MacHash News App Version 7 Released

GlassWave has released version 7.0 of our popular MacHash Apple news app. MacHash aggregates the best of the Apple news and rumor web into one news stream.

MacHash v7 brings a new headline focused design that delivers improved readability. Headlines are always shown in full and are now much more scannable as you scroll through your daily Apple news fix. Improved image clarity also brings a nice effect and aids visual scanning glanceability.

The other main new feature in this update is automatic dark mode. When enabled MacHash will use your broad location to determine approximate local sunset and sunrise times in your area. If it is dark outside, MacHash will automatically enable dark mode and go back to the light theme when the sun comes back up. It can still be toggled manually if you prefer.

How Auto Dark Mode Works
We ask for your location at the weakest range (within 3 kilometers) so as to not need to fire up the GPS sensor in order to save battery. This location is already stored by the phone when it is connected to a cell tower, so only already stored data is passed to the app. We borrowed this technique from Instacast, so if you’re a developer check out the open source code for a peak at how we make the switch happen.

Also new in dark mode is that we now use a true black background in dark mode for better dark mode contrast and battery performance on OLED displays.

Version 7 brings support for the latest devices including the new iPad Pro models and the iPhone XS Max and XR.

Version 7 also includes a number of bug fixes including a remedy for the post light mercury 500 error so if you had an issue with the reader mode before, it will no longer fail to load an article. We also had to remove some Twitter functions due to Twitter Inc discontinuing their iOS SDK and related APIs.

MacHash News is available now and is a free download from the App Store.

Action Tasks iPhone To Do List Updated

GlassWave has released version 4.2 of our iPhone to do list app, Action Tasks. The update includes support for the latest iPhone models (iPhone XS, XS Max & XR), new GlassWave branding as well as some minor bug fixes.

Featuring action sounds and force feedback when you check items off your list, Action Tasks is a simple to do list app that makes completing tasks a little more fun. Usually a .99c download, the app will be available for free in the App Store for a limited time.

Stock Quotes on MacHash, NewsBudz & Tech News Tube

We have added a stock quote widget to a few of our news sites.

Visitors to MacHash can now keep tabs on Apple’s stock price right from the homepage.

Readers at NewsBudz can follow a selection of cannabis stocks that have recently debuted on the NYSE and NASDAQ while folks browsing Tech News Tube can keep tabs on many of the major tech stocks as well.

Look for the stock widget in our right sidebar section. Market quotes are provided by IEXTrading and are a snapshot of the share price throughout the day. The quotes may be delayed by up to 20 minutes due to server caching. You can click on the daily change number to view the day’s percent change and total company market capitalization.

News Aggregator Website Updates

Our news aggregation websites have recently been updated with an improved experience and other significant advancements. Of particular note is our improved menu bar and trending sections and we’ve also made some enhancements to each sites color scheme and overall readability.

GlassWave Menu shortcuts
On our news sites, such as EcoTopical, Gossip Bucket and Tech News Tube, you can now tap on the GlassWave circle logo in the main menu to easily jump to any one of our news sites.

SSL Support
For improved privacy all of our sites are now being served via an SSL secure https connection. This helps prevent ISPs and some ads from tracking and seeing what you are reading online and offers other performance and security benefits.

Where Am I for iOS v1.4 Update


Our travel and navigational aid app, Where Am I, has been updated. Where Am I provides instant locational details including your current town, address, coordinates and local spots of interest in your neighborhood. It’s a must have travel tool for your iPhone or iPad.

Version 1.4 adds a new map service preference, updated sharing and direction options and more details when you tap and hold to select a location on the map.

Users can now choose between Apple Maps, Google, Bing and Open Street Maps for sharing your location and driving directions.

Where Am I is a free app for iOS. You can update now via the AppStore.

GlassWave Launches NewsBudz

GlassWave LLC has launched a new web app dedicated to Cannabis and Marijuana news. NewsBudz.com is a cannabis news stream that combines the web’s top sources into one real time feed. Readers can enjoy a curated stream of the latest headlines in a reader friendly format.

NewsBudz is an aggregation platform to track and share the latest cannabis news, legalization efforts and medical industry developments and cultural cannabis lifestyle trends on the web or your mobile device. The website has a clean, uncluttered design optimized for readability and sharing. NewsBudz provides direct links to media sources and puts one tap sharing options at readers disposal with shortcuts to the top social media services.

“NewsBudz is your new best bud for cannabis and medical marijuana news and information. With one feed to view the top trending news of the day, the site aims to be a valuable resource for the cannabis community.”

NewsBudz is a free service and is available on the web at NewsBudz.com.

iOS 12 Beta Testing Underway

Going to try out the iOS 12 beta. Have to test the apps. Guess I’ll never learn as I usually end up insta-regretting putting the early beta’s on my primary device. I’m hearing good things about this one so far…

Update: It looks like all of our apps are working well so far with iOS 12. Will be testing further to ensure full compatibility.