Today in the App Store -- the best free apps, new apps and app updates

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Updated Fri, Apr 25, 2014, 4:30 PM·4 min read

Here are some of the best free apps, app updates and new apps that have landed in the App Store recently. All app prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly, so grab them while you can.

Apps Now Free

myCal PRO: Calendar & Event Organizer [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $2.99] No more dots in your calendar! myCal PRO displays what you need to see, your events!

Mental Hospital II [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $1.99] Are you ready to accept the gift of madness and understand the secrets of the deep?

continue?9876543210 [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $3.99] You are a dead, failed video game character wandering through the recesses of the Random Access Memory, trying to find peace in the final moments of your existence before being deleted forever.

BoneBox™ - Skull Viewer [iPad; Now free, down from $1.99] The BoneBox™ Skull Viewer is a real-time 3D medical education tool that features exceptionally detailed anatomical skull models and unique interactive elements.

iDarkroom [iPhone; Now free, down from $0.99] iDarkroom is a FAST, INTUITIVE, POWERFUL photo processing app.

New and Notable Apps

Leo's Fortune [iOS Universal; $4.99] Leo's Fortune is a platform adventure game where you hunt down the cunning and mysterious thief that stole your gold. Beautifully hand-crafted levels bring the story of Leo to life in this epic adventure.

Bonsai Slice [iPad; $2.99] Bonsai Slice turns your iPad into a sword! Join Multus the Robot as he teaches you how to slice and dice your way through donuts, coins, televisions and more.

Soccer Rally 2 [iOS Universal; Free] Rev up your engines and get ready to experience soccer like never before!

UltraVideoConverter [OS X; $1.99] UltraVideoConverter lets you convert all videos of a chosen directory, including subdirectories, to MP4 with only one click.

Updates you don't want to miss

Udacity [iOS Universal; Free] Learn on-the-go with free technology courses from Udacity! Version 1.5 brings the following changes:

Udacity is now available on iPhone!
Download videos so you can access them when offline
Translated the app into Japanese, German, Chinese, Korean, Italian, Portuguese Brazilian, Spanish and French
Content and bug fixes

National Parks by National Geographic [iOS Universal; Free] National Geographic presents a beautiful, award-winning interactive guide to 25 of America's most visited national parks. Version 1.5 brings the following changes:

TWO NEW PARK GUIDES: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Corrected locations of Kula and Pukalani, Hawai'i in Haleakalā National Park
Corrected location of Port Angeles, Washington in Olympic National Park
Updated 2013 visitor numbers for each park

Food Network Magazine US [iOS Universal; Free] Get the inside scoop on your favorite Food Network stars, plus more than 100 fun recipes in each issue of Food Network Magazine. Version 3.1.1 brings the following changes:

Share your favorite foodie finds on Facebook, Twitter or via email.
saving and organizing your favorite images from the pages of Food Network has never been easier.
Favoriting to-die-for-desserts or delicious weeknight dinners for reading later is now as easy as tapping the star icon from any page,.
Preview new issues on your iPad
Easily track your downloads' progress in the top menu.
We've improved background downloading of issues, reading new issues has never been easier.
And we've fixed an issue some readers were having with new covers not updating in their newsstand and libraries, as well as other minor bug fixes and performance improvements.

Runkeeper [iPhone; Free] RunKeeper is the simplest way to improve fitness, whether you're just deciding to get off the couch for a 5k, biking every day, or deep into marathon training. Version 4.5 brings the following changes:

Create fitness goals and check the status of your Training Plans all from the same place
Upload a photo that represents YOUR motivation to achieve your fitness goals Goal Coach
Goal Coach helps you choose a fitness goal that works for you
Personalized insights into your goal progress to help you stay on track no matter where you are with your training

Engadget
Threads now lets you control who can quote your posts
Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced the update this weekend, saying he hopes it will “help keep Threads a more positive place.” Users can choose to turn off quotes entirely or limit them only to people they follow.
Engadget
Parrots in captivity seem to enjoy video-chatting with their friends on Messenger
A small study led by researchers at the University of Glasgow and Northeastern University compared parrots’ responses when given the option to video chat with other birds via Messenger versus watching pre-recorded videos.
Engadget
Google prohibits ads promoting websites and apps that generate deepfake porn
Google has updated its Inappropriate Content Policy to include language that expressly prohibits advertisers from promoting websites and services that generate deepfake pornography.
Engadget
X is using Grok to publish AI-generated news summaries
X is using Grok to publish AI-generated summaries of news and other topics that trend on the platform.
Engadget
Nintendo blitzes GitHub with over 8,000 emulator-related DMCA takedowns
Nintendo sent a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notice for over 8,000 GitHub repositories hosting code from the Yuzu Switch emulator, which the Zelda maker previously described as enabling “piracy at a colossal scale.”
Engadget
Helldivers 2 PC players suddenly have to link to a PSN account and they're not being chill about it
Helldivers 2 players have become frustrated after Sony suddenly required linking to a PSN account to play the game on PC. This was not necessary when the title launched in February.
Engadget
Redfall’s two DLC heroes are still MIA a year later
Microsoft may want to be more careful about leaving a trail of broken promises when games don’t go as planned. A year after Redfall landed with a thud, players are still waiting for the advertised post-launch DLC they already paid for.
Engadget
Instagram's 'Add Yours' sticker now lets you share songs
Instagram has released some new interactive stickers for use in Stories. One of these is a “Reveal” sticker that blurs content, so people have to DM the creator to get it unlocked.
Engadget
Apex Legends is getting a solo mode for the first time in five years
Apex Legends will have a solo mode for the first time in five years when the new season starts on May 7. Respawn said as recently as January it had no plans to bring back the single-player option.
Engadget
A four-pack of Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag 2 trackers is back on sale for $70
A bundle of Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag 2 Bluetooth trackers is back on sale for $70, matching the lowest price we've tracked.
Engadget
Research indicates that carbon dioxide removal plans will not be enough to meet Paris treaty goals
New research indicates a large “emissions gap” between what actions nations have committed to help remove carbon from the atmosphere and what’s required to meet Paris treaty goals.
Engadget
Rabbit R1 review: A $199 AI toy that fails at almost everything
The Rabbit R1 is a cute AI gadget, but at launch it’s riddled with issues and terrible battery life. When phones can handle similar AI tasks, the R1 doesn’t do enough to justify its existence.
Engadget
The Apple Watch Series 9 is back on sale for $299, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals
This week, we found deals on gear from Samsung, Apple, Bose, Anker and more.
Engadget
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft may finally take its first crewed flight next week
Boeing's Starliner crew capsule is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex-41 in Florida on Monday, May 6. The launch window opens at 10:34PM ET. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be on board.
Engadget
Google says Epic’s Play Store demands are too much and too self-serving
Google has filed an injunction telling the court that it will not give Epic what it wants without a fight, because the company's asks "stray far beyond the trial record."
Engadget
The best gifts to upgrade your grad’s tech setup
College grads are probably using the same tech they started out with four years ago. Here are the best gadgets you can get them to upgrade their kit, including laptops, headphones, monitors and more.
Engadget
Boom's XB-1 supersonic jet has been authorized to break the speed of sound
Boom's supersonic XB-1 test jet has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to fly past Mach 1.
Engadget
The Morning After: Peloton's grim post-pandemic reality
The biggest news stories this morning: Huawei has been secretly funding research in America after being blacklisted, The best noise-canceling earbuds, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake and other Universal artists return to TikTok.
Engadget
Engadget Podcast: Kill the Rabbit (R1)
The Rabbit R1 is finally here, and it's yet another useless AI gadget.
Engadget
The best password manager for 2024
Remembering dozens of passwords can be difficult for anyone. These are the best password managers you can use to keep your information safe and secure.

Today in the App Store -- the best free apps, new apps and app updates

Apps Now Free

New and Notable Apps

Updates you don't want to miss

Latest Stories

Threads now lets you control who can quote your posts

Parrots in captivity seem to enjoy video-chatting with their friends on Messenger

Google prohibits ads promoting websites and apps that generate deepfake porn

X is using Grok to publish AI-generated news summaries

Nintendo blitzes GitHub with over 8,000 emulator-related DMCA takedowns

Helldivers 2 PC players suddenly have to link to a PSN account and they're not being chill about it

Redfall’s two DLC heroes are still MIA a year later

Instagram's 'Add Yours' sticker now lets you share songs

Apex Legends is getting a solo mode for the first time in five years

A four-pack of Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag 2 trackers is back on sale for $70

Research indicates that carbon dioxide removal plans will not be enough to meet Paris treaty goals

Rabbit R1 review: A $199 AI toy that fails at almost everything

The Apple Watch Series 9 is back on sale for $299, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft may finally take its first crewed flight next week

Google says Epic’s Play Store demands are too much and too self-serving

The best gifts to upgrade your grad’s tech setup

Boom's XB-1 supersonic jet has been authorized to break the speed of sound

The Morning After: Peloton's grim post-pandemic reality

Engadget Podcast: Kill the Rabbit (R1)

The best password manager for 2024

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