Apps

iTunes U gains support for Shared iPad feature, Spotlight Search integration and more

iTunes U, Apple's application that gives you access to its collection of free education content on iTunes and lets you create your own teaching material, was refreshed today in the App Store with half a dozen new features.

Among the biggest enhancements is integration with iOS 9's Spotlight Search as well as support for the Managed Apple IDs and the Shared iPad features, which are both part of Apple's new classroom experience in iOS 9.3.

Grab popular journaling software Day One 2 at no charge through the Apple Store shopping app

Bloom Built's journaling app, Day One 2, has gone temporarily free courtesy of the Apple Store shopping app for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

A significant update to the original Day One app (now renamed Day One Classic), Day One 2 released as a brand new app in the App Store last month so you're looking at a cool $9.99 savings here.

Rebuilt from the ground up but staying true to Day One’s original simplicity, this app comes with two headlining features: multiple journals and multiple photos per entry.

PCalc gains new Apple Watch complication, eight-line mode on iPad Pro and lots more

PCalc, arguably the most powerful App Store calculator for scientists, engineers, students, programmers or anybody looking for a feature rich calculator, has received a fresh new icon and more features as part of today's update in the App Store.

For starters, the app's now fully compatible with iOS 9 and watchOS 2. If you own an Apple Watch, you can now quickly access PCalc via a complication.

On the iPad Pro, a new eight-line mode is now available and you now specify certain settings like RPN mode and number of decimal places separately for the app, watch and widget.

Google Maps for iOS now integrates with popular ride services, Spotlight Search and more

Google has pushed a refresh to its mapping application in the App Store. Bumped to version 4.17, Google Maps for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad now integrates with a total of six popular international ride services via a new tab in navigation mode.

In terms of other features, the updated application gives you the ability to save route options and integrates with iOS 9'2 enhanced Spotlight Search so you can find your saved places via the search field revealed after pulling down on any Home screen.

Apple’s recommended iPad Pro accessory: Microsoft Office 365 subscription

Apple this morning started accepting pre-orders for the new iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro in thirteen territories total. Surprisingly enough, the Apple Online Store offers iPad Pro shoppers Microsoft Office 365 subscriptions as a recommended iPad accessory.

As first noted by The Verge, Microsoft Office 365 also appears as a recommended option when purchasing other iPad models, including the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2 and iPad mini 4.

Google Photos rolls out smarter albums with text, maps and locations

Google has been rolling out new features to its Photos mobile and web app at a rapid clip. And now, the Internet giant has introduced smarter albums in Google Photos that can be customized with text, maps and locations. “After an event or trip, Google Photos will now suggest a new album curated with your best shots and the locations of where you've been,” said the search giant on Tuesday.

These five well-known iPhone apps are some of the worst battery hogs

Have you ever wondered about the top battery hogs on the App Store? We all know the mobile Facebook app is notorious for its background fetching, which in combination with location tracking consumes a lot of power, but did you know Twitter just as easily rips through your iPhone's battery life while you're using it?

ZDNet has performed some eyebrow-raising testing of a raft of popular apps to uncover which have the biggest impact on your iPhone's battery life, and here's the shame list.

tvOS 9.2 is here: Dictation, folders, Live Photos, wireless keyboards, iCloud Photo Library & more

tvOS 9.2, a new update for the operating system which powers the fourth-generation Apple TV, is now available for public consumption. The new firmware, released alongside iOS 9.3, OS X El Capitan 10.11.4 and watchOS 2.2, is a very interesting update for the cool new features it brings to the table.

tvOS 9.2 enables several features missing from the initial tvOS release, including long-awaited support for wireless keyboards, dictation, Siri support for App Store searches, app folders on the Home screen, a revamped app switcher, Siri Remote improvements, support for Live Photos and iCloud Photo Library and more.