Tech Now: Terrific apps are reborn for iPhone 6, iOS 8
Apple's new iOS 8 mobile operating system is out, which means hundreds of apps have just gotten impressive updates so that content looks gorgeous and crisp on the new Retina HD displays on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Developers have been hard at work beefing up the codes that power their apps and making sure they run super smooth on Apple's latest devices. It's like some of our apps have been reborn. Here are a few of my absolute favorites:
VSCO Cam (Free): Visual Supply Company brings the art of digital photography to new heights when your camera and smartphone are one and the same. The VSCO Cam App gives you advanced camera controls specially made for iOS 8. Take control with new tools like manual focus, adjustable shutter speed, white balance and exposure compensation. All are now integrated with VSCO Grid, which is a super simple and easy-to-use publishing platform.
Hipmunk (Free): Hipmunk is already the fastest, easiest way to plan a trip, and on these new iPhones the unique display makes it even easier to save time, money and agony by quickly finding the best deals on travel options. You can seek out flights, trains, hotels, and even alternate accommodations like Airbnb and Homeaway. Hipmunk already supports Handoff, so you can search on your laptop then pick up exactly where you left off on your iPhone or iPad without missing a beat.
SwiftKey (Free): Sure, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus come with those fancy, adaptive new keyboards, but SwiftKey is a third-party keyboard that makes things even better. It learns your writing style to give you super-accurate autocorrect and intelligent next-word prediction, reducing keystrokes and getting smarter over time.
Wunderlist ( Free ): The king of list-making and life-collaboration apps, Wunderlist now displays your most important to-do's in the Notification Center. Whenever you need to know what's on your agenda, simply swipe down from any screen and you'll find your cloud-based extra brain right there. If you're browsing the Web — or another app — and come across something you want to keep, just tap on the share icon and Add to Wunderlist button to save it.
Buzzfeed (Free): Want real-time updates on breaking news and the hottest in Internet trends? Install the Buzzfeed Widget in the Today section of your Notification Center and you'll never be left out of the loop!
Say Cheese!: Apple's photo app now support third-party filters, so you can use awesome photo effects from apps likeFragment ($1.99) and Quick Photo Filters to add some some awe-inspiring flair to your personal snapshots.
Touchy-feely: By opening up its Touch ID fingerprint sensor to app developers, Apple has opened the door for some convenient and super-secure, quick-access features on apps like financial management favorite Mint (Free).
Great gaming: Apple tweaked the way iOS lets games use its graphical power, which means fluid and flashy visuals in Beach Buggy Racing (Free) and TouchFish (Free). Both look fantastic on the iPhone 6's new A8 chip.
Be a book worm: To celebrate iBooks coming pre-installed on iOS 8 for the first time ever, Apple's answer to the Kindle app is offering a ton of great free books. You can check out best-selling titles from Sara Shepherd, Brandon Sanderson and James Patterson.
Yes, the new iPhones are absolutely drop-dead gorgeous, but don't forget all the awesome additions being packed into iOS 8 and its countless number of App Store apps. Kick back with your new, bigger screen and download a few of these for an all-new, better-than-ever iPhone experience.
Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech contributor and host of USA TODAY's digital video show TECH NOW. E-mail her at techcomments@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenniferJolly.