iPhone News

‘PAC-MAN Friends’ goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Apple has named BANDAI NAMCO's 'PAC-MAN Friends' its app of the week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you'll be able to pick up the title for free in the App Store—a significant discount off its normal $4 price tag.

PAC-MAN Friends is exactly what it appears to be—a modern twist on an arcade classic. Using simple tilt controls, players are tasked with maneuvering PAC-MAN through progressively challenging mazes to rescue his friends from the Ghosts' Castle.

Flipboard 3.0 is out with design refresh, Zite-fueled ‘Topics’ feature and more

Flipboard today released version 3.0 of its iOS client, and as you can imagine, it's a significant update. The design of the app has been refreshed, and is now more magazine-like and elegant, complete with fresh typography and a new navigation bar for easier browsing.

Additionally, Flipboard has introduced a new 'Topics' feature, which is powered by Zite's technology and Flipboard's own curators. There are over 30,000 topics to follow, each featuring content by top publishers and websites, that can be both searched and explored.

Microsoft launches $199 fitness band with 10 sensors

Microsoft this morning unveiled its long-rumored wearable: the Microsoft Band. With a design resembling Samsung's Gear Fit, the fitness-tracking wristband features 10 sensors, supports all major mobile platforms, and integrates with Microsoft's new cloud-based Health service.

Interestingly enough, Microsoft decided to skip any kind of media event or press release, opting instead to reveal the device to Recode following the discovery of new Health apps on iOS and Android last night. So was this meant to downplay an insignificant launch? Let's find out.

Microsoft outs upcoming ‘Band’ wearable in new Health app

Microsoft has outed its upcoming 'Band' wearable in what appears to be the premature release of multiple applications. This evening, 'Microsoft Health' landed in iPhone, Android and Windows stores, and a Microsoft Band Sync client popped up in the Mac App Store.

It's unknown at this time if the releases were unintentional, or part of a cheeky PR stunt, but it's likely the former, given the scope of the apps. Microsoft has long been rumored to be working on a cross-platform wearable, and recent reports say it's preparing for launch.

Apple says Apple Pay response ‘overwhelmingly positive,’ still working to add new merchants

Apple has commented on the recent chatter regarding Rite Aid and CVS disabling Apple Pay over the weekend, telling BusinessInsider that it's working to bring on as many merchant partners as it can for its newly launched mobile payment service.

Late last week, reports began popping up that Rite Aid stores were disabling support for Apple Pay and other NFC-based payment services, and over the weekend, CVS followed suit. The two retailers confirmed the moves today via press statements.

Facebook app update makes it easier to share multiple photos

Facebook announced a new update for its mobile clients today, bringing the iOS app to version 16.1. The update brings about a new workflow that will make it easier for users to post multiple photos to the popular social network from their smartphones and tablets.

Using the Facebook app, you can now choose the exact order of photos when uploading them via iPhone or Android. Once you've selected the images, you'll see a preview of how the "story" (interesting that Facebook calls it that) will appear after its been posted.

The best Reddit clients for iPhone

Reddit is a virtual gold mine of information on countless topics, all organized into subreddits and multireddits, with options to get a customized feed of only what you want to see. /r/jailbreak is a great place to find tweak concepts and help with jailbreaking issues, and there is an infinite amount of other topics of interest on Reddit.

Of course, no social network is complete without an iPhone app, and there are quite a few third party iOS apps for Reddit – so many that it's hard to find a clear winner in every category. Naturally, hardcore Reddit users each have their own favorite app like Alien Blue, but occasionally a newer app, such as Reddme, will come out and gain its own fan base. The hard part is deciding which one to use daily. Hence, an article on the best Reddit apps for iOS.

RGB Express goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Apple has named the popular mini truck puzzler RGB Express its app of the week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the title for free in the App Store—a solid $3 discount from its normal price tag.

For those who haven't played RGB Express, the game is simple. Players are tasked with drawing routes for their trucks in a way that ensures every house receives the correct package. There are over 200 levels, which of course get progressively tougher.

Instacast 5 is out with new design, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus support, and more

Vemedio has released version 5 of its popular Instacast podcast client this morning, and it is absolutely packed with new features and improvements. Perhaps the most obvious change is the new design, which gives the app a much more modern look.

And as you'd hope, the new UI looks great on the new iPhones, as it includes full support for their larger displays. The app also includes support for iOS 8 extensions, which allows you to share episode show notes, links and more via the iOS share sheet.

Apple Pay glitch causing some Bank of America users to be double charged

There is a glitch in Apple Pay that is causing some Bank of America customers to be charged twice for purchases, reports Bloomberg. A number of BOA card holders have come forward saying that they are seeing duplicate charges on their statements for Apple Pay-related transactions.

While some teething issues are expected with any new service launch—particularly on Apple Pay's—this has proven to be a serious problem. Customers affected by the glitch found themselves stuck between Apple and Bank of America customer service, with both sides passing the buck.

GT Advanced reaches bankruptcy deal with Apple, selling furnaces to pay debt

GT Advanced and Apple have reached a settlement that will allow the two companies to part ways amicably, reports The Wall Street Journal. Under the terms of the deal, GT will be paying Apple back for its $439 million loan by selling off its 2,000+ furnaces.

The news surfaced during GT Advanced's bankruptcy hearing this afternoon—two weeks ago, the sapphire-maker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Low cash flow was cited as a reason for the filing, but few details are known about the circumstances.

Another official Pokemon game has landed in the App Store

The Pokemon Company today released its second official game for iOS called Camp Pokemon. Aimed at kids between 6 and 8 years of age, the title takes place on an immersive island filled with various mini games that teach players what it takes to become a Pokemon trainer.

Completing each of these activities will net players a pin, which they can view later in their Pin Book, allowing them to track their progress. They can also collect stickers, which can then be used to decorate photos taken with either iPhone or iPad cameras from within the game.