App Updates

Leaderboards and more added to Foursquare’s location check-in app Swarm

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 21, 2015

Foursquare's dedicated check-in app, Swarm, has been adding missing features ever since the startup split the main mobile app's functionality into dedicated place discovery and check-in apps.

The new Swarm 3.0 for iOS, which released earlier this morning, brings back leaderboards after gaining mayorships early in the summer. In addition, messages and notifications have been unified under a single inbox view.

Your worldwide and nearby views are now folded into a single Friends tab and a revamped Here Now section is now located under the Nearby section.

Google Photos gains Timehop-like blasts from the past, new sharing options and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Google's standalone Photos application for the iPhone and iPad today received an update in the App Store, bringing a few new sharing options and other enhancements to your on the go photo-management experience.

Google Photos 1.2 for iOS, a free download in the App Store, will also show you photos and videos from the past so you can take a brief walk down memory lane, a new feature provided in the form of cards in the Assistant view.

Yahoo Weather now pings your iPhone 15 minutes before rain or snow is expected

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 20, 2015

You'll never get caught in the rain or snow again no matter where you live, provided you use Yahoo's gorgeously designed mobile Weather app which in its most recent update has added near-term weather alerts.

In addition, Yahoo Weather for iPhone and iPad, now bumped to version 1.8, is even more accurate than before and zooms in smartly on microclimates.

As Apple News launch draws nearer, Flipboard rolls out new personalization features

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 20, 2015

After iOS 9 launches this fall, reading aficionados and news junkies will have a field day consolidating their reading experience via a brand new Flipboard-like app.

Called News, it basically aggregates news stories and popular blog posts from around the web and presents them in a beautifully decluttered view with smooth layouts made possible by the new Apple News format.

But Flipboard isn't standing still either.

Today, the social news aggregator service began rolling out some changes to its mobile app which it designed to help users fine-tune their Cover Stories view using an all-new thumbs-up and thumbs-down system.

1Password for iOS gains quick vault switcher, Touch ID and Apple Watch updates and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

1Password, the popular password manager for iOS, OS X and Windows by developer AgileBits, today received a nice little update in the App Store which bumped the app to version 5.5 and brought out a couple notable improvements.

In addition to a brand new quick vault switcher, 1Password 5.5 contains improvements to TouchID authentication, shared lock settings, browsing Credit Card items on your Apple Watch and other tidibts.

iTranslate updated with keyboard extension and Apple Watch support

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Sonico pushed out an update for its iTranslate app today, bringing the iOS client to version 8.4. The software, which is regarded as one of the best translation apps in the App Store, now comes with a keyboard extension and proper Apple Watch Glance.

The keyboard extension is particularly significant, since it can be used in most iOS 8-compatible apps. So now, instead of having to open the iTranslate app to make a translation, you can do it on the fly in WhatsApp, Mail or your favorite Twitter client.

Infuse 3 updated with Touch ID support, faster browsing and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 4, 2018

FireCore updated its versatile media player Infuse 3 for iPhone and iPad today, bringing the app to version 3.5. The update brings about a number of improvements, including faster SMB browsing and a fix for those having AirPlay issues.

Additionally, 3.5 adds support for passcode and Touch ID locking, meaning you can now secure the app using one of these options. This way, videos and other media files you'd like to keep private can only be accessed via proper authentication.

Square Cash app updated to allow you to send money via Apple Watch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Square updated its Square Cash mobile app today, bringing the iOS client to version 2.8. The release brings about full support for the Apple Watch, allowing users to send money to your friends, family or anyone nearby with just a few simple taps.

For those unfamiliar with Square Cash, it's pitched as one of the easiest ways to send and receive money. It's free for consumers and setup only takes a minute to link up a credit or debit card. Plus, all transactions are protected by 128-bit encryption.

SwiftKey rolls out rich Emoji Insights in new update

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Right on cue, makers of the popular SwiftKey software keyboard for iPhones, iPads and iPods today rolled out a new feature designed to provide a valuable insight into which emoji symbols you use the most as your unique writing style and the emoji you use more than other people.

The app will even tell you which US state most reflects your emoji use. Called Emoji Insights, the new typing statistics shows you detailed highlights of your emoji use.

Spark email client gains HTML signatures, new swipe actions, aliases and other new features

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 18, 2015

Spark, my new favorite email app by Readdle (good-bye Mailbox!), launched in the App Store nearly 3 months ago.

In my initial review of Spark, I praised its gorgeous user interface, powerful productivity features and integration with popular services but cautioned mobile pros to wait until a future update brings a few commonly used features that didn't make it into the initial release.

Spark 1.1 is here and with it come some much-needed missing features that make the app more powerful and productivity-focused. These include brand new swipe options, support for HTML signatures, email aliases and more.

Apple releases iTunes 12.2 with Beats 1 and Apple Music fixes and enhancements

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 13, 2015

In addition to releasing the iOS 8.4.1 software update for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad with Apple Music fixes and enhancements, and the OS X Yosemite 10.10.5 software update with a crucial patch for the dangerous DYLD exploit and more, Apple today also posted a new version of iTunes with a bunch of fixes and improvements.

Among other things, iTunes 12.2 for Mac and Windows contains improvements for Beats 1, Apple Music and Connect features while fixing a few issues with the software.

Microsoft Office apps pick up better Outlook integration with ‘Send with Outlook’ and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 12, 2015

Microsoft today issued refreshed Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad in the App Store. The new versions of these mobile productivity apps include several new features, most notably tighter integration with Microsoft's Outlook for iOS app.

In addition to richer Outlook integration across all three apps, you can now change selected text in Word to uppercase, lowercase, sentence case and more, as well as view comments in PowerPoint next to the slide in a task pane.