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FCC documents reveal Apple-branded Beats Bluetooth Solo2 headphones
Newly discovered FCC documents have leaked what may be the first Beats product released under Apple's banner: Bluetooth-enabled Beats Solo2 headphones. First spotted by 9to5Mac, the new Solo2s look nearly identical to their predecessor, with the exception that they're wireless.
The headphones will utilize Bluetooth Low Energy tech, and won't be Beats' first cordless can offering. The company has, for a while now, carried the Beats Studio Wireless–although looking at previous line pricing, it's likely that the new Solo2 product will be a bit more affordable.
Fleksy Keyboard can now use iOS typing shortcuts
Despite not being an avid user of third-party keyboards in iOS 8, I'm always eager to try out any new soft-keyboard that hits the App Store.
Fleksy's recent update caught my attention by making me realize that I didn't know everything there is about the scope and limitations of third-party keyboards under iOS 8.
For example, did you know soft-keyboards are allowed to use your typing shortcuts defined in Settings > General > Keyboard > Shortcuts? Fleksy's latest update has implemented just that and it works like a charm.
Fleksy Keyboard costs $0.99 in the App Store.
Apple removes Fitbit products from online store
Apple has followed through with plans to stop selling Fitbit devices. As noted by MacRumors, the company has pulled all Fitbit products from its online store and has begun removing them from the shelves of its retail stores as well.
Previously, Apple carried the Fitbit Flex fitness band and the classic Fitbit one, both of which connected to iOS devices. The reason behind the removals is unknown, but there does appear to be tension brewing between the two firms.
Vevo’s iOS app gains Recently Watched, Google login, search improvements and more
Vevo, a video hosting service operated by a joint venture of Universal Music Group, Google, Sony Music Entertainment and Abu Dhabi Media, on Friday refreshed its iPhone and iPad application with a few new features.
You can now log in to the app using a Google Account and keep track of what you've watched in a new "Recently Watched" section. You should see improvements in Vevo's search and visual tweaks on the browse page and artist pages.
Vero is available at no cost in the App Store.
Monument Valley confirmed to receive its first expansion next Thursday
Monument Valley by Ustwo, a surreal physics-based platformer and Winner of Apple Design Award 2014, is set to receive its first content expansion next week.
Titled “Forgotten Shores” and provided as a $1.99 In-App Purchase, it's going to add eight brand new levels to gameplay on top of the original ten levels. The update is scheduled to drop in the App Store next Thursday, November 13.
It will be “coming soon” to Google Play and Amazon Appstore. Monument Valley has seen 1.4 million downloads to date in the nearly seven months since its release. According to Wired, the new levels are inserted between the penultimate and final levels of the original in order to provide “a deeper dive into the emotional story of Ida and her amiable friend, the totem”.
Monument Valley is $3.99 in the App Store.
Apple testing upload functionality on iCloud Photos
As part of yesterday's batch of Apple app refreshes, among them the iMovie for iOS update which has enabled support for iCloud Photo Library and the ability to share videos with iCloud Photo Sharing, Apple has now added upload functionality to a beta version of the iCloud Photos web app available to registered iOS developers.
The features makes it easy to use a desktop computer to upload JPG images using the web interface at beta.icloud.com, making them available on all iOS devices and Macs that have iCloud Photo Library turned on.
Apple apparently changes flash storage tech in 128GB iPhone 6 and 6 Plus over alleged issues
Following unconfirmed reports that an unknown portion of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units with 128 gigabytes of storage exhibit random boot looping and unexpected crashes, Apple has reportedly switched to using a different type of NAND flash technology.
The new iPhones use triple-level cell (TLC) NAND flash technology, but BusinessKorea reported Friday that the Cupertino firm will be switching to multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus going forward.
Apple updates iMovie for iOS with support for iCloud Photo Library
Apple has posted updates for a number of its iOS apps today including Beats Music, iWork suite and more. Most of the releases are fairly insignificant, with only 'minor stability and performance improvements' listed in their change logs, but iMovie got some extra attention.
In addition to 'performance and stability improvements,' iMovie for iOS received support for iCloud Photo Library and the ability to share videos with iCloud Photo Sharing. Apple also says that it has resolved the issue that occurred when rotating a device in landscape mode.
Apple now blocking apps infected with WireLurker malware
Apple released a statement today saying that it is aware of the newly discovered WireLurker malware that targets Macs and iOS devices, and it has taken action. "We’ve blocked the identified apps to prevent them from launching," a spokesman for the company told the Wall Street Journal.
Yesterday security researchers at Palo Alto Networks published a report saying they had discovered a new malware targeting Macs and iOS that is the “biggest in scale” it has ever seen. They named the malware "WireLurker" for its ability to jump from infected Macs to iOS devices over USB.
Battlefield 4 tech demo shows off incredible power of Apple’s Metal graphics framework
Hands up who's sick and tired of hearing about “console-level graphics” every time an iPad game hits the App Store?
I know I am and it's high time developers stopped overusing the marketing buzzword in their blurbs, methinks. No tablet on the market has the oomph to take on consoles, plain and simple.
While the advent of Metal, Apple's new low-level graphics framework in iOS 8, clearly won't make iPad games any better than their console counterparts, it does provide more aesthetically pleasing experiences involving far more detailed objects, lush visual effects and richer environments.
Apple is highlighting Metal-powered games in a dedicated App Store section and today folks behind the Frostbite graphics engine are showing off a pair of great looking screenshots of the Battlefield 4 console game running on an iPad and powered by the Metal-drive Frostbite engine.
Apple TV updated with new CBS News channel
Apple today added the CBS News channel to the ever-expanding library of content on its Apple TV. The app was pushed OTA and automatically, so users in areas where the channel is available should notice the addition without having to update their software.
The move coincides with the launch of CBS' new CBSN streaming news network, which is being billed as the "first live anchored news network across all leading digital platforms." Strangely enough, CBS doesn't mention the Apple TV in the official press release.