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6,385 'Apps' stories April 2010 - September 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.

Compromised apps remain in Apple China App Store; $1M bounty offered for iOS 9 exploits

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 22 2015 - 4:49 am PT
6 Comments

App analytics company SourceDNA – whose clients include Google, Amazon and Dropbox – claims that the compromised versions of many apps remain live in the Chinese App Store. This includes CamCard, which is a very popular app ranked #94.

The apps were infected with malware by a fake version of Xcode dubbed XcodeGhost which legitimate developers were fooled into downloading, believing it to be a copy of the genuine Apple app. A partial list of infected apps has been posted by security company Palo Alto Networks … 
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9to5Toys Last Call: 15″ Retina MacBook Pro $1,700 (or less), iPad Air 2 $349, LG 49″ Smart UHDTV $550, more

Avatar for Sep 21 2015 - 9:03 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:

Infento’s Constructible Rides are a K’NEX-like bicycle system that grows with your kid

Apple 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (newest) 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB: $1,700 or $1,650 w/ .edu (Reg. $1,999)

Apple iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi up to $150 off (all colors): 16GB $349, 64GB $449, 128GB $549 (Reg. up to $699)

LG 49-inch 60Hz Smart 4K UHDTV: $550 shipped (Reg. $800+)

Giveaway: This is Ground’s Mod Laptop 2 is a road warrior’s dream bag, up to $499 value

Review: Tile’s 2nd-gen Bluetooth tracker makes finding lost keys, dog, or iPhone easier than ever

More new gear from today:

Games/Apps: FX Photo Studio goes free, PS4 Destiny Taken King bundle w/ MGS V $399, iOS freebies, more

More deals still alive:

The Mega Mac 2015 Bundle: 15 solid Apps including MacBooster 2, Disk Drill Pro & More $25 (Orig. $564)

MacUpdate Bundle: 10 apps including Toast 14, DevonThink, ExpanDrive, Boom, iMazing and more for $50

App Store Free App of the Week: Shadowmatic puzzle game goes free for the first time ($3 value

New products & more:

The all-in-one Bruvelo Coffeemaker hits Kickstarter with a lofty goal and slim design

Tacos are the key to scoring one of Sony’s crazy limited edition Gold PlayStation 4 bundles

Skype down for many users, Microsoft working on a fix

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 21 2015 - 5:05 am PT
1 Comment

If all your Skype contacts are showing as offline, it’s not that your friends have deserted you – Microsoft says there is “an issue with the status settings” for many users and it is working on a fix.

While the problem persists, you’ll be unable to make Skype calls to contacts shown as offline. If you are not logged in to Skype, you may be unable to sign in. Microsoft says it is doing all it can to resolve the problem.

The iOS app got a redesign earlier this month.

Security firm publishes list of some of the iOS apps infected by XcodeGhost – including Angry Birds 2 [Update: more apps]

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 21 2015 - 4:06 am PT
57 Comments
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Update 1: The list of apps has now been updated with apps identified by Dutch security company Fox-IT. The company is reporting seeing malware traffic from the apps in Europe.

Update 2: Rovio has advised that only the version of Angry Birds 2 in the Chinese App Store was affected.

I wish to clarify that Rovio can confirm that only the Chinese build of Angry Birds 2 — available only on the App Store in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau — is vulnerable to the security issue. All other builds of Angry Birds 2 available in other countries are completely safe and secure. An update of Angry Birds 2 for customers in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau that fixes the issue is coming very shortly.

After yesterday’s revelation that hundreds of iOS apps on the App Store had been infected by malware, security company Palo Alto Networks has posted a list of some of the affected apps – which include Angry Birds 2.

The apps were infected by a fake copy of Xcode dubbed XcodeGhost, unwittingly downloaded by Chinese developers in place of the real thing. It’s believed they downloaded the fake from local servers because it took too long to download the original from Apple’s own servers. It’s not yet known why Apple’s own checks did not detect the malware when apps were submitted to the App Store.

It’s been suggested that over 300 apps are infected, with 31 of them so far identified (list below) … 
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War and Peace: Ad blocker dev Marco Arment pulls #1 rated app over guilty conscience

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 18 2015 - 10:42 am PT
155 Comments

Apple’s support for building Safari ad blockers in iOS 9 was sure to be controversial as they negatively and directly impact writers/publications like us here at 9to5Mac and others that rely on advertising for revenue. And while a few ad blockers climbed the App Store’s top paid chart this week, the highest ranked Safari content blocker has been pulled after being sold for just 48 hours. Developer Marco Arment announced today that he decided to pull his ad blocker app Peace from sale, citing that it “just doesn’t feel good” to [profit from] the negative impact to “many who don’t deserve the hit.”
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9to5Toys Last Call: Free App of the Week, Brother inkjet w/ AirPrint $45, Samsung 50″ smart HDTV $500, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Sep 18 2015 - 9:00 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:

GoPro HERO3+ Silver Action Camera: $219 shipped (Reg. $300)

 

App Store Free App of the Week: Shadowmatic puzzle game goes free for the first time ($3 value)

AirPrint All-in-One Inkjet Printers: Brother $45 shipped (Reg. $90), HP $70 shipped (Reg. $100)

Samsung 1080p Smart LED HDTV 50-inch $500 (Orig. $750)

Save $100 on Apple’s all-new 12-inch MacBook + extra $50 for students/faculty: 256GB model $1,150 w/ .edu (Reg. $1,299)

13″ Retina MacBook Pro $1,280 (Reg. $1,499)

Save $100 on Apple iPad: Air 2 Wi-Fi 16GB $399, 64GB $499, 128GB $599, mini 3 Wi-Fi 16GB $299

Review: Tile’s 2nd-gen Bluetooth tracker makes finding lost keys, dog, or iPhone easier than ever

The Mega Mac 2015 Bundle: 15 solid Apps including MacBooster 2, Disk Drill Pro & More $25 (Orig. $564)

MacUpdate Bundle: 10 apps including Toast 14, DevonThink, ExpanDrive, Boom, iMazing and more for $50

Giveaway: Schoolhouse Electric makes the clock cool again, $290 value

More new gear from today:

Games/Apps: Splashtop 2 Remote Desktop for iPhone free, Worms titles up to 80% off, iOS freebies, more

More deals still alive:

OtterBox iPhone 6 Defender Case (gray or black) from $24 shipped (Orig. $50)

Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drives: WD My Passport Ultra 3TB $125 (Orig. $200), Samsung 2TB $70 (Reg. $80)

New products & more:

iRobot takes its new Roomba 980 vacuum to the cloud with Wi-Fi connectivity and remote management

Timex combines its analog heritage with fitness tracking on the new Metropolitan+

It turns out we may not have really seen Apple’s first Android app after all

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 18 2015 - 6:03 am PT
18 Comments

While Apple’s new Move to iOS app appeared to be the company’s first ever Android app, Phandroid did some digging around in the code to discover that it in fact appears to be just a rebadged third-party app called Copy My Data.

If we take a look under the hood of Apple’s Move to iOS app, we see the […] android:name is still set to android:name=”com.mediamushroom.copymydata”. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. The two applications share a vast majority of code and functionality. In fact, all of the com.mediamushroom.copymydata strings were left inside Apple’s rebranded version. Essentially, the only differences between the two apps are Apple’s artwork being added, the inclusion of Apple’s licensing agreements, and Media Mushroom’s UI elements being removed. That’s really it.

Apple thus appears to have simply licensed an existing app, rather than creating its first Android app – meaning that the Apple Music app expected to makes its way across to Android sometime this fall may be the first Apple-coded app on the rival smartphone platform … 
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AirServer adds live streaming from iOS apps to YouTube, higher quality mirroring w/ iOS 9’s rewritten AirPlay

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 17 2015 - 9:16 am PT
7 Comments

With the launch of YouTube Gaming earlier this year, Google’s Twitch competitor that lets users live stream and watch gameplay videos on YouTube, users can now live stream and browse gameplay videos on YouTube from dedicated apps. Google first enabled live streaming the desktop, and today announced plans for Android, but an update to the popular AirServer app is taking advantage of the lack of iOS streaming support by enabling users to live stream directly to YouTube from their iOS devices.

Google does have a YouTube Gaming app or iOS, but it currently only acts as a community-style app for letting users access live streams and recorded gameplay videos from their iPhone or iPad. AirServer, however, tells us it collaborated with YouTube to enable streaming from iOS apps using its mirroring technology:
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iOS 9.1 beta suggests Apple News hitting the UK soon, here’s how to get it now

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 17 2015 - 6:39 am PT
4 Comments

While Americans got the new Apple News app as part of iOS 9, Brits are going to have to wait a little longer – it’s currently in the beta of iOS 9.1. As Engadget notes, that suggests it may be around a month (or more) away.

But if you want to take a look now, you can, just by changing your region from the UK to USA. Go to Settings > General > Language & Region > Region and set it to United States. Confirm, wait a few seconds while your iPhone makes the changes (the screen may switch off for 5-10 seconds at this point) and then the News app should magically appear.

Frankly, though, having taken a look at the app, it doesn’t strike me as a great improvement on Newsstand … I’ll be sticking to the web, thanks.

Ford launches Apple Watch app to find & control your car, but only for three models so far

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 17 2015 - 4:36 am PT
2 Comments

Ford has updated its MyFord Mobile iPhone app to add Apple Watch support for its three electric and hybrid cars. The Watch app allows you to get walking directions back to your car, check battery status and range, lock and unlock the car, start it remotely and check a range of stats … 
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BBC iPlayer latest app to support new Picture in Picture feature in iOS 9 [Update: MLB At Bat too]

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 17 2015 - 3:58 am PT
1 Comment

The BBC iPlayer app, which provides streaming and downloadable access to BBC television shows in the UK, has joined Hulu and Pocket in supporting the new Picture in Picture feature in iOS 9.

As with other apps, press the home button once while playing a show and the video window becomes a small floating window that you can resize and reposition while using other iPad apps. The functionality is available on the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 2 and 3.

iPlayer is a free download from iTunes. MLB At Bat has also joined the party.

Via Engadget

Hulu and Pocket for iOS updated w/ support for iOS 9’s Picture in Picture feature

Avatar for Chance Miller Sep 16 2015 - 5:54 pm PT
2 Comments

We’ve already rounded up several apps this week that have been updated with iOS 9 support and that rollout continues tonight to a pair of popular apps. This evening, both Pocket and Hulu for iOS have been updated with support for the latest version of Apple’s operating system. Pocket has been updated to version 6.0.1, while Hulu has been updated to 4.6.1.


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Twitter for iOS 9 enables quick reply to tweets directly from the notification, adds iPad multitasking support

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Sep 16 2015 - 12:30 pm PT
0 Comments

Twitter has updated its app with support for iOS 9 features, following the release of iOS 9 earlier today.  The update adds multitasking support on iPad, so you can now browse Safari (or do anything really) whilst having Twitter docked in a side column.

More importantly, Twitter adds quick reply to mention notifications. This means you can reply from the tweet without having to enter the app, just like how quick replies with the iOS Messages app. This is a big boon for productivity. Activate quick replies by pulling down on the notification banner to reveal a text box. Type your reply in the message box and press Send — that’s it.


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Apple’s new ‘Switch to iOS from Android’ app hits the Google Play Store

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 16 2015 - 12:02 pm PT
14 Comments

Sure, technically Apple’s first Android app was the now discontinued Beats Music which it picked up through acquisition last year and it’s developing Apple Music for Google’s platform, but it’s very fitting that Apple’s first in-house app is called Switch to iOS from Android. Apple first announced the new Android app this year alongside iOS 9 at its developer conference, and today with iOS 9’s official launch the Move to iOS app is officially available on the Google Play Store. Here’s how it works:
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Pinterest updated for iOS 9 w/ Spotlight search, 3D Touch on iPhone 6s, more

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 16 2015 - 10:49 am PT
0 Comments

Pinterest just announced an updated iOS app that introduces a number of new features just in time for Apple’s release of iOS 9 today. The app gets support for iOS 9 features, starting with the ability to search for Pins, Pinners, and boards you’ve viewed from within iOS’s new Spotlight search:

As you view Pins, Pinners and boards, you’ll be able to search for them later right from your iPhone or iPad’s search screen. If you’re planning a Halloween costume and know you’ve seen good ideas on Pinterest, search “costume” and we’ll show you search results right on your phone. The more Pins you view on Pinterest, the more you can search for them from your phone.

In addition, the updated app makes use of the iPhone 6s 3D Touch feature by allowing quick access to the most used features with a press and hold of the Pinterest app icon from the home screen:

If you have a new iPhone with 3D Touch, you can press and hold the Pinterest app icon from your iPhone’s home screen to quickly search for Pins, create a board or see what’s popular on Pinterest… Once you’re in the app, you can press any Pin to get a bigger preview and quickly Pin, like or send. Press the board name to get a preview of the board it came from.

And lastly, the new app supports “universal links,” which means you’ll now be taken directly to the app when clicking a Pinterest link from anywhere on your iPhone, instead of being redirected from Safari first.

The updated Pinterest app is available on the App Store now.

Read our full walkthrough of new features in iOS 9 here.

9to5Toys Last Call: QNAP NAS w/ AirPlay $135, Kanto Bookshelf Bluetooth speakers $250, more

Avatar for Sep 16 2015 - 9:12 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:

Explore the depths of the ocean with the new Trident submersible drone

QNAP NAS w/ AirPlay: TS-131 1-Bay $135 (Orig. $215), HS-210 2-Bay Fanless $155 (Orig. $289), more

Daily Deals: Western Digital My Book 3TB Hard Drive $90, Canon MAXIFY All-In-One Printer w/ AirPrint $80, more

Kanto YU5 Bluetooth 4.0 Bookshelf Speakers in five colors: $250 shipped (Reg. $350)

The Mega Mac 2015 Bundle: 15 solid Apps including MacBooster 2, Disk Drill Pro & More $25 (Orig. $564)

MacUpdate Bundle: 10 apps including Toast 14, DevonThink, ExpanDrive, Boom, iMazing and more for $50

Save $100 on Apple’s all-new 12-inch MacBook + extra $50 for students/faculty: 256GB model $1,150 w/ .edu (Reg. $1,299)

Apple is handing out free downloads of Super Hexagon for iPhone and iPad ($3 value)

Giveaway: Schoolhouse Electric makes the clock cool again, $290 value

More new gear from today:

This Star Wars Battlefront Deluxe bundle includes a working Han Solo mini fridge

Games/Apps: LEGO Jurassic World $38, iTunes gift cards 15% off, COD games for Mac 50% off, freebies, more

More deals still alive:

Aukey 13.3-inch Macbook Carrying Bag and Sleeve Case Cover $6.50 Prime shipped (Reg. $13)

Portable Bluetooth Speakers: Bose SoundLink Mini $159 (Orig. $200), Sony SRSX3 $60 (Orig. $140)

App Store Free App of the Week: Infinity Blade III goes free for the very first time (Reg. $7)

New products & more:

Wilson’s X Connected Basketball is a simple shot tracking solution

Sony takes the wraps off a new gold DualShock controller (and other colors too)

watchOS 2 + iOS 9 apps begin hitting the App Store ahead of tomorrow’s release [Updated]

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 15 2015 - 12:27 pm PT
12 Comments

With both iOS 9 and watchOS 2 set to be released tomorrow, Apple has already started releasing third-party app updates that take advantage of the new features in each software update. watchOS 2 for Apple Watch introduces native apps that run faster and have access to sensors, and iOS 9 introduces new split-screen multitasking and deeper Spotlight-integrated search capabilities. There are some of the watchOS 2 and iOS 9 apps we’re already starting to see hit the App Store:
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Snapchat update adds new selfie Lenses + paid extra Snap Replays

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 15 2015 - 11:12 am PT
47 Comments

Snapchat is out with its latest update bringing new features and tricks to the photo messaging app. The release notes are short: Before you take a selfie, press and hold on your face for a surprise! That’s referencing the new selfie Lenses trick, which lets you apply some pretty wild effects to your face before sharing with friends. To use Lenses, just tap and hold on your selfie before taking a Snap. A facial outline appears as well as seven effects including that dramatically change up your selfie.
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Apple updates Pages, Keynote, and Numbers for iOS w/ stability improvements, fixes

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 15 2015 - 11:03 am PT
5 Comments

Ahead of the release of iOS 9 set for tomorrow, Apple has started updating its iOS apps beginning with improvements and fixes for its iWork suite of iOS apps.

All three apps— Pages, Numbers, and Keynote—get an update today with “stability improvements and bug fixes,” many of which are likely related to the iOS 9 update arriving tomorrow. 

iOS 9 will officially arrive Wednesday, September 16th, for the iPhone 4s and later, iPod touch 5th generation and later, iPad 2 and later and iPad mini and later. The release follows Apple’s new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus going up for pre-order earlier this month and comes ahead of an official retail launch for the device on September 25th. Following the first weekend of pre-oreders, Apple said this week that it’s on pace to beat its previous opening-weekend record of 10 million units.

We’d expect that other Apple apps will get a similar treatment too alongside the release of iOS 9 tomorrow.

9to5Toys Last Call: 10 Mac apps including Toast 14 for $50, MacBook Air sleeve $7, Portable Wi-Fi Router $10, more

Avatar for Sep 15 2015 - 9:16 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:

Wilson’s X Connected Basketball is a simple shot tracking solution

MacUpdate Bundle: 10 apps including Toast 14, DevonThink, ExpanDrive, Boom, iMazing and more for $50

Aukey 13.3-inch Macbook Carrying Bag and Sleeve Case Cover $6.50 Prime shipped (Reg. $13)

Amazon Gold Box – TP-LINK Networking up to 30% off: Portable pocket router $10, Powerline starter kit $35, more

Save $100 on Apple’s all-new 12-inch MacBook + extra $50 for students/faculty: 256GB model $1,150 w/ .edu (Reg. $1,299)

Apple is handing out free downloads of Super Hexagon for iPhone and iPad ($3 value)

Giveaway: Schoolhouse Electric makes the clock cool again, $290 value

More new gear from today:

Portable Bluetooth Speakers: Bose SoundLink Mini $159 (Orig. $200), Sony SRSX3 $60 (Orig. $140)

More deals still alive:

App Store Free App of the Week: Infinity Blade III goes free for the very first time (Reg. $7)

GoPro HERO4 Silver Edition Action Cam $315 (Reg. $400), HERO4 Black $379 (Reg. $500)

New products & more:

Devon and Nixon reveal new luxury Dark Side-inspired Star Wars watches

Kickstarter veteran launches new HiddenHUB smart omnidirectional whole home audio system

Launch Center Pro for iPhone adds launcher widget to Notification Center

Avatar for Zac Hall Sep 15 2015 - 8:47 am PT
1 Comment

Apple opened the door to new extensibility features on iOS with extensions and Notification Center widgets in iOS 8, but mixing app launchers with the swipe down Today view was quickly disallowed by the App Store as we saw around this time last year. That policy has since changed and we’ve seen developers able to build better widgets like Workflow’s recent update.

Launch Center Pro has been working on its own Today widget, which puts actions like opening the Instagram camera or messaging a specific contact a swipe down away from anywhere directly in Notification Center.
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