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6,531 '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.

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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Firefox for iPhone and iPad now available in the App Store for free

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Nov 12 2015 - 3:33 am PT
6 Comments

You can now get the alternative web browser Firefox for iPhone and iPad in the App Store. Except its not really Firefox as you know it on the desktop, because the underlying engine is all WebKit, not Mozilla’s Gecko renderer like it is on the Mac. This is the same as the iOS Google Chrome app — the App Store rules require browsers to use the Safari WebKit engine. This isn’t really a bad thing, the WebKit rendering core is the industry leading mobile (and desktop) engine.

You might want to use Firefox for iPhone and iPad if you use Firefox on the Mac, due to UI similarities for the browser chrome or just for syncing convenience. The Firefox app will sync bookmarks, open tabs across all your devices by logging into your Firefox account. These are the main differences between Firefox and the native Safari app.


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Facebook debuts ‘Notify’ app for news, sports, weather, and more

Avatar for Mike Beasley Nov 11 2015 - 9:21 am PT
9 Comments

In line with previous rumors, Facebook has released a new app today called Notify that aims to deliver timely and relevant news notifications to users.

The app serves a wide variety of content types to keep users interested, including the day’s weather forecasts, breaking news from multiple sources, fashion news from Vogue, and even historical images from Getty.


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Guitar Hero Live now available on Apple TV, but you have to buy the guitar controller accessory to play the game

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Nov 11 2015 - 2:58 am PT
12 Comments

As demoed by Apple on stage, the latest instalment of Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero Live, is now available on Apple TV. It’s just like classic Guitar Hero, a three-lane rhythm based game, but modernised with better visuals, ‘real’ band members, enhanced crowd reactions, and more.

On the iPhone and iPad version, you can play two trial songs for free or pay $50 via In-App Purchase to unlock the full game with 38 additional songs. However, on Apple TV, the game is completely non-functional without the controller accessory. You have to buy the controller for the game to work at all. Incidentally, you can buy the full game and controller on Amazon as a $99 bundle, for both iOS and tvOS.

Requiring a game controller peripheral is a controversial move, as it goes against Apple’s normal App Store policy for Apple TV games. In fact, it appears to defy the rules about game controllers laid out by Apple.


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You can now install popular automatic screen brightness app Flux on iPhone and iPad

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Nov 11 2015 - 2:11 am PT
28 Comments

With iOS 9, it is now possible to install screen brightness app Flux (or f.lux). Flux adjusts screen brightness and color depending on the time of day automatically, so you aren’t blasted with bright light at bedtime or early in the morning. Due to App Store restrictions, Flux has been only available on the Mac OS X platform until now. Whilst it isn’t available through the App Store, you can now download and install the Flux beta for iPhone and iPad by sideloading the app through Xcode on the Mac.

It sounds complicated but it’s actually really easy to do. Apple lifted the developer limitations on device app sideloading earlier this year, so it’s completely free. Until Apple relaxes App Store policies, this will be the only way to do this. Read the instructions on how to install Flux after the break …


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Popular Instagram client removed from App Store for harvesting usernames, passwords

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 10 2015 - 5:36 pm PT
0 Comments

Apple today has pulled a popular Instagram client from the App Store after it was found to be harvesting usernames and passwords. First noticed by developer David L-R on Twitter, the Instagram client InstaAgent has been pulled from the App Store. The app, downloaded more than half a million times, touted that it would let you see who had been viewing your Instagram profile.


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Apple Music for Android now available in the Google Play Store

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 10 2015 - 9:31 am PT
34 Comments

After first being announced and previewed in screenshots at WWDC in June, Apple has officially brought its subscription music service Apple Music to Google’s Android platform. Apple Music joins the iPhone maker’s other Android apps Move to iOS and the Beats Pill+ companion app on the Google Play Store.

Apple Music offers access to a large catalog of streaming music and music recommendations. Music and music videos can be saved for offline listening as well. Memberships costs $9.99/month for individuals, the same as Beats Music subscriptions which Apple Music replaces, after a three-month free trial period. Apple Music family plans for up to five different accounts is available through Family Sharing on iOS and Mac for $14.99/month.
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9to5Toys Last Call: Toshiba 55″ HDTV $350, 13″ Retina MacBook Pro $1,080, $15 Starbucks gift card for $10, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Nov 10 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:

Dual-Port USB Power Banks: Poweradd 20,000mAh $18 (Reg. $36), Anker 10,400mAh $16 (Reg. $20), more

Daily Deals: Toshiba 55-inch 1080p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV $350, WD 2TB Portable Hard Drive $70, more

13-inch Retina MacBook Pro 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB $1,080 (Reg. $1,299), 15-inch: $1,600 (Reg. $1,999)

Get a $15 Starbucks eGift Card for $10 from Groupon – save on your morning cup of coffee!

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

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

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

Sports Authority Black Friday Ad: Free gift cards w/ footwear, FitBit Charge HR $120, more

Target previews its top Black Friday deals, launches surprise one-day sale starting now

GameStop Black Friday ad leak: PS4/Xbox One bundles $300, new Nintendo 3DS XL $180, tons of games

Staples Black Friday Ad Revealed: iPad Air 2 from $374, mini 4 $300, more

Sam’s Club Black Friday ad leak: iPad Air 2 Cellular $175 off, Google Play $100 Gift Card $80, more

Kohl’s Black Friday ad leak: more PS4/Xbox One $300 bundles, home goods, clothing, much more

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

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

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

The best GoPro HERO4 action camera accessories, mounts, storage, more

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Amazon Gold Box – Sony storage up to 60% off: 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive $18, 128GB microSD $43, more!

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

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)

ULAK Cases for iPhone 6/s, iPad mini, iPod Touch and Android devices from $3 shipped (Reg. $10+)

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

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NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

TP-Link introduces two new Wi-Fi extenders for home theaters, gaming consoles, and more

Sonos debuts new Trueplay speaker tuning feature with latest Controller iOS app

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 10 2015 - 8:11 am PT
2 Comments

Back in September, Sonos unveiled an impressive new feature for its wireless speakers called Trueplay. Using the built-in microphones on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, this Sonos feature lets you fine tune your speaker to the room it’s in while optimizing the sound regardless of placement. Starting today, Sonos users can use try out Trueplay using the latest version of the controller app for iOS.
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Google Maps is bringing offline navigation and downloadable data to iOS

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 10 2015 - 6:52 am PT
10 Comments

Google will soon be bringing a major new feature to its Maps app for iOS: full offline support. Google Maps has some utility already when used offline, but an upcoming update will make it much more robust when used without Internet access. For example, before you could see an area on Google Maps offline but not do much else with it. Coming soon, Google will enable features including navigation and business information lookup without requiring an active Internet connection.
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Fandango for iOS updated with Apple Pay integration

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 9 2015 - 5:18 pm PT
4 Comments

Popular movie ticket service Fandango has today updated its iOS with a highly requested feature. Bumping the app to version 7.1, Fandango for iOS has added support for Apple’s mobile payment solution, Apple Pay.

Fandango’s Apple Pay integration works just the same as it does with other third-party. When you go to purchase a ticket, you can now choose Apple Pay as a checkout option, significantly expediting the process.

Fandango’s addition of Apple Pay comes just a week after the iOS App Store added a new Shopping category to showcase apps like Fandango. Fandango’s support for Apple Pay has been a long time coming. Apple and Fandango have seemingly had a solid relationship thus far. Fandango powers database powers Siri’s support for movie times and reviews, so it’s odd that it took so long for the app itself to support Apple Pay. Fandango was also one of the first companies to release an Apple Watch app.

Fandango version 7.1 with Apple Pay support is available now on the App Store for free.

Facebook Messenger’s new ‘Photo Magic’ feature automates sharing shots of your friends instantly

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 9 2015 - 12:50 pm PT
0 Comments

A new feature in Facebook Messenger is now rolling out that scans photos added to your camera roll in search of your Facebook friends, and suggests that you send them to the people it finds. It’s a pretty nifty feature, if you feel comfortable with Facebook looking at every single photo you take on your device and constantly processing data on the friends you’re hanging out with…
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Adobe creative professionals offer first hands-on impressions using iPad Pro [Video]

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 9 2015 - 9:41 am PT
5 Comments

Adobe is one company patiently waiting for the launch of the new iPad Pro as the firm in recent months has prepared for what it expects to be a big user base of professionals interested in its various creative mobile apps on the device. Sharing in the excitement for the launch scheduled for later this week, Adobe just released the video above showing off some of the possibilities of its apps on the new iPad and giving us one our first looks at hands-on impressions with the iPad ahead of product reviews going live.

In addition to offering some previews of upcoming mobile app improvements at its Max conference earlier this year, the company has worked hard to optimize several of its apps that are bound to be popular on the new larger iPad. Apps ready to go for the launch include Photoshop Fix, Photoshop Sketch, Photoshop Mix and Comp CC.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TVywEv2-0E]

Apple confirmed earlier today that the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro will go on sale Wednesday, November 11th in 40 countries, while the device will hit Apple retail stores sometime later this week. In Apple’s press release, Adobe’s vice president of Products Scott Belsky called the company’s work on software for the device an “industry-advancing collaboration that millions of Adobe and Apple customers will benefit from.”

“iPad Pro enables new forms of mobile creativity that will help transform how creatives work,” said Scott Belsky, vice president of Products at Adobe. “With the larger iPad Pro screen and lightning-fast performance, creatives will be able to take full advantage of Adobe’s family of Creative Cloud mobile apps. For example, the ability to manipulate a 50-megapixel image right on iPad Pro in Photoshop Fix and then send that image to Photoshop CC on a desktop, for further refinement, is the kind of industry-advancing collaboration that millions of Adobe and Apple customers will benefit from.”

While there haven’t been many hands-on videos since Apple first unveiled the device at its press event in September, we did get a look at Disney and Pixar animators playing with the device and offering their first impressions last month.

Macphun announces Aurora HDR, Mac photo editing app developed with HDR expert Trey Ratcliff

Avatar for Jeremy Horwitz Nov 9 2015 - 6:10 am PT
9 Comments

Expanding its suite of outstanding photo editing apps, Macphun today announced Aurora HDR, a powerful but easy-to-use tool for creating High Dynamic Range images. Co-developed by leading HDR photographer Trey Ratcliff, Aurora HDR automatically combines several exposures of the same image, bringing out bright colors and shadow detail that are lost by a single exposure.

Unlike typical HDR compositing, which yields a finished image that’s hard to meaningfully edit, Aurora HDR includes nearly 40 one-click presets to change the look of the image, including Signature Pro presets developed by Ratcliff. The app can be used in standalone or plug-in modes, and incorporates a large collection of detail, noise, and intensity adjustment tools borrowed from Macphun’s Creative Kit 2016 (reviewed here), notably including selective adjustment brushes.

Aurora HDR will be available in standard ($50) and Pro ($100) versions on November 19, with discounted $90 Pro pre-orders starting today from Macphun’s web site. Additional screenshots and details are below…


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Pinterest adds visual search tool to iOS app – can identify a billion objects

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 9 2015 - 3:55 am PT
2 Comments

If you’ve ever been browsing Pinterest and spotted a lamp you really like in a shot of someone’s living room, or a bag you love in a street shot, the iOS app now has a tool designed to help. Just tap the search tool in the corner of the photo, highlight the object of interest and the app will search its product database to try to identify it … 
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Instagram reportedly testing ads with 3D Touch & Apple Pay integration & other Apple Pay news

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 6 2015 - 12:00 pm PT
0 Comments

Update: An Instagram spokesperson has reached out with following statement:

“Mobile commerce is definitely a space we are looking at closely. However, this isn’t something we are testing at this time”

Instagram is reportedly testing new ads that will take full advantage of being integrated with Apple’s platforms including the new 3D touch pressure sensitive touchscreen feature and its payments service Apple Pay, Digiday reports.

The integration of Apple Pay and 3D Touch, a new feature introduced with the iPhone 6s that allows pressure sensitive touchscreen interactions, is reportedly being tested as an expansion of Instagram’s recently launched “Shop Now” feature:

It has even run tests with restaurants to sell menu items right from the Instagram feed, without the need to click off the app’s main feed, said an ad agency source familiar with the test.

Some of the shopping tests incorporate features like Apple’s force touch screen feature, which lets consumers apply pressures in their clicks to switch among multiple product options in the images, the source said.

In other Apple Pay news, MacRumors notes that Wegmans will be one of the next major retailers to roll out its rewards card program but that it’s only in a piloting phase ahead of a full roll out next year. Yesteday, Walgreens became the first retailer to offer its rewards cards through Apple Pay.

And possibly related to Apple’s overall rollout of its own payments service, the site noticed Apple appears to have quietly dropped support for PayPal credit payment plans in its US online store. It is, however, continuing to offer Paypal as a financing option in the UK and as a payment option in its online stores there.