9to5Mac once again scoured the App Store for the most notable apps that launched, updated, or announced news recently and gathered them in our usual list below.
Today’s crop includes a new app about Robots, iPhone 5 support for an Adobe app, milestone news from a QR-code reader, and more. Keep checking the roundup, as we continually update throughout the day.
New
1. Robots for iPad | $4.99
This comprehensive guide to everything robot-related is getting much press today, but the concept is simple: a fluid, interactive reference app that features photographs, videos, facts, favoring options, etc., for over 120 actual robots. The app even features Furby and allows users to rate all robots on a scale that goes from “Creepy” to “Nice”. While it will not appeal to non-robot geeks, Robots for iPad is a unique offering from the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers and its award-winning technology magazine, IEEE Spectrum.
Updates
1. Adobe Ideas | $9.99
Adobe’s digital sketchbook for vectors launched version 2.5 recently with new and improved tools for drawing, coloring, and managing layers. The update also now supports iPhone 5, iOS 6, and iPad Mini.
Facebookers can send the digital cards to their friends along with recommended albums, movies, apps, etc. The iTunes cards come in $10, $15, $25, or $50 price points through Facebook Gifts.
Sprint just announced the expansion of its 4G LTE data network to 11 new cities in eight states, but the term “cities” is a little stretched in this instance as each population is either near or well below the 50,000 mark.
Sprint offers the iPhone but does not carry the 4G LTE iPad partly due to its thin LTE spread, although it has steadily tried to thicken 4G LTE data coverage in recent months. The carrier even rolled out 4G LTE data to 100 additional U.S. cities this past fall.
We continue to make progress with the rollout of our all-new, high-speed data network. Today, Sprint is delivering 4G LTE to 11 new cities and counties. Sprint introduced its all-new 4G LTE network in July 2012 and now offers service in 43 markets[1]. The 4G LTE network build is under way in more than 115 cities within the existing Sprint nationwide 3G footprint, including Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Indianapolis; Los Angeles; New Orleans; New York; Philadelphia; San Francisco; and Washington, D.C.
The full list of new areas:
Anderson, Ind.
Clarke County, Va./Jefferson County, W.Va.
Harrisburg/Carlisle/Hershey, Pa.
Hagerstown, Md./Martinsburg, W.Va.
Harrisonburg, Va.
Muncie, Ind.
Peabody, Mass.
Salina, Kan.
Shenandoah County, Va.
South Bend/Mishawaka, Ind.
Winchester, Va.
Sprint was the first national wireless carrier to introduce 4G (WiMAX) service in 2008, and it expects to light up the above areas in “the coming weeks and months.” The carrier further revealed upcoming improvements for its 3G customers, including: wireless signal strength, in-building coverage, and fewer dropped/blocked calls.
Sprint previously said it planned to complete the nationwide build out of its 4G network by the end of 2013.
Sparrow for iPhone just pushed out version 1.3.3, and the changelog solely includes support for iPhone 5 and Passbook.
There is not much else to report regarding the update, but hit up the App Store now to check out this popular Google-acquired mail client. It costs $2.99, but it has a four-star rating based on over 5,000 reviews:
The company announced the app would get iPhone 5 support in September, but today’s rollout with Passbook support is a neat bonus. It further suggests Sparrow has plans to continue bulking its services for the time being, as it has done for the Sparrow for Mac counterpart, despite the Google buyout.
Let us know in the comments how Sparrow has integrated Passbook. We’re checking it out, too.
Logitech announced its 720p HD Wi-Fi Broadcaster webcam that wirelessly transmits to any Mac, iPhone, or iPad just last month, and we at 9to5Mac were able to get our hands on a review unit and have been testing it thoroughly over the last few days.
The webcam is specifically geared toward “video professionals, bloggers and hobbyists,” as it allows instant live streaming with Ustream and gives users the ability to toggle between the device and their computer’s built-in camera for second-angle POV shooting. The webcam is further compatible with most popular Mac video applications, such as QuickTime, PhotoBooth, iMovie, FinalCut Pro, FaceTime, iChat, Skype, etc., and it transmits from up to 50 feet away. Oh, and it comes with a plastic carrying case that doubles as a stand.
For more than the basic spec rundown above, check out the video and hands-on review below. Then, when you’re done, pick one up at Amazon for $199—you will not be disappointed. The Broadcaster is an ideal Christmas gift for any loved one or friend who is heavy into vlogging, YouTubing, live streaming, or even podcasting with Google Hangouts.
T-Mobile is hemorrhaging customers, as it reported nearly a half million lost customers during its Q3 2012 earnings call, and a T-Mobile executive recently attributed the carrier’s struggle to its refusal to carry Apple’s iPhone.
Jim Alling
“Make no mistake about it: We would love to carry the iPhone. However, we want the economies to be right for us,” said T-Mobile COO Jim Alling, who, according to Fierce Mobile, spoke candidly during a discussion at the Morgan Stanley Twelfth-Annual Technology, Media, and Telecoms Conference in Barcelona, Spain:
“Alling said T-Mobile would not want to sign a deal similar to one a competitor recently signed with Apple. That was likely a veiled reference to Sprint Nextel, which began carrying the iPhone in late 2011 under a four-year, $15.5 billion deal with Apple. The device has substantially driven up Sprint’s device subsidy cost, and the operator has said its iPhone business will not turn a profit until 2015. […] Alling acknowledged that not carrying the iPhone has been detrimental to T-Mobile, saying, ‘We recognize that it has been a point of churn for us.'”
9to5Mac once again gathered the most noteworthy apps that announced news, launched, updated, or went on sale recently and added them in our usual roundup below.
Today’s selection includes an update to a popular alternative Web browser, iPhone 5 optimization for photo-editing app, a new travel-companion app, etc., and many app price drops. Keep checking back for more, though, as we continually update this list throughout the day.
Just released:
1. FlyNRate | Free
According to the app’s description on the App Store, FlyNRate is “the best travel companion you will ever have on your iPhone and iPad, whether you travel a lot for business or just because you can.” The free app essentially gives users access to the FlyNRate travel community, and it further helps to track flights, rate experiences, and share travel information with friends.
As part of 9to5Mac’s ongoing iPhoneography gear series for the holiday season, we looked at a slew of iPhone 5-compatible accessories, but some of you may still own the iPhone 4S or older, so we got our hands on the Swivl for iPhone 5/4S/4 and the Lens Dial for iPhone 4S/4.
First of all: Yes, iPhoneography is an actual name (it even has a Wikipedia page). It essentially, as one might guess, involves shooting and processing with an iOS device. Photojojo.com offers an impressive, mouth-watering catalog of photography and videography gear for the iPhone 5 and older generations, so we decided to take some of the website’s hottest accessories for a spin. And, over the next few weeks, we will continue to test and review only what’s best for helping creative folks step up their iPhoneography game.
Check out a hands-on review of the Swivl and Lens Dial below:
9to5Mac once again gathered the most noteworthy apps that announced news, launched, updated, or went on sale recently and added them in our usual roundup below.
Today’s selection includes a new Japan-only app by Nintendo, updates to popular games like Kingdom Rush HD, and notable iOS and Mac app price drops including big cuts by TomTom for its popular line of GPS apps. Keep checking back for more, though, as we continually update this list throughout the day.
Japan-based Nintendo just released its first paid iOS app, called “Pokédex“, in its home country. According to EuroGamer, a version of the existing 3DS Pokédex app is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPhone in Japan’s App Store. The Pokédex app is initially Japan-only, but it comes with the full Pokémon encyclopedia, and users could purchase four additional monster packs for about $6.18 USD each. The paid app is not Nintendo’s sole iOS app, however, as the game developer also released a Japan-only free app, called “Pokémon Say Tap“, for a limited time last year.
AT&T just revealed its 4G LTE now blankets over 150 million people across the United States, more than doubling where it stood at the end of 2011 in terms of people covered, and now it plans to push full steam ahead by expanding to 103 markets total, with more expected by the end of 2012.
The carrier further noted its 4G LTE coverage is “part of the nation’s largest 4G network” that services 3,000 more 4G areas than Verizon currently does (although much of that is slower HSPA 4G).
Moreover, as AT&T’s 4G LTE coverage continues to widen, customers can access 4G speeds “outside of 4G LTE areas on the nation’s largest 4G network, unlike competitors, whose smartphone customers fall back to slower 3G technologies when outside of LTE coverage.”
4G LTE expansions announced today:
Charleston, S.C.
Columbia, S.C.
Greenville, S.C.
Columbus, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Corvallis, Ore.
Eugene, Ore.
El Paso, Texas
Jonesboro, Ark.
Mobile, Ala.
Pensacola, Fla.
Portland, Maine
Saratoga Springs, N.Y,
South Bend-Mishawaka, Ind.
Bridgeport, CT expansion (in Fairfield County/Danbury)
South Detroit expansion (in Monroe/Downriver)
Today’s expansion notice comes just two days after the carrier also announced its 4G LTE network would light up in Daytona Beach, Fla. Denver, Colo., Louisville, K.Y., Milwaukee, Wis., Provo-Orem, Utah, Tacoma, Wash., York, Pa., and Washington D.C.
Internet software firm Avast conducted a USAToday survey of Windows users to determine the number of people willing to upgrade to the latest Microsoft operating system, and the findings churned out some surprising responses.
According to USAToday, which noted the survey polled users of Avast’s anti-virus PC software on Oct. 25, the day before Windows 8 launched, nearly half of Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP users intend to switch to an Apple product rather than upgrade to Windows 8.
“Many households already have multiple PCs, and people are keeping their computers longer,” explained Avast’s Director of Strategy Jonathan Penn. “More people are going to the iPad as their second or third computing device.”
9to5Mac once again gathered the most noteworthy apps that announced news, launched, updated, or went on sale recently and added them in our usual roundup below.
Today’s selection includes an iPhone music-mixing app by Algoriddim, an updated app from Disney, a new episode for the Walking Dead game, price drops for many official PAC-MAN games, and notable Mac apps sales for Call of Duty 4, Tomb Raider: Underworld, and more. Keep checking back for more, as we continually update this list throughout the day.
New
1. vjay for iPhone | 99 cents
Algoriddim, the developer behind the popular djay apps for iPad, iPhone, and Mac, as well as vjay for iPad, just released an iPhone version of its vjay app. The “mashup machine for your music and videos” launched at introductory sale price, and it essentially brought the same functionality as the iPad version with the following feature highlights:
Media Access
Real-time video transitions, audio visuals effects
South Korean newspaper Chosun.com on Monday reported that Samsung would raise the price of its A-series processors on Apple by 20 percent, but a new report attempts to debunk that claim.
An unnamed Samsung Electronics official allegedly denied to Seoul-based newspaper The Hankyoreh (via TheStreet) that prices would increase, and he further explained prices are “set at the beginning of the year and aren’t changed easily.”
Apple and Samsung have a relationship that is extremely contentious as of late, especially since Apple victoriously sued Samsung in August, but CEO Tim Cook told investors during a Q4 2012 earnings call that Apple continues to be a “customer of Samsung and continue[s] to have a commercial relationship.”
Today marks the one-year anniversary of iTunes Match, the yearly-subscription service that allows folks to store their music libraries to the cloud for listening anywhere and anytime on any Apple device, and that means those who subscribed on launch day should begin seeing the annual $24.99 fee debited from their accounts.
Jawbone released Up, an app-enabled wearable fitness tracker, roughly one year ago, but a slew of hardware issues ensued, and now the company has corrected those errors and launched a second iteration of the product today with 141 new parts.
The primary problems with the original version of Up concerned water contamination and flexibility. It was apparently not durable enough to handle moisture, and many users who came into contact with water subsequently reported damaged internal parts, while other users snapped components if they bent or twisted the bracelet. There were also many complaints regarding battery life issues.
Jawbone’s CEO and founder Hosain Rahman said his team went back to the drawing board, however, and the new Up design is now perfect after 46 weeks worth of user trials and testing:
“UP marks our commitment to solving everyday problems for real people. We’ve combined hardware, software and data, developed 28 new manufacturing processes, and created unparalleled testing standards validated by nearly three million hours of real-world testing. The resulting breakthroughs have allowed us to create the category’s first truly day-and-night wearable product – a band that looks great and fits effortlessly into the way you live, along with an app that delivers detailed data with meaningful insights to help you achieve your goals.”
Up is essentially a rubberized bracelet with sensors and a 3.5 mm headphone jack concealed by a removable cap. Users must plug Up into an iPhone to sync it with an iOS app and retreive measured data on their sleep habits, activity level, moods, and more.
The bracelet comes in three sizes and eight colors, and it is available starting today for $129.99 at Jawbone.com, Apple, AT&T, and Best Buy. The updated Up by Jawbone iOS app is also available for free in Apple’s App Store.
As part of 9to5Mac’s ongoing iPhoneography gear series for the holiday season, we got our hands on three special effects lenses— wide and macro, fisheye, and telephoto— crafted from solid aluminum and equipped with sturdy, premium-definition glassto guarantee pro-like, optical perfection.
First of all: Yes, iPhoneography is an actual name (it even has a Wikipedia page). It essentially, as one might guess, involves shooting and processing with an iOS device. Photojojo.com offers an impressive, mouth-watering catalog of photography and videography gear for the iPhone 5 and older generations, so we decided to take some of the site’s hottest accessories for a spin. And, over the next two months, we will test and review only what’s best for helping creative folks step up their iPhoneography game.
9to5Mac once again scoured Apple’s App Store for apps that either launched, updated, announced news, or dropped in price recently and gathered the most noteworthy ones in our regular roundup below. Check it out, but keep checking back as the list continually updates throughout the day.
Updates
1. Tumblr | Free
Version 3.2 is now live and completely native. The update includes a redesigned dashboard with bigger photos, new notification previews, fresh blog screens, portraits, and descriptions, automatic GIFs in the dashboard with finger-sliding, and new gesture options.
2. Pulse | Free
Version 3.0 landed recently and introduces a fully redesigned app. The most notable new features include unlimited pages,
improved navigation, comprehensive search, simpler customization, and infinite scrolling.
Walmart just released its annual Black Friday sales flyer for both in-store and online shopping with two Apple deals unwrapped.
The only in-store Apple deal is a second-generation iPad 16GB Wi-Fi model for $399. The tablet obviously does not come with a discounted price tag, but customers will receive a $75 bonus Walmart gift card with purchase.
The only online Apple deal is a fourth-generation iPod touch and bonus accessory kit in 16GB and 32GB capacities for $179 and $249, respectively. So, folks are only saving $20 if they purchase the 16GB flavor and zilch for the 32GB. Well, I guess the free accessory kit saves money too. Meh.
More information on Walmart’s sales and event hours is available in the press release below. Oh, online shipping fees depend on customers’ selected options (more details here).
Developer Rovio has long been working with the recently Disney-acquired LucasArts to bulk its popular app lineup with a Star Wars-themed iteration of Angry Birds that brings new creative and play experiences to the franchise.
The latest Rovio title ditches the traditional exploding/flinging Angry Birds for a slew of new bird characters each wielding a unique weapon. The Han Solo bird, for instance, halts enemies with a three-shot space gun. The game also features iconic Star Wars locations, 80 immersive levels, “hours and hours” of gameplay, fresh mechanics, and new level-up capabilities for birds.
“Use the Force, wield your lightsaber, and blast away Pigtroopers on an intergalactic journey from the deserts of Tatooine to the depths of the Pig Star — where you’ll face off against the terrifying Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Pigs,” wrote Rovio in the app’s App Store description. “Time to grab your lightsaber and join the adventure! May the birds be with you!”
T-Mobile previously announced a $4 billion plan to improve its network, and the carrier is continuing expansion efforts today by revealing three new metro areas that now have enhanced coverage and faster speeds for unlocked devices like the iPhone.
Washington D.C.: Alexandria, VA; Arlington, VA; Chevy Chase, MD; Falls Church, VA; Laurel, MD; McLean, VA; and Silver Spring, MD.
Baltimore: Glen Burnie and Towson, MD
Houston: Cypress, Jersey Village, Humble, Kingwood, and The Woodlands.
“Customers in these areas can now bring their unlocked iPhones to T-Mobile, experience a significant speed boost on our network, while also saving up to $50/month compared to AT&T,” said Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray in a press release.
T-Mobile specifically noted in its announcement that the unlocked iPhone 4S running 4G HSPA+ on its 1900 network experienced 70 percent faster download speeds than the iPhone 4S on AT&T’s network during internal tests.
9to5Mac compiled another list of the top app news, updates, and launches in our usual roundup below. The highlights from today include a new photo-sharing app designed for Panoramas, iPhone 5 and iPad 4 optimizations, and a couple of notable app sales for iOS. As always, we will continually update this list throughout the day.
New:
1. PanoPerfect for iOS | Free
PanoPerfect is now live—just think Instagram for Panoramas. It is optimized for iPhone 5 and subsequently perfect for sharing and displaying Panorama snapped with iOS 6. Check out the video promo above.
9to5Mac scoured Apple’s App Store and the Web for the most talked about, best-rated or just plain interesting apps related to the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election, the candidates and their respective campaigns, and general news coverage for election night. Check out the roundup below; we will continually update throughout the day.
Oh, and check out the newly published YouTube video above of a voting machine supposedly “altering votes” earlier this morning. Eeek.
2. Romney-Ryan for iOS | Free
The official campaign app aggregates the latest news and updates, offers folks a chance to donate, and it provides exclusive campaign information with sharing options friends and family.
Election apps
1. Super PAC App for iOS | Free
Discover more about the presidential election ads on TV. The app identifies commercials from all political groups, including Super PACs, and the official campaigns.
2. 2012 Map: The Presidential Election App for iOS | $1.99
User can create, save, and share 2012 presidential election scenarios with this app that includes “Live” maps updated daily with the newest polling data and “Historical” maps that detail every election from 1789 through 2008.
4. Election Results 2012 for iOS | 99 cents
Real-time election results for GOP primaries, Senate, Governor, House races, and the Presidential elections in November 2012.
5. VoterHub by AT&T for iPhone | Free
This is a “non-partisan clearinghouse for information on the 2012 election season, and future elections, in all 50 states,” with options for checking voter registration status, registering to vote, finding local polling place, getting detailed information on each candidate, and aggregating the latest election news from The Associated Press, etc.
7. Electoral Vote Polls for iOS | Free
Electoral-Vote.com tracks the poll numbers for upcoming Senate, House, and Presidential elections. The site is popular, but now folks can now stay informed on the latest poll numbers on an iOS device.
8. 270toWin for iOS | 99 cents
According to the app’s description on the App Store: “It takes 270 electoral votes to win the White House. Make your predictions by starting with one of our many library maps. With one touch you are on your way to deciding which states will go to the Republican party, which ones will go to the Democratic party and which ones are leaning, likely or undecided.” Maps will update on Nov. 6 as states are called.
9. Presidential Election Race 2012 for iPhone | 99 cents
Follow the electoral vote scoreboard and state-by-state poll results, and monitor the swing states with alerts for new polls with the latest election news, a map of how each state is trending, the number of electoral votes for each state, and the history of each state’s voting record since 1940.
10. Settle It! PolitiFact’s Argument Ender by TIMES Publishing for iOS | Free
Resolve political disputes with this app that checks facts in campaign ads and tests users’ knowledge. Folks can also find fact-checks by searching name, keywords and subject, browse Truth-O-Meter ratings by person and subject, and share their findings by email, Facebook and Twitter.
Apple allegedly plans to one-day abandon Intel to implement a version of chips into Macs that currently power its mobile devices.
Bloomberg first reported the story, citing “people familiar with the company’s research,” and said Apple believes mobile device chips will eventually run its computer lineup. Apple previously mentioned semiconductor development during its management shift announcement on Oct. 29.
Bob Mansfield, senior vice president of Apple’s new “Technologies” group, is apparently leading the chip research, and Apple specifically said its semiconductor teams have “ambitious plans for the future.”
The Cupertino, Calif.-based company first began using Intel processors for Macs in 2005, but two of Bloomberg’s sources noted Apple would continue to rely on the tech for at least a few more years:
As handheld devices increasingly function like PCs, the engineers working on this project within Apple envision machines that use a common chip design. If Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook wants to offer the consumer of 2017 and beyond a seamless experience on laptops, phones, tablets and televisions, it will be easier to build if all the devices have a consistent underlying chip architecture, according to one of the people.
So, in case you were wondering why Apple Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services Eddie Cue is now in charge of Siri, watch the Siri vs. Google Voice Search video above. The most notable difference between the two speech-recognition services —by far— is the response time.
