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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 app will soon display new content & allow comments even when you’re offline

Modern ironies: a metro or train journey is one of those occasions when you have some time to catch up on your Facebook feed, but you often have no data connection or a very intermittent one. The company is currently testing a couple of features that should help.

The first is caching posts that have been downloaded but not yet viewed. When you’re offline, the app will display these posts.

We look at all the previously downloaded stories present on your phone that you have not yet viewed, and rank them based on their relevance. We also factor in whether the images for the story are available. This way we can immediately display relevant stories you haven’t seen yet, instead of showing a spinner while you wait for new stories.

Second, it will allow you to comment on posts even when offline, storing your comments in the app and then uploading them once you’re back online.

There’s no indication on when we’ll see the new features, but the fact that Facebook is sharing them suggests that they are likely to be introduced sooner rather than later.

Via Engadget. Photo startuppanel.co.

Pixelmator for iPhone and iPad adds Apple Pencil integration, 3D Touch Peek and Pop, home screen quick actions, more

Pixelmator for iPhone and iPad today received another big update with several milestone features for the mobile image editor. Perhaps most importantly, Pixelmator for iOS now fully integrates with iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil. This includes highly responsive brushes taking advantage of the Apple Pencil’s low latency drawing as well as palm rejection support. The Apple Pencil brushes adapt to pressure and tilt of the Apple Pencil accessory.

For the iPhone app, Pixelmator has added 3D Touch support throughout the application …


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As Apple TVs streaming package seems delayed, Pandora Radio comes to tvOS

There’s a lot happening around the new Apple TV in the news this week. Just yesterday Apple released the first feature update to the tvOS software with version 9.1, adding Siri support for Apple Music plus Apple’s Remote app now works for both navigating and text input. But recent reports claim Apple’s rumored web TV package has been stalled during the deal-making process between Apple and the content providers. And while the expected content bundle seems further off than what was previously expected, new content including Pandora Radio is continuing to launch on the new Apple TV…


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9to5Toys Last Call: Apple Watch $249, djay 2 for iPhone goes free, Bluetooth earbuds $17, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

Skip the holiday blues with these practical stocking stuffers

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

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

Headphones: SoundPEATS Sport Bluetooth Earbuds $17 shipped (Reg. $30), more

Twelve South blowout: iPad mini leather case $25 Prime shipped (Reg. $70), more

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

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

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

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Grab a 2-pack of Apple certified Lightning Cables with MicroUSB Adapters for $8 Prime Shipped

  • Samsung 850 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drives: PRO 512GB $198, EVO 500GB $138
  • Games/Apps: Star Wars Battlefront $40, Xbox One bundles from $300 or 1TB $450more
  • Daily Deals: Bushnell Rangefinder plus Binoculars $150more
  • Amazon names the best-selling books of 2015, snag one as a surefire holiday gift
  • Clothing/Fashion under $30: Levi’s Men’s 2 Belts In A Box $24, Hats, more
  • Amazon Gold Box – Travelpro Luggage 70%+ off: two-piece Hardside Spinner set $110, more

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/674581692569513985 align=’center’]

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Anker USB Power: 20,000mAh Dual-USB Battery $28 (Reg. $40), MFi Lightning Cables from $7more

Samsung Ultra-Slim 8X USB DVD-R Optical Drive for Mac/PC/Android: $18 shipped (Orig. $26)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

The future is (almost) here with Moley’s robotic kitchen that prepares meals from start to finish

The latest Omate smartwatch for iOS/Android hits Indiegogo w/ instant success

Hey Siri, download Cortana to my iPhone later today, would you?

Microsoft has been offering the iOS version of its intelligent assistant Cortana as a small-scale beta since last month, and it’s now ready to go live. Cortana is available on the App Store now.

Don’t expect it to match Siri for functionality, however – with Siri deeply embedded into iOS and Cortana a mere app, it will have limited capabilities, but you can at least see how it compares when it comes to answering questions …


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Aurora HDR adds OS X Photos plug-in support, extreme noise reduction, free Pro bonuses

Aurora HDR, the Mac App Store Editors’ Choice-winning high-dynamic range (HDR) photography tool, is receiving significant updates ahead of the holidays. Released last month by Macphun and leading HDR photographer Trey Ratcliff, Aurora HDR automatically and intelligently merges multiple exposures of an image together, radically expanding details in light, shadowed, and colorful portions of the photo. It comes in basic (regularly $49.99) and Pro ($99) versions, the latter with a free trial.


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djay Pro lands on the iPad with Split View, tons of keyboard shortcuts, 4 track support, much more

A year ago Algoriddim introduced djay Pro to Mac, the professional version of the company’s highly popular DJ software that ever beginners can love, and today djay Pro is coming to iPad. It’s a whole new app for the tablet with a super clean look, loads of new features, and a highly responsive design. That means features like Split View and Slide Over totally work, letting you mix in djay Pro and actually use a second app alongside it. And while djay Pro is one of the first pro class apps to hit the iPad Pro where it really shines, it’s fully available on newer iPads as well. Check it out:


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Apple names its iPhone Apps of the Year, shares bestsellers across all categories & more

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Apple has named live video sharing app Periscope its App of the Year 2015, and Tomb Raider’s puzzle spin-off Lara Croft GO as its Game of the Year. iPhone automation app Workflow won Most Innovative app, while Instagram took home the prize for Best App on the iPhone 6s.

In all, Apple picked 25 iPhone apps each for both general and games categories. It also shared the top 10 best-selling paid apps, most-downloaded free apps and top-grossing apps …


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Deezer Music app gets CarPlay support for paid subscribers

Deezer Music, the music streaming service with around six million subscribers, is today launching support for Apple’s CarPlay platform.

The service has both free, ad-supported and paid plans, but the CarPlay feature will be limited to its Premium+ and Elite subscribers. Premium+ is the company’s paid monthly plan that removes advertising and adds a few features, while Elite is an upgraded plan with high definition audio available only to Sonos users currently.

Some features you’ll find in the app for CarPlay include:

  • Listen to albums, playlists and tracks
  • Use Flow to discover new music or hear your favourites based on your individual
  • listening behaviour
  • Listen to one of Deezer’s many Mixes to suit your mood
  • Access your music in offline mode

Deezer has around 35 millions songs and 40,000 podcasts and it’s available in 180 countries. In the US the service is currently only available for Cricket Wireless subscribers, and Sonos and Bose customers.

The updated Deezer Music iOS app with CarPlay support should hit the App Store sometime today.

9to5Toys Last Call: iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi 32GB $269, MFi Lightning Cables from $7, iPhone Car Mount $4, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

Samsung Ultra-Slim 8X USB DVD-R Optical Drive for Mac/PC/Android: $18 shipped (Orig. $26)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/674329935570411521 align=’center’]

Apple iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi 32GB $269 (Reg. $319), iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi 128GB $600 (Reg. $699)

Anker USB Power: 20,000mAh Dual-USB Battery $28 (Reg. $40), MFi Lightning Cables from $7more

Daily Deals: Aukey Windshield Dashboard Car Mount Holder $4more

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

Apple Watch comes w/ a free $100 gift card right now (effective savings up to 29%)

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

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

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Bluetooth Speakers: URGE SOUNDBRICK PLUS $17 (Reg. $30), Amazon Large $60 (Reg. $80), more

  • Games/Apps: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (all platforms) from $30, iOS freebies, more
  • Keep your coffee hot w/ top-rated Contigo Travel Mugs: from $12 Prime shipped
  • Convert RAW & edit photos at speed w/ AfterShot 2 Standard: $10 (Reg. $40)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Apple’s latest freebie is Afterlight image editing app for iPhone and iPad ($1 value)

This RAVPower Travel Router provides Wi-Fi, a battery pack, and more for $30 (Reg. $50)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

The latest Omate smartwatch for iOS/Android hits Indiegogo w/ instant success

Minecraft finally makes the jump to Wii U w/ exclusive Nintendo content coming soon

Snapchat down for many, company says aware of problem and working on a fix

Snapchat Support has tweeted that it is aware that many users are “experiencing loading issues,” and says that it is working on a fix.

[tweet https://twitter.com/snapchatsupport/status/674156829551783940 align=’center’]

Users are variously reporting that they cannot login, load content or upload to the service.

Snapchat updated its iPhone app back in October, adding 3D Touch support and a new set of video filters.

Facebook removes Slingshot, Rooms, and Riff apps from App Store, closes Creative Labs

Shortly after Dropbox announced it had shut down its popular Mailbox and Carousel apps, Facebook has made a similar move by removing a handful of its apps from the iOS App Store and shutting down the division that created them.

Facebook’s Creative Labs project was intended to promote the creation of apps like Snapchat competitor Slingshot, and has launched several apps with some success. However, the social site has apparently decided that the time has come to shutter that initiative and the apps it has produced.


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Dropbox shutting down popular Mailbox email client and Carousel photo app

In a new blog post today, Dropbox has announced the shuttering of the Mailbox app it acquired in 2013, along with the Carousel photos app that launched last year. The beta build of Mailbox for Mac has not seen an update in quite some time, while the iOS version had been left to stagnate, leading many to believe this was the case already, but today’s announcement finally confirms it.

Dropbox says that the reason for the shutdowns was that company had “increased our team’s focus on collaboration and simplifying the way people work together.”


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9to5Toys Last Call: $100 iTunes credit for $80, Apple Watch w/ free $100 Gift Card, Afterlight (iOS) free, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

Griffin offers 25% off all its Apple Watch accessories: WatchStand $23.50 (Reg. $30), more

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

Apple Watch comes w/ a free $100 gift card right now (effective savings up to 29%)

Apple’s latest freebie is Afterlight image editing app for iPhone and iPad ($1 value)

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

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

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

This Leviton wall outlet has a pair of powerful USB ports, get it for $17 Prime shipped (Orig. $30)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Grab Nomad’s gorgeous aluminum Apple Watch Stand at its best price ever: $41 shipped (Reg. $60)

App Store Free App of the Week: Monument Valley goes free (Reg. $4)

TextExpander 5 for Mac, award-winning productivity app now $22 (Orig. $45)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Razor details its new Hovertrax Smart Scooter ahead of release

Anova Culinary updates its sous vide Precision Cooker w/ Wi-Fi  for cooking away from home

Google launches Reminders to bring to-dos into Calendar mobile apps

Today Google Calendar for both Android and iOS gains a handy new Reminders feature that works alongside the app’s to-dos feature.

With the Reminders feature, users will be able to keep track of to-do lists across Google platforms including Inbox, Google Keep, Google Now, and Calendar.

Here’s how the new reminders work:

You might already create calendar entries to remind you to call the doctor or pick up groceries on the way home. But while those entries come and go, Reminders stick with you over time so you can track them until they are actually done. If a Reminder isn’t completed, it will appear at the top of your Calendar the next day. And the next. When you do finally call the doctor or pick up those necessities, just swipe the Reminder away … and you’re onto the next to-do.

And since the reminders work across Google apps, you can create them from Inbox, Google Keep, Calendar, and even using Google Now voice commands: “Ok Google, remind me to buy birthday candles.”

The new Reminders feature for Calendar on Android and iOS is rolling out this week. Google says it will come to the web apps in the near future. The updated Google Calendar app for iOS also adds 3D Touch to create events or reminders.

9to5Toys Last Call: Brother Laser Printer $40, Nomad Apple Watch Stand $41, Samsung 48″ 4K UHDTV $500, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call updates:

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

Brother compact Laser printer: small enough to hide, ink lasts forever: $40 shipped

Grab Nomad’s gorgeous aluminum Apple Watch Stand at its best price ever: $41 shipped (Reg. $60)

4K Smart UHDTVs: Samsung 48-inch 60Hz $500 (Reg. $700+), LG 55-inch 120Hz $698 (Reg. $800+), more

MFi Apple-Certified Accessories: Spigen 3-ft. Lightning Cable $4 (Reg. $10), Inateck Dual-USB Car Charger $14, more

Mounts for the new Apple TV (4th gen) keep your HDTV setup looking super clean

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

GoPro HERO4 Session Action Camera w/ free mount + 32GB microSD card: $200 shipped (~$325 value)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Host a Christmas party that doesn’t suck with these rowdy adult board games

App Store Free App of the Week: Monument Valley goes free (Reg. $4)

TextExpander 5 for Mac, award-winning productivity app now $22 (Orig. $45)

Apple 12″ 256GB MacBook $1,100 (Reg. $1,299)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Anova Culinary updates its sous vide Precision Cooker w/ Wi-Fi  for cooking away from home

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Infuse video playback app makes its way to the new Apple TV

Infuse, a popular video library and playback application for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, is making its way to tvOS on the new Apple TV today. As with its iOS counterpart, Infuse on the Apple TV will serve as a way for users to store multiple video file types in a single library.

 

The application can stream video content from a computer, external wireless storage drives as well as apps like Plex, Kodi, and Servioo. This differentiating feature is handy for users who want a single view of all their video content stored across numerous devices and services.

Because the tvOS version of Infuse is tied to the iOS counterpart, the download is free for users of Infuse 3 on iOS devices. The tvOS version is labeled as Infuse 4.0, and the iOS client will be upgraded to the new version later this year, the developers tell us.

Infuse 4.0 on tvOS (and in the upcoming iOS version) adds automatically downloaded artwork and movie ratings, support for syncing how far along a user is into a video between devices, and support for downloadable subtitles.


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9to5Toys Last Call: Jabra MOVE Bluetooth Headphones $60, Quadcopter w/ HD Camera $39, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

App Store Free App of the Week: Monument Valley goes free (Reg. $4)

Bluetooth Headphones: AUSDOM M04 Over-Ears $30 (Reg. $43), Jabra MOVE On-ears $60 (Reg. $90), more

Daily Deals: 6-axis Gyro RC Quadcopter w/ HD Camera $39, Energy Bookshelf Speakers pair $100more

$100 iTunes Gift Card for $80 with email delivery from PayPal (20% off), more

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Knock out a huge chunk of your Xmas list with Razor sale at Amazon, scooters start at $14, electric ride-ons $19, go cartsmore

Host a Christmas party that doesn’t suck with these rowdy adult board games

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/672428515074121728 align=’center’]

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

TextExpander 5 for Mac, award-winning productivity app now $22 (Orig. $45)

Free PS Plus Games for December: Far Cry 3, Gaunlet Slayer Edition, more

Free Xbox Live Gold Games for December: Thief, Adventures of Van Helsing, Sacred 3, more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Mounts for the new Apple TV (4th gen) keep your HDTV setup looking super clean

Sugr Cube enters the fray of Wi-Fi speakers with touch-based controls & a myriad of sources

Nuance releases new Dragon Anywhere app on iOS w/ continuous cloud-based dictation

Earlier this year, popular speech recognition company Nuance announced that it was launching a new iOS app with a plethora of new voice recognition. We covered the new app in detail in August, but now, Nuance’s Dragon Anywhere app is available on the App Store.

Dragon Anywhere on iOS offers incredibly accurate dictation, all based in the cloud. Nuance touts that the app allows for full documents to be composed on the go, all with your voice, and subsequently shared via services like Dropbox and Evernote.

With the required cloud-based subscriptions, your transcriptions are constantly syncing to the cloud and are always update to date on all of your devices. There’s no time limit on dictation and users can talk uninterrupted throughout the process.

One of the new features of the app is auto-text. This is essentially pre-set document formats. Nuance has demonstrated this with corporations especially. For instance, an insurance company could share a text setup of a claim form with all of their employees. Then, employees could seamlessly dictate the claim into the pre-developed form without having to take anytime to format the document itself.

Dragon Anywhere is available now on the App Store. There’s a one week free trial, after which you’ll need to register for a subscription. Subscriptions range from $15/month to $150/year. The app currently supports US English, although it will be updated “later this year” with UK English and German support.

Nuance Dragon Anywhere Now Available for iOS

iPhone and iPad Users Can Leverage Cloud-Based, Professional-Grade Dictation for Mobile Productivity

Burlington, Mass. – December 3, 2015 – Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) today announced the availability of Dragon Anywhere for iOS mobile devices. Already available for Android devices, Dragon Anywhere offers continuous, cloud-based dictation – no time or length limits – robust voice formatting and editing, and synchronization of custom features with supported Dragon software for PCs and Macs.

Ideal for field workers, lawyers, social workers, public safety officers, and other professionals who often work outside of an office, Dragon Anywhere allows full documents to be composed, edited, formatted, and distributed via voice, directly from a mobile device. Completed or drafted documents can be shared via email, a cloud-sharing service like Dropbox, or as a note through Evernote, all by voice.

With nearly three-quarters of the total U.S. workforce driving towards mobility by 2020, as forecasted by IDC, maintaining consistent workflows across devices like PCs and Macs with smartphones and tablets will remain central to mobile workforce productivity. Dragon Anywhere offers individuals who need to document and report on-the-go simple ways to continue working, while synchronizing custom words and auto-text commands with desktop devices running Nuance’s Dragon software. Workers who often dictate specialized words, phrases, and customer and product names specific to their business will have the ability to add customized terminology on all of their supported devices, be it a PC, a Mac or an iOS or Android device.

“We are excited to expand the availability of Dragon Anywhere to iOS, further empowering the mobile workforce to more easily complete time-consuming documentation  and achieve greater levels of productivity away from the office,” said Peter Mahoney, senior vice president and general manager of Dragon.

Availability
Dragon Anywhere is available as a subscription service in the United States and Canada on the Nuance online store, with multiple subscription options available, including a one-week free trial. Subscriptions range from $15.00 per month to $150.00 per year.

Once Dragon Anywhere is purchased through the Nuance online store, the app can be downloaded from the App Store.

Dragon Anywhere is currently available in US English and will be available in UK English and German on iOS and Android devices later this year.

Dragon Anywhere requires iOS 8.1or higher (iPad 3+, iPhone 5+, iPad Mini 1+) or Android 4.4+ phones and tablets.

Media information and multimedia collateral are available via the Dragon Press Kit.

Join the conversation by liking Dragon on Facebook, following Dragon on Twitter at @DragonTweets and @NuanceInc, and subscribing to the What’s next blog.

About Nuance Communications, Inc.

Nuance Communications, Inc. is a leading provider of voice and language solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with devices and systems. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance’s proven applications. For more information, please visit www.nuance.com.

 

Nuance and the Nuance logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nuance Communications, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States of America and/or other countries. All other company names or product names may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Opinion: These 5 things made me a happy iPad Pro convert

As you may know from my prior opinion piece on the iPad Pro, I was on the fence about keeping Apple’s new 12.9″ tablet. One of our editors has loved his Pro since day one, another returned his after a week of testing, and a third effectively consigned his to Netflix duty. Up until the Pro came out, I was a very satisfied iPad Air 2 user, so I didn’t feel like I needed a bigger device.

But after three weeks with my iPad Pro, several things have changed my mind, and I’m officially a happy convert to the larger tablet. Moreover, I have no intention of going back to the smaller iPad Air or iPad mini form factors any time soon. Here are the five things that made a big difference to me…


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Apple’s App Store has a copyright infringement problem, business owner claims

Software on Apple’s App Store may be reviewed by human editors and approved before distribution, but one business owner claims the iPhone maker is not doing enough to prevent copyright infringement. The Roanoke Times published a piece this week highlighting the issue of paid iOS apps scraping content from the web and packaging it in paid apps. While developer relations issues often get a lot of attention, the problem with the App Store according to Brian Raub is not a story heard often…
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