Mac: When it comes to updating your Mac, there's never a good time. Besides the intrusive and constant annoyance that is the update reminder (which, thankfully, you can deactivate), it often feels like a slog instead of what should be a few minutes of processing and a restart. If you're sick of waiting for the App Store and its sluggish interface, here's how you can speed up the process.

Mac: Apple used to boast that its Mac computers were a virus-free utopia, but that was before hackers and criminals decided to focus their efforts on the operating system. Now, your Mac is just as vulnerable to viruses as any Windows PC, and a new report reveals that hackers can get access to your computer through an entryway that you might think would be better protected: The Mac App Store.

When something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

Mac/iOS: Bucking its minimalist trend of killing wishlists and killing desktop downloads, the iOS App Store added a feature: Developers can open up their apps for pre-orders, up to 90 days in advance. (The feature is also available on the Mac App Store.)

iOS: Apple's recent 12.7 update to its iTunes app removed support for the iOS App Store and iOS app management. After an outcry from users, however, Apple has brought app support back in iTunes 12.6.3. Even if you've already upgraded to iTunes 12.7, you can still take advantage of the app-friendly nature of iTunes 12.6.3, but if you stick with it you'll have to miss out on any future iTunes features.

Google is well known for its capacity to try new things, give them a year or two and then drop them if things don't pan out as expected or they can't turn a good idea into a revenue raising one. Which is why something in a recent MSPowerUser article piqued my interest. Google has 91 different apps in the iOS App Store. Is this a sign of great platform support or an indication that things are out of control at the Googleplex?

iOS: When you're a few hours into your favourite tower defence game, an unwarranted pop-up can break your concentration and end a previously flawless run through a challenging level. Luckily, one of the many updates in iOS 11 is designed to curb the number of pop-ups and interruptions from app developers looking for positive feedback. The new option lets you rid yourself of the dreaded app rating request (or, as I like to call it, the beggar's box).

Today, Apple officially made the iOS 11 mobile operating system available to download. If you're planning to update your iPad or iPhone, there's something you need to be aware of: all of your older 32-bit apps are going to stop working.

Microsoft has finally updated the iOS version of Outlook to support shared calendars. Available from the App Sore today, you’ll be able to toggle calendar sharing on and off as well as access other people’s schedule.

Mac: If you haven't updated to macOS Sierra, you're probably pretty annoyed by the giant banner that appears in the updates tab in the App Store. Thankfully, OS X Daily points out that you can get rid of it.

Web: For some reason, Apple has never made a fully-functional online version of the iTunes App Store or Mac App Store, and definitely hasn't built an easy web search tool. Well, there's a fan-made app for that now. TheAppStore finally lets you browse the web for iOS and Mac apps from any device.

Apple introduced its App Transport Security (ATS) standard when it rolled out iOS 9. The ATS restricts apps from transferring data through a HTTP connection, forcing them to go through HTTPS instead. The latter is an encrypted communication protocol, which keeps the data secure. iOS app developers were encouraged to update their apps to accommodate for the new standard. Now Apple is taking a tougher stance, requiring all apps to use the ATS feature by 2017. Here's what you need to know.

Last month, Google revamped its Android developer portal and now it's Apple's turn. The company has updated its App Store developer site, adding a new section to guide developers on how to make a great app that is profitable for iOS devices. Here are the details.

Mobile applications management vendor Apperian sought to analyse the trends in the Enterprise applications space through a global study conducted at the end of last year. The company hosts nearly two million mobile app installations around the world and decided to examine those apps to distill what makes for a thriving enterprise app program within an organisation.

Every once in a while, the App Store seems to glitch out and get stuck either not properly updating or not showing new updates correctly. Over on Twitter, Zachary Drayer points out that you can force reload everything in the app by tapping an icon on the tab bar 10 times.

Apple is known for its strict review policies when it comes to vetting apps that go on its App Store, but it appears some have slipped through the cracks. Several hundred apps on the App Store have been found to be collecting personal information from users through private APIs.

Last month, Apple announced an app slicing feature for iOS 9 that can help developers make smaller versions of their apps. The initial release of the feature, called App Thinning, was delayed due to a bug but it is now officially available for developers. So what does this mean for iOS device user? Here are the details.

Picture this: You're an developer that has just released a mobile app onto your desired app store. All is fine and dandy until you release that there's actually a bug in your app. It's an easy fix but by you have to jump go through the whole app store approval process again and by the time the new version is ready to download you have already received a swathe of negative reviews from users. Rollout.io aims to change all this by giving app developers more control over their products.

App stores have become the primary way to buy software for most of us. When they first became popular, however, they drew quite a bit of criticism. Now that we have the perspective of time, how have things changed? Have app stores made software better or worse? I think it's a little of both.