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

Here are some of the best free apps, app updates and new apps that have landed in the App Store recently. All app prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly, so grab them while you can.

Apps Now Free

Necrorun ;[iPhone; Now free, down from $1.99] Death has been challenged by knights to a duel, and if they win, Death will reward them immortality.

iON Bond [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $0.99] iON Bond is a puzzle game about bonding and colliding subatomic particles.

Farentia [iPhone; Now free, down from $0.99] Tactics Turn-Based strategy game.

LEVEL 22 [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $1.99] Are you late for work? Start panicking!

Video Downloader Pro - Download and Play Free Videos [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $3.99] Video Downloader allow download videos almost from any site, get access to all videos on your device and play downloaded videos without Internet connection.

Photo Eraser for iPhone - Remove Unwanted Objects from Pictures and Images [iPhone; Now free, down from $1.99] Photo Eraser is an easy-to-use image editor to remove unwanted objects from your photo, such as date stamps, watermarks, text, building or anything else.

AirTycoon Online [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $0.99] Welcome to Air Tycoon Online! - Authentic turn based airline management simulation game.

AirTycoon 2 [iPhone; Now free, down from $1.99] Manage your own airline company in the world.

GraphMe: Graphing Calculator [iPhone; Now free, down from $0.99] Powerful and easy to use graphing calculator that allows you to plot real-valued functions, trajectories, and even vector fields on the cartesian plane.

GraphMe HD: Graphing Calculator [iPad; Now free, down from $1.99] Powerful and easy to use graphing calculator that allows you to plot real-valued functions, trajectories, and even vector fields on the cartesian plane.

New and Notable Apps

MoneyWiz 2 - Personal Finance [iOS Universal; $4.99] The long awaited MoneyWiz 2 is now here with 130+ new features! More powerful and beautiful than ever!

Ace Ferrara & The Dino Menace [iOS Universal; Free] Ace Ferrara And The Dino Menace is a colorful space opera set in an 80s cartoon universe: spacefaring dinosaurs have declared war on mankind and only the Proton Riders - an oddball group of superpilots - can save us from certain defeat!

Notepad+ - Simple Document and Quick Note [OS X; Free] Notepad + is a plain and simple text editor. You can use this wonderful tool to process your plain text documents Easily and Quickly .

Updates you don't want to miss

GoodReader [iOS Universal; $4.99] This is the next generation of our famous GoodReader app, and now it's a universal app - one app for all your iOS devices. Version 4.8.0 brings the following changes:

• VoiceOver compatibility


• Bug fix:fixed an issue that caused a crash when opening iCloud containers with large number of files


• Important iCloud functionality change: to ensure the compliance to Apple's iCloud usage policy, the following operations have been disabled: creation of new folders inside iCloud, deletion of folders inside iCloud, moving of files and folders inside iCloud. We apologize for the inconvenience, but the iCloud usage policy is mandatory.

iFunia DVDCreator [OS X; $9.99] Funia DVDCreator makes short work of creating DVDs from most any video format you can throw at it. Version 3.3.0 brings the following changes:

• Optimized the efficiency, better support 4K video playing.


• Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite supported.


• Fixed some minor issue with interface.

Source: http://ift.tt/1nQ7MKl

Apple sued for false advertising by plaintiffs that don't understand iPhone digital storage

A pair of iPhone owners from Miami are suing Apple and seeking class action status in doing so, alleging that Apple has falsely advertised how much storage is actually available on the phone. They're not alleging that the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus actually have less physical storage than Apple claims, no, they're perturbed to the point of legal action that when Apple advertises a 16GB iPhone it only comes with around 13GB of free space out of the box because that pesky iOS 8 needs to take up space.

Said the plaintiff's attorney, according to the Wall Street Journal:

"In reality, nothing close to the advertised capacity of the Devices is available to end users. Indeed, the discrepancy between advertised and available capacity is substantial and beyond any possible reasonable expectation."

It has been common practice for years, nay, for all of consumer computing device sales history to advertise the complete storage volume of a device, not the space available out of the box. It's simply impractical to advertise the available space (except for some fine print to say that available storage capacity will vary) because that available space is going to vary. The size of iOS fluctuates with each update, as customers of filled-up iPhones and iPads found out when they tried to update to iOS 8 and didn't have enough storage space.

What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is either a ill-conceived plan to get money out of Apple for following a standard industry practice, or a pair of plaintiffs that don't understand how computers work and decided the best way to find out was to sue. The plaintiffs also allege that Apple does not allow microSD expansion of the storage space on iPhones, which is of course entirely true. But also in no way a surprise or worth the filing of a lawsuit — you can buy any number of Android, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone smartphones that offer that feature. Although it's worth noting that all of these manufacturers also advertise a nice whole number storage capacity as well.

In the meantime, if you're looking at buying a new iPhone, we suggest you consider buying at least the 58.21GB version, though you should be warned that there are some other apps on there taking up space, but at least you can delete those if you really need that space.

Source: Wall Street Journal

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You can now easily adapt any new post-2012 iMac for VESA mounting

NewerTech now has a new adapter that makes it much easier — nay, possible — to mount any 2012-or-newer iMac, even the new Retina 5K iMac with the universal VESA system. The NuMount VESA is a machined aluminum bracket that clamps through the power-cable passthrough in the iMac's stand, adding both a quartet of screw holes for a 100mm x 100mm VESA mount and a shelf above that for storing items you want nearby but neither want to see or need to reach (say, an external hard drive for backups).

The NuMount VESA exists because iMacs purchased since 2012 had to have VESA mounting specified when ordering — it's either an attached stand or four screw holes drilled into the back. So if you purchased your iMac at a retail store, or you ordered it with a stand and now you find you want to mount it up on the wall or an arm, you have an option.

Apple offers a VESA adapter for older iMacs and the aging Thunderbolt Display, but there's no such option to pop off the integrated stand on iMacs made after 2012. So now there's the NewerTech NuMount, although you'll be paying $99 for the privilege.

• NewerTech NuMount VESA adapter for iMac - $99.00 - Buy Now

Source: NewerTech

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The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

LifeBox for iPhone is strange and addictive Posted: 31 Dec 2014 03:00 PM PST I'm not quite sure how to describe LifeBox (free until Mid-January). It's a bit like the infamous Pet Rock of years ago or the more recent Tamagotchi. It just sits there, but unlike the Pet Rock, little stories unfold over time in tiny animated boxes...

Class action lawsuit filed against Apple over large iOS storage requirements Posted: 31 Dec 2014 02:00 PM PST Apple is facing a newly-filed class action lawsuit which alleges the company doesn't properly warn customers about the storage requirements of for iOS 8. The lawsuit -- filed by William Anderson of the Washington, D.C. based firm Cuneo, Gilbert, & La...

Designer uses her nose and an Apple Trackpad to create these incredible compositions Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:00 PM PST Designer Michelle Vandy had to get creative with her tools when she lost the use of her hands after developing a repetitive stress injury in her arms. In a profile by Core77, Vandy explains how she learned to draw and design using her nose and an App...

Daily Deals for December 31, 2014, Save Big With These Great Fitness Accessories Posted: 31 Dec 2014 08:30 AM PST It's time to save some of that hard-earned cash with our Daily Deals, featuring exclusive TUAW Deals, a handy list from Dealnews and our own handpicked iOS and OS X selections. All prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly....

iOS app developer gives parents the best Christmas gift ever Posted: 31 Dec 2014 06:30 AM PST iOS developer Joseph Riquelme gave his parents a folded note containing one of the best gifts ever -- their house. Riquelme shared a photo of the handwritten gift, which simply said "Your house is paid off. Merry Xmas." In touching video posted to Yo...

Tulnity turns your iPhone into personal TV headphones Posted: 31 Dec 2014 05:30 AM PST The Tunity app allows users to listen to muted TVs through their iPhones with or without headphones. Users will find a number of uses for the app but I can envision it working well when you are at a sports bar with a number of televisions tuned to a ...

Tunity turns your iPhone into personal TV headphones

The Tunity app allows users to listen to muted TVs through their iPhones with or without headphones. Users will find a number of uses for the app but I can envision it working well when you are at a sports bar with a number of televisions tuned to a variety of sporting events but no sound. The universal app is free and and works best with an iPhone. It requires iOS 7.0 or later.

If you and your friends are in a bar or restaurant and interested in one specific game, now with Tunity you can get the audio at your table. Open the app, Tunity accesses the camera on your phone, turn your phone to the Landscape position, more horizontal than vertical, and align the box on the screen in the app with the TV carrying your game. Tap the screen and hold it still. You need to make sure the TV screen fills the box to make it work. The app will scan the TV picture and then sync up with the audio from the game.

Once the sync is complete you receive the audio out of your iPhone speakers or a headset if you are wearing one. I tried the app on a variety of stations and all of those that met the necessary criteria came up right away and provided me with a loud and clear audio signal.

Now for the criteria on which stations and programs you can use Tunity to grab the audio. It works on sports and non-sports stations equally well but the programming must be part of a national broadcast. Tunity currently can sync up with forty-eight different channels such as all the ESPN channels, Fox Sports 1, CBS SportsChannel, the NHL Network, CNN, and many more. The list of all the channels available is in the app so you can check to see if your program is on one of those channels.

Tunity does not work with local programming so you won't be able to listen to a local newscast or a syndicated program being shown on a local channel. However if the program is a national broadcast such as Sunday Night Football on NBC, an NCAA game on CBS, or the Super Bowl, you can access those type programs through Tunity by scanning the local picture on the screen.

The app connects to the four network stations in New York City and provides you with that audio. This won't work on normal network programs like American Idol or The Big Bang Theory unless you are located in the Eastern or Central time zones. Those programs are shown in the east two hours ahead of the same broadcast in Denver for example or three hours before being shown in California.

Another use of the app is to boost a single user's audio if TV is being watched in a crowded and noisy room. Pop in your headset and you can make the TV as loud as you want.

Overall I think Tunity works well and deserves a look. It won't be for everyone but I think lots of you will find it will come in quite handy.

Source: http://ift.tt/1todcuW

LifeBox for iPhone is strange and addictive

I'm not quite sure how to describe LifeBox (free until Mid-January). It's a bit like the infamous Pet Rock of years ago or the more recent Tamagotchi. It just sits there, but unlike the Pet Rock, little stories unfold over time in tiny animated boxes. When you start, the app creates five boxes with animated stick figures inside. As you watch them, they will do entertaining things, but you can't really interact with them in any way.

You can move the boxes, add or delete boxes, even add wallpaper from your photo library as backgrounds. There are 15 different kinds of boxes, and when you select them you'll get a description of what's going on inside. You can get help from the app, and it gives you the basics of adding and subtracting things on your screen.

A US$1.99 in app purchase gives you colored boxes.

This is the kind of app that will excite some people and leave others scratching their heads.

The size of the app, 350 MB, tells you there is more here than meets the casual eye. Just stay with the animations and watch for interesting things to happen. They won't happen right away. Feature-wise the app is pretty sparse. You can mail or send your screen to social media, but the shared image is not animated so the charm is lost.

I liked LifeBox because it is original, and isn't what it appears at first. I saw a few bugs. For example, when adding a new box the app reported it couldn't do it, but then it did.

It didn't run well on my iPad Air 2. The app seemed stuck and didn't want to launch. It's not a universal app and I guess they mean it.

LifeBox requires iOS 7 or later. It's optimized for the iPhone 5 and 6 series of hardware. While it says it will run on an iPad, I couldn't get it to run at all so be forewarned. That's life, I guess.

Source: http://ift.tt/1tnNEhz

Class action lawsuit filed against Apple over large iOS storage requirements

Apple is facing a newly-filed class action lawsuit which alleges the company doesn't properly warn customers about the storage requirements of for iOS 8. The lawsuit -- filed by William Anderson of the Washington, D.C. based firm Cuneo, Gilbert, & Laduca -- claims the installation can take up to 23.1 percent of the total storage of a device.

At the heart of the complaint is Apple's promotion of its own, paid, iCloud storage service when users run out of memory. The complaint, found by SiliconBeat, claims this marketing hits users at their most important and personal moments.

Using these sharp business tactics, defendant gives less storage capacity than advertised, only to offer to sell that capacity in a desperate moment, e.g., when a consumer is trying to record or take photos at a child or grandchild's recital, basketball game or wedding.

The suite is being filed in California. Of course this problem could be pretty easily fixed if Apple would simply abandon its stingy 16GB storage bottom level.

Source: http://ift.tt/1zxFN38

Designer uses her nose and an Apple Trackpad to create these incredible compositions

Designer Michelle Vandy had to get creative with her tools when she lost the use of her hands after developing a repetitive stress injury in her arms. In a profile by Core77, Vandy explains how she learned to draw and design using her nose and an Apple Magic Trackpad.

I was sitting in my room late one evening fiddling around with this external touchpad I had lying on my desk and without thinking, lifted it up to eye level and touched it with my nose. "Click". I tried swiping too - it worked! I opened up photoshop with shaking fingers, hadn't opened it in months! I had a few more goes holding the trackpad to my nose and swiping left and right, up and down and the movements felt strangely natural to me.

Vany uses a combination of a Manfrotto tripod, a Magic Trackpad and a tripod plate with velcro strips to attach the trackpad to the mount. It didn't take long for her to adapt to her new way of drawing, and the results are stunning.

You can read more about her story on her website, www.looknohands.me, and check out her painting demo in the YouTube video below.

Daily iPhone Blog

Today’s iPad / iPad mini Retina wallpapers 31/12/2014 Posted: 31 Dec 2014 08:30 AM PST You can download today's iPad/iPad mini Retina Wallpapers from our new iPad / iPad mini Retina gallery. Enjoy! Note: Did you know that we update our iPhone 3GS , iPhone 4S / iPhone4 , iPad/ iPad2 and New iPad / iPad mini Retina wallpaper galleries once / day? You can find the latest wallpapers in the sidebar, so make sure to check that out every time you visit us!

Today’s iPad 2 / iPad wallpapers 31/12/2014 Posted: 31 Dec 2014 06:30 AM PST You can download today's iPad and iPad2 Wallpapers from our iPad / iPad2 Wallpaper gallery. Enjoy! Note: Did you know that we update our iPhone 3GS , iPhone 4S / iPhone4 , iPad / iPad2 and iPad / iPad mini Retina wallpaper galleries once / day? You can find the latest wallpapers in the sidebar, so make sure to check that out every time you visit us!

Today’s iPhone 5 / 5C / 5S wallpapers 31/12/2014 Posted: 31 Dec 2014 04:30 AM PST You can download today's iPhone 5 / 5C / 5S Wallpapers from our iPhone 5 / 5C / 5S Wallpaper gallery. Enjoy! Note: Did you know that we update our iPhone 3GS , iPhone 4S / iPhone 4 , iPhone 5 / 5C / 5S, iPad / iPad2 and iPad / iPad mini Retina wallpaper galleries once / day? You can find the latest wallpapers in the sidebar, so make sure to check that out every time you visit us!

Today’s iPhone 4S / iPhone 4 wallpapers 31/12/2014 Posted: 31 Dec 2014 02:30 AM PST You can download todays iPhone 4S / iPhone 4 Wallpapers from our iPhone 4 Wallpaper gallery. Enjoy! Note: Did you know that we update our iPhone 3GS , iPhone 4S / iPhone4 , iPad/ iPad2 and iPad / iPad mini Retina wallpaper galleries once / day? You can find the latest wallpapers in the sidebar, so make sure to check that out every time you visit us!

Today’s iPhone wallpapers 31/12/2014 Posted: 31 Dec 2014 12:30 AM PST You can download todays iPhone 3G / 3GS Wallpapers from our iPhone 3GS Wallpaper gallery. Enjoy! Note: Did you know that we update our iPhone 3GS , iPhone 4S / iPhone4 , iPad/ iPad2 and iPad / iPad mini Retina wallpaper galleries once / day? You can find the latest wallpapers in the sidebar, so make sure to check that out every time you visit us!