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iOS Facebook update causing crashes
9to5Mac is reporting that a small update to Facebook's iOS app has been causing the app to crash for a number of users. Released this past Thursday, the recent Facebook app update merely added the ability for iPad users to edit their posts. Twitter users have been voicing their frustration about the update today, as they discover the app attempt to launch, and immediately crash. The problem effects both iOS 7 and iOS 6 users, as verified by our own tests. It's currently unknown whether the bug is on the app side or the server side, but it's likely that Facebook will release a fix soon. Deleting and re-installing the app appears to alleviate the problem for some, so if you're affected by frequent app crashes, you might want to give that strategy a try. Should Facebook release a minor update to address the bug, we'll keep you in the loop.
Facebook adds support for post editing on the iPad
Facebook rolled out an update to its iOS app that added support for post editing to its iPad version. This feature was introduced last month in the iPhone version and allows users to fix a post when they've made a typo or said something they now regret. Besides post editing, version 6.7 also expands emoticon support and includes the expected bug fixes. The full change log is as follows: Now in additional languages: Use icons to share how you're feeling and what you're doing. Now on iPad: Edit your posts and tap to see all your changes. Bug fixes You can download the Facebook app for free in the iOS App Store.
OmniGraffle 6 lands today in the Mac App Store
Omni Group recently updated OmniGraffle, its workflow diagramming app, to version 6.0. It was a major update that included a brand-new UI, Retina display support and a ton of new features. When it launched, version 6 was only available on Omni Group's online storefront. Omni Group announced that starting today, a Mac App Store version will be available for you to purchase and download. The Mac App Store app has all the features of the store-bought version. It even includes upgrade pricing via an in-app purchase. Omni Group is selling the standard version of OmniGraffle 6 in the Mac App Store for US$99, with an in-app purchase to unlock Pro features like AppleScript, Visio import/export and more. The amount of this in-app purchase will vary based upon whether you own a previous Mac App Store version of OmniGraffle. To receive the upgrade pricing to the Pro version, current Mac App Store customers must install OmniGraffle 5 from the App Store. Once version 5 is installed, you need to purchase version 6 from the Mac App Store for $99. Then open the newly installed OmniGraffle 6 app and select "Upgrade to Professional" from the menu. The app will ask you to locate your OmniGraffle 5 install. If you own the standard version of OmniGraffle 5, then you'll be prompted to spend $50 to upgrade to the Pro version. If you already own the pro version of OmniGraffle 5, the in-app upgrade to enable to the pro features of OmniGraffle 6 will be free. You can download OmniGraffle 6 from the Mac App Store starting today. A trial version is available from Omni Group's website.
Apple updates iBooks for OS X
Hot on the heels of other updates this week, Apple has released its first update to iBooks for OS X. Given that this is a rather quick release and that the release notes only say, "This version of iBooks includes bug fixes and improvements to performance and stability," users shouldn't expect to notice any radical changes off the bat. Hopefully Apple has fixed some of the bugs that plagued iBooks since launching on OS X, including users missing e-books from their library that were obtained from third-party e-book stores. Users can get the latest iBooks update by running Software Update on OS X Mavericks.
Apple issues Mail update for OS X Mavericks to address Gmail compatibility issues
If you're one of the many users dismayed by the fact that the Mail.app in OS X Mavericks doesn't play nicely with Gmail, your troubles will hopefully be a thing of the past. After a number of reports indicating that Apple has been working on a fix, Apple today issued a Mail update for OS X Mavericks which aims to smooth over Gmail compatibility issues while also offering a few other email enhancements. The full changelog reads: Mail Update for Mavericks includes improvements to general stability and compatibility with Gmail, including the following: - Fixes an issue that prevents deleting, moving, and archiving messages for users with custom Gmail settings - Addresses an issue that may cause unread counts to be inaccurate - Includes additional fixes that improve the compatibility and stability of Mail The update checks in at 32.46 MB and can be accessed here.
Apple issues GarageBand 10 update
Don't blink, or you may miss this update. Apple released GarageBand 10.0.1 for the Mac late last night, citing fixes for "a number of minor issues" and improved overall app stability. If you're a fan of Apple's consumer music-making app, you might want to make sure that the update has been installed by visiting the Updates tab of the Mac App Store. GarageBand 10 was released last month concurrently with the release of OS X Mavericks, adding such fun things as a virtual drummer, but taking out critical features used by podcasters.
Daily Update for November 6, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Glympse adds in-flight tracking to its location-sharing service
Location-sharing app Glympse has added a new feature that'll allow users to track a friend or loved one while they fly. Glympse has partnered with in-flight WiFi service Gogo to bring this new In-flight feature to life. If you've never used Glympse, the service allows users to send temporary location-tracking information to another person via text messaging. It allows recipients to see where you are and when you are slated to arrive at your destination. Glympse works great when you are driving long distances by car, bus or train. This new In-flight option expands the tracking service to air travel and will keep others abreast of your location and your arrival time so they can be on time to pick you up at the airport when your flight lands. Yes, people can use a general flight-tracking app to find similar information, but the Glympse option adds a personal touch. It's a great addition for folks who already use the app for location sharing while driving or traveling by bus or train. The new flight-tracking option will go live on November 8.
Yahoo Finance for iOS gets major overhaul
Yahoo has finally gotten around to updating its long-neglected Yahoo Finance app. The delay has puzzled many, especially since Finance is one of the most well-respected and well-known properties in Yahoo's portfolio. But whatever the reason for the wait, it appears it's been worth it. Remember all the praise Yahoo got for its Weather app? The new Finance app deserves the same recognition. It has received a complete visual makeover worthy of iOS 7 with beautiful new stock charts and portfolio lists. It also adds the ability to deliver push notifications for breaking news and adds interactive real-time charts with new gestures including panning, pinch-to-zoom and more. Here's the full release notes: What's New in Version 2.0 Introducing the brand-new Yahoo Finance. • Follow stocks to personalize your news. • Receive push notifications for breaking stories. • Interactive charts with panning and pinch-to-zoom, real-time data and more! Yahoo Finance is a free download.
Rdio for iOS gets personalized music recommendations
In a continuing effort to beef up its app's features in the hope of staving off its rivals like iTunes Radio, Spotify and Pandora, Rdio has released an update that allows listeners to get personalized music recommendations. Recommendations work in a way that is similar to Apple's iTunes Genius playlists. Based on a user's listening history, Rdio suggests albums and other stations that are similar to what they've been listening to. The app will also suggest playlists that are popular with a user's friends or that are popular in the area that they're located in. The latest version of the app also features a redesigned station player. From the release notes: What's New in Version 2.5.3 • Recommendations. A new destination for discovering what to play next. Find albums similar to what you've been listening to, plus stations and playlists popular with your friends or in your area. • Redesigned Stations Player. Three-track display now showcases album art for the previous, currently playing and next tracks. Swipe to easily skip to the next track. • Various UI improvements and minor bug fixes. Rdio is a universal app and a free download.
Apple Store app for iPhone updated with multi-country Passbook gift card support
Apple has rolled out an update to its Apple Store app that expands the ability to purchase gift cards cards in the app and use them as Passbook passes to a number of other countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia and Canada. Until now, the feature had been US-only. Apple Store for iPhone is a free download.
Apple releases iTunes 11.1.3 with equalizer and large library performance improvements
Apple has released iTunes 11.1.3 for Mac. The 11.1.3 update doesn't see any new features, but it does fix the annoying bug where the equalizer doesn't always work as expected. It also adds performance improvements when switching views in large iTunes libraries. From the release notes: iTunes 11.1.3 This version of iTunes resolves an issue where the equalizer may not work as expected and improves performance when switching views in large iTunes libraries. This update also includes additional minor bug fixes. Note: If you are using OS X Mavericks, your book library can now be found in iBooks for Mac. For information on the security content of this update, please visit: support.apple.com/kb/HT1222. Users can download the iTunes 11.1.3 update via Software Update on their Macs.
Fantastical 2 re-designed and re-engineered for iOS 7
I've been using the new version of Fantastical for a few weeks now, and if you liked the first version, you're going to love the new version. Fantastical has always been designed for ease of use and worked like a dream, but Fantastical 2 builds on those strengths and takes advantage of some key iOS 7 capabilities that anyone who uses their calendar daily will appreciate. Perhaps the biggest example of a key iOS 7 tech: background refreshing. With Fantastical 2, you won't need to take a trip to Apple's calendar any more. Fanastical will simply update automatically even if you don't launch Fantastical. I'm constantly adding items to my calendar at my computer (using Fantastical for Mac, but sometimes I'm accepting invites to my Google calendar). Having the app automatically refresh without me doing anything extra is a huge time saver. Then there are some design refreshes, like text size (controlled by iOS 7 Dynamic Text), a week view in landscape mode (super handy, especially on Mondays) and for larger 4-inch iDevices, there's an extended keyboard with handy buttons for calendar-specific symbols. The reason I bought the first Fantastical, however, is the parser. Being able to type in plain English, as though talking to an assistant, was magical and Fantastical did it before Siri was around to listen. In version 2, the parser has been beefed up. Since reminders are now fully integrated in 2, you can set an appointment or reminder by just using those terms. Even better, you can use "task" or "todo" in your phrasing and Fantastical will put your item in the right place. Plus, repeating events are easier to input so you could say something like "third Wednesday of each month" or "every two weeks" and Fantastical will figure it out. But my favorite is being able to say when a calendar item should alert you -- because the default is rarely adequate for me. Calendar apps litter the App Store, and we're unfortunately in a world where users gripe (often loudly) about having to "buy this app again." So first of all Flexibits is making Fantastical 2 US$2.99 for a limited time, and it will go up to $4.99 afterward. Second of all, even at full price we're talking about less than the price of most toys. This is not a toy, it's a tool. Tools aren't free to make and they shouldn't be free to steal. Let me explain. Flexibits is not made of volunteer designers and coders. It is a business. When you go to a business to buy something, you pay money for the value it provides to you. Sounds simple, but if the launch of Tweetbot 3 taught me anything, it's that people do not understand this simple concept. Developers work hard to redesign and add new features to apps, especially when Apple introduces a ton of new capabilities in an OS. iOS 7 added a lot of new capabilities. Tweetbot 3 took advantage mostly of those whiz-bang visual features (blurring, physics, etc.). Fantastical 2 takes advantage of a few new design techniques, but really pours it on with functionality. If you start typing into the parser with German, it'll understand. If you use Reminders, they work great. If you don't open Fantastical 2 for a couple of days, your calendar is still in sync. Features like those don't grow in groves of hot dog trees in the land of Dairy Queen. They require people to show up to work and make them happen. Fantastical 2 may look like its predecessor, but the value you will derive from the new version if you're using iOS 7 is completely worth it. Plus, if you're cheap or using an older iOS, guess what? Fantastical version 1 still works. This isn't planned obsolescence, this is simple math and basic business. Buy Fantastical 2 -- it will make dealing with appointments, calendars and reminders so much easier it's worth far more than what they are charging for it. Note that it is designed for iPhone. Full PR below. Show full PR text Flexibits Releases Fantastical 2 for iPhone, Completely Redesigned and Reimagined for iOS 7 DANVILLE, California - October 30, 2013 - Flexibits today introduced Fantastical 2 for iPhone, an all-new app exclusively for iOS 7, building on their award-winning calendar app. Completely redesigned for iOS 7, Fantastical 2 for iPhone includes many new features including reminders, an improved parser, a new light theme, a week view in landscape mode, background app refresh, TextExpander support, birthday reminders/greetings, and much more. Reminders are fully featured and allow users see their events and dated reminders together in the main list. Reminders can be added directly from their Reminders list or new event screen - a simple flip of the item switch will toggle between events and reminders. Users can even set dates, times, and geofences (when I arrive/when I leave) to their reminders. The parser improvements in Fantastical 2 for iPhone are significant, including the ability to create reminders by starting sentences with "reminder", "todo", "task", or "remind me to." Also new are expanded, expressive repeating events such as third Thursday of every month, every weekend, last weekday of the month, and more. Plus, users can now add alerts with phrases such as "remind me tomorrow at 3PM", "alert 1 hour before", or "alarm 3PM." Fantastical 2 takes full advantage of iOS 7, including support for Background App Refresh, Dynamic Type, and 64-bit support for the iPhone 5s. Background App Refresh ensures events, reminders, and alerts are up to date even when Fantastical isn't open. Support for Dynamic Type ensures Fantastical shows text larger or smaller, depending on the user's preferred text size. Also new (and exclusive to devices with 4" screens) is an extended keyboard when creating new events or reminders, providing instant access to numbers and symbols for dates and times. "We wanted to make an iOS 7 iPhone calendar app worthy of the name Fantastical," said Michael Simmons, Co-Founder of Flexibits. "With its beautiful iOS 7 design and functionality, we're confident users are going to be love Fantastical 2 for iPhone." With Fantastical 2 for iPhone, users will quickly and easily create, view, and search all of their events and reminders. The advanced natural language engine is extremely expressive, enabling users to enter event or reminder details in their own style. For example, users can enter sentences such as "Lunch with Elon at 123 Main Street on Tuesday" and Fantastical 2 for iPhone translates the sentence into an event and adds it to their calendar. And with support for reminders, users can enter sentences such as "todo Pick up dry cleaning" and the user will have a reminder, ready to check off. Fantastical 2 for iPhone is localized in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, letting users enter events in their preferred language. Best of all, Fantastical automagically detects the entered language for an event or reminder regardless of the system's language setting. On devices supporting dictation, events or reminders can be created simply by speaking. With its powerful natural language event and reminder creation, DayTicker, calendar, beautiful week view, event list, and much, much more, Fantastical 2 for iPhone is the fastest and friendliest calendar app for iOS 7. Pricing & Availability Download Fantastical 2 for iPhone on the App Store for a limited-time price of $2.99 (US). The standard price will be $4.99 (US). Fantastical 2 requires iOS 7. For further information, please visit: http://flexibits.com/fantastical-iphone To download Fantastical 2 for iPhone on the App Store, please visit: http://flexibits.com/fantastical-iphone/download Flexibits creates apps that are enjoyable and flexible. Apps that make your life better. Apps that remove frustration. With many years of experience working on many popular apps, our hope is that our experience and passion comes through in everything we do. Flexibits: Flexible bits. ............................................................................................................................ Press Contact: Michael Simmons Flexibits pr@flexibits.com Download the Flexibits Press Kit here: http://flexibits.com/flexibits_press_kit.zip
Twitter for iOS adds in-line video and image previews
In version 5.1.2 of the official app, Twitter users can view picture and video previews directly in their timelines, instead of having to click a link to be taken to the preview as in past versions of the app. In addition to the image and video previews, Twitter has also made it easier to interact in conversations by adding action buttons, such as reply and retweet directly in the timeline. This update includes enhancements to Tweets in the home timeline. Be a part of the moment. •Tweets with Twitter photos, Vine videos and other select content now show a preview in your home timeline. Tap the image to reveal the full screen version. Tweet a picture without text, and let the image say it all. Joining the conversation just got easier. •You can reply, retweet, favorite or follow someone straight from a Tweet in your home timeline. Note: You can switch off Tweet previews in "Settings." Twitter for iOS is a free download.
Snapseed updates with new HDR mode, shadows slider
If you like to take photos on your iOS device, grab Snapseed. If you already have it, you'll see an update today that really adds some nice features. This latest release adds two very important features. One is called HDR scape, which gives your images an HDR look that can be as natural or as unnatural as you like. You also get a shadows slider that lets you increase shadow detail without ruining the overall look of the image. The app also offers auto enhancement, a selection of frames, black and white presets and tilt-shift effects. I found the new features impressive. If I didn't go over the top on the HDR settings, I could get a very much improved landscape image. The shadows slider also worked well, and kept the image looking natural rather than over-processed. Snapseed has been great since it was first released as a paid app. Happily, it's been kept up to date, and for many photographers it will be the only photo enhancer/editor they will ever need. Snapseed is a universal app and requires iOS 7 at the moment. There is a warning about using this latest version on iOS 5 or 6, and there will be a fix and an update soon. The issues involve sharing images to those older devices.
Vine updates to finally allow you to hide your friend's stupid revines
With great revining power comes great revining responsibility. No one wants you flooding their feed with clips of some cut-rate dachshund you found looking at tags. You can't abuse your privileges without consequences. Thankfully Vine has addressed this issue with its latest update, granting you the ability to block the revine's of certain people you follow from showing up in your feed. Finally, you'll be able to enjoy your feed and follow even your most revine-happy friends with the peaceful knowledge that you can control your feed a little better than yesterday. And isn't that what compact social media video-sharing is all about? We like to think so. You can find the new update right now in the App Store. While you wait for it to download, tell us about the most annoying things you've found revined in your feed in the comments below.
This week on gdgt: Surface Pro 2, Nintendo 2DS, and software updates
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.
Sony's PlayStation 4 will require a Day One update, mobile app to be released pre-launch
Sony's PlayStation 4 US launch is now less than a month away and -- surprise, surprise -- it's going to require a Day One system update. The company just announced today that a significant software patch (about 300MB in size) will be necessary to enable a slew of functionality, like Remote Play on PS Vita and the Share button, that Sony's been championing through the year. Also going hand-in-hand with this patch is the release of Sony's second screen PlayStation App, which will be available on November 13th in the US (just two days before launch) and on the 22nd in Europe on both Android and iOS.
BlackBerry's BB 10.2 OS update brings notification previews and Priority Hub to Z10 and Q10 devices 'this week'
Before today, the only way to enjoy BlackBerry's BB 10.2 OS was to buy the company's new Z30 flagship. But, as the company previously promised, that software update's ready to trickle down to all BB 10 users and should be hitting devices "starting this week." BlackBerry's said that the OS update won't be available from all carriers though, so depending on your wireless operator allegiance, you may or may not see that update notification. When it does arrive, Z10 and Q10 owners can look forward to the new BB Priority Hub which organizes your communications according to importance, message previews throughout the UI and lockscreen, and the ability to reply directly to BBM notifications. If you need some hand-holding for the update process, you can check out BlackBerry's how-to at the source link.
Hulu Plus for iOS updated with Chromecast streaming for iPhone
At the beginning of the month, Google announced that Hulu Plus for iOS had been updated to support Chromecast streaming from the iPad. At the time, the update was met with some jeers as many use Hulu Plus on their iPhone. However, those users have to fret no more as the Hulu Plus app has been updated today to feature Chromecast streaming from the iPhone as well: What's New in Version 3.3.1 Start casting your favorite TV shows and Movies on Chromecast from Hulu Plus, now from your iPhone (iOS6 and above) Users of a Chromecast now simply only have to press the Cast button, which will now appear in the iPhone app right next to the AirPlay button to send their Hulu video to their TV via Chromecast. Hulu Plus is a free download. Google's Chromecast costs US$35.
