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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.

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Apple begins accepting submitted publications into Apple News

iOS 9 introduces Apple News, which replaces Newsstand as the default way to read news publications and blog content on the iPad and iPhone. Apple is automatically including many famous partners automatically with smaller publications having to request inclusion. We explained how to submit to Apple News a few days ago.


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9to5Toys Last Call: car jump starter/power bank $60, DJI Phantom drone $299, Bluetooth headphones, 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:

Daily Deals: Anker Car Jump Starter and Portable Power Bank $60, TaoTronics iPhone 6 Car Mount $5, more

DJI Phantom 1.1.1 Quadcopter with GoPro Mount $299 shipped (Orig. $349)

Bluetooth headphones: Sol Republic Tracks Air $75 (Reg. $150), JBL J56BT on-ears $44 (Reg. $149), more

The 5 biggest iOS and Android games announced at this year’s E3 Expo

Beats by Dr. Dre Powerbeats2 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones in multiple colors: $150 shipped (Reg. $200)

Ondesoft Mac Bundle with X-Mirage, iTunes Converter, Audiobook Converter and more: free ($146 value)

The Big Deal photography bundle with training tools, memberships for $99 ($4,000+ value)

Quick Review: Kano’s Raspberry Pi 2 computer kit shines as a learning tool for kids and DIYers alike

More new gear from today:

More deals still alive:

ZAGG Folio/Profolio+ iPad Bluetooth Keyboard Cases: $28 shipped (Orig. $90+)

Belkin Thunderbolt 2 Express Dock HD w/ 1-Meter Cable: $205 shipped (Reg. $300

New products & more:

Simple Station Dock is an industrial all-in-one charging solution for Apple Watch & iPhone

Super Smash Bros. updates, Star Fox rolls onto Wii U, more

New games & hardware announced at E3 make Xbox One deserving of a second look

Sony shows Last Guardian, Final Fantasy VII remake, Uncharted 4, Star Wars, more

Microsoft unveils new hardware, 360 compatibility + Forza 6, Halo 5, more

Bethesda’s real life Pip Boy for iPhone/Android, Dishonored 2, Doom, more

Xbox Live Gold Members can enjoy EA Access for free this week

Twitter is preparing to curate news in its iPhone app with Project Lightning

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Buzzfeed render of upcoming Lightning feature

Just as Apple is preparing to enter the news curation space with its News app in iOS 9 and Facebook has launched native news content with Instant Articles, Twitter appears to be working on its own news product for its mobile app. Buzzfeed’s Mat Honan reports that Twitter is currently developing a news-focused feature for its app under the name Project Lightning (no, not Apple’s connector) that will make it possible to follow events in your timeline rather than only following Twitter users sharing about the event. A staff of human editors, not unlike Apple’s approach with News, will collect tweets with videos, photos, and relevant information to create these Lightning stories…
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Developers currently unable to submit Watch apps due to App Store approval bug (update: fixed!)

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Update: The problem should now be resolved. Watch apps should upload as normal once again.

Developers are flocking to Apple’s developer forums today as the iTunes Connect submissions process is currently experiencing a glitch which makes it impossible for developers to submit apps that include Apple Watch extensions.

Rather than continuing submission process as normal, the system is incorrectly flagging up misuse of an Apple private framework called SockPuppetGizmo. Naturally, this is causing frustration in the developer community at the moment because it prevents apps from being submitted to the App Store.


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MacPhun’s new Tonality 1.2 brings beautiful black & white photo tools to Apple Photos, Adobe Lightroom CC

Even though it’s known as “black and white photography,” balanced grays are what make monochrome images striking or flat. Today, MacPhun released Tonality 1.2 ($18) and Tonality Pro 1.2 ($70), tools designed specifically for making the best possible black and white images from color photos. Both versions work with popular photo library management tools, newly including the Mac version of Apple Photos. The Pro version now plugs into Adobe’s new Lightroom CC, and adds RAW support for both new cameras and Lightroom.

Like MacPhun’s excellent noise-removing app Noiseless, Tonality uses a super-simple interface to let you preview potential changes to your images. The window’s bottom initially scrolls across 13 “Basic” presets, ranging from the intelligent “Adaptive Exposure” to the simpler “Underexposed;” 10 different categories collectively contain 150 different presets. Each preset effect starts at maximum, but can be muted using a single slider. Power users can access a right-side pane with controls for exposure, contrast, clarity, structure/micro-structure, color and tone filters, split-toning, glow, blur, vignette, and grain. Additionally, masking tools and a gradient filter let you alter specific areas of your images while leaving others untouched. The differences are so dramatic that you’ll never feel satisfied with a one-step “apply B&W filter” button again.

Tonality is currently being offered at an introductory price of $13 through the Mac App Store, with Tonality Pro at $60 through the company’s web site. Additional photo galleries of the app in action are below…


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Dark Sky 5 adds 24-hour forecast, pressure sensor reporting, more

Dark Sky is out with a major update to its hyperlocal weather reporting app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Dark Sky 5 adds a number of new features including a new focus on 24-hour forecasts, the ability to share pressure data, customizable advanced notifications.
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9to5Toys Last Call: Powerbeats2 $150, TP-LINK Wi-Fi Extender $40, Bluetooth shower speaker $10, 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:

Beats by Dr. Dre Powerbeats2 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones in multiple colors: $150 shipped (Reg. $200)

Amazon Gold Box – up to 50% off HDDs + Networking: Seagate 1TB Portable $50, TP-LINK Wi-Fi Extender $40, more

Rock out or catch up on a podcast in the shower w/ this water resistant Bluetooth speaker: $10 Prime shipped (Reg. $20)

Ondesoft Mac Bundle with X-Mirage, iTunes Converter, Audiobook Converter and more: free ($146 value)

The Big Deal photography bundle with training tools, memberships for $99 ($4,000+ value)

$50 iTunes gift card for $40 shipped

iTunes cards buy one, get one 30% off at Target, email delivery or 10% off at Best Buy

Every Pixar movie is currently on sale at iTunes and Google Play with prices starting at $13 ea.

Quick Review: Kano’s Raspberry Pi 2 computer kit shines as a learning tool for kids and DIYers alike

More new gear from today:

Belkin Thunderbolt 2 Express Dock HD w/ 1-Meter Cable: $205 shipped (Reg. $300)

Games/Apps: iOS Final Fantasy games up to 50% off, Oceanhorn $4, Monster Hunter $7, freebies, more

More deals still alive:

Last Minute Father’s Day Gift Ideas: GoPro Bundles, Gift Cards, 2-day shipping, more

Yamaha 7.2-channel Wi-Fi AV Receiver with AirPlay + Bluetooth $450 shipped (Orig. $850)

New products & more:

Giveaway: The DODOcase $80 Apple Watch and iPhone charging solution stands out amongst the rest

E3 2015:

Super Smash Bros. updates, Star Fox rolls onto Wii U, more

New games & hardware announced at E3 make Xbox One deserving of a second look

Sony shows Last Guardian, Final Fantasy VII remake, Uncharted 4, Star Wars, more

Microsoft unveils new hardware, 360 compatibility + Forza 6, Halo 5, more

Bethesda’s real life Pip Boy for iPhone/Android, Dishonored 2, Doom, more

Xbox Live Gold Members can enjoy EA Access for free this week

Bartesian uses a familiar Keurig-like design to deliver cocktails on demand

Square Enix is bringing Final Fantasy VII to iOS this summer

As the main headline events wrap up at this year’s E3, Square Enix dropped more information on its plans for the beloved Final Fantasy series. After a very impressive reveal for the Final Fantasy VII remake on consoles and PC at the Sony event last night, Square executive producer Shinji Hashimoto took to the stage today to announce that FF7 is coming to iOS devices this Summer.

To be clear, this isn’t a mobile version of the new remake, but rather a port of the now iconic original PlayStation release. Square Enix already has a wide selection of mobile titles available in the App Store including Final Fantasy 1 through 6.

No exact release date or pricing details have been given, but you can expect it in the coming months, and likely for a premium judging by Square’s other mobile offerings.

Head over to 9to5Toys for a complete rundown on everything Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft and everyone else had to offer at E3 2015.

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Twitter is adding autoplay to GIFs, Vines, and native videos on iOS

Twitter is turning on automatic playback for certain types of media in your timeline through an update to its iOS app and its website, the social network announced.

Starting today, users will notice that native videos, GIFs, and Vines all autoplay directly in the timeline when browsing Twitter without the need to tap or click to initiate playback. Sound playback for native videos and Vines will still require tapping or clicking to play to avoid hijacking the experience. Users can also initiate full playback by rotating the iPhone to landscape mode when viewing an autoplay video.
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9to5Toys Last Call: ChugPlug MacBook battery $49, Mophie iPhone 6 case $70, Bluetooth keyboard $15, 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:

Lenmar ChugPlug external battery for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro $49 (Orig. $200)

Mophie Juice Pack battery case (multiple colors): iPhone 6 $70 (Reg. $100), iPhone 6 Plus $80 (Reg. $100)

SHARKK Aluminum Bluetooth Keyboard $15 (Reg. $40)more

Ondesoft Mac Bundle with X-Mirage, iTunes Converter, Audiobook Converter and more: free ($146 value)

The Big Deal photography bundle with training tools, memberships for $99 ($4,000+ value)

$50 iTunes gift card for $40 shipped

iTunes cards buy one, get one 30% off at Target, email delivery or 10% off at Best Buy

Restaurant and apparel gift cards 20% off: JCPenney, T.G.I. Friday’s, Legal Seafood, Steak n’ Shake, Jiffy Lube, more

Quick Review: Kano’s Raspberry Pi 2 computer kit shines as a learning tool for kids and DIYers alike

More new gear from today:

Yamaha 7.2-channel Wi-Fi AV Receiver with AirPlay + Bluetooth $450 shipped (Orig. $850)

Games/Apps: 1 Password for Mac $35, DA Inquisition $30, Trine $2, more

More deals still alive:

Timbuk2 30% off sitewide: Command Messenger Bag 2015 $97 (Reg. $149), much more

Keep your Wi-Fi and iPhone running during a power outage w/ APC’s Back-UPS Connect for $48 shipped (Orig. $80)

New products & more:

Giveaway: The DODOcase $80 Apple Watch and iPhone charging solution stands out amongst the rest

E3 2015: Sony shows Last Guardian, Final Fantasy VII remake, Uncharted 4, Star Wars, more

E3 2015: Microsoft unveils new hardware, 360 compatibility + Forza 6, Halo 5, more

E3 2015: Bethesda’s real life Pip Boy for iPhone/Android, Dishonored 2, Doom, more

E3 2015: Xbox Live Gold Members can enjoy EA Access for free this week

Belkin is set to take on Philips Hue with its new WeMo smart home LED bundles

Adobe integrates stock image purchases into Creative Cloud as it updates its 15 CC apps

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Alongside the updates to its mobile apps yesterday, Adobe has also updated its entire suite of Creative Cloud desktop apps and launched a new Adobe Stock images service integrated within those apps – something the company says “radically simplifies” the process of buying and using stock images.

“Adobe Stock extends Creative Cloud’s value as a vibrant global marketplace,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Digital Media, Adobe. “Eighty-five percent of customers who purchase stock images use Adobe creative tools. The deep integration with our latest Creative Cloud desktop apps, including Photoshop and InDesign, makes buying and using stock photos incredibly easy. At the same time, our customers – the best photographers and designers on the planet – will have the opportunity to contribute millions of new photos and images to Adobe Stock. This is really going to raise the bar in the world of stock content.”

Single images cost $9.99 for existing Creative Cloud subscribers, but Adobe offers two volume subscriptions offering significantly better deals … 
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Facebook Moments app makes it easier to exchange photos with friends

Facebook has today unveiled a new app called Moments from its Creative Labs division that makes it easier to exchange pictures amongst friends who were together at an event or place, all documenting it through their own photos. Here’s how Facebook describes the problem they’re solving:

It’s hard to get the photos your friends have taken of you, and everyone always insists on taking that same group shot with multiple phones to ensure they get a copy. Even if you do end up getting some of your friends’ photos, it’s difficult to keep them all organized in one place on your phone.

Through the use of location and facial-recognition data (both areas where Facebook has invested heavily), Moments groups photos together and then asks if you’d like to share them with the people it has recognized, and vice-versa. It’s very reminiscent of the now-defunct Color, although that app was more real-time and ephemeral (Moments allows you to collect and sync photos with friends after an event is over), and wasn’t integrated closely with Facebook’s 1 billion plus user base.

https://vimeo.com/130380325

It’s available now in the iOS App Store and on Google Play, which is useful in the event that some of your friends are on Android (gasp, I know).

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Apple highlights upcoming GarageBand update w/ new synths & ‘Transform Pad’ feature

Amid the WWDC announcements last week including previewing iOS 9, OS X 10.11 El Capitan, and watchOS 2, Apple has pre-announced a small update coming to GarageBand for Mac at the end of the month. German site Apfelpage noticed the webpage that promises “new features coming June 30” above a description of additional virtual session drummers.
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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad Air 128GB Wi-Fi + LTE $449, Timbuk2 30% off, network UPS w/ USB ports $48, 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:

iPad Air 128GB LTE, Folio Case, more: $449 shipped, tax in NY ($280 off), iPad mini 3 $100 off, more

Timbuk2 30% off sitewide: Command Messenger Bag 2015 $97 (Reg. $149), much more

Keep your Wi-Fi and iPhone running during a power outage w/ APC’s Back-UPS Connect for $48 shipped (Orig. $80)

$10 Lumsing Father’s Day deals: 10,400mAh power bank (Reg. $20), Bluetooth speaker w/NFC (Reg. $16), USB chargers, more

Belkin is set to take on Philips Hue with its new WeMo smart home LED bundles

Ondesoft Mac Bundle with X-Mirage, iTunes Converter, Audiobook Converter and more: free ($146 value)

$50 iTunes gift card for $40 shipped

iTunes cards buy one, get one 30% off at Target, email delivery or 10% off at Best Buy

Restaurant and apparel gift cards 20% off: JCPenney, T.G.I. Friday’s, Legal Seafood, Steak n’ Shake, Jiffy Lube, more

Quick Review: Kano’s Raspberry Pi 2 computer kit shines as a learning tool for kids and DIYers alike

More new gear from today:

Seagate 8TB Backup Plus USB 3 Desktop Drive: $250 shipped (6TB: $200, 5TB: $134)

Samsung’s T1 Portable SSDs are smaller than a business card, now on sale: 250GB $98, 500GB $198, 1TB $398

More deals still alive:

App Store Free App of the Week: Slayin endless RPG goes free for the first time ($1 value

Charge up to four USB devices at once w/ this RAVPower Desktop Charger for $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $16), more

New products & more:

Giveaway: The DODOcase $80 Apple Watch and iPhone charging solution stands out amongst the rest

Parrot details new drones with upgraded specs for land, water and air

Bethesda brings Fallout to iOS for the first time with freemium Fallout Shelter game

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Fans of Bethesda’s Fallout games on Xbox, PlayStation and PC got the news yesterday that Fallout 4 will be launched in November – and the company also threw in a surprise bonus in the form of an iOS game. Fallout Shelter is a kind of blend of SimCity, XCOM and FTL in which you create your own fallout shelter and try to keep its residents alive and happy.

Fallout Shelter puts you in control of a state-of-the-art underground Vault from Vault-Tec. Build the perfect Vault, keep your Dwellers happy, and protect them from the dangers of the Wasteland.

Select from a variety of modern-day rooms to turn an excavation beneath 2,000 feet of bedrock into the very picture of Vault Life. Get to know your Dwellers and lead them to happiness. Find their ideal jobs and watch them flourish. Provide them with outfits, weapons, and training to improve their abilities.

As Overseer, you get to design the shelter and take care of its residents, but you can also send them out into the Wasteland to find additional armor, weapons and other handy loot … 
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Popular podcast app Instacast now discontinued as parent company Vemedio runs out of money

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Popular podcasting app Instacast for iOS and Mac is shutting down as the founders can no longer fund it or any of Vemedio’s other projects.

In an email sent to paid members, Martin Hering says that all of Vemedio’s products will be ‘discontinued’, with Instacast being the most well known app affected by this. The company says they will keep the servers up for as long as possible so current users will not be left with non-functional apps immediately.


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With iOS 9’s Wallet, Apple lets marketers push “Offers” to users through iAd

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With Apple’s new Wallet app in iOS 9, a revamped version of the old Passbook app with a name that better reflects Apple Pay integration, Apple will let marketers send out dynamic offers triggered by location or a user’s interests through iAd. Apple noted the feature on its blog for advertisers explaining that “marketers can reach loyal customers with specific messages that reflect the customers’ interests, or convert a new customer by presenting a reason to try something new.”
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Flipboard responds to Apple’s News app, says it released the same thing 5 years ago

We’ve already heard what many of the top streaming music services have to say regarding Apple Music, but now another company with whom Apple is now competing has commented on its new battle. At WWDC, Apple introduced a new News app that will be built into iOS 9 when it launches later this fall. The app features a magazine-style interface that when showed off for the first time, prompted many comparisons to the popular Flipboard reading app.


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Developers hack Apple Watch to run real UIKit-backed native apps

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Well-known developers Steve Troughton-Smith, Saurik and Adam Bell have managed to hack the Apple Watch on watchOS 2 to run truly native apps on the device. Although Apple is advertising native apps with watchOS 2, it isn’t as ‘native’ as some developers wanted or expected. The logic code now runs on the watch, but raw access to the user interface is still not allowed on watchOS 2.

This means frameworks like UIKit cannot be used to draw truly custom UI. Instead developers must rely on the same techniques employed with current WatchKit apps that revolve around image sequences to create more interesting effects.

In the demo, video embedded below, the team managed to get a fully interactive 3D object running on the Apple Watch powered by Apple’s SceneKit framework.


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9to5Toys Last Call: 4-Port USB Desktop Charger $9, Free App of the Week, 5K iMac from $2,000, 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:

Charge up to four USB devices at once w/ this RAVPower Desktop Charger for $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $16), more

App Store Free App of the Week: Slayin endless RPG goes free for the first time ($1 value)

Best Buy 2-Day Sale: 27″ 5K Retina iMac w/ 1TB Fusion Drive $2,000 w/ .edu or $2,100 w/o (Reg. $2,299), more

Get 50% off at Starbucks: $10 gift card for $5 w/ email delivery – Sold Out, sorry about the mix-up

Ondesoft Mac Bundle with X-Mirage, iTunes Converter, Audiobook Converter and more: free ($146 value)

$50 iTunes gift card for $40 shipped: save 20% on apps, music, movies and more

Restaurant and apparel gift cards 20% off: JCPenney, T.G.I. Friday’s, Legal Seafood, Steak n’ Shake, Jiffy Lube, more

Father’s Day: Tommy Hilfiger, Nordstrom, more up to 50% off, DEWALT tools & gift cards from 20% off, more

Giveaway: The DODOcase $80 Apple Watch and iPhone charging solution stands out

More new gear from today:

Daily Deals: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB 2.5-inch SATA III Internal SSD $90, more

More deals still alive:

New Games/Apps: popular puzzler Threes! goes free-to-play the right way & Drop the Chicken 2 releases at 50% off

Sony MDR-7506 Professional Folding Headphones $70 shipped (Reg. $100)

New products & more:

Oculus finally unveils the retail version of its Rift VR headset

These Multisport Biometric Headphones are a fitness tracker and Bluetooth headset

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Twitterrific adds support for quoted tweets on iPhone & emoji + quick reply on Apple Watch

Before the launch of Apple Watch, Twitterrific for iPhone gained support for a Watch app that featured a variety of capabilities. Now, the company has updated its iPhone app and with it come new features for both the Watch and phone. Version 5.12 of Twitterrific adds support for Twitter’s new quoted tweets feature, which embeds the actual tweet instead of simply quoting it as text. To do a quote retweet with Twitterrific, simply tap and hold on the RT button.


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Google Docs ‘Slides’ app updated with AirPlay and Chromecast support

Google announced today that it updated its Slides app, available for Android and iOS, to both support Google Cast and AirPlay. The update comes following the announcement of the Remote Display API that Google showed off at its I/O developers conference at the end of June, which allows developers to present more intricate applications and games on a remote screen.
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9to5Toys Last Call: Transcend flash storage, DODOcase Apple Watch stand giveaway, iTunes Free App of the Week, 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:

Amazon Gold Box: Transcend Micro/SD Cards, USB sticks & SSDs: $18 for 64GB, $288 for 1TB SSD

Giveaway: The DODOcase $80 Apple Watch and iPhone charging solution stands out

New Games/Apps: popular puzzler Threes! goes free-to-play the right way & Drop the Chicken 2 releases at 50% off

$50 iTunes gift card for $40 shipped: save 20% on apps, music, movies and more

Restaurant and apparel gift cards 20% off: JCPenney, T.G.I. Friday’s, Legal Seafood, Steak n’ Shake, Jiffy Lube, more

Father’s Day: Tommy Hilfiger, Nordstrom, more up to 50% off, DEWALT tools & gift cards from 20% off, more

More new gear from today:

RAVPower all-in-one travel router, wireless card reader and power bank for $31 Prime shipped (Reg. $47)

Chromecast free movie rental offer includes American Sniper, Interstellar, and more hits

More deals still alive:

Pay what you want Mobile-First Developer’s Bundle ($1,740 value, currently $6)

New products & more:

Sony’s new RX100 IV prosumer digital camera is loaded with features

Holus uses 3D holograms to bring images from phones and tablets to life