Apps
The latest news on all your favorite apps.
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iHeartRadio's app now supports direct control of Sonos speakers
Streaming radio stations just became a bit more intuitive on Sonos speakers. In the wake of similar moves by Pandora, Spotify and Tidal, iHeartRadio's app now offers direct control over your Sonos audio system. You no longer have to fire up the Sonos app to listen to live radio, on-demand tunes and everything in between. And since this is a radio app, you don't need to sign in for freebies like radio, podcasts and playlist-based radio -- you only need it if you're a paying customer who wants access to everything.
Facebook Dating expands to Canada and Thailand
Facebook's quest to help singletons find love continues. After launching its Dating feature in Colombia in September, it's now rolling the service out to Canada and Thailand. And, presumably based on feedback from its Colombian users, it's adding a couple of new features.
Google Maps gets collision and speed trap reports in latest test
When Google bought Waze back in 2013 it was widely assumed it would only be a matter of time before some of the traffic app's more popular features made their way onto Maps. It's taken a while, but now it looks like Google is getting ready to add incident reports -- a move suggested by an APK teardown a few months back and, more recently, the appearance of the feature for some Maps users.
Spotify begins testing Apple Watch app
A year and a half later, Spotify is following through on its plans to make an official Apple Watch app. The streaming music provider has released a test version of its iOS client that includes a companion app for Apple's wearable. To call it basic would be an understatement, mind you. You can control playback from your phone, and that's about it -- for now, you'll have to set aside your dreams of listening to an offline playlist while you're at the gym.
Activision debuts 'Call of Duty' companion app for your phone
Call of Duty players can now take advantage of a companion app for Black Ops 4 and WWII on iOS and Android. It provides stats on your gameplay in Black Ops 4's multiplayer, Zombies and Blackout (i.e. battle royale) modes, and does the same for WWII's multiplayer, including War Mode.
Snapchat pushes voters toward the nearest polling place
Snap said its surprisingly successful voter registration campaign helped 418,000 people register in the space of a two-week period. Now, the ephemeral messaging app is following that up with an initiative that encourages those users (and other voters) to actually go to the polls. Starting today until November 6th, you'll be able to decorate your snaps with special Election-related face lenses and filters, including one that says "I Voted." According to Snap, they were designed to spread the word and encourage other users to vote, as well.
Google may offer a subscription service for Android apps
Many people aren't that fond of paying for mobile apps, but Google might have a simple solution: bundle it all in a subscription. XDA and Kieron Quinn have discovered both code references and a Google Opinion Rewards survey hinting at a "Play Pass" app subscription service. According to the survey, it might offer "hundreds of dollars" worth of apps and games for an unspecified monthly rate. There's no indication if or when Play Pass would go live, so don't count on giving it a spin just yet.
Blizzard esports app keeps you on top of league matches
BlizzCon is right around the corner, which means big tournaments are imminent -- and Blizzard unsurprisingly wants to be sure you can follow along. It just launched a Blizzard Esports app for Android and iOS that provides news, schedules, score and live viewing (including alerts) for competitive events in the developer's various franchises, such as the impending finale for the Overwatch World Cup. If you're stuck at work when the US team is taking on South Korea, you won't have to dig through news sites to get scores or tune in.
'Red Dead Redemption 2' launch comes with an update and an app
We're close to the launch of Red Dead Redemption 2, but even if you've already preloaded the game on your Xbox One or PlayStation 4, there are a couple things you might want to be aware of. First, Rockstar has confirmed that there is a "Day-One Title Update" -- if you downloaded then it should be installed already, disc owners will have to wait though. It won't be required for play at launch (remember, there's no multiplayer until a beta test starts in November), but is recommended. It's full of improvements and bug fixes, and if you can spare a few minutes before checking out some ultra realistic horse poops, then it's probably worthwhile. The patch measures at just over 3GB on both consoles.
RAW image editor merges the best parts of Photoshop and Lightroom
Image pros that work with RAW photos must often switch back and forth between Lightroom and Photoshop, first to adjust the look and then to do any layering or cleanup. FXhome, the company behind the YouTuber VFX program HitFilm, has just launched a $149 app called Imerge Pro that helps you avoid that juggling. It's "the world's first non-destructive RAW image compositor," the company claims, enabling you to load up your RAW photos and do all those chores in one app.
Snapchat helped register 418,000 US voters in two weeks
It's easy to be cynical when you hear about voter registration campaigns from social networks. How many people really sign up because of a digital nudge? Quite a few, apparently. Snap told the New York Times that its Snapchat campaign had helped 418,000 people register in the space of a two-week period, many of them in hotly contested states like Florida, Georgia, Ohio and Texas. The initiative had combined a registration button on users' profiles with snap videos asking them to register.
Google Assistant may soon have a web app for lists and notes
Google Assistant might soon have its own list- and note-taking functions instead of leaning on third-party apps. The 9to5Google team has sifted through the Google search app's code to discover an unannounced "Lists and Notes" web app for Assistant that lets you jot down important information to sync across devices. It's extremely basic (you can't do much more than add titles), but there's a degree of polish that suggests it's not just an experiment.
Google Play update enables smaller app installs
Google has implemented changes to the Play Store, which could translate to smaller applications that are much, much kinder to your phone's storage and memory. Earlier this year, it introduced a new app publishing format called Android App Bundle that allows the Play Store to install just what the application needs to function. Now Google has announced updates to the format during its annual Play Store event that can ensure apps are at least 8 percent smaller upon download.
Spotify Premium redesign borrows one of Pandora's best features
Spotify's been busy announcing a bunch of new features this week, including an app for Google's Wear OS and better direct uploads for artists -- and it's made some changes to Spotify Premium, too. Starting today, subscribers can enjoy streamlined navigation, personalized search and a feature called Endless Artist Radio.
Swarm's latest update brings it closer to its Foursquare roots
The line between the Swarm and Foursquare City Guide apps just blurred a little more. Foursquare has released Swarm 6.0 for Android and iOS, and its tentpole features will feel familiar if you're more used to browsing places than checking in. Most notably, you now have a Saved Places section that shows all the locations you've bookmarked on top of a "completely rebuilt" map. If you're new to the concept, it's effectively Pinterest for foodies and tourists -- you can browse your friends' lists (when they grant permission), and your own list will sync with the main Foursquare app.
Spotify releases official, and much-needed, app for Google's Wear OS
You'll now be able to bring your music volume down to one percent (when ads start) without having to take out your phone, as Spotify has announced a new app for Google Wear OS. That's not to say there was never a Spotify app for Android wearables. A Spotify app did launch for Android wear, but wasn't regularly updated. It got to the point that third-party apps were being released to give Android wear fans a more usable Spotify experience.
Skydio's follow-me drone takes commands from your Apple Watch
Skydio's highly autonomous R1 drone is already mostly hands-free. Now, however, you might not need something in your hands even when you do take control. It's releasing an Apple Watch app for the R1 that offers basic control in those moments when you'd rather not pull out your phone. You can tell it to follow one of the people it sees by tapping on a thumbnail, switch between cinematic modes and even turn the drone by spinning the crown. You won't be piloting the R1 with the same dexterity as on your phone, but it promises to be a lot faster for those moments when you just want to make a quick tweak to the flight path.
Adobe Photoshop CC for iPad promises 'real' mobile image editing
You might have noticed that Adobe's slew of announcements at its MAX conference made a reference to Photoshop CC coming for iPad. As it turns out, it's a pretty big announcement -- and it might just change how you edit images on the go. The upcoming release uses the same code as the desktop version to provide much of the same feature set (more on that later), just with an interface optimized for finger and pen input instead of a mouse. That includes "natural touch gestures," according to Adobe. If you can produce artwork on your computer, you can probably accomplish the same feat on Apple's tablet.
Pocket's redesigned app reads all your articles aloud with one tap
Mozilla's save-it-for-later Pocket app is about to become much more useful for uninterrupted reading... including those times when you don't want to look at a screen. The company is launching a redesigned Pocket 7.0 for Android, iOS and web whose centerpiece is non-stop listening. You now have to tap a single "listen" button to tune into spoken versions of all your saved articles -- handy if you're commuting home and can't stare at your phone. Appropriately, the Pocket team has added a "more human sounding" voice so that the experience is more enjoyable.
Waze's carpooling service is now available all over the US
Waze has gradually been expanding its Carpool app to states around the US, and now it's rolling out everywhere. From today, drivers and ride-seekers in all 50 states can use the app to save time and money getting around, while helping reduce congestion on the roads.