On Thursday, Apple notified developers that the iOS App Store in Costa Rica and Qatar has finally opened a Games category, making the dedicated section available in the two different countries for the first time. "All apps in the Games category that are cleared for sale [in the two regions] will be automatically available," Apple said in its email. Developers should check territory availability settings if they do not see an approved game available on either of the two stores.
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On Thursday, Apple updated its remote-control app for Mac or PC iTunes control, called Remote, to version 4.1 (free). The only listed improvement is a significant one: the ability to control iTunes Radio as well as music library, Apple TV and other playback. Apple had previously updated the app to the iOS 7 last month. The free app now handles both user-created and pre-programmed iTunes Radio stations, a service that is available currently only to US account holders.
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A new study by Microsoft Exchange services firm Intermedia has shown that Apple devices being activated on its Microsoft Exchange-based network accounted for 76 percent of all small- and medium-business (SMB) activations across 2013 -- some 190,000 iPhones and iPads in total. This was more than six times the 29,000 activations seen with Samsung Android devices, providing some insight into a continuing trend in business that favors Apple products.
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Popular notetaking app Evernote saw an update on Thursday, bringing it to version 7.2.0. The new version of Evernote gives users limited access to a Premium feature with the ability to scan business cards into their iOS devices and have the app automatically log the information on the card as a contact. Added contacts can then be synced to a user's LinkedIn, Facebook, or Address Book.
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Surging on the strength of its new models, Apple's premium iPhone 5s and mid-range iPhone 5c continued to dominate sales with all the major US wireless carriers, with only Samsung's flagship Galaxy S4 positioned as a challenger. US sales data also showed an unsurprising dominance by the iPad in tablet sales, with a new study suggesting that 72 percent of future tablet buyers plan on getting an iPad.
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Photo editing app Waterlogue has been released for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, offering users the ability to alter images to simulate the appearance of watercolor sketches. Aimed at users who are not artists, Waterlogue provides easy-to-use preset tools to convert standard photos into watercolor paintings by controlling "wetness," pen outlines and color.
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8 hours ago | Posted in: software
Twitter has released a major update to its OS X client, bringing new features and an overhauled appearance. Version 3.0 is said to take design cues from the companies other apps for mobile devices, adopting a "cleaner and more modern" interface to showcase the additional capabilities.
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Boinx Software has announced a major update to its slideshow software, FotoMagico. The program is intended for professional photographers, and offers the ability to create high-resolution presentations. The latest version, FotoMagico 4.4, offers improvements centred around software performance, with up to 6x faster exporting, better color accuracy and better quality for H.264 and Apple ProRes formats.
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Developer Fleksy has released an SDK that aims to bring the company's custom keyboard to a wide range of iOS apps. The keyboard had been available as a standalone app, promoted as a better alternative for users with visual impairments, however Apple's less-restrictive iOS 7 code finally enables such features to be implemented across multiple apps.
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9 hours ago | Posted in: iPhone, iPad
The tablet market is performing strongly this holiday season, and Apple's iPad Air and iPad mini are leading the pack among all contenders. This according to a new report from market analysis firm Canaccord Genuity, which saw the two newest iPads outpacing entries from Samsung, Amazon, and Google throughout November and the first half of December. The findings are in keeping with previous analyses of the tablet market, which showed Apple in the lead but Samsung and others increasing share.
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is close to completing a list of rules for cellphone unlocking with US carriers, according to a report. The new rules would govern how a carrier advises a consumer about unlocking and the timing of the unlocking process itself, with the deal between the mobile phone networks and FCC expected to be agreed upon in the near future.
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11 hours ago | Posted in: industry, Apple
A report issued by the advocacy group Fair Labor Association has praised Foxconn for continuing to improve working conditions. An audit reportedly found that three of Foxconn's factories in Longhua, Chengdu and Guanlan, each tasked with assembling iPhones and other Apple devices, have satisfied nearly all of the goals that were outlined last year in a reform plan.
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12 hours ago | Posted in: industry
Southwest Airlines is allowing users of Apple's iOS devices to send iMessages while in flight for just $2. A post on the company's blog revealed that the airline will be rolling out in-flight iMessaging for $2 per day for users with a device running iOS 5 or later. The feature was enabled on Southwest flights on Wednesday, and it joins a number of other digital-oriented features the airline has rolled out of recent.
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12 hours ago | Posted in iOS apps
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Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a mobile port of the classic side scrolling game. The v3.0 update introduces a new Boss Attack mode that challenges players to defeat all of the game’s bosses in a a single run. Players can also now choose to play through the game as Knuckles or Tails, and for the first time can play through the Hidden Palace Zone, a level that was scrapped from the original game.
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Fantastical is a calendar utility that allows users to create events by explaining events in basic English. For example, a user can enter "Lunch with John at 123 Main Street on Tuesday," and the software will add all of the relevant information to a new event. In v2.0.3 TextExpander support now requires TextExpander 2.3 or later. An option to open maps in Waze has also been added, and problems with editing recurring Google Calendar events have been fixed.
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Dictionary.com provides users with all of the sites Dictionary and Thesaurus information in a downloadable format. The app stores all of the necessary data locally and does not require an active internet connection for use. Version 4.4 adds a number of new premium upgrades, including Idioms and Phrases, Grammar and Tips, a Slang Dictionary, and an entire Encyclopedia. A new in-app message center also allows users to receive word trivia and other bonus content.
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The PayPal mobile application allows users to manage their account, as well as send money to friends from an iOS device. Within the application users can check balances, withdraw funds, and view past transactions. A number of improvements are included in this update, along with various fixes for known bugs. The app should now run smoother on iOS 7 devices and problems users were experiencing with logging in have been eliminated.
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Wikipanion Plus allows users to browse through Wikipedia articles in an iOS friendly format. From within the app users can search for any Wikipedia page, and optionally save them to the device for offline reading. iCloud syncing has been added for iOS 7 devices in this release, and a bug that could delete certain history items has been resolved.
Instagram has introduced a new feature, Instagram Direct, that enables users to privately share messages, photos and videos. The announcement marks a shift from the company's previous system, which was designed solely for public sharing. Users can now choose to send content to another individual or groups of up to 15 people.
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14 hours ago | Posted in: iPhone, Apple
Apple has rejected claims that an underage worker's death at a Pegatron factory was due to poor working conditions. The Cupertino-based company reportedly sent its own team of medical investigators to the factory, which is said to assemble the iPhone 5c, however the experts agreed with Pegatron's assertion that the assembly line environment was not a contributing factor in the pneumonia death.
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Yahoo has acknowledged that a number of users were not able to access Yahoo Mail for part of this week, with the company apologizing for the outage on the official blog. The mail downtime commenced on Monday, with the company claiming to have fixed the issue for the majority of affected users last night, though support teams are apparently still working on some loose ends.
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