Steve Sande

<p><a href="http://products.office.com/en-US/mac/mac-preview">Microsoft has released a preview of Office 2016 for Mac</a> that includes several firsts for the platform, including a revamped ribbon and tighter consistency across platforms. The release will let users get their hands on Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and One Note before the final release comes out in the second half of 2015. </p>

<p><span>Back at that old website, we used to love Apple events because we always had the opportunity to do a liveblog. On Monday, March 9 starting at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET, you'll be able to join the AWT gang and everybody's favorite liveblogger -- </span><a target="_blank" href="http://ericasadun.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Erica Sadun</a><span> -- for the Spring Forward event.</span></p>

<p>It's time to save some of your hard-earned money with our <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/?tag=deals"><span>Daily Deals</span></a>, featuring exclusive deals for AWT readers, hardware discounts and our own handpicked iOS and OS X sales. All prices are USD and subject to change. Please check prices before you purchase as some deals may expire quickly.</p>

<p>Here are some of the best free apps, app updates and new apps that have landed in the App Store recently. Today's notable apps include Octagon, Orderly and a fun Crazy Taxi City Rush update that Hot Wheels fans will love. All app prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly, so grab them while you can</p>

<p><span>Until the awesome </span><a target="_blank" href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2015/2/17/altos-adventure-is-snowy-llama-chasing-fun" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alto's Adventure</a><span> appeared on the scene, the one game that attracted the attention of all of us here at Apple World Today was the beautiful puzzler </span><a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/monument-valley/id728293409?mt=8" rel="noopener noreferrer">Monument Valley</a><span> (US$3.99). Featuring stunning artwork, Escher-like architecture, and mind-bending gameplay, the app pulls you into the world of Princess Ida and the crows for hours on end...</span></p>

<p><a target="_blank" href="http://appcamp4girls.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">App Camp For Girls</a><span> is an amazing non-profit organization designed to provide girls who will be entering 8th or 9th grade in the Fall 2015 with fun and accessible educational programs in iOS development. Jean MacDonald, the founder of AC4G, let us know that the camps are expanding this year and also that </span><a target="_blank" href="http://appcamp4girls.com/apply" rel="noopener noreferrer">the program is now open for applications</a><span>.</span></p>

<p>China’s latest Apple Store, the Zhongjie Joy City store, opened recently in Shenyang, China. A <a href="http://youtu.be/_rD9oAd-EFI"><span>video of the event</span></a> showcases the large crowd waiting for the store’s official debut and captures the excitement when the doors are opened for the first time. As pointed out by <a href="http://www.ifoapplestore.com/2015/03/02/latest-store-opening-generates-apple-enthusiasm/"><span>ifoapplestore</span></a>, the enthusiasm for Apple’s retail stores “transcends cultures and international boundaries.”</p>

<p>Crowdsourced navigation and traffic app Waze today <a href="http://blog.waze.com/2015/03/waze-integrates-amber-alerts-to-help.html"><span>announced</span></a> that it was adding AMBER alerts to its service. The AMBER alerts will be sent to Waze users in the vicinity of the alert and will appear when your car has been stationary for more than 10 seconds. Alerts will disappear when the vehicle beings to move, or they can be dismissed manually. To avoid alert overload, each alert will appear once per week.</p>

<p><span>Although the Apple Watch hasn't shipped yet and there's no guarantee that it will be a success in the marketplace, it has already won a prestigious design award. On February 27 in Munich, Germany, the </span><a target="_blank" href="http://exhibition.ifdesign.de/entrydetails_en.html?beitrag_id=153594" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple Watch was awarded the gold in the watches/jewelry category at the iF Design Awards 2015</a><span>.</span></p>

<p><span>So, you bought a Wi-Fi-only iPad mini, but you really regret not being able to surf the web, send pictures or emails, or make FaceTime calls when you're away from home. Never fear, on March 20 you'll be able to buy an </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.att.com/devices/att/modio-case-ipad-mini.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">AT&T Modio LTE case</a><span> complete with a built-in hotspot that works with any generation of the iPad mini.</span></p>

<p><span>When it comes to Apple High-Definition Smart TVs, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has been consistently wrong. As a result of his cracked crystal ball</span><span>, Munster has</span><span> become a bit of an in-joke among Apple bloggers, although his financial analysis of Apple is often quite accurate. Today StreetInsider.com featured Munster's look at the pricing, gross margins, and sales of the various models of the Apple Watch, and his predictions bear repeating.</span></p>

<p>It's time to save some of your hard-earned money with our <a href="https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/?tag=deals"><span>Daily Deals</span></a>, featuring exclusive deals for AWT readers, hardware discounts and our own handpicked iOS and OS X sales. All prices are USD and subject to change. Please check prices before you purchase as some deals may expire quickly.</p>

Last year at the Austin, TX-based SXSW festival, iBeacons -- those Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) beacons that broadcast their location...

<p><span>Most, if not all</span><span> of us in the Apple blogging world have a huge amount of admiration for Federico Viticci, the young Italian man behind </span><a target="_blank" href="http://macstories.net" rel="noopener noreferrer">MacStories.net</a><span>. Viticci was diagnosed in the latter part of 2011 with Stage IV Hodgkin Lymphoma and underwent both chemotherapy and radiation treatment to beat the disease. Today, in one of his trademark long posts, Viticci talks about the physical toll that those treatments took on his body and how he's using a variety of iPhone apps to establish a healthy lifestyle.</span></p>

<p><span>Apple's track record on accessibility is already pretty good -- see Alex Jurgensen's weekly "</span><a href="/blog?category=Accessible%20Apple">Accessible Apple</a><span>" column for proof of that -- but developers often overlook the needs of people with disabilities when creating mobile apps. Now IBM researchers have developed a tool for iOS and Android apps that can help those who are vision or hearing impaired. </span></p>