Apple today released a new web tool for users to deregister their phone number from iMessage in the event they switched to a non-Apple device. To deregister a phone number from iMessage, users simply enter their phone number in Apple's web tool, receive a free text message containing a code, and submit the code to complete the process. Users who still have their original iPhone can also transfer their SIM card back to the device and go to Settings -> Messages to turn iMessage off.
Users switching from an iPhone to another device were often unable to receive SMS messages from another iPhone due to their phone number still being linked to iMessage. These specific errors with iMessage have been a well-known issue since 2011, which is when the messaging service debuted with iOS 5. They were also made even more apparent this past May, where a server glitch caused widespread message delivery problems. Apple was even sued over the matter in a California court, although the company claimed that it was aware of the issue and could not provide a fix.
The Pangu development team today updated its jailbreak for iOS 8 and 8.1, bringing full support for the Mac. The update comes a week after the program saw an update for Windows that brought an automatic installation of Cydia and support for the English language.
Pangu's jailbreak tool for iOS 8 is the first that is compatible with any device running iOS 8.0 to iOS 8.1, including newer devices such as the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 3. The jailbreak method allows users to install content like themes, tweaks, and apps from other sources than the App Store. The Pangu development team recommends that users backup their iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches before using the tool, and notes that devices upgraded over-the-air may need to be restored before being jailbroken.
Cydia administrator Jay Freeman noted on his Twitter that the Pangu jailbreak is "stable enough" and said that developers on Cydia are now able to mark their own apps as iOS 8 compatible. Members on our forums are also maintaining an active list of which Cydia apps are compatible with iOS 8 and Pangu's jailbreak, and interested users should look there for more specific information.
Pangu can be downloaded for OS X and Windows as an untethered jailbreak, meaning that users only have to apply the method once. The release of the tool follows an announcement by the Electronic Frontier Foundation yesterday stating that a new petition was filed with the Librarian of Congress to extend an exemption that allows jailbreaking to be legal. The exemption was last renewed in 2012 and created by the U.S. Congress in 2010.
Apple has updated its Support website, adding the option for users to schedule Genius Bar appointments at their local Apple retail stores within the Support site. Previously, users had to navigate to their local Apple Store's page to make appointments.
The new option, first spotted by 9to5Mac, is presented after a user defines what kind of problem they're having with a particular product. Users are then prompted to enter their location and are given a choice of what Apple Store they'd like to visit. However, the option isn't available for all issues. For example, users having battery issues with an iPad can make a Genius Bar reservation while users looking for help manually syncing their iPad to iTunes cannot.
In the last year, Apple has been overhauling its online support infrastructure, revamping its AppleCare website and chat interface. This is the latest move in the company's efforts to streamline its support and make it as simple as possible for customers to seek solutions for potential problems.
As the holidays approach, deals on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple accessories will be picking up, culminating in a slew of deals around Black Friday. Some retailers have already begun offering discounts on Apple products, and this week, there are discounts on the Retina iMac, a range of older iPads, and various Apple accessories including Western Digital hard drives and Beats earphones.
Retina iMac
Apple's newest Retina iMac hasn't been available for long, but Amazon is already offering the stock machine (3.5GHz/8GB/1TB) for $2,449, a discount of $50.
MacMall isn't offering significant discounts on the Retina iMac (approximately $5 off all models), but the site does have 25 different configurations in stock, ranging from the base model for $2,494 to the higher-end 4.0GHz/32GB/512GB model for $3,894. The benefit to ordering from MacMall is that the machines are in stock and likely to ship faster than purchasing from Apple, as Apple's store is offering shipping estimates of 7 to 10 days.
iPad Air
Now that the iPad Air 2 is available, Best Buy is offering significant discounts on the older iPad Air models. While the iPad Air doesn't offer Touch ID or the fast A8X processor found in the iPad Air 2, it's still a very capable device for those who would rather get a good price than the latest bells and whistles.
As with the iPad Air, it's now possible to get discontinued models of the iPad mini 2 at a steep discount. Apple's no longer selling the iPad mini 2 in higher capacities, leading discounters to offer excellent deals on models with lots of storage. There's little difference between the mini 2 and the mini 3 aside from Touch ID, making the mini 2 a very good purchase. Deals below are from Best Buy.
Walmart has a limited time deal offering the original 16GB WiFi-only iPad mini in Silver or Space Gray for $199, a $50 discount off Apple's price for the tablet.
2014 Retina MacBook Pro
There are a few deals on the latest 2014 Retina MacBook Pros this month, offering some of the biggest discounts we've seen on the notebooks thus far.
JBL onBeat mini iPhone/iPad Speaker Dock is available for $30from Meh, a discount of $69.The Agloves Touchscreen Winter Gloves are available for $7.99 from Groupon, a discount of $18. Scosche's Premium Earphones are available from Groupon for $18.99, a discount of $60.
Best Buy is offering $20 to $40 off all Western Digital portable hard drives, dropping prices as low as $60 for a 500GB My Passport Ultra. Speck MacBook Cases for the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are available for $19.99 from Groupon, a discount of $30. Groupon is also selling the Powerbeats by Dr. Dre Earbud headphones for $79.99, a discount of $70.
For the next few weeks, Target will be offering 10 percent off all of the items on a child's wish list. Parents need to download the Target Wish List app and have kids create a wish list of products that will then be available at a 10 percent discount. Apple products are excluded, but Apple accessories such as cases are included.
Make sure to check out our deals posts each week for the latest products that are available at low prices, and keep an eye on our Black Friday roundup, which will be updated on a regular basis with all of the discounts we find on popular Apple products.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.
As forecasted, the third calendar quarter of 2014 was a stellar quarter for Mac shipments, with Apple gaining ground on its competitors in the US. According to IDC's quarterly PC tracker (via Re/code), Apple reached its highest PC market share ever reported, a metric that accounts only for Mac shipments and does not include the iPad.
The company gained ground with 13.4 percent of the US PC market, edging out Lenovo (10.7 percent) to grab the number three spot behind HP (27.7 percent) and Dell (24 percent). Shipments in the US climbed to more than 2.26 million in the third calendar quarter of 2014.
Globally, Apple's market share climbed 5.7 percent year over year, with the company selling a record-breaking 5.5 million units in the just ending quarter. Apple now sits in the number five spot when it comes to global PC shipments, behind Lenovo, HP, Dell and Acer.
Apple refreshed its MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro earlier this year with updated processors and other minor improvements. The company also dropped prices on some models and heavily promoted the desktops during the back-to-school season with a $100 gift card along with a discounted purchase price for both students and educators.
Next year may see even stronger Mac sales as Apple prepares to update its Mac lineup with Intel's Broadwell processors. A 12-inch MacBook with an ultra thin chassis, a Retina display, and an Intel Core M chip may be one of the first Broadwell machines to ship in the new year.
The first Beats product to be released under Apple's guidance has been unveiled in documents recently submitted to the FCC, suggesting Apple will soon be releasing a pair of Beats Solo2 headphones that include wireless Bluetooth functionality.
As seen in diagrams, the design of the new wireless Solo2 headphones is nearly identical to Beats' existing Solo2 line. The Solo2 headphones are the company's newest product, released in May, just a day after Apple's Beats acquisition became official.
The Beats Solo2 headphones will contain Bluetooth and BLE radios, allowing them to function wirelessly. Beats currently offers a wireless version of its more expensive Studio headphones, but its Solo2 line is somewhat more affordable. The company's current non-wireless Studio headphones retail for $300 while the wireless version retails for $379, suggesting Solo2 wireless headphones could sell for approximately $279 if it uses the same markup.
At $3 billion, Apple's Beats acquisition is its largest in history, and Beats' line of successful headphones was said to be one of the driving factors behind the purchase. Beats' aggressive marketing tactics and clever advertising campaigns have skyrocketed its headphones to popularity, and they are very popular with athletes and the younger demographic. A survey released shortly after the acquisition was finalized suggested that a large percentage of students believed Beats would make Apple more "cool."
The new Solo2 wireless headphones remain under FCC review for the time being and a potential release date is unknown.
Though Apple and GT Advanced fought to keep documents related to their sapphire agreement sealed after GT's bankruptcy filing, a judge recently ruled that the documents did not contain trade secrets and would be largely unsealed.
One of those documents, an unedited affidavit from GT Advanced COO Daniel Squiller, gave insight into the terms of the deal between the two companies, but another, the original privacy agreement that GT Advanced signed, gives a rare look into how Apple does business with its suppliers.
According to the documents, Apple and GT's sapphire deal was known internally as "Project Onyx," and was subject to strict confidentiality agreements. GT employees were forbidden from referring to Apple or the project by anything other than code names, and they were also required to undergo training regarding confidentiality and security in addition to signing extensive non-disclosure agreements. Only employees who needed to know about the project were given information, in order to keep the deal as quiet as possible.
GT was required to establish a qualified security team and adhere to strict guidelines that called for 24/7 surveillance, credential screening, tracking of all confidential supplies, and the secure destruction of all scrap materials to prevent potential leaks.
As part of the agreement, Apple was able to audit records, inspect facilities, and interview personnel to ensure compliance, and any evidence of non-compliance with the non-disclosure agreement would result in a $135,000 "Security Fee" to pay for the cost of the audit and an increase in Apple's security efforts.
In addition to agreeing to Apple's strict access restrictions, GT Advanced was required to maintain liability insurance, and comply with Apple's Supplier Code of Conduct, which demands safe working conditions for employees. GT was also required to fulfill orders for replacement goods for seven years after "the date Apple designates as end-of-life" for the Apple product featuring sapphire, as well as maintain an "adequate stock" of materials for Service Units.
The privacy agreement that GT Advanced was required to sign is likely similar in nature to the agreements that Apple gives to all of its suppliers, giving us a glimpse of the lengths Apple goes to in order to maintain secrecy. Despite Apple's privacy efforts, the company still sees extensive product leaks. For example, ahead of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus release, hundreds of part leaks divulged information on nearly every aspect of the two devices, and a handset was even seen in the wild days before its official release.
Apple and GT Advanced fought to keep key documents related to their sapphire agreement out of the public eye after the latter company filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection, but earlier this week, a judge ruled that the documents did not contain trade secrets or confidential information, and would thus be largely unsealed.
As of today, those previously sealed documents are now available for public inspection, including an unedited affidavit [PDF] from GT Advanced COO Daniel Squiller. Squiller submitted a revised affidavit on October 28, which gave some insight into the deal between Apple and GT Advanced, but the newly available unedited version expresses much stronger negative feelings towards the partnership and places more of the blame for GT's failure on Apple.
According to Squiller, Apple used a "bait-and-switch" strategy, offering GT Advanced "an onerous and massively one-sided deal" in 2013. He says that Apple initially drew GT in with the promise of a huge deal, originally agreeing to purchase sapphire furnaces and let GT operate them, but eventually demanding a "fundamentally different deal" requiring GT to purchase the furnaces itself.
The new structure, as a contract matter, shifted all economic risk to GTAT, because Apple would act as a lender and would have no obligation to purchase any sapphire furnaces, nor did it have any obligation to purchase any sapphire material produced by GTAT.
GT gave into Apple's new terms because it had "invested months negotiating a sale contract with Apple while being effectively locked out of pursuing other opportunities with Apple's competitors." During "extensive and all-consuming" negotiations with Apple, GT ceased speaking to other companies about its furnaces due to the lure of Apple's large offer.
Apple reportedly told GT not to bother attempting to negotiate because it "does not negotiate with its suppliers." GT was required to agree to all of Apple's terms or risk losing the deal, and as has been previously noted, the contract was highly favorable to Apple, requiring GT to produce sapphire that Apple was not obligated to buy. Squiller alleges that when GT execs balked at the terms, Apple said "Put on your big boy pants and accept the agreement."
As Squiller previously described, the company's relationship with Apple became "unsustainable" after Apple refused to take responsibility for cost overruns and expenses that it caused due to its control over operations. Apple also reportedly selected fabrication equipment that "could not economically produce a product that Apple would accept" and then refused to permit equipment changes that would allow the company to produce an acceptable product.
Squiller accuses Apple of "embedding" itself in GT's operations so deeply that GT was forced to "divert an inordinate amount of its cash and corporate resources" into the Mesa facility, affecting GT's continued viability as a whole.
Apple, in documents asking that Squiller's affidavit remain sealed, said his statements were "untrue, irrelevant and defamatory," stating that Squiller's declaration "goes far beyond what was reasonably necessary to describe the Debtors' current financial situation and instead includes gratuitous characterizations of Apple's motives, negotiating tactics and business practices."
Apple and GT Advanced have already reached an agreement to officially end their partnership, nullifying the terms of the original deal. Under the terms, GT will repay its loans to Apple by selling off its sapphire furnaces, and it has already begun shutting down its Mesa, Arizona plant and laying off employees.
Spotify on Friday added a new feature that allows subscribers to use an iPhone or iPad as a remote control for playback on their Mac. The new feature is available for free as part of Spotify's $9.99 monthly premium subscription.
We've just released a great new Premium feature, which lets you play Spotify through your computer, using your phone or tablet as a remote. Use the Spotify app to control the sound. It's brilliant if your laptop’s hooked up to your speakers. Or if you just don’t want to get off the couch.
Using the new Connect for Computers feature is simple, according to Spotify's setup instructions. After downloading the latest version of the mobile and desktop app, subscribers only need to log in, tap the "Now Playing" bar and hit "Connect" to direct music from an iPhone or iPad to a computer and its connected speakers.
Spotify is among the leading music streaming subscription services, sitting behind market leader Pandora and edging out Apple's Beats Music in App Store Revenue. Spotify recently introduced a new Family Plan feature that allows premium subscribers to add up to four additional lines for $4.99 each.
New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport is set to receive a $120 million upgrade to United Airline's main terminal with some of the funds going towards iPads, Bloomberg reports. The airline is planning to offer Apple iPads to customers at certain locations around the terminal, namely restaurants and cafes. Similar upgrades have been utilized by other airlines in high-density airports like LaGuardia in New York.
"From our perspective what we're looking for, and what we look for in all of our hubs, is something that’s going to be a benefit for our customers -- something that’s going to make the time they spend in the airport more productive, more enjoyable, comfortable," Mary Clark, a spokeswoman for the airline, said in a telephone interview.
As more and more airlines strip away the privileges of air travel to save money, focus is shifting towards ground amenities. By 2015, United plans to have every restaurant and gate seat in Terminal C outfitted with an iPad. The tablets will allow customers to check flight times and updates, browse the internet, buy food, and make retail purchases with a fifteen minute delivery guarantee.
Over the course of the next eighteen months, the Newark tunnel upgrade will add 55 dining venues, 10,000 power outlets, and 6,000 iPads to improve the customer experience in United terminals.
"It's really become an expectation in society today to have these amenities," said Alan Bender, professor of aeronautics, airline management and economics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. "U.S. carriers are catching up to where they should be for their passengers, especially for their business passengers, and most especially for their international business passengers."
In 2012, Newark's Airport was rated the fifth worst in the United States according to a Travel & Leisure survey that ranked the country's twenty-two biggest airports on problems such as delays, concessions, and amenities. Plans are already in motion to change that statistic, as The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey plan to spend $8 billion on upgrades to LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark airports over the next decade.
Leading PC and competitive mobile phone maker Lenovo may have been overly influenced by Apple's iPhone 6 when it was looking for inspiration for its new S90 smartphone. As reported by Gizmobic (via The Independent), Lenovo's S90 'Sisley' smartphone closely resembles the iPhone 6 with a marketing push that is almost identical to Apple's own promotional materials.
Though there are small differences between the two devices, the overall styling of the S90 is remarkably similar to the iPhone 6. Both phones include a rounded metal casing and measure up with the same 6.9mm thickness and 129g weight.
The mimicry didn't stop with the hardware design, as Lenovo also borrows heavily from Apple's unique marketing style. The Chinese manufacturer uses an almost identical product layout and brightly-colored, people-focused images that Apple typically uses in its advertising materials.
Lenovo addressed accusations that it had copied the iPhone 6's design, stating that though there are clear "external similarities" between the two devices, there would have been no time for the company to emulate the iPhone's design so soon after its launch.
Lenovo has responded by admitting that while there are "external similarities [...] Considering the product design lifecycle of any smartphone – at least a year in planning and prototyping – it's not possible to copy a design so quickly."
This isn't the first time competitors have copied Apple's iPhone. The Cupertino company waged a multi-year battle against rival Samsung over patent and trade dress infringement claims. Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has also been accused of copying the iPhone and the iPad in its line of inexpensive smartphones and tablets, with Apple's design chief Jony Ive going so far as to call the similarities in design "theft."
Developer Ustwo's popular mobile puzzle game, Monument Valley, will be receiving a significant update next week that finally adds additional content to the game, reports TechCrunch. The developer confirmed new levels were in the works back in April, a few weeks after the game initially launched.
The original game was released earlier this year and became a big player in the iOS and Android mobile gaming space, despite its brief length. The Forgotten Shores expansion, which will be available as an in-app purchase, is rumored to double the content of the game.
The November 13th update will focus on quality over quantity, according to Ustwo. Not much else is known about Forgotten Shores at this point, including a potential price point, but Ustwo did hint that the expansion would introduce new architectural styles into the game, and even begin to incorporate "landscapes."
Last month, news surfaced of Apple's plans to cease selling Fitbit's line of activity tracking devices in its stores, and as of today, it appears the company has followed through with that decision. All Fitbit products have now been removed from the online Apple Store and Apple has begun removing the devices from its retail stores as well.
Apple previously sold both the Fitbit Flex, Fitbit's activity tracking band, and the Fitbit One, a standalone tracker that could be clipped to clothing, for $99.95. It is not known why Apple opted to remove Fitbit's products from its online stores, but the decision follows Fitbit's announcement that it had no plans to integrate with Apple HealthKit, as it is "working on other exciting projects" for Fitbit users.
Fitbit's activity trackers are similar in function to Apple's upcoming Apple Watch, offering users the ability to track steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, stairs climbed, and more. Last week, Fitbit announced a new Surge "Fitness Super Watch" that also includes GPS functionality and a heart rate monitor, bringing its tracking capabilities even more in line with the Apple Watch.
Though Fitbit devices have been removed from Apple Stores, Apple is continuing to sell other fitness tracking products, including the UP from Jawbone and the Nike Fuelband. Jawbone recently introduced the UP3, its most recent fitness tracking device that includes skin and ambient temperature sensors along with a heart rate monitor. It is unclear whether Apple will continue to sell these devices as the launch of the Apple Watch approaches or if the ban is limited to Fitbit.
Fitbit's activity trackers are not the first products that Apple has removed from its stores in recent weeks. Earlier in October, Apple removed Bose audio products from its stores, no longer offering the headphones online or in retail locations.
A growing number of Nest owners are reporting issues with the latest version the Nest Mobile app [Direct Link] that was released on Friday. According to posts on Nest forums, the 4.4.0 version of the app crashes immediately on launch for many users who are running iOS 8.x. This glitch reportedly is affecting recent iPhone models including the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5.
I just downloaded the update to the Nest Mobile App for iOS (version 4.4.0) and the App Crashes immediately upon launch. I am running the latest version of iOS (8.1) on my iPhone 5s. I had no issues with the previous version of the Nest app. I tried to delete the app and reinstall it but it still crashes when launched.
Fortunately, I still had the previous version of Nest Mobile in iTunes on my PC and was able to copy it over to my iPhone. -Nest forum member Columbus_George.
The Nest 4.4.0 update included a handful of small improvements, such as expanded weather and time zone support and improved thermometer history. Users who are experiencing the crashing glitch can restore the previous 4.3.1 version of the app from their iTunes app library.
Founded by former Apple engineers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers, Nest Labs was acquired by Google in a $3.2 billion deal that closed earlier this year. Under Google's guidance, Nest acquired video-monitoring and security startup Dropcam and opened its API to third-party products and services.
Update: Nest's Tony Fadell confirmed via Twitter that the company is aware of the issue and working on a fix. The Nest Mobile app also has been removed temporarily from the iOS App Store.
Update 2 5:00 PM PT: The Nest Mobile app has been updated to version 4.4.1 and returned to the App Store.
Apple will switch from using TLC (triple-level cell) NAND flash to MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus after users have experienced crashing and boot loop issues with the higher capacity versions of both devices, reportsBusinessKorea.
Sources have told the paper that flash memory firm Anobit, which Apple acquired in 2011, is to blame for the manufacturing defects. Apple will reportedly switch to MLC NAND flash for the 64GB iPhone 6 and the 128GB iPhone 6 Plus, and will also address crashing and boot loop issues with the release of iOS 8.1.1. Apple has used MLC NAND flash before, in previous-generation iPhones.
TLC NAND flash is a type of solid-state NAND flash memory that stores three bits of data per cell. It can store three times as much data as single-level cell (SLC) that stores one bit of data, and 1.5 times as much as multi-level cell (MLC) solid-state flash memory that stores two bits of data. On top of that, TLC flash is more affordable. However, it is also slower than SLC or MLC in reading and writing data.
Apple released its first iOS 8.1.1 beta to developers earlier this week, although the company did not specify whether the included bug fixes addressed boot loop and crashing issues on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Users who are experiencing an unusual amount of boot loops and crashes with their iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus are recommended to bring their devices back to an Apple Retail Store for a replacement.
During a public question and answer session held on Thursday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg answered a number of questions about Facebook, and finally explained why his company made the unpopular move of forcing users to download the separate Messenger app in order to use Facebook's messaging capabilities.
As relayed by The Verge, Zuckerberg told the audience that messaging was removed from the main Facebook app because the company believes that a standalone messaging app is "a better experience.
Zuckerberg explained that when the Facebook team looked at other messaging apps, all of them focused on delivering just messaging alone, rather than a multitude of features. Facebook believed there were too many steps involved in sending a message in the main Facebook app, which is meant to be a News Feed, so it began requiring Messenger to cut down on friction.
Messaging is one of the few things people do more than social networking. In some countries 85 percent of people are on Facebook, but 95 percent of people use SMS or messaging. Asking folks to install another app is a short term painful thing, but if we wanted to focus on serving this [use case] well, we had to build a dedicated and focused experience.
We build for the whole community. Why wouldn't we let people choose to install the app on their own at their own pace? The reason is that what we're trying to do is build a service that's good for everyone. Because Messenger is faster and more focused, if you're using it, you respond to messages faster, we've found. If your friends are slower to respond, we might not have been able to meet up.
Zuckerberg went on to say that the company has its "most talented people" working on earning consumer trust and proving that the standalone Messenger experience "will be really good."
Facebook first began forcing users to switch over to Facebook Messenger to send and accept messages back in July, a move that turned out to be highly unpopular. Before the change, Facebook users could chat through the Messages tab located on the bottom toolbar in the main Facebook app, but after messaging capabilities were removed, the tab began directing users to download Facebook Messenger instead.
As a result, Facebook Messenger began receiving hundreds of negative reviews from users who were unhappy they were forced to download the app, and even today, months later, the app continues to have a 1.5 star rating in the App Store.
Facebook for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Apple has recently updated its iCloud.com beta site for developers, adding the ability to upload images to iCloud Photo Library for the first time. The standard iCloud.com site currently allows users to view all of their iCloud Photo Library images, as well as download and delete them, but there are no tools to allow for the uploading of photos.
On the iCloud beta site, it's now possible to upload JPGs, but the site does not currently accept other image and video formats like .PNG, .MOV, .MP4, and more. When a file is uploaded to the site, it syncs instantly to all of a user's iOS devices, much like a photo taken on an iPhone or iPad or added to iCloud Photo Library via the iOS Photos app.
The presence of an uploading tool on the beta site means that the feature will likely make its way to the main iCloud site in the near future, giving users a way to add to their photo libraries from their Macs and PCs.
Toolbar on beta.icloud.com site at top, non-beta iCloud.com toolbar on bottom
Currently in beta and introduced with iOS 8.1, iCloud Photo Library is designed to store all of the photos and videos that a user takes in iCloud, making them available on all iOS devices and Macs. iCloud Photo Library images can be viewed in the Photos app on iOS or through iCloud.com on the Mac, and the upcoming Photos app that Apple is creating for Macs will also work with iCloud Photo Library.
While users now have the ability to upload all of their photos to iCloud Photo Library via the iCloud.com beta site, doing so uses iCloud storage space. Apple offers 5GB of storage space for free, with additional plans ranging from $0.99 for 20GB of storage space to $19.99 for 1TB of storage space.
After being tested on the iCloud.com beta site, the iCloud Photo Library upload feature will make its way to the official iCloud site, but it is unknown how long testing will last.
Normally priced at $0.99, Swype is one of the new third-party keyboard apps that was released alongside iOS 8, Apple's newest operating system that enabled systemwide third-party keyboards for the first time.
Swype, from Nuance Communications, is a gesture-based keyboard that allows users to drag their fingers from key to key in order to create words quickly. The keyboard features a built-in predictive text engine that is able to determine what's being typed, and it offers predictive punctuation to further speed up typing. As Apple's App of the Week, the keyboard will be available at no cost for the next seven days.
Swype is the most accurate keyboard on the planet. Whether you type or Swype we enable you to input words faster and easier. It learns the way you type so the more you use it, the smarter it gets.
Product Features: - Incredibly intuitive language models that accurately predict what you type or Swype - Five beautiful themes - FREE on iPhone. - Quickly enter symbols, punctuation and capital letters with Swype gestures - Swype learns how you type. You can tell it to add or remove words from your personal dictionary - You can Swype on your iPad as well as your iPhone
Swype, which has long been available on Android, also offers several different themes for custom looks and it will learn from its users to become more intelligent over time, offering improved text prediction capabilities.
In the App Store since September 17, Swype has proven to be one of the most popular third-party keyboards, garnering thousands of downloads. Swype is one of the few keyboards that does not require full access to an iPhone or iPad to function, but that also means it's a slight bit more limited than other offerings, not offering cloud backups and syncing at this time.
Ahead of going free, the app was updated on November 4 to add 21 additional languages, intelligent emoji support, an improved iPad layout, customizable keyboard layouts, and more.
Swype can be downloaded from the App Store for free for the next week. [Direct Link]
Spotify on Friday 
Developer Ustwo's popular mobile puzzle game, 
During a public question and answer session held on Thursday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg answered a number of questions about Facebook, and finally explained why his company made the unpopular move of forcing users to download the separate Messenger app in order to use Facebook's messaging capabilities.
Normally priced at $0.99, Swype is one of the new 
