Apps

Coupons.com app gets native Passbook integration

Coupons.com today updated its iOS app to integrate with Apple's Passbook digital wallet service, something that previously required going through mobile Safari.

As part of the update, there's now an "add to Passbook" option next to coupons, which will spit the deal out to Apple's software app. Users previously had to navigate to that same link through Coupons' Web site, but the end result was the same.

Like before, when coupons get added they get an expiration date and instructions on the back for the cashier to redeem them. Not all coupons can be … Read more

How to improve sound quality in iTunes

While there are a number of media players and audio programs that can be used to play music through your Mac, iTunes being a library and content manager as well as a player that comes preinstalled on Mac systems makes it the most popular option out there. The program offers simple controls for sorting through music, generating playlists, and playing your music, but in addition there are some settings that can be used to greatly improve sound quality during playback.

The first of these is the Sound Enhancer setting in the iTunes preferences, which is activated by going to the … Read more

Google finally updates YouTube app for iPad, iPhone 5

Nearly three months after its debut on the iPhone and iPod Touch, Google has updated its standalone YouTube app for the first time, adding compatibility for the iPad and iPhone 5.

As part of an update today, the app is now universal and works on the three different screen sizes.

Other additions include support for video streaming over AirPlay, support for URLs within video descriptions, and what Google says are "videos that start faster and play more smoothly."

YouTube was once a built-in application on iOS from the very first iPhone. Apple removed it, along with Google Maps … Read more

eBay: Cyber Monday wasn't our biggest mobile day. Dec. 2 was

Turns out that Cyber Monday and Black Friday aren't the biggest online shopping days of the year, at least not for eBay.

The online auction site operator today revealed that Sunday, December 2 was the biggest mobile shopping day ever for eBay Marketplaces in the U.S. and PayPal globally.

That seems to defy conventional wisdom, but eBay says it actually makes a lot of sense.

Steve Yankovich, vice president of mobile at eBay, said that Sunday typically is a "day of relaxation," but because consumers always have their smartphones in hand, it's easy to shop … Read more

Mr. Ghost iPhone EMF detector for hunting hauntings

There's a vehicle I often see in my neighborhood with "TAPS" written on it. That stands for "The Albuquerque Paranormal Society." TAPS is known around the area for ghost hunts and tracking paranormal activity, like a homegrown, less governmental version of "The X-Files."

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it takes a lot of equipment to look for them. Rather than invest in a ton of gear like an electric charge detector, full-spectrum camcorder, night vision goggles, and an EVP mic, you can get started with ghost hunting for a $20 Mr. Ghost pledge on Kickstarter.… Read more

Facebook Android Messenger only needs name, phone number

Facebook today made a few tweaks to its Messenger feature, allowing Android users to create an account with just their name and phone number.

Unlike in the past, people now aren't required to have a Facebook account to access Messenger.

The move is a way for Facebook to reach a bigger audience, attracting people who don't already have Facebook accounts and getting them to gradually use more Facebook services. In addition, it could also become a way to increase the Facebook usage of existing members by giving them a way to communicate via Facebook with friends who aren'… Read more

Audiobooks HQ for iOS: 5,000+ audiobooks for under $2

I love audiobooks. Nothing makes a car ride faster or more pleasant than a good spoken-word book piping through the speakers.

That's why I've routinely championed smartphone-powered services like Audible, Audiobooks.com, Simply Audiobooks, and Tales2Go.

Now there's another app worth adding to your audiobook arsenal: Audiobooks HQ, which gives you access to more than 5,000 public-domain titles -- all for a measly $1.99.

The app connects you with two catalogs: the Globe Radio Repertory and Librivox. The former contains just four works (including "Don Quixote" and "Madame Bovary"), while the … Read more

Cunning fox grabs smartphone, sends text

The text message may be celebrating its 20th birthday today, but as far as we know, only one SMS has been sent by a fox in all those years. (And by fox, of course, we mean the mammal belonging to the Canidae family, not the mammal belonging to the hot-humans-with-phones family).

The text reads like so: "jlv l øi\a0ab 34348tu åaugjoi zølbmosdji jsøg ijio sjiw," which, as the multilingual among you may have already ascertained, is Norwegian fox speak. … Read more

Top streaming-radio apps for iOS and Android

There are tons of music-listening apps in both of the big app stores, but when you want to find new music, there's nothing better than a streaming-radio app. These apps are set up for browsing through stations and genres so you can get a fresh dose of new options based on the music you like.

The obvious choice here is an app like Pandora (free - iOS|Android), but there are a few I like that have other options that might appeal to different types of music listeners.… Read more