App Updates

Gmail iOS update adds two useful tweaks

Google on Monday issued a maintenance update to its Gmail client for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices, adding two welcomed new features.

Gmail version 2.2.7182 adds support for signing out of a single account in settings. Previously, hitting the Sign Out button signed you out of all accounts at once, which was rather clunky and not very user friendly.

The application also has a new setting which lets you specify that YouTube, Google Maps and Chrome links go directly to these native apps instead of the mobile web - of course, provided you have them installed on your device...

Instagram rolls out Photos of You

Good news, iPhone photography lovers! Facebook-owned Instagram has issued an update to its iOS and Android client today, introducing a new Photos of You feature - another way to share and discover stories on Instagram, basically a dedicated profile section which collects photos you’ve been tagged in.

As part of the roll-out, Instagram said users can now tag people as easily as you add hashtags. What's more, you can even tag any account on Instagram, "whether it’s your best friend, favorite coffee shop or even that adorable dog you follow". They also created a nice promo video to promote the feature, jump past the fold to watch it...

Twitter for iOS updated with better Vine support, location-based Trends

Twitter, the popular micro-blogging service which in March 2013 passed 200 million users, on Wednesday updated its mobile apps for iOS and Android platforms. Twitter version 5.6 for the iPhone and iPad now lets you see location-based Trends or browse Trends tailored to your interests. The application also features improved playback of Vine videos and contains a few other minor tweaks, included after the break...

Twitter’s Vine gains front-facing camera support and @user mentions

Twitter's Vine, an iOS app that lets you impulse-share short five-second clips, may be struggling to take off, but that's not stopping the popular micro-blogging service from issuing regular updates that add more functionality. One of my main gripes with Vine is its inability to use a front-facing camera.

That omission right there kills some potentially interesting self-portrait videos. No more, as Twitter today issued Vine version 1.1 which adds support for your iPhone's front-facing camera...

Google’s iOS Search app, now available with Google Now

Boom, just like that Google has issued an update to its excellent Search app for the iPhone and iPad which enables some of the most popular Google Now features on the iOS platform. At least initially, Google Now on iOS devices doesn't support some of the features Android users have come to love.

Boarding passes, activity summary, events, concerts, Fandango and Zillow cards aren't included in the update.

All told, 22 of the 29 card types found in Android have made their way to the iOS edition, including weather, traffic, transit schedules and sports scores. Also: Google Now doesn't have Push Notifications, which makes the feature less useful than on Android, where Google Now can notify users via alerts of their upcoming appointments, changes to their flight schedule, weather and more.

Your promotional video, screenies and additional details are after the break...

Square’s Register app gains kitchen tickets, new features for restaurants

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeVkbjeL1Lk

Square's Register, the free point of sale app, has been available on the iPhone and iPad since May 2010 and has seen a number of updates since. And with the release of Square's all-in-one $299 iPad POS bundle in February 2012, the Register app gained prominence as the POS solution was designed from the ground up to work wirelessly with the Register app. Today, Square updated the Register software with kitchen tickets and several new ordering features to better server restaurant owners...

iMDB adds global release dates, actor heights and aliases, more eye candy

IMDb, the popular online film database owned by Amazon since 1998, issued its last major update to the iOS client back in December 2012.

That release (version 3.0) brought out a fresh new look on the iPad while enhancing iPhone filmographies with TV episode details and prettier image galleries, among other features. Today, iMDB version 3.2 landed on the App Store.

The software continues to refine the experience for movie buffs. For starters, non-US users will be pleased to know that the app now lists worldwide movie release dates, for example. They also enhanced the database with all-new actor heights and aliases, crazy credits and other tidbits, included right after the break...

Two years later, Twitter updates Mac app with Retina support, nicer design

Just as we've given up hope that Twitter will put any effort into improving its Mac app, the micro-blogging turned media platform on Thursday rather surprisingly issued an update to Twitter for Mac.

In its first major refresh in nearly two years, the application has brought out way overdue support for Retina graphics, along with several design changes and other under-the-hood tweaks.

Twitter for Mac versions 2.2 now comes with a brand new app icon and improves upon the overall iconography. The compose window has been redesigned and the application can now post photos to pic.twitter.com. Read on for other changes...

Tumblr iOS app updated with read later and social sharing features

Tumblr is the home to over a hundred million blogs that have published nearly 50 billion posts. In between blogging for a living here on iDB, checking out new gadgets and just leading an ordinary life, I have little time to maintain a personal blog. But if I did, I'd definitely consider Tumblr as my blogging platform of choice. If you run a Tumblr blog, updating your posts on the go has just become a tad easier as a new version of the official Tumblr iOS app has been released on the App Store with a couple noteworthy additions...

TweetBot 2.8 released with Media Timeline and overhauled image viewer

TapBot's TweetBot isn't the most affordable Twitter client on iOS, but the download is definitely worth every cent, at least as far as I'm concerned.

And with Twitter killing off its TweetDeck software on iOS, Android and AIR platforms beginning May 7, the selection of free Twitter clients on the App Store is about to become a little less comprehensive.

If you were looking for an excuse to treat yourself to a copy of TweetBot - which costs three bucks for the iPhone/iPod touch and an additional $3 for the iPad edition - you'll be wise to consider taking the plunge following today's update, TweetBot 2.8. Check out the new features right after the break...

Yahoo updates iOS app with Summly summaries

Yahoo last week refreshed its Mail iOS app and released a brand new and beautiful weather software for the iPhone and iPad. In the continuation of its re-newed mobile-first strategy, the search firm this morning updated its iOS client with a summarization technology it snapped up last month for $30 million from UK-based startup Summly, founded by the 17-year-old founder Nick D’Aloisio. Thanks to that acqui-hire, the new Yahoo! version 3.0 software taps Summly natural-language algorithms and machine learning for personalized story summaries...

Yahoo! Mail launches on iPad

With Google continuing to allocate significant resources towards improving its Gmail service and the excellent iOS client, you'd be forgiven for disregarding Yahoo! Mail. I mean, who in their right mind uses Yahoo! Mail, right? Turns out more than 281 million people do, making it the third-largest web-based email service as of December 2012, according to comScore. And the iPhone from the onset supported Yahoo! Mail.

As promised, hot on the heels of releasing a gorgeous new Weather application for the iPhone, Yahoo this morning also refreshed its existing iOS email client with native support for the iPad's bigger canvas. Go past the fold for more tidbits and a nice promo clip...