Apple

Apple rumored to be working on new 4-inch iPhone

Apple is working on a new 4-inch iPhone model for next year, according to website G for Games. Citing sources in the Asian supply chain, the site says the Cupertino firm is aiming to release the smaller form factor device in the second half of 2015.

If true, the move would bring one-handed usability back to the iPhone line—a benefit that Apple frequently touted in previous years, but essentially abandoned in September when it introduced the new 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch 6 Plus.

Apple names excellent God of Light puzzler its new Free App of the Week

God of Light, an addictive and unique physics puzzler by Playmous Games, has gone free until next Thursday week courtesy of Apple's ongoing Free App of the Week promotion, marking the first time the game's gone free since its February 2014 debut.

This attractive puzzler employs a simple concept where you use mirrors, prisms, splitters, collectors, black holes and filters to control rays of light energy that must be projected through the darkness in order to light up crystals.

I wholeheartedly recommend taking advantage of the discount because God of Light is packed with addictive levels and definitely worth its normal asking price of $1.99.

Apple Stores to host free ‘Hour of Code’ workshops next Thursday

In addition to hosting Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump at the SoHo New York Apple Store as part of its Apps for (RED) promotion to benefit the fight against AIDS in Africa, Apple will be hosting another event at its stores, one tailored for students who are interested in coding.

Supporting the Computer Science Education Week which runs December 8-14, Apple's free Hour of Code 2014 seminar will be taking place at its brick-and-mortar locations next Thursday, December 11.

Square’s new Caviar app lets you order food from top-rated eateries

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey's mobile payment startup, Square, earlier this year purchased Caviar, a food delivery service, for a reported $90 million. On Thursday, the company released the official Caviar iOS app in the App Store.

Featuring crisp dish photos, real-time tracking of your order from counter-to-door and more, Caviar makes it easy to order food from your favorite local restaurants right to your door, from the palm of your hand using your iPhone or iPad.

Themeboard review: iOS 8 keyboard with gorgeous themes, unique Emoji bar, auto-correct and more

There most certainly is no shortage of downloadable iOS 8 keyboards in the App Store, so much so that the proliferation of soft-keyboards makes it virtually impossible for us to cover each and every one that hits the Apple platform.

On the other hand, themable keyboards like CoolKey, a keyboard for the colorful, are few and far between.

Customization matters to an awful lot of people and there's admittedly a void here than needs filling. That's where Themeboard jumps in.

Created by Germany-based Taphive, the brains behind such apps as TodoMovies that we reviewed back in March, this app is an advanced iPhone and iPad keyboard with a built-in repository of wonderfully designed themes by some of the best designers around.

Theme board sports a unique Emoji/Kaomoji bar and has plenty of features that users have come to expect from Apple's default keyboard like auto-correction, Caps lock, slide-shift to capitalize, quick delete with three speeds, text predictions, custom shortcuts and more.

Read on for the full review of this feature-packed keyboard.

Winter is coming: Telltale’s Game of Thrones arrives in App Store

Telltale Games last month posted a teaser trailer and a few scant details about an upcoming game based on HBO’s hugely popular, award-winning fantasy drama television series, itself adapted from of “A Song of Ice and Fire”, George R. R. Martin’s series of epic fantasy novels.

I'm pleased to report that on Thursday, the Game of Thrones interactive action adventure game officially surfaced on the App Store and is now available in an episodic format akin to Telltale's The Walking Dead – A Telltale Games Series and The Wolf Among Us.

The narratively driven, six-episode game puts you in the shoes of different members of the Forrester household. The decisions you take have consequences and will change the story around you and determine your characters' fate.

Lara Croft is back: Tomb Raider II hits iOS

Good news, Lara Croft fans! Tomb Raider, the classic 1990s action-adventure game, is back: a successor to the original Tomb Raider game (which hit iOS last year) surfaced in the App Store on Thursday.

Costing $1.99 a pop, the iPhone and iPad game was created by Square Enix and features updated graphics, grand new locations, over 50 achievements and more.

Jump past the fold for the full reveal.

iPhone 6 Plus grabs 41 percent of US phablet sales

Kantar Worldpanel, a WPP-owned market researcher, yesterday revealed that the latest iPhones helped Apple gain share over Android around the world while the iPhone 5c outsold the iPhone 6 Plus in the U.S. during the last three months up to October 31.

Today, Kantar is back with some additional newsworthy data pertaining to “phablet” sales.

For those wondering, phablets are typically defined as smartphones with a screen size of 5.5 inches and larger. The 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, Kantar said, captured as much as 41 percent of sales of phablets in the U.S. alone. As for the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone 6, it grabbed 33 percent market share to become the best-selling iOS device in the period.

Get your apps in: Apple shutting down iTunes Connect December 22 – 29

Apple announced to developers on Wednesday evening it will be shutting down its iTunes Connect service December 22 to December 29 as part of the holidays.

In an email to registered developers, Apple said: "During this time, you will not be able to submit new apps, updates, or In-App Purchases." While the connect service will be shutdown, Apple will allow developers to schedule app releases and price changes during the December 22 to December 29 period. 

App Recap is back and it’s better than ever!

After a longer than expected hiatus, App Recap is back! For those unfamiliar with it, App Recap is iDownloadBlog's daily column that strives to surface the best new Mac, iPhone, iPod touch and iPad apps you should focus on, notable updates to your favorite apps you should care about, not-to-be-missed deals and freebies in the App Store and Mac App Store, and interesting accessories, software announcements and other tidbits of interest to our readers. Without further ado, here's what's in store for you today.