Apple on Thursday quietly launched a new app for tvOS called "iBooks StoryTime." It's a children's app that allows them to read along with their favorite [compatible] books using special features built for television.
These features include enhanced audio with unique character voices, sound effects and of course narration that makes it both easy and entertaining for kids to follow along with on their own devices or physical book.
Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the game Perchang. This means that for the next 7 days, you'll be able to download the popular puzzler for free on both iPhone and iPad—a solid savings of $2.
Perchang is kind of a cross between pinball and a physics puzzler that exercises your brain and tests your coordination. Use flippers, magnets, portals, fans and other gizmos to guide tiny marbles to their goal to win each level.
You no longer need to have Instagram's standalone Boomerang app installed on your iOS device to create looping videos: thanks to the latest Instagram update that went live on the App Store today, Boomerang features are now available to you from within Instagram 9.7 for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Instagram for iOS also includes other enhancements, such as support for @mentions and links in Stories.
Google today pushed a small update to the native YouTube application for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. YouTube 11.43 for iOS, a 105-megabyte download from the App Store, packs in three interesting improvements.
YouTube creators can now take advantage of a new Dreamy filter that can be tried out by uploading a video, then hit the filters icon. You also get tappable timestamps in YouTube comments and recent history/personalized recommendations in search.
PayPal's iPhone and iPad application was updated on the App Store this morning with support for iOS 10's SiriKit integration for mobile payments, allowing you to send and request money in 30 countries around the world using just your voice.
With a simple voice command like “Send $20 to Dad using PayPal” or “Request $20 from John with PayPal”, Siri connects with the PayPal service and pulls up a custom sheet with details of your transaction before you authorize it.
Apple on Wednesday announced that it is now possible to link directly to Apple TV apps, making it easier for users to download apps for the larger screen. Using the Link Maker, developers, app reviewers, and just about anyone can easily link to a tvOS app, something that was not possible until now.
Popular messaging app Viber today launched a new account format, called Public Accounts, which allows businesses and brands to interact with users. More than a thousand Public Accounts from such brands as BBC, Mashable, The Washington Post, The Weather Channel and more were available at launch, with many more to follow in the coming days and weeks. Subscribing to Public Accounts allows users to get updates from brands they love and post messages that other followers will see.
Facebook-owned WhatsApp two days ago gained support for sending and receiving animated GIFs, as well as sending short videos or Live Photos as GIF attachments. Today the team issued a small update to WhatsApp's iPhone application in the App Store, bumping version number to 2.16.16 and adding another handy feature: a built-in option that lets you find animated GIFs to attach to your messages from within the app.
Microsoft is launching a new Skype Insider initiative which invites users to download pre-release builds and test upcoming features before they're rolled out to everyone.
Microsoft already has similar programs available for Windows and the Xbox and now Skype users can sign up online at the Skype Insiders registration form. If you decide to participate in the program, you will be permitted to install pre-release builds of Skype alongside your current version of the app.
A year ago, screenshots and information leaked concerning Apple's dedicated iPhone app designed to consolidate users' support, repair and troubleshooting needs in the palm of their hand. Last evening, a brand new Apple Support app launched on the App Store in The Netherlands ahead of its presumed staggered rollout around the world.
With it, owners of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices can explore their support options, schedule repair appointments, manage AppleCare services and more.
Twitter is currently entertaining multiple purchase offers from potential Vine buyers, meaning the once very popular shortform video-sharing service could live on assuming Twitter manages to sell it, according to a new report from TechCrunch. As you know, Twitter last month announced plans to phase out the video-looping social networking app. After acquiring the startup behind the Vine app, Twitter released Vine on the App Store in January 2013.
According to Facebook's chief technology officer Mike Schroepfer, the company's mobile applications for the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android smartphones and tablets will soon bring out advanced Prism-like live filters and effects for your photos and videos.
Using artificial intelligence algorithms and high efficiency neural networks running directly on the device, these filters will let users turn their photos and videos into works of art, Schroepfer said.