Like any given Monday, Apple's App Store editors today highlighted iPhone and iPad applications aimed at increasing your productivity by helping you get organized and keep pace with your busy life.
In this week's edition of Productivity Monday, the App Store team is sharpening its focus on apps which help make the most out of iOS by automating the things that don't need your expertise, so you can spend your time wisely.
Here's a quick rundown of each featured app.
After introducing document previews and smarter search in its Android client two weeks ago, Dropbox today gave its iOS client a little love.
Bumped to version 3.3, Dropbox for iPhone and iPad has brought out an enhancement to the built-in search feature allowing you to search within Word and PowerPoint documents with "higher fidelity previews".
By the way, those who love to create memes will be pleased to know that Dropbox now syncs larger animated GIFs than before — my life will never be the same again! Other features included in this update are listed right after the jump.
Amazon has acquired Twitch, the world's leading video platform and community for gamers, both companies announced in a statement after the market close on Monday. Google's YouTube was thought to have originally been the winning bidder, but that has changed after Amazon stepped in to close the deal.
Google announced on Monday it's rounding out its Google Drive app lineup on iOS, by releasing a Slides app alongside updates to its existing Docs and Sheets apps. The Slides app, now available to download on the iTunes App Store for iPhone and iPad, allows users to create, edit, and collaborate with other users on presentations. It's a great competitor to Apple's Keynote application, and once again highlights Google's commitment to the App Store.
An eagle-eyed member of the MacRumors forum says the "Phosporus"component destined for the iPhone 6, leaked on Monday, isn't a next-generation version of Apple's M7 co-processor, but instead a barometric pressure sensor. It makes sense given the several rumors that have cropped up in recent months with word Apple plans a barometer used to measure atmospheric pressure in the iPhone 6.
Facebook has begun rolling out an important update to its Facebook Messenger application on Monday, after it was found the app was susceptible to a security flaw forcing users’ iPhones to place expensive calls automatically - racking up a large bill.
Developer Andrei Neculaesei was first to identify the issue last week, saying scammers use the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) scheme called ”tel” to trigger a call without a user knowing. Usually clicking on a link containing a phone number will take a user to Safari and then prompt them to confirm the call. However, apps like Facebook Messenger, Google+, Gmail, and FaceTime, make the call without asking the user.
We're living in a multi-device world. Taking into account the never-ending stream of both existing form factors and new-category products, small wonder that the line is blurring.
I'm of course referring to ultra-thin notebooks, smartphones, tablets and wearables that perform functions of smartwatches, fitness trackers, health bands and what not.
But do we really need all this hardware in our lives? And even more to the point, can anyone in today's multi-screen world safely do without owning all types of mobile gear?
That's the question I'd like to pose in today's poll. Assuming you have enough spare cash lying around somewhere, would buying a notebook, a tablet, a smartphone and a watch benefit your mobile computing, do you think?
Spotify, arguably the most popular subscription-based music streaming service, on Monday refreshed its free iOS client with a few improvements.
In addition to adding Finnish language support that recently appeared in Spotify's Android client, the updated software now makes it possible to save albums to Your Music, from any album page. Moreover, you can now easily check out album release dates and total play time, too.
Beginning September 3, T-Mobile customers in the United States will be able to boost their Simple Starter plan via an additional $5 per month option giving them a total of two gigabytes of high-speed 4G LTE data.
That's in addition to unlimited talk and text included in the Simple Starter plan, the nation's fourth largest wireless carrier said Monday morning.
In other words, in exchange for five bucks on top of your $40 per month Simple Starter charge (for a total of $45 per month), the wireless carrier will quadruple LTE data.
The new option goes into effect on Wednesday, September 3.
An Apple chip internally code-named 'Phosphorous' has been identified on leaked schematics and thought to replace the M7, a motion coprocessor which debuted inside the iPhone 5s last Fall. (Update: It's looking like a barometer pressure sensor instead.)
It's said to include the M7's motion tracking functions and thought to be able to collect a number of health and fitness data from various health and fitness accessories and specialized medical devices.
This apparently includes heart rates, calories burned, cholesterol levels, blood sugar and more. It's believed the chip works in tandem with iOS 8 and the new Health app, which allows users to enter a number of health and fitness-related data manually, or automatically collect these from various HealthKit-friendly accessories and wearables.
Third-party retailer Moca.co claims Apple doesn't have plans to release a reversible Lightning USB cable with the upcoming iPhone 6, or even in 2014, throwing a wrench in recent Apple rumors.
New images claiming to show the iPhone 6 in space grey appeared on Sunday, adding fuel to the fire ahead of Apple's expected announcement in the coming weeks. The authenticity of the images hasn't been verified, so take them with a grain of salt, but the claimed iPhone 6 shown gels nicely with leaks over the past year and are fun to look at nonetheless.