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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: Apple TV 64GB $175, iOttie iPhone Car Mount $11, WeMo Air Purifier $150, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Mar 11 2016 - 9:34 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:

Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro 32GB Wi-Fi in Gold, Silver & Space Gray: $650 shipped (Reg. $799)

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

iOttie Easy Flex 3 Car Mount for iPhone 6/s/Plus and Android Devices: $11 Prime shipped (Reg. $17)

Holmes Smart WeMo appliances: Air Purifier $150 (Reg. $200), X-Large Heater $100 (Reg. $200)

Entry-level MacBook Deals: 11-inch Air $720 (Reg. $899), 13-inch Retina Pro $1,049 (Reg. $1,299)

Apple iPad Pro Wi-Fi 32GB: $670 shipped (Reg. $799)

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

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

Grab the Hitman GO & Hitman Sniper iOS bundle for just $1 (up to $10 value)

The Room Three mystery-puzzler for iOS gets its very first price drop: $2 (Reg. $5)

BADLAND 2 for iOS gets its very first price drop: $2 (Reg. $5)

Save $100 on Apple Watch and get a free $75 gift card + a watch band of your choice

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Smartphone Accessories: Aukey mini 5000mAh Power Bank $8 Prime shipped, more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Surround Sound 5.1-Ch. Systems: Logitech Z506 $50 (Orig. $100), Harman Kardon refurb $140 (Orig. $600)

Solartab: Powerful Solar Panel/13,000mAh dual USB battery in iPad form factor: $94 shipped ($35 off)

12-inch MacBook now $300 off: 256GB $1,000, 512GB $1,300 + extra $50 savings w/ .edu email

Apple Mac Pro 12-core Xeon/64GB/1TB: $8,799 (Reg. $9,599), more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Canon’s best-selling DSLR steps aside for the new Wi-Fi-enabled Rebel T6

Yet another “critical” Flash vulnerability allows an attacker to take control of your Mac – fix available

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Mar 11 2016 - 5:14 am PT
19 Comments

Adobe has announced the latest in a long line of “critical” Flash vulnerabilities, allowing an attacker to take control of your Mac. The same vulnerability has been found in Adobe AIR. The company has released updates for both, which we recommend you install immediately.

Adobe has released security updates for Adobe Flash Player.  These updates address critical vulnerabilities that could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.

Adobe is aware of a report that an exploit for CVE-2016-1010 is being used in limited, targeted attacks.

You can update from the link below …


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Nest’s GPS-enabled Home/Away Assist feature makes your smarthome devices much smarter

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio Mar 10 2016 - 9:46 am PT
3 Comments

Alphabet-owned Nest is best known for its smart thermostat, but the company works on a number of devices which, albeit being generally good at their given task, do not communicate with each other particularly well. And that’s mostly due to the fact that said devices have always had a hard time detecting whether you are actually at home or not.

With the upcoming implementation of GPS support via the Nest app, however, it looks like your house is about to become decidedly more efficient – and smart…


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9to5Toys Last Call: Huawei Smartwatches from $270, Logitech 5.1 speakers $50, Hitman iOS bundle $1, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Mar 10 2016 - 9:35 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:

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

Gold Box: Huawei watches for iOS and Android $80-$130 off, start at $270 shipped, Black Stainless: $320 shipped

Surround Sound 5.1-Ch. Systems: Logitech Z506 $50 (Orig. $100), Harman Kardon refurb $140 (Orig. $600)

Grab the Hitman GO & Hitman Sniper iOS bundle for just $1 (up to $10 value)

oneSafe Premium Password Manager on iOS goes free for the first time (Reg. $5)

Entry-level MacBook Deals: 11-inch Air $720 (Reg. $899), 13-inch Retina Pro $1,049 (Reg. $1,299)

Apple iPad Pro Wi-Fi 32GB: $670 shipped (Reg. $799)

Apple iPad Pro 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $930 shipped (Reg. $1,079)

Apple iPad Pro 128GB Wi-Fi: $800 shipped (Reg. $949)

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

The Room Three mystery-puzzler for iOS gets its very first price drop: $2 (Reg. $5)

BADLAND 2 for iOS gets its very first price drop: $2 (Reg. $5)

App Store Free App of the Week: Toca Kitchen 2 goes free for the first time ($2 value)

Dr. Seuss Birthday iOS/Android App Sale from $1 ea: The Lorax, One Fish Two Fish, Horton Hears a Who!, many more

Save $100 on Apple Watch and get a free $75 gift card + a watch band of your choice

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Daily Deals: Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Headphones $100, JBL Charge 2 Bluetooth Speaker $80, more

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/707975740738953217 align=’center’]

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Solartab: Powerful Solar Panel/13,000mAh dual USB battery in iPad form factor: $94 shipped ($35 off)

Put an extra 256GB in your MacBook Air or Retina Pro w/ Transcend’s JetDrive Lite: $139 (Reg. $155)

12-inch MacBook now $300 off: 256GB $1,000, 512GB $1,300 + extra $50 savings w/ .edu email

Apple Mac Pro 12-core Xeon/64GB/1TB: $8,799 (Reg. $9,599), more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

popSLATE’s second generation iPhone 6/s/Plus e-ink case drops the bulk for a slender design

Apple’s software SVP says quitting multitasking apps not necessary, won’t offer improved battery life

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Mar 10 2016 - 6:13 am PT
52 Comments
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Somehow, it has become a part of mainstream culture for iPhone and iPad users to quit all their apps in multitasking as some kind of regular tech maintenance ritual to improve battery life or speed up the hardware. An understanding of how iOS multitasking works however, shows that this is completely unnecessary to close every app in the multitasking view frequently. A 9to5Mac reader decided to ask Tim Cook for an official stance on whether he quits all his apps and if it’s necessary. Although Cook didn’t answer, Apple iOS chief Craig Federighi did with an unambiguous answer ‘no and no’ …


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Facebook buys popular selfie filter iOS app Masquerade with Snapchat-like features

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 9 2016 - 10:16 am PT
4 Comments
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Remember six months ago when Snapchat introduced its crazy selfie lens feature that sort of went viral? Facebook wants in on the “how’d you do that” action too so it bought the recently launched app Masquerade (stylized as MSQRD) to instantly have access to its own selfie filter features. Masquerade, which only launched on iOS in December, works similarly to Snapchat’s filter feature seen above by using facial recognition over video to transform faces with comical filter effects.


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Google Docs apps add much-needed iPad Pro support, but still lack iOS 9 multitasking

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 8 2016 - 10:03 am PT
6 Comments

Google is on a roll lately with readying its iOS apps for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro announced last September and released last November.

Google’s YouTube app gained native resolution two weeks ago, but lacked iOS 9 multitasking features like Split View and Picture-in-Picture, then yesterday we saw Google Photos update with iPad Pro support in an update that actually includes Split View and Slide Over features.

Now it’s the Google Docs apps turn, at least to start, as the latest version of Google Docs for iOS adds native resolution support for the iPad Pro.
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Yoink: A great utility for moving files around OS X [Video]

Avatar for Jeff Benjamin Mar 8 2016 - 7:13 am PT
10 Comments
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Yoink is a utility available on the Mac App Store that I find to be extremely useful. When you begin dragging a file on a Mac with Yoink installed, the utility’s interface appears on the side of the screen. Yoink serves as a temporary holding area for files on your Mac as you move them between apps, folders, and wherever else in the Finder.

There are few apps that I consider to be must-haves on OS X, but Yoink is certainly one of them. Moving files around the Mac is easier with Yoink installed, especially if you make the most of using full screen apps. Watch our video walkthrough inside to see how.
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‘Buy what you want’ deal lets you grab any 10 of 40 top-rated Mac apps for $20

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Mar 8 2016 - 4:58 am PT
3 Comments

There are a lot of Mac app bundles around, but one from BundleHunt this week looks very appealing – offering a choice of ten top-rated Mac apps for $20.

There are a total of 40 apps to choose from, some of them costing well over $20 individually. Most are utilities, and include apps like Screens (normally $30), iStat Menus ($18), TypeIt4Me ($20) and Duplicate Finder ($30) and many more.


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Flux-like automatic screen brightness app ‘FlexBright’ now available in the App Store

Avatar for Chance Miller Mar 7 2016 - 5:10 pm PT
8 Comments
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Update: As we expected, FlexBright has been removed from the App Store this morning. That didn’t take long at all.

Despite earlier actions against similar apps, Apple has recently approved an app called FlexBright that adjusts the brightness and color temperature of your iPhone or iPad’s display depending on the time of day. While Apple introduced a feature like this with iOS 9.3, the company has previously refused to allow the popular Flux app in the App Store, which provides similar functionality.


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Developers can now receive a weekly App Store analytics email report from Apple

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Mar 7 2016 - 3:13 pm PT
1 Comment

Apple is adding a convenient new feature for developers today in iTunes Connect. Following a refresh to the Payments and Financial Reports pages a fortnight ago, Apple is now letting developers opt-in to a weekly summary report email of their apps. The email will summarize important business metrics for the developer’s apps, including information on App Store views, unit sales, sessions and crash rates. The email will also show the comparisons of these statistics to the previous seven-day period.


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March Madness 2016 comes to Apple TV with exclusive split-screen feature

Avatar for Chance Miller Mar 7 2016 - 3:03 pm PT
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As we head into March, we’re quickly approaching every basketball fan’s favorite time of year: March Madness. The first games begin on March 15th, and today, the NCAA has announced all of the ways you will be able to stream the tournament. The NCAA touts that this year, the games are streaming across more platforms than ever before, including an exclusive feature for Apple TV viewers.


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Google Photos for iOS adds Live Photos + Split View & iPad Pro support

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 7 2016 - 12:12 pm PT
4 Comments
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Google Photos already lets users backup and view an unlimited number of high-resolution photos and videos for free, and Google recently added a button that lets users manually purge downloaded content to make room for more free storage. There’s a new update awaiting Google Photos users today that adds support for the latest software and hardware features on iPhones and iPads.


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9to5Toys Last Call: Apple Watch $100 off + $50 gift card, iTunes gift card 20% off, iPad Pro $670, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Mar 7 2016 - 9:38 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:

Apple iPad Pro Wi-Fi 32GB in all colors: $670 shipped (Reg. $799)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/706944896628826113 align=’center’]

Save $50-$100 on Apple Watch and get a free $50 gift card

Get a iTunes $100 Gift Card for just $80 delivered via email from PayPal (20% savings)

This TP-Link 802.11n Wireless Travel Router is a no-brainer at $8 shipped (Orig. $40)

12-inch MacBook now $300 off: 256GB $1,000, 512GB $1,300 + extra $50 savings w/ .edu email

Apple Mac Pro 12-core Xeon/64GB/1TB: $8,799 (Reg. $9,599), more

Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $930 shipped (Reg. $1,079)

Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro 128GB Wi-Fi: $800 shipped (Reg. $949)

Giveaway: Outfit your Apple Watch with one of Throne’s handmade leather bands ($330 value)

How-to: Save up to $10/month on your cable bill by buying this $40 DOCSIS 3.0 Modem

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Gift cards up to 20% off w/ email delivery: Best Buy, Panda Express, Michael’s, Applebee’s, many more

Put an extra 256GB in your MacBook Air or Retina Pro w/ Transcend’s JetDrive Lite: $139 (Reg. $155)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

App Store Free App of the Week: Toca Kitchen 2 goes free for the first time ($2 value)

Dr. Seuss Birthday iOS/Android App Sale from $1 ea: The Lorax, One Fish Two Fish, more

Snag one of these discounted HDTV antennas and finally cut the cord, deals from $13 Prime shipped

Anker SoundCore Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker w/ 24-hour battery life: $30 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Amazon launches more affordable Echo Dot and Amazon Tap Bluetooth speaker

New Normal blends style and PowerBeats-like design for a new take on wireless earbuds

LEGO releases four new Minecraft sets

Final Cut Pro X: Getting started with Library management and organization [Video]

Avatar for Jeff Benjamin Mar 4 2016 - 8:08 am PT
5 Comments
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Final Cut Pro X has gone through a lot of changes since it first debuted as a reboot back in 2011. Since then, the app has grown up significantly, but it’s been able to retain its relatively low barrier to entry in the process. Final Cut Pro X is remarkably simple to learn, but it has a fairly high ceiling for growth.

In this initial tutorial, I’m going to cover some of the basics about one of the fundamental aspects of Final Cut Pro X: library management. Knowing how Libraries are created and what they contain is extremely important. It’s one of the first steps in really getting to know Final Cut Pro X.
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YouTube Creator Studio updated with the ability to watch videos directly in app

Avatar for Jeff Benjamin Mar 3 2016 - 1:21 pm PT
0 Comments

Great news for content creators wishing to manage their YouTube videos on the go. YouTube Creator Studio, the mobile app version of YouTube’s Creator Studio platform for managing video content, has received a notable update.

The 1.7.93 update, released today, now allows users to watch videos directly inside of the Creator Studio app. In previous versions of Creator Studio, users were forced to open the YouTube app or a Safari browser to watch their content.
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App Store shifts to updating ‘Best New Apps’ more often under Phil Schiller’s leadership, calls it place ‘to visit every day’

Avatar for Jeff Benjamin Mar 3 2016 - 9:18 am PT
7 Comments
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Signs of change are beginning to surface on the App Store after December 17th’s notable leadership changes involving Apple’s Worldwide Marketing SVP Phil Schiller. That move happened after growing discontent from Mac App Store developers, who noted communication breakdowns and overall frustration with the direction that the Mac App Store was headed in.

Schiller is now in charge of all App Stores, taking over responsibilities from Eddy Cue, which most prominently include the iOS App Store and the Mac App Store.

It’s been less than three months since the move occurred, but we’re already beginning to see a change in the way the App Store operates. For example, we’re now seeing more regular updates of the Best New Apps section at the top of the App Store’s Featured page. In a tweet today, Schiller acknowledged the changes and indicated that more changes were on the way.


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Send random GIFs, photos and quotes to friends blindly with Rando, a new iPhone app

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Mar 3 2016 - 9:05 am PT
0 Comments

An interesting new app by David Barnard (from Contrast, maker of Launch Center Pro) and friends is hitting the App Store today: Rando. It’s a straightforward — albeit strange — concept.

You choose to send a GIF, a quote or a picture (from your Photo library). You then choose a recipient contact and send them a random piece of media. You can even risk doing this completely blindly: the app will blur out the content so you can’t see it until its been sent to a friend.


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Vimeo for iOS gains picture-in-picture video playback, new discovery features, more

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 3 2016 - 6:59 am PT
0 Comments
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Vimeo is out with a new version of its iOS app today that adds support for iOS 9 features, improves content discovery, makes video sharing faster, and more. iPad users will be happy to learn that Vimeo now supports iOS 9’s picture-in-picture feature for video playback when using other apps. The video service has also tuned up video discovery features and recommendations in the latest version of their iOS app.


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Review: Postly for iOS turns your photos into personalized postcards

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 2 2016 - 11:45 am PT
10 Comments
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Apple’s Cards app introduced in 2011 and discontinued two years later remains one of my favorite iPhone apps to date. The service was fantastic: snap photos on your iPhone, then turn them into personalized letterpress cards sent through the mail to friends and family. Stamp and envelope included, you’d pay $2.99 for anywhere in the US or $4.99 for anywhere around the world. You can still send personalized letterpress cards using Photos on the Mac, but the service was perfect for me as an iPhone app.

I’ve tried a handful of similar iPhone apps since Cards shut down with Postly being the latest and perhaps most modern. Available for iPhone and iPad, Postly lets you create personalized postcards from your iPhone that deliver worldwide for $1.99.


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