Apple Releases Several Updates To iOS Apps

After iOS 6 and an update to Mountain Lion, Apple today proceeded to release updates to some of its iOS applications. We’ve collected them all in this post, so you can have an easily digestible list of every update released today.

Apple’s Podcasts app (our original review) got a big update today. Version 1.1 brings iOS 6 support, and subscription syncing across devices with iCloud. There’s a new setting to choose to download new episodes automatically on WiFi, and pull to refresh for iOS 6. To enable sync, you’ll be asked if you want to keep subscriptions in sync through your Apple ID.

From my tests, I have noticed the app keeps the subscription list in sync, but not other podcast information, like Downcast does.

Podcasts 1.1

Automatically keep your podcast subscriptions up-to-date between devices using iCloud

A new setting to choose to automatically download new episodes only when on Wi-Fi

A new setting to choose whether to play episodes by oldest to newest or newest to oldest

Pull to refresh a subscription to check for new episodes on iOS 6

Additional performance and stability improvements

Find my iPhone reaches version 2.0 today, bringing support for the Lost Mode we’ve already detailed in our iCloud.com coverage. Interestingly, the new Find My iPhone lets you skip the process of logging in with your account credentials every time if the iCloud account is the same used on the device. You can stay logged in on iOS 6, and as long as Passcode is enabled.

As a side note, because of iOS 6, maps are rendered with Apple’s new Maps on iOS 6. On iCloud.com, Apple is still using Google Maps.

Find My iPhone 2.0

Lost Mode

Battery Charge Indicator

Forever Login

Keynote 1.6.2 adds support for iOS 6.

Keynote 1.6.2

Support for iOS 6

Ability to open a presentation in another app

GarageBand received a very notable update today. The app can now officially create ringtones and alerts for iOS devices, in what will probably turn out to be a very popular feature after today. The app can now properly import songs from the Music library, and, for whoever likes using GarageBand to record music on the iPad, you can now use it in the background while running other apps – the latter ism a huge addition that will change the recording workflows of many.

GarageBand 1.3

Create custom ringtones and alerts for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Import songs from the Music library on your iOS device

Play or record with GarageBand in the background while using other apps

Addresses a number of minor issues related to overall performance and stability

Find My Friends was updated to version 2.0. This update brings location alerts for iOS 6, so you can receive a notification when, say, your kids arrive at school or your wife leaves the office. Find My Friends can now also notify others about your location.

Find My Friends 2.0

Location-based alerts (requires iOS 6)

Friend Suggestions

Favorites

Cards 2.0 adds support for the iPad, six new letterpress holiday cards design, and other enhancements.

Cards 2.0

Universal app with native support for iPad

Six beautiful new letterpress holiday card designs

New layouts support up to 3 photos on a single card

Mail customized cards to up to 12 recipients in the same order

Images in iPhoto can be shared directly to Cards

Automatic image sharpening improves print quality

Enhanced Card History view on iPad

Improvements to address verification

Improvements to the checkout process

iPhoto’s 1.1 update is substantial. The new version brings iPod touch compatibility (4th gen and later), support for larger photos, and many, many feature additions and fixes.

iPhoto 1.1

Added support for iPod touch (4th generation and later)

Coaching tips have been added to the Help system on the iPhone and iPod touch

Effects now include six new Apple-designed ink effects such as Chalk and Palette Knife

Images up to 36.5 megapixels are now supported*

Full resolution photos can now be imported via iTunes File Sharing

Tag albums can be created by adding custom tags to photos

“Updating Library” alert appears less frequently

Multiple photos can now be saved to the Camera Roll at one time

Cropping presets now use detected faces to determine composition

Tilt-shift and gradient effects can now be rotated

Facebook sharing now supports single sign-on in Settings

Comments can be added more easily when posting photos to Facebook

Videos can be uploaded to Facebook

Locations and friend tags can now be set when posting photos to Facebook

Comments and locations can be set on individual photos when sharing a group of photos to Facebook

Any photo previously posted to Facebook can be more easily replaced with a more current version

A notification is now displayed when an upload to Facebook completes in the background

Photos can now be shared directly to Cards, iMovie, and other supporting apps

Journals now include new layout options

Fonts and alignment of text in journal items can be modified

New style and color options are available for Note and Memory items in journals

Journal Note and Memory items can now be resized

Dividers can be added to break journal pages into sections to control the reflow of layouts

A new Swap mode makes it easier to change the placement of items in a journal layout

You can now place a pin on a journal map when no location data is present

Links to journals can now be shared directly to Facebook and Twitter, and via Messages

Links to remote journals can now be shared even if the journal was created on another device

A new Publish Changes button provides control over when to update your journal

An overlay displaying month and year now appears when scrolling in Photos view

Photos can now be sorted by date and can be filtered using new criteria

Photos view now includes a Power Scroll strip for high-speed scrolling

Grid of thumbnails can now be expanded to multiple rows in portrait orientation

iMovie gets a 1.4 update today. Alongside three new trailers, you can now also add photos to a trailer (and animate them) and play clips in the video browser before adding them to a project. 1080p uploading is also supported for uploading now.

iMovie 1.4

Three new trailers — Adrenaline, Coming of Age, and Teen

Add photos to any trailer and have them automatically animate with the Ken Burns effect

On iPad, open the Precision Editor to create split audio edits

Play clips in the Video Browser before adding them to your project

Create a slideshow by sharing photos from iPhoto for iOS

Tap the help icon to display Coaching tips

1080p HD upload resolution is now available for sharing to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and CNN iReport

Audio recordings captured in a project now appear in the Audio Browser for easy access

Remote, AirPort Utility, iAd Gallery, Numbers, and iTunes Movie Trailers were all updated with iOS 6 support as well.