App Updates

PowerPoint for iOS now works in portrait

Software maker Microsoft this morning issued a minor update to its mobile Office apps available in the App Store. Word, Excel and PowerPoint for the iPhone and iPad have received a few bug fixes and one new feature.

Specifically, PowerPoint for iOS has finally introduced support for portrait orientation so you can now view and edit your presentation no matter which way you hold your device.

Waze updated with Notification Center widget and more

The Google-owned Waze updated its iOS app today, bringing the crowdsourced mapping software to version 3.9.2. Don't let that build number fool you, however, as the update brings about some significant changes.

Perhaps the most notable addition is the new Waze Today Widget for iOS 8 devices. The widget allows you to quickly view your ETA for Home or Work, navigate with one tap, and easily send your current drive & ETA.

Facebook will begin auto-enhancing photos for iPhone users

Even with its Instagram product, Facebook is still one of the premier places to share memories with family and friends. That's why Facebook says it will start auto-enhancing your photos for you on iOS. I guess Facebook thinks you're a sucky photographer.

The social network told TechCrunch on Tuesday you’ll still have complete control of your photos, but a slider will now appear on your photos as you post them that will show how enhanced you want the light, shadow, and clarity. You can even revert back to your original shot.

Google Drive for iOS now lets you upload files from other apps and cloud services

Following up on a recent Google Drive update which brought out support for Touch ID fingerprint verification and iPhone 6 resolutions along with a brand new Share extension to access cloud files in almost any iOS 8 app, today the search giant Google announced that it's now possible to send files to your Drive from other iPhone and iPad applications that have advertised their storage extension system-wide.

And in addition to the usual slew of bug fixes and performance improvements, the refreshed Drive client for iOS now makes it possible to view and share custom maps through the company's My Maps feature.

Opera Coast 4.0 is now live with Discover, Turbo Compression, Coast Cards and Handoff

Opera Coast, a minimalist browser that Opera Software launched for the iPhone back in April (and released on the iPad in September 2013) has received a substantial update on Tuesday bringing out four new features.

For starters, the app now supports Apple's Handoff technology (requires iCloud, iOS 8, Yosemite and Bluetooth 4.0) so you can start browsing on your iPhone or iPad and continue right where you left off in your OS X browser, be it Safari, Opera or whatever app happens to be set as your default Mac browser.

And if you own an iPhone 6 Plus, the elegant Coast app will delight you with its all-new two-pane landscape mode support. Jump past the fold for other enhancements in Coast 4.0.

Google refreshes Photo Sphere Camera with better image quality, new library organization and more

Following its App Store debut four months ago, Google's Photo Sphere Camera has been bumped to version 1.1.

The useful photography software which allows anyone with an iPhone 4s or higher to create panoramic images now features enhanced image quality when creating 360-degree images on an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.

Additionally, the library view now separates private from public panoramas and the built-in map has been upgraded so that you can expand or contract it as needed.

Instagram adds five new filters, Slow-Mo video uploading and more in iPhone app update

Instagram, a Facebook-owned mobile photography service, today issued an update adding five new filters to its iOS and Android app.

In addition, the popular software has gained a couple handy enhancements such as the ability to upload Slo-Mo video content as well as real-time comments, photo perspective adjustments, a customizable filter tray with live previews and more.

Inspired by the photography, art, fashion and design, the five new subtle filters available in Instagram 6.4 are being marketed as the company's best yet and include: Slumber, Crema, Ludwig, Aden and Perpetua.

Google Wallet for iPhone adds Touch ID and iPhone 6 support, more

The Internet giant Google has upped the ante in the mobile payment arena with Tuesday's refresh to its Wallet iOS app. The new version brings out support for Touch ID allowing owners of the iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 and the iPhone 5s and onward to unlock the app with their finger.

And with native display support for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus display resolutions, the app now takes full advantage of the screen real estate available to owners of Apple's latest handsets.

Google’s iOS app picks up Nest integration

Following a recent refresh with Material Design, iPhone 6 support and Maps in search results, Google's main search client for iOS and Android today gained the ability to interact with your Nest smart thermostat, along with other Nest-branded devices for the connected home, using Google Now voice commands.

Replicating some of the functionality provided by Nest's own iPhone application, Google's native search app for the iPhone and iPad takes advantage of voice input and Now cards to help control your Nest hardware.

Just fire up the app and either tap the mic or say "Ok Google" to get started. This is a silent feature upgrade on the backend so no download is required.

Foursquare finally launches iPad app

The Foursquare app is at last available on the iPad! The freshly released update takes full advantage of the iPad's bigger canvas and increased screen resolution, so you'll now see more content and scroll less when browsing Foursquare content on your Apple tablet.

It’s focused on helping you plan smarter with a personalized list of all the great places for a chosen city. Plus, it's a lot easier now to save anything to your itinerary with a tap.

The team's added another new section dedicated to all the top picks in your area. Tapping Foursquare’s vast database of crowdsourced locations and check-ins, it suggests places that are newly popular, up-and-coming and local mainstays.

The app was updated back in September with full support for iOS 8 and Interactive Notifications with the ability to save, like and follow right from the notification.

And yes, it looks great on the bigger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screens.

Massive Kindle update adds Book Browser on iPad, Goodreads integration and more

Just in time for the holidays, Amazon on Monday issued a massive update to its Kindle mobile client for the iOS platform, bringing out integration with the Goodreads recommendation engine, an all new Book Browser allowing iPad users to retrieve additional information about the books with personalized book sample suggestions to download and read.

Other highlights of this update include the ability to start playing Audible audiobooks as they're downloading with progressive playback, book details in the Library, the Next In Series information and so forth.