Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 11.1 update to developers for testing purposes, a week and a half after seeding the first tvOS 11.1 update and three weeks after releasing tvOS 11 to the public.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the tvOS 11.1 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode on the Mac.
The tvOS 11.1 update appears to focus on bug fixes and performance improvements rather than outward-facing design changes, and no new features were found in the first beta. Should anything new surface in the second tvOS 11.1 beta, we'll update this post.
tvOS 11 introduces features like full support for AirPods, automatic switching between light and dark mode based on local time, Home screen syncing options designed to keep multiple Apple TVs in a single household in sync, and new background modes and notification support.
Update: Apple has also released the second beta of tvOS 11.1 to public beta testers.
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS High Sierra update to developers, a week and a half after releasing the first macOS High Sierra 10.13.1 beta and two weeks after releasing the new High Sierra operating system to the public.
The second macOS High Sierra 10.13.1 beta can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center or through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store with the proper profile installed.
macOS High Sierra 10.13.1 appears to focus on bug fixes, performance improvements, security enhancements, and other under-the-hood changes, but it also introduces a range of new Unicode 10 emoji like crazy face, pie, pretzel, t-rex, vampire, exploding head, face vomiting, shushing face, love you gesture, brain, scarf, zebra, giraffe, fortune cookie, pie, hedgehog, and more.
macOS High Sierra is a major update that introduces APFS, a new more modern file system, HEIF and HEVC photo and video encoding improvements for smaller file sizes without compromising quality, Metal 2, and several new features for Safari, like autoplay blocking for videos and Intelligent Tracking Prevention to better protect user privacy.
Update: Apple has also released the second beta of macOS 10.13.1 to public beta testers.
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 4 update to developers for testing purposes, nearly two weeks after releasing the first watchOS 4.1 beta and three weeks after releasing the new watchOS 4 operating system to the public.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS 4 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
The watchOS 4.1 update introduces support for streaming Apple Music content directly to the Apple Watch Series 3 over LTE and it brings a new Radio app with access to Beats 1 and other Apple Music radio stations.
While the Music app on the watch looks the same, offering up access to the Music Library, recently played songs, playlists, and Apple Music mixes, but now all Apple Music content can be streamed over an LTE connection and doesn't need to be downloaded to the device.
Support for Apple Music streaming appears to be the main feature in the new watchOS 4.1 update, but Apple is also introducing new Unicode 10 emoji characters. Today's update adds a new Wi-Fi toggle for turning off Wi-Fi to force the Apple Watch Series 3 to use LTE and it displays the Wi-Fi SSID so users can see the Wi-Fi Network an Apple Watch is connected to.
watchOS 4 is a significant refresh of the watchOS operating system introducing new watch faces, including a personalized Siri face, improvements to the Workout app, support for integration with gym equipment, an Apple News app, a vertical Dock, and a new Flashlight feature in the Control Center.
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming iOS 11.1 update to developers, nearly two weeks releasing the first iOS 11.1 beta and a few weeks after releasing the iOS 11 update to the public.
Registered developers can download the iOS 11 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.
Apple said the second beta of iOS 11.1 introduces a range of new Unicode 10 emoji like crazy face, pie, pretzel, t-rex, vampire, exploding head, face vomiting, shushing face, love you gesture, brain, scarf, zebra, giraffe, fortune cookie, pie, hedgehog, and more.
Several emoji have also seen some small design changes in iOS 11.1, including the dolphin, octopus, bee, snail, and whale characters, among others.
A few other small features were discovered in the initial iOS 11.1 beta. The built-in keyboard in iOS 11.1 now offers up multiple emoji symbols when using an emoji-related word like "cake" or "happy," with each of the suggestions displayed at the end of the predictive text suggestions. There's also an updated camera icon under Restrictions, a new animation when tapping the status bar to scroll upwards, and a faster unlock animation.
iOS 11 marks a major update to the operating system with systemwide design tweaks, a new Lock screen experience, a revamped Control Center, ARKit, new app features, and an entirely new interface for the iPad that includes a Dock, Drag and Drop support, and a redesigned App Switcher for better than ever multitasking.
Update: Apple has also released the second beta of iOS 11.1 to public beta testers.
iPad Pro models set to be released in 2018 will come equipped with a TrueDepth Camera and will support Face ID, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told investors in a note this morning.
Kuo believes Apple will add TrueDepth cameras to the iPad Pro to introduce a user experience that's consistent with the iPhone X and boost competitiveness. With all high-end iOS devices equipped with TrueDepth Cameras, "ecosystem development" will also benefit.
According to Kuo, TrueDepth Cameras will be limited to the iPad Pro, which is Apple's main flagship tablet device. Kuo also predicts 2018 iPhone models will adopt the new camera technology coming in the iPhone X, as he has mentioned in a previous note.
We predict iOS devices to be equipped with TrueDepth Camera in 2018F will include iPhone X and 2018 new iPhone and iPad models. Because of this, we believe more developers will pay attention to TrueDepth Camera/ facial recognition related applications. We expect Apple's (US) major promotion of facial recognition related applications will encourage the Android camp to also dedicate more resources to developing hardware and facial recognition applications.
With Apple embracing facial recognition and the TrueDepth Camera, Kuo reiterated that he expects Android smartphone makers to begin researching facial recognition technology, abandoning under-screen fingerprint recognition technology. Apple has a serious lead over its competitors though, with Kuo previously saying it will take up to 2.5 years for Android hardware to catch up with the TrueDepth camera.
The iPhone X, Apple's first product with a TrueDepth Camera for Face ID, is set to be released to the public on November 3. It's not clear when the company plans to introduce new iPad Pro models, but the new devices could come as soon as the first half of 2018. The iPad Pro was last updated in June of 2017, introducing a new 10.5-inch model with slimmer bezels and new display technology.
As Tim Cook meets with French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris today, a new rumor is looking to the week ahead and what could potentially be announced by the Apple CEO as he continues his trip around France. According to information gained by Mac4Ever, Apple is set to announce its appearance at Station F, described as one of the largest centers for entrepreneurs in Europe and the largest startup facility in the world.
Emmanuel Macron appeared at the grand opening of Station F in June (via @joinstationf)
Apple will allegedly deploy a small team to Station F that will help developers create, validate, and manage applications to be launched on the iOS App Store. Given Cook's arrival in Paris today, if Apple does end up supporting Station F in some way it makes sense that the announcement could come out of the CEO's travels this week. Other companies with startup programs at Station F include Facebook, Microsoft, Ubisoft, and more.
According to our information, Apple would open - it is a first - an official cell in one of the largest centers of welcome for entrepreneurs in Europe. We do not yet know all the details, but the Apple would plan to deploy a small team, to help developers, especially in the creation and validation of applications.
Earlier this year, Apple opened its own iOS App Accelerator facility in Bangalore, built to support engineering talent and boost the growth of India's iOS developer community. Apple has eagerly supported and promoted the App Store and its developer community over the years, since it and other Apple services -- Apple Music, Apple Pay, AppleCare, iTunes, and iCloud -- continue to grow and contribute to much of the company's revenue.
In terms of Cook's current trip, he has visited an iPhone X component supplier, the Normandy American Cemetery, and a few app-based startups. More details of his meeting with Macron -- expected to cover international tax laws -- should begin to surface throughout the day.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is in Paris today ahead of a meeting with the French president Emmanuel Macron at 4:15 CEST. Before that meeting happens, Cook has a full itinerary for his day and the CEO has been documenting parts of his travels on Twitter.
Cook's first Tweet noted his visitation to Eldim, a company based in Normandy that specializes in creating advanced optical metrology tools. Eldim is a component supplier of the upcoming iPhone X, providing Apple with critical components of the iPhone X's Face ID biometric security system.
Thanks to my friends at Eldim, a team of talented engineers and craftspeople helping make iPhone possible. Bravo pour votre travail! 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/hEpxD3iBGf
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 9, 2017
Specifically, Eldim is said to be responsible for the eye detection abilities of Face ID -- a crucial factor in Apple's new software, which can detect when a user's eyes are open (unlocking the iPhone X) or closed (keeping the smartphone locked). Eldim CEO Thierry Leroux called the collaboration with Apple "an incredible adventure." Leroux further stated that, "for us it was a bit like sending someone to the moon." Tim Cook was said to have responded with a congratulations and telling the company and its 42 employees, "it's great what you did for us!" (via Mac Generation and Ouest-France).
While in Normandy, Cook visited the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, which honors the American lives that were lost in Europe during World War II.
At Normandy, honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice. “Think not only upon their passing. Remember the glory of their spirit.” pic.twitter.com/Unq6NXoe5y
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 9, 2017
Cook also made a surprise visit to a startup called "My Little Paris" where he shared a roast chicken with employees. My Little Paris specializes in recommending sites and attractions to see around the city. Originating as a weekly newsletter created by Fany Péchiodat and sent to her friends and family, the original idea has since evolved into a $42 million startup.
Next up should be Cook's meeting with Macron. The topics of discussion for this meeting are being kept secret, but the two men are largely expected to talk about the issue of corporate tax law in France. In August, France and Germany announced preparations to stop tech companies like Apple from exploiting tax loopholes in their respective countries, with Macron leading the crackdown on international tech companies in France.
Cook's visit to France in 2017 follows a troublesome period of months for Apple back in 2016, when the European Commission ruled that Apple received illegal state aid from Ireland and ordered the company to pay $14.5 billion in back taxes. Apple appealed the decision in December of 2016 by arguing the European Commission made "fundamental errors" in its ruling, but the Cupertino company has noted that it expects the case to continue for several years.
In the wake of these reports, Cook called the tax avoidance claims "total political crap," writing an open letter that stated Apple has become "the largest taxpayer in the world," and that the company "follows the law and we pay all the taxes we owe."
Update: Cook also visited the offices of "CoachGuitar," an app that teaches users how to play the guitar.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
HBO recently announced a new TV project in the works by director Steven Soderbergh called "Mosaic." The show will air as a six-part linear narrative in early 2018, but in addition to the traditional distribution, HBO is launching an app where viewers can watch the show, make decisions, and help shape the outcome of certain events (via The Verge).
The Mosaic iOS app will be available to download for free beginning in November, and it will let viewers choose what point of view they want to follow the story, effectively building their own experience from material written and directed by Ed Solomon and Soderbergh, respectively. According to HBO, each choice "builds upon one another," leading to different versions of the same scene, and different endings.
In January 2018, the linear version of Mosaic will air on HBO and the network said that this will allow viewers to compare their own version of the story with Soderbergh's narrative.
“MOSAIC is a branching narrative piece. While branching narratives have been around forever, technology now allows, I hope, for a more elegant, intuitive form of engagement than used to be possible. Also, we weren’t reverse engineering the story to fit an existing piece of technology; the story was being created in lockstep with the technical team. The fluidity of that relationship made me feel comfortable because I wanted it to be a simple, intuitive experience. I didn’t want moments where you are making a decision to feel like interruptions.”
In both mediums, the show will star Sharon Stone, Garrett Hedlund, Beau Bridges, Paul Reubens, and others. The iOS app will include character profiles and various pieces of content -- like newspaper clippings and voice recordings -- that serve to deepen the show's story. The plot itself is largely being kept under wraps by HBO and Soderbergh, but is expected to have some murder mystery elements.
Microsoft has publicly admitted for the first time that its Windows Phone is dead. In a series of tweets, Windows 10 chief Joe Belfiore said that the company is no longer developing new features or hardware for Windows 10 Mobile, with only bug fixes and security updates to come for existing users.
Belfiore explained that his team had tried "very hard" to incentivize app developers by paying them and writing apps for them, but the low volume of users meant it was no longer worth the investment in Windows Phone.
Microsoft officially ended support for Windows Phone back in July, but the software giant never owned up to the fact that the move was essentially the final nail in the coffin for its flagship mobile platform. Today's news that the Windows 10 Mobile hardware is no longer a focus for the company now puts that beyond doubt, and makes the possibility of a long-rumored Surface-branded phone seem further away than ever.
Of course we'll continue to support the platform.. bug fixes, security updates, etc. But building new features/hw aren't the focus. 😟 https://t.co/0CH9TZdIFu
— Joe Belfiore (@joebelfiore) October 8, 2017
Windows Phone was released in 2010 and quickly became the world's third most popular mobile operating system, but the platform couldn't compete with iOS and Android, which accounted for a combined 99.6 percent market share earlier this year.
In another sign of the times, the New York Police Department recently confirmed it will begin transitioning from Windows Phones to iPhones for its 36,000 police officers in the fall.
In Belfiore's series of tweets, the corporate VP also revealed that he had switched away from Windows Phone to a rival mobile operating system, but didn't say which one.
Apple has quietly released iTunes 12.6.3, which reintroduces the ability to download App Store apps and ringtones from within the iTunes desktop software.
Apple is making this version of iTunes available because "certain business partners might still need to use iTunes to install apps", but the download is basically available to anyone looking to reinstate the functionality that was removed in iTunes 12.7.
If you've already installed a newer version of iTunes, you can download this version of iTunes on your Mac, PC 32-bit or PC 64-bit and run the installer. After installation is complete, you can continue to deploy apps with iTunes. You won't be prompted to download new versions of iTunes after you install this version.
Installation packages for Mac and PC (32-bit and 64-bit) are available for download on the support page. After the installation, most users will need to rebuild their iTunes Library. To do this, hold down the Option key when the app launches and in the dialog window that appears choose "Create Library...". Give the new library a name that's different to your existing library, and then migrate over your albums using the Add to Library... option under the Files menu.
Apple released iTunes 12.7 in September and said the new version was designed to focus solely on music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks, which was the reason behind the removal of the built-in App Store. Following the change, apps and ringtones could only be downloaded on an iOS device.
This special "business edition" of iTunes includes compatibility with iOS 11, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. It's not clear how long Apple will offer iTunes 12.6.3, and the company does not provide technical support for this version, but for those who want the functionality it could be a useful makeweight until Apple comes up with an alternative solution.
Blackberry announced its latest crack at an all-screen smartphone during the GITEX Technology Week in Dubai on Sunday. The Motion is the company's third Android phone to ditch the keyboard following the release of the DTEK50 and DTEK60 in 2016. Blackberry also released the KEYone earlier this year, but that device includes a keyboard below the touchscreen.
The Motion's 5.5-inch LCD display and Snapdragon 625 system-on-a-chip is powered by a large 4,000mAh battery (the iPhone 8 Plus has a 2,675mAh battery), which Blackberry hopes will appeal to business users looking for all-day battery life. Like all of the company's branded handsets these days, the Motion is actually made by Chinese company TCL Communication.
The phone will be initially available in Middle Eastern markets for approximately $460, with availability in the U.S. likely further down the line.
Blackberry officially discontinued its keyboard-rocking Blackberry Classic in July 2016 and later declared it would cease internally developing its own handsets, relying on partnerships with other companies instead while it focuses on software development.
The rise of the iPhone famously wiped out Blackberry's smartphone market share, but the company's pivot towards mobile security has been a profitable one, with its recent quarterly earnings report exceeding expectations.
The company reported record gross margins of 76 percent, up from 67 percent last quarter and 62 percent a year ago, despite the fact its hardware market share remains essentially zero.
There are still 26 days to go before Apple officially launches iPhone X, but at least one person has already gotten their hands on one of the sought-after 5.8-inch devices, if a video shared on Reddit is anything to go by.
The short clip, embedded below, shows someone swiveling in their hand what looks like a silver glass-backed iPhone X with a new, previously unseen dynamic wallpaper on the lock screen.
As the handset is rotated, the padlock above the time visibly shudders as Face ID refuses to unlock, suggesting the person holding the phone is not the owner.
Speculation is rife among Redditors as to who the owner could be and how they ever got hold of an iPhone X so far ahead of the official launch next month.
According to the original poster, the video was uploaded from the San Jose area, California, making it likely that the clip was recorded by someone who knows an Apple employee with early access to the device. The iPhone X in the clip is also displaying an AT&T logo in the upper left corner, adding further weight to the suggestion this was recorded in the U.S.
Apple CEO Tim Cook will meet French president Emmanuel Macron on Monday, according to the Élysée Palace's official published agenda. Cook has been invited to the head of state's Paris residence for an afternoon meeting, but the reasons for the visit have not yet been made public.
Topics up for discussion could include Apple's code-learning drive in schools, or perhaps more likely, the issue of corporate tax law in the country.
France has called for an aggressive overhaul of how tech companies like Apple pay tax across the European Union, and President Macron is one of the leaders behind the tax crackdown, which has a goal of bringing a more unified corporate tax system across the euro states.
EU officials recently gathered to look at existing loopholes which are said to have allowed tech companies to minimize taxes and grab market share at the expense of Europe-based companies, and Macron has personally been unhappy with the way French firms struggle to compete with countries where taxes and social security payments are lower.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
With its iPhone X debut and the introduction of Face ID, Apple has now tilted interest in the mobile industry away from under-display fingerprint recognition, and instead towards camera-based 3D sensing technologies as the ideal user authentication solution. That's according to the latest research note from respected KGI securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
According to the new note seen by MacRumors, inquiries by Android smartphone vendors into 3D-sensing technologies have at least tripled since Apple unveiled its TrueDepth camera and Face ID technology, which replaces traditional Touch ID fingerprint recognition in the iPhone X, set to launch in November.
While under-display optical fingerprint recognition is only a spec upgrade from capacitive solutions, 3D sensing embodies a revolutionary user experience and warrants a premium on gross margin. 3D sensing not only enables facial recognition in security applications and allows users to create fun expressions like Apple's Animoji, on a more important level, it is a key factor in the development of AR. We therefore believe brand vendors are willing to spend more for related components.
Currently, the solutions available to Android phone vendors are said to be from Qualcomm and Himax, Orbbec, and Mantis Vision, with the more mature Qualcomm-Himax solutions attracting the most attention.
Kuo went on to say he believes the next two to three years will see shipments of 3D sensor-equipped Android devices to exceed those with under-display fingerprint recognition by a factor of two or three or more. This will be mainly due to 3D-sensing's wider compatibility with LCD screens than under-display optical fingerprint recognition, which is exclusive to OLED panels, said Kuo.
The KGI analyst also believes Samsung's continual dominance of the high-end OLED panel market over the next two to three years will mean shipments of under-display optical fingerprint recognition will remain significantly capped.
Regular MacRumors readers may recall that some reports claimed Apple struggled to implement under-display fingerprint recognition for its most advanced iPhone to date and instead opted for facial recognition as the exclusive authentication method as a result. In retrospect however, Kuo accurately contradicted that report shortly after it appeared, while well-connected Apple journalist John Gruber has also cast doubt on the assertion that Touch ID had been planned for iPhone X, claiming Apple had been "all-in" on replacing Touch ID with Face ID for over a year.
In an earlier report, Kuo said he believes it will take Apple's Android competitors up to two and a half years to replicate the functionality and user experience of the TrueDepth Camera in the iPhone X. He has also previously said that should Apple's TrueDepth camera prove to be popular with consumers, all of the company's future iPhones are likely to adopt the feature.
Face ID will become available to the public starting on November 3, the official launch date for the iPhone X.
Developer CCP Games has revealed that a mobile spinoff of its massively multiplayer game Eve Online it coming to iOS next year. Launched back in 2003, Eve became famous for its vast sandbox universe and spectacular space battles involving thousands of players, even going on to spawn its own history, politics, and galactic economy.
Codenamed Project Aurora and co-developed by Playraven, the smartphone version to debut in 2018 is set in a standalone Eve universe separate from the existing MMO theater, but involves many of the elements fans of the massively online multiplayer should instantly recognize.
Players will have to advance their space stations and build out their fleets while competing with each other to collect ancient relics, which are used to repair jump gates that ultimately lead to the center of the galaxy. Trading, ship research and technology development will all remain central facets of the mobile Eve universe, so there should be plenty to keep veterans of the MMO happy.
TouchArcade is currently attending the EVE Vegas event, so be sure to check in at the site in the coming days and weeks for more details on Project Aurora's interstellar mechanics.
Major League Baseball today fined Arizona Diamondbacks coach Ariel Prieto after he wore his Apple Watch in the dugout during a game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night, reports The New York Times.
Prieto violated rules against the use of electronic communications devices when he wore the Apple Watch during the game. Major League Baseball investigated and said there was no sign the watch was used for anything suspicious.
"M.L.B. found no evidence that Mr. Prieto used the Apple Watch or cellphone for any purpose in the dugout, nor any baseball-related communication on either device during Wednesday's game," the statement on Friday said.
Though the watch was not misused, Prieto and the Diamondbacks received a fine in an "undisclosed amount" just for having the watch in the dugout. The money will be donated to hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico.
The Boston Red Sox were also fined last month for using electronic communications devices in the dugout to more quickly relay the opposing team's signs to players on the field. The device in that event was originally said to be an Apple Watch, but later reports suggested it was instead a Fitbit.
Eric Billingsley, director of internet services operations at Apple, is leaving the company, reports CNBC.
Billingsley is responsible for running data center infrastructure and some internet services, including the operating infrastructure for iCloud services like iCloud Drive.
His current responsibilities are being handed over to senior engineering director Patrick Gates, who already oversees infrastructure for other services like Siri. Gates has been with Apple since 2005 and will shortly take over for Billingsley.
Prior to joining Apple in October of 2013, Billingsley served as a director of engineering at Google. Before that, he was a technical fellow at eBay. It's not clear where he will be going after leaving Apple.
According to CNBC, data infrastructure has been an issue at Apple and Gates has been "righting the ship." Apple has been shifting more services to Gates' group's infrastructure as Billingsley's relies on external cloud providers like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.
His departure comes following a major AWS outage in February that impacted services like Apple Music and iTunes, and CBNC speculates that his exit could mean Apple plans to rely more on its own infrastructure rather than third-party cloud services.
Both Billingsley and Gates report to engineering vice president Patrice Gautier, who reports to iTunes chief Eddy Cue.
I'm writing this from EVE Vegas, and while they haven't announced anything just yet, it does seem odd that the guys behind EVE Online would want someone from an iPhone games site to be in the audience, eh? Anyway, on with some of the bigger stories from this week in the world of iOS gaming.
This week was welcomed by two absolutely legendary 32-bit games getting updated to support iOS 11. Thomas Was Alone and Hoplite are now both 64-bit. Thomas Was Alone is near the top of my personal list of best games I've ever played. It's a multi-character puzzler platformer with a fully narrated story and a soundtrack I'll still listen to on Spotify at random. It's a game I wish I could delete from my brain to experience fresh all over again. Take a look at our review.
Hoplite, on the other hand, is a hex grid turn-based strategy game that has you playing as a Spartan soldier trying to retrieve the Fleece of Yendor from the 16th floor of a dungeon filled with all sorts of obstacles. It's totally random, and features nearly infinite replayability. We reviewed it all the way back in 2014.
A Stranger Things game launched this week. It's a completely free promotional game that's a lightweight RPG of sorts that is jam-packed with fan service. If you are a completionist, you can try and collect all the Eggos and Gnomes and complete the VHS library. And if you manage to collect everything, you might even get to unlock secret characters or never-before-seen footage of the upcoming Season 2.
Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan was spotted on Twitter this week with what many are thinking is the rumored Razer gaming smartphone. We're super curious to see what if any kind of dent Razer can make in the mobile space with a gaming-specific smartphone. That particular sector of the cell phone industry seems really odd, and littered with the corpses of other companies (including giants like Sony) that tried to make gaming smartphones. Razer has been on a bit of a tear when it comes to releasing real cool PC hardware, so who knows.
All of the Goat Simulator games are on sale for a buck. These games are beyond absurd, and (as the title hints) have you playing as a goat wrecking all sorts of things. If you've never played one, it's probably best to start off with the classic Goat Simulator then hop into some of the ridiculous sequels/spinoffs available. If you have kids, chances are you already own at least one of these games.
Like clockwork, Blizzard is expected to reveal a new expansion at Blizzcon on November 3rd -- Specifically at 1:45 PM PDT. Nothing has leaked yet, so it's a complete mystery which direction they're going to go next. Blizzard has done a fabulous job at evolving the game of Hearthstone with new cards, so we're expecting some big things with the next expansion.
The roundup is a little shorter than usual this week, but I'm super slammed with EVE Vegas! For all the other iOS news, reviews, and other happenings of the week please head over to TouchArcade.
Microsoft has publicly admitted for the first time that its Windows Phone is dead. In a series of tweets, Windows 10 chief 
There are still 26 days to go before Apple officially launches iPhone X, but at least one person has already gotten their hands on one of the sought-after 5.8-inch devices, if 
Eric Billingsley, director of internet services operations at Apple, is leaving the company, reports 
