Apple Removes iPod Click Wheel Games from iTunes
Earlier this week, a report claimed that Apple is preparing to discontinue the iPod classic and iPod shuffle, leaving only the iPod touch and iPod nano in its iPod lineup. Supporting the idea that the iPod classic may soon be coming to an end after ten years on the market is a new report from AppleInsider noting that Apple has removed access to the iPod Click Wheel Games section of the iTunes Store.
No new click wheel games had appeared in the iTunes Store since February 2009 as Apple apparently ended support for development of such games, but existing titles continued to be available through the store until recently. It is unclear, however, exactly when the listings disappeared from the iTunes Store, as reports dating back nearly two weeks indicated that the click wheel games had indeed gone missing.
Despite the removal of access via iTunes, Apple still advertises the ability to purchase and play click wheel games on its iPod classic features page and its "iTunes A to Z" page.
iPod Click Wheel Games
You can watch a video preview of Click Wheel games on the iTunes Store before you buy. Once you purchase the games you want, simply sync them to your iPod classic, iPod nano (3rd, 4th, or 5th generation), or iPod (5th generation). Each game plays perfectly on your iPod using the intuitive Click Wheel as a controller.
Concern over the fate of the iPod classic arose when the model did not receive an update at last year's iPod media event, despite the fact that Steve Jobs touted that September's lineup as "all-new". Although the news wasn't revealed until months later, one customer did email Steve Jobs regarding the fate of the iPod classic after the September 2010 event, with Jobs responding that Apple had "no plans" to discontinue the model.
Additional hope of new life for the iPod classic came in February with Toshiba's launch of a 220 GB hard drive of the form factor used in the iPod classic, opening the door to a capacity increase over the existing 160 GB size. It now appears, however, that Apple may be winding down the high-capacity iPod model in favor of its popular iOS-based iPod touch and its new iCloud services that will allow users to store their music on Apple's servers and download it to their Internet-connected iOS devices as needed.
Popular Stories
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store.
The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump.
...
The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google.
For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more.
Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features.
Liquid Glass Toggle
iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass.
In the Settings app, under Display...
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences.
The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report.
Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...
Apple's online store in the U.S. is suddenly offering a pack of four AirTags for just $29, which is the same price as a single AirTag.
This is likely a pricing error, and it is unclear if orders will be fulfilled. Apple has not discounted the AirTag four-pack in any other countries that we checked.
Delivery estimates are already pushing into late November to early December, suggesting...
IKEA today announced the upcoming launch of 21 new Matter-compatible smart home products that will be able to interface with HomeKit and the Apple Home app. There are sensors, lights, and control options, all of which will be reasonably priced. Some of the products are new, while some are updates to existing lines that IKEA previously offered.
There are a series of new smart bulbs that are...
It's been over a decade since Apple's HomeKit smart home platform launched, and it is overdue for an update. HomeKit and the Home app can no longer keep up with AI-powered solutions from other companies like Google and Amazon, but that's set to change with a smart home revamp that Apple has planned for 2026.
Home Hub
Apple is working on a home hub or "command center" that will serve as a...
