iOS 8

PDF Expert 5 and Documents 5 updated with iCloud Drive, Touch ID and other enhancements

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 28, 2014

Yesterday, Ukrainian developer Readdle released a pretty big update to its PDF Expert 5 and Documents 5, apps that let you edit, annotate and manage PDFs and other documents on your iPhone and iPad.

I wanted to share a few key improvements with you quickly because the app's now a showcase example of how iOS 8 enables a whole new level of inter-app integration.

A free update to existing owners, PDF Expert 5.2 features a number of enhancements, including a few iOS 8 exclusives such as support for iCloud Drive document storage and Touch ID authentication to unlock the app instead of a regular passcode.

FitPort wants to be your health & fitness dashboard

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 26, 2014

I briefly touched upon FitPort in my article about HealthKit apps. The app debuted today as the App Store's first HealthKit-enabled application following yesterday's iOS 8.0.2 software update that fixed a bug in iOS 8.0 which prevented HealthKit apps from functioning properly.

Created by Flask, FitPort isn't yet another daily activity, health and fitness tracker, but a wannabe replacement for Apple's stock Health app in iOS 8.

Having spent an hour or so playing with it, I can safely conclude that FitPort deserves your attention so let me discuss it in greater detail.

Apple no longer signing iOS 7.1.2, closing the downgrade window

Cody Lee ∙ September 26, 2014

Apple has finally ceased signing iOS 7.1.2 today, notes hacker iH8sn0w, more than a week after releasing iOS 8 . This means that you can no longer downgrade to the older firmware from iOS 8.x, or upgrade to it from older versions.

This is a big deal for jailbreakers, as 7.1.2 is the latest firmware that can be jailbroken, and there won't be one on iOS 8 for the foreseeable future. But it also affects average users too, as those not happy with iOS 8 can no longer revert.

How to refresh the App Store app

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated February 6, 2017

Have you ever ventured into the App Store expecting a new update, only to find that the update has not yet appeared? Since the App Store has no refresh button, I used to force close the app, and reopen it to check for new updates.

There’s an even easier way to refresh the App Store. I’m not sure if it was purposely done, or if it’s a bug, or what. All I know is that this refresh trick works on iOS 8 and newer versions of the software, but it doesn’t appear to work on lesser firmware.

Inside, I’ll show you how to quickly refresh the App Store and check for new updates in a flash. Check out the video.

How to customize or hide contacts shown in the App Switcher

Sébastien Page ∙ September 26, 2014

Along with iOS 8, Apple introduced a new feature in the App Switcher that allows you to have quick access to your recently contacted contacts, as well as your favorite contacts. In essence, this is a great feature that can save you time, but it arguably also is a feature that has nothing to do in the App Switcher to begin with. What if you only want to see your favorites in there? Or what if you don't want to see any contact at all in the App Switcher? There is a solution.

In this post, we'll show you how to select what kind of contacts you want to show in the App Switcher (favorites and/or recents) or how to hide these contacts altogether.

MyFitnessPal brings its data to iOS 8’s Health app in latest update

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 26, 2014

As Apple earlier this morning began approving HealthKit-powered apps following yesterday's release of the iOS 8.0.2 software update, makers of health and fitness software, life-tracking programs and food intake tracking apps are now releasing updates adding HealthKit compatibility.

Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker, a free of charge iPhone and iPad app by MyFitnessPal, has been bumped to version 5.6.6, for example.

Taking advantage of Apple’s HealthKit in iOS 8 which makes it easy for supported health and fitness apps to work together and share data through the stock Health app, the refreshed MyFitnessPal app now lets you add your meal summaries and sync your weight with HealthKit, as well as add excercices from other HealthKit-enabled apps to your diary.

GoodReader updated for iOS 8 with iCloud Drive and Handoff, native iPhone 6 and 6 Plus support

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 26, 2014

GoodReader, a robust PDF reader for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, has received an update Friday bringing out support for a pair of distinct new features in iOS 8: Handoff and iCloud Drive.

Handoff lets you continue reading on an iPad right where you left off on an iPhone or iPod touch, and vice versa. Moreover, if you run iOS 8 and have upgraded to iCloud Drive, GoodReader can now import documents stored in it.

And because the app now uses iOS 8’s standard iCloud Drive picker, you can easily access other online storage services that have advertised their Document Provider extension system-wide, such as Dropbox.

Following iOS 8.0.2 release, Apple starts approving HealthKit apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 26, 2014

Friday, first HealthKit-enabled applications began appearing on the App Store following the iOS 8.0.2 release which, among other improvements, contains a fix for a bug which has prevented HealthKit apps from being approved in the first place.

As first spotted by 9to5Mac this morning, fitness and health related applications for the iPhone and iPad are now being approved with HealthKit compatibility following yesterday’s iOS 8.0.2 release.

Apple releases iOS 8.0.2 with fix for cellular and Touch ID issues

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated May 15, 2023

Apple released iOS 8.0.2 to the public Thursday night, addressing issues that iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users encountered when updating to iOS 8.0.1, as well as several other improvements and bug fixes. The update is available for iPad 2 and newer models, iPhone 4s and newer models, as well as iPod touch 5th generation via an over-the-air update or directly through iTunes.

iOS 8.0.2 fixes a critical issue where iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who updated to iOS 8.0.1 on Wednesday lost cellular signal and the ability to use Touch ID. It also addresses a HealthKit bug that prevented apps supporting the new APIs to function properly, as well as several other bugs.

FBI director says he’s ‘very concerned’ about new privacy features in iOS 8

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

The FBI is very concerned with the new privacy features Apple is touting in iOS 8, the organization's director James Comey told The Huffington Post on Thursday. In particular, he's concerned the company is marketing something "expressly to allow people to place themselves above the law."

Comey's remarks follow Apple's move last week to be more transparent and informative about its user privacy policies. In a new webpage on the topic, the Cupertino firm said it no longer stores encryption keys for devices running iOS 8, meaning it can't bypass pass codes—even under subpoena.

Afterlight gains iOS 8 photo extensions, manual camera control, iPhone 6 support and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Afterlight by Afterlight Collective, Inc, an urban iPhone photographer's dream app, was refreshed Thursday for iOS 8, bringing its set of accessible editing tools and powerful filters to the stock Photos app, while enabling manual camera control and additional perks.

Other new features in this release, which is available as a free update to those who've previously purchased the 99-cent iPhone and iPad app, include the ability to share your fusion filters with friends via email, as well as native display support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

ProCamera gains iOS 8 manual control, brand new vividHDR feature and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 25, 2014

Camera+ isn't the only iPhone photography app vying for your attention today. ProCamera by Cocologics on Thursday received a major refresh for iOS 8 as well.

ProCamera 8, a free update for existing users, enables swipe exposure control on iOS 8 devices while bringing out the ability to set custom values for exposure time and ISO sensitivity, support for both recording and reproducing high framerate video via the built-in video player and more.

If you really need to boost your snaps with vivid colors and powerful contrasts, an optional vividHDR feature in partnership with Ittiam is available via a one-time $1.99 In-App Purchase.

ProCamera has always been a tremendously useful and capable mobile photography software. The new features released today have reinforced my long-held belief that ProCamera should be part of every photographer's arsenal.