App Updates

NYT Now for iPhone goes completely free, adds 1Password support and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 31, 2018

The New York Times newspaper this morning issued a sweet update to its dedicated news summarizing application, Now for iPhone. By far the biggest change in this would-be Flipboard killer involves breaking away from a $15+ per month subscription model in favor of making the app along with its content completely free.

Whether or not the move will help attract more readers remains to be seen. NYT arguably leads the charge in terms of quality newspaper content so going free is a much appreciated change in my book.

Flickr 4.0: auto-upload is back, revamped UI, new filters, Instagram sharing and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 7, 2015

Yahoo-owned Flickr has refreshed its iPhone application this morning with a number of significant changes, most notably redesigning the user interface for easier navigation and bringing back the auto-upload feature (originally added in 2013, but subsequently removed).

The app also brings out a brand new Camera Roll section which looks a lot like the iOS Camera Roll. Coupled with one terabyte of free storage for your photo and video uploads, the new Flickr 4.0 for iOS is a worthy alternative to Apple's stock Photos + iCloud Photo Library combo.

You can now check in to places from your wrist with Swarm for Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 5, 2015

Swarm, Foursquare's dedicated location check-in application for the iPhone, received a nice little update Monday, adding the Apple Watch component which allows you to easily check in to places and see who’s nearby.

This is especially handy considering that Foursquare's main iPhone and Apple Watch app lacks this functionality as it's now focused on finding places to eat, drink and visit.

Tweetbot 3 updated with support for new ‘Quote Tweet’ feature

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

The Tapbots issued an update for their iPhone Twitter client Tweetbot 3 today, bringing the app to version 3.6. The release includes a number of bug fixes, and it adds support for the new 'Quote Tweet' feature Twitter rolled out last month.

For those who haven't used the feature yet, it's actually pretty handy. Unlike the typical retweet, which will insert the tweet between quotation marks and count toward your character limit, Quote Tweet embeds the tweet like a card or photo.

Apple Store app updated with support for Apple Watch

Cody Lee ∙ April 30, 2015

Apple updated its Apple Store app on Thursday, bringing the software to version 3.2.1. The change log for the release is short, with just one new feature mentioned, but it's a significant one: Apple Watch support. Now, owners can use the wearable to access information both inside and outside of retail Apple Stores.

Amazon’s Instant Video for iOS can now stream content in HD and over cellular

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 30, 2015

Amazon's Instant Video client for the iPhone and iPad has received an update Thursday, bumping version number to 3.0 and bringing out several improvements to streaming video quality.

Users can now stream Instant Video content on their iOS device through their carrier's cellular network while controlling their mobile data usage settings. In addition, the ability to watch video streams in high-definition has been added, too.

Best Buy app now accepting Apple Pay, coming to retail stores later this year

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Best Buy announced today that it will begin supporting Apple Pay within its mobile app, effective immediately, and within its stores later this year. This is a major partnership for Apple, as it’s the first one with a member of MCX—the Walmart led consortium of retailers that are backing payment app 'CurrentC.'

A Best Buy spokeswoman told Recode that “we remain invested in MCX,” but she would not comment on when CurrentC will be available to the public and if the electronics retailer would accept it at launch. “We are actively monitoring their pilots,” she said. “It’s too early to declare whether we will take it at launch.”

Facebook Messenger launches video calling

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 27, 2015

Merely a week after flipping the switch on audio calling in the popular WhatsApp service, Facebook today started rolling out video calling to its Messenger app on iOS and across other mobile platforms.

As you know, Messenger already offers people the ability to make voice calls to friends around the world. By enabling cross-platform video calling across the ubiquitous messaging service, which commands 600 million users, the firm has enabled users to engage in face-to-face conversations with their friends and the people they care about, regardless of the platform of their choice.

Real-time rain and lightning alerts launch in Weather Channel for Apple Watch, iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 27, 2015

The Weather Channel today announced bringing new real-time rain and lightning alerts to the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Apple Watch via an updated iOS app. The refreshed mobile software lets you receive the exact alerts for rain, snow and lighting strikes that are relevant to you and based on your location.

In addition, you can now set up fully customizable notifications based on personal preferences so you can receive timely alerts tailored to your preference.

Instagram updated with new filters and emoji hashtags

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 12, 2018

Facebook's Instagram posted an update today for its iOS client, bringing the app to version 6.11.0. The update brings about a handful of improvements, including new filters and the ability to use emoji in hashtags.

The new filters include Lark, Reyes and Juno, and Instagram describes the creative tool additions "as a family of modern, subtle filters that brighten and enhance your photos in refined, beautiful ways."

Unread gains iOS 8 Share sheet, 1Password integration, landscape on iPhone and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 10, 2018

Unread, an RSS client for the iPhone and iPad originally created by Jared Sinclair and later acquired by Supertop, is getting a nice update this morning with several new features and a handful of bug fixes.

Unread, which supports a number of popular feed services, now features a useful Share extension so you can now send links and text from any app easily rather than fiddle with a proprietary sharing menu.

On the iPhone, the app will now reorient its user interface when you turn your device upside down. More importantly, Unread 1.5 for the iPhone and iPad at last supports Readability in the article view, letting you enjoy the full articles without ads, custom layouts, website navigation and other distractions.

Twitter’s iOS app now showing apps on profile pages, new Highlights feature hits Android

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 23, 2015

The official Twitter application for the iPhone and iPad is now showing certain apps on profile pages, as noted by Twitter user 'ryan'. It's a silent refresh on Twitter's backend, meaning no update is necessary to your existing copy of Twitter for iOS. The web interface is unaffected by this nifty little change.

For the time being, it seems that mostly applications from major publications and brands are being highlighted, including ones by The New York Times and BuzzFeed, among others. In addition to branded news apps, other notable brands include Spotify and Twitter's own Periscope.