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6,381 'Apps' stories April 2010 - November 2015
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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.

Developers say Apple’s App Store policies make it unlikely we’ll see many pro apps for the iPad Pro

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 20 2015 - 5:28 am PT
63 Comments
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Developers of pro apps have long complained that Apple’s App Store policies are a barrier to them creating iOS versions of popular Mac apps. The launch of the iPad Pro has brought the issue front and center, with a number of developers sharing their thoughts with The Verge.

There are two key issues, they say. First, pro apps are expensive, and users want to satisfy themselves that they are worth the money before they pay. Free trials are the usual way to achieve this with desktop apps, but the App Store doesn’t allow them to offer the same option for iOS apps … 
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9to5Toys Last Call: USB DVD drive $20, Verizon 1GB of data free, UE BOOM Bluetooth speaker $100, more

Avatar for Nov 19 2015 - 9:08 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.

Heads up! During Black Friday/Cyber Monday you’re going to have to follow us on Twitter to get the best deals since many sell out too quickly to post.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

App Store Free App of the Week: Stackables – effects & masks image manipulation app ($3 value)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/667440584332812288 align=’center’]

Tech Components and Accessories up to 60% off: LG Ultra Slim Portable DVD Rewriter $20, much more

Verizon launches its Thanksgetting freebies promotion: 1GB of data, $5 iTunes credit, more

Ultimate Ears (UE) BOOM Smart Portable Bluetooth Speaker: $100 shipped (Orig. $200)

The Black Friday Mac Bundle offers 10 productivity-boosting apps including Drive Genius 4 for $34.99 (Orig. $533)

Amazon’s Black Friday deals go live later this week w/ mobile shoppers getting extra perks

Top 5 ways to score the year’s best online Black Friday deals

10 can’t-miss deals for the holiday season: HDTVs, iPad Air 2, iPhone 6s, more

Apple Watch sale at Best Buy, $50 off across the board, starting at $299 shipped (Open box $278)

20% off iTunes Gift Cards: $100 for $80, $50 for $40, $25 for $20

Giveaway: mophie juice pack reserve battery case for iPhone 6/s (multiple winners)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Sony MDRX950BT Extra Bass Bluetooth Headphones: $98 shipped (Reg. $150+)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/667354257641861120 align=’center’]

BLACK FRIDAY AD LEAKS & NEWS:

Best of Black Friday – Streaming Media Players: Apple TV 64GB $180, Roku SE $20, 2-Pack Chromecast (2nd gen) $50, more

Best of Black Friday – Smart Home: Nest Thermostat $250 + $50 GC, Philips Hue kit $130

Best of Black Friday – HDTVs: 40-inch from $149, Samsung 55-inch Smart $580 (Reg. $1,200), more

Best of Black Friday – iPads, Tablets and e-readers: iPad Air 2 from $360, Amazon Fire $35 (Reg. $50), more

Best of Black Friday – Games: Xbox One/PS4 console bundles, deep discounts on games, more

Best of Black Friday – wearables: Fitbit Flex $59/Charge $90/more, $100 off Apple Watch, Android smartwatches, more

Best Buy’s Black Friday ad brings deals on Apple Watch, Macs, HDTVs, games & more!

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Choice of JBL Clip or Micro Bluetooth Speakers in multiple colors for $25 shipped (Reg. $40)

SanDisk Connect 32GB Wi-Fi Flash Drive for iOS/Android: $30 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)

T-Mobile is discounting iPhone 6s/Plus by $100 when bought on an installment plan or outright

Huge savings on pre-owned Apple Watches, deals from as low as $261 shipped

Apple iPod Touch 5th gen 16-64GB sizes, multiple colors: $149-$199 shipped

Apple Magic Mouse 2 (open-box): $68 shipped (Reg. $80)

Apple iPad Mini 2, space gray or silver: $199 shipped ($70 off)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

GENII’s CAST streaming box skirts copyright rules to beam your content to friends

Pryme Vessyl skips the 8-cup rule for a user specific iPhone-connected recommendation

 

Uber iOS app adds credit card profiles, allowing you to separate business & personal rides

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 19 2015 - 4:41 am PT
5 Comments

If you use Uber for both business and work pleasure, it can be a pain handling the accounting, having to remember to claim the business rides back on expenses. But the service now allows you to register a second credit card for business use, and then simply tap your Personal or Business profile in the app to charge the appropriate card.
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A bundle of Mac App Bundles, more than 50 total apps over 90% off

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Nov 18 2015 - 9:00 pm PT
4 Comments

From 9to5toys.com:

As we approach Black Friday we are at the Nexus of the Mac application bundle universe with not 1, not 2, but 3 impressive Mac Bundles happening at the same time.

First up is MacHeist’s “Hall of Fame Bundle” which includes greats such as TechTool Pro, Graphic Converter, Stuffit Deluxe, Nisus Writer Pro, Poser, Fetch FTP and more for $15 (or choose the bottom row for “Name your own price”. This one has sold over 10,000 copies but ends in a day so you might want to get hopping.

Next up is Bundlehunt which costs a little more but they let you pick out any 10 of a selection of 30 apps which I love as a concept. This includes ForkLift, Pixa, Flux V, RapidWeaver, Boom 2, Secret Folders Pro, Jump Desktop + 23 great Mac apps. Even if you only need a few of these, the $19.99 price tag means you are getting a steal.

And finally probably the most impressive array of apps is from our own specials.9to5toys.com which using $5 code 9TO5BFMB at checkout drops the bundle price down to $34.99. A great price for most of these Mac Apps on their own. PDF Pen, Aftershot Pro 2, Drive Genius, Mixtape Pro, MacXDVD Ripper, Busy Contacts, Prizmo 3, Motion Composer and more.


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Apple shares new video highlighting Watch ABC on new Apple TV

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 18 2015 - 3:51 pm PT
0 Comments

Yesterday, Apple uploaded a handful of new 15 second videos to its YouTube channel highlighting the various apps that its new tvOS-powered Apple TV supports. Apple shared videos showcasing apps Netflix, HBO NOW, Asphalt 8, Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition: Star Wars, and Crossy Road. Now, the company has shared one more video to YouTube highlighting Watch ABC on the new Apple TV.

The video features characters from popular ABC show The Muppets. The video ends with Apple briefly showing the Watch ABC app in the tvOS interface, followed by the same multicolor graphic that opens the video.

In the description of the video, Apple again touts that the future of TV is apps:

Watch ABC and your favorite shows and movies on Apple TV. The future of television is apps.

 You can view the latest video from Apple below. It is likely that as the tvOS App Store continues to expand, Apple will continue to share videos like the ones it has posted over the past two days. Apple is pushing apps on the TV as a primary reason to upgrade to the fourth-generation Apple TV box, so it makes sense for the company to push the most popular apps available on the platform. The tvOS platform allows for developers to have more freedom in making applications than with previous generation Apple TV models.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMNpMIZ9xmQ

Official Google iOS app updated w/ interface tweaks, better organization of Google Now cards

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 18 2015 - 3:30 pm PT
3 Comments

Google today is rolling out an update to its iOS app that brings the app to version 10.0 and includes a handful of visual changes. With today’s update, the voice search feature has been redesigned to be more inline with Google’s Material Design aesthetic, while the Google Now cards in the app are now organized in a much more straightforward way.


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9to5Toys Last Call: SOL REPUBLIC Bluetooth headphones $70, Gold MacBook $1,149, Black Friday guides, more

Avatar for Nov 18 2015 - 9:15 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.

Heads up! During Black Friday/Cyber Monday you’re going to have to follow us on Twitter to get the best deals since many sell out too quickly to post.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

Choice of JBL Clip or Micro Bluetooth Speakers in multiple colors for $25 shipped (Reg. $40)

Bluetooth On-ear Headphones: SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air $70 shipped (Reg. $100), more

Apple’s 12-inch MacBook w/ Retina display 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB (Gold): $1,149 shipped (Reg. $1,299)

Amazon’s Black Friday deals go live later this week w/ mobile shoppers getting extra perks

Top 5 ways to score the year’s best online Black Friday deals

10 can’t-miss deals for the holiday season: HDTVs, iPad Air 2, iPhone 6s, more

Apple Watch sale at Best Buy, $50 off across the board, starting at $299 shipped (Open box $278)

20% off iTunes Gift Cards: $100 for $80, $50 for $40, $25 for $20

Giveaway: mophie juice pack reserve battery case for iPhone 6/s (multiple winners)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Black Friday Magazine Deals start now from under $4/yr: Wired, Popular Science, Dwell, Rolling Stone, GQ, ESPN, more

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/667020820980604928 align=’center’]

BLACK FRIDAY AD LEAKS & NEWS:

Best of Black Friday – Streaming Media Players: Apple TV 64GB $180, Roku SE $20, 2-Pack Chromecast (2nd gen) $50, more

Best of Black Friday – Smart Home: Nest Thermostat $250 + $50 GC, Philips Hue kit $130

Best of Black Friday – HDTVs: 40-inch from $149, Samsung 55-inch Smart $580 (Reg. $1,200), more

Best of Black Friday – iPads, Tablets and e-readers: iPad Air 2 from $360, Amazon Fire $35 (Reg. $50), more

Best of Black Friday – Games: Xbox One/PS4 console bundles, deep discounts on games, more

Best of Black Friday – wearables: Fitbit Flex $59/Charge $90/more, $100 off Apple Watch, Android smartwatches, more

Best Buy’s Black Friday ad brings deals on Apple Watch, Macs, HDTVs, games & more!

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/666990079542484993 align=’center’]

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

SanDisk Connect 32GB Wi-Fi Flash Drive for iOS/Android: $30 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)

App Store Free App of the Week: PDF Expert 5 goes free for the first time ($10 value)

Implosion – Never Lose Hope for iOS goes free for the first time as IGN’s Game of the Month ($10 value)

Hitman Sniper for iOS hits its lowest price yet: $2 (Reg. $5)

T-Mobile is discounting iPhone 6s/Plus by $100 when bought on an installment plan or outright

Huge savings on pre-owned Apple Watches, deals from as low as $261 shipped

Apple iPod Touch 5th gen 16-64GB sizes, multiple colors: $149-$199 shipped

Apple Magic Mouse 2 (open-box): $68 shipped (Reg. $80)

Apple iPad Mini 2, space gray or silver: $199 shipped ($70 off)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Pryme Vessyl skips the 8-cup rule for a user specific iPhone-connected recommendation

Mass Fidelity tries to solve virtual stereo sound with its new Core wireless speaker

 

Tweetbot for Mac now works in full screen and split view on OS X El Capitan

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 18 2015 - 8:09 am PT
0 Comments

Tweetbot for Mac has learned a handy new feature with the latest update just released. Tweetbot for Mac now supports OS X’s full screen mode, including El Capitan’s new Split View feature that lets you run two full screen apps side-by-side. This works a lot like the split view multitasking features on the iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 4. Tweetbot 2.2 also brings a few other changes to the Mac…
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Apple’s WWDC app updated for iOS 9 with iPad Picture in Picture feature

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 17 2015 - 1:35 pm PT
0 Comments

Apple is making it easier to catch up on session videos from WWDC while multitasking with iOS 9 on iPad. The official app for the annual developer conference has been updated to support iOS 9 today and more specifically work with the iPad’s new Picture in Picture feature.

That means you can start watching a session video on the WWDC app on your iPad, and minimize the video stream to a resizable window that floats over your Home screen and any other apps. WWDC for iOS supports both downloading videos for offline viewing as well as streaming videos within the app or PIP.

While WWDC only rolls around once a year, Apple announced a series of Apple TV-focused Tech Talks taking place around the world starting next month. Applicants hoping to attend these Tech Talks first starting being notified yesterday.

While the latest WWDC app adds PIP support, it does not support new Split View features for using two apps side by side. The update also runs native on new iPad Pro displays. The latest version of Apple’s WWDC app for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

Apple promoting popular apps and games on new Apple TV with short clips [Videos]

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 17 2015 - 11:13 am PT
8 Comments

Apple has launched a new campaign to highlight both the new Apple TV and the many games and entertainment services on its App Store with a new series of short video clips. Each 15 second video starts with the same Apple TV graphic, then promotes a popular game or video service app on the new Apple TV with some gameplay or a popular show available on the service, and ends with the same multicolor graphic. So far these clips promote Netflix, HBO NOW, Asphalt 8, Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition: Star Wars, and Crossy Road. You can view each one below:
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16GB iPhone users rejoice: New Google Photos feature lets you easily free up storage on iOS

Avatar for Abner Li Nov 17 2015 - 10:30 am PT
29 Comments

Google is adding some new space-saving features to its Photos app on both the web and iOS. A new feature rolling out to the web client starting Wednesday will give the option to downgrade photos previous backed up in full resolution to the compressed mode in order to save space. And on iOS, there’s a new “Free up space” button being added to the settings menu that deletes already backed up photos…
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Google disables support for third-party keyboards in Chrome due to ‘crashing issues’

Avatar for Mike Beasley Nov 16 2015 - 3:03 pm PT
12 Comments

Third-party keyboards have been supported on iOS since version 8 shipped last year, but even today they’re still often plagued by poor performance and other issues related to Apple’s implementation. Today, Google has released a Chrome for iOS update that disables support for third-party keyboards entirely because of such issues.


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Waze adds 3D Touch shortcuts on iPhone 6s, Fantastical brings Peek & Pop to events and reminders

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 16 2015 - 11:53 am PT
1 Comment

Last month the popular Waze navigation app on iPhone got a major update with a new design and improvements to reporting traffic issues and sharing arrival times with others. Now Waze is out with its next new version which brings 3D Touch shortcuts to the Home screen icon for iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users. Firmly press on the updated icon to quickly look up an address, share your location with other users, or get directions to your work or home address from your current location. Waze also says the update includes the usual bug fixes and improvements.

Fantastical already features 3D Touch shortcuts from its Home screen icon, and today the calendar and reminders app is adding more 3D Touch features for iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users…
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Apple adds Foursquare business listings to Apple Maps

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 16 2015 - 11:51 am PT
3 Comments

Apple has quietly confirmed that it’s adding business listing information from Foursquare to Apple Maps. The addition was spotted on Apple’s acknowledgements page for Maps listing the various contributors of data for Apple’s mapping service (via Apple Maps Marketing).

It’s unclear exactly how Apple is using Foursquare data, but it’s likely users will begin to notice points of interest related data from the service appearing soon. Apple already partners with various companies for the data and other features it uses in Maps including TomTom, booking.com, TripAdvisor, Yelp and others.

Apple uses Yelp and booking.com, for example, to show reviews for local points of interest like restaurants and hotels, and it’s possible Apple will be tapping into Foursquare for similar features.

Foursquare claims to have over 2 million businesses using the service and over 70 million tips, which are essentially reviews and comments for local businesses, submitted by users.

Apple shuts down iPhone and iPad screen brightness adjusting app Flux

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 12 2015 - 1:47 pm PT
19 Comments

Yesterday we shared that the popular automatic screen brightness adjusting app Flux had found a way to make it from the Mac to iPhones and iPads on iOS 9. This afternoon the developers behind Flux announced that the app will no longer be available on iOS at the request of Apple. In a blog post sharing the development, the developers behind the app said that Apple contacted them to say that the app violated Apple’s Developer Program Agreement. While the app was unofficially supported on iOS 9 as a sideloaded app and not an official App Store app, Flux did use Xcode signing to work properly on iPhones and iPads.
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Readdle brings its best-selling iOS productivity app PDF Expert to the Mac

Avatar for Nov 12 2015 - 11:25 am PT
3 Comments


Today, Readdle has launched PDF Expert for Mac. Compatible with OS X Yosemite and El Capitan, this productivity app offers a multitude of PDF editing tools including text annotations, customized shapes, multiple signatures, and “smart tools for filling forms.” Support for Apple Continuity and Handoff allows you to work without interruption when moving between different devices. Readdle is positioning PDF Expert as being a more powerful solution than the built-in Preview app and more cost-effective than Adobe DC.

PDF Expert for Mac is now available on the Mac App Store for $19.99. As part of a limited time launch promotion, PDF Expert for iOS is now free on the App Store (down from $9.99).

When it’s time to edit, all the great tools you need are easy to find and just a click away. PDF Expert’s quick annotations, easy form filling, and powerful file merging will chew through your work in record time.

* Read – An award-winning, lightning-fast, and tabbed document viewer will get you through multiple PDFs faster than ever.

* Annotate – Classic tools and unique innovations enable you to highlight, note, and instruct with just a click.

* Edit – Easily make your mark by adding text, customized shapes, and more.

* Merge – Combine multiple documents into a new PDF, or borrow individual pages.

* Sign – Create multiple signatures for every situation and sign on the line with a single click.

* Fill Out – Avoid your printer with smart tools for filling forms that save you both paper and time.

Upthere cloud service launches first Home and Camera apps in beta

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 12 2015 - 10:00 am PT
2 Comments

Two weeks ago Upthere, the cloud company co-founded by former OS X chief Bertrand Serlet, officially launched after several years of stealth development. Details were still sparse on what exactly Upthere would offer aside from being a different kind of cloud service option for your data. Now Upthere is officially launching its first products in beta: Upthere Home and Upthere Camera.

The idea behind Upthere is that data connections are plenty fast for a lot of people but local storage is a growing issue. Cloud services like Dropbox and iCloud tackle different areas of the problem is different ways, but Upthere believes keeping everything on the server then bringing it to your device on demand is the suitable approach. I got the chance to try out each of the new apps overnight, and while my data is spread across iCloud and Dropbox right now, Upthere’s new apps make a good first impression and look promising.
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iPhone podcast app Castro goes free, adds 3D Touch features, Spotlight integration, more

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Nov 12 2015 - 8:59 am PT
5 Comments

The iPhone podcast app Castro has a lot more competition in the market nowadays since I first reviewed it back in 2013. Arguably, Castro is still the most visually appealing of the current crowd and the developers are currently working on the next major version of the app, Castro 2. In the meantime, the developers have released Castro 1.5 with some new features and a new pricing model. Following Overcast’s lead, Castro is now completely free for all to download. The company is moving to a patronage model.


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