Facebook has released the latest version of its SDK — version 3.1 — to iOS developers. The update brings a number of great new features, such as native Facebook login for third-party apps, native sharing sheets, and more, and Facebook promises that it will make it “easier to build more immersive social experiences, as well as better ways to distribute and promote your app.”
After lovingly unboxing your new iPhone 5 today, the first thing you’ll do is install all your favorite iOS apps. But what if you don’t have any? What if this is your first iPhone? Well, we’ve compiled a list of must-have apps for iPhone 5 to get you started. We’ve got Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube clients; news readers; note-takers; word processors, and more — and everything in the list has already been updated to take advantage of the iPhone 5’s larger display.
So dive in and check out the best apps to get you started with your new iPhone 5.
After updating iPhoto for iOS on Wednesday to add iOS 6 support and a whole host of new features, Apple has shown a little love to iPhoto for Mac. Version 9.4 is available to download from the Mac App Store now, and it comes with support for the Shared Photo Streams introduced in iOS 6, Facebook comments, and more.
With the latest iOS 6 update, all your iPhone using buddies around the world are going to start syncing their Contacts to their Facebook account, hoping to automate what can be a fairly tedious process. Unfortunately, if you haven’t set your Facebook account settings to get your real email address into the sync information, your friends are going to just get a useless @facebook.com email address attached to your contact on their iPhone, and no one wants that.
Fortunately, there’s a way to fix this problem, and make sure Facebook’s secret switch to their own branded email addresses in your Facebook contact information doesn’t go any farther than it already has.
We’ve all been itching to get our hands on iOS 6 since it got its first unveiling at WWDC back in June, and today, three months after that announcement, the software finally gets its public debut. Apple’s packed a ton of new features into this update, including some major new features like Map and Passbook, plus some enhancements to existing apps and features, such as new Siri capabilities and a VIP inbox in Mail.
Apple’s been promoting some of these features on its website, but there are tons you may not have heard about. With that said, here’s your comprehensive guide to everything that’s new in iOS 6.
Apple has finally released iOS 6 to the public, more than three months after the software was first previewed at WWDC. It brings more than 200 new features to the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, including Apple’s brand new Maps and Passbook apps, Facebook integration, FaceTime over cellular, enhancements to Siri, Mail, and Phone, and lots, lots more.
On the eve of its big iPhone 5 event, Apple has seeded a new version of OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 to registered developers in the Mac Dev Center. This marks the fourth beta update of 10.8.2 to be released in less than a month, indicating that a public release is imminent.
Unlike the last couple minor version of the 10.8.2 beta, today’s 12C50 update packs several new additions and improvements. Namely, Facebook integration has been fully baked into OS X itself, meaning that everyone should have access to Facebook in Mountain Lion when 10.8.2 drops.
You may have thought it had already happened, but today Facebook has finally purchased Instagram. The proposed $1 billion buyout was announced back in April, but the FTC just recently closed its investigation and gave Facebook the go-ahead to make the purchase.
Due to Facebook’s stock decline, the deal’s value is now estimated to be around $750 million instead of the original $1 billion. Facebook today reaffirms its promise to keep Instagram’s 80 million+ users happy by allowing the app to run independently.
When I first saw the PR blurb for the Quicam app, I thought “What could possibly go wrong?” After all, who could ever foresee a problem with an app that lets you snap photos and immediately send them to Twitter and Facebook, automatically and without a single extra button press.
Really, what could possibly go wrong?
Apple seeded another new OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 build to registered developers through the Apple Dev Center. This one, with build number 12C35, comes just one week after the last build, suggesting Apple is moving quickly to bring this update to the public. Of course, this is the update that will bring Facebook integration to the Mac.
Facebook integration for iOS 6 will be launching in a few weeks along side the iPhone 5, which is pretty cool because now you’ll be able to share photos, update your status, or even like songs without having to open up the crappy Facebook app.
The only drawback for iOS 6’s Facebook integration is that Facebook is using it to push their “@facebook.com” email addresses to everyone. What it means is that even though no one uses their @facebook.com address or know they exist, your address book is going to be infested with them.
Apple has seeded a new OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 build (12C35) to participants in its AppleSeed program, continuing its testing of Facebook integration. Though it states that there are no known issues with this update, the Cupertino company is also asking users to focus on Messages, Game Center, Safari, and Reminders.
Looxcie today launched their own Facebook channel, along with an update to their free live-streaming app — called LooxcieLive that turns any Android or iOS device into a video broadcast camera that streams video straight to your Facebook feed.
Of course, Looxcie’s isn’t the first app to do this; Utsream did the same thing just a week or so ago with their own app, Broadcast for Friends (with the gag-me-cute acronym of BFF). The difference here is that Looxcie’s Facebook channel can also serve up live broadcasts from Looxcie’s own hardware — which may make first-person-perspective shooting easier than, say, duct-taping your smartphone to your forehead (snicker all you want, we’re sure it’s been done). And, of course, Looxcie is first out the gate — and the only Ustream to the punch with an Android app.
Facebook’s on a roll lately. Just a week after they released their hyper fast speed update to the native Facebook app, the world’s biggest social network has also given some improvements to the lesser-used Facebook Camera, adding notifications, likes, improved photo management, comments and other UI improvements. It’s actually a pretty usable app now!
Kicking off this week’s must-have apps roundup is a fantastic text editor called Drafts, which has quickly become my favorite on iOS. We’ve also included a great alternative music app called Ecoute; the latest Facebook app, which has been rewritten from the ground up; and a third-party web browser that prides itself on being super speedy.
Three months ago, we first heard that Facebook — probably the slowest and lousiest app many people have on their smartphones — was going to get a blistering fast speed update. Now it’s finally here. And yep, it’s much faster… finally a Facebook app that isn’t absolutely crummy.
Agile Tortoise has today updated its Drafts app for the iPhone, as well as launching an all-new version for the iPad. I have been using the iPad version for a little while now and it turns out to be pretty fantastic. The iPad app has an all-new UI, and incorporates the additions to the new iPhone app. Let’s take a look:
Earlier today, EA issued a press release for its upcoming SimCity. Within the release, it was revealed that both the game and EA’s Origin client would be making its way to Mac. This news not only signified the return of Sims to Mac, but also that EA was becoming more serious about getting its Steam competitor out to other platforms. I say platforms because later on during the company’s GamesCom press conference, they announced their plans to also bring Origin to Android, Facebook, and SmartTVs.
Yesterday, we reported on Apple’s response to Mat Honan’s “epic” AppleID, Amazon, and Twitter account hack. Basically, the company released a statement to Wired saying that the company would investigate the issue fully, as well as noting that its “own internal policies were not followed completely.”
Today, according to Wired, Apple ordered support staff to stop processing AppleID password changes over the phone. Wired claims that an Apple worker with knowledge of the situation, who required anonymity, told them that the freeze was planned for at least 24 hours. This same worker speculated that Apple put the hold in place to give Apple time to figure out what to change and how to do so.
Facebook has just introduced a new feature for their official Facebook for iPhone and iPad app that gives users Instapaper-like abilities to save posts shared on Facebook to read later. Now you too can collect your friends’ most embarrassing social network blunders in a favorites folder for posterity! Oh, and links you want to read later too, of course.
80 million Instagram users are no longer able to find their friends on Twitter after the micro-blogging site killed the required API. The app’s “Find Friends” feature now presents an error when attempting to connect to Twitter, though the “Tweet Photo” function is still available.
A new update to the private social network app Path brings a curious secret feature: you can now automatically import your Facebook, Instagram and Foursquare updates without doing anything. But there’s a catch: you’ll need to sign up for a new account to do it.
Rumors of Facebook rebuilding its official iPhone app have been circulating since The New York Times reported the news last month. Instead of an aesthetic redesign, Facebook was said to be focusing on fundamental improvements under the hood. The update was said to launch this summer. Interestingly, Facebook has also been hiring former Apple engineers who worked on the iPhone and iPad to help build a Facebook-centric smartphone with HTC as a device partner.
A new report today reiterates that Facebook is indeed building a speedier iPhone app, and that former Apple talent is helping build up Facebook’s mobile presence.
A friendly reminder for those of you downloading Mountain Lion: Facebook integration will not be added until this fall. Apple has said that Facebook in OS X “will be available in an upcoming software update to Mountain Lion.” If you’ve been following the news, you know this already, but we thought it was worth reiterating today.
While we don’t know for sure why it’s taking longer to add Facebook to the mix, our gut tells us Apple’s deal with Facebook got a little more complicated than both parties expected. Facebook in Mountain Lion is currently being tested by developers. So it’s coming, but not right out of the gate.
Apple’s new Podcasts app, with its skeuomorphic tape reels and beautiful interface, is an absolutely brilliant way to discover, manage, and listen to podcasts. And on our newest CultCast, we’ll tell you how Apple’s new gem will finally bring podcast entertainment out of the shadows and into the hands of the masses.
And then, did you know Google just released their beloved Chrome browser for iOS? We’ll tell you what we think and if it’s going to give Safari a run for its money.
All that and our answers to your Twitter questions on an all-new CultCast! Subscribe now on your shiny new Podcasts app, then catch the show notes after the jump!