Microsoft has released the latest version of Skype for Mac with adjusted color contrast for improved readability and a long list of bug fixes. Skype 7.2 for Mac arrives less than two months after the voice calling and messaging app received a major overhaul in time for OS X Yosemite.
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If you open the Mac App Store right now and do a search for “twitter,” you’ll find results just like the ones in the image above. You may recognize the official Twitter app along with some of the most popular and prolific third-party clients. Right below Twitter for Mac you’ll find Twitterrific.
Twitterrific has been around for quite a while now, and was the very first native Twitter application ever built for Mac. It was also the first app to use the word “tweet” to refer to the posts on the network, and introduced many modern staples like conversations and replies. To this day it remains a popular choice among users and has seen many major updates and redesigns. It’s currently on its fourth major version.
In December 2012, Twitterrific 5 was released for iOS devices. The Iconfactory, Twitterrific’s developers, promised that a Mac version of the updated app was in development and would include support for the new iCloud syncing feature and an all-new design. Three days shy of a year after releasing the iPhone update, however, users were given what is currently the app’s most recent update. It included only two bug fixes. The developers have noted that the 5.0 update for Mac is facing big delays.
So what’s going on here? Why has it taken two years for any more news of the update? When will the new version finally be available?
The unfortunate truth? Not even the developers know.
Apple has issued a new update for Adobe’s Flash Player browser plugin. The update fixes “a recently-identified Adobe Flash Player web plug-in vulnerability,” according to Apple’s website. Users will be automatically prompted to install the update when visiting a page that uses Flash Player.
The prompt in Safari will take users to the Flash Player download page on Adobe’s website. Users who haven’t yet seen the prompt can also go there to download the update now.
Dropbox is sending out an email to let users know that crashes related to Yosemite have been resolved in the latest OS X 10.10.1 release that landed earlier this week.
“We’re reaching out to let you know about an issue in Apple’s new OS X Yosemite that causes problems with Dropbox. You can resolve this issue by installing the latest Software for OS X Yosemite…
OS X Yosemite 10.10.1 arrived earlier this week for users bringing with it a number of bug fixes and Wi-Fi improvements. The problem for Dropbox, according to the company, is caused by a Yosemite bug related to how applications, not just Dropbox, use Yosemite’s official Finder integration. The bug can lead to crashing for Dropbox and other apps when using open, save, or save-as functions. Dropbox notes that “if the program crashes because of this interaction, unsaved changes may be lost.”
Fortunately, users can easily remedy the issue by updating to the latest OS X 10.10.1 release through Software Update in the Mac App Store.
In related news: earlier today Apple released its first seed of OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 beta to AppleSeed users and developers ahead of a public release.
The full email sent out by Dropbox to users today is below:
Apple has pushed the first beta build of OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 out to AppleSeed users and developers. The update has a build number of 14C68k and weighs in at 422 MB. Last week the company released version 10.10.1 to the general public.
Apple hasn’t provided any indications of what’s new in this beta and has not listed any particular focus areas, though it’s possible this could be a hotfix update to address any lingering Wi-Fi glitches that didn’t get fixed in the most recent patch.
Snapchat today announced a new service, in partnership with mobile-payment service Square, dubbed Snapcash. The new feature allows Snapchat users to quickly and easily send payments to one another. Users can do so by simply swiping right to chat on the main screen in Snapchat and then entering a dollar amount. The money will go directly from one user’s bank account to another.
Apple today seeded Xcode 6.1.1 GM (build 6A2006) to developers ahead of a public release. The release includes a number of fixes for Apple’s new Swift programming language, Interface Builder, Xcode Server, and more.
Version 6.1.1 follows Apple’s release of Xcode 6.1 in October with updated SDKs for the recently released OS X 10.10 Yosemite and iOS 8.1.
The release is available for developers to download from Apple’s developer portal now. Developers can view Apple’s full release notes for Xcode 6.1.1 here.
YouTube has updated its iOS app with support for a new music-focused view of the dashboard. The new screen features the most popular music videos and artists on YouTube, genre-specific charts, and curated playlists.
The new version also introduces a music playback option called “YouTube Mix” that allows users to create an iTunes Radio-like randomized playlist based on a song or artist.
Earlier today YouTube debuted a related service called YouTube Music Key that includes perks like offline music and video playback, unlimited on-demand streaming, and access to full albums for $10 a month.
You can get the updated YouTube app for free from the iOS App Store.
What’s New in Version 2.16.11441
Music on YouTube is better than ever. Find your favorite videos and get recommendations on a new music homepage, listen to an endless YouTube Mix based on your favorite song or artist, and play albums right from search.
The popular iPad drawing and sketching app Paper by FiftyThree has been updated with Adobe Creative Cloud integration, push notifications and sharing directly from Mix, a camera view during account creation, smoother shadows and general improvements for iOS 8. The updated version of Paper by FiftyThree is available now on the App Store.
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CBS has updated its Radio News application with support for Apple’s CarPlay interface. The new UI allows users to browse and play the network’s library of on-demand shows such as the CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes. Users will also find that the Now Playing screen presents them with their local weather conditions.
Also included in the new update is a set of bug fixes for issues such as two audio tracks playing back at once for some users. There is also a new introduction screen that walks users through the functions of the app. CBS News also rolled out a channel for the Apple TV earlier today.
Although this isn’t an actual update to the app, WhatsApp is now sporting a nifty new feature that—although small—might make a big difference in how users of the messaging app stay in touch with their friends. The Facebook-owned app, which would previously show double check marks if a sent message had been received, now goes one step further and turns those check marks blue if the message has been read.
Nuance announced an update for its Swype keyboard for iOS 8 today that introduces support for a long list of new languages in addition to new layouts and features for both iPhone and iPad.
New languages include: Czech, Danish, Dutch, UK English, Finnish, Greek, Hinglish, Hungarian, Irish, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, and Turkish. The app now supports over 20 languages including the previously supported languages– English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.
The keyboard also now includes QWERTY, QWERTZ and AZERTY layouts for both iPhone and iPad as well as access to all Swype themes on iPad. In addition, the update brings an auto-space feature, a “sound on Keypress” option, and auto suggestions for Emoji:
The updated Swype keyboard for iOS 8 is available from the App Store for $1.
The SwiftKey iOS keyboard has been updated today to include support for several new languages. This will be a welcome update for many users, as the developers say that support for new languages has been one of their most requested changes. The new languages included in this update are:
The addition of these four languages brings the total to seventeen. SwiftKey is available on the iOS App Store for free.
Any.do, the popular to-do list management application for iOS, has received a huge update to version 2.0, which introduces a new focus on collaboration among teams and families. All of the app’s previous functions still work the way they did in previous versions, so existing users won’t need to re-learn anything, but those who want better support for groups and sharing will find a lot of useful enhancements in this update.
A new chat function allows members of a project to talk with each other, share files from Dropbox, add and remove group members, and more. Shared lists and tasks make it easy to quickly assign work, update the group’s progress, or just add something to a shared grocery list.
Skype has been updated to support the newly released OS X Yosemite and fix several issues. It is now easier to copy a link in a group chat, or leave the conversation. A few crashes related to video calls and searching have been addressed as well. You can grab the update from the Skype website.
Version 7 was recently released with a redesigned interface and other changes.
Google today announced it’s adding new ways to add money to its Google Wallet service in addition to some new features that will make keeping an eye on your balance easier.
First up, you will now be able to setup automatic bank transfers that will ensure there is always money to spend in your Google Wallet account. The recurring transfers allow you to schedule weekly, bi-weekly or monthly deposits and can be cancelled at any time:
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Microsoft has pushed out updates for its OneNote client on both iPhone and iPad, adding support for new features added in iOS 8 and a design that’s optimized for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Users can now password protect sections of documents directly from mobile devices (a feature that used to require a Windows PC). Those with an iPhone 5s or newer will also find that they can now unlock password-protected sections of documents using Touch ID. That feature isn’t mentioned in the iPad change log, so users on the iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 3 might need to wait for a future update to enable it.
The Vine iPhone app today received an updated to version 3.0.0 and with it comes UI enhancements and full support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users. Also included in today’s update is a new share extension for iOS 8, allowing users to take advantage of the new feature for quickly sharing videos from camera roll or other apps to Vine.
Other improvements include a new “+” button for quickly following channels and having featured posts appear in your home feed. The company said it also “updated the app to look great on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus,” which allows the app to display more content on the larger displays of the new iPhones.
The updated Vine app for iPhone is available on the App Store. A full list of what’s new in version 3.0.0 is below:
What’s New in Version 3.0.0
This release is packed with updates that help you find great Vines to watch, take advantage of iOS 8 extensions, and improve Vine for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
– Follow channels: Tap the new “+” button at the top of any Vine channel to get select featured posts from that channel right in your home feed!
– Share extension: With the new iOS 8 share extension, it’s easier than ever to share videos directly from your camera roll or other video apps with Vine.
– Easy on the eyes: We’ve also updated the app to look great on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Infuse has been updated to version 3.0 and introduced a host of changes and upgrades. The app is now fully compatible with iOS 8 and the newer iPhone models and features several design tweaks such as improvements to browsing TV shows and an all-new dark mode.
Functional improvements include the ability to download videos in the background and stream synced files over HTTP from wireless external hard drive and more. You can mark movies and shows as watched or unwatched and the app now features 2-way sync for your Trakt.tv viewing history. You can also now use your own folder artwork in the file fiewer and quickly access your favorite streamed folders.
Infuse 3 is a free app with a $9.99 in-app purchase to upgrade to Infuse Pro. The extensive list of changes is below:
- Optimized for iOS 8, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus
- Streaming is now available to free users
- Share synced files via AirDrop
- Create favorites for quick access to streamed folders
- Download content from the main ticket view
- Huge improvements for browsing TV show collections
- Dark mode theme
- Download/stream synced files via HTTP
- Download videos in the background
- Use your own folder artwork (folder.png or folder.jpg)
- Default language options for audio, subtitles, and metadata
- Sync/stream over 4G/LTE cellular
- Manual artwork for folders (use folder.jpg or folder.png)
- Mark movies and shows as watched/unwatched
- 2-way trakt watched history sync
- Sort files by name or date
- Tap ticket artwork to start video playback
- Manual movie/show title search
- Transfer files via Wi-Fi when iPhone is acting as a hotspot
- Initial URL scheme for video streaming
- Better support for subtitle encoding types
- Better support for some TV series
- Better handling of new and past In-App purchases
- Improved AirPlay reliability
- Improved subtitle support for Arabic languages
- Improved playback of some h.264 content
- Resolved issues with missing synced iTunes content
- Various UI updates
- Many other reliability and performance improvements
Facebook has pushed out an update for its popular alternative client, Paper, that adds support for the larger displays on the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. It also addresses issues that could arise with the keyboard and video playback. Finally, a few stability issues have been fixed to keep the app from crashing.
The new Paper 1.2.4 update is available for free on the iOS App Store.
As was mentioned earlier today during Apple’s special event, Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite is now available as a free upgrade for users running OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and 10.9 Mavericks. To get the update, you can head to the Mac App Store or, alternatively, simply click this direct link.
Rdio today announced support for CarPlay, allowing its users to listen and control content from the subscription music service using the built-in touchscreen of CarPlay-enabled vehicles.
CarPlay Support. Control Rdio playback and navigate your favorites and playlists from the built-in display in CarPlay-enabled cars.
Vehicles with CarPlay, Apple’s new feature that brings an iOS-like experience to in-dash touchscreens connected to an iPhone, first hit the road earlier this year in pricey new Ferrari models followed by an aftermarket solution from Pioneer. The service only has a handful of app partners so far, but we noted in our recent review that not all apps are playing nice with the feature yet. Apple currently lists iHeartRadio, MLB At Bat, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, CBS Radio, and its own Podcasts and Beats Music apps as supported apps.
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Sonos today updated its Controller app for iPhone and iPad bringing full support for iOS 8 and optimizations for the new larger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The app, which offers control of wi-fi connected Sonos audio hardware, also now supports the company’s new Sonos Boost enterprise-grade wi-fi extender accessory:
This update includes support for SONOS BOOST, an accessory that provides enterprise-grade wireless performance for your Sonos system so you get unparalleled reliability – even in homes that are known to have wireless connectivity problems.
Announced earlier this year, the Sonos Boost accessory is available starting today from the Sonos website and other retailers. The Boost will sell for $99 USD, slightly higher than the similar but less powerful $49 Sonos Bridge the company previously offered. “Similar to the BRIDGE ($49 USD), BOOST connects directly to your router to create a dedicated network, allowing all your Sonos speakers and components to talk to each other, with up to 50% greater wireless range.”
Version 5.1.1 of the Sonos Controller app for iOS is available on the App Store now.
What’s New in Version 5.1.1
SUPPORT FOR SONOS BOOST
This update includes support for SONOS BOOST, an accessory that provides enterprise-grade wireless performance for your Sonos system so you get unparalleled reliability – even in homes that are known to have wireless connectivity problems.SUPPORT FOR NEW APPLE DEVICES AND OPERATING SYSTEMS
This update includes support for iOS 8, including support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Skype today has begun rolling out a redesigned version of its Mac client, bringing an enhanced look that better fits the upcoming design aesthetic of OS X Yosemite. The new design also brings the Mac app more in line with the recently redesigned iPhone and iPod touch version of Skype. The new look’s most significant new feature fixes a common #FirstWorldProblem: having to figure out how to send someone an instant message during a voice or video call. Now, the new Skype 7.0 update brings the split-screen view shown above. Improved multi-person video calls, easier sharing, and chat syncing across devices rounds out the update. Skype 7.0 for Mac is a free download from the Skype website. Some more screenshots are below: