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

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Updated Sun, Jul 27, 2014, 1:00 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

True Skate [iOS Universal;Now free, down from $1.99]The most authentic skateboarding game ever.

Trail Tracker GPS [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $0.99] Whether you're biking, hiking, skiing, walking, running, or driving, Trail Tracker will track your entire trip and all kinds of statistics that you can use to analyze it when you're done!

Life - Smart gardening journal/diary [iPhone; Now free, down from $2.99] Record, look back and share your green life with simple, easy and well-designed iOS application.

UpWord Notes [iPhone; Now free, down from $0.99] With UpWord saves your notes, lists, and reminders - all in one place. Get more done.

Teslameter 11th [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $0.99] Teslameter 11th takes advantage of the built in magnetometer in your iPhone/iPad, allows you to monitor the strength of magnetic field all around.

Vinyl Tap - this one goes to 11 [iPad; Now free, down from $0.99] Vinyl Tap is an app of passion. Every pixel has been beautifully and painstakingly crafted. Connect your iPad to a set of speakers, and create an old school hi-fi system, fit for the 21st century.

Meetings for iPhone [iPhone; Now free, down from $4.99] Presenting the app that lets you have more focused, productive, and successful meetings.

Defenders [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $4.99] Fight off hordes of evil mutants created by a cataclysmic event in Nival's new tower defense meets collectible card game, Defenders.

Countdown widget [OS X; Now free, down from $0.99] Countdown widget is a timekeeper always on the bottom of your computer desktop.

AudioMate – Easy audio control [OS X; Now free, down from $3.99] Control all your audio devices from the status bar, receive system notifications when relevant events happen on your audio devices, define custom device actions, and more!

New and Notable Apps

ComicBook! 2: Creative Superpowers [iOS Universal; $2.99] Transform the ordinary to share-worthy extraordinary easy as: B.A.M!

Real Simple Checklist [iPhone; Free] Real Simple Checklists will help you organize like never before, featuring 100+ of the most popular checklists from Real Simple magazine.

The Design Museum Collection for iPhone [iPhone; Free] The Design Museum Collection App is now available for iPhone users for the first time. It is the museum's first app and its first online catalogue of a selection of objects from its collection.

Blue Note 75 [iPad; Free] This new immersive digital format app for iPad celebrates the 75th Anniversary of the legendary Blue Notes Records.

Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot [iOS Universal; $1.99] Jacob Jones is back in Episode 2 of one of Apples 'Best of 2013' games and an App Store Editors Choice.

Updates you don't want to miss

Procreate – Sketch, paint, create. [iPad; $5.99] Procreate is the most powerful and intuitive digital illustration App available for iPad®. It's packed with features artists love,Version 2.1 brings the following changes:

ColorDrop!
Threshold adjustments!
Reference layer!
Color Wheel!
Give us your number with numerical color input!
Better Swatches!
Swatch Palettes!
Multilingual!
A bunch of other stuff!

Madefire Motion Books & Comics [iOS Universal; Free] Madefire Motion Books & Comics is a free app that delivers the most innovative reading experience on devices with traditional print comics and Motion Books. Version 2.0 brings the following changes:

Welcome to the all new Madefire 2.0!
We've improved the storefront with a new layout with larger cover images and better organization. Browse collections by your favorite publishers to find your favorite Motion Books and print comics. The Madefire Reader also includes support for reading print comics with improved page zooming and other features.
Create your own Motion Books at http://create.madefire.com/ and join in the Madefire Experience.
As always, if you like Madefire, please take the time to rate the app! It's a painless way to let us know you like what we're doing and that makes us happy.

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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Instagram's 'Add Yours' sticker now lets you share songs
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Apex Legends is getting a solo mode for the first time in five years
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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.
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Research indicates that carbon dioxide removal plans will not be enough to meet Paris treaty goals
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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.
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The Apple Watch Series 9 is back on sale for $299, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals
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Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft may finally take its first crewed flight next week
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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."
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The best gifts to upgrade your grad’s tech setup
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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.
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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.
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Engadget Podcast: Kill the Rabbit (R1)
The Rabbit R1 is finally here, and it's yet another useless AI gadget.
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The best password manager for 2024
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This Weekend 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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