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The best apps to start 2016 off right

I've recently heard a couple of friends talk about how glad they are to see the end of 2015 and are looking forward to starting anew in 2016. The beginning of a new year always presents a future of unknown promises and prospects, and we tend to use this time as a reason to resolve to make our lives better in the year to come.

Here at iDB, we all have our favorite apps for keeping fit, sustaining productivity, and learning new things. Take a look at some of the ways we try to better our lives with the apps below. Who knows, maybe they will be the inspiration you need to start 2016 off with a bang.

Pixite’s Union photo app is free right now within the Apple Store app

Heads up folks, Apple is giving away free copies of the popular Union photo app by Pixite right now. You can find promo codes for the app, which normally retails for $1.99, within the 'Stores' section of the Apple Store app on iOS.

For those who aren't familiar with it, Union is an elegant image blending tool that allows you to create superimposed, silhouetted, and double-exposed photos. It comes from the same team that created Fragment, Shift and Pigment.

Square Enix announces Final Fantasy IX coming soon to iOS

Great news Final Fantasy fans! Square Enix on Thursday confirmed that FF IX is coming soon to iOS, Android and PC. As noted by TouchArcade, the studio has posted a teaser page for the game on its website, as well as an official trailer on YouTube.

Originally released in 2000, FF IX is the ninth title in the popular RPG franchise. The story follows a talented young thief named Zidane Tribal, who joins with others to defeat Queen Brahne of Alexandria, the one responsible for starting the great war.

The best apps and games of 2015

At the end of every year, we bring you the best of the best when it comes to apps and games. In the past, we've bombarded you with about 10 categories of our top favorites in different posts. This time, however, we decided to skim the top and really give you the cream of the crop.

Below, we present you with the top 10 apps and games that came out in 2015 based on content the editors of iDownloadBlog submitted and voted on. We have even included what we consider to be the number one app and number one game of 2015. If you don't see your favorites this year, feel free to include them in the comments below.

Popular puzzle game Har•mo•ny 3 is Apple’s new Free App of the Week

Apple has named the puzzle game Har•mo•ny 3 from BorderLeap its new Free App of the Week in the App Store, meaning you can download the $1.99 iPhone, iPod touch and iPad game at no charge until this coming Thursday.

Released seven months ago as a third game in the series, Har•mo•ny 3 is framed as a challenging puzzle game of “beautiful colors and captivating music, unified in perfect harmony”.

Cream Mobile, Flight Unlimited, Littlstar, and more apps to check out this weekend

Now that the festivities of the holidays are winding down, it is easier to sit back and reflect on everything we've been through this year. Apple released a number of new and innovative products in 2015, and we have been lucky enough to get our hands on them.

If you unwrapped an iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPad Pro, Apple Watch, or Apple TV this year, you are probably looking for some content to fill those folders. We've got a list of apps and games that will give you something to do while you let the family settle.

How to download older versions of iOS apps

Charles Proxy is a tool for OS X that can be used to facilitate the download of older versions of iOS apps from iTunes. It's a bit of a drawn-out exercise, but if you've ever been in need of an older version of a particular app, then you know how handy such a technique can be. In this video, which was inspired by this Reddit post, I'll show you how to download older iOS apps directly from iTunes on Mac.

The best apps and games for new Apple Watch owners

So, Santa left you a little gift under the Christmas tree in the form of Apple Watch and now you want to know what apps and games you should start off with. Lucky for you, we have recent experience at being new to Apple Watch, as well as about eight months worth of knowing which titles we think are perfect for beginners.

So, if you have just unwrapped your Apple Watch and want to know what you should add first, we have a list of the best 10 apps and games for you.

The best apps for new iPhone and iPad users

It is hard to imagine that there are still people out there that haven't had, at least some experience with an iOS device. However, we know that there are plenty of smartphone and tablet users that are making the transition from another platform to Apple this year.

To celebrate your new adventure into the world of Apple, we've come up with a list of 10 must-have apps and games for you to download onto your iPhone or iPad after it is fresh out of the box.

10 games to play with the family over Christmas

If your family is coming to visit, or if you are headed home for the holidays, you may be in need of some festivities that will keep any opinionated uncles from talking about politics and religion.

One way to keep things light is to participate in good old-fashioned family game night. Whether you pass-and-play on the iPad, compete via Game Center on your iPhone, grab two controllers for Apple TV 4, or simply pull out a tabletop board game from grandma's dusty closet, we have some suggestions for keeping spirits bright as you while away the evenings this holiday season.

Fleksy Keyboard gains 3D Touch cursor control and other perks in latest update

Fleksy, the popular software keyboard for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, was updated earlier this week with a bunch of refinements and new features, including 3D Touch-based cursor control and Home screen shortcuts on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

Other goodies in Fleksy 7.5 include the all-new (and free) festive pack to dress up your keyboard in holiday-themed skins, the ability to search for emoji with the Highlights extension, a new GIF & Stickers tab for browsing animated GIFs and more.