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Apple Launches “Designed for iOS 7” App Store Section

Following the public launch of iOS 7 earlier today, Apple has now launched a new section on the App Store aimed at showcasing apps that have been redesigned and updated to take advantage of iOS 7.

The section, called “Designed for iOS 7” can be accessed by opening the front page of the App Store on any iOS device. At the moment of writing this, the section collects 45 iPhone and iPad apps that have been updated for iOS 7, including big names like Evernote, TED, and OpenTable, as well as apps from independent developers like Twitterrific, Reeder 2, Pocket Casts 4, and Perfect Weather.

Today, Apple is also promoting individual iOS 7 apps on the front page of the App Store with custom banners and links to other iOS 7-related sections, such as Newsstand apps.

Back in July, I wondered how Apple would promote apps made for iOS 7:

Apple isn’t new to custom sections and features for apps that have been enhanced for new system features, OS releases, or new devices. iOS 7, however, will effectively split the App Store in two: apps that were built before iOS 7, and those from developers who care about supporting this major change. This wouldn’t be a problem if every app on the App Store was updated regularly; unfortunately, cleaning the App Store’s back catalogue isn’t a new topic of discussion – today, there are apps on the Store that haven’t been updated in 2 or 3 years (I found apps last updated in 2008) and that will likely remain unchanged with iOS 7. Does Apple want to treat those “classic” apps in the same way that modern iOS 7 apps should be treated?

Apple isn’t new to custom, curated sections on the App Store, and it’ll be interesting to see how they will continue to promote iOS 7 apps over time and organize search results to highlight apps that have been updated in recent months.

You can view the “Designed for iOS 7” section here. Our coverage of iOS 7-ready apps can be found here. Read more

Instapaper 5.0: Sorting and Filtering Options, Tweaked Interface for iOS 7

The first major update since the app was sold by original founder and developer Marco Arment to Betaworks earlier this year, Instapaper 5.0 has been released today on the App Store as a free update for existing owners of the app. Instapaper 5.0 doesn’t add any new major functionality to the app, which is still largely similar to the version 4.0 that was first released two years ago. Betaworks made the app ready for iOS 7, polished the interface, and added some new minor functionalities that, however, nicely complement the reading experience. I’ve been testing Instapaper for the past week on my iPhone 5 and iPad mini running the iOS 7 GM seed. Read more

Pocket Adds Instant Sync, Improved Reading Experience with iOS 7 Update

Pocket for iOS 7

Pocket for iOS 7

When Read It Later relaunched as Pocket last year, I was intrigued by the service’s focus on allowing users to “save everything for later”. In the months that followed, Pocket received a native Mac app, better browser extensions, deeper integration with iOS apps thanks to a new SDK, and started expanding to more devices and OSes, following Nate Weiner’s original strategy to bring Pocket to as many platforms as possible. Today, Pocket is updating its iOS app to take advantage of iOS 7 and ensuring that content is always available on an iPhone or iPad, even if the app isn’t running. The new Pocket is a good example of developers using the new iOS 7 APIs to enhance existing apps. Read more

iOS 7: Tips, Tricks, and Details

iOS 7 is a major redesign of Apple’s mobile operating system that, alongside a fresh new look, comes with dozens of new features like Control Center, new multitasking, new Notification Center, and improved browsing experience in Safari. At the same time, together with all the most visible additions and user features, there are hundreds of details, tricks, and hidden functionalities that you can take advantage of to get more out of iOS 7.

At MacStories, we enjoy finding all the little gems that come with a brand new iOS version each year. In this post, you’ll find 100 tips, tricks, and details of iOS 7 that we’ve collected throughout the summer since the first beta release of iOS 7.

For more iOS 7 coverage, check out our news hub and Federico’s Living with iOS 7 article. Read more

Living with iOS 7

iOS 7, released today, is a deep reimagination of Apple’s mobile platform: using familiarity and the need for a reset as catalysts, iOS 7 represents Apple’s attempt to make iOS ready for the future. iOS 7 is, effectively, the epitome of a large company that knows it’s time to get rid of cruft and inconsistencies to bring a new order to a platform that has grown exponentially in the past five years. For developers, iOS 7 brings powerful new tools that will allow for a new generation of more flexible, intelligent, and versatile apps. iOS 7 is not perfect: there are rough spots and some wrong assumptions, but it’s not flawed or, as many will argue in the next few weeks, a “mistake”. It would be extremely silly and shortsighted to judge iOS 7 by the look of its application icons or the gradients Apple has decided to use on some graphics. More than any other Apple product, iOS 7 isn’t just defined but how it looks: iOS 7’s new look is devoted to functionality – to how things work.

It’s difficult for me to offer a comprehensive review of iOS 7 today, because I have only been able to test a fraction of the third-party apps I will use on a daily basis with my iPhone and iPad mini. Mirroring the concept of “design is how it works”, I would say that, for me, iOS isn’t just how Apple’s apps work on it – it’s increasingly become about how apps from third-party developers can take advantage of it.

I have been running iOS 7 on my iPhone 5 since Apple released the first beta in June. I later installed the OS on my iPad mini, and have been working with an iOS 7-only setup ever since. As MacStories readers know, I primarily work from my iOS devices, which helped me get a good idea of how iOS 7 will change the way I write, take photos, respond to emails, listen to music and podcasts, and all the other things that I use iOS for.[1] Fortunately, I had the chance to test a good amount of third-party apps that solidified my thoughts on iOS 7 and the way it impacts my digital life and workflow.

It was also hard to get ahold of fellow iOS 7 users in my town. While I imagine that it would be easier to come across a nerd running an iOS 7 beta at a bar in San Francisco, I didn’t have much luck in Viterbo, Italy. I tested new features like AirDrop – which allows you to share files and information locally with other iOS 7 devices – with my iPhone and iPad, and, in the past week, managed to convince my girlfriend to install iOS 7 on her iPhone.

I needed to provide this context: my livelihood directly depends on iOS and how I can work from my iPhone and iPad without having to use my Mac. Therefore, if you’re looking for a list of new features and smaller details of iOS 7 (and there are many), bookmark this article. My “review” of iOS 7 will focus on my thoughts on the update, how it made my iPhone and iPad better devices, and what I believe iOS’ future will be going forward.
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Instacast 4: Revamped for iOS 7

While Instacast 3 had a bumpy start, in time it matured into a solid app. Not only were the kinks worked out, but the new syncing engine enabled Vemedio to later launch a brand new version of Instacast for Macs running Mountain Lion. Together, this makes Instacast one of only three apps that can sync and play podcasts across desktops and iOS devices (the other two being Apple’s Podcasts + iTunes, and Downcast).

Intacast 4 is by far Vemedio’s best version of Instacast yet, and it’s a free update to those who’ve already purchased Instacast 3. Not only has the app been updated to adopt the look and feel of Apple’s translucency and flat iconography, it’s been significantly improved with the introduction of a sidebar and simpler now playing controls. Significant sounds funny, especially in light of a sidebar, but it makes Instacast much easier to navigate, less cluttered, and all around much more friendly to newcomers. Read more

OmniOutliner 2: Refined for iOS 7, Now With External Keyboard Support

When OmniOutliner originally launched on the iPad, I remember spending a lot of time figuring out its nuances, going so far as creating a tutorial so people could see how to customize documents and organize their outlines. While it won’t replace your spreadsheets, it will organize your data under collapsible headings and columns that neatly keeps related piece of information in their place. It works well as an alternative mind mapping tool, for students who are taking notes, or for someone creating that big holiday wish list. Read more

OmniFocus 2 for iPhone: Background Sync and a Bold Redesign

When I pictured what OmniFocus 2 for the iPhone would look like on iOS 7, I pictured simplified monotone icons in a table-view structure that the app has had since it was first released. The reason is probably because when I think of OmniFocus I think of powerful and quality software, however a bold interface is not a characteristic that would ever come to mind. When I opened OmniFocus 2 for the first time, I was shocked. Not to sound dramatic – I did not fall out of my chair – but it honestly took me a few seconds to absorb what I was looking at. Read more

Screens 3 Review

Edovia’s Screens is a MacStories favorite because it’s so ridiculously easy to use. In short, Screens lets you access your Mac or PC from your touchscreen iOS device. You can remotely connect to any of your computers, launch apps, and remotely control your personal computers at home or across the Internet. It’s great for troubleshooting a friend’s computer, accessing headless servers, or simply for moving important documents into Dropbox when you’ve forgotten to do so before heading to work.

For Screens 3, I tested the app with a desktop PC running Windows 8 and a MacBook Air running OS X Mountain Lion. Connecting to a Mac is pretty straightforward, but connecting to a PC can be tricky depending on its configuration.

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