Apple App Store

Apple announced today that its 2013 App Store sales topped a staggering $10 billion, with $1 billion coming in December alone. That number reflects the nearly 3 billion apps that iOS users downloaded over the course of the month, making it the App Store's most successful month ever.

Today's press release also noted that app developers have earned in the neighborhood of $15 billion since the App Store's inception. Unsurprisingly, some of the most popular apps of the year included Candy Crush Saga, Puzzles & Dragons, Minecraft, QuizUp and Clumsy Ninja. Some came as surprise successes - Ellen DeGeneres' Heads Up, ProtoGeo’s Moves, Simon Filip’s Afterlight and Kevin

Apple revealed today that King.com Limited's Candy Crush Saga was the most downloaded free app of the year for both the iPhone and iPad. The game was also the top grossing iPhone game in 2013, proving once again that in-app purchases fuel the App Store. Minecraft - Pocket Edition took the top paid app honors for both the iPhone and iPad.

As always, Apple also announced its picks for the best iPhone and iPad apps and games of the year. The language-learning app Duolingo was chosen as the best iPhone App of the Year, and Ridiculous Fishing: A Tale of Redemption earned Apple's pick as iPhone Game of the Year. Disney Animated and Frogland’s Badland took the respective honors for the iPad.

Sending an app gift to friends and family who use iOS has never been easier. When it comes to the holiday season, sending someone an app is convenient and doesn't waste a lick of wrapping paper. Apps can be gifted using the App Store on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, or directly from iTunes on a computer.

To gift an app from the App Store, find the app you wish to deliver as a gift using the browse or search functions. Once on the app details screen, tap the share box in the upper right corner. When the menu pops up at the bottom of the screen, touch the Gift button.

Now all that's needed to buy an iTunes gift card is a PayPal account. The online payment service has launched a new feature called PayPal Digital Gifts, with iTunes gift cards as its first product offering. Of course, when buying a gift card the cost is immediately debited directly from your PayPal account.

The iTunes gift cards are available from PayPal in $15, $25, $50 and $100 denominations, except that $15 and $25 cards are currently sold out. When purchasing the cards there's an option to "Buy for Me" or gift the cards for someone else. Keep in mind, however that the cards are only valid for purchases on the U.S. iTunes store.

Apple continues to improve the iOS App Store to help users discover new apps and find what they want. With so many options available, searching on the App Store can be difficult business. In the past, one typo or misspelling and the wrong results or none at all would be returned.

Now thanks to algorithm improvements, a misplaced letter or incorrectly placed space doesn't mean the end of a useful search. The App Store now recognizes common typos and misspelled words, compensating for mistakes and returning improved results. According to TechCrunch the changes went into effect a few weeks ago, checking spelling automatically.