Popular auction site eBay has updated its iOS client, bringing the app to version 3.5. The update brings about a handful of improvements, including performance and speed boosts and various new country-specific features.
The release adds new checkout features in Germany and Australia, and a new click and collect option for Argos in the UK. Users can now purchase something from Argos on eBay in-app, and choose to pick the item up locally.
The Facebook-owned cross-platform messaging service WhatsApp has updated its iOS client today, bringing the app to version 2.11.14. The team says the new version fixes bugs and crashes, as well as adds support for the new iPhones.
The app now looks great on the larger display of the iPhone 6, and the larger, higher resolution display of the iPhone 6 Plus. WhatsApp, which Apple labels as an App Store "Essential," was one of the few remaining top tier apps to update.
The US Department of Justice is installing equipment on airplanes that masquerades as a cell phone tower in order to gather mobile phone data, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. The program's goal is to identify criminals, but each plane is capable of collecting data from thousands of phones in a single flight.
The Journal says these spy devices are called "dirtboxes," and have a surface area of two feet by two feet. They're being installed on fixed-wing aircraft by the US Marshals Service's Technical Operations group, and purport to be strong-signaled cell towers. This tricks cellphones into giving them their IMSI info, making them totally trackable.
AT&T is right now offering a $50 bill credit to Next customers who purchase a new iPhone from Apple's online and retail stores within the next two months. Neither company is actively marketing the promotion, but, as spotted by MacRumors, it does appear in the fine print of AT&T's Next plan.
All late model iPhones qualify for the deal, including the 5c, 5s, 6 and 6 Plus, but there are stringent requirements. The iPhone must be purchased on an existing line as an upgrade, it must be financed using AT&T's Next plan, and it must remain active and in good standing on Next for 45 days.
Google updated its iOS YouTube client this morning, bringing the universal app to version 2.16.11441. The update is fairly minimal, but it does include a new music homepage and YouTube Mix integration, making the music listening experience on YouTube "better than ever."
The new music homepage allows you to do things like play albums right from search, and it will now offer you song recommendations based on your previous listening habits. It also allows you to listen to an endless YouTube Mix playlist, built using your favorite songs and artists.
Dropbox competitor Box updated its iOS client this morning, bringing the app to version 3.5. The update is a big one, bringing about a number of improvements and new features, including some that are specific to users with devices running iOS 8.
The Box app now features a widget in the Notification Center that allows you to quickly and easily create Box notes and view recent documents. The update also adds support for Touch ID, so you can use your fingerprint to lock and unlock the app.
The popular email client Mailbox has been updated this morning, bringing the app to version 2.3.3. As the build number suggests, it's a minor release, but it does include a slew of bug fixes and performance improvements and a pair of new interactive notification options.
Among the many new features added in iOS 8 is interactive push notifications. These allow developers to add simple actions to their app's notifications, which is what the Mailbox team has done in 2.3.3. You can now choose to archive or snooze emails with just a single tap.
AT&T on Friday announced that it is set to acquire Mexican carrier Iusacell for a total of $2.5 billion, including debt. The two companies have entered into an agreement, which will occur once investor group Grupo Salinas completes its own ongoing acquisition of Iusacell.
The plan, AT&T says, is to expand Iusacell coverage beyond its already near-9 million subscriber base in Mexico. The carrier sees a large potential for growth in the country thanks to recent competitive-friendly changes made to wireless regulations by President Peña Nieto.
The next iPhone released may feature a glasses-free 3D display, according to a report from Economic Daily News. The Taiwanese publication says that Apple supply chain partner TPK is currently raising funds for an upcoming Apple project, and its sources indicate it has something to do with a "naked eye 3D screen."
As we've stated before, Economic Daily News has a spotty track record in providing Apple intel, posting dozens of both accurate and inaccurate stories. It's possible, though, that Apple is planning to make 3D displays one of the headlining features of its next iPhone, much like Touch ID and Siri were for 5s and 4s models.
Pinterest has updated its iOS client this morning, bringing the app to version 4.0. The update doesn't feature a lot of changes, but it does include some speed improvements and bring about a sleek new interface for the iPhone.
The Pinterest team says it "de-cluttered and simplified" navigation within the app, so it’s faster to find your way around, and created more space for Pin images and descriptions, making it easier to sift through and digest content.
Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 8.1.1 this evening, with build number 12B432. The release comes just a few hours after Apple pushed out the first beta of OS X Yosemite 10.10.1, and roughly two weeks after it officially launched iOS 8.1 to the public.
Folks who are jailbroken may want to hold off from updating, until it's clear that this won't hamper the Pangu Untether in anyway. Otherwise, feel free to check it out, although you'll likely disappointed—we're not expecting much more than bug fixes here.
As promised, the Pangu team has updated the Pangu iOS 8 – iOS 8.1 Untether package in Cydia to version 0.4 today. The update includes a fix for random application crashes on 32-bit devices—iPod 5, iPhone 4s/5, iPad 2/3/4 and the original iPad mini—particularly with Safari.
The update follows version 0.3, which was released over the weekend to fix an overheating issue in jailbroken 32-bit devices. The update was pulled shortly after it hit, due to users reporting "mild to serious issues" with the package, but the issue was resolved and it was re-posted.