MacRumors

Last month we shared news of StackSocial's Epic Mac Bundle, which discounts eight useful Mac apps to a low price of $29.99 (valued at $478.71). This week, StackSocial gave us a heads up that this bundle will be ending for good on April 10 and ahead of that expiration date our readers have a chance to save even more on the bundle with an exclusive coupon code.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with StackSocial. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

To save on the Epic Mac Bundle, visit StackSocial, add the $29.99 bundle to your cart, and then head to the checkout screen. Once there, on the right side of the page enter the code LAST25 in the promo code box and click Apply. This will result in the bundle's $22.50 discount price, which is lasting for about six more days and will end Wednesday, April 10.

The Epic Mac Bundle

• Fantastical 2 ($49.99 value): Manage your contacts, events, reminders, and more with Flexibits' popular app.

• PDF Expert ($79.99 value): Quickly and easily edit PDF text, images, links, and outlines.

• Flux 7 ($99.00 value): An HTML and CSS designing tool that enables you to create fully functioning websites.

• Pagico 8 ($50.00 value): Stay organized and on task with an interactive flow chart that helps manage your projects and contacts.

• Command-Tab Plus ($34.99 value): A keyboard-centric application switcher designed to let you switch between apps in a faster way than the typical Command + Tab.

• iStat Menu ($14.99 value): Track useful Mac stats like real-time CPU, GPU, RAM, drive and network usage, Wi-Fi stats, and more.

• iLocker Pro ($79.80 value): Password protect your apps and unlock them with Touch ID.

• Ultdata Recovery ($69.95 value): Retrieve lost files from Macs, removable storage devices, partitions and volumes, and iOS devices

There is another discounted bundle on StackSocial this week, this one focused on creative apps from Corel. The Corel Creative Mac Bundle is valued at a total of $309.95 and available at a discounted price of $39.99 through June 30, 2019.

Just like with the Epic Mac Bundle, our readers have a chance to use an exclusive discount code and mark down the bundle even more. You can save 15 percent on the Corel Creative Mac Bundle by adding it to your cart on StackSocial and applying the code COREL15 during the checkout process. This will discount the bundle to $34.00 exclusively for MacRumors readers.

The Corel Creative Mac Bundle

• Toast 17 Titanium ($99.99 value): Easily capture your screen, burn digital media onto discs, and edit videos.
• AfterShot Pro 3 ($79.99 value): RAW photo editing software that lets you upload, edit, and manage high quality images.
• Painter Essentials 6 ($49.99 value): Sketch and draw on a blank canvas with realistic painting tools and effects.
• WinZip ($29.99 value): Software that makes it simple to work with large groups of Zip files, so you can exchange large amounts of information with ease.
• ParticleShop ($49.99 value): A powerful brush plugin for Photoshop and AfterShot 3 with 11 built-in custom brushes.

More deals and discounts can be found in our full Deals Roundup.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Velvet Caviar to give MacRumors readers a chance to win one of the company's iPhone cases, Phone Ring Holder, or power bank.

Velvet Caviar is best known for its range of unique, eye catching iPhone cases for all of Apple's iPhones from the iPhone 5 to the ‌iPhone‌ XS. If you've ever seen a marbled ‌iPhone‌ case on Instagram or Snapchat, it's probably from Velvet Caviar.

Velvet Caviar has a wide selection of ‌iPhone‌ cases with a marbled pattern, including some with holographic accents, and every one of them is impressive and attention grabbing. They're affordable too, with most priced at $30.

If marble isn't your thing, there are also adorable flower patterns, fun liquid glitter options, camo designs, clear cases with a fun selection of designs, more practical wallet cases, and even cases covered in fuzzy faux fur.

All of the Velvet Caviar cases look great, but are also protective. A plastic shell lined with Firm Flex shock absorbing material protects your ‌iPhone‌ from drops of up to eight feet, and a 3mm lip at the front of the case keeps your display safe too.

Along with cases, Velvet Caviar has nifty little rings that are an alternative to the Pop Socket. The $10-$12 Phone Holder Ring features a fun shape or pattern while offering the utility of a ring that gives you a better grip on your ‌iPhone‌ for taking pictures, FaceTiming, and more.

The Phone Holder Ring also doubles as a handy stand for watching videos, and it attaches securely to your phone or phone case using a strong (but removable) adhesive.

Velvet Caviar also offers a selection of other accessories, including screen protectors, stickers, and 4,000mAh battery packs in patterns that match the ‌iPhone‌ cases, which can give your ‌iPhone‌ a little extra juice when you need it.

We have 10 $50 gift cards to the Velvet Caviar website to give away, which can be used to purchase an ‌iPhone‌ case and an accessory like a Phone Ring Holder. To enter to win, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The National Post has shared the story of a Canadian accountant who was caught after buying nearly $7 million worth of iPhones and iPads with her company credit card and reselling them to the owner of a small electronics store.

Nadia Minetto, who was as an accounting manager at Mississauga-based software company Wescom Solutions, started buying thousands of Apple products with her company-issued American Express card in 2011. It had been her job to approve business expenses for all employees, so her spending went unnoticed.

Over the next two and a half years, the Ontario Superior Court found that Minetto sold 5,321 iPads and 4,942 iPhones to businessman Gabriel Fung, who in turn sold them at his store Plus One Solutions in the Toronto area and to wholesalers in Hong Kong, turning a profit of just over $1 million.

Fung first met Minetto after responding to her ad for an iPad on Kijiji, a popular Craigslist-like classifieds site in Canada. Their transactions eventually became more elaborate, often involving 10 to 20 devices at a time, ultimately leading to bulk shipments to the address of a virtual business set up by Fung.

The scheme came to an end in July 2014, when consultant Kristine Pacy discovered spending irregularities as Wescom was contemplating becoming a publicly traded company. The court determined that at least $6,831,834 of Wescom's money was misappropriated dating back to May 2009.

Minetto admitted to her actions and, in October 2014, she consented to a judgment in the amount of $6,831,834.17 plus interest. Wescom also won a judgment for more than $5 million against Fung, but he was awarded his cross claim for the same amount against Minetto, potentially reducing his amount owed.

This week, an Ontario appeals court dismissed Fung's appeal over his judgment, potentially bringing the case to an end.

Ember, the company that sells iPhone-connected mugs and thermoses, recently launched a new version of its Ember Ceramic Mug that is now available in a larger, 14oz size for U.S. users only. Like its previous products, the company has also partnered with Apple to sell the temperature regulating smart mug on Apple.com and in Apple stores.

Previously, the only size that the Ceramic Mug was available in was a 10oz option. While we enjoyed the overall quality and usefulness of the Ceramic Mug in our review, this sizing issue was one of the biggest downsides to the product, since it barely left any room for creamer in coffee and often led to spills.

With a bigger capacity these problems should be alleviated, but the 14oz option does come with a steeper price tag of $129.95, compared to the 10oz version at $79.95. The two mugs are identical other than their sizes, and let you set a desired temperature, track caffeine consumption via the Health app, and customize the mug's LED.

The main feature of the Ceramic Mug is that it lets you set a specific drinking temperature for your coffee or tea via the iPhone app. Over the course of a few minutes, the mug will lower its internal temperature to that setting, and then keep your drink at your desired level of warmth while you drink it.

They also both have a one hour battery life on a single charge, but if you place the mugs on the included charging coaster you can keep your drink at the desired temperature all day. The 14oz and 10oz cups are made from stainless steel with a ceramic coating so the mugs themselves are cool to the touch even with hot drinks inside.

Ember also sells a Travel Mug with all of the same temperature-regulating features as the Ceramic Mug, for $149.95. At this time, it appears that the 14oz Ceramic Mug is only available in Black on Ember.com and on Apple.com. On Apple's website, store pickup is available and shipping on the new mug arrives as soon as early next week.

Skype has increased the number of users that can be on the same audio or video group call to 50, up from the previous maximum of 25.

The bump up to 50 means bigger team chats and larger conference calls with speakers can take place, while full classes of students can participate in group calls.

The change also means Microsoft's Skype now beats Apple's FaceTime for the number of users that take part in a group call. ‌FaceTime‌ supports a maximum of 32 people.

In addition, Microsoft has made some changes to how larger Skype group calls start. Users now receive a notification to replace the default ringing sound, which is meant to allow every member of a group to receive a quick ping to join the call in a more unobtrusive way.

The audio and video buttons remain available to use in larger groups, so users can still mute their microphones or turn on/off their webcam.

Large group calling is available on the latest version of Skype for desktop and mobile.

Apple has cut the price of all Apple Music plans in India, in a move apparently aimed at fending off rival streaming services like Spotify and YouTube Music, both of which recently launched in the country within the last month.

‌Apple Music‌ is now being offered for Rs 99 ($1.43) a month, down from the earlier price of Rs 120 ($1.73).

Likewise, a student membership now costs Rs 49 instead of Rs 60, while a family plan has dropped from Rs 190 to Rs 149. Yearly subscriptions meanwhile cost Rs 999 rather than the earlier price of Rs 1,200.

The new price of an ‌Apple Music‌ membership undercuts both Spotify and YouTube Music, whose monthly premium plans start at Rs 119 and Rs 129, respectively.

India is seen as an untapped market for streaming music services, with a population of 1.3 billion people many of whom are only just becoming active internet users.

Home to a thriving and varied multi-lingual music scene, the country already has several local streaming services like JioSaavn and Gaana, but with the big international players making their debut in the country, competition appears to be hotting up.

(Via The Indian Express.)

Fans of original iPhone game Rolando will be thrilled to hear that Rolando: Royal Edition, a remastered version of the 2008 platform-style puzzle game, is now available from the App Store on iPhone and iPad.

Rolando was one of the first games available on the ‌iPhone‌ back when the ‌App Store‌ first launched, and at the time, our sister site TouchArcade said it was among the "best games the ‌App Store‌ has to offer."

The award-winning iPhone classic is back and better than ever! This brand-new 'Royal Edition' is a completely remastered Rolando - every interaction, every course, flower, trampoline, bomb, catapult and squirrel has been given a thorough scrub, buff and shine, making this the most gorgeous version yet!

In Rolando, the aim of the game is to guide a gang of Rolandos through traps and puzzles on a quest to save the sages from Shadow Creatures. Players use touch, tap, and tilt gestures as a control mechanism, and with the exception of new mechanics and updates to the design, original Rolando gameplay is intact.

Rolando: Royal Edition can be purchased from the ‌App Store‌ for $2.99. [Direct Link]

Facebook-owned WhatsApp today expanded its popular WhatsApp Business app to the iPhone, giving business owners a better way to interface with their customers using the chat app.

With WhatsApp Business, businesses are able to create profiles with contact details, website information, and options for automated greetings, replies, and away messages.

Whether it's an online sweet shop in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil that closes 60 percent of its sales via WhatsApp Business or a cinnamon roll company in Tijuana, Mexico that credits WhatsApp Business for allowing it to open a second location, small business owners all over the world are using the app to grow. We're excited to bring the WhatsApp Business app to even more small businesses and hear new stories about how it's helping them succeed.

WhatsApp Business also includes a desktop website component, so businesses can use a smartphone, tablet, or desktop machine to contact customers. Prior to now, the WhatsApp Business app has been limited to Android devices.

WhatsApp Business will be available in the App Store for free, but it looks like it's still rolling out at the current time. It will be available in Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, India, Mexico, the UK and the United States, with WhatsApp planning to bring it to additional countries in the near future. [Direct Link]

Amazon Echo and Fire TV devices in the UK and Ireland are now compatible with Apple Music, reports Pocket-lint.

In the United States, Amazon Echo models have supported ‌Apple Music‌ since December of last year, allowing Echo speakers to integrate directly with Apple's music service, but the functionality was not made available in other countries.

Amazon Echo owners in the UK can now install the Apple Music integration using the Amazon Alexa app for iPhone or iPad and then use Alexa commands to play songs, albums, and more from the ‌Apple Music‌ service.

As of mid-March, ‌Apple Music‌ is also available as an option on the Amazon Fire TV.

Following the release of iOS 12.2 on March 25, Apple has stopped signing iOS 12.1.4, the previous version of iOS that was available to consumers.

iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners who have upgraded to iOS 12.2 will no longer be able to downgrade to iOS 12.1.4.

iOS 12.2, available on all devices able to run iOS 12, was a major update that brought the Apple News+ service, new Animoji, Safari changes, and much more.

Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date.

iOS 12.2 is now the only version of iOS that can be installed on iPhones and iPads, but developers and public beta testers can download iOS 12.3, another major update that's currently being beta tested.