App Updates

Pixelmator 3.3: Repair Tool extension, Handoff and iCloud Drive support, revamped UI and more

Pixelmator, the popular Photoshop alternative for the Mac and iPad, on Thursday refreshed its desktop application with several improvements and enhancements.

Now available in the Mac App Store as a free update to existing users, the new Pixelmator 3.3 'Limestone' offers a redesigned user interface and a new Repair Tool extension allowing you to quickly fix images in other Mac apps like Mail or TextEdit, without even having to open Pixelmator.

You can now store and access  your images on all devices via iCloud Drive and pick up in Pixelmator for iPad right where you left on the Mac with Handoff. The app also features a redesigned user interface, full OS X Yosemite and Pixelmator for iPad support and more.

Pixelmator for OS X is $29.99 in the Mac App Store.

Opera Mini 9 adds Video Boost, promises less buffering and data usage

Opera has released an update for its iOS web browser, Opera Mini, bringing the app to version 9.0. There isn't much of a change log, but there is a significant new video compression feature Opera is calling Video Boost.

Built on Skyfire's video optimization tech, Video Boost aims to lessen both buffering and data usage while streaming video content. It accomplishes this by quickly shrinking down video data before it lands on your device.

Reeder 2 update brings support for iPhone 6 and share extensions

Popular RSS feed reader Reeder 2 has received a significant update this evening, bringing the app to version 2.6. The update includes a handful of highly-requested new features, such as support for the larger displays of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and Landscape mode (iOS 8 only).

Additionally, 2.6 brings about support for iOS 8's share extensions, adding the now-familiar "More" option to Reeder's share sheet. This will allow users to share articles and other content they come across in Reeder to other services outside of the app's default sharing options.

Foursquare now lets you save, like and follow from iOS 8’s Interactive Notifications

Taking advantage of iOS 8's new Interactive Notifications, Foursquare, the popular local search and discovery service, on Wednesday refreshed its main iPhone client with the ability to ‘save,’ ‘like,’ and ‘follow’ from the notifications you get from the service.

As before, the new Foursquare 8.2 has native display support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus resolutions and now comes with 1Password integration.

1Password integration allows fans of the popular password-management app to use their saved credentials when logging in to Foursquare, without having to paste the password manually.

A month ago, Foursquare's check-in app called Swarm received a similar update permitting users to check in to locations from the Lock screen or within iOS 8's Notification Center via a new Today widget.

Download Foursquare free in the App Store.

WhatsApp now indicates if your message has been read

As we patiently await an update to make WhatsApp support native display sizes of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the tremendously popular Facebook-owned messaging service on Wednesday enabled a new check mark in the chat UI indicating that the recipient has read your message.

Now when you're chatting with someone, pay attention to read receipts in the form of blue check marks, as discovered by designer, Dutch translator at Twitter and jailbreak developer Timon Olsthoorn (and many others on Twitter).

This is an over-the-air update so those with WhatsApp installed on their iPhone can start using this feature immediately, without the need to update the app manually.

WhatsApp, which has more than 600 million active users, is free in the App Store.

Expedia is now ready for iOS 8 and new iPhone 6 screen sizes

After redesigning its iPad app with combined flight and hotel search in early September, Expedia on Wednesday gave its iOS app some more love by issuing an update which makes the software compatible with iOS 8 and the latest iPhones.

Expedia now supports the new 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screen sizes of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, respectively, so you'll see more content and scroll less.

Expedia Hotels & Flights is available at no cost in the App Store.

Google Maps for iOS revamped with Android’s Material Design UI

Keen on deploying Android Lollipop’s Material Design across its mobile apps on all platforms, Google on Wednesday announced a new version of Google Maps for the iPhone and iPad featuring engaging animations, shadows and depth.

The fresh new design is all about creating surfaces and shadows that echo the real world, the search firm said.

With Google Maps’ new material feel, layers and buttons “come to life so you know just where to touch to get directions, recommendations and imagery”. The update will be rolling out over the next few days.

Google Maps is available free in the App Store.

Google News & Weather gets iOS 8 Today widget

Nearly a month following its App Store debut, the search giant's News & Weather application for the iPhone and iPad has received a Today widget for iOS 8's Notification Center, along with a handful of bug fixes.

Bumped from version 1.0.232 to 1.1.276, the software now provides an at-a-glance overview of the top three headlines within the Notification Center, but no  interactivity.

Google News & Weather is free in the App Store.

Real Racing 3 updated with new Maserati vehicles, new events and more

Two months after its 'Classic Lamborghini' update, the folks at EA have posted another new version of its popular Real Racing 3 game today that brings about new vehicles from both Maserati and Ferrari, new bonus events, and much more.

The new vehicles include the Maserati Trident, the GranTurismo MC Stradale, and its limited edition race-spec counterpart. The update also features the LaFerrari—Ferrari's first production car equipped with the F1-derived hybrid engine.

Pinterest 4.0 is out with sleek new iPhone interface

Pinterest has updated its iOS client this morning, bringing the app to version 4.0. The update doesn't feature a lot of changes, but it does include some speed improvements and bring about a sleek new interface for the iPhone.

The Pinterest team says it "de-cluttered and simplified" navigation within the app, so it’s faster to find your way around, and created more space for Pin images and descriptions, making it easier to sift through and digest content.

Google optimizes Play Music for iPhone 6 screens

Another day, another high-profile app receives its iPhone 6 focused update. After Apple optimized the WWDC app for the bigger iPhone screens, the Internet giant Google on Friday refreshed its Play Music iOS client with native display support for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus screens. The refreshed application has additionally squashed several bugs and introduced “lots of little tweaks”.

Google Play Music is available free in the App Store.

Apple updates WWDC app with iPhone 6 support

Apple on Friday issued a small update to the official iPhone and iPad application for the Worldwide Developers Conference, its annual pilgrimage for developers which traditionally takes place each summer at San Francisco's Moscone West.

Now sitting at version 2.1.3, the updated software brings out support for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus screen sizes.

Furthermore, it resolves a bug that would crash the software at launch on devices running iOS 8 or later.

WWDC is available free in the App Store.