PDFs, we know them, we love them. But we also know they can be tough to edit when you need to make changes in a hurry. Not so if you have the right app–especially, one which won the 2015 App of the Year from the Mac App Store.
Steve Jobs envisioned the App Store in 1983
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was a visionary. That’s a phrase that gets tossed around a lot, but in Jobs’ case we have solid evidence.
Speaking at a conference in the early 1980s, a decade before the Internet became a household name, he described something we do everyday: buy software online.
With macOS Mojave, Apple gives Mac some much-needed love
Developers received an early look at macOS 10.14 today, which bears the far-less-silly-than-last-year’s-High-Sierra name “Mojave.” After what Craig Federighi called a “four year mountain bender” Apple’s heading to the desert for its next-gen Mac OS.
For its 2018 iteration, Apple is introducing a dark mode, some nifty Finder updates, added privacy, and an all new, redesigned Mac App Store. Here’s what you need to know.
App Store listing hints at imminent macOS 10.13.4 release
Apple looks set to release its macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 update with official eGPU support at any moment. An inadvertent Mac App Store listing indicates the company is making preparations for a public rollout following weeks of beta testing.
Fifth macOS 10.13.3 beta lands for developers
Apple seeded a new beta build to developers today with the release of macOS 10.13.3 beta 5.
The new beta comes a week after Apple dropped the fourth beta build on developers, bringing with it a host of new bug fixes and performance improvements.
Awesome Mac app makes managing contacts easier than ever
Remember how Flexibits made managing your calendar incredibly easy with Fantastical? Now it is doing the same for your contacts with a brand new app called Cardhop.
Cardhop makes keeping your address book up to date and staying in touch with friends and colleagues quick and easy. It uses the same great natural language recognition found in Fantastical, and it’s available today on macOS.
macOS High Sierra is now available to the public
The wait for macOS High Sierra is finally over.
Apple unleashed its huge update for the Mac this morning bringing a host of new features and UI changes to desktops after months of beta testing. Most of the update contains under-the-hood changes the makes machines faster and more stable, but there are plenty of new additions to love.
High Sierra will be last macOS release to fully support 32-bit apps
Apple’s mission to eliminate 32-bit apps is no longer focused solely on iOS. The company told developers this week that its upcoming High Sierra update will be the last macOS release to support 32-bit titles “without compromise.”
Devs reveal the good, bad and ugly about Mac App Store
For users, the Mac App Store makes finding, purchasing, and downloading new software a breeze. But is the experience as enjoyable for the developers behind that software?
Setapp surveyed over 700 macOS developers to find out what they really think of Apple’s marketplace. The results give us an interesting insight into the challenges they face when choosing the Mac App Store, whether life is better without it, and how Apple has improved.
Screens 4 for macOS brings new look, file transfers and more
Screens, arguably the finest and most attractive VNC client for Mac and iOS, is now even greater.
Its version 4 update for macOS brings a more polished user interface, the ability to transfer files between your devices, Touch Bar support for the new MacBook Pro, and more.
Apple makes iWork and iLife apps free for all
The best apps made by Apple for iPhone and iPad are finally available for free to all users.
As part of an update to its iWork and iLife apps this morning, Apple changed the price for both the Mac and iOS versions, giving customers access to a suite of apps that can be used for music and video or getting work done.
Evernote update brings new buttons to MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar
MacBook Pro owners received some love from today in the form of an Evernote update that adds support for Apple’s new Touch Bar.
Instead of taking a complex approach to the Touch Bar, Evernote kept things simple — adding buttons for tasks you will want to do with one tap, such as search your notes or create a new one.
Devs no longer allowed to mention prices in app titles
iOS and macOS developers are no longer allowed to mention price information in app titles.
Apple has previously discouraged users from including words like “free” in their App Store titles. Now the company has instigated a complete ban, and developers who don’t comply with its new rule will see their submissions rejected.
Bumpr lets you switch Mac browsers, mail apps on the fly
Most of us have a favorite browser, but some of us use different browsers for different purposes. The same goes for email clients. With Bumpr for Mac, you don’t have to be tied to one default; you can switch between your favorites on the fly.
It’s not just you, iCloud is down now for some users
Are you having a hard time backing up files to iCloud or listening to songs on Apple Music? You’re not alone.
It appears that Apple’s iCloud services are currently impacted by a major Amazon web services outage that has crippled the internet on the East Coast. It’s unclear what is causing the problem but Apple says only 0.04 percent of users are effected by “slower than normal performance.”
Here are all the Apple services that are down:
How indie devs at Smile won 100,000 happy customers
Our App Business section is brought to you by MacPaw, maker of proven Mac apps.
Smile, the indie development team behind super-popular productivity apps TextExpander and PDFpen, cut its teeth writing software for technology that barely exists anymore. But thanks to a user-focused attitude and a wholehearted embrace of the third-party tools that power modern offices, the company has been able to keep ahead of the curve as technology changes.
Why selling your app as a subscription makes sense
Our App Business section is brought to you by MacPaw, maker of proven Mac apps.
When you’re developing Mac apps, success can sometimes seem self-defeating. The better job you do, the less your customers need to buy subsequent versions of your app. Your job then shifts to marketing and an endless quest to acquire new customers in order to keep cash flowing in. Meanwhile, those who use a subscription business model for their software can easily enjoy that sweet, sweet recurring revenue.
Some popular Mac apps fail as developer certificates expire
Several popular Mac apps began crashing over the weekend after their developer certificates expired.
The apps suddenly refused to open due to a change Apple made to its signing policy last year. Apple now requires that all apps from the Mac App Store have a valid provisioning profile that must be updated periodically.
Subscription service lets you binge on 60-plus Mac apps
The way Mac users get apps is about to become a lot more like Netflix, thanks to a service launching today called Setapp.
Created by the folks at MacPaw, Setapp is a new app subscription service that provides Mac users with an alternative way to try and buy apps instead of going through the Mac App Store.
Its not filled with loads of crap either. Top apps like Ulysses, Blogo, CleanMyMac, iMazing, Pixa, Polarr and Flume are all included. Instead of buying apps individually though, Setapp lets users pay a flat fee for access to hundreds of popular apps.
Developers will soon be able to reply to your mean app reviews
Apple is planning to make big changes to the way iOS and Mac users leave reviews for developers.
With the release of iOS 10.3 beta 1 and macOS 10.12.4 beta 1 this morning, Apple introduced two highly requested features for the developer community: a standardized method to ask for reviews, and a way for developers to reply to individual reviews.
Pro tips for improving your app reviews
Our App Business section is brought to you by MacPaw, maker of proven Mac apps.
Getting a bad app review is a definite bummer. When some faceless user trashes your labor of love in the App Store or some other public venue, it can really sting. But if you’re smart about it, you can turn negative reviews into positive opportunities for improving your app and winning committed customers.
Here’s how to spin bad app reviews into developer gold.
macOS 10.12.2 is out with new emoji and wallpapers
Mac owners can now take advantage of all the new emoji iPhone users got earlier this week, thanks to today’s release of macOS 10.12.2.
Apple launched the macOS update this morning, bringing a host of performance enhancements to users, as well as couple new features and small tweaks.
Mac app licensing is the headache you don’t want to DIY
Our new App Business section is brought to you by MacPaw, maker of proven Mac apps.
For independent Mac developers, one of the big, daunting tasks that the Mac App Store efficiently handles is app licensing. You just submit your app, then the store manages the actual app license through its user accounts. But this unquestionable convenience comes with a few critical downsides.
How to fix Mac App Store download problems
Macs are renowned for “just working,” but sometimes you might run into problems while downloading software from the Mac App Store. You might encounter files that say they’ve downloaded despite evidence to the contrary, or face verification errors or other installation difficulties.
If so, a relatively common fix involves emptying your Mac App Store temporary download cache folder. If you find yourself running into any of the Mac installation problems mentioned above, cleaning out this folder should be one of your first tasks.
But how do you do it? Follow our easy “how to” guide below.
‘Netflix of Mac software’ lets you binge on apps
Apple’s Mac App Store has been a desolate wasteland of mediocrity for years, but a new service called Setapp wants to breathe new life into macOS apps.
Setapp app claims it’s an “Unstore” alternative to the Mac App Store. Instead of paying for apps individually, you’ll pay a monthly subscription fee for access to 300 popular apps.