Apple

Apple said to be working on master list of games that support MFi controllers

Apple is reportedly working on a way for its users to view a master list of games that support MFi (made for iPhone) controllers in the App Store. The feature works a lot like App Match, which can point users to compatible apps of recently attached accessories.

The company first introduced the MFi controller specification in iOS 7 last summer, and a number of third-party accessory makers have since created gamepads. The new platform, however, has been hobbled by the lack of user knowledge of compatible iOS titles...

New Pebble firmware enables music volume control, Launcher item ordering and more

Pebble released a new firmware for its smartwatch line that enables two new features dealing with the App Menu and music playback controls, alongside a few other minor improvements.

The new 2.2 firmware finally enables the volume control for music playback, something the company first demoed in the Pebble Music app months ago.

In addition to music controls, the software makes it easy to rearrange the items in the Launcher Menu.

The refreshed firmware is available through Pebble's companion iPhone app, available free in the App Store and updated to the latest version last week...

Apple offering limited time pricing on refurbished iPads

Folks in the market for an iPad may want to check out the refurbished section of Apple's online store. The company is currently hosting some sort of sale on its tablets, with several models showing 'Special Limited Time' pricing.

The deals start with the first generation iPad mini (16GB, Wi-Fi only), which has been discounted down to $219, and go all the way up to the iPad Air. You can get a refurbished 64GB Air, with built-in cellular support, for $699...

PayPal integrating Touch ID into its iOS app

A year ago, PayPal CISO Michael Barrett spelled doom for existing verification methods based on passwords and expressed hope that the then unreleased iPhone 5s would kill the password once and for all. As it turned out, Apple limited the handset's fingerprint scanner to iTunes purchases and user authentication on the Lock screen.

But with the iOS 8 SDK now official, Apple has opened up Touch ID to developers and PayPal is first out of the gate with the official confirmation that it is working on integrating Touch ID authentication into its mobile apps...

iWatch components said to be going into production this month

Cantor Fitzgerald's Brian White reports that several components for the so-called iWatch are going into mass production this month. The analyst believes that Apple is planning to unveil the long-rumored smartwatch in September, perhaps alongside the iPhone 6.

White bases his report on his recent tour of Computex, Asia's largest technology show, where wearables were by far the most talked-about products. There, sources from supply chain companies told him iWatch component production would soon begin ramping up...

You can add photos to Notes app in iOS 8

Here's another nice-to-have in iOS 8: you can finally add photos to your documents in the Notes app.

This is yet another small but very appreciated improvement in a long list of useful enhancements that haven't gotten any air time during Apple's keynote, or even deserved a mention on Apple's iOS 8 webpage for that matter.

Earlier in the day, I told you about a new Today summary and 10-day forecast in the stock iOS 8 Weather app, the ability to hide images in the Photos app and Apple's use of the power-sipping M7 chip and motion sensors for accurate indoor positioning in iOS 8...

Beats features iPhone 5s in this inspiring World Cup ad

Football — or soccer, if you live in the US — has the potential to captivate a nation, perhaps no more than at the World Cup every four years. In just a matter of days, the world's biggest stars of the sport will be fighting for the ultimate title in front of tens of thousands of fans in Brazil. The culture behind the event is incredible, fueled by the fact that football has some 250 million players across over 200 countries worldwide.

For one month, even the hockey-crazed nation of Canada that I call home will put aside its love for the rink and turn its eyes to the field. Living in a country that is very culturally diverse, it takes just a quick drive around the neighborhood to see Italy and Brazil flags attached to car windows and other World Cup paraphernalia scattered across front lawns and houses.

Beats wants everyone to know that it is part of this culture, releasing a new cinematic ad called The Game Before The Game. The five-minute spot captures the intensity leading up to the World Cup, including the pressure and fandom surrounding the players. The ad features over a half-dozen football stars, ranging from German players Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Götze to Neymar da Silva and Chicharito...

New in iOS 8 Weather: 10-day forecast, Today summary

If you're a fan of weather apps, you're going to love the minor but welcomed changes Apple has made to its stock Weather software in iOS 8. In addition to replacing Yahoo with Weather Channel for weather data, the stock iOS 8 Weather app now finally gives you a 10-day forecast as opposed to the current five-day forecast in iOS 7.

Moreover, it's now easier to get an at-a-glance overview of daily weather conditions right inside the Weather app...

Free edition of the premium Camera Fx8 app now available in the App Store

Camera Fx8 by Apalon Limited is great if you want to liven up your photos by adding creative borders and apply fun effects. Having gone temporarily free a week ago, the iPhone and iPad download is now a paid download again, setting you back 99 cents for the iPhone and iPod touch app.

But as fine folks at Apalon Limited want everyone to experience Camera Fx8, they've decided to release a free version in the App Store so everyone can now check it out before buying the full edition...

Apple’s design guru Jony Ive and U2’s Bono to talk (RED) charity partnership at Cannes Lions festival

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity said today that Jonathan Ive, Apple's SVP of Design, will be in attendance of the Cannes Lions festival, due later this month in Cannes, France.

In addition, the rock band U2's lead singer Bono will be honored with his first ever LionHeart Award. The two men are scheduled to sit down for an interesting 45-minute chat to talk working together on (RED) campaigns that raise funds to help fight AIDS.

Apple recently donated a cool $500,000 to a San Francisco anti-poverty charity. Besides, a charitable auction for a lunch with CEO Tim Cook has raised over $330,000...

iOS 8 uses M7 chip and motion sensors for accurate indoor positioning

Apple with iOS 8 is advancing the CoreLocation API with new features designed to provide users with even more reliable, faster and precise indoor positioning in supported venues. Currently, iOS determines your location using a combination of GPS, a crowd-sourced location database of nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and the cellular triangulation technique that determines your rough location based on cell tower signal strength.

As GPS/cellular are often unavailable or perform poorly inside buildings and in underground places like parking lots, iOS 8 can resort to using a combination of iBeacon transmitters, if any, and motion data provided by your device's accelerometer, compass and gyroscope sensors...

Here are apps from Apple’s ‘Strength’ iPhone 5s ad

Yesterday evening, Apple began airing a new iPhone 5s television commercial under the now familiar 'You're More Powerful Than You Think' tagline. The nicely done upbeat commercial focuses on seven popular fitness apps and accessories to suggest that "hey, we’ve already got wearables!"

Like the previous 'Powerful' spot which came with a special webpage highlighting all of the featured apps, Apple has now listed the apps used in the 'Strength' commercial...