A day ahead of Vision Pro’s release, Apple put a spotlight on more than 600 new “spatial” apps and games made specifically for the headset. They join more than a million Vision Pro-compatible apps Friday in the App Store.
“Apple Vision Pro is unlocking the imaginations of our worldwide developer community, and we’re inspired by the range of spatial experiences they’ve created for this exciting new platform,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations.
Binging your favorite TV shows on Netflix is about to get a lot better and a lot worse at the same time.
Netflix revealed that it plans to roll out two new features that will change the way you watch and review shows. Get ready to say goodbye to opening credits and five star reviews.
The popularity of iMessage apps is already starting to diminish, less than a year after their debut.
iMessage apps have been the hottest new feature on iPhones since iOS 10 introduced them last year. But new data from analytics firm Sensor Tower shows that excitement for the new apps is already starting to fade among developers.
Apple is going all out to feature great media that promotes strong women by creating special sections in iTunes and Apple Music for International Women’s Day.
iPhone, Mac and Apple TV users can comb through Apple’s handpicked choices in categories like music, movies and books to find stories and entertainment that promotes strong female characters.
When it comes to buying apps, iPhone users aren’t afraid to bust out their wallets for good software.
Spending on iOS apps increased during 2016, according to the latest data from app analytics firm SensorTower which claims the average iPhone user spends $27 a year just on games.
The future of Apple Music will be a lot less focused on music and more about pop culture, according to three of Apple’s top employees working on the project.
Beats One DJ Zane Lowe, marketing guru Bozoma Saint John and Apple Music’s head of content, Larry Jackson, sat down for a three-headed interview to discuss what fans can expect from the streaming service. Music will always be part of Apple Music, but Lowe revealed that other forms of entertainment are coming soon.
The biggest hole in DirecTV Now’s lineup may finally get filled by CBS, but it’s going to take awhile.
CBS CEO Les Moonves said today he’s confident his company will be able to make a deal with AT&T’s DirecTV Now service. However, CBS may delay and wait for a better deal.
The great App Store purge is finally underway.
Apple warned developers in September that it plans to remove apps from its store that don’t meet quality standards of being “functional and up-to-date.” According to a new report, the deadline to meet those standards has passed and thousands of crummy apps are now being removed.
Apple just set an all-new record for the most App Store revenue brought in from one country in a quarter. Only instead of the United States taking the top spot, China is now Apple’s most profitable market for apps.
Originally slated for announcement during Apple’s alleged September 9 event, the rumored live TV service launch is now being pushed back to 2016. It turns out those stubborn TV networks are foiling Apple’s plans to deliver sooner. Fortunately, the new Apple TV hardware should still get a proper unveiling next month.
Editor’s note: This is a humor piece. If you are looking for legitimate uses for your old Apple TV, you might want to read this article instead: “9 practical uses for your obsolete Apple TV.”
All rumors and speculation point to a brand new model of the Apple TV – and it’s about time. It should be complete with better hardware and finally its own App Store.
You might be hoping for a software update that will bring the App Store to your current Apple TV, but it’s not likely. Apple could pretty easily claim that older models don’t have the hardware to support it. You’re probably thinking your current set-top box will soon be totally obsolete, but if that’s your mentality, fear not. Here are five things you can do with your Apple TV when it becomes old news in September.
It’s the holiday season again, and iOS devices top the lists of many of us, adult and child alike. If you’ve gotten one this year (kudos!), here’s our handy guide to get you started: the 12 “must have” apps for your brand new iPhone and iPad. Because, seriously, there are way too many apps out there to figure this out all on your own. You’re welcome.
VLC – Universal – Free
If you want to play movies you’ve downloaded on your iPhone or iPad, but don’t want to limit yourself to officially sanctioned formats via iTunes and the Videos app on your iPhone, VLC is your app. It’s a free, open-source port of the computer-based media player and it will play all those different video formats, like WMV and OGG files, without the need for conversion. You can watch your movies you’ve downloaded to your iOS device, or you can sync directly with Dropbox or iTunes on your Mac, as well as an embedded web server.
VLC in the App Store
Evernote – Universal – Free
This is, hands-down, the single most used app I have on my iPhone. You can create and edit text notes, reminders, and task lists and sync them across all your devices, including the web. You can record voice, audio and photo notes, search for text inside images, organize all your stuff into notebooks and tags and even share notes via email, Facebook, and Twitter.
Add to your Evernote shopping list on your Mac, for example and it will appear on your iPhone for use at the store. Share that note with your roommates or spouse, and you have the ideal solution for making sure everything gets purchased the next time one of you is at the store.
Evernote in the App Store
Fantastical 2 – iPhone – $3.99
This, well, fantastic, calendar replacement app uses a natural language parsing engine to help you make appointments and reminders with text or dictation. Say, “Lunch next Tuesday with Amy,” and Fantastical 2 will figure out what you mean, and place in on the appropriate slot.
You’ll never want to swipe those fiddly date and time wheels again. While the original Fantastical is still just as great, the new version has been updated for iOS 7. If you’re sick of the way typical digital calendars work, this is the app for you.
Fantastical 2 in the App Store
AroundMe – Universal – Free
AroundMe uses your location data to quickly let you find the nearest bank, bar, gas station, hospital, hotel, movie theater, restaurant, market, or taxi cab. You’ll get a complete list of nearby businesses in your chosen category, along with your distance from them, and you can quickly get the location up on a map. You can even send the info along to a buddy, or add the location to your Contacts. As if that wasn’t enough, you can even use AroundMe to fill you in on the details of the place using Wikipedia.
AroundMe in the App Store
Pocket Casts – Universal – $3.99
Our very own Killian Bell says this is the best podcast app out there, and it’s got the ratings to prove it. Pocket Casts is a sraightforward, easy to use, powerful “podcatcher” app that lets you subscribe and play any podcast out there, sync and back them up, filter your episode lists, set up auto downloads, and a ton more.
The killer feature here? Refreshing up to 50 podcasts in the same time it can take other podcast apps, even Apple’s, to refresh one. Grab it now and see what you’ve been missing.
Twitter – Universal – Free
Power users may prefer apps like Twitterrific and Tweetbot, but for the rest of us, the official Twitter app is really all we need. The latest update adds quite a bit of functionality, including a neat swipe between panels interface, easy conversation drilldowns, and more. If you need to access Twitter on your iPhone or iPad, but don’t want a cluttery interface or more features than you can shake a stick at, this is the one to start with.
Twitter in the App Store
Boxie – iPhone – Free
The original (and best, in my opinion) cloud storage drive, Dropbox, has its own iOS app, but Boxie makes that app feel old and slow. This super-useful Dropbox client app features many more ways to manage, organize, and access all your Dropbox content, with a gorgeous interface to boot. Boxie turns your Dropbox storage into something truly useful, getting you access to all your stuff with a minimum of effort or slow loading times.
Boxie in the App Store
Google Maps – Universal – Free
I hate to say it, but you really need to download Google’s navigation app. While Apple Maps is much improved these days, Google has been at it quite a bit longer, and while I much prefer Apple’s driving interface, Google Maps is just a more comprehensive experience.
Finding and getting to your destination is just much easier with Google Maps, and the voiced turn-by-turn navigation just seems to make a little more sense than Apple’s does. Don’t leave home without this on your iPhone or iPad.
Google Maps in the App Store
Instagram – iPhone – Free
Instagram is not only a photo sharing service within an app, but an entire social network, itself connected to other services out there like Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter. It launches quickly and lets you capture that moment in time so you can filter and contrast it into something visually interesting (usually!). Getting your photos out there is super fast, and now Instagram even does video sharing, with 15 second clips that use the same filtering system as the photos.
Instagram in the App Store
Mailbox – Universal – Free
Email may have revolutionized the way we communicate in our business personal lives, but Mailbox has truly change the game for mobile email management. Using a few easily remembered swipe-based gestures, Mailbox lets you deal with your email quickly and efficiently, storing some in lists, scheduling others to look at later, or just deleting the crap out of the stuff you really aren’t gonna read anyway. Mailbox puts the productivity back into your email workflow, and you’ll thank the developers for the innovation.
Mailbox in the App Store
Pocket – Universal – Free
Pocket, formerly Read It Later, may not be the first such service where you can send long web articles to your iPhone or iPad to read later, but it’s quickly become my “read this later” service of choice. There’s a Pocket extension for every web browser out there, and a click sends it along to the Pocket servers, which deliver your own mix of saved reading material for offline perusal at your own convenience, even offline. Pocket is simple to use, and I’d never be able to read those long articles without it.
Pocket in the App Store
Bump – iPhone – Free
Incredibly simple, Bump lets you do just that: touch your iPhone to another one running Bump and you’re instantly sharing your contacts, files, and photos. Heck, you can even use Bump with your Mac, provided you’ve downloaded the Mac app to your computer. It seems like a silly thing, but getting files around from device to device has never been simpler.
Bump in the App Store
Syfy announced today that its iPhone and iPad apps have merged into one mega-nerd monster app called Syfy Now.
The new app now gives both iPhone and iPad users access to full episodes of favorite Syfy shows, with new episodes available the day after they air. You can add new shows to a watchlist to view episodes later or track a season, and Syfy Now syncs your watchlist across multiple devices via iCloud, so can pick up where you left off with any series on any device.
A cable subscription is required to view all the shows, but there are a select number of full episodes and clips you can still view without it.
The free app is available now in the App Store.
The Mac has become a media hub for many people. But even it could use some extra help now and again to make sure it stays organized and streamlined so that it can be a true entertainment powerhouse. Cult of Mac Deals has assembled 3 top-notch apps that aim to boost your Mac’s reputation as a media center with The Mac Media Mini Bundle.
Featuring Musictube, Minitube, and Musique, The Mac Media Mini Bundle has the ability to further innovate how it handles YouTube and simplify your music experience – which is no simple feat. During this limited time offer, you can get The Mac Media Mini Bundle for just $14.99 – a savings of 53%!
Readers of a … certain age. Will remember. The way William … Shatner. Used to talk. On Star Trek. Few of you will have … wished to make poetry that sounds. Like. That. On your iPhones. But now … you. Can. My God, Bones. My God.
The WWE is ready to bring the pain, with its up close and personal WWE app for Android and iOS. Get in the ring with your favorite WWE Superstars, with instant access to profiles, biographies, social media feeds and more. Relive thousands of face smacking matches thanks to a video library consisting of thousands of clips. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just looking for a little nostalgia, the WWE app has it all.
Led by the iPad, tablet sales are now expected to overtake laptop sales within four years. Given how disruptive the iPad has already been to many industries, it’s almost impossible to read reports like that without wondering which industries the iPad will topple or transform over the next five to ten years.
A new Morgan Stanley report identifies some of the likely winners and losers in an iPad and tablet dominated world. The industries expected to succeed include a couple of surprises – at first glance.
The entertainment industry may be bracing for further disruption by Apple when the company finally unveils its HDTV and related television plans, but at least one major player in the field is refusing to show any sign of fear.
In a move sure to be followed by other industry executives, DirecTV chairman Michael White downplayed the potential for an Apple television during a conference attended by other cable and satellite company leaders late last week. While other executives were fairly noncommittal about an Apple HDTV and what it could mean for the entertainment industry, White was emphatic in deriding the idea that Apple could deliver a better user experience to viewers.
Speaking at the Sanford Bernstein Strategic Decisions conference, White specifically called out two of the most anticipated features of an Apple television – a superior user interface and a better selection of content – and described them as unrealistic and unimportant to his company’s customers.
Ever been half way around the world wishing you could watch your favorite local sports team as they go up against their longtime rival? NimbleTV hopes to grant that wish by offering a subscription-based TV platform that would allow users to access all of their television from anywhere in the world, on any device. NimbleTV will host your TV subscription plan and deliver it to you using their cloud-based software. The NimbleTV service is a global platform that features:
Time Warner recently added the ability to live stream national and regional sports networks from the TWC TV app for the iPad, iPhone, Android 4.0 smartphones and tablets, and TWCTV.com. Any Time Warner Cable video subscriber living in New York, Dallas, or Charlotte will now have the ability to live stream their favorite sports channels at no extra cost by using the TWC TV app.
It looks like Valve threw a few extra coals into their engine after hearing about the 3rd party Steam app that was released earlier this month. They were not going to let any other app take their steam and so they have now released the official Steam app onto both Android and iOS. I’d like to say users are ecstatic, but there seems to be a catch.
Steve Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson he had “finally cracked” the television set, sparking more rumors his team in Cupertino are on the cusp of launching a revolutionary new television that will change home entertainment forever.
Apple won’t be the first to attempt this, however. Sony’s CEO Sir Howard Stringer says he is competing against Steve Jobs to change the traditional television set.
Apple issued a press release yesterday in which it confirmed the new iPhone 4S will be launching in South Korea next Friday, November 11. In order to prepare for its arrival, the South Korean government has lifted a ban that prevented iOS users from downloading games onto their devices.
Calling it the world’s first monthly comic series for children on the iPhone and iPod touch, EyeCandy is available on iTunes.
The $.99 comic, described as “goofy” by creator PJ Holden as he walks through features, can be stripped down to the ink or pencil layers for digital finger painting. It exploits the iPhone platform for sound, vibration and an accelerometer. Each issue comes with extras, like a pony toy (shake the iPhone and it whinnies) in the cowboy-themed first issue, so a lot of busy time for your buck.
EyeCandy is a heroic come back by Infurious Comics, whose MURDEDROME was rejected by Apple for sale on iTunes out of concern over adult content.
The boys in Belfast are valiantly trying to put a positive spin on the situation, describing safe for children release as “hot on the heels of the rejection” of the adult comic.
While we’re not against kiddy apps, it’s a shame there isn’t more for grown-ups who need a little displacement activity during meetings.
