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Google’s $35 Chromecast has been on a roll lately, adding support for a plethora of new apps and services. VLC users will be happy to know that they aren’t being forgotten, with VideoLAN recently confirming in a forum post that Chromecast support is underway for the iOS app, with Mac, Windows, and Linux coming a little further down the line. If that just brightened your day, wait until you read today’s recap!
Apple Details OS X Yosemite Design Changes in WWDC Video
If last week’s WWDC 2014 keynote whetted your appetite for a closer look at OS X Yosemite, Apple has just what you’re looking for. MacRumors reported Monday that Apple has posted the minute-long “The New Look of OS X Yosemite” video shown during the June 2 keynote, which focuses on the latest Mac operating system’s new desktop translucency while highlighting features such as AirDrop, Finder, Messages, and Notification Center. OS X Yosemite will be released this fall, and we’re sure to see even more of it over the summer.
Skype Announces iPhone Redesign, Available Next Week
The Skype Blog announced Monday that an all-new, “remastered” version of the company’s iPhone app is set to debut in the App Store “in about a week,” with a similar reboot also in the works for iPad as well. Version 5.0 promises to be “the most refined version yet,” with a “consistent look and feel with the Windows Phone and Android apps” and a speed overhaul said to be more than five times faster than the existing version. The iPhone app is also said to be smarter about syncing notifications between different devices and computers. Can’t wait for the new version? Skype has posted a closer look on its website, which will have to satisfy you for now.
Macphun Serves Up Creative Kit Plus Bundle Until June 22
The folks at Macphun are kicking off summer with a new Creative Kit Plus bundle offering $260 worth of Mac software for only $99.99. Available between now and Sunday, June 22, the bundle includes the company’s popular Intensify Pro, Snapheal Pro, and Focus 2 Pro applications along with a one-year Premium membership to photo contest service ViewBug. The first 500 customers will also receive a free copy of Macphun’s next app, which is due for release later this summer and is very hush-hush for the time being. You’re just a few clicks away from unlimited creative possibilities, so why not take the plunge on the Macphun website today?
South African App Store Begins Accounting for 14 Percent Tax
According to tipster Brandon Walker, Apple has started collecting Value Added Tax (VAT) on the South African App Store at a rate of 14 percent. The change was announced in an iTunes Connect email to developers on Sunday, which was expected to take effect within 24 hours. “Price adjustments on the App Store are made periodically due to changes in foreign tax rates,” the brief email reads, referring to a June 2 update to Apple’s Contracts, Tax and Banking agreements. If there’s anyone reading in South Africa, your iTunes dollar won’t stretch quite as far as it used to…
Flickr Abandons Facebook, Google Logins
Using Facebook or Google logins to sign into Yahoo-owned Flickr? Not anymore. According to a March 6 staff post in the official Flickr Help Forum, users have had several months to get used to the change, which has now finally started rolling out. “Starting this month, we will be requesting that everyone use a Yahoo username and password to sign in to Flickr,” the post reads, adding that Facebook and Google users will be prompted to create a Yahoo username when accessing their Flickr account. A tad inconvenient, but not surprising considering Yahoo’s recent moves to reestablish themselves as a major internet player.
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