MacRumors

NimbleBit, the developer behind freemium hits like Pocket Trains, Tiny Tower, and Pocket Planes, has teamed up with Milkbag Games' Matt Rix, creator of Trainyard and Owen Goss, who did Landformer and Finger Tied, for an all new animal-based game called Disco Zoo, which is now available for download from the App Store.

In Disco Zoo, players will take on the management of a zoo filled with creatures from the mundane to the fanciful, collecting animals ranging from pigs and sheep to unicorns and gryphons.

Animals are collected via simple matching puzzles, where tiles on a board are flipped to reveal coins, Discobux, or animals. Earning an animal requires matching up between two and five animal tiles and each animal has a different tile configuration on the board that players must discern.

When an animal is successfully uncovered on the board, it can then be added to the zoo, where it earns coins for the player for a set number of minutes before it falls asleep and must be woken up with a tap. The mechanic is similar to the restocking of shops within NimbleBit's Tiny Tower, and each additional animal of the same type added to the zoo will increase earning potential by lengthening the amount of time an animal type is awake.

Coins are then used on expeditions to obtain more animals, and the goal of the game is to continue earning ever more exotic and difficult-to-catch creatures while maintaining the zoo's coin income. Every expedition gives players 10 attempts to recover one or more animals, but players can earn more attempts using Discobux (the premium currency).

Discobux are also used to initiate the disco parties that give the game its name, and during this period, animals generate twice as many coins and stay awake. Discobux can be purchased with real money, but are also earned through gameplay and are not essential to complete the game, making in-app purchases entirely optional.

As with other NimbleBit games, Disco Zoo has a simple pixelated art style and offers other in-game quirks like funny animal phrases, quips from zoo guests, collectible statues, awards to earn, and more.

Disco Zoo can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Apple has updated the software used by large companies and educational institutions to deploy thousands of iPads and iPhones to employees and students. The changes to Apple's Device Enrollment Program, its Volume Purchase Program, and the Apple ID for Students services are detailed in a report at TechCrunch and in an overview document [PDF] posted to Apple's IT Deployment site.

Among other changes, Apple now allows IT administrators to set up devices without physically plugging each one into a computer to install a profile, potentially saving significant amounts of time when setting up thousands of devices. Also, profiles can be locked to devices, preventing employees or students from removing any restrictions simply by revoking an IT department profile -- something that derailed the Los Angeles Unified School District's rollout of iPads to thousands of students.

I’ve had conversations with IT pros and people who roll out large iPad installs in the past and they’ve mentioned that one of the things that has continued to cause Windows devices to hold some appeal is their better remote installation and configuration support. To that end, Apple has made some updates to improve that situation.

Both the enterprise and education programs now have support for Mobile Device Management hands free configuration. This ‘zero touch’ setup has been a long-requested feature for many pros, as it eliminates the need to cable up every deployed device and install a profile via Apple’s Configurator utility.

Apple has expanded the Volume Purchase Program to more countries and now allows VPP purchases to be made via purchase order, important to large companies. Finally, Apple has also set up a new type of COPPA-compliant Apple ID for students under the age of 13.

Apple executives routinely tout adoption numbers of iOS devices by large companies in its quarterly earnings calls, and these updates should help assuage concerns in IT departments about rolling out large iOS device deployments. Much more information about deploying iOS devices is available on Apple's website.

Apple filed a formal appeal on Tuesday asking the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the ruling of its e-books antitrust case or to be awarded a new trial on the matter, reports the Associated Press.

In its filing, Apple stated that U.S. District Judge Denise Cote's original decision to find the company guilty of conspiring to fix e-book prices was a "radical departure" compared to modern antitrust law, adding that the decision would harm consumers and negate competition if not overturned.

Apple's papers filed Tuesday refuted the antitrust finding, and said its entrance into the e-book market "kick-started competition in a highly concentrated market, delivering higher output, lower price levels, and accelerated innovation."

Apple also requested that the appeals court suspend the work of external antitrust compliance monitor Michael Bromwich until it makes a decision as to whether he was correctly appointed. Apple filed a formal complaint against Bromwich in November claiming that the monitor was overcharging them for his services, and requested that he be removed from his position in January.

While Apple managed to win a brief emergency reprieve from monitoring, the Appeals court ruled earlier this month that Bromwich could continue his work with new boundaries, as he is no longer able to demand access to any document or interview Apple executives with respect to any subject.

The FCC today launched a new ad-free FCC Speed Test app for iOS devices, designed to measure mobile broadband performance. The app is an expansion of the Measuring Broadband America program, which aims to measure both fixed and mobile broadband to “bring greater clarity and competition to the broadband service marketplace.”

Like other mobile speed testing apps, the FCC's app analyzes mobile broadband performance (both Wi-Fi and cellular) and displays a breakdown of download and upload speed, latency, and packet loss. It also keeps a historical record of mobile speeds for comparison of performance over time.

The FCC is using data collected from the app to build an aggregated map of mobile broadband performance across the country, but it does not collect personally identifying information aside from carrier, country code, and GPS location.

Privacy is paramount. The FCC has taken significant measures to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of volunteers for this program. Using privacy measures developed and reviewed by a diverse team of privacy experts, any data that could potentially identify specific smartphones is analyzed and processed to ensure privacy protection.

The FCC previously launched an FCC Speed Test app for Android back in November and has published multiple reports on broadband performance as part of Measuring Broadband America.

FCC Speed Test can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Square is testing a new app called Square Pickup that allows users to order and pay for takeout food. The app is currently in beta testing with select San Francisco restaurants, according to Priceonomics.

Instead of calling a restaurant to place a pickup order, users can just make the purchase with the Square Pickup App. The app is loaded with the restaurant’s menu. Just choose what you want, pay with Square, and then pick up your food when it’s ready. The app is currently in beta testing for both iOS and Android.

Square is not the only big company innovating with restaurants and in-app purchasing -- earlier this month, OpenTable began testing a feature that would have guests paying for restaurant checks in the OpenTable app.

Square is processing billions of dollars worth of credit card transactions annually and has an extensive point-of-sale system aimed at restaurants and other small businesses.

In what has become a yearly tradition for late February, Major League Baseball today updated its MLB At Bat app for the 2014 baseball season. The app, perennially one of the most popular -- and highest grossing -- on the App Store, received a top-to-bottom redesign to match iOS 7 and to improve the user experience.

Photos and video are more prevalent in At Bat, running edge-to-edge and inline with other content. For example, video embedded in a news article displays within the article itself, with users able to tap a full-screen button if they wish. The redesign emphasizes MLB's aim to improve the fan experience and help technology augment the game and otherwise get out of the way.

Showing how the design team has embraced subtlety, text and selection highlights in the app change depending on which team a user selects as their "favorite". For example, a Red Sox fan will see red highlights throughout the app, while a Yankees fan would see navy blue. A MLB spokesperson told MacRumors that the app is the mobile focus point for millions of baseball fans and the design teams strive to make the app seem like home, no matter which team they're a fan of.

Long hailed as the standard bearer for introducing features that matter to fans, At Bat this year will report for live Spring Training games with a full app re-design for iOS 7 on iPhone and iPad, among other new enhancements. Fans again will have access to the core functionality At Bat has pioneered over its first five years, including: personalized team experiences to deliver a linear feed of content for a designated favorite team; searchable libraries of tens of thousands of video-on-demand highlight clips; and customizable original news reporting and fantasy baseball analysis from MLB.com club beat reporters and national columnists.

Like last year, there are two main subscription packages for the iPhone and iPad -- a $130/season MLB.tv Premium offering that includes live home-and-away television broadcasts for out-of-market games, as well as live home-and-away radio broadcasts. It also includes the ability to watch on any device regardless of how the viewer purchases the package -- users can buy MLB.tv Premium via a $130 in-app purchase can watch live games within the app, as well as on the Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation or any number of other connected devices.

The cheaper At Bat 2014 product, available as a $20/season in-app purchase, offers home-and-away radio broadcasts with no blackout restrictions. Both the Premium and At Bat services are also available as month-to-month subscriptions, though the whole-season package is quite a bit cheaper than buying month-to-month.

MLB Advanced Media told MacRumors that the company is aware that customers would very much like to stream local games without blackout restrictions, but that the content deals to allow that are extremely complex and difficult to negotiate. It also is well into its iBeacon rollout and expects to have twenty ballparks outfitted with the devices by Opening Day. The At The Ballpark app will see an update before then to support the new iBeacons.

MLB At Bat is a free download from the App Store for iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link]

Proctor and Gamble first introduced its smartphone-connected Oral-B toothbrush earlier this month, but the company is on hand at the Mobile World Congress conference in Spain to give attendees a look at the upcoming device.

The Oral-B SmartSeries 7000 connects to the Oral Blue iPhone app using Bluetooth 4.0, allowing the app to provide real-time guidance on brushing habits. It records brushing activity on a chart that can be shared with dental professionals to create personalized brushing routines and because the Bluetooth connectivity works both ways, the app can also be used to program the toothbrush.

Engadget went hands-on with the Oral-B SmartSeries 7000 to show off how the app interacts with the brush itself. While brushing, the iPhone app runs a timer in real-time to keep track of how long a user has brushed and it also includes a stream of news articles to keep users entertained while brushing.

In case the sheer boredom of brushing your teeth for that long is too much to bear, you can also thumb through a stream of news articles or local weather reports (no, really) to help you hang in there. Turns out, just furiously mashing those bristles into your teeth isn’t great either, so the timer will blink red if you're pressing too hard.

In addition to Bluetooth connectivity, the SmartSeries 7000 features oscillating-rotating-pulsating technology, six different cleaning modes (Daily Cleaning, Deep Clean, Whitening, Gum Care, Sensitive, and Tongue Cleaning), a pressure sensor to prevent users from brushing too hard, and several different travel accessories.

Oral B's Bluetooth 4.0 smart toothbrush technology will be available in several of its toothbrushes, beginning with the Oral B SmartSeries 7000, which is expected to launch later this year for $220.

AT&T today announced plans to add unlimited international messaging to all of its Mobile Share and Mobile Share Value plans, allowing customers in the United States to send international messages as part of their existing plans, with no additional cost. Text, picture, and video messages are all included.

On Friday, February 28, all AT&T Mobile Share and Mobile Share Value plans will now include unlimited international messaging from the U.S. to the world. AT&T consumer and business Mobile Share customers can send unlimited text, picture and video messages. Current Mobile Share and Mobile Share Value customers will automatically benefit from this offer.

AT&T is also deploying a new World Connect Value international calling package, which offers one cent per minute calls from the United States to more than 35 countries including Canada, Mexico, and several other locations in Latin America and the Caribbean. The add-on, which is available to all AT&T wireless postpaid customers, costs $5 per month.

AT&T's new unlimited international messaging follows Verizon's recent introduction of new More Everything plans that also include unlimited international messaging.

Both the World Connect Value plan and the unlimited international messaging will be available beginning on Friday, February 28.