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Your free Holiday Playlist awaits you in Apple Store app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

As is its wont, Apple is once more giving away a bunch of Christmas-themed songs to make your holidays merrier.

Akin to its 2009 promotion of the then-new iTunes LP format which gave U.S.-based users a free downloadable selection of 20 holiday songs from a variety of popular artists, this time around Apple is giving away individual holiday favorites through a special link in its Apple Store application for the iPhone and iPad.

A total of eight songs are available for download, including performances by such acts as Mary J Blige, The Robertsons and Kool and the Gang. Jump past the fold for the instructions on claiming your free music...

Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance and Space Wolf coming to iOS in 2014

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

Games Workshop is adamant to take over Apple's iOS platform by storm. Its Warhammer Quest for the iPhone and iPad was released earlier this year to generally positive reviews (read Lory's take).

But more Warhammer-branded games are scheduled for release on iOS devices in the upcoming months.

Back in August, they announced Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf, a new title coming to the App Store in 2014. And now, another upcoming Warhammer iOS game has been announced, called Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance.

Both Storm of Vengeance and Space Wolf are due in 2014 and feature a selection of characters from the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Space Wolf, developed by Hero Craft, is a free-to-play, turn-based tactical combat game.

As for Storm of Vengeance, it's being developed by Eutechnyx of the Ninja Cats vs Samurai Dogs fame and tells the story of “a pivotal moment in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, during the legendary planetary conflict on Piscina IV,” according to a recent press release.

Apple’s iBeacon used to push content to iOS Newsstand publications

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

As Apple continues work on implementing the iOS 7 iBeacon technology inside its own retail outlets, third-parties are taking notice.

Case in point: the shopping app Shopkick, which has recently teamed up with Macy’s to deliver the first major retail system based on Apple's new iBeacon trigger technology.

If you're not familiar with it, iBeacon is an indoor positioning system based on Low Energy Bluetooth (BLE), also known as Bluetooth 4.0 or Bluetooth Smart. It taps tiny, pervasive transmitters which can send push notifications to iOS or Android devices within close proximity.

These notifications can deliver marketing messages like discounts and some have speculated that iBeacon could even power a new kind of point of sale wireless payment solutions that won't require NFC.

And now, one company has taken iBeacon presence notification one step further by imaginatively using Apple's technology to give bar patrons free access to Newsstand magazines and help sell subscriptions...

Three switches on its UK 4G LTE network, expands roaming to US

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Three, one of UK's top wireless companies, yesterday began turning on its new fourth-generation Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network in select locations. The carrier claims to run the UK’s fastest-growing 3G network which covers more than 97 percent of the country's population.

In addition to Three's first LTE sightings in the UK, the company is also extending its Feel At Home roaming service to the United States, starting today. The U.S. joins other countries where Feel At Home has been available, including Austria, Australia, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, the Republic of Ireland and Sweden.

The service allows Three's UK-based Feel At Home customers to use their voice minutes, text messages and cellular data for no charge while traveling outside the UK and roaming the aforementioned countries...

iPhone 5s prices around the world

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 4, 2013

As shocking as it is to folks who live in the United States, in most places around the world smartphones are actually sold contract-free. This is especially true for Europe and certain parts of Asia, where people typically buy even the highest-end devices full price and separate of wireless contracts. It is also true, however, that off-contract unlocked iPhones usually command the lowest prices in the U.S.

Elsewhere, an unsubsidized iPhone can set you back a fortune due to local regulations dealing with import taxes, fees and other factors affecting cost of doing business locally. Here's an interesting chart depicting iPhone prices around the world, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP)...

Apple Worm case for iPhone features built-in stand and Lightning cable

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

If you've perused the wall of iPhone accessories at your local Apple Store, you know that cases aren't just for protecting the handset anymore. Some of them have built-in batteries or flashlights, and some even feature built-in knives.

The case we're talking about today is also multi-functional. It's called the Apple Worm, and in addition to protecting your iPhone, it features a built-in Lightning cable that will allow you to charge the device and doubles as a stand...

Google working on Chrome apps support for Android and iOS

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Google is reportedly preparing a beta release of a toolkit that will help developers create native Chrome apps for iOS and Android. The move is said to be a part of a bigger initiative to bring based Chrome packaged desktop apps to mobile platforms.

The news comes from a recently discovered GitHub repository called Mobile Chrome Apps, which was created by Google software developer Michal Mocny. A search on Google Groups confirms the project, which is slated to enter beta in Jan. 2014...

Photos claim to show Apple prototype of crocs-style iPhone 5s case

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Apple caused quite a bit of commotion this September when it unveiled two new custom cases for its two new iPhone models. The 5s case is boring for the most part, made of leather, but the 5c case and its crocs-like design drew a number of oohs and aahs.

In our review, we praised the case for its construction, but questioned the placement of the rear holes as they let part of the 'iPhone' label show through. Well interestingly enough, a new report claims Apple was working on a crocs-like case for the 5s as well...

How to keep your MacBook awake while its lid is closed

Jeff Benjamin ∙ December 3, 2013

NoSleep is a handy menu bar utility that I use each and every day to keep my MacBook Air awake. It’s like speed for your Mac. Even with the lid on the MacBook closed, it stays awake.

The best thing about this utility is that it can be easily toggled on or off by means of a single click on its menu bar icon. NoSleep is a simple tool, yet it does feature a few options to customize the way it works. Have a look inside as I showcase NoSleep on video.

The 10 best photography apps of 2013

Lory Gil ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

The year is coming to a close. We’ve spent the past 52 weeks talking about jailbreaks, rumors, new products, gear, Apple news, and apps. Apps are my specialty around here. I find them, test them, and tell you all about them.

That’s why it is my job to tell you about apps and games that the writers of iDownloadBlog think are the cream of the crop for the entire year. For the rest of this year, and probably into 2014, we will have lists of our favorite apps in the most popular categories that released in 2013. This week, the category is photography…

New OS X 10.9.1 beta seeded to developers

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Apple has seeded its latest 10.9.1 beta for OS X developers; this time sporting a build number of 13B40, compared to the 13B35 build released back on November 21. Like build 13B35, this version focuses on Apple Mail, Safari, VoiceOver, and graphics drivers. Check inside for more details, screenshots, and the full release notes.

Infuse iOS media player gets thorough iOS 7 makeover, now free

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 13, 2018

I'm a big fan of Infuse, a versatile iOS media player by jailbreak developers FireCore, the same team that brought you aTV Flash Black for the Apple TV. Why? Because consuming video in file formats that are foreign to iOS is high maintenance. I'm just reluctant to waste my precious time figuring it all out. Infuse elegantly takes the pain out of messing with the dull file conversion, syncing and hunting for subtitles and replaces that whole mind job with an enjoyable movie-watching experience.

Infuse supports 14 non-iOS video formats, features high-performance playback for 1080p content and has auto-download of cover art and other metadata from TheMovieDB and TheTVDB, with one-tap subtitle downloads from OpenSubtitles.org. It also implements the best AirPlay subtitle streaming I have ever seen on an iOS device, hands down. That Infuse supports multiple audio tracks/subtitles and integrates with trakt.tv to scrobble plays back to your account, submit ratings and post shouts doesn't hurt either.

As not everyone was down with Infuse costing five bucks, not many people got a chance to enjoy Infuse goodies. Not anymore. Starting today, Infuse 2 for iPhone and iPad is free in the App Store, with advanced features available as an in-app purchase upgrade. Infuse used to rely heavily on skeuomorphism so I was curious to see how developers would transition its graphics-heavy interface to clean iOS 7 aesthetics...