Apple

Viber introduces support for Viber Games, adds Sticker Menu

Viber, the popular messaging platform second only to WhatsApp, today refreshed its iOS application with support for downloadable mobile games while introducing a new Sticker Menu to make finding sticker packs easier.

Viber Games, the headline new feature in Viber 5.2 for iOS and Android, allows users to play select mobile games with Viber characters Violet and Legcat and see how many coins they can earn.

Apple airs new holiday commercial “The Song”

Apple today began airing a new holiday-themed commercial entitled "The Song." The spot showcases products from all of the company's major device lines, including a MacBook Air, iPhone and iPad, and how they can be used to create "thoughtful, emotional gifts."

More specifically, the ad shows a woman using her MacBook Air and GarageBand to record herself singing along with a recording of her grandmother from several years ago. She then presents the song to her on an iPad, as a gift, and as you can imagine, it's a big hit.

Apple seeds third OS X 10.10.2 beta to developers

Apple has seeded the third beta of OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 this morning. The update, labeled build 14C81f, is available through the Update tab in the Mac App Store and the Dev Center for all registered Mac developers.

Today’s release comes just over a week after the second 10.10.2 beta, and Apple has once again asked developers to focus their testing on Wi-Fi connectivity—a long-standing Yosemite issue—as well as Mail and VoiceOver.

Twelve South launches premium BookBook leather wallet case for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

Participating in the multi-billion dollar accessory industry yields substantial financial incentives for vendors that ready their cases by the time the next iPhone hits the market, but Twelve South has never been about the money alone.

That's especially evident in the case (pun intended) of the latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models. Because the new phones represent a major departure from the established phone design and form factor, Twelve South has decided to take their time to get their premium BookBook case right for the bigger iPhones.

And it's finally here. Introducing the BookBook for your iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Rumor: Samsung starts building A9 chips for 2015 iPhones and iPads

According to an article published by Korea's ETNews on Friday, Samsung has now begun building the 'A9' processors after rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) reportedly built the majority of A8 chips for the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and iPad Air 2 devices.

The A9 system-on-a-chip is expected to make its debut in the next year's iPhones and iPads, including the expected iPhone 6s, an S-upgrade to the existing iPhone 6 lineup.

US/UK Online Apple Store now accepting PayPal

For the first time since its inception, the Online Apple Store is now accepting PayPal as a payment method in both the United States and United Kingdom, Re/code said Friday.

The change is newsworthy in light of PayPal's reluctance to join Apple's mobile payment solution, Apple Pay, and refusal to update its app with Touch ID authentication.

Minecraft maker Mojang releases Scrolls for Mac

Available starting today for Mac and Windows PCs and Android tablets, Scrolls from Minecraft maker Mojang takes the best bits of collectable card games and combines them with the most interesting strategy elements of tactical war games.

More than two years in the making, the mash-up game invites you to build your army, develop strategies and take control of the hexagonal battlefield by defeating your friends in online multiplayer challenges, no matter which platform they’re playing on.

If you prefer playing alone, Scrolls have you covered with single player challenges along with casual play. A free demo version of Scrolls is available to try before you buy it.

Apple posts Safari updates for OS X Yosemite, Mavericks and Mountain Lion

After releasing then pulling a update for the desktop Safari browser on OS X last week, Apple on Thursday posted Safari 8.0.2 for Yosemite.

In addition to allowing Yosemite users to import username and passwords from Mozilla's Firefox browser, Safari 8.0.2 fixes a few annoying issues, among them history not syncing across devices if iCloud Drive is disabled and another one prevent a saved password from being autofilled after two devices are added to iCloud Keychain.

The update is available through the Mac App Store's Updates tab. A standalone installer should be available shortly from the Apple Support website. Safari 7.1.2 for OS X Mavericks and Safari 6.2.2 for OS X Mountain Lion were also released on Thursday.

Tim Cook is Financial Times’ Person of the Year, TIME’s award goes to ‘Ebola Fighters’

The Financial Times newspaper on Thursday announced it's picked Apple's boss Tim Cook its Person of the Year. Although Apple's chief executive faced criticism since taking the helm of Apple following Steve Jobs' passing, he did manage to turn things round in 2014, the paper said.

Cook's maniacal focus on Apple's financial performance has managed to please investors, while new products such as the bigger iPhones and the Apple Watch took naysayers by surprise.

That he publicly came out as gay to become the first openly gay Fortune 500 CEO and took the time to made some smart hiring decisions didn't hurt either, notes the article.

Google iOS app gains Material Design, iPhone 6 support, Recents and Maps in search results

The search monster Google this morning posted a major update to its main search app for iOS.

The company says it's enhanced the software by bringing out support for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus screens, a fresh new look with Material Design appearance, Maps alongside search results, easier-to-find recent searches, a “G” button that lets you start a new search from anywhere within the app and more.

You can grab the completely rebuilt Google 5.0 app for the iPhone and iPad free of charge in the App Store.

SoundCloud adds playlist creation feature and native iPhone 6 support

SoundCloud, an online audio distribution platform, on Thursday issued a long-expected updated to its iOS client which has finally added support for the new iPhone resolutions so it no longer looks oddly scaled on your brand spanking new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. In addition to playlist creation and iPhone 6 support, SoundCloud 3.6 contains various bug fixes.

Scanbot goes free for the holidays, adds new features and gorgeous winter theme

Scanbot, a comprehensive, well-designed document scanner and QR reader for the iPhone and iPad, has gone free in a time-limited holiday promotion. You can now grab the $1.99 universal application free in the App Store.

Those who've upgraded to Scanbot Pro via a $4.99 In-App Purchase can send Scanbot Pro as a holiday gift to a friend during the duration of this promotion.

Just tap the Gift button at the top right corner and share the Christmas coupon with that special someone. Haven't upgraded yet? Not to worry, you can gift Scanbot Pro at a discount of up to 60 percent. Last but not least, both editions of Scanbot have received several new features listed below the fold.