Apple halts online sales in Russia due to ‘extreme’ currency fluctuations

Cody Lee ∙ December 16, 2014

Apple has halted all online sales in Russia this morning, due to "extreme" fluctuations in the country's ruble currency, reports Bloomberg. Spokesman Alan Hely told the outlet that the company has decided to shutter the store while it "reviews pricing,” and it “apologizes to customers for any inconvenience.”

The Russian economy has been in trouble for months, but things have gotten significantly worse in recent days due in large part to the falling price of oil and economic sanctions. The ruble has plummeted a staggering 19% within the last 24 hours—the worst single day drop for the currency in the last 16 years.

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Instagram adds five new filters, Slow-Mo video uploading and more in iPhone app update

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 16, 2014

Instagram, a Facebook-owned mobile photography service, today issued an update adding five new filters to its iOS and Android app.

In addition, the popular software has gained a couple handy enhancements such as the ability to upload Slo-Mo video content as well as real-time comments, photo perspective adjustments, a customizable filter tray with live previews and more.

Inspired by the photography, art, fashion and design, the five new subtle filters available in Instagram 6.4 are being marketed as the company's best yet and include: Slumber, Crema, Ludwig, Aden and Perpetua.

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Electronic Arts releases SimCity BuildIt on App Stores worldwide

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 16, 2014

Following a soft-launch in select App Stores weeks ago, Electronic Arts' SimCity BuildIt is now available worldwide.

The freemium iPhone and iPad game, the latest installment in the popular city-building franchise, lets you build a city of your dreams, with the choices you make evolving your city in a variety of ways. Graphics look great, especially with simulated night and day, and the game includes the usual assortment of challenges to solve such as traffic, fires and pollution.

As a mayor on a mission to keep his or her citizens happy, you'll need to keep basic city services running. Jump past the fold for the full reveal.

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Samsung allegedly taking on Apple Pay with ubiquitous solution powered by LoopPay

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Re/code is reporting that Samsung is prepping a response to Apple Pay in the form of its own mobile payment solution that doesn't require NFC and should support virtually 100 percent of credit cards and payment terminals.

The service should be announced sometime in 2015 as the South Korean giant is reportedly in talks with the Burlington, Massachusetts based mobile payments startup LoopPay about possibly incorporating their technology into its wireless mobile payment system.

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App Santa is back with big discounts on great apps

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Whether you've been naughty or nice this year, App Santa will still bring you great deals on award winning apps by independent developers. Available now through December 26th, App Santa is offering up to 60% on many must-have applications for both iOS and Mac. It's like Christmas before Christmas. Enjoy!

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Google Wallet for iPhone adds Touch ID and iPhone 6 support, more

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 16, 2014

The Internet giant Google has upped the ante in the mobile payment arena with Tuesday's refresh to its Wallet iOS app. The new version brings out support for Touch ID allowing owners of the iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 and the iPhone 5s and onward to unlock the app with their finger.

And with native display support for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus display resolutions, the app now takes full advantage of the screen real estate available to owners of Apple's latest handsets.

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The Kodiak Power Bank will keep your iPhone charged in the rain, snow, or sand

Jim Gresham ∙ December 16, 2014

Samsung called us iPhone users wall huggers in their recent commercial attacks. Sure, we charge fairly frequently, but iPhone owners just like using their device more and do it more frequently. Right? Sometimes that leads to a low battery. Even with an iPhone 6 Plus touting about 10 usage hours before depleting, I sometimes find myself in scenarios where additional charge is critical.

There are loads of battery backups on the market. Just walking into a 7-11 convenient store will reveal small stick sized charging devices for a few bucks. But, a backup is one of those you-get-what-you-pay-for experiences. Take a look inside for details on Outdoor Tech's Kodiak Power Bank.

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Let’s Talk iOS 060: Bore the people

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Episode 60: Using an iPhone to replace a driver's license. Projectors and projector screens. Apple's new commercial. Password Changer. The new Workflow app.

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iDB holiday gift guide: Chris’ picks

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

It's that time of year again and iDownloadBlog is right on cue with its traditional Holiday Gift Guide. Choosing the perfect Christmas gift can be stressful, whether you're looking to surprise your best friend with a useful item that won't break the bank, delight your gadget-toting family members with handy accessories, or give that special someone in your life a unique surprise.

Here's a list of holiday gifts that, based on my personal experience, provide long lasting value without costing too much. Needless to say, it's a highly subjective list and you may not agree with all of the recommended products. That's beyond the point, however, as the article is meant to provide an inspiration as you research before buying things for yourself and the people in your life you care about.

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Google’s iOS app picks up Nest integration

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 15, 2014

Following a recent refresh with Material Design, iPhone 6 support and Maps in search results, Google's main search client for iOS and Android today gained the ability to interact with your Nest smart thermostat, along with other Nest-branded devices for the connected home, using Google Now voice commands.

Replicating some of the functionality provided by Nest's own iPhone application, Google's native search app for the iPhone and iPad takes advantage of voice input and Now cards to help control your Nest hardware.

Just fire up the app and either tap the mic or say "Ok Google" to get started. This is a silent feature upgrade on the backend so no download is required.

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Foursquare finally launches iPad app

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 15, 2014

The Foursquare app is at last available on the iPad! The freshly released update takes full advantage of the iPad's bigger canvas and increased screen resolution, so you'll now see more content and scroll less when browsing Foursquare content on your Apple tablet.

It’s focused on helping you plan smarter with a personalized list of all the great places for a chosen city. Plus, it's a lot easier now to save anything to your itinerary with a tap.

The team's added another new section dedicated to all the top picks in your area. Tapping Foursquare’s vast database of crowdsourced locations and check-ins, it suggests places that are newly popular, up-and-coming and local mainstays.

The app was updated back in September with full support for iOS 8 and Interactive Notifications with the ability to save, like and follow right from the notification.

And yes, it looks great on the bigger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screens.

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