#TechAppThursday: Movie of the Day

Movie of the Day App

Who doesn't love movies? I know I do, especially movies that are on sale. Today, I want to highlight a great app for deals on movies (it's like Christmas everyday). Fox has created an app where they daily highlight one of their movies and best news of all that movie is discounted (each deal lasts 24 hours). Movies that have been discounted range from oldies like the Sound of Music to newer releases like Gone Girl and Fault in our Stars. Here are few examples of past deals:

Movie of the Day Preview

Since downloading this app about two months ago I have used it everyday. Remember, I love movies. Not one to check something everyday, it's ok the app has you covered. Movie of the Day will send a notification making you aware of the discounted movie (you can turn this feature on and off as you desire). 

Let's take a look at the app. When you open the app the first thing you see is the deal of that day.

Movie Deal of the Day

Along the right side of the app you will notice three white and blue circles. You can watch the trailer, share the deal with friends, or get more details about the movie like cast and crew, customer reviews, and the synopsis from iTunes. All the info is linked to iTunes and when you click to buy the movie you will be taken there for purchasing. Here is a glance of the additional screens in the app:

Additional Screens

Yes, this is a simple app and it serves is purpose well. If you love movies and love getting a great deal on good entertainment then this app is for you. The good news is this app is free and you can click here to download it now:

It's also worth noting that iTunes highlights a discounted movie every weekend beginning on Friday and running through the following Monday. You will see a movie with the price tag of $4.99 on the iTunes Home page in the rotating banner at the top of the screen. I've grabbed a few classics like Fight Club and The Goonies for $4.99 thanks to this iTunes promotion.

iOS 9 iPhone Faves

By Alan Oliver

If you have been waiting for an iOS update, your wait is over. iOS 9 is available now,  and let me tell you it is worth the wait. Thanks to the Apple Beta program, I've had the privilege of getting to use iOS for a few months and I want to share my excitement and knowledge with you here. 

iOS 9 comes with tons of features and will not look all that different from iOS 8 which means you can keep using your phone the way you always do and have a greater opportunity to explore and enjoy the new features. 

Battery Life

One feature that everyone will love is the promise of better battery life and the ability to switch to a power saving mode (called Low Power Mode) should your battery run low and you not be able to charge it soon. Essentially, lower power mode turns off of the battery draining services that you might turn off individually if you were trying to conserve power now (like push email, background activity like weather and such, etc). But it will turn off all those plus more so you don't have worry about it and in just the tap of a button. Don't want it on, it can be managed through the Settings App or by charging up your device. See pictures below:   

App switching enhanced

One of my favorite new features is called Back to. What this feature does is allow you to return to the last app you were in without double tapping the home button. For example, say you were checking your email and you click a link that opens Safari. You sufficiently read the article or shop the sale and decide you want to go back to Mail. All you have to do is simply tap the Back to Mail (top left hand corner of the screen) and you are taken back to Mail. This saves you time and wear  and tear on your home button. 

Proactive Suggestions

This is one of those features you didn’t know you needed or even wanted until you have it. When at you are the home screen you simply swipe left to pull up Search (which has a voice feature, too) and the screen will also display apps you maybe interested in or  contacts you may want to reach out based off how you use your phone day to day.

For example (not pictured here), everyday when my wife is making her trek home from downtown Atlanta I continually check the Find My Friends app to see how she is getting along and so I can know when to start dinner. So, typically around 4:00pm when I pull my screen left my wife's contact will show up and the Find my Friends app will be ready to access. So, I can quickly call her to get an ETA or just check the app to see where she is at the moment.

These are only three of my favorite new features in iOS 9. There are a ton more that I am sure you will find useful and welcome them into your daily iPhone use, If you would like more information on iOS 9 before downloading follow this link 

http://www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/.

Let us know in the comments what your new favorite features are from iOS 9.