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6,382 '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.

Facebook reportedly launching News-like app ‘Notify’ with media partners next week

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 4 2015 - 12:50 pm PT
3 Comments

Facebook is said to be planning to launch its standalone news app with a list of media partners on board sometime next week. That’s according to Financial Times, which reports the app will be called Notify and include content from a list of media partners including CBS, The Washington Post, and Vogue. Reports of Facebook working on a separate mobile app focused on news rather than the social network first surfaced in early August.

The news comes just as Facebook announced today in its earnings report that it’s currently serving an average 1.01 billion daily active users each month…
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Google Drive for iOS gets improved sharing experience w/ notifications & more

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 4 2015 - 12:00 pm PT
0 Comments

Google Drive updates arriving today include new features for the service’s iOS app including sharing notifications and what Google promises will be a ‘consistent sharing experience across platforms.”

As part of its Drive mobile app updates today, both users of the iOS and Android apps can now enable notifications for when files are shared with them. Not only is it a notification, but it also acts as a quick link to jump right into the file or folder. And in addition, Google notes that “If a file/folder owner has notifications turned on and someone requests access to their content, the owner will be notified of the request instantly on their mobile device so they can quickly grant access.”

Another feature in the update for the Google Drive iOS app is what Google describes as a new consistent sharing experience, which essentially means the iOS app sharing experience is now on par with the Drive app on other platforms. You’ll notice the addition of an option to add a custom message when sharing:

We’re implementing a more consistent sharing experience in Drive (and the Docs editor apps too!) across platforms, including the ability for people using the Drive iOS app to add custom messages to recipients directly from the app when sharing a file.

The updated Google Drive app for iPhone and iPad is available now.

Evernote for iOS adds sketching/handwriting in notes, iPad split-screen support

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 4 2015 - 11:31 am PT
1 Comment

Evernote just announced an update to its iPhone and iPad apps that brings the ability to sketch in notes, which should make many users happy as the company points out the feature is one of its most-requested (and one it’s long had on Android).

Using your finger or a stylus like the Evernote edition of the Adonit Jot Script or Apple Pencil, users can now sketch inside of notes. And for users of the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus with 3D Touch, the feature will allow you to “change the line weight just by adjusting your writing pressure.”

Sketches, like everything else, sync across platforms so you can view and continue to edit on another iOS or Android device. And the feature includes handwriting recognition, so you’ll be able to search for text you’ve written inside notes.

Here’s how you access the feature:
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Feature Request: Airbnb’s Apple TV app is perfect for a concierge-style experience for guests

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 4 2015 - 11:04 am PT
1 Comment

Feature Request is a new regular 9to5Mac series where authors offer their opinion on how to improve popular hardware or software products.

A lot of the apps on the new Apple TV bring similar experiences as on iOS to the big screen, but we’re bound to see some unique apps designed specifically for the living room that perhaps didn’t make a lot of sense on smaller or mobile devices. One example of this and my first Feature Request: Airbnb should add a concierge-style experience for guests through its new Apple TV app.
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9to5Toys Last Call: Audio-Technica ATH-M50x headphones $119, iPhone 6/s case $3, MFi Lightning cable $4, more

Avatar for Nov 4 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.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Get the latest Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd Gen.) for $212 shipped (Reg. $249)

Audio-Technica’s best selling ATH-M50x headphones in black: $119 shipped (Orig. $170), more

Protect your new iPhone 6/s with this dual-layer case in Space Gray, Silver or Gold: $3 Prime shipped (Reg. $12)

USB Power Deals: 3.3-ft. MFi Apple-Certified Lightning Cable $4 (Reg. $11), Lumsing 3-port Car Charger + Lightning Cable $8, more

Review: How Amazon Echo changed my life + $130 special price ($50 off) for Amazon card holders

Apple iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi: 16GB $399 (Reg. $499), 64GB $479 (Reg. $599), 128GB $559 (Reg. $699)

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

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/661597131170557954 align=’center’]

Sam’s Club One-Day Sale: iPhone 6s/Plus $100 off, iPad Air 2 64GB/128GB $150 off, PlayStation 4 $300, more

eBay calls on Black Friday shoppers to decide which products will get discounted this year

Amazon’s Black Friday Deals store is now open for business

Everything we know so far about this year’s best Black Friday deals and promotions

More new gear from today:

Daily Deals: Vizio 43″ 120Hz 1080p LCD HDTV + $100 Dell GC $300, LYTRO Light Field Camera $400, more

More deals still alive:

This 802.11n pocket wireless router from TP-LINK is a must-have for avid travelers: $10 shipped (Orig. $40)

Buy a pair of PowerBeats 2 Wireless In-Ear Headphones, get a $50 Target gift card: $144 shipped (Orig. $200)

Beats by Dr. Dre Pill 2.0 Portable Bluetooth Speaker (multiple colors) $120 shipped (Orig. $200)

New products & more:

Mellow Boards makes any skateboard electric and looks good doing it

 

Review: Cold Open for iOS makes it easy to track your favorite TV shows

Avatar for Mike Beasley Nov 4 2015 - 6:24 am PT
9 Comments

These days, there are so many good TV shows on that it’s difficult to pick just one or two favorites, and on-demand streaming makes it even easier to watch your favorite shows on your own schedule, so it’s no surprise that some people have a hard time keeping track of which shows they’re behind on.

For many, the solution has come in the form of apps that take all of the work out of remembering when your favorite shows air and help you track which episodes you’ve seen or missed. Sometimes, however, these apps can be as complicated as the TV schedule you’re trying to track.

Today, a new app in that category called Cold Open has launched. It was created by a team of developers and designers known in the iOS and jailbreaking communities for their work on a variety of projects, and it’s one of the simplest TV apps yet, making it ridiculously easy to keep track of your watching habits.


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Want to see how Microsoft’s Cortana compares to Siri? Apply for access to the iOS beta

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 4 2015 - 6:03 am PT
2 Comments

If you’re curious to see how Microsoft’s digital assistant Cortana compares to Siri, you may be able to take it for a test-drive. Microsoft says that it has completed internal testing of Cortana for iOS and is now seeking beta testers.

Cortana is with you on your Windows 10 PC, tablet, and phone—helping you whenever and wherever you need it. But we also know that there’s a choice of mobile devices out there, so we want help from our Windows Insiders to make sure she’s a great personal assistant on iOS too. We’re looking for a limited number of people to get their hands on an early version of the […] Cortana for iOS beta … 


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Fallout’s new C.H.A.T. app allows users to communicate in emoji & GIFs from the game

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 3 2015 - 4:40 pm PT
0 Comments

Ahead of the highly anticipated release of Fallout 4 on November 10th, Bethesda, the company behind the game, has released a new app called Fallout C.H.A.T. While it’s not an actual messaging app, or even an actual keyboard, it’s a neat way for fans of the popular Fallout series to communicate with one another.


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Tweetbot 4.1 for iOS brings the popular Twitter app to Apple Watch

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 3 2015 - 10:21 am PT
0 Comments

Tapbots is out with Tweetbot 4.1 for iOS, bringing Tweetbot to the Apple Watch for the first time. The update follows the massive Tweetbot 4.0 launch at the start of October which included a redesigned iPad version plus iOS 9-specific features and more.  The new Tweetbot 4.1’s Apple Watch app is made for watchOS 2 and lets users compose new tweets, view recent activity, respond to mentions, and view profiles. Tweetbot for Apple Watch also enhances the way notifications look with a richer, custom appearance.
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9to5Toys Last Call: Pebble Time $150, TP-LINK Travel Router $10, Targus iPad Air Case $7, more

Avatar for Nov 3 2015 - 9:01 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:

Review: How Amazon Echo changed my life + $130 special price ($50 off) for Amazon card holders

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/661597131170557954 align=’center’]

Pebble Time Smartwatch for iOS and Android (multiple colors): $150 shipped (Reg. $200)

This 802.11n pocket wireless router from TP-LINK is a must-have for avid travelers: $10 shipped (Orig. $40)

Targus Ultra Twill Vuscape Case for iPad Air (Black): $7 Prime shipped (83% off list)

Apple iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi: 16GB $399 (Reg. $499), 64GB $479 (Reg. $599), 128GB $559 (Reg. $699)

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

eBay calls on Black Friday shoppers to decide which products will get discounted this year

Amazon’s Black Friday Deals store is now open for business

Everything we know so far about this year’s best Black Friday deals and promotions

More new gear from today:

Fashion: 20% off at Amazon – Kenneth Cole Down Jacket $90 (Reg. $113), shoes, accessories, more

More deals still alive:

Buy a pair of PowerBeats 2 Wireless In-Ear Headphones, get a $50 Target gift card: $144 shipped (Orig. $200)

Beats by Dr. Dre Pill 2.0 Portable Bluetooth Speaker (multiple colors) $120 shipped (Orig. $200)

New products & more:

Mogees iPhone-connected sensor turns any object into a playable instrument

Inbox by Gmail app for iPhone will use AI-powered Smart Reply feature to respond to messages for you

Avatar for Cam Bunton Nov 3 2015 - 7:46 am PT
7 Comments

Google’s Inbox by Gmail app for iPhone is one of the best things to happen to personal email management since email was invented (at least, it is for Gmail users). Using Google Now’s power, it can automatically create calendar events, sort out your junk and priority emails and suggest reminders. Now it’s about to get a whole lot smarter.


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Activision acquires the company behind Candy Crush for $5.9 billion

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 2 2015 - 8:07 pm PT
5 Comments

Activision Blizzard has agreed to acquire the company behind the popular Candy Crush Saga and Farm Hero games, King Digital Entertainment, for $5.9 billion in cash. King Digital’s games consist of a community of more than 340 million unique users. Activision, of course, is the company behind hit console games like the Call of Duty series.


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Official Plex app for Apple TV now available, offers local streaming, playlists, channels, more

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Nov 2 2015 - 1:54 pm PT
57 Comments

The official Plex app for Apple TV is now available in the App Store. Plex is a media server for video, TV shows, music and photos. The app is fully featured, with quick access to search, playlists and more from the top bar. It also tracks your currently playing items so you can quickly pick up with a show or film from where you left off. The app incorporates channel streaming of content like TED, Revision3 and more as well as video queues from YouTube and Vimeo.
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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad mini 2 $199, iPad Air 2 from $399, Beats Pill 2.0 Bluetooth Speaker $120, more

Avatar for Nov 2 2015 - 9:24 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:

Buy a pair of PowerBeats 2 Wireless In-Ear Headphones, get a $50 Target gift card: $144 shipped (Orig. $200)

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

Apple iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi: 16GB $399 (Reg. $499), 64GB $479 (Reg. $599), 128GB $559 (Reg. $699)

Beats by Dr. Dre Pill 2.0 Portable Bluetooth Speaker (multiple colors) $120 shipped (Orig. $200)

Amazon’s Black Friday Deals store is now open for business

Everything we know so far about this year’s best Black Friday deals and promotions

More new gear from today:

2 Pack: Mohu Leaf Metro Indoor HDTV Antenna (Refurb) $25 shipped (Orig. $40 value)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/661221136408023040 align=’center’]

More deals still alive:

Freebies: Mighty Mac App Bundle + Brad Paisley album + More!

Free PS Plus Games for November: The Walking Dead Season 2, Mass Effect 2, Beyond Good & Evil, more

Free Xbox Live Gold Games for November: Pneuma Breath of Life, Dungeon Siege III, more

PSA: Best Buy and others launch new Apple TV pre-orders, offer potential savings

The best accessories for the new Apple TV: MFi game controllers, keyboards, cables, more

New products & more:

Panasonic has a new line of solar powered products designed for those in need

Another reason you might want to hide one of the iPhone’s default apps: your financial health …

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 2 2015 - 5:41 am PT
5 Comments

With Apple not allowing us to delete its pre-installed iPhone apps, may of us take to hiding them away inside a folder on the ‘back’ screen where they at least don’t get in the way. But a report in the WSJ suggests there’s another reason you may want to hide the Stocks app: using it too often can lead you to make poor investing decisions.

The report references a phenomenon known as myopic loss aversion, in which people are likely to sell stocks when they see frequent downward movements – even if the long-term trend is up.

When people are frequently told how their investments are doing—say, if they are given a daily update on their long-term investments, by smartphone or any other digital device—they are more likely to make poor financial decisions and possibly sell at the wrong time.

The reason frequent checks are risky is that the more often you look, the greater the chance you’re going to see a drop in the price. And that has nothing to do with the stock’s performance, it’s just stats.

If you check every single day, there’s a roughly 47% chance that the market will have gone down, based on its past movements. But what happens if you check once a month? The numbers will start to look a little better, as the market will only have gone down 41% of the time. Years are better still, as the S&P generates a positive return seven years out of every 10. And if you check once a decade, then you’re only going to get bad news about 15% of the time.

So if you want to make the best investment decisions, it seems the smart money is on leaving the Stocks app well alone.

Apple has come under criticism for continuing to offer a 16GB iPhone in 2015, but defended the decision on the basis of cloud storage and app thinning.

Google’s new ‘Who’s Down’ app shows which of your friends are free to hang out

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 30 2015 - 11:55 am PT
13 Comments

Google has just quietly released a new app on the App Store called “Who’s Down”. As you might be able to tell from its name, the app will apparently — once there are people who are actually using it — let you see which of your friends are free to hang out. Currently, the app is invite-only, so the only things we know about its functionality are from the app’s App Store screenshots…
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9to5Toys Last Call: 21″ iMac (newest version) $950, iPhone 6s/Plus cases from $3, iPhone car mount $5, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Oct 30 2015 - 9:02 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:

Everything we know so far about this year’s best Black Friday deals and promotions

Apple 21-inch iMac (newest version) 1.6GHz/8GB/1TB: $950 shipped (Reg. $1,099)

12-inch MacBook w/ Retina display 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB: $1,099 shipped (Reg. $1,299)

13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (newest) 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB: $1,280 shipped (Reg. $1,499)

iPhone 6s/Plus accessories: ULAK cases from $3, Griffin and Case-Mate 20% off, more

Aukey Magnetic Cradle-less Car Air Vent Mount $4.50 Prime shipped (Reg. $7)

PSA: Best Buy and others launch new Apple TV pre-orders, offer potential savings

The best accessories for the new Apple TV: MFi game controllers, keyboards, cables, more

Target ad leak reveals planned Apple Watch discount for iPhone purchasers

Giveaway: Polk Audio’s Omni Whole Home Music System – Soundbar w/ subwoofer and S2 Speaker ($880 value)

More new gear from today:

Headphones: Audio-Technica Over-Ears $100 (Orig. $250), URGE Basics Bluetooth Earbuds $9 (Reg. $19), more

More deals still alive:

Logitech K480 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard (refurb) $20 shipped (Orig. $50)

App Store Free App of the Week: rop mind-bending puzzle game ($1 value)

A Dark Room — the best-selling iPhone/iPad RPG is now available for free (Reg. $1)

New products & more:

GE’s new smart LED lightbulbs tell your brain when it’s time for bed

This life-size R2-D2 refrigerator carries your beer to you…for a price

Video game pioneer betting on the Apple Watch as the ideal platform when online gambling is legalized

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Oct 30 2015 - 5:23 am PT
3 Comments

Video game pioneer Larry DeMar believes that the Apple Watch is the ideal platform for slot machine gaming if and when other U.S. states legalize online gambling. DeMar created the popular arcade machine game Defender, and now works on slot-machine games for casinos.

At present, online gaming for real money is legal only in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware – and the App Store bans gambling apps. But DeMar thinks that will change, reports the Chicago Tribune.

He wants to be ready if more states legalize online gaming, something he and his brother – Steven DeMar, LED Gaming’s director of business development – believe is inevitable.

“The money is going to have to come from somewhere,” Steven DeMar said, referring to states’ need for tax revenue.

DeMar’s company LED Gaming is getting ready by offering a slot-machine app for the Watch that currently allows people to play with credits but could be adapted to use real money. When your credits run out, you can either wait an hour to be given more, or ‘buy’ some by watching an ad.

DeMar says the Apple Watch is a great platform for the game thanks to a winning combination of crisp graphics and haptic feedback, allowing users to ‘feel’ the game.

Betting on a combination of changes to both law and Apple’s App Store policy may seem a long-shot, but I guess the gambling mentality comes with the territory for DeMar.

Adobe updates Photoshop Mix & Fix w/ iOS 9 Split View, iPad Pro & Apple Pencil support

Avatar for Chance Miller Oct 29 2015 - 5:15 pm PT
2 Comments

Adobe today has rolled out updates to a pair of its iOS apps, adding support for features introduced in the latest version of Apple’s operating system. Adobe Photoshop Fix and Adobe Photoshop Mix have both been updated this evening, the former being bumped to version 1.1 and the latter to version 2.1.


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Apple TV apps now appearing in tvOS search as first units begin to ship

Avatar for Mike Beasley Oct 29 2015 - 12:49 pm PT
33 Comments

The first Apple TV shipments have started rolling out to customers in preparation for the device’s launch later this week. As seen in the screenshot above, users are now seeing their shipment statuses updated on Apple’s website.

At the same time, Apple has now enabled users with pre-release hardware to search for and find tvOS apps, though the platform’s dedicated App Store has yet to officially launch…


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