MacRumors

Apple is rumored to begin selling accessibility-related accessories and peripherals in its retail stores sometime in early 2016. The report, from Mac Otakara [Google Translate], states that the new iOS- and OS X-supported devices will go on sale between January and March of next year.

No specific hint was given as to what kind of peripherals users can expect to find within an Apple Store once accessibility products go on sale at the company's retail locations. Apple has been a big supporter of accessibility on the software side for years now, offering features such as Grayscale, AssistiveTouch, VoiceOver, accessibility shortcuts, and more.

Apple's various accessibility efforts even earned it the Helen Keller Achievement Award from the American Foundation for the Blind back in May.

Apple continues to strengthen its foothold in the Indian smartphone market by now reducing the price of the two-month-old iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in the country. According to a report by The Times of India, sales for the new iPhones have dived following an upsurge during Diwali festivities in November.

As a result, Apple has cut the price of the 6s and 6s Plus by up to 16 percent from the original price point. The iPhone 6s 16GB model began at 62,000 Rupees in October, and now sells for between 52,000 and 55,000 Rupees, with prices varying between retail locations. All storage sizes of both the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus received price cuts, with the average difference in price between the October launch date and now being about 15 percent lower.

Below is the approximate prices of iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus on one of the country's biggest e-commerce website:

- iPhone 6S (16GB): Rs 48,499
- iPhone 6S (64GB): Rs 62,849
- iPhone 6S (128GB): Rs 74,940
- iPhone 6S Plus (16GB): Rs 61,999
- iPhone 6S Plus (64GB): Rs 75,499
- iPhone 6S Plus (128GB): Rs 85,999

One advantage to lowering the iPhones' price point, according to a few anonymous retail executives, is making the new generation of iPhone more enticing of an upgrade for users still on the 6 and 6 Plus from 2014. On average, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus were Rs 8,000 to Rs 9,500 more expensive than the models released the year before, and even about Rs 14,000 to Rs 16,000 more expensive than the same versions launched in the United States, Middle East, and Hong Kong.

The reduction also narrows the gap with prices of iPhone 6 devices launched in 2014, making an upgrade more attractive for customers. "The price difference between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s was a lot, so many customers are not willing to upgrade to the new model," said a senior executive of another national retailer.

The new price cut follows a similar one for the iPhone 5s in India last week, which saw the 2013 iPhone reduced by nearly half of what it was selling for in September: 44,500 Rupees to 24,999 Rupees.

Tarun Pathak, senior analyst at Counterpoint Technology Market Research, noted that the price reduction of the 5s could easily "take the wind out of iPhone 6s sales" in the immediate future given the large gap in price between the two. But in the January to September timeframe, he sees the price cuts "re-igniting" demand for the 6s and 6s Plus in India.

Zagg's newest Slim Book is its first product designed specifically for the iPad Pro. Following in the footsteps of its previous Slim Books for other iPads, the Slim Book for iPad Pro features a protective case that snaps around the iPad and fits into an accompanying full-sized keyboard.

The Slim Book is one of the few keyboard cases available for the iPad Pro, and it essentially turns the iPad Pro into a full-fledged laptop, plus it is versatile because it's able to serve as a standalone case or a case that offers full protection. That might sound appealing, but as I've discovered testing it for the last week, there are some downsides to Zagg's latest offering.

Design

The Slim Book consists of two pieces: a black plastic shell that fits around the back of the iPad Pro and a matching silver aluminum keyboard with black MacBook-style keys and a matching black plastic exterior. The shell piece that fits around the iPad Pro is relatively slim, snapping into place to protect the back of the iPad. It doesn't feel cheaply made, but it also doesn't feel as premium as an Apple product given all the plastic.

All of the ports on the iPad Pro are left open with the shell on, leaving everything from the headphone jack to the Lightning port accessible. Because the shell fits so tightly to the iPad Pro, it's difficult to remove. This is not a shell that I would want to be taking off my iPad on a regular basis, because it takes a lot of force to get it off. It also makes the volume and the sleep/wake buttons on the iPad Pro more difficult to press because it causes them to be recessed.

For a while after I put it on, I wasn't even sure my iPad Pro would ever come out, so expect a tight fit there. Given the amount of force it took to get that shell off, I'm concerned about future breakage, especially at weak spots near ports. If you get this case, you're going to want to leave the back shell on all the time, so that's something to keep in mind. On the plus side, it does offer some rear protection from scratches and dings.

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The fourth-generation Apple TV has a lot of new features, one of them being the addition of the Apple TV App Store. On the surface, the App Store on Apple TV seems similar to that of the iOS or OS X version. There are, however, some aspects of the tvOS App Store that are are a little different and might need some explaining.

For example, some apps, like Lumino City, are available on iOS and Apple TV, while others such as Beat Sports are only available on Apple TV, and can therefore be a little harder to find. Apple has gradually been adding features such as categories to the Apple TV App Store, so things are definitely still a work in progress. We've got a few tips on how to navigate the App Store, and maybe even discover new apps worth downloading.

App Discovery

Probably the most frustrating aspect of the Apple TV App Store is finding cool new content. Since the Apple TV's debuted, Apple has added Top Charts and Categories, which have greatly improved our ability to discover content.

Top Charts shows the top 50 – 75 (or so) paid, free, and grossing apps. Currently there is no way to filter the lists by category. However, with more content being added daily, it is likely that Apple will at some point add category filter options so we can search for, say, Top Paid Games or Top Free Entertainment apps.

When you visit the Categories section, you'll be able to select from a few major classifications, like Games, Education, Entertainment, Sports, and more. Within a category, you'll see a list of spotlighted apps, like "What to Play" or "What to Watch," plus a few more lists. The category sections are somewhat limited right now.

One glaring omission from Apple's app discovery mechanic is the "Customers Also Bought" section. Hopefully, Apple will implement this in a future update, when more content becomes available.

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For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with iSkelter to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win one of four Canvas Smart Desks we're giving away for Apple's newest tablet, the iPad Pro. For those of you unfamiliar with iSkelter, it's a company that hand makes wood desks, lap desks, stands, and other accessories for Apple products.

We've featured their products in the past, including the SlatePro Tech Desk, which is custom designed with built-in docks and cutouts to accommodate Apple devices. iSkelter's newest product is a set of lap desks for the iPad Pro, the Canvas Creator and the Canvas Pro.

Both the Canvas Creator and the Canvas Pro have a felt-lined cutout that's sized to the iPad Pro, but it will accommodate smaller devices. I have one of these on-hand and it's usable with the iPad Pro and earlier iPads, but not the Retina MacBook Pro. Placed flat, the iPad Pro fits neatly into the Canvas Smart Desks, laying flat for sketching with the Apple Pencil, reading, or playing games.

Its sizing also accommodates the Apple Smart Keyboard, providing a stable, comfortable surface for typing when sitting on the couch or for watching videos with the iPad Pro propped up using the keyboard's cover. For video watching, there's also a cutout at the back of the Canvas where the iPad Pro can be positioned upright.

This cutout also accommodates other devices like an iPhone 6s or an iPad Air 2, so it's a handy way to be able to do work on the iPad Pro while watching videos or browsing the web on a secondary iPad or iPhone, which is my preferred use case. I've been using it on the couch while watching television -- I can draw or browse the web while still keeping an eye on Twitter and Slack on my iPhone.

Though made of wood, the Canvas is light weight, but given its large size, it's not compact or particularly portable. It's best for home use rather than travel. Along with the cutout for an additional device, there's a slot specifically for the Apple Pencil on the Canvas Creator. On the Canvas Pro, there's a cutout for an additional iPad, another cutout for an iPhone, and a space that can hold a cup or other accessory.

The extra space on the Canvas Pro is the main difference between the two lap desks - it's a good bit larger than the Canvas Creator. iSkelter is selling its Canvas Smart Desks for $68 on its website, but four MacRumors readers can win one through our giveaway, with the option to choose either the smaller Canvas Creator with Apple Pencil cutout or the larger Canvas Pro with extra flat space.

To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize.

You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page. Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter.

Best Buy today introduced a new deal into its Apple-centric "Holiday Event," giving customers the chance to get $300 off of the entry-level Retina Macbook, along with free two-day shipping for last minute holiday shoppers.

Originally priced at $1,299, the deal reduces the new Gold, Silver, and Space Gray MacBook to $999, rivaling that of the entry model 13-inch MacBook Air. College students also have the opportunity to get the MacBook as low as $949, thanks to a $50 student discount offered when ordering either a MacBook or an iMac. The $1,599 version of the 12-inch MacBook, with increased flash storage, isn't available in Best Buy's current sale.

The Apple Holiday Event began earlier in December at Best Buy, and all of its deals are still running in the lead-up to Christmas. When activating on a two-year contract, the retailer is offering the 16GB versions of the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus for $1 and $99.99, respectively. The iPad Air 2 has been cut by $125 for both cellular and Wi-Fi only options. A similar deal is running for the iPad mini 4, which has been reduced by $100 on each of its versions. The Apple Watch is also still available at a $100 discount.

The original motion picture soundtrack for the brand new film Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been released today on both Apple Music and iTunes. The tracklist includes all of the orchestral highlights from the movie, beginning in what appears to be chronological order with the well-known opening crawl music to the big finale. Composed by John Williams, there are a total of 23 songs on the soundtrack worth about 1 hour and 18 minutes of playback time.

The full soundtrack for The Force Awakens includes:

1) Main Title and the Attack on the Jakku Village - 6:25
2) The Scavenger - 3:39
3) I Can Fly Anything - 3:10
4) Rey Meets BB-8 - 1:31
5) Follow Me - 2:54
6) Rey's Theme - 3:11
7) The Falcon - 3:32
8) That Girl with the Staff - 1:58
9) The Rathars! - 4:05
10) Finn's Confession - 2:08
11) Maz's Counsel - 3:07
12) The Starkiller - 1:50
13) Kylo Ren Arrives at the Battle - 2:00
14) The Abduction - 2:23
15) Han and Leia - 4:41
16) March of the Resistance - 2:34
17) Snoke - 2:03
18) On the Inside - 2:06
19) Torn Apart - 4:19
20) The Ways of the Force - 3:14
21) Scherzo for X-Wings - 2:32
22) Farewell and the Trip - 4:55
23) The Jedi Steps and Finale - 8:51

Apple has been helping build fans' excitement over the new entry in the Star Wars saga for a while now, promoting a new Star Wars-themed Apple Music radio station earlier in the week and joining in on the digital release of all six films so far in the series in April. For those without Apple Music subscriptions, the new album costs $11.99 to purchase off of iTunes.

The latest movie in the Star Wars franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is debuting tonight, and in celebration popular party game Heads Up! is introducing a new Star Wars-themed deck.

For those of you unfamiliar with Heads Up!, it's a popular charades-style game where the goal is to hold the iPhone up to your forehead and guess the word displayed on the screen while your friends act it out and provide clues. Heads Up! also records video with the front-facing camera while games are in session, creating funny clips that can then be shared.

The Star Wars Heads Up! deck includes Star Wars-related words, phrases, character names, and more, with clues ranging from well-known terms to much more obscure characters that may stump even the biggest Star Wars fans.

As our sister site Touch Arcade points out, given the popularity of the new Star Wars movie, with tickets that sold out far in advance, it's likely many movie goers will be spending a lot of time in line this evening. If you're seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens with friends, Heads Up! makes for a fun line game.

Heads Up! can be downloaded from the App Store for $0.99. The Star Wars add-on pack is available as a $0.99 in-app purchase. [Direct Link]

There are few keyboards available for Apple's iPad Pro right now, but companies are slowing releasing new options for the larger-screened tablet. Brydge, a well-known manufacturer of keyboards for Apple's earlier iPads, has announced the debut of the BrydgePro, a keyboard designed for the iPad Pro.

Like prior Brydge keyboards, the BrydgePro is constructed from aluminum to match the aesthetic of Apple products. The BrydgePro is not a full case, instead consisting of a keyboard with two hinges that hold the iPad Pro in place. The hinges are adjustable, allowing the iPad Pro to be positioned into several different viewing angles to meet each user's needs.

With no case, the Brydge doesn't offer protection for the iPad Pro, but that does make it a less bulky solution than many of the other iPad Pro keyboard cases like the Logitech CREATE and the Zagg Slim Book. It's available in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray, to match each of Apple's iPad colors.

The BrydgePro weighs in at 1.54 pounds, so it's essentially doubling the weight of the iPad Pro when attached. It's similar in weight to the Logitech CREATE and lighter than the Zagg Slim Book. It includes Backlit keys and a three-month battery life, connecting to the iPad Pro over Bluetooth rather than through its Smart Connector.

Pre-orders for the BrydgePro will begin on January 4 from the Brydge website. Shipments will begin going out to pre-order customers in April of 2016. Brydge has yet to unveil pricing, but its keyboards have premium price tags - the BrydgeAir for the iPad Air 2 is priced at $150.