has an iOS companion. The app, appropriately entitled AirParrot Remote, lets users control nearly every facet of AirParrot 2 from any iOS device sharing the same Wi-Fi network.

If you’re familiar with the look of AirParrot 2 on Mac, then you’ll feel right at home with AirParrot Remote, as they look strikingly similar. Watch our video demonstration for a look at some of the things that AirParrot Remote can do.

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Phil Schiller responds to developer complaints about App Store algorithms broken since at least 2013

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Mar 14 2016 - 5:09 am PT
9 Comments
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Complaints that Apple’s App Store algorithms are broken, often returning nonsensical results for highlighted categories like ‘New’ and ‘Hot,’ have finally caught the company’s attention. Phil Schiller yesterday responded to tweeted complaints by Mozilla’s Lisa Brewster and Screenshot++ developer Wesley Dyson.

Both drew attention to the fact that highlighted app categories in Canada and other countries (though seemingly not the U.S.) were filled with a whole range of similarly-named apps, and that apps whose names put them at the top of alphanumeric sorting remain in the ‘New’ category forever …


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