3D Touch

Poison Maps makes great use of 3D Touch gestures

Poison Maps, a cool map app in the App Store based on the OpenStreetMap database, takes a novel approach to 3D Touch gestures versus most other 3D Touch-enabled apps, which makes it uniquely useful for navigating.

On non-iPhone 6s devices, the app takes advantage of the patent-pending Context Pan gesture letting you pan large distances by using a single touch of a finger instead of the usual two-fingered pinch-zoom gesture.

On devices without 3D Touch, however, context zooming and context panning is implemented using a long touch to control how far the map zooms out, rather then using the force of the press, as shown in a video demonstration further below.

Tumblr app updated with support for Live Photos

Yahoo-owned Tumblr today rolled out a major update to its iPhone, iPod touch and iPad application in the App Store, bringing out official support for Live Photos, introducing 3D Touch Home screen shortcuts and a few other enhancements. Tumblr 5.0 for iOS also makes its messaging feature available to everyone today, lets you send a post to any Tumblr and toss it with the tap of a button.

Product Hunt overhauls iOS app, adds audio player, live chatting, 3D Touch support and more

Product Hunt, a Y Combinator-backed website and mobile app for sharing and discovering new products, on Thursday received a major 3.0 update in the App Store, its biggest update since the app was introduced over a year ago.

Featuring a brand new design, Product Hunt now includes live chat and a built-in audio player for listening to podcasts. An expanded search feature lets you zero in on apps, websites, gadgets, games, podcasts and books—and you can now search Product Hunt within iOS's Spotlight feature.

But that's just tip of the iceberg as Product Hunt 3.0 packs in new profile pages, expanded Collections features, enhanced product pages and much more.

Pixelmator updated with support for iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and 3D Touch

Just two days after Pixelmator for Mac got updated with several new features, the iOS edition of the app has received a major update in the App Store this morning.

Pixelmator 2.2 now works great on the iPad Pro and takes full advantage of Apple's $99 Pencil stylus accessory. In addition, Pixelmator now includes full support for 3D Touch gestures on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

This webpage lets you use 3D Touch as a scale

When the iPhone 6s first debuted with 3D Touch, there were a few apps created that served as weighing scales. The apps would use the iPhone 6s' screen pressure sensitivity to translate pressure into a loosely accurate measurement of weight.

Unsurprisingly, Apple frowned upon using 3D Touch in that manner, and any such apps submitted to the App Store were removed or rejected.

Recently, another method for weighing objects using 3D Touch has appeared—the web. Obviously, Apple can't enforce its restrictions on the open web, so you're free to visit the website to inaccurately weigh objects until your heart's content.

You can now add to-dos to Google’s Calendar app using a new Reminders feature and 3D Touch

Google's standalone Calendar app was released in the App Store in March of 2105 and today the software is getting some interesting new features: Reminders, 3D Touch support and a cool Star Wars skin for those who have opted to join either the Dark or Light side of the Force at google.com/starwars. Reminders in Google Calendar make it easier to keep track of your to-dos alongside your events—in one place, no need to juggle between different apps.

Starbucks app gets 3D Touch quick actions

Several major apps have added 3D Touch support earlier today. Wunderlist and LinkedIn, for example, have brought out support for Home screen shortcuts and Peek and Pop gestures within the app with 3D Touch. And now, Starbucks has issued a similarly-themed update to its iPhone application in the App Store.

With Starbucks 3.3.4 for iOS, you can press the app's Home screen icon lightly on your iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus to bring up a 3D Touch menu with several quick actions: Nearby Stores, Order, Reload Card and Pay.

Chrome for iOS gains 3D Touch shortcuts and support for more Bluetooth keyboard shortcuts

Google today updated its Chrome browser for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad in the App Store with two new feature additions: 3D Touch shortcuts on the Home screen via the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus and expanded support for shortcuts when the app is used with a Bluetooth keyboard.

Pressing firmly on Chrome's Home screen icon on your iPhone 6s will now bring up a 3D Touch menu with Voice Search, New Incognito Tab and New Tab options.

Sketchy report calls for iPhone 7 with USB-C, dual cameras, Touch ID-integrated screen & more

A sketchy rumor originating from sources in China has it that Apple is currently experimenting with at least five different iPhone 7 configurations, each with its own unique hardware characteristics.

Some of the features Apple is reportedly testing out for the next iPhone include a USB Type-C connector compatible with wireless headsets, wireless charging, multi-touch-capable Force Touch technology, dual cameras and a next-generation Touch ID technology embedded within the display.

These hacks enable custom Apple Watch faces and 3D Touch gestures on iPad Pro via Apple Pencil

watchOS 2, the operating system powering Apple's wearable gizmo, includes support for third-party complications on select watch faces designed to support them.

But as far as watch faces themselves go, users are limited to a handful of built-in styles as Apple's software development kit (SDK) doesn't allow for downloadable watch faces yet.

As it turns out, a quick hack that prolific iOS developer Hamza Sood posted on Twitter back in August (no, it didn't fly under our radar) gets around Apple's limitations and permits unofficial development and installation of custom faces for Apple's wearable device.

And earlier this morning, Sood also posted another hack which brings 3D Touch Peek and Pop gestures to the iPad Pro via the Apple Pencil's pressure sensing technology.

Amazon Video for iOS gets X-Ray, 3D Touch and multitasking support & more

Amazon pushed a nice update to its video-streaming app in the App Store this morning. Amazon Video version 3.3 now includes 3D Touch shortcuts on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus Home screen for quick access to the following features: Library, Downloads, your Watchlist and Search.

In addition, the app is now fully optimized for the iPad Pro and supports iOS 9's new Picture in Picture mode and Slide Over multitasking on supported devices.

Microsoft updates OneDrive for iOS with 3D Touch shortcuts on Home screen

Windows maker Microsoft today updated its cloud-storage client for iOS, OneDrive, with a trio of new features.

For starters, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus owners can now quickly access their most recently used files by pressing OneDrive's Home screen icon lightly to bring up a menu providing direct access to their recent files.

Additionally, scoped folder search for personal OneDrive accounts is now back by popular demand and business users will appreciate support for Microsoft's Intone mobile app management service.