update - page 14

I have a book I’m reading that I received from a book publisher. It’s an ePub file, which works well with iBooks. Since I love the interface in iBooks, I loaded the file on my iPad 3 and my iPad mini, so I would have it at home on the larger iPad and on the go on the smaller one. Sounds great, right?

I’d hoped to be able to sync my bookmarks, though, so I could bookmark the novel on one device and then pull up the bookmark on the next device I was reading it on. I couldn’t. I spent some time messing about on the internet, trying to figure out how to fix this issue. Apple has the answer, and it’s a lot simpler than I thought.

Tap Tap Tap has updated its hugely popular Camera+ app for iPhone today, introducing a stack of great new features and lots of improvements. It claims to have “made the impossible possible” by introducing a front-facing flash, in addition to a horizontal level, live exposure, and more.

If you haven’t already installed Apple’s latest EFI firmware for your 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, you may want to avoid it for a little while. Users on the Apple Support Communities forum are reporting that the update causes reduced frame rates and processor slowdowns when using graphically-intensive applications.

It’s been almost a month since Apple began shipping the iPhone 5, and we’re still waiting for some of the biggest apps to be updated for its larger 4-inch display. Fortunately, as of today, eBay and Skype are not longer on that list.

The App Store app is a fantastic thing, letting you walk into an Apple Store, scan a product on the shelf, pay for it with your iTunes account, and walk out. I ordered my iPad mini from the iPhone app this past week, as well. The app has been updated today, adding the ability to buy new gift cards and email them to anyone right from within the app. The gift cards can then be integrated into the new Passbook app in the US.

According to Cult of Mac staff, however, the Passbook functionality is not working yet, and we speculate it may be a server issue.

Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, is now also able to help you find prices of and shop for Apple products if you have a Siri-enabled device.

Readability has updated its iOS app to bring a new grid view to the Top Reads and Longform Picks curated reading lists on the iPad. Version 1.2.3 of the app also promises “even more sync speed improvements” which should make Readability even snappier than it was before.

Facebook has just pushed out a big update to its iOS app in the App Store. Version 5.1 brings a number of improvements, including a new interface for messaging friends, the ability to upload multiple photos at once, and Facebook Gifts.

Pandora, that grandaddy of internet radio, just got a huge update on iOS, and is coming soon to Android. The new version includes the ability to share your music listening with friends on the Pandora service, Facebook, and Twitter, a feature I was surprised wasn’t already there. In addition, you can follow other folks on the new Music Feed, much like Spotify and Rdio allow. There’s a new Profile page accessed right in-app, more information about music and the artists themselves as well, a la Last FM, and full lyrics for every song that can be played on the service.

Evernote has become an important go-to app on my Mac, my various iOS devices, and on the web when I’m away from all of them (which, I do admit, is rare). The ability to take a note on my Mac and then open it up on my iPhone when at the store or meeting has become an invaluable part of keeping my life organized.

The Evernote team announced today, then, a whole new version of Evernote, the beta for which will show up next week. It’s going to have over 100 new features to make using Evernote on the Mac that much faster, easier, and useful.

Stainless Games brought the 1997 classic that is Carmageddon to the App Store last week, but its launch was marred by a nasty save game bug that was capable of wiping all the progress you had made in the game.

Thankfully, the company has now issued an update that fixes the problem.

Earlier this week, Stainless Games brought the 1997 reckless driving sensation that is Carmageddon to iOS, and I haven’t been able to put it down since — it’s as good today as it was 15 years ago on the Dreamcast. However, it does have one issue holding it back: a save game bug that could wipe all your progress.

The folks at Klout, the social network influence web company, want you to be recognized for your Klout score wherever you go. Their iOS app has added Perks and a special Passbook-enabled influence card that you can access right on your iOS device when you’re out and about.

If you’ve been wanting to play The Witcher, CD Projekt’s well-regarded RPG based on the book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, now might be a great time to do so. The game has just been patched with support for Lion and Mountain Lion, letting more modern Macs join in the fun.

The just-released seventh generation iPod nano has just started being seen in stores and shipping from online pre-orders, but it already has a software update waiting for it. If you get a new iPod nano and plug it into iTunes to set it up and sync, you’ll likely see a new update that you’ll need to apply before you can use it.

Google has updated its official Google+ app for iOS to deliver support for iOS 6 and the iPhone 5’s larger 4-inch display, and to add a number of new features — including the ability to view, post, and comment on Google+ pages, and save images to the camera roll.

OS X developers are reportedly becoming frustrated with the lengthy delay they must endure to have their applications approved for the Mac App Store. Average wait times have increased to 27 days over the past month, whereas approval for the iOS App Store takes just 7 days on average. Some are blaming the influx of iOS updates for the iPhone 5 and iOS 6, but claim that Apple should be over the worst of it by now.

The SlingPlayer app for both Android and iOS has been discounted to $14.99 (50% off) after receiving a long-overdue update. SlingPlayer is one of the more expensive apps so grabbing it while it’s half-off is a must for anyone considering the purchase of a Slingbox. The SlingPlayer works in conjunction with a compatible Slingbox and smartphone or tablet, allowing users to watch live or recorded TV while on-the-go.

Sure, Rovio just announced its new Star Wars Angry Bird iteration, but they certainly haven’t forgotten about the OG Angry Birds that started it all. Today, Rovio has updated the original Angry Birds with a ton of new content. Chock full of new power-ups, this update includes 15 new Surf & Turf levels as well as 15 pig themed levels.

Apple has published a Knowledge Base article that shows how to arrange the Apple TV app icons on the main screen. The update, 5.1, also added Shared Photo Streams, AirPlay Send audio, iTunes account switching, Trailer searching, new Screen Savers, support for Subtitles, more advanced Networking options, and the standard stability and performance enhancements.

Arranging the app icons is really very simple, and Apple’s post shows us how it’s done.

Apple has issued its first software update to the iPhone 5 just over a week after the handset was released — but you’ll only see it if you’re on Verizon. No, the update doesn’t make Maps work. Instead, it “resolves an issue in which, under certain circumstances, iPhone 5 may use Verizon cellular data while the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network.”

Mixel, a wonderful collage and photo sharing app for iPhone designed by Khoi Vin, has just received what is quite possibly its best update yet. In addition to support for the iPhone 5’s larger display, Mixel boasts a number of new features, the biggest of which is the ability to send real postcards, including your own photo collages, from right within the app.

As we reported on Tuesday, Instagram has updated its iOS app to introduce support for iPhone 5 and iOS 6. It’s a welcome update to those enjoying a new 4-inch display, but it’s not all good news: Instagram also pulled live filters from the iPhone 5. It has since confirmed that live filters will soon be phased out of the iOS app completely, but for now, there is a workaround for those who miss them.

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.

When the Sparrow team announced that it had been acquired by Google back in July, the future of its popular email clients for Mac and iOS became unclear. We still don’t really know what will become of Sparrow, but its creators promised it would continue support its customers.

Staying true to that promise, the team has updated Sparrow for iPhone for the first time since its Google acquisition, adding support for Google Chrome, better IMAP compatibility, and more.

Dolphin is one of the best third-party browsers you’ll find on iOS, and it just got even better on the iPhone, thanks to a new design and user interface, new features, and lots of improvements in version 6.0.