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TUAW video tip: Using Wireless Diagnostics to fine-tune your WiFi network
If you're wondering if your WiFi network is operating at peak efficiency, we have just the video tip for you today. Mac OS X features a utility called Wireless Diagnostics that can be used to quickly determine the best channels on your WiFi network. You can then use whatever tool is included with your router (AirPort Utility for AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express users, various utilities or web portals for other routers) to set the channels and optimize your speed and bandwidth. As with our other video tips, this one can be resized to full-screen for ease of viewing.
Friday Favorite: Use AppleScript to delete files from a folder
As part of my daily writing, I take a lot of screenshots and process a ton of images on my Mac. As a result, I have two ever-growing folders that are stuffed full of images that are not useful after I publish a post. Now that I have a MacBook Air and only 128 GB of storage space, I am much more concerned about keeping my files in check. To help delete these files in bulk, I've been using this handy AppleScript: try tell application "Finder" delete (every item of folder (path to desktop folder) whose name begins with "Screen Shot") delete (every item of folder (path to downloads folder) whose name ends with ".jpg") end tell on error display dialog ("Error. Couldn't Move the File") buttons {"OK"} end try You can modify it yourself to point to a different folder or to target different files. If you remove the qualifier "whose name begins with" and leave the line as "delete (every item of folder (path to desktop folder))", then you can delete all the contents of a folder in one fell swoop. I don't need to run the script every day, so I've exported it as an application and run it once a week. It's not a fancy script, but it is a timesaver, which makes it invaluable for me. Hopefully, it will be of use to you, too.
Mac 101: How to turn off the "iPad Not Charging" notification
Do you ever get that annoying alert that your iPad is not charging when you plug it into your Mac? It's the result of the iPad's requirement for a high-power charging source. If you find the alert annoying, then there is a quick and easy way to turn it off. Unlike most smaller mobile devices, the iPad needs a higher current (2.1A) to charge its larger battery. If your USB port only outputs at 0.5A or 1.5A, then you will see the "iPad Not Charging" alert. Most newer Macs provide at least one high-powered USB port to support the iPad. Consequently, this alert only occurs when you plug your iPad into a low-power USB port on your Mac or into an unpowered USB hub that's connected to your Mac. It's not a big deal if the notification pops up on occasion, but it is super annoying for developers who are constantly plugging and unplugging their iPads for testing purposes. Craig Hockenberry published a handy tip on his blog for turning on and turning off this alert using a few short terminal commands. To turn off the notification, open the Terminal app on your Mac and type or paste in the following two lines: $ sudo defaults write com.apple.usbd NoiPadNotifications \ -bool YES $ sudo killall usbd As noted by Hockenberry, the usbd daemon will still run the next time you plug in your iPad, but you won't see the alert. If you want to turn the notification back on, just open Terminal again and type in the following line: $ sudo defaults delete com.apple.usbd NoiPadNotifications If you are curious about your USB ports and what power they output, then plug in your iOS device and open the System Profiler app by going to the Apple menu in the upper-left corner and choosing "About This Mac." Click on "More Info" and then "System Report." You should see an entry in the left-hand column for USB under the Hardware section. Select that entry, and you can view the available current, required current and extra operating current for the connected device. Details on what these different values mean are explained in this Apple support document.
Top holiday sales on the best iOS and OS X apps
Did you recently take the wraps off a new iPad or iPhone? If you are looking to put some new apps on your iOS device, then look no further than this list of iOS titles that have been discounted for the holidays. iOS Software Discounts djay 2 [iPad; Category: Music; On sale for $4.99, down from $9.99]djay transforms your iPad into a full-featured DJ system. Seamlessly integrated with your music library, djay gives you direct access to all your favorite songs and playlists on your iPad. djay 2 for iPhone [iPad; Category: Music; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99]djay transforms your iPad into a full-featured DJ system. Seamlessly integrated with your music library, djay gives you direct access to all your favorite songs and playlists on your iPad. IM+ Pro7 [iOS Universal; Category: Social Networking; On sale for $1.99, down from $4.99] Chat on Skype, Facebook, Twitter DM and dozen of other IM services! iMuscle Home [iPad; Category: Health & Fitness; Now free, down from $1.99] iMuscle Home is a highly visual, 3D-Based health and fitness app that provides everything you need to plan and track your fitness program. Animation Desk™ for iPad [iPad; Category: Entertainment; On sale for $0.99, down from $4.99] Animation Desk for iPad allows users to create hand-drawn animations on iPad. VoodooPad [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; Now free, down from $9.99] VoodooPad is a place to write down your notes and thoughts. Ideas, lists, passwords, your mom's apple pie recipe. iDisplay [iOS Universal; Category: Utilities; On sale for $1.99, down from $4.99] Turn your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch into additional display for your Mac or Windows computer. FiLMiC Pro [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; On sale for $3.99, down from $4.99] FiLMiC Pro turns your mobile device into a broadcast worthy HD video camera. Star Walk™ HD [iPad; Category: Education; On sale for $0.99, down from $2.99] Star Walk is the most beautiful stargazing app you've ever seen on a mobile device. OKDOTHIS [iPhone; Category: Photography & Video; Now free, down from $0.99] OKDOTHIS is an idea community for photography. It allows you to share both your favorite photos AND the creative ideas (DOs) that led to it. The Elements: A Visual Exploration [iOS Universal; Category: Books; Now free, down from $13.99] The Elements: A Visual Exploration is not just a reference app, it is a rich and engaging love story of the periodic table, told in words and pictures. Disney Apps [iOS Universal; Category: Education; On sale for $0.99] Disney is have a hug sale on its apps. You can see the full list on Disney's website. Buy Me a Pie! - Grocery Shopping List [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; On sale for $0.99, down from $2.99] "Buy Me a Pie!" is a convenient and elegant grocery list application that makes everyday shopping routine easy and smart. Day One [iOS Universal; Category: Lifestyle; On sale for $2.99, down from $3.99] Record life as you live it. From once-in-a-lifetime events to everyday moments, Day One's elegant interface makes journaling your life a simple pleasure. Pocket Scanner [iPhone; Category: Business; Now free, down from $2.99] Pocket Scanner makes the best powerful mobile scanner out of your iPhone, providing you with a brand new interface and the ability to covert scans to PDFs quickly and efficiently. Pocket Scanner HD [iPad; Category: Business; Now free, down from $3.99] Pocket Scanner HD helps make quick scans of documents, receipts, whiteboards, books, business cards, notes, posters, checks, and even multi-page documents. Perfect Weather [iPhone; Category: Weather; On sale for $1.99, down from $2.99] Perfect Weather strikes the right balance. It gives you a quick, clear overview of the conditions you care most about. Scanner Pro by Readdle [iOS Universal; Category: Business; On sale for $2.99, down from $6.99] Scanner Pro transforms your iPhone and iPad into portable scanners. It allows you to scan receipts, whiteboards, paper notes, or any multipage document. Calendars 5 [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; On sale for $2.99, down from $6.99] Calendars 5 is smart, excels in both tasks and events and runs on any iOS device you might have. It's the calendar app you have been looking for. Nave [iPad; Category: Music; On sale for $11.99, down from $19.99] Nave - next generation Wavetable Synthesis. Clear+ Tasks & To-Do List [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; On sale for $1.99, down from $2.99] Clear is designed with simplicity and flexibility in mind and works great with any list you throw at it PCalc [iOS Universal; Category: Utilities; On sale for $6.99, down from $9.99] PCalc is the powerful choice for scientists, engineers, students, programmers, or indeed anybody looking for a feature rich calculator. vjay for iPhone [iPhone; Category: Music; Now free, down from $2.99] vjay transforms your iPhone or iPod touch into a cutting-edge mashup machine, directly integrated with the media libraries on your iPhone or iPod touch. vjay [iPad; Category: Music; Now free, down from $9.99] Introducing vjay - the mashup machine for your music and videos. Vesper: Elegant Notes [iPhone; Category: Productivity; On sale for $2.99, down from $4.99] Vesper is a simple and elegant tool for collecting notes, ideas, things to do - anything you want to remember. Screens VNC - Access Your Computer Remotely [iOS Universal; Category: Utilities; On sale for $14.99, down from $19.99] Leave your computer behind and travel light! Screens is a beautiful, yet powerful Screen Sharing and VNC client that lets you connect back to your Mac, Windows or Linux PC. Dispatch: Action-Based Email [iPhone; Category: Productivity; On sale for $1.99, down from $4.99] Dispatch makes it easy to act on emails even when you're on the move. Mileage Log+ [iPhone; Category: Business; On sale for $4.99, down from $9.99] Mileage Log+ is an essential app for anyone who needs to track mileage for tax deduction or reimbursement. Tweetbot 3 for Twitter [iPhone; Category: Social Networking; On sale for $1.99, down from $2.99] Tweetbot is a full-featured Twitter client that's fast, beautiful, and redesigned from the ground up for iOS7. Launch Center Pro [iPhone; Category: Productivity; On sale for $2.99, down from $4.99] It's like speed dial for anything you do with your iPhone or iPod Touch. Create one-tap shortcuts straight to the feature you need inside of your apps. Converti [iPhone; Category: Utilities; Now free, down from $0.99] Converti is a simple and minimalistic design units conversion app that lets you quickly convert various units. My Medical [iPhone; Category: Medical; On sale for $0.99, down from $3.99] My Medical is a comprehensive record-keeping app for your personal medical information. UniqueTrainer [iPhone; Category: Health & Fitness; Now free, down from $1.99] UniqueTrainer is the smartest, fastest and most prescriptively accurate personal training system on the app store. Spark Camera [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; Now free, down from $0.99] Shoot, edit and share beautiful movies in seconds with Spark. Push 4.0 [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; Now free, down from $4.99] Push is an iPhone/iPod/iPad application that acts as a client for the Apple Push Notification Service. KAYAK PRO [iOS Universal; Category: Travel; Now free, down from $0.99] Compares hundreds of travel sites to find you the best deal. Includes hotel, flight and car search and booking, flight tracker and itinerary management. Halftone 2 - Comic Book Creator [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; Now free, down from $1.99] Halftone 2 re-imagines what it means to turn your photos into professionally-themed comic book pages on a touch device. Civil War by KIDS DISCOVER [iPad; Category: Education; On sale for $0.99, down from $3.99] Kids will learn all about the Civil War as they discover the difference of opinion over slavery and states' rights, roam the battlefields with the soldiers, and more. Ecology by KIDS DISCOVER [iPad; Category: Education; On sale for $0.99, down from $3.99] Kids will journey from icy tundra to tropical rain forests in this interactive reading app for kids. Antarctica by KIDS DISCOVER [iPad; Category: Education; Now free, down from $3.99] Take a tour of the coldest, driest, iciest, and windiest continent on Earth. Bugshot [iOS Universal; Category: Utilities; Now free, down from $0.99] Quickly draw orange arrows and boxes on screenshots, then email or share them! Drafts for iPad [iPad; Category: Productivity; On sale for $2.99, down from $3.99] Drafts, where text starts on iOS. Quickly capture text and send it almost anywhere. Drafts [iPhone; Category: Productivity; On sale for $1.99, down from $2.99] Drafts, where text starts on iOS. Quickly capture text and send it almost anywhere. Lemur [iOS Universal; Category: Music; On sale for $24.99, down from $49.99] Lemur is the world's best MIDI/OSC controller for iOS. Office² HD [iPad; Category: Business; On sale for $0.99, down from $7.99] Office² HD, the most intuitive and straightforward office document editor available on the iPad, makes it easy to open, view, create and edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files right from your iPad Fantastical 2 [iPhone; Category: Productivity; On sale for $1.99, down from $3.99] The award-winning, best-selling calendar app has been redesigned and reimagined for iOS 7, including new features such as reminders, a new week view, and much more. Turnado [iPad; Category: Music; On sale for $9.99, down from $19.99] Turnado is a revolutionary multi-effect tool, crafted especially for massive real-time audio manipulation. WOW Filterbox [iPad; Category: Music; On sale for $4.99, down from $14.99] WOW2 is here! With a future-dripping user interface, 21 incredible filter types with the famous vowel mode. Thesys [iPad; Category: Music; On sale for $4.99, down from $14.99] Thesys is an extremely powerful and intuitive MIDI stepsequencer app, giving you control over just about all aspects of your favorite MIDI devices. Inspire Pro [iPad; Category: Graphics & Design; Now free, down from $4.99] Available only on the App Store, Inspire Pro delivers an amazing painting, drawing and sketching experience to your iPad. dig [iPhone; Category: Utilities; Now free, down from $2.99] This application is a GUI front-end for DIG program -- "DNS lookup utility." digHD [iPad; Category: Utilities; Now free, down from $2.99] This application is a GUI front-end for DIG program -- "DNS lookup utility." Track 8 [iOS Universal; Category: Music; On sale for $0.99, down from $2.99] Track 8 brings the Metro player experience to your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad with an exciting music player. MagicalPad [iPhone; Category: Productivity; On sale for $0.99, down from $4.99] Organize your ideas and improve productivity. Best for meeting notes, brainstorming, capturing ideas, doodling, taking notes and managing lists and to-dos. MagicalPad HD [iPad; Category: Productivity; On sale for $0.99, down from $19.99] Organize your ideas and improve productivity. Best for meeting notes, brainstorming, capturing ideas, doodling, taking notes and managing lists and to-dos. App Santa [iOS; Category: Various; Up to 60% off] App Santa is offering up to 60% off on top iOS titles including Screens, 1Password, Day One, PCalc, Vesper, Clear+, Delivery Status, Calendars 5 and more! ARGUS - Motion and Fitness Tracker [iPhone; Category: Health & Fitness; Now free, down from $1.99] Argus turns your iPhone into a sophisticated health and fitness device as it monitors and manages your activities, food, workouts, sleep, hydration, weight and vitals, helping you make sense of numerous bio-feedback data points to reach your health goals and improve overall well-being. Gneo [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; On sale for $4.99, down from $9.99] True productivity involves doing the right things at the right time. Gneo helps you take action with your to-dos by prioritizing all the things you need to get done. Stand O'Food 3 HD [iPad; Category: Games; Now free, down from $4.99] Riding the wave of success in his hometown, Ronnie the Chef extends the operations of Stand O'Food chain to Tinseltown, where he meets Nikki and Mr. Clarence, and disrupts revenge plans of the evil Mr. Torg. Stand O'Food 3 [iPhone; Category: Games; Now free, down from $2.99] Riding the wave of success in his hometown, Ronnie the Chef extends the operations of Stand O'Food chain to Tinseltown, where he meets Nikki and Mr. Clarence, and disrupts revenge plans of the evil Mr. Torg. AccuTune - Guitar Tuner [iOS Universal; Category: Music; Now free, down from $0.99] AccuTune is a super-accurate (±1 cent) chromatic tuner. Daily Routine [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; On sale for $1.99, down from $2.99] Create daily routines and stick to them. Featuring notifications, sync (iCloud & Dropbox), calendar integration, one-off variations, PDF output, import & export and friendly email support. OS X Software Discounts Dig [OS X; Category: Utilities; Now free, down from $2.99] This application is a GUI front-end for DIG program - "DNS lookup utility". PeakHour [OS X; Category: Utilities; On sale for $0.99, down from $6.99] PeakHour is a beautiful, network traffic visualiser that lives in your Mac OS menu bar. It provides an instant view of your Internet or WiFi activity in real-time. My Medical [OS X; Category: Medical; On sale for $4.99, down from $19.99] My Medical is a comprehensive record-keeping app for your personal medical information. Due [OS X; Category: Productivity; On sale for $3.99, down from $9.99] Just tell Due in your own words what you'd like to do, and when you'd like to be reminded. Radium ~ Perfect Internet Radio [OS X; Category: Music; On sale for $4.99, down from $9.99] Introducing Radium, the most beautiful and intuitive internet radio player you'll ever use. Lens•Lab [OS X; Category: Photography & Video; Now free, down from $1.99] Lens•Lab is a virtual lens simulation tool for photographers of all skill levels. Fantastical [OS X; Category: Productivity; On sale for $9.99, down from $19.99] Fantastical's natural language event/reminder creation, beautiful calendar, and gorgeous list make it the best calendar you'll ever use. ReadKit [OS X; Category: News; On sale for $2.99, down from $6.99] ReadKit is a full-featured read later and RSS client that supports services from Instapaper, Pocket, Readability, Pinboard, Delicious, Feedly, Fever, NewsBlur, Feedbin and Feed Wrangler and has built-in RSS capabilities. Flutter [OS X; Category: Entertainment; Now free, down from $4.99] Flutter allows you to control your music & movies using natural hand gestures via built-in webcam on your Mac. Pixa [OS X; Category: Graphics & Design; On sale for $14.99, down from $24.99] Pixa is the best image organizer for your Mac. Snapheal [OS X; [iPhone; On sale for $9.99, down from $14.99] Snapheal easily removes unwanted objects, heals skin spots and helps you fix imperfections on photos. This award-winning app will become your most powerful image healing tool. 1Password [OS X; Category: Productivity; On sale for $34.99, down from $49.99] Have you ever forgotten a password? 1Password can remember them all for you and keep them secure. All you need to remember is your Master Password. Stand O'Food 3 [OS X; Category: Games; Now free, down from $4.99] Riding the wave of success in his hometown, Ronnie the Chef extends the operations of Stand O'Food chain to Tinseltown, where he meets Nikki and Mr. Clarence, and disrupts revenge plans of the evil Mr. Torg. Image2icon [OS X; Category: Graphics & Design; On sale for $3.99, down from $12.99] Image2icon is an application to create icons from images or images from icons, keeping them organized for future use. Stuntman Bob [OS X; Category: Games; On sale for $0.99, down from $5.99] Stuntmanbob is a fun ragdoll physics stress reliever stunt challenges game. CopyLess [OS X; Category: Productivity; On sale for $1.99, down from $6.99] CopyLess is an advanced and flexible clipboard manager. Unlike the system clipboard CopyLess can store up to 100 items to which you have instant access at any time. Film Noir [OS X; Category: Photography & Video; On sale for $13.99, down from $19.99] Film Noir offers features to create professional looking black & white photos. Photo Glamour [OS X; Category: Photography & Video; On sale for $2.99, down from $4.99] Photo Glamour provides high quality effects to give your images that glamorous, magazine styled, look. W.E.L.D.E.R. [OS X; Category: Games; On sale for $2.99, down from $4.99] Weld words in the word machine! Create clever combos and multiply your score using gem and gold tiles. Increase your vocabulary using the built-in dictionary – discover definitions of words you never even knew existed. Simple States [OS X; Category: Education; On sale for $0.99, down from $4.99] Simple States is a fun and engaging educational app, designed to make learning U.S. geography fun for all ages. Tunesify [OS X; Category: Music; On sale for $2.99, down from $3.99] Tunesify is the simplest way to convert almost any audio file into formats supported by iTunes, iPods and iPhones. Screen Ruler [OS X; Category: Graphics & Design; On sale for $7.99, down from $14.99] Screen Ruler is the ultimate toolset for anyone that works with digital graphics, including: web designers, graphic artists, and programmers. Temps - Weather, Time & Neatmo [OS X; Category: Weather; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] An elegant menubar weather station and world clock for your Mac. Share Bucket [OS X; Category: Utilities; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] The best way to capture, edit and share ideas and files on your Mac. Letters from Nowhere 2 Premium [OS X; Category: Games; On sale for $2.99, down from $6.99] The town of Nowhere is calling for you! Audrey is about finding the truth. Help her gather all the mystic diary pages and confront the evil searching, spotting, and solving puzzles in this catching hidden object game. Golden Trails 3 (Premium) [OS X; Category: Games; On sale for $2.99, down from $6.99] Search for the truth together with brave Jacque in this hidden object game full of unexpected twists Waking Mars [OS X; Category: Games; On sale for $2.99, down from $9.99] Bring A Sleeping Planet Back To Life. MailTab Pro for Gmail [OS X; Category: Productivity; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] MailTab Pro for Gmail is an incredibly slick and gorgeous app for quickly accessing your Gmail account directly from your Mac's menu bar. HDR Darkroom 3 [OS X; Category: Photography & Video; On sale for $24.99, down from $39.99] Our easy-to-use software lets you merge multiple images so you can show every detail, every ray of light, every time. Moment [OS X; Category: Social Networking; On sale for $2.99, down from $4.99] We've reinvented the way you'll post to Facebook. Moment is a beautiful and easy to use app, that will change your habits. In a good way, we hope. You can post galleries, videos or status updates - just drag & drop them on Moment's icon. Phlo [OS X; Category: Productivity; On sale for $1.99, down from $3.99] Type once, search everywhere. Open Phlo for Mac with a keyboard shortcut, type your search, and find what you're looking for on any search engine. PhotoBulk: Watermark, Resize, Optimize and Rename [OS X; Category: Photography & Video; On sale for $4.99, down from $9.99] PhotoBulk is easy-to-use bulk image editor that lets you add text/image watermark, resize, and optimize hundreds and thousands of images or photos in just one click. The Clock [OS X; Category: Productivity; On sale for $2.99, down from $3.99] The Best World Clock for Your Mac. Fieldrunners [OS X; Category: Games; On sale for $3.99, down from $6.99] Stop the invading fieldrunners by creating mazes out of powerful weapons in this classic strategy game. Note: All prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly. TUAW is not responsible for third-party deals and cannot guarantee availability or quality of any particular product at a specific price.
Roundup of new and notable apps for iOS and OS X
It's always busy in the App Store with a never-ending flood of new apps landing on iOS and OS X. Take a few minutes and check out our list of stand-out titles from the past few weeks! If that's not enough, you can also follow our ongoing coverage of new apps as they are released. New iOS Apps Toca Lab [iOS Universal; Category: Entertainment; $2.99] Welcome to Toca Lab! Explore the colorful and electrifying world of science and meet all 118 of the elements from the periodic table. Cable's Big Game Hunter [iOS Universal; Category: Games; Free] Cabela's® Big Game Hunter lets you hunt the biggest and most dangerous animals on the planet for free. Osfoora 2 for Twitter [iPhone; Category: Social Networking; $2.99] Osfoora is a feature-rich Twitter client that's fast, elegant, and fully designed for iOS7. Castro - High Fidelity Podcasts [iPhone; Category: News; $2.99] Castro is a revolutionary podcast client that's smart, graceful, and designed exclusively for iOS 7. The Room Two [iPad; Category: Games; $4.99] Welcome to The Room Two, a physical puzzler, wrapped in a mystery game, inside a beautifully tactile 3D world. Star Trek™ Trexels [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $2.99] The USS Valiant has been destroyed by an unknown attacker, and Starfleet has chosen YOU to continue its mission deep within a mysterious area of space known as the Trexelian Expanse. Stephen Hawking's Snapshots of the Universe [iPad; Category: Education; $4.99] Stephen Hawking's Snapshots of the Universe explains the principles that control our universe through simple and fun experiments. Castle Raid 2 [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $2.99] In this unique tug-of-war you once again fight to defend your castle against the enemy's hoard. Tomb Raider I [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $0.99] Here at last! The original genre defining adventure Tomb Raider now available for your iPad & iPhone. Walking Dead: The Game - Season 2[iOS Universal; Category: Games; $4.99] The sequel to 2012's Game of the Year continues the story of Clementine, a young girl orphaned by the undead apocalypse. Hero Siege [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $2.99] The kingdom of Tarethiel has been taken over by creatures of hell. Your mission is to cleanse the kingdom and free the citizen from the agonizing wrath of the demon child called Damien. Kennedy: Capture the Now [iPhone; Category: Lifestyle; $1.99] Capture the now with Kennedy – a new way to mark moments in time complete with surrounding context of the things happening around you. Wake Alarm Clock for iPad [iPad; Category: Utilities; $3.99] Wake, the most beautiful and intuitive alarm for iPhone is now on the iPad! Journeys of Invention [iPad; Category: Education; Free] Journeys of Invention brings to life over 80 extraordinary objects from the Science Museum in London in 14 interactive stories written by the curators. Fonta [iPhone; Category: Photography & Video; $0.99] Turns Your Words into Beautiful Photo Text Design Pieces. Toy Defense 3: Fantasy [iPhone; Category: Games; $1.99] Face the fire - dragons are coming! Toy Defense 3: Fantasy features a MAGICAL new world with dashing warriors, fearless archers, crafty goblins, and immersion in a magical atmosphere! Toy Defense 3: Fantasy HD [iPad; Category: Games; $4.99] Face the fire - dragons are coming! Toy Defense 3: Fantasy features a MAGICAL new world with dashing warriors, fearless archers, crafty goblins, and immersion in a magical atmosphere! New OS X Apps Rayman Origins [OS X; Category: Games; $19.99] Rayman returns in a magical adventure that brings back the spirited 2D platforming of his celebrated first outing. Duo [OS X; Category: Developer Tools; $4.99] Duo is a dual-paned web browser that lets you browse the web in two views: your standard 'desktop' view as well as a typical 'mobile' view. 1Keyboard [OS X; Category: Utilities; Free] Type on your iPhone, iPad or Apple TV using your Mac's keyboard. QuickTab for Gmail [OS X; Category: Productivity; Free] QuickTab for Gmail is the easiest and fastest way to access Gmail on your Mac. Photo show - Movie Maker [OS X; Category: Video; Free] With Ephnic Movie Maker, you can add your digital photos and family videos to make home movies with background music. When in Rome [OS X; Category: Games; Free] Realore introduces a brand new strategy game where players can put themselves in the shoes of Flavius, experienced Roman warrior who had to retire and needs to build a new life for himself. MarkDrop [OS X; Category: Productivity; $3.99] MarkDrop is a gorgeous, powerful Markdown editor built with sharing in mind. Every MarkDrop document has a secure URL that is viewable in any browser.
FaceTime Audio included in OS X 10.9.2 beta release
Just a few days after releasing OS X 10.9.1, 9to5Mac relays that Apple yesterday seeded OS X 10.9.2 to developers. One of the more welcome additions to the impending update is the inclusion of FaceTime Audio functionality. Apple first introduced FaceTime Audio with the release of iOS 7, and now it appears that it's just a matter of time before Mac users will be able to get in on the fun and make high-quality VoIP calls to other Mac and iOS users. As it stands now, Mac users interested in making high-quality audio calls via an internet connection have to rely on third-party applications like Skype.
Final Cut Pro X and Motion updated with support for the Mac Pro
Today is the day that the new Mac Pro goes on sale in most Apple stores across the globe. To prep for this big launch, Apple released an update to Final Cut Pro X that brings with it support for the dual GPUs in the Mac Pro; better handling of 4K content including titles, transitions and generators; and a long list of smaller features. The most significant feature for Mac Pro owners is the addition of 4K monitoring over Thunderbolt 2 and HDMI. Besides Final Cut Pro, Apple also updated Logic Pro X and its two Final Cut Pro companion apps, Motion and Compressor. You can check out the full list of changes and download the updated version of Final Cut Pro X from the Mac App Store.
Apple's new Mac Pro will finally go on sale December 19th
We knew it was coming, now it's almost here. Apple has confirmed that the new Mac Pro will go on sale from tomorrow, starting at $3,000. For that, you'll get a 3.7GHz quad-core Xeon CPU ("with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.9 GHz"), 12GB DRAM, two AMD FirePro D300 GPUs, and a 256GB SSD. As usual, you'll be able to order online via Apple's online store, through various resellers and, perhaps most importantly, Apple's retail stores. While there's no word on whether you'll be able to walk out of an Apple Store with a Mac Pro tomorrow, the fact that it's assembled in the US suggests that could be the case, at least in the States. We've contacted Apple for clarification and will update you when we know more.
Apple releases OS X 10.9.1 with Mail fixes, more
Apple has released OS X 10.9.1. The update is the first major update for OS X 10.9 Mavericks since it shipped in October. It includes a number of fixes for mail issues in Mavericks, including improved support for Gmail in OS X's Mail app, Smart Mailbox improvements and improvements to group contacts in Mail. OS X 10.9.1 also resolves a VoiceOver issue with spoken sentences containing emoji and now updates shared links periodically when open in Safari's sidebar. You can grab the OS X 10.9.1 update by running Software Update on your Mac.
App updates you don't want to miss - December 13, 2013 edition
It has been a busy few weeks in the App Store with a bunch of app updates landing on iOS and OS X. Grab a cup of joe and check out our list of notable updates from the past few weeks! You can also follow them on a rolling basis on our website. iOS Apps Plant Nanny [iPhone; Category: Health & Fitness; Free] Plant Nanny combines health with fun to remind you to drink water regularly. Update to version 1.4.8 includes new plants, flowerpots, and scenes. Also some special items for Xmas. Warhammer Quest [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $4.99] The first Warhammer game to arrive on iOS. Version 1.2 includes a New Witch Hunter Warrior, Necromancers and Skeletons Enemy Pack, Vampires and Zombies Enemy Pack and Vampire Count Tileset. Minecraft – Pocket Edition [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $6.99] Minecraft is about placing blocks to build things and going on adventures. Version 0.8.0 is a major update bring new Minecarts, rails and powered rails; New crops and food types; new textures and colours and more. MoneyWiz - Personal Finance [iPhone; Category: Finance; $4.99] Have all your accounts, transactions, budgets and bills in one place. Version 1.5.0 includes full screen reports, improved UI and better syncing across devices. Tydlig - Calculator Reimagined [iOS Universal; Category: Utilities; $4.99] Tydlig is a revolutionary new kind of calculator that sheds the legacy limitations of old devices, for a truly modern calculation experience. In version 1.1 , Tydlig is now a universal app and includes a new clear button. Fantastical 2 [iPhone; Category: Productivity; $3.99] Fantastical 2 is the fastest and friendliest scheduling app you'll ever use. Version 2.0.3 includes Waze support, updated TextExpander support and bug fixes. CameraBag 2 [iPhone; Category: Photography & Video; Free] CameraBag 2 is the world's first hi-fi photo app, featuring a massive number of the highest-quality styles and adjustments in an elegant, minimal interface. Version 2.3.0 now preserves metadata. MindNode [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; $9.99] MindNode makes mind mapping easy. Version 3.0.1 includes a new shortcut to delete nodes and connections and a handful of bug fixes. ARGUS - Motion and Fitness Tracker by Azumio [iPhone; Category: Health & Fitness; $1.99] Argus turns your iPhone into a sophisticated health and fitness device as it monitors and manages your activities. Version 2.8.63 includes fitbit import, new activity recording dashboard, more stats in activity details screen and more. Note Anytime [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; $1.99] Capture, share, and access your inspiration anytime, anywhere in this note taking app. Version 2.0 includes new pens, password protection, search/replace text and more. EPOCH.2 [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $2.99] The epic saga of post-apocalyptic robot combat continues. Version 1.1 includes 64-bit support, new armor type, new weapon and more. Elements For Dropbox - A Markdown Notes and Writing App [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; $4.99] Elements is a dedicated Markdown and Dropbox powered writing environment for iOS. Version 2.8 includes new iOS 7 inspired UI, multi-markdown support, new font options and more. Terraria [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $4.99] Adventure to the ends of the earth, and defeat villainous bosses along the way. The world is your canvas. Version 1.1.5 includes new christmas theme with a new Christmas pet that' summoned with a new ornaments and presents from vanquished foes. OS X Apps Airmail [OS X; Category: Utilities; $1.99] Airmail - The powerful mail client with a minimal design and intuitive interaction. Version 1.3 includes collapsable folders, advanced search, integration with calendar and reminders, integrations with 2Do and Evernote and more. iStudiez Pro [OS X; Category: Productivity; $2.99] Take charge of your schedule and put iStudiez Pro to work for you. Version 1.2 adds support for OS X 10.9 Mavericks. iMuscle 2 [OS X; Category: Health & Fitness; $4.99] iMuscle 2 provides users with the ability to zoom into an area on our 3D human body and tap on a muscle to reveal exercises and stretches targeted to the development and/or rehabilitation of that specific muscle. Version 3.9 includes OS X 10.9 compatibility, new input controls for reps, weights, etc, improved filters and more. Skitch [OS X; Category: Productivity; Free] . Screen cap an image and make a friend laugh with you or inspire a student by labeling the insides of a robot. Versoin 2.7.1 includes the labeling of high-resolution images in the bottom bar as "hi-res", the option to export hi-res images at low resolution and more.
Twitter for Mac gets design makeover, new photo features, more
The official Twitter client for Mac has had a bumpy life since its launch in the Mac App Store more than three years ago. The app was one of the first the Mac App Store had to offer, but then it seemed to languish for two years and Twitter eventually said it would no longer be updated. That caused quite a bit of anger from fans and eventually Twitter pushed out a small update in April of this year to add Retina support for the app. Now it seems Twitter is back on task as version 3.0 is available with a complete design refresh and several photo-centric enhancements, including the ability to view user profile header photos and also view photos in line in your timeline. Here's the full rundown of all the new goodies: What's New in Version 3.0.0 This release comes with a number of enhancements and changes. More visual and engaging timelines • Previews of Twitter photos will be front and center in Tweets. To see more of the photo, just click. If you want to disable previews, just go to preferences and uncheck "image previews." Get more from Tweets • Check out the tweet detail pane to see the conversation around a tweet as well as favorite and retweet counts. Beautiful profiles • Profiles now show header photos to display the unique personality of every user. Learn more about them by seeing who they follow and are followed by, their lists and their custom timelines. Updated design • We've refreshed the overall look and feel of the app. Twitter for Mac is a free download from the Mac App Store.
New and notable apps for iOS and OS X, December 9, 2013 edition
It's always busy in the App Store with a never-ending flood of new apps landing on iOS and OS X. Take a few minutes and check out our list of stand-out titles from the past few weeks! If that's not enough, you can also follow our ongoing coverage of new apps as they are released. New iOS Apps Code Academy: Hour of Code [iPhone; Category: Education; Free] Learn how to build amazing things online by programming with Codecademy - all for free. Our app gets you started by introducing you to the basic concepts behind the apps on your phone and the websites you visit. You'll learn to understand the basic structure of code when you see it./p> Pinswift - the fast and powerful Pinboard client [iPhone; Category: News; $4.99] Bring the complete power of Pinboard.in to your pocket with Pinswift. Create bookmarks with ease and use powerful search options to quickly find what you are looking for. Heroes of Dragon Age [iOS Universal; Category: Games; Free] Build a party of famous warriors and epic monsters from Dragon Age lore. Endless Reader [iOS Universal; Category: Education; Free] As a follow-up to Endless Alphabet, set the stage for early reading success with Endless Reader! This app introduces "sight words", the most commonly used words in school, library, and children's books. The Wolf Among Us [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $4.99] As Bigby Wolf - THE big bad wolf - you will discover that a brutal, bloody murder is just a taste of things to come in a game series where your every decision can have enormous consequences. Blek [iPad; Category: Games; $2.99] Blek is a game about imagination and personality. Everything you draw keeps moving - and watching your creations move is like watching magic. Swoopster [iPad; Category: Music; $2.99] Swoopster is a wild, fuzzed out Flanger/Vibrato effect designed for Audiobus and Inter-app audio. Assassin's Creed Pirates [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $4.99] Become one of the most feared pirates of the Caribbean in this exclusive Assassin's Creed adventure on smartphones and tablets! New OS X Apps Galaxy Run [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $0.99] Suit up to join a crazy adventure to help get Rez home from the deep and dark mysteries of Space on his one way trip to adventure and fun. Anytune for Mac [OS X; Category: Music; $29.99] ANYTUNE™ is the ultimate music practice app for singers, dancers and musicians of all kinds. Artists worldwide use Anytune to learn to play, transcribe and practice songs by slowing down the tempo, adjusting the pitch, repeating loops, and sharing comments using their favorite tracks. TimeTracker [OS X; Category: Business; Free] Track the time spent on projects right from your menu bar. All data is stored on the open source time tracking web application Kimai. The Journalist (just a note-taking app) [OS X; Category: Productivity; Free] The Journalist is just a note-taking app featuring notes with unlimited images, markdown support and more. Download "The Journalist" and just start to write. **Where Are My Students "Where Are My Students" is a classroom utility designed by a 25 year veteran Elementary School Teacher. With the click of a mouse, "Where Are My Students" tracks students as they come and go from the classroom.
Sign up now for Mail Pilot for Mac's free public beta
Mindsense's Mail Pilot for Mac has moved to the next stage of its Mac client beta by announcing a free public review of the app. Mindsense joins other software developers in trying to overhaul the Mac email experience by focusing on inbox management in productivity. The company already has an iOS app that retails for US$14.99, and features include Reminders, the ability to set emails aside to deal with later and the ability to push messages between the iOS and Mac versions of Mail Pilot. The closed beta began in October. Those who sign up for the public preview will be notified of the available download in batches, starting on December 5. If you want to give Mail Pilot a try, you'll need to sign up early through the Mail Pilot site. We will have our take on Mail Pilot for Mac on December 5 as well. You can check out a preview video of Mail Pilot below.
OS X Mavericks adoption reaches 2.42%
About a month and a half since it's initial release, OS X Mavericks has already amassed a 2.42% share of the worldwide OS market. The data comes courtesy of Net Applications (via The Next Web) which measured OS marketshare for the month of November. The latest market share data from Net Applications shows that November 2013 was a big one for Mavericks, which gained 1.58 percentage points (from 0.84 percent to 2.42 percent). All other OS releases lost share: OS X 10.8 fell 1.48 points (from 3.31 percent to 1.85 percent), OS X 10.7 lost 0.22 points (from 1.56 percent to 1.34 percent), OS X 10.6 slipped 0.07 points (from 1.60 percent to 1.53 percent), and OS X 10.5 dipped 0.01 points (from 0.33 percent to 0.32 percent). All told, it's still a Windows world (assuming we're not counting the iPad as a PC) as various iterations of Windows account for 90.88% of worldwide OS marketshare. All iterations of OS X, meanwhile, account for 7.56% of worldwide OS marketshare. Impressively, Net Application's data indicates that 56% of all Macs are currently running either OS X 10.8 or OS X 10.9. In other words, most Mac users are running a version of OS X that is, at the most, only one and a half years old. As a reference point, OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion was released in July of 2012.
Best Cyber Monday deals on hardware, accessories and software for Mac and iOS owners
The holiday shopping season kicked off last week with a Black Friday bang that was apparently driven by strong iOS device sales. Now that Black Friday is behind us, it's time to turn our attention to Cyber Monday and its online sales. To help you get the most for your money, we have listed some of the best sales on Apple hardware, accessories and software. Mac, iPad, iPhone and iPad Hardware and Accessories Best Buy [Hardware and accessories; Up to $100 off] Best Buy has a variety of sales on Mac hardware and iOS accessories including: Earn a $10 savings code for every $100 you spend at BestBuy.com when you choose Store Pickup. Save $200 on Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display with 13.3" Display Save $30 on ZAGG Keyboard Covers and Cases for iPad mini Get a $20 gift card when you buy a Pebble Smart Watch for $149 Free Misfit Wearables sport band with purchase of any Shine activity tracker Save $15 on $100 iTunes or App Store Gift Card Target [Accessories; $20 gift card] Target is offering a free $20 gift card when you buy an Apple iPod Touch 32GB MP3 Player 5th generation. Staples [Accessories; Various savings] Staples is offering a handful of accessories that you can use to complete your Mac, iPad or iPhone setup. WalMart [Hardware and accessories; Up to $100 off] Walmart is offering several bundles on iOS devices including: $349 Apple iPhone 4 w/ Bonus $50 Gift Card, Value Bundle $389 Apple iPad 2 16GB WiFi & Bonus Accessory Kit $279 Apple iPod Touch 5th Generation (Choose Your Color in 32GB or 64GB) with Bonus Accessory Kit $449 Apple iPad with Retina 32GB with Wi-Fi &. Includes a bonus 8-in-1 accessory kit with bluetooth speaker MacMall [Apple hardware and Accessories; On sale for up to $450 off] MacMall is offering a discount on Apple computers, Mac accessories, iPads, iPods and more. Sale ends December 2nd at midnight. PowerMax [Hardware and accessories; Up to $100 off] PowerMax is taking 20% off its used iPads and discounting the top 14 Macs its has in stock by $50 and $100. Small Dog Electronics [Hardware and accessories; Free shipping] Small Dog Electronics is offering free shipping on all orders for Cyber Monday. Quo [Hardware; Save $40] Save $40 on the Quo, the first motherboard designed to run ANY Operating System {AOS™} of your choice out of the box. Pad & Quill [Accessories; up to 15% off] Save up to 10% in iPhone cases and 15% in MacBook cases. Pebble Smartwatch [Accessories; $20 off] Save $20 on a purchase of a Pebble Smartwatch. Promotion ends today. Motrr Galileo [Accessories; 20% off] Save 20% off entire cart and free ground shipping within the U.S. Use coupon code: giftagalileo. Seidio [Accessories; Up to 15% off] Save up to 15% of all accessories on Cyber Monday using code: CYBER15. Hyper [Accessories; Up to $50 off] Save up to $50 off Hyper's popular Mac and iOS backup batteries. There's also significant discounts on other accessories like the iUSB Camera, iPhone cases and more. Belkin [Accessories; On sale for 30% off] Save 30% on everything on Belkin.com * Limited time only 6 am PST- 10 am PST Speck Holiday Deals [Accessories; On sale for 25% off] On Cyber Monday, Speck is taking 25% off of your order (5 items or less). For the rest of the month, Speck is offering a new deal every day from December 1st-20th. All deals are available at Speck's website and include free shipping. OWC [Accessories; Various Discounts] OWC is discounting half its store or so it seems for Cyber Monday. Each order includes free delivery on memory $25 and up and on most orders $49 and up. The company also ships late -- up to 11PM CST, which is great for you last minute shoppers. Head over to OWC for the long, long list of sales items. ZAGG [Accessories; 20-50% site-wise] Save up to 50% off iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac accessories. ClamCase Pro [Accessories; On sale for up to $50 off] Save $50 off the popular ClamCase Pro with code CYBER50. Moshi [Accessories; On sale for up to $50 off] Moshi released four coupon codes -- a $50 off code for the first purchase, a $20 off code for the next five orders, a $10 off code for the next five orders, and $5 off for the next 50 orders. Griffin [Accessories; On sale for up to 30% off] Save 30% off at Griffin. Must enter code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to receive discount. BodyGuardz [Accessories; On sale for up to 50% off] Everything on BodyGuardz's website is 50% off, including its ScreenGuardz® Pure™ tempered glass screen protector. iOS Software Discounts Apps for snaps [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; On sale for $0.99 each] "Apps for Snaps" features a select bundle of eight of the top iOS photo enhancement and management apps from some of the industry's leading developers. Titles include Deco Sketch, LoryStripes, Mextures, Percolator, PicShop, Tangent, TitleFx and Unbound. CoPilot Premium USA for iPhone [iPhone; Category: Navigation; On sale for $6.99, down from $9.99] Get accurate voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions everywhere you go. CoPilot Premium stores up-to-date maps directly on your device so no internet connection is needed to navigate. Get 50% off in-app upgrade to full navigation in CoPilot GPS ($4.99). (December 2nd Only) CoPilot Premium HD USA for iOS [iOS Universal; Category: Navigation; On sale for $10.99, down from $14.99] Get accurate voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions everywhere you go. CoPilot Premium stores up-to-date maps directly on your device so no internet connection is needed to navigate. Get 50% off in-app upgrade to full navigation in CoPilot GPS ($4.99). (December 2nd Only). DataMan Pro for iPad [iPad; Category: Finance; On sale for $2.99, down from $4.99] DataMan Pro lets you know when, where, and how you used data, every hour, every day. Now it takes full advantage of iOS 7 to give you even more powerful features. Inkling [iOS Universal; Category: Books; On sale for 25% off] Save up to 25% off all Inkling's interactive trade and how-to eBooks. Enter CYBER25* at Checkout. Joining Hands 2 [iOS Universal; Category: Games; On sale for $1.99, down from $2.99] Joining Hands 2 is intuitive and easy to play; drag and drop the Peablins so that everyone is holding hands. King Oddball [iOS Universal; Category: Games; On sale for $1.99, down from $2.99] Blow up tanks! Collapse structures! Crash helicopters! Squash puny humans! Hurl boulders until nothing remains! Sparkle HD [iOS Universal; Category: Games; On sale for $1.99, down from $4.99] Pop the Orbs and Save the World on your iPad! Sparkle [iOS Universal; Category: Games; On sale for $1.99, down from $2.99] Pop the Orbs and Save the World on your iPad! Tennis in the Face [iOS Universal; Category: Games; On sale for $1.99, down from $2.99] This is no Wimbledon, this is Tennis in the Face! Get ready for some hilarious ragdoll-smashing ball-bouncing action! Phlo [iOS Universal; Category: Reference; On sale for $1.99, down from $2.99] Type once, search everywhere. Launch the app, type your search, and find what you're looking for on any search engine. Localscope [iPhone; Category: Navigation; On sale for $1.99, down from $2.99] Localscope is a window to your world that lets you explore your surroundings like never before. Frax [iPhone; Category: Entertainment; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] Frax raises the fractal in 3D height, uses complex color gradients to smoothly tint and shade them, adds two light sources for glossy reflections and infinitely scaleable chaotic textures - all in all using almost 100 parameters and controls. Frax HD [iPad; Category: Entertainment; On sale for $1.99, down from $3.99] Frax raises the fractal in 3D height, uses complex color gradients to smoothly tint and shade them, adds two light sources for glossy reflections and infinitely scaleable chaotic textures - all in all using almost 100 parameters and controls. Polaris Office [iOS Universal; Category: Business; On sale for $0.99, down from $3.99] POLARIS Office is a mobile office solution that allows users to view/edit MS Office documents on iPhone/iPad. Users can view/edit text files and view .pdf and .hwp files. Actions for iPad [iPad; Category: Productivity; On sale for $0.99, down from $3.99] Advanced but incredibly simple to use, Actions is a revolutionary app that lets you interact more naturally with your computer, thanks to your beloved iPad. Delivery Status touch [iOS Universal; Category: Utilities; On sale for $2.99, down from $4.99] Delivery Status helps you keep track of all your packages, so you always know when they're going to arrive. The main view shows the latest status of all your packages, and counts down to the estimated delivery date. Gneo [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; On sale for $4.99, down from $9.99] Gneo helps you take action with your to-dos by prioritising all the things you need to get done. BeatMaker 2 [iOS Universal; Category: Music; On sale for $4.99, down from $19.99]Combining music production tools that were behind the success of countless artists, BeatMaker 2 is a powerful, easy-to-use composition interface for amateurs and professionals alike. 1Password [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; On sale for $9.99, down from $17.99] Every day there are new passwords to remember. They are often forgotten. Using weak passwords or re-using them makes it easy to remember, but criminals love it when you do this. 1Password solves all these problems. Art Authority for iPad [iPad; Category: Reference; On sale for $4.99, down from $9.99] Art Authority for iPad transports you to an enthralling, real-world art museum with works by 1000+ major western artists. Art Authority K-12 for iPad [iPad; Category: Reference; On sale for $3.99, down from $7.99] Art Authority for iPad transports you to an enthralling, real-world art museum with works by 1000+ major western artists. Kid friendly edition. BlogTouch for Blogger [iOS Universal; Category: Social Networking; Now free, down from $4.99] BlogTouch is a powerful, but easy to use Blogger/Blogspot editor. It's designed to ease your work so you can manage an unlimited number of blogs by adding, editing and removing Posts, Pages and Comments. LegoMe [iPhone; Category: Photography & Video; Now free, down from $0.99] LegoMe makes your ordinary photos to stuning Lego Style Artwork. Red Crow Mysteries: Legion HD (Full) [iPad; Category: Games; Now free, down from $6.99] Save mankind from a terrifying fate in this heart-pounding adventure! Dark Nebula HD - Episode Two [iOS Universal; Category: Games; Now free, down from $2.99] Dark Nebula is a labyrinth game on steroids. Just tilt the device to move your character through the levels while avoiding traps, opening doors, bouncing, sliding and not falling off. Seedio [iPhone; Category: Music; Now free, down from $2.99] Enjoy music together: Seedio connects multiple iOS devices to create one perfectly synchronized loudspeaker. Sky Live - Stargazing Forecast [iPhone; Category: Education; Now free, down from $0.99] Stunning space photos combined with everything you need to know about stargazing conditions for your location tonight. Stargazer or not - this app will spark your curiosity. The Walking Dead: Assault [iOS Universal; Category: Games; Now free, down from $2.99] Play as your favourite characters from the series – Rick, Glenn, Shane, Carl, Andrea, Lori and more! Assemble and choose your ultimate team of four, hunt for supplies, upgrade, and use unique special character abilities to survive against the zombie horror. Stitch It! [iPhone; Category: Utilities; Now free, down from $2.99] Stitch It! allows you to create one seamless image of a text message conversation so that you can share it on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, or anywhere else. OS X Software Discounts Squirrels [Accessories; Save 30%] Enjoy 30% savings site wide on software like Air Parrot and Reflector, and other swag. MacScan [OS X; Category: Utilities; On sale for 80% off] Detect, isolate and remove Malware from Mac OS X and clean up blacklisted cookies and Internet clutter quickly. Use coupon code PROTECTELVES during checkout. PrivacyScan [OS X; Category: Utilities; On sale for $1.99, down from $14.99] Securely wipe digital footprints left behind after using the computer and accessing the Internet. Available in the Mac App Store and from the PrivacyScan website using this special link. CleanMyMac 2 [OS X; Category: Utilities; On sale for $19.99, down from $39.95] CleanMyMac 2 is an ingeniously simple, yet surprisingly powerful application for keeping your Mac clean, organized, and free of files that slow it down. Gemini [OS X; Category: Utilities; Now free, down from $9.99] Duplicate files can run - But they can't hide. Now, you can find & remove them with Gemini. MacHider [OS X; Category: Utilities; On sale for $4.99, down from $9.99] Protect confidential info or important data from unwanted eyes using this best file security app for Mac. Art Authority for Mac [OS X; Category: Reference; On sale for $4.99, down from $9.99] Art Authority transports you to an enthralling, real-world art museum with works by 1000+ major western artists. Prizmo [OS X; Category: Business; On sale for $24.99, down from $49.99] , Prizmo is the key for scanning and performing OCR. It works with pictures taken with your iPhone, iPad, or digital camera, with documents coming from connected or Wi-Fi scanners, even with screenshots Phlo [OS X; Category: Reference; On sale for $1.99, down from $3.99] Type once, search everywhere. Launch the app, type your search, and find what you're looking for on any search engine. Yummy FTP [OS X; Category: Productivity; On sale for $0.99, down from $4.99] Yummy FTP is an FTP + SFTP + FTPS file transfer client which focuses on speed, reliability and productivity. Eggscellent [OS X; Category: Productivity; Now free, down from $9.99] Based on effective time management principles, Eggscellent transforms your to-do list into manageable activities. QuickRes [OS X; Category: Utilities; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] QuickRes is the best way to switch between screen resolutions on your Mac.
Best deals on iOS and OS X software for Black Friday weekend
It's Black Friday, which means there are deals on hardware, accessories and even software. Check out our list below of some of the best discounts on iOS and OS X software. iOS Discounts A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving [iOS Universal; Category: Books; On sale for $2.99, down from $5.99] This holiday season, join Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang around the table for a (very!) unique Thanksgiving dinner. FlickStackr for Flickr [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] FlickStackr brings Flickr photo sharing to the iPad. TodoMovies [iPhone; Category: Entertainment; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] TodoMovies is the easiest and best way to manage movies you want to watch. Blur Studio [iPhone; Category: Photography & Video; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] Remix photos to create stunning personal wallpapers that feel right at home in iOS 7. Readdle [iOS; Category: Productivity; On sale for 50% off] All Readdle apps are on sale for 50% titles include Scanner Pro, Printer Pro for iPad, Printer Pro for iPhone, Calendars 5, PDF Expert for iPad, PDF Expert for iPhone and PDF Converter. Filterstorm Neue [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; On sale for $0.99, down from $3.99] Filterstorm Neue provides you with all the photo editing tools you need; everything from powerful masking tools to simple pre-made filters. The Elements in Action [iOS Universal; Category: Reference; On sale for $1.99, down from $3.99] The periodic table comes to life with 79 video explorations of the weird, wonderful, and sometimes alarming properties of the elements. Phlo [iOS Universal; Category: Reference; On sale for $1.99, down from $2.99] Type once, search everywhere. Launch the app, type your search, and find what you're looking for on any search engine. Localscope [iPhone; Category: Navigation; On sale for $1.99, down from $2.99] Localscope is a window to your world that lets you explore your surroundings like never before. MyScript Notes Mobile [iPad; Category: Productivity; On sale for $1.99, down from $7.99] MyScript Notes Mobile, the application which turns your iPad tablet into a real library of virtual notebooks. Downcast [iOS Universal; Category: News; On sale for $0.99, down from $2.99] Download and listen to your favorite podcasts directly from your iOS device without the need to sync with iTunes. Frax [iPhone; Category: Entertainment; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] Frax raises the fractal in 3D height, uses complex color gradients to smoothly tint and shade them, adds two light sources for glossy reflections and infinitely scaleable chaotic textures - all in all using almost 100 parameters and controls. Frax HD [iPad; Category: Entertainment; On sale for $1.99, down from $3.99] Frax raises the fractal in 3D height, uses complex color gradients to smoothly tint and shade them, adds two light sources for glossy reflections and infinitely scaleable chaotic textures - all in all using almost 100 parameters and controls. MoneyWiz - Personal Finance [iPhone; Category: Finance; On sale for $0.99, down from $4.99] Have all your accounts, transactions, budgets and bills in one place. Don't Let the Pigeon [iOS Universal; Category: Books; On sale for $0.99, down from $5.99] "Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App!" lets you create your own Pigeon stories with your pal, Mo Willems. Just follow as the Bus Driver asks you for your ideas-then shake the Pigeon. Polaris Office [iOS Universal; Category: Business; On sale for $0.99, down from $3.99] POLARIS Office is a mobile office solution that allows users to view/edit MS Office documents on iPhone/iPad. Users can view/edit text files and view .pdf and .hwp files. TextTool [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; On sale for $2.99, down from $4.99] TextTool is a text editor that makes it easy to manipulate text through multiple, built-in, powerful transformation options. Screens [iOS Universal; Category: Utilities; On sale for $9.99, down from $19.99] Leave your computer behind and travel light! Screens is a beautiful, yet powerful Screen Sharing and VNC client that lets you connect back to your Mac, Windows or Linux PC from the comfort of your living room, the corner coffee shop or anywhere in the world. Write for iPad [iPad; Category: Productivity; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] Writing. Automated Dropbox/iCloud Syncing. Markdown. Fastest Sharing. Free Mac Addon. Beautiful Design. Love. FileCentral [iPad; Category: Business; On sale for $0.99, down from $6.99] FileCentral will enable you to view read and display large PDF, Office & iWork documents. DEVONthink To Go [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; On sale for $9.99, down from $14.99] DEVONthink To Go is a COMPANION to DEVONthink and DEVONnote for the Mac. Chordion [iPad; Category: Music; On sale for $0.99, down from $3.99] Chordion is a fun new way to make music on the iPad. Choose chords with one hand and play melodies with the other - never hit a wrong note. Actions for iPad [iPad; Category: Productivity; On sale for $0.99, down from $3.99] Advanced but incredibly simple to use, Actions is a revolutionary app that lets you interact more naturally with your computer, thanks to your beloved iPad. Delivery Status touch [iOS Universal; Category: Utilities; On sale for $2.99, down from $4.99] Delivery Status helps you keep track of all your packages, so you always know when they're going to arrive. The main view shows the latest status of all your packages, and counts down to the estimated delivery date. Gneo [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; On sale for $4.99, down from $9.99] Gneo helps you take action with your to-dos by prioritising all the things you need to get done. BeatMaker 2 [iOS Universal; Category: Music; On sale for $4.99, down from $19.99]Combining music production tools that were behind the success of countless artists, BeatMaker 2 is a powerful, easy-to-use composition interface for amateurs and professionals alike. Pinner - social bookmarking [iOS Universal; Category: News; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] A delightful app for managing your Pinboard.in bookmarks. Filtatron [iOS Universal; Category: Music; On sale for $0.99, down from $7.99] Filtatron can act as a source, a destination, or a filter for audio from other compatible apps. Recordium [iOS Universal; Category: Business; On sale for $0.99, down from $4.99] Recordium is a powerful yet elegant recording app designed for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Terminology 3 [iOS Universal; Category: Reference; On sale for $1.99, down from $2.99] Terminology is a browser for the English language – part dictionary/thesaurus and part research tool. Money for iPad [iPad; Category: Finance; On sale for $0.99, down from $4.99] Manage your personal finances in the most comprehensive manner with Money. 1Password [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; On sale for $9.99, down from $17.99] Every day there are new passwords to remember. They are often forgotten. Using weak passwords or re-using them makes it easy to remember, but criminals love it when you do this. 1Password solves all these problems. Spark Camera [iPhone; Category: Photography & Video; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] Shoot, edit and share beautiful movies in seconds with Spark. Plex [iOS Universal; Category: Entertainment; On sale for $1.99, down from $4.99] With Plex, you can stream your music, videos and photos from your home computers running Plex Media Server (available from http://www.plexapp.com/) and access content from a wide range of channels. SlowCam [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] Record amazing slow motion videos in real time with SlowCam. Videon [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; On sale for $0.99, down from $2.99]Videon contains all the features necessary to record great videos - from capture to editing to viewing. HDR [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; Now free, down from $1.99] Capture High-Dynamic-Range photographs with HDR. Elasticam [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; Now free, down from $1.99] Turn any photo into a surreal masterpiece with Elasticam. Stretch, squeeze, pinch and prod your prints to create magical effects with ease. Noise Master [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; Now free, down from $1.99] Noise Master is the fastest, most effective app to remove noise from photos. Slow Shutter [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; Now free, down from $1.99] Capture Long-Exposure photographs with Slow Shutter. Photoristic HD [iPad; Category: Photography & Video; On sale for $0.99, down from $4.99] Photoristic HD is the ultra fast photo editor. It implements unique algorithms that allow to preview and apply photo effects & filters in a matter of seconds. Price will rise gradually over the weekend, until the sale ends on Tuesday. Tap & Edit [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; Now free, down from $0.99] Tap & Edit makes creating, designing and sharing documents a snap. Sync Photo to Storage [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; Now free, down from $0.99] Sync Photos to Storage is a universal app for iPhone and iPad. It allows you to browse and save new content from Camera Roll to the selected computers or Dropbox. SkySafari 3 [iOS Universal; Category: Education; Now free, down from $2.99] SkySafari 3 accurately shows you the sky from any place on Earth, at any time up to one hundred years in the past or future. SkySafari Plus [iOS Universal; Category: Education; On sale for $9.99, down from $14.99] SkySafari 3 accurately shows you the sky from any place on Earth, at any time up to one hundred years in the past or future. SkySafari Pro [iOS Universal; Category: Education; On sale for $29.99, down from $39.99] SkySafari 3 accurately shows you the sky from any place on Earth, at any time up to one hundred years in the past or future. Prizmo [iOS Universal; Category: Business; On sale for $4.99, down from $9.99] Prizmo is a universal photo-based scanner app that lets you scan and recognize text documents, business cards, and images, and then export them as PDF/Text, vCard, or JPEG/PNG. Art Authority for iPad [iPad; Category: Reference; On sale for $4.99, down from $9.99] Art Authority for iPad transports you to an enthralling, real-world art museum with works by 1000+ major western artists. Art Authority K-12 for iPad [iPad; Category: Reference; On sale for $3.99, down from $7.99] Art Authority for iPad transports you to an enthralling, real-world art museum with works by 1000+ major western artists. Kid friendly edition. StreetPilot Onboard iPhone USA [iPhone; Category: Navigation; On sale for $24.99, down from $49.99] Garmin StreetPilot® Onboard U.S.A. and give your iPhone® or iPad® the best in GPS navigation with photoReal junction views, 3D buildings, speed/red light camera alerts and more. StreetPilot Onboard iPhone North America [iPhone; Category: Navigation; On sale for $29.99, down from $39.99] Download Garmin StreetPilot® Onboard North America and give your iPhone® or iPad® the best in GPS navigation with photoReal junction views, 3D buildings, speed/red light camera alerts and more. NAVIGON iOS USA [iOS Universal; Category: Navigation; On sale for $24.99, down from $49.99] With NAVIGON you can turn your iPhone or iPad into a fully functional mobile navigation system. NAVIGON iOS North America [iOS Universal; Category: Navigation; On sale for $29.99, down from $59.99] With NAVIGON you can turn your iPhone or iPad into a fully functional mobile navigation system. NAVIGON iOS MyRegion [iOS Universal; Category: Navigation; On sale for $14.99, down from $29.99] With NAVIGON you can turn your iPhone or iPad into a fully functional mobile navigation system. Wonderful Color House [iPad; Category: Books; On sale for $0.99, down from $2.99] Travel with Tullik from the cold white wilds of the North Pole to the warm colorful southern summer ... and a wonderful, colorful house he can truly call home. Time Planner [iPhone; Category: Productivity; In-app purchase now on sale for $1.99, down from $4.99] TIME Planner is an activity planning app that brings diversity into your everyday life. It helps you organize and fill your day with tasks of different nature OS X Discounts QuickRes [OS X; Category: Utilities; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] QuickRes is the best way to switch between screen resolutions on your Mac. Art Authority for Mac [OS X; Category: Reference; On sale for $4.99, down from $9.99] Art Authority transports you to an enthralling, real-world art museum with works by 1000+ major western artists. Prizmo [OS X; Category: Business; On sale for $24.99, down from $49.99] , Prizmo is the key for scanning and performing OCR. It works with pictures taken with your iPhone, iPad, or digital camera, with documents coming from connected or Wi-Fi scanners, even with screenshots SkySafari 1.8 [OS X; Category: Education; Now free, down from $14.99] SkySafari 3 accurately shows you the sky from any place on Earth, at any time up to one hundred years in the past or future. SkySafari Plus [OS X; Category: Education; On sale for $14.99, down from $19.99] SkySafari 3 accurately shows you the sky from any place on Earth, at any time up to one hundred years in the past or future. Phlo [OS X; Category: Reference; On sale for $1.99, down from $3.99] Type once, search everywhere. Launch the app, type your search, and find what you're looking for on any search engine.
Mac App of the Week: DxO Perspective takes a crooked photo and makes it straight
We've all taken those regrettable photos -- you snap a quick shot of your friends of family in front of a wonderful scene and when you get home you realize you weren't holding your camera as straight as you thought. You can fire up your favorite photo editor and try to apply a fix, but it is often an exercise in frustration as you try to rotate and skew the photo to get the correct angle and perspective. If you are ready to leave these frustrating fixes behind, then you should check out DxO Perspective from DxO Labs. DxO Perspective does one thing and it does it well -- it allows you to easily and quickly fix perspective problems in photos. The two most common tools in the app allow you to fix a crooked horizon by using a horizontal level or a vertical level. It's as easy as selecting your tool (horizontal or vertical), affixing a line to your photo and hitting apply. The app rotates the photo to the correct amount and crops it to remove any uneven edges. There are also advanced tools that allow you to fix more complex perspective problems. You can bring an object forward or move it to the back using these perspective tools. These require a fine touch and some skill as you need to box in the area that you want to fix. The tools are very intuitive, but I found them difficult to use because I just don't have an eye for this type of artistic photography. DxO perspective won't appeal to everyone as it is a niche app, designed for folks who take a lot of landscape photos, interior photos or photos of buildings. It is perfect for the photographer looking for a quick and easy way to straighten photos and adjust their perspective without having to purchase expensive tools like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. Even if you have these Adobe apps, you may still want to take a look at DxO Perspective as it is lightweight and easy to use. DxO Perspective is available in the Mac App Store. It is on sale for $5.99 from now until December 2.
Messaging client Viber 4.0 released for OS X
Viber, the multi-platform messaging app that grew to take on heavyweight champ What's App (and now Facebook Messenger and iMessages) has just released version 4.0 of its desktop client for OS X. The update comes almost two weeks after Viber released its updated iOS client. As with its iOS app, Viber 4.0 adds several new features for the Mac, including a sticker marketplace. Stickers are images, similar to emojis, that Viber users can send to one another to convey a message or emotion. They've proved so popular on Viber's mobile apps that the company is now using them to monetize across all platforms -- including desktop with this latest release for OS X. Other nice improvements include the ability to drag photos from the Finder right into a Viber chat, the ability to view message read receipts and the ability to receive pre-recorded video messages. You'll also notice performance enhancements, including much-improved live video calling. Viber 4.0 for Mac is a free download from Viber's website.
Tweetbot for Mac updates to 1.4, but doesn't gain slick interface the iOS version has
If you're hoping the updated version of Tweetbot for Mac will include the interface overhaul that recently graced its iOS sibling, you'll be disappointed. There are several items in the 1.4 build of Tweetbot that will be useful to OS X Mavericks users, however. There's smoother scrolling and the ability to reply to tweets and direct messages from the app's notifications. Tweetbot now will correctly recognize computers being on WiFi when location services are turned on. Other fixes include squashing various bugs involved with using secondary windows, timeline searches and more. But I was hoping to see Tweetbot get updated to the slicker interface that's now in Tweetbot 3 on the iPhone. Developers most likely will port that out to the iPad before overhauling the Mac version. I am curious to see how Tapbots will handle such a major upgrade for the Mac client. With major versions of the iOS apps, users have been asked to purchase the upgrades to 2.0 and now 3.0. But with a US$19.99 price point for the Mac, I find it hard to believe that users would swallow that price tag twice. Would you pay another $20 for Tweetbot 2 on the Mac? Let us know in the comments.
New and notable apps for iOS and OS X, November 18, 2013 edition
It's always busy in the App Store with a never-ending flood of new apps landing on iOS and OS X. Take a few minutes and check out our list of stand-out titles from the past few weeks! If that's not enough, you can also follow our ongoing coverage of new apps as they are released. New iOS Apps Art Set - Pro Edition [iPad; Category: Entertainment; $7.99] This stunningly beautiful app is like having a virtual art set right inside your iPad. Paint and draw via the photo realistic interface with tools that look and feel incredibly like the real thing. Farming Simulator 14 [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $2.99] Start your agricultural career in Farming Simulator 14 on mobile and tablet! Take control of your farm and its fields to fulfil your harvesting dreams. Robotic Drums [iOS Universal; Category: Music; $4.99] Robotic Drums is an analog modeled drum synth coupled with a probability sequencer. This special combination, makes the app suitable for live sound manipulation, sequence experimentation and regular beats. Taasky - Beautiful, simple and easy to use task manager [iPhone; Category: Productivity; $0.99] Taasky is the most beautiful task manager app for iOS yet. It provides innovative features and unique and visually appealing design. Football Manager Handheld™ 2014 [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $9.99] Football Manager Handheld 2014 is the best-selling and most realistic football management game available for mobile and tablet devices. GT Racing 2: The Real Car Experience [iOS Universal; Category: Games; Free] GT Racing 2: The Real Car Experience is a true-to-life automotive journey featuring the most prestigious cars in the world. EPOCH.2 [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $2.99] EPOCH has trekked across a war-ravaged country to find the one person he was programmed to protect: the Princess, Amelia. Tilt to Live 2: Redonkulous [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $2.99] Return to a world of fast-paced, tilt-only arcade action! You'll flee a relentless onslaught of dastardly dots, desperately darting between single-use weapon orbs. MC Oscilloscope [iOS Universal; Category: Music; $4.99] MC Oscilloscope is a powerful digital multichannel oscilloscope for your iPad or iPhone. In combination with an external multichannel USB-audio-interface it is capable of displaying up to 8 channels (per source) simultaneously. It also includes a multichannel full scale level meter. ProCam XL [iPad; Category: Photography & Video; $0.99] ProCam XL has been redesigned from the ground up to perfectly compliment iOS 7 with a focus on function over form while still bringing a beautifully streamlined interface. BIAS - Amps! [iPad; Category: Music; $19.99] BIAS is an Amp Designer, Modeler and Processor for iPad. It's warm, accurate and more versatile than any other modeler, processor in hardware or software ever created. Voodo 2 - Easy Todo [iOS Universal; Category: Productivity; $2.99] Voodo is a simple yet powerful todo app. With Voodo, you just Get Things Done, never make things up. Filterstorm Neue [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; $3.99] Filterstorm Neue provides you with all the photo editing tools you need; everything from powerful masking tools to simple pre-made filters. Monsters Rising [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $3.99] Be the Monster! In this 3D action-strategy game, collect, upgrade and control your monsters directly, as gesture-driven gameplay is taken to all-new heights. Sid Meiers Ace Patrol: Pacific Skies [iOS Universal; Category: Games; $4.99] Take flight over the treacherous Pacific waters where ace pilots redefine historic World War II battles! Skillfully pilot the most iconic American and Japanese fighter planes of the Pacific War while representing the Army or Navy. Runtime - Simple Run Tracking [iPhone; Category: Health & Fitness; $2.99] Runtime is a simple run tracking app designed from the ground up for iOS 7 and optimized to take advantage of the iPhone 5s. Use Runtime to track your route, time, speed, pace, and altitude everywhere you go for a run/walk/hike/jog/jaunt etc. New OS X Apps Rail Maze 2 [OS X; Category: Games; Free] Escape PIRATES and GHOSTS on rails, control semaphores and avoid steam and lava. Have a lot of fun! SkyDrive [OS X; Category: Productivity; Free] SkyDrive for Mac is the easiest way to access your SkyDrive from your Mac. Unbound [OS X; Category: Photography & Video; $9.99] Unbound was designed with speed as a priority. Everything from the initial app launch to scrolling through your thumbs is incredibly responsive. Access photos whenever you want without having to wait. Instacast [OS X; Category: News; $9.99] Managing a large collection of podcasts is easy with Instacast. Browse the online directory, import your subscriptions, customize settings for individual podcasts, sort episodes into different playlists and find exactly what you're looking for in just a few clicks. Blueprint [OS X; Category: Business; $59.99] Blueprint provides complete integration of project management, contact management, tasks, documents, notes, events and archiving, and automatically syncs with Apple native apps.