When the Apple Watch was launched it supported third-party apps however, those could only work as long as you were connected to your iPhone. watchOS 2 will now bring native apps to the Apple Watch along with many other refinements, performance improvements and features.

watchOS 2 includes 3 new types of watch faces: Photo, Photo Album and Time-lapse. With the new update even App Store developers will be able to add support for complications.

Time Travel allows you to turn the Digital Crown to view complications (events, weather, car charge etc.) as it would change in future or see how it was in the past.

All new Nightstand mode is a very handy feature which is activated when you charge your Apple Watch. The display comes illuminates when you touch the screen, digital crown or the side button. You can even turn off the alarm by pressing the side button or press the Digital Crown to snooze.

Native apps on Apple Watch will bring better performance and even more capabilities. Third-party developers will now be able to use the taptic engine, digital crown, accelerometer, heart rate sensor, speaker and microphone to create unique experiences.

Apple’s built-in apps have also been updated in watchOS 2. Mail app can now be used to reply to emails by either dictating, sending an emoji or selecting relevant preset replies.

With the new update adding more friends has become easier. The Apple Watch now allows you to add multiple Friends screens, each of which can hold upto 12 contacts.

Sending hand-drawn messages to friends who also have an Apple Watch has become more colourful. The new update makes it possible to use different colors to sketch your message.

Just like in iOS 9 Maps app received new transit feature, watchOS 2 also includes Transit navigation. Apple Pay on Apple Watch has gained support for loyalty and reward cards.

Lastly, Apple has brought activation lock to the Apple Watch. In order to activate your watch in case it gets lost or stolen the watch will prompt you to enter your iCloud Apple ID and password.

watchOS 2 brings many new features to the Apple Watch. Some of the biggest enhancements include native apps, third-party complications, and activation lock. The update will be available for free for all Apple Watch users this fall.

iOS 9 Built-in Apps

Apple is improving built-in apps that iOS already has and even bringing new default apps to iOS 9. Every-time the company expands functionality of some of its existing apps or introduces new apps it tends to disrupt the business of some of the third-party apps.

News

In iOS 9 Apple is all set to introduce News which will bring personalised news stories based on the type of articles you read and the topics you are interested in. Sounds a bit like Flipboard right? Apple will be releasing special set of tools to enable publishers to create content for the News app. This content will include immersive design, interactivity and beautiful typography.

These special print style layouts would be great for editorial and in-dept articles.

Notes

The Notes app in iOS 9 is getting a lot of love from Apple. The updated app will allow you to do more than just note taking. It now includes creating a checklist, adding photo, map or a URL to your note. Another addition to the app is the ability to sketch with your finger.

I use Notes app a lot and even though my devices have many third-party apps I’ve always gone back to the default Notes app in iOS. These new features would certainly make Apple’s Notes app a whole lot powerful and iCloud syncing will support all these features between OS X and iOS.

Maps

Ever since Apple and Google’s maps licensing ended, the company has been hard at work to improve its mapping solution. Apple Maps were initially criticised for inaccuracies and limited features. In iOS 9 Apple is bringing Transit vier with routes and directors. The new maps app will also include Nearby search to find local businesses from categories such as Food, Shopping, Fun, and more.

Wallet

Passbook has been renamed to Wallet app in iOS 9. It will not just store credit cards you use but also include reward and loyalty cards. You will be able to use Apple Pay to redeem rewards or apply offer.

CarPlay

Apple has pulled the cord from CarPlay for the new cars that support wireless connection to your iPhone. You can have your iPhone in the pocket never take it out and still access CarPlay. The updated app will also support apps developed by car manufactures so that you can use the car’s features without leaving CarPlay.

iOS 9 for iPad

With iOS 9 Apple has taken multi-tasking on the iPad to a whole new level. The upcoming software update will support slide over, split view and picture in picture which will utilise the true potential of the iPad. Apple has also improved the QuickType feature introduced in iOS 8.

Multitasking

Slide Over allows you to quickly take action in another app without ever leaving the first one. Split View allows you to have work in two apps simultaneously. Picture in Picture takes any video content and floats in on the screen when you press the home button.

QuickType

Selecting text, copying and pasting while these tasks have been very easy to do on iOS. However, for getting some serious work done receptively selecting text, copying and pasting involves constantly lifting your finger from the keyboard the tap and hold on the screen to have controls appear on the screen. All this is changing with iOS 9. Two finger tap on the new keyboard in iOS 9 for iPad transforms it into a trackpad allowing you to move the cursor and then use dedicated keys for cut, copy, paste, text formatting and adding attachments.

Intelligence

Siri received a major upgrade in iOS 8 and now with iOS 9 it is getting much better. Apple is allowing Siri to search built-in apps to source answers, deliver results faster and even offering suggestions proactively.

Siri can now offer you quick access to different apps depending on the time of the day and your location. It can automatically create events when it detects invitations in an email and much more.

Foundation

Apple has made a number of under-the-hood refinements to iOS 9 to make its performance faster and even improve battery life.

One of the biggest hurdles in users upgrading to iOS 8 was the amount of free space the software requested for over-the-air update. In iOS 9 Apple has reduced it by more than 70%. A new developer API called App Thinness will allow the App Store to download assets for the app that match the users screen density.

Security has also been improved in the OS. The devices will now require a six-digit passcode. Two-factor authentication will be required when you sign in from anew browser or on a new device.

Conclusion

iOS 9 brings many features that will enhance users productivity in performing day to day tasks. Intelligence and improved multitasking are certainly some of the best new features in iOS 9.

The public beta will be available in July followed by final release this Fall.

Apple has been meticulously planning the launch of Apple Watch, with advertising in full swing, getting print ads in top magazines, integrating fitness blog page by top model Christy Turlington Burns and also giving third-party app developers access to the hardware much before the launch.

Unlike the iPhone that launched without the App Store, the Apple Watch just like the iPad will launch with many third-party apps available on launch day. Apple has been showcasing apps like Target, American Airlines, Instagram, Twitter, ESPN and many more.

YouVersion the developers of The Bible app for iOS earlier today announced the availability of The Bible app for the Apple Watch. The app will be available when the Apple Watch ships.

The Bible app for Apple Watch includes features from its iOS app specifically reimagined for the watch. The app will bring Verse of the Day, Friends Notifications, Trending Verses and Your Verse Images, Bookmarks, and Highlights.

The developers state that their mission with the app is to simply, “help you engage with the Bible.”

Because we’re convinced that when you spend time with the Bible, either reading or listening, and then carefully reflect on what it’s saying to you, God’s Spirit will do something inside of you. His words will change you, make you into a new person. Ultimately, His words will draw you closer to Him.

Seven years ago when the App Store for the iPhone was launched YouVersion’s Bible app was amongst the first 200 apps approved for the launch day. Just like the iPhone version, the Apple Watch version will also be available on launch day.

Have you pre-ordered the Apple Watch yet? Share the model you’ve ordered in the comments section below.

When Apple introduced the original iPad in 2010, the company also unveiled its iWork and iLife suite of apps for the tablet. The apps were later made available for the iPhone. Apple initially offered the apps has a paid download and then made them free for every new iOS user.

As Apple’s iOS platform gained more and more popularity, it was turning out to be a lost opportunity for Microsoft to not offer its apps on the second most popular mobile platform. It’s clear that Microsoft initially must have struggled and hoped that Widows Mobile gains the same momentum as iOS or Android however, it hasn’t worked out like that as yet.

Under the leadership of Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, the company launched Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint for iOS. The apps when launched required Office 365 subscription to edit and save files but remained free to view Office files. The company later removed the restriction of Office 365 subscription and made editing files a standard feature.

With the latest update to the suite of apps you can now save files to Apple’s iCloud Drive. Microsoft has added support for open, edit, and save work to iCloud in the “Places” section of each iOS app. iCloud Drive upload and save feature has been added in addition to existing cloud services such as DropBox and Microsoft OneDrive.

You can download the apps for free from the App Store: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint.

The company unveiled its new mobile operating system during the world wide developers conference earlier this year. This release doesn’t just include a number of user facing features but also opens hundreds of new API’s for third-party developers.

With iOS 8 users will experience a completely new Messages app that borrows a number of features from Whatsapp, new Messages app now includes audio messages, instant photo messages (Snapchat?), mute conversation and more. Typing on the new iOS has also been enhanced as Apple introduces QuickType which intelligently recommends words as you type and overtime it learns and adapts to your writing style. QuickType in iOS 8 doesn’t just learn your writing style but also remembers how you communicate with different people.

Apple has heard the requests of its customers and finally introducing iCloud Drive, a central location to find all your documents from Mac, PC or iOS. Did this make you think of Dropbox? Access any of your file from any device connected to iCloud without having to worry about its version. However, it’s worth noting that it is advisable to not opt in for iCloud Drive when setting up your iOS 8 device until OS X Yosemite is available for download. Files stored in iCloud Drive will only work with iOS 8 devices and OS X Yosemite.

Handoff in iOS 8 allows you to continue working on your choice of device while picking up from where you left off, but this will also require OS X Yosemite.

Third-party apps greatly benefit from this update as Apple has finally allowed developer access to Touch ID, Camera API, PhotoKit, HealthKit,  HomeKit and CloudKit.

The update is now available for download over-thir-air for compatible devices.

Have you upgraded your devices already? What do you think about the new update? Let us know your experience in the comments below.

Apple added a new feature for developers in iOS 8 called extensions; it works as a plugin giving access to third-party apps to plug into native apps and offer extended functionality. Some of the use cases of this feature could include allowing developers to add custom sharing services, provide photo filters within the Photos app or add a custom action to add things to a list.

iOS 8 is the biggest release for developers since the introduction of the App Store. It opens up new areas of iOS, allowing developers to extend the reach of their app content and functionality.Apple

Things for iPhone $9.99 and iPad $19.99 is a hugely popular task manager application. The developers recently published a video showcasing iOS 8 extension capability. The video shows an iPhone with a website open in Safari. After copying some text and then tapping the share action button reveals Things custom action button called “Add to Things” to create a new task.

Things 2.5 update will bring this new feature to the app. The current version of the app hasn’t been updated to match the iOS 7 flat look and feel however, the developers are working on Things 3.0 which bring all new features and new user interface.

With more than 4,000 new API’s developers will be able to take advantage of new custom keyboard, Touch ID authentication, notification centre on the lock screen and much more.

iOS 8 is expected to be made available to the public later this fall. The upcoming update has been in testing stage since its beta availability to registered developers. Are you excited about the new extensions feature in iOS 8? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The App Store over the years has won customer trust for secure apps since each app goes through an approval process. However, in the recent past there have been many cases where users’ data has been compromised due to the app developers server being hacked or not using enough security measures.

It was recently revealed that the popular Starbucks app for iOS stores user names, email address and passwords in clear text. This valuable information could easily be accessed by connecting your smartphone with the app installed to a computer. While this is not the same as recent Snapchat security breach that happened last week. It does raise some concerns over app developers commitment to keep their users’ data secure.

Starbucks spokeswoman in a statement to PCMag said, “While we are aware of this report, there is no known impact to our customers,”. Customers who often buy from Starbucks enjoy the connivence of customising their order and paying online through the application.

According to a report, Starbucks mobile app is the most used mobile payment application in the U.S. While it does provide ease of use, customers have repeatedly complained about the app not remembering passwords and often losing all information of gift cards.

Apple has set a number of guidelines for app developer to follow to have their apps approved for sale on the App Store. The recent security breaches and inadequate measures for protecting users data may soon become a huge concern for Apple.

In coming months it won’t be surprising for Apple to start rejecting applications that don’t comply with strict security measures for apps that store sensitive user information. It will be interesting to see if Apple improves its guidelines for developers to develop more secure apps for its audience.

The official packaging of the new cheaper iPhone 5C has leaked according to new photos published on the web. Apple is widely rumoured to unveil the next-gen iPhone sometime this month.

New photos have appeared on multiple online publications, the first set of photos appeared on Chinese site iApps.im and then on C Technology. The photos show an iPhone that appears to be enclosed in coloured plastic bodies. Judging by the looks of the iPhone 5C, the overall design resembles iPhone 5 with a plastic case around it.

The photos show blue, yellow and green colour iPhone 5C models. Apple’s next-gen products have often been subjected to leaks ahead of release date. The company’s supply chain is huge and its hard to monitor such leaks given the large scale production of the components.

Apple has gone one record to share their intent to double-down on secrecy however, year-after-year the number of leaks have only risen. Even though the company tries hard to retain the status of a secretive company that doesn’t believe in announcing plans about upcoming products, the rumour sites and their sources manage to get insider information.

iPhone 5C is Apple’s answer to the low-cost Android smartphones that are swarming the Asian market and grabbing significant market share. The new phone is expected to be priced at $399 without a two-year contract. The plastic body with hardware specifications same as iPhone 5 would significantly reduce the production cost for Apple.

With an entry price of less than $400 to the iOS ecosystem with a retina display smartphone could certainly create a stir in the market and create new demand for Apple. The new plastic model is expected to feature 8 megapixel camera and A6 chip with 1GB RAM.

If Apple releases plastic iPhone 5C would you buy it? Do you think this is a good move for Apple Inc.? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

{MacRumors, Sim Only Radar}

SimCity for Mac was finally released on August 29th only as digital download. However, the release saw some hiccups just like the windows version which was released in March. EA in the past pushed the release of the Mac version in order to fix the issues and even after 7 updates since the original launch users continued to face issues while downloading the game.

SimCity for Mac and Windows is an online-only game. You need to be connected to the Origin server at all times in order to play. This online only mode was implemented by Maxis as it ties in with the built in features like global trading, public regions and even running game scripts.

We received our review copy of SimCity for Mac yesterday and when we tried to download the game we got an error 7049:404. This error won’t allow the user to download the game to their computer. Upon investigating we found an easy fix to this issue.

Here’s how you can fix the file not found error. Uninstall Origin app from your Mac. You can use a free uninstaller app called AppCleaner. Once Origin in uninstalled, visit EA’s download Origin page and download the app.

Once installed sign into your account and now from the top menu bar select preferences. The preferences pane open inside the Origin app. Click “General” tab on the left and now scroll down to the last option “Origin Beta Participation” make sure you mark it checked.

Now exit the Origin app and then re-open it. This time the app will download some more data approx. 70 MB. Now visit “My Games” tab and there you will be able to download SimCity for Mac without any issues.

Have you been able to download SimCity to your Mac? Did you face any issues? Let us know in the comments below.

Apple’s App Store will turn 5 year old on Wednesday, July 10 and to celebrate the success of the digital store the company has partnered with app and game developers to give 5 games and 5 apps for free.

The iPhone was introduced in 2007 and a year later Apple unveiled the SDK for developers to build native apps for the iPhone. The launch of the App Store saw 500 apps with notable apps from EA, Facebook, MLB.com and more.

It was both, the iPhone and the App Store that fuelled the growth of Apple’s mobile platform and mobile apps gained a new level of popularity that never existed before. 5 years since the introduction of the App Store, it has surpassed 50 billion downloads. 850,000 apps are available on the App Store for users to download and 350,000 of those are exclusively build for the iPad.

Apple takes pride is announcing the revenue paid out to developers which is now more that $10 billion. App Store has created a whole new industry for app developers and has also lead to the growth and emergence of individual developers who have made it big on the App Store.

We launched Touch Reviews in February 2009  just 7 months after the introduction of the App Store to review and share the best apps available in the App Store. Since 2009 the App Store has not just grown in numbers but has successfully lead to revolutionising the way we use our smartphones and tablets.

Some of the notable games and apps that have gone free include BADLAND, Infinity Blade II, Over and Day One (Journal / Diary). Download these great apps and games here.

Apple has launched its annual ‘Back to School’ promotion which offers educational discount to qualifying customers. This years promotion offers up to $100 store gift card when purchasing a Mac and $50 on iPhone / iPad purchase.

The App Store gift card can be used to download music, books, apps and games from Apple’s App Store, Mac App Store, iTunes Store, and iBookstore. This is the first time the company is offering the back to school promo on iPhone, previously the offer was made available only on Mac purchase.

Apple has moved away from giving a free iPod touch in 2010 during the back to school promotion and since the last few years has been giving store gift cards instead. The company now offers all of its software from the digital store on the Mac and these gift cards will introduce new Mac owners to the Mac App Store and encourage them to explore the huge collection of software.

The Back to School promo coincides perfectly with the recent launch of the new MacBook Air lineup with faster processor and all-day 12 hour battery life. Students who had been waiting to purchase the new MacBook Air can now get the latest MacBook with student discount and even get a free copy of OS X Mavericks when it launches later this fall.

What do you think about Apple’s back to school promotion? Will you be buying a new Mac this summer? Let us know in the comments below.

Apple will unveil the new music streaming service rumored to be called iRadio at WWDC 2013 keynote event according to a new report published by The Wall Street Journal.

Apple has been long rumoured to enter the music streaming business, since they acquired an online music company, LaLa in 2010.  iRadio is expected to be a free to use service supported by iAds that will display image ads and stream audio ads. The music streaming service will support options to buy tracks that users wish to download from the iTunes music store.

The service will launch for customers in the US. Details about international rollout remain unclear at this point. Offering a free streaming service as opposed to offering a paid subscription is quite interesting since Apple has always refrained from the ad supported model.

The company has taken quite long to enter the music streaming business even as other services that began by offering apps on the App Store have become hugely popular. Many believe that establishing deals with the record labels was the biggest hurdle in rolling out the service and the company waited until the terms were favorable. Eddy Cue, Apple’s SVP of Internet and Software services, is believed to have played a major role in getting all major record labels. One of the major points of differences in negotiating the deal had been been compensation for songs skipped by users, according to the report.

The highly anticipated new service—expected to be available only in the U.S.—will allow users to stream a radio-like channel of music based on their interests. It will be supported by text and audio ads from Apple’s iAd service, people familiar with the matter said. It will feature “Buy” buttons to drive downloads, they added.

The WSJ also reported on sources confirming the rumors about iOS 7 redesign featuring a new “flat” look. Apple is also looking at introducing new ways to share photos and videos.

The new iOS will also include new ways to share photos and videos with other iPhone users and other enhancements, these people said.

WWDC 2013 keynote event goes live today at 10 AM (Pacific Time) where the Cupertino, Calif. based company will unveil the future of software for iOS and OS X.

Last month BlackBerry (formerly known as RIM) announced that it will release a multi-platform version of BlackBerry Messenger, adding support for iOS and Android. BBM has been hugely successful messaging service with over 10 billion messages sent per day with 60 million monthly active users.

BBM on iPhone will compete with Apple’s own iMessage and other popular instant messaging services like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. The release date for BBM for iPhone hasn’t been announced yet and it’s availability is likely scheduled for later this summer.

BBM set the standard for mobile instant messaging with fast and reliable service and an added layer of engagement with delivered and read statuses. You’ve shared with us your stories about how BBM has kept you connected when it mattered most to you. Upon release of the multi-platform BBM service, you can broaden that real-time connection to friends and colleagues on other supported mobile platforms.

Yesterday, Salshgear was first to spot a tweet from T-Mobile’s twitter account that announced “Great news – BlackBerry Messenger will be available to download on iOS and Android from June 27th!”. That tweet was later deleted and when BlackBerry PR was contacted by Mashable they confirmed that the release date was incorrect.

While there have been reports that BBM will be available to iOS and Android on June 27, this is not accurate,

A multi-platform BBM client on iOS and Android will fuel the growth for the instant chat messaging service. The first version of BBM on iPhone will include the following features:

– The immediacy of BBM chats
– Multi-person chats
– Voice note sharing
– BlackBerry Groups, where BBM users are able to set up groups of up to 30 people and share calendar, photos, files and more

Since, Apple allows messaging services other than iMessage to be available on the App Store, the approval process shouldn’t be an issue for BlackBerry.

According to a new report iOS 7 will feature AirDrop wireless sharing between iOS devices and OS X. AirDrop for iPhone and iPad could make file sharing between devices much easier.

AirDrop has been a part of OS X Lion and was introduced to share files between Macs without the need for a WiFi network.  9to5Mac reports that AirDrop for iOS 7 could be integrated into the iOS share menu and allow sharing of files between iOS devices or even a Mac.

The feature will make it easier than ever to transfer, for example, a photograph or document from one person’s iPhone to another person’s iPad.

There are a few third party apps available in the App Store that allow sharing of photos, contacts, videos between iOS devices and Macs however there is no native solution to make sharing between devices easier.

When Apple introduced iCloud, it did try to resolve the issue of syncing photos across the devices you own however, sharing of individual files between friends’ or other devices is not easy. Android has a host of sharing features and with iOS 7 Apple could be looking at introducing some new ways to share files on iOS.

iOS 7 will be unveiled during WWDC 2013 keynote presentation. The next major iOS software release is expected to receive a major redesign under the leadership of Jony Ive.

Apple’s App Store is about to hit yet another milestone as the company has updated its website with a countdown to 50 billion downloads. Apple will also be giving away US$ 10,000 App Store Gift Card to the user who downloads the 50 billionth app. The next 50 users who download apps from the App Store could win $500 App Store Gift Cards.

No purchase is necessary in order to be a part of this giveaway. All users in supported countries are automatically entered as they download free or paid apps. Additionally, you can also visit the official promotion page here to fill out a form (limited to 25 entries per person per day) and enter the giveaway.

In January this year Apple announced the App Store had crossed 40 billion downloads and has added another 10 billion in just under 5 months.

The App Store today offers some of the best apps and games created for smartphones and tablets. It changed the way people thought about apps on a mobile device and continues to revolutionise what we can accomplish with them.

Even as the App Store is about to hit 50 billion downloads it’s worth remembering that Steve Jobs was opposed to the idea of having third party apps on the App Store as he was concerned “his team did not have the bandwidth to figure out all the complexities that would be involved in policing third-party app developers.”

Today Apple continues to dominate the mobile app market with high quality of apps available in the App Store and the amount of revenue developers generate from it.

Apple introduced iOS app folders in iOS 4 and has had the ‘Jiggle Mode’ UI since iOS 1. On Tuesday, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Apple the patent for iOS app folders and the ‘Jiggle Mode’ UI.

The patent, which is listed as U.S. Patent No. 8,423,911, describes the iOS app folders as “Device, method, and graphical user interface for managing folders” and describes the methods to rearrange applications and organizing them. In the patent file from the USPTO, Imran Chaudhri is listed as the inventor of the UI feature.

For example, using a sequence of inputs to create, modify and/or delete folders and content within folders is tedious and creates a significant cognitive burden on a user. In addition, existing methods take longer than necessary, thereby wasting energy. This latter consideration is particularly important in battery-operated devices.

Apple’s “Jiggle Mode” is also included in the patent, an animation that signifies that the user is able to move any of the applications on the home screen around. This is likely the reason that both features were including in the same patent, because of their interaction in iOS. In Jiggle mode, when a user places an app on top of another, it will automatically generate a folder with type of app such as ‘Games’ or ‘Productivity’. These names are taken from the app’s metadata generated from the App Store’s organizational categories.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5B, the selectable user interface objects jiggle as though they are floating on water (e.g., each respective selectable user interface object oscillates about a respective average position of the selectable user interface object on the display).

Apple does not own patents on all of its iOS features, getting these patents over 2 years after introducing the feature. However, as the company releases more iOS features in iOS 7 and beyond, they will begin to collect more patents along the way.

{Via AppleInsider}

According to a report from AppleInsider, Apple is contacting developers through the iTunes Connect program, requesting that they localize their applications. This means that developers will update their apps with multiple languages and will also market applications and books as localized. By localizing apps, developers will be able to reach a number of different regions, because all text, titles and descriptions will be molded to each area.

In the letter to iTunes Connect members, Apple noted that the App Store and Mac App Store are available in 155 countries with support for 40 languages, saying that “it has never been more important to localize your app and marketing material.

Alongside the request to developers to localize their applications, Apple also released a Chinese Support Communities forum, which allows users to provide support to other Apple users through their native tongues. This would allow for customers to feel comfortable using the product, especially if they are receiving assistance that is tailored to their needs. Until the release of this forum, most Chinese users and users from other countries around the world would have to refer to the English forums for help.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has noted in the past that China is a major growth opportunity for Apple and the company has posted an increase of over 67 percent in revenue in the country. Recently, Apple has been dealing with customer complaints about the company’s warranty policies, prompting their Senior VP of Operations Jeff Williams to go to deal with the public relations issues. Apple is consistently trying to increase support for its Chinese users as the company realizes that the region is a key part of their revenue models.

{Via MacRumors}

Apple has removed iOS app “App Gratis” after it reportedly violated some of the App Store’s rules, specifically a new rule on the promotion of apps. The rule clearly stated that it forbids “apps that display apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store.” Essentially, this means that Apple will remove any application that in some way models to their own App Store.

“App Gratis” allowed customers to discover applications through the app, with the company working with over 6,000 app developers around the world to help discover new software and iOS apps. Following the app’s removal, neither Apple nor App Gratis commented as to why it happened or if the app will return after it fixes the violation.

However, Apple later confirmed to AllThingsD that App Gratis violated both Clause 2.25 and 5.6 of the App Store Review Guideline. Clause 2.25 stated that apps cannot promote other application similar to the App Store and clause 5.6 states that “apps cannot use Push Notifications to send advertising, promotions, or direct marketing of any kind.”

This removal isn’t the only one since Apple instituted the rule, with the company reportedly removing several apps that mimicked the App Store’s model of showcasing and providing applications and ones that also violated clause 5.6. It is not surprising that Apple removed App Gratis as the Cupertino company generally likes to keep tight control of its innovative products to make sure that it is not being copied and used for personal gain by a third party.

{Via AppleInsider}

It appears that Apple has been taking a number of precautions on its App Store lately, essentially childproofing iOS, should a parent choose to do so. In iOS 6, the company introduced a feature called Restrictions that allows a user to prevent unintended downloads, and even the type of music that one can listen to.

Apple also began to add a note to the App Store for in-app purchases for ‘freemium’ apps. Now, the company is going ahead and adding age ratings that clearly states what suggested age range should use the app. The tag is located directly underneath the name of the app, ensuring that a user will be fully aware of the age that is required for the download.

Apple has had a number of issues with its App Store in recent months, including several applications containing explicit images that were mistakenly approved for the store. Apple has also refunded money to a number of customers who had children that mistakenly downloaded hundreds of dollars worth of in-app purchases. With all of these steps, Apple is hoping to make the App Store guidelines as clear as possible and is also looking to retain the same simplicity and user-friendliness.

{Via AppleInsider}

Apple has released a new update to its ‘Find My Friends’ application, redesigning the Location Alerts page. The app, which was released last September allows iOS users to find the location of their friends who also use the application. Although the app hasn’t been wildly popular, it does represent the direction that Apple is going with location, and could potentially integrate the app with services similar to Foursquare.

The new update allows users to search and set location-based notifications much more easily than before. The Next Web detailed the new features specifically, adding that it “lets you fine-tune the sensitivity of an alert.”

“The new interface for setting up those alerts has been tweaked to let you set the exact distance threshold from a location. This lets you fine-tune the sensitivity of an alert for, say, two different buildings on a campus. If you just wanted to know when someone is ‘home’, the older process with a ‘fixed’ zone was fine, but if you were looking to get notices when someone gets into a neighborhood, it was pretty much impossible.”

Find My Friends is currently available as a free download on the App Store on both iOS and through iTunes {Direct Link}.

{Via MacRumors}

After multiple complaints from parents and other App Store users about mistakenly buying in-app purchases, the Cupertino company is finally addressing the widespread complaint. Last week, Apple quietly updated the App Store to add a note to the “Free” apps in the store that mentions on the bottom that it “Offers In-App Purchases.” This warning is currently displayed only on the iTunes App Store, but will likely be available on iOS soon, as that is where the unintended purchases are usually made.

A number of users, mostly parents have complained that their children unknowingly make purchases for upgrades, and other tokens inside of applications. Some of these In-App purchases can range anywhere from $1 and sometimes can go past $100.

There have been a number of reports on the issues that customers have had with the flawed in-app purchasing system, including a five-year-old boy in Britain that charged £1,700 to his parents credit cards through in-app purchases in the game Zombie.

Apple has been sued by some customers, including a man from Phoenixville, PA, who filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming that the company was allowed to “pocket millions of dollars” off of unauthorized purchases. In order to address the concerns, not only has Apple added the new warning, the company has also begun to refund money and give $5 iTunes credits to customers who filed claims that the in-app purchases were an error. It is unclear what other actions Apple will take if the issue persists.

{Via AppleInsider}

Google appears to be dominating the iOS experience, not only with its Google Maps for iOS application but also with its Gmail app. On Monday, Google updated its mobile web application with a design very similar to its native iOS application. The company did something similar with their Google Maps app in the past.

Since launching the rebooted Gmail app for iPhone and iPad in December (http://goo.gl/2m7pd), we’ve heard from many of you that you like the redesigned UI, along with new features such as improved search and integration with Google Calendar. Today we’re rolling out a similar refreshed look to the Gmail mobile web app as well as Gmail Offline (http://goo.gl/0f1ae) that includes many of these same changes. Try it out at gmail.com in the browser of your Android, iOS, Blackberry or Kindle Fire device

The new update brings several features over from the Gmail app, which is available for free on the App Store, including improved integration with Google Calendar which a lot of users requested. The mobile web app now also uses the same UI as the native app, providing a level of familiarity and ease of use. With the web apps for both Google Maps and Gmail also available on the App Store, the company is offering iOS users an alternative for all of their cloud services.

{Via MacRumors}

On Tuesday, Google updated its Google Maps for iPhone application for the first time since its release in late December. Google developed its own Maps application for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch after Apple removed its native Google Maps app, opting to create its own solution from the ground up. The app, which has been updated to version 1.1 adds new features such as Google contact integration, and local business search.

Google contact integration allows a user to quickly pull up names and addresses for family and friends and to map out driving, walking and transit directions to those locations. Local business search is also crucial for users of the app, who will now be able to quickly search for restaurants, bars, cafes, gas stations and other businesses. Users can then click on one of them and get any of the three types of directions.

What’s New in Version 1.1

– Search your Google Contacts; sign in to have your saved addresses show up when you search for friends and family by name.
– Quickly search for local places by selecting popular categories such as restaurants, bars, cafes, gas stations, etc.
– Choose between Kilometers or Miles for your preferred distance units.
– Note that some features may not be available in all countries.

Google’s Maps for iPhone is one of the more stable options for a iOS mapping solution, particularly because Apple’s own Maps can be faulty and some of the other recommended are cluttered with social navigaton features. Google also has a reputation as the leader in maps app, and introduced a clean iOS app focused solely on directions, contacts of the user, and searching for businesses. The Google Maps for iPhone update is now available on the App Store for free [Direct Link].

{Via MacRumors}

With Asia a major source of revenue for Apple, and its products becoming hugely popular in countries such as Japan and China it is not surprising that the company is releasing more of its online services in the region.

On Tuesday, Apple updated the iBooks application with improved Asian language support on the books available in the iBooks store, and finally opened up Japan to the iBookstore. Now, users in Japan will be able to download books through the online store directly to their iOS devices.

What’s New in Version 3.1

The iBookstore in Japan now has hundreds of thousands of books available for purchase, including fiction, manga, light novels and more. This version of iBooks also includes a number of improvements for reading Asian language books.

Apple did not limit the book titles available to Japanese users, allowing them to download books from all over the world, including a large selection of Japanese titles. Types of books include fiction, manga, light novels, and many others. iBooks 3.1 is a sizeable 43.1 megabyte update and is now available through the App Store on both iOS and through iTunes [Direct Link].

{Via AppleInsider}

Apple has launched new TV ad campaigns, focusing on the App Store and the range of apps offered for iOS devices. On Sunday, Apple aired two new TV ads for its iPad and iPad mini, called ‘Alive’ and ‘Together’, highlighting the over 300,000 apps available for the device. The ads, both of which had a similar theme, showed a number of words flashing across the screen, stopping at a few to describe the device.

At the same time, applications from the App Store were in use on the iPad including AmpliTube, Style.com, GarageBand, TED, iMovie, iBooks, Dinosaur Zoo, Toca Hair Salon, Vimeo, Rockmate, Glow Hockey 2 HD, and FaceTime.The ads arrive after Apple launched a billboard campaign with a similar theme, and seem to accompany the billboards posted along many highways and train stations in major metropolitan areas.

Apple’s latest ad campaign appears to show a range of applications from gaming and reading, to built in features such as FaceTime. In a 9to5Mac report about the new Apple ad, the site posted a tweet from one of its users, which noted that the hands using the device in the new ads change depending on the type of app. At one point, a baby appears to be using one of the word identification applications in the ad, “Together”.

Apple’s ad campaigns have been highly successful in the past, particularly those introduced for the iPad mini following its release. Apple has always been focused on the usability of a device instead of the device’s technology since the introduction of the original iPad in 2010. However, the company appears to be refocusing its ads on the applications available for the device, which has also played a large part in the iPad’s success.

{Via MacRumors}