Apps

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:

The FLUXO Smart Lamp lets iOS and Android users paint their walls with light

Sprint will give you a free HDTV when you open a new account/upgrade to a Samsung device
MacPhun Photo Editing apps for Mac 40% off: Intensify & Tonality $10 ea, more
Google Nexus 6P 5.7-inch 32GB Android Factory Unlocked Smartphone: $449 (Reg. $499)
Fashion: Barney’s Warehouse up to 60% off: Men’s Polo shirt $16 (Reg. $39), more
Spoil your kids with a Little Tikes bouncy house for $160, more
Sports/Fitness: Bluetooth 4.0 sport earbuds $12 (Reg. $18+), more
Home: Stainless Steel Burr Coffee Grinder $34 (Reg. $55), more

Apple 13-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB (newest version): $950 or $900 w/ .edu (Reg. $1,199)

Headphones: Beats by Dr. Dre Solo2 Wireless $190 (Reg. $220+), Audio-Technica Over-Ears + FiiO e6 amp $149, more

Get into smart lighting w/ the Philips Hue Go Portable LED System for $80 shipped (Reg. $100)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/677134115381116928 align=’center’]

Gift Cards w/ Email Delivery: Sears $100 for $85, Cabela’s $50 for $40, Spotify $60 for $50, more

Apple Watch Sport $100 off at B&H Photo, prices start at $249 with tax only in NY

Best Buy’s latest Apple sale is your best chance to score iPad, Mac, & Watch deals before Christmas: iPad Air 2 $125 off, iPad Air $100 off, iPad mini 4 $100 off, much more!

Anker USB Power Deals: Astro E7 26,800mAh Power Bank $40 (Reg. $60), Braided Nylon MFi Lightning Cables from $8, more

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

USB Chargers w/ Prime shipping: Imneed 10,000mah Slim power bank $12, Nylon Braided Lightning Cable $8, more

Games/Apps: Batman Arkham Knight from $20, Xbox One 1TB GTA V Bundle $350
Daily Deals: ZAGGfolio Bluetooth Keyboard Case for iPad Air 2 $40, Jabra Solemate $50
Audio up to 60% Off: Bluetooth speakers $12, In-ear headphones from $5
Bluetooth Speakers: Inateck MercuryBox Aluminum $30, Aukey Rugged $15

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

iPhone 6/s/Plus Accessories: Sport Armbands from $6, cases in a variety of colors/styles from $3 shipped, more

Bose Holiday Savings: SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker $99 (Reg. $129), QC25 Headphones $269 (Reg. $299)

Toca Nature is now available for free on the App Store (Reg. $3)
Networking: TP-LINK OnHub 802.11ac Router + Google Chromecast $179
Buy a new Chromecast, receive a $20 Google Play credit plus more offers
Google is offering a free $20 Best Buy Gift Card when you use Android Pay
LG Optimus Exceed 2 (Verizon Prepaid) Android Smartphone $12 (Reg. $50+)
Media: iTunes HD Movie $10 Sale, Blu-rays from $4, more
Pencil by FiftyThree smart iPad stylus from $30 Prime shipped (Orig. $50)
USB Hubs: ORICO Aluminum 7-port $30 (Reg. $40), more
Get half off a replacement Apple MagSafe 2 Power Adapter: $40 (Orig. $79)
Capture the action this Christmas with GoPro’s HERO+ LCD camera for $240 (Reg. $300)
Affinity Photo is Apple’s Mac App of the Year, download it now for $40 (Reg. $50)
App Store Free App of the Week: Cut the Rope 2 goes free for the first time ($1 value)
The Room for iOS goes free for the first time in two years (Reg. $1), more
Download Josh Groban’s latest album Stages for free ($11 value)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz free Kindle download and audiobook (Reg. $9+)
Mophie iPhone 6/s Juice Pack Air: $75 (Reg. $100)
Buy select movies from Google Play and get a second copy to gift to a friend for free
1-month free Marvel Unlimited comic subscription
Home Recording: PreSonus AudioBox Studio bundle $150 shipped (Reg. $200+)
ChugPlug adds 4 hours of battery life to your Macbook: $25 (Orig. $130)
Mpow Grip Magic Air Vent iPhone 6/s Car Mount $5 Prime shipped

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

YoCam tops GoPro’s tiny action camera in features, but does it matter?

Justin’s Holiday Gift Guide: speakers, Lightning mics, storage, pocket synths & more to up your home recording set-up

Trevor’s Holiday Gift Guide: The perfect accessories for travel – backpacks, cord management, more

Dan’s Holiday Gift Guide: rare Apple collectibles & swag for the techie who has everything

Skip the holiday blues with these practical stocking stuffers

Top 10 holiday movies you can stream right now on Netflix

This limited edition Rolls Royce cocktail kit is a must see for car and James Bond fans alike
LEGO Architecture teases upcoming Skyline series featuring the world’s most famous cities
De’Longhi launches new PrimaDonna Elite coffeemaker w/ iOS connectivity
Pine64 aims to knock off Raspberry Pi with its low-price 4K-capable microcomputer
Amazon names the best-selling books of 2015, snag one as a surefire holiday gift

Adobe Lightroom for iOS updated with 3D Touch, Split View, iPad Pro support, more

Zac Hall Dec 16 2015 - 7:43 am PT

3 Comments

Adobe today released a new version of Photoshop Lightroom for iOS with new features for the latest iPhones and iPads. iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users can now enjoy new 3D Touch Quick Actions from the Lightroom icon, and the latest version has been optimized for iPad Pro and enhanced to support iOS 9 multitasking features. The update also introduces a Notification Center widget plus new editing tools as well.

Apple/IBM partnership hits landmark of 100+ apps across 14 industries and 65 professions

Ben Lovejoy Dec 16 2015 - 5:53 am PT

6 Comments

The enterprise apps partnership between Apple and IBM has reached the goal the two companies set of bringing 100+ MobileFirst apps to the business and professional sectors. Many enterprise customers of course use these in conjunction with existing consumer apps.

IBM today announced it has delivered more than 100 IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps, as part of its partnership with Apple, to transform work across 14 industries and 65 individual professions, from wealth advisors to flight attendants, first responders, nurses and retail buyers. Additionally, the companies are expanding the portfolio to new markets including consumer products, automotive, aging and chemicals and petroleum.

The companies plan to make future apps even more powerful …

PSA: Rdio closing on 22 December, download your playlists now or lose them forever

Ben Lovejoy Dec 16 2015 - 4:31 am PT

If you’re an Rdio user, you have a week to download your playlists before the service goes offline at 8pm ET/5pm PT on Tuesday 22 December. Although the company was acquired by Pandora last month, its new owners are not continuing the service, but instead incorporating some of its technology and talent.

You can download an archive of your collection, and also see your listening stats, by logging in at the company’s ‘farewell’ page.

Rdio has posted a few stats to the page, showing that the most-played album was Nothing Was The Same by Drake, while the most popular song was When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars.

Via Engadget

Skype iPhone & iPad app gets improved sharing with iOS extension

Jordan Kahn Dec 15 2015 - 10:24 am PT

Skype for iPhone and iPad gets an update today to version 6.8 and with it comes new features for sharing content in the app. With the update, you’ll be able to quickly share links to websites and photos from your camera roll:

Skype 6.8 for iPhone and iPad makes sharing content with friends on Skype really easy. Simply tap on a share button to send links from apps and websites or photos from your camera roll directly to a Skype contact – just select the friend you want to share with and send! Perfect for sharing photos from your office party or present ideas with family members without the hassle of sending the content in an email.

The new app adds support for Skype in the system-wide iOS share sheet, meaning you’ll be able to easily share content from the web, in apps, and elsewhere directly to contacts in Skype. The company’s demo video below gives you the rundown on enabling the feature if you’re unfamiliar:

[youtube=https://youtu.be/6yVW1FHAN244]

The updated Skype app for iPhone and iPad is available on the App Store.

9to5Toys Last Call: Apple Watch $249, TP-LINK 802.11ac Router $100, Anker 26,800mAh Power Bank $40, more

Trevor Daugherty Dec 15 2015 - 9:00 am PT

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 into smart lighting w/ the Philips Hue Go Portable LED System for $80 shipped (Reg. $100)

Networking: TP-LINK OnHub 802.11ac Router + Google Chromecast $179, more
Voyager Air 2 USB 3.0 Mobile Wireless Storage 1TB for iOS/Android: $70 (Reg. $180)
Toca Nature is now available for free on the App Store (Reg. $3)
YoCam tops GoPro’s tiny action camera in features, but does it matter?
LG Optimus Exceed 2 (Verizon Prepaid) Android Smartphone $12 (Reg. $50+)
Original LG Watch Urbane in Gold or Silver drops to $199 shipped (Orig. $349)
Google is offering a free $20 Best Buy Gift Card when you use Android Pay
Sports/Fitness: 25% off Allen Car Bike Racks from $35, more
Home: Philips 2-Pack Sonicare toothbrushes $80, Norelco Shaver $120, more

Apple Watch Sport $100 off at B&H Photo, prices start at $249 with tax only in NY

Amazon Gold Box — TP-LINK networking up to 60% off: AC1900 Archer C9 Dual-Band Gigabit Router $100 (Reg. $125)

Anker USB Power Deals: Astro E7 26,800mAh Power Bank $40 (Reg. $60), Braided Nylon MFi Lightning Cables from $8, more

Best Buy’s latest Apple sale is your best chance to score iPad, Mac, & Watch deals before Christmas: iPad Air 2 $125 off, iPad Air $100 off, iPad mini 4 $100 off, much more!

Best Buy makes a splash with the lowest Apple Watch prices ever, deals start at just $249

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/676769126061318144 align=’center’]

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

iPhone 6/s/Plus Accessories: Sport Armbands from $6, cases in a variety of colors/styles from $3 shipped, more

Bluetooth Audio: Anker SoundCore Speaker $30 (Reg. $40), more
Games/Apps: Guitar Hero Live for iOS/console $60, iOS freebies, more
Daily Deals: Jawbone Mini Jambox Bluetooth Speaker $65, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 $60, more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Bose Holiday Savings: SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker $99 (Reg. $129), QC25 Headphones $269 (Reg. $299)

Buy a new Chromecast, receive a $20 Google Play credit plus more offers

Media: iTunes HD Movie $10 Sale, Blu-rays from $4, more
Pencil by FiftyThree smart iPad stylus from $30 Prime shipped (Orig. $50)
USB Hubs: ORICO Aluminum 7-port $30 (Reg. $40), more
Get half off a replacement Apple MagSafe 2 Power Adapter: $40 (Orig. $79)
2-pack Logitech UE BOOM Smart Bluetooth speakers for $170 shipped (Orig. $400+)
Capture the action this Christmas with GoPro’s HERO+ LCD camera for $240 (Reg. $300)
Fashion: Ralph Lauren 30% off – Half-Zip Pullover $42 (Orig. $99), more
Affinity Photo is Apple’s Mac App of the Year, download it now for $40 (Reg. $50)
App Store Free App of the Week: Cut the Rope 2 goes free for the first time ($1 value)
The Room for iOS goes free for the first time in two years (Reg. $1), more
Download Josh Groban’s latest album Stages for free ($11 value)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz free Kindle download and audiobook (Reg. $9+)
Mophie iPhone 6/s Juice Pack Air: $75 (Reg. $100)
Buy select movies from Google Play and get a second copy to gift to a friend for free
1-month free Marvel Unlimited comic subscription
Home Recording: PreSonus AudioBox Studio bundle $150 shipped (Reg. $200+)
ChugPlug adds 4 hours of battery life to your Macbook: $25 (Orig. $130)
Mpow Grip Magic Air Vent iPhone 6/s Car Mount $5 Prime shipped
Twelve South blowout: iPad mini leather case $25 Prime shipped (Reg. $70)
Home Recording: ATH-M40x headphones + Blue Yeti USB mic $130, more
Sling Media Slingbox 350 (refurb) $55 shipped (Orig. $180)
Apple’s latest freebie is Afterlight image editing app for iPhone and iPad ($1 value)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

This limited edition Rolls Royce cocktail kit is a must see for car and James Bond fans alike

Justin’s Holiday Gift Guide: speakers, Lightning mics, storage, pocket synths & more to up your home recording set-up

Trevor’s Holiday Gift Guide: The perfect accessories for travel – backpacks, cord management, more

Dan’s Holiday Gift Guide: rare Apple collectibles & swag for the techie who has everything

Skip the holiday blues with these practical stocking stuffers

Top 10 holiday movies you can stream right now on Netflix

LEGO Architecture teases upcoming Skyline series featuring the world’s most famous cities
De’Longhi launches new PrimaDonna Elite coffeemaker w/ iOS connectivity
Pine64 aims to knock off Raspberry Pi with its low-price 4K-capable microcomputer
Amazon names the best-selling books of 2015, snag one as a surefire holiday gift
The future is (almost) here with Moley’s robotic kitchen
The latest Omate smartwatch for iOS/Android hits Indiegogo w/ instant success
Amazon launches New Kindle Fire HD 8 ‘Reader’s Edition’

Sonos rolling out Apple Music support in beta from today

Zac Hall Dec 15 2015 - 6:56 am PT

8 Comments

Sonos is beginning to roll out support for streaming Apple Music content to its wireless speakers starting today. The feature is available in beta and limited to select Sonos customers who signed up earlier this month when the update was first announced. Sonos will continue to add more people to the Apple Music beta ahead of a wider release to all Sonos customers early next year. I’ve had a chance to try out the Apple Music beta with Sonos, which works through the updated Sonos Controller app, and in some cases it looks better than Apple’s own app.

Jeb Bush calls Apple Watch unintuitive, lists his favorite iPhone apps in new interview

Chance Miller Dec 15 2015 - 1:00 am PT

7 Comments

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush has long voiced his support for Apple products. Earlier this year, he praised the health features of the Apple Watch, saying that it does a better job at health management than Obamacare. Jeb! later posted a video of his Silicon Valley favorites, voicing his support for iPhone over BlackBerry and MacBook Pro over iPad, while showing off his Apple Watch. Now, however, in a quick interview with Business Insider, Bush has become somewhat critical of the Apple Watch…

Hulu iPhone app overhauled with iPad-like design, new features for parents

Jordan Kahn Dec 14 2015 - 11:55 am PT

Hulu gets a major update today with an all-new design for iPhone alongside a few new features in version 4.7.0.

The new iPhone design looks a lot like the design Hulu was already using on the iPad with navigation tucked under a menu button in the upper left section instead of tabs along the bottom. You’ll also find mostly grid layouts with larger images when the app is displaying lists of content.

Here’s a look at the old Hulu iPhone app (left) versus the new design in today’s update (right):

And in addition to the updated design, iPhone users will find Hulu’s Kid Lock functionality now available. The parental control feature can be enabled through settings to restrict content for children using the service.

The updated Hulu app for iPhone is available on the App Store now.

AppFigures now lets developers easily share favorite App Store reviews, Parse SDK adds tvOS and watchOS 2 support

Benjamin Mayo Dec 14 2015 - 11:20 am PT

4 Comments

There are a few new goodies for iOS developers shipping during the holiday season. Over the weekend, app analytics firm AppFigures released a cool new feature called ‘Sharable Review Cards’. Essentially, developers can curate their App Store reviews for some of their best feedback and quickly share a link to that comment for others to admire.

The cards take on the theme from the app icon, so each review card appearance matches the app it is about. In the example above, my app Bingo Machine uses a dark blue background tint, so the AppFigures Card uses the same blue for the review title. It’s a pretty cool feature for devs who want to positively promote their app on social media with actual customer testimonials.

There are also some new releases from Facebook’s Parse, the third-party cloud sync framework that Apple later aped with its own CloudKit service, with complete support for the newest Apple platforms, namely watchOS and tvOS.

Google Maps for iOS gains up-to-date gas prices, popular business hours

Cam Bunton Dec 14 2015 - 6:02 am PT

5 Comments

Google’s Maps app for iPhone and iPad got a small but useful update on the App Store today. The latest version of the Google Maps iOS app now includes a couple of handy features.

First up, and undoubtedly the most useful for drivers is the up-to-date gas prices in the US and Canada. The feature was included in the Android version of Google’s app a couple of months ago and lets users check nearby gas stations to see which has the most affordable prices. You can find prices simply be searching for ‘gas’ or ‘gas stations’ in the search field and Google Maps will automatically bring up the nearest options and list pricing for those locations.

Business hours have been included in the app for some time, but today’s update also lets you check when is best to avoid/visit particular businesses. Like its online search and maps tools, the updated iPhone app brings the ability check popular visiting hours for local stores and outlets. Now you can see what you always knew about any business or retail location: It starts getting busy after lunch.

Google Maps version 4.13.0 is available to download from the App Store for free and requires users to be running iOS 7.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

Apple releases iTunes 12.3.2 with changes to Classical listings in Apple Music

Mike Beasley Dec 11 2015 - 11:22 am PT

2 Comments

Apple has pushed an iTunes update to match Apple Music changes made earlier this week in iOS 9.2. The change includes a new way to view Classical music on the streaming service, allowing users to see works, composers, and performers.

The update also includes the standard generic bug fix notice. iTunes 12.3.2 is available now from the Updates tab of the Mac App Store.

App Store now mentions when iOS apps have Apple TV versions

Benjamin Mayo Dec 11 2015 - 10:22 am PT

6 Comments

Update: The feature now appears to have propagated correctly, as the codename identifier is no longer visible. The app now correctly lists ‘Apple TV: Yes’ in the description for universal apps that support Apple TV.

Apple is rolling out a way to see if an app in the App Store also has an Apple TV version. From this morning, App Store listings have included ‘SF.UniversalAppleTV’ labels. If present, it means that the app in question also has a universal Apple TV app available in the tvOS App Store.

Evidently, the feature is not fully baked and is in the process of rolling out. The label is clearly an internal identifier not meant to seen by the public. When the feature is fully rolled out, expect it the left column to simply say ‘Apple TV’ which matches the language used for Apple Watch compatibility.

Google Photos free space saver feature + Shared Albums arrive on iOS

Zac Hall Dec 11 2015 - 9:37 am PT

5 Comments

A few weeks ago Google unveiled a new space saver feature for its Photos app on Android, and this week the best feature 16GB iPhones and iPads could wish for is now available on iOS. Google Photos has also added Shared Albums across iOS, Android, and the web, which makes sending pictures and videos you capture to friends and family super easy.
Expand
Expanding
Close

9to5Toys Last Call: Free App of the Week, Mophie iPhone 6/s battery case $75, Samsung 4K 55″ UHDTV $700, more

Justin Kahn Dec 11 2015 - 9:16 am PT

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:

iPhone 6s cases from $1, iPad Air 2 Slim Case w/ Keyboard $12, more

LEGO Architecture teases upcoming Skyline series featuring the world’s most famous cities
Free MP3 Album Downloads from Big Sean, Selena Gomez, Young Jeezy and more
Get your Star Wars backstories with a 1-month free Marvel Unlimited comic subscription
Amazon Gold Box: 50% off Rockport shoes – from $55, plus 60% (or more) off hats, gloves, more
Buy select movies from Google Play and get a second copy to gift to a friend for free
Pick up The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a free Kindle download and audiobook (Reg. $9+)
Sports/Fitness: $50 Sports Authority gift card for $40 (20% off), more
Home: FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing Kit $60 (Orig. $100), more

App Store Free App of the Week: Cut the Rope 2 goes free for the first time ($1 value)

Mophie’s iPhone 6/s Juice Pack Air is smarter than Apple’s Smart Battery Case at $75 (Reg. $100)

Smart 4K 60Hz UHDTVs: Samsung 55-inch $700 (Reg. $900+), more

Best Buy’s latest Apple sale is your best chance to score iPad, Mac, & Watch deals before Christmas: iPad Air 2 $125 off, iPad Air $100 off, iPad mini 4 $100 off, much more!

Best Buy makes a splash with the lowest Apple Watch prices ever, deals start at just $249

$100 iTunes Physical Gift Card for $80 w/ free shipping (20% off)

Giveaway: SanDisk USB flash drives for iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile devices

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Home Designer 3D for iOS/Mac goes free for the first time, GOLD version $1 (Reg. up to $10)

GoPro HERO4 Session Action Camera: $161 shipped (Reg. $200)
HooToo’s Travel Router & 6,000mAh External Battery $23 (Reg. $37)
Daily Deals: RAVPower Car Jump Starter $50, HP Printer w/ AirPrint $70, more
Games/Apps: Fallout 4 $45, Xbox One bundle + 40″ Samsung HDTV $500, more
Android users can grab a $5 Amazon credit by downloading one of these free apps
Download Josh Groban’s latest album Stages for free ($11 value)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Save 25% on any book from Amazon — Humans of New York: Stories $12 Prime shipped (Reg. $16)

Affinity Photo is Apple’s Mac App of the Year, download it now for $40 (Reg. $50)

The Room puzzle-mystery game for iOS goes free for the first time in two years (Reg. $1), more

Algoriddim’s djay 2 for iPhone is now available for free (Reg. $3)

iPad Air/2 Accessories: Kensington KeyFolio X3 Keyboard Case $30 (Orig. $60)
USB Chargers: Lumsing 6,000mAh power bank + MFi Lightning Cable $15, more
Home Recording: PreSonus AudioBox Studio bundle $150 shipped (Reg. $200+)
Sports/Fitness: SKLZ Mini Basketball Hoop w/ Ball $15 (Reg. $25), more
Portable 5200mAh battery w/2 charging ports: $7 Prime shipped
ChugPlug adds 4 hours of battery life to your Macbook: $25 (Orig. $130)
Mpow Grip Magic Air Vent iPhone 6/s Car Mount $5 Prime shipped
SoundPEATS Sport Bluetooth Earbuds $17 shipped (Reg. $30), more
Anker USB Power: 20,000mAh Dual-USB Battery $28 (Reg. $40), more
Twelve South blowout: iPad mini leather case $25 Prime shipped (Reg. $70)
iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi 32GB $269, iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi 128GB $600
Home Recording: ATH-M40x headphones + Blue Yeti USB mic $130, more
Sling Media Slingbox 350 (refurb) $55 shipped (Orig. $180)
Star Wars LEGO Sets: Kylo Ren’s Shuttle $99 (Reg. $120), more
Bluetooth Speakers: URGE SOUNDBRICK PLUS $17 (Reg. $30), more
Apple’s latest freebie is Afterlight image editing app for iPhone and iPad ($1 value)
GoPro HERO bundles starting at $140, cases from $10, headgear from $7, more
PlayStation Now drops to $100/yr (55% off)
Grab Nomad’s gorgeous aluminum Apple Watch Stand: $41 shipped (Reg. $60)
iPhone 6 (refurb) and one year of unlimited talk/text: $550 shipped
Amazon is giving away a year of unlimited cloud storage
Fashion 50% off sales: The North Face, PUMA, Patagonia, more
Free MP3 Christmas albums from Mariah Carey, Blake Shelton

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

De’Longhi launches new PrimaDonna Elite coffeemaker w/ iOS connectivity

Top 10 holiday movies you can stream right now on Netflix

Skip the holiday blues with these practical stocking stuffers

Justin’s Holiday Gift Guide: speakers, Lightning mics, storage, pocket synths & more to up your home recording set-up

Pine64 aims to knock off Raspberry Pi with its low-price 4K-capable microcomputer
Amazon names the best-selling books of 2015, snag one as a surefire holiday gift
The future is (almost) here with Moley’s robotic kitchen
The latest Omate smartwatch for iOS/Android hits Indiegogo w/ instant success
Amazon launches New Kindle Fire HD 8 ‘Reader’s Edition’
Razor details its new Hovertrax Smart Scooter ahead of release
Anova Culinary updates its sous vide Precision Cooker w/ Wi-Fi
Host a Christmas party that doesn’t suck with these rowdy adult board games

Bloomberg Professional updates for iPad Pro with Split View, Picture-in-Picture, Apple Pencil annotation, more

Zac Hall Dec 11 2015 - 9:00 am PT

Bloomberg has updated its Bloomberg Professional app for iOS with new iOS 9 optimizations including Split Screen mode and Picture-in-Picture support on the latest iPads. Bloomberg Professional is also optimized for the new 12.9″ iPad Pro display with native resolution to show more content on the screen, which the company says helps “deliver real-time data, comprehensive news, technical graphs, portfolio tracking and Instant Bloomberg (IB) to Bloomberg customers.”

Season 2 of the hugely popular (and compelling) podcast Serial now available on iTunes

Ben Lovejoy Dec 11 2015 - 5:19 am PT

Serial was one of the most compelling podcast series I’ve ever listened to, and was directly responsible for my sleep deprivation in the week I first discovered it. A spinoff from The American Life, season 1 told the true story of what sounded very much like a miscarriage of justice in a murder case, leading to the case being reopened more than 15 years later. The podcast is now back with season 2.

[tweet https://twitter.com/iTunesPodcasts/status/675087610822414341 align=’center’]

The second season tells the story of Bowe Bergdahl, a U.S. soldier held for five years by the Taliban, initially hailed as a hero and later charged with desertion.

In the middle of the night, Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl grabs a notebook, snacks, water, some cash. Then he quietly slips off a remote U.S. Army outpost in eastern Afghanistan and into the dark, open desert. About 20 minutes later, it occurs to him: he’s in over his head.

I know what I’ll be listening to on the train ride into town this evening.

Google Play Movies & TV updated w/ AirPlay support, cellular streaming, more

Chance Miller Dec 10 2015 - 6:02 pm PT

Google today has pushed a beefy update to its Play Movies & TV app on iOS that bumps it to version 2.0.7910 and brings several new features. The update gives the app a refreshed interface, AirPlay support, recommendations, and more.

Google Wallet for iOS can now send money to any contact using just a phone number

Cam Bunton Dec 10 2015 - 1:43 pm PT

With the rise of contactless payment systems like Apple Pay and Android Pay, the Google Wallet app has needed to reinvent itself somewhat as a peer-to-peer payment system. With the latest update, it’s become a whole lot easier to send money to your friends, family and contacts.

From today, the updated app on both iOS and Android will let you send money to anyone on your contact list, even if you don’t have their email address. You can send money to them using their phone number, and it’s secure and fast.

When you send money to a phone number, the recipient gets a text message containing a secure link. Once they click on the link, they input their debit card details to claim the money and the funds are available in their bank account within a few minutes.

Before today, you could send money to contacts, but you could only do so by using an email address.

This is just one of several new features added to Google Wallet in recent weeks. It’s clear then that the company is working hard to make it a useful app, and one that isn’t made redundant by the arrival of Android Pay, or competitor payment systems like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or *coughs* Walmart Pay. Those improvements include:

Improved contact suggestions, so you see the people you send money to most often first
A security feature that lets you lock the Google Wallet app with the tap of a button
The ability to link a second bank account

You can download the latest update for iPhone from the App Store for free. Apple is rumored to be developing its own peer-to-peer payment feature for Apple Pay in 2016.

Tumblr for iOS now supports sharing Live Photos & 3D Touch

Zac Hall Dec 10 2015 - 9:32 am PT

Apple has allowed developers to support sharing Live Photos in their own apps since iOS 9.1, and Tumblr appears to be the first major social network to take advantage of the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus feature Tumblr 5.0 for iOS was released today and supports sharing the new animated photos, 3D Touch within the app, and a few other goodies.

Yahoo’s new Video Guide app offers universal search across streaming services

Jordan Kahn Dec 10 2015 - 9:31 am PT

Yahoo today released a new “Yahoo Video Guide” app for mobile devices that acts as one central location for users to find content from across a long list of competitive video services and networks.

The app allows users to search from one place and then offers links to buy or start streaming the content in other apps like iTunes, Amazon, Netflix, HBO GO, and many others. So you’ll still need to be a subscriber, have the app downloaded, and or purchase the content once the Yahoo Video Guide app redirects you.

And while you can just search for something you’re looking for, the app also has a Mood Picker feature that lets users pick a from GIFs to search through curated lists.

Yahoo of course has its own Yahoo Screen app for mobile devices, but it also links to content on iTunes, Amazon Video, Hulu, Netflix, HBO GO, ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC, Xfinity, YouTube, A&E, BET, Cartoon Network, Cinemax, Comedy Central, Disney, Food Network, and others. In total it says it’s promoting over 30 video services through the new Video Guide app.

The Yahoo Video Guide iPhone app is available to download for free on the U.S. App Store now.

Just over a month in, there are 2600 Apple TV apps, most priced just like iPhone apps

Ben Lovejoy Dec 10 2015 - 7:06 am PT

8 Comments

The AppFigures blog has been running the numbers on Apple TV apps, are there are no great surprises. It found that there were 2,624 apps in the store at the time of writing (in line with Eddy Cue’s statement yesterday that there are “more than 2000”), and that the vast majority of them fall into the games and entertainment categories.

So far, at least, developers seem to be pricing them very much like iPhone apps, with $0.99 the most common price, and 85% of them costing no more than $2.99. One slight surprise, though, is that almost 40% of them are paid, rather than free or with in-app purchases.

TV apps are currently growing at the rate of a little under 500 apps per week. Have you got any favorites yet? If so, let us know in the comments.

Product Hunt launches redesigned iPhone app with 3D Touch, podcast playback, better discovery, more

Zac Hall Dec 10 2015 - 7:00 am PT

Originally launched as a way to vote on new technology products, Product Hunt has since greatly expanded to include media like podcasts and books as well as games and other content. Product Hunt rolled out a visually refreshed home page a couple weeks back to reflect the evolution, and today the service is unveiling a redesigned iPhone app with new features to match…

GoPro’s new Apple Watch app lets you preview camera angle, start/stop recording, tag and more [Video]

Ben Lovejoy Dec 10 2015 - 6:27 am PT

2 Comments

GoPro has updated its iOS app with support for the Apple Watch, demonstrated in the video below featuring pro skateboarder Mikey Taylor. Owners previously had to use a third-party app to control their action cams from the Watch.

GoPro is excited to launch Apple Watch features for the GoPro mobile app, featuring a simple design that gives Apple Watch users quick access to the camera’s controls right from the wrist. The Apple Watch features allow users to preview their shot, toggle between capture modes, start/stop record and add HiLight Tags to the best moments of their videos.

The iPhone app has also been updated to make it easier to grab still images from video clips and easily trim videos to 5-, 15- or 30-second lengths using the smart editing feature first introduced in September …