MacRumors

Deals have been scarce in recent weeks following all of the holiday discounts, but it appears things are beginning to pick up again. Best Buy is offering discounts on its stock of iPad Air 2 models, and there are also some deals to be had on iMacs, Retina MacBook Pros, and Macbook Airs.

We've also got a selection of Apple-related accessories that are on sale, including quite a few speakers. Finally, we've rounded up a few games and apps that can be had at a discount this week.

iPad Air 2

Best Buy has temporarily discounted its entire iPad Air 2 stock by $50 to $100, which is the best iPad Air 2 deal we've seen since the holidays. With the sale, the entry-level 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2 is available for $449.99, down from $499.99. The 64GB model is available for $549, and the higher-capacity 128GB model is available for $599, $100 off. All cellular models are discounted by $50 to $100 depending on capacity too.

Older iPads

Best Buy is also continuing to offer now-discontinued higher-capacity Cellular versions of the original iPad Air at up to $130 off.

- iPad Air Cellular Silver 64GB (AT&T) - $499.99
- iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 64GB (AT&T) - $499.99
- iPad Air Cellular Silver 128GB (AT&T) - $599.99
- iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 128GB (AT&T) - $599.99

Retina iMac

As of last week, Apple is selling the new 27-inch Retina iMac in its online refurbished store, offering discounts of 15 percent off, which beats any Retina iMac price that can be found in store this week.

Selection varies, but there are quite a few configurations available for purchase at a discount, which gives consumers looking for a Retina iMac deal a lot to choose from beyond the standard configuration.

All of Apple's refurbished machines come with a 1 year warranty, but stock fluctuates often, so potential buyers may need to wait for a desired machine to show up in the store.

Non-Retina iMac

- 21.5-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/1TB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo)- $1,179, $120 off
- 21.5-inch 2.9GHz/8GB/1TB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) - $1,399, $100 off
- 27-inch 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) - $1,659.99, $139 off
- 27-inch 3.4GHz/8GB/1TB (Amazon) (B&H Photo) - $1,899, $100 off

MacBook Air

- 11-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (B&H Photo) - $999, $100 off
- 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB (B&H Photo - $919, $80 off
- 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (B&H Photo) - $1,099, $100 off

Retina MacBook Pro

- 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/128GB (B&H Photo) (MacMall)- $1,199, $100 off
- 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/256GB (MacMall) (B&H Photo) - $1,399, $100 off
- 13.inch 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB (Amazon) (B&H Photo) - $1,599, $200 off

Apps

Apple's free app of the week is puzzle game Shades, and it can be downloaded for free for the next week. Other games temporarily on sell include Lost Yeti, a puzzle adventure game, and Ghost Blitz, a skill-based game. Cycloramic for the iPhone 5/5s is also available for free this week.

For more app deals, make sure to check out our sister site AppShopper, which has a section dedicated to price drops.

Apple Accessories

The Jawbone Big Jambox Bluetooth speaker is available for $184.99 from Woot, down from its original price of $299. Groupon is selling refurbished Jawbone UP24 fitness trackers for $69.99, $30 off the regular $99 price tag. The regular Jawbone Jambox (refubished) can also be purchased from Groupon for $69.99, down from $150.

Beats by Dre Studio Headphones are available from Groupon for $199, $100 off the regular price. Groupon is also selling Apple EarPods for $14.99, a discount of $14. The Beats Beatbox portable Bluetooth speaker can be purchased from Best Buy for $199, $200 off the regular price.

Best Buy is selling iTunes gift cards for 10% off, dropping the price of a $15 card to $13.50. A refurbished Mophie Powerstation portable USB battery charger can be purchased from Groupon for $29.99, down from $79.99.

MacMall is offering the Otterbox Defender Series Case for the iPad Air 2 for $58.99, down from its normal price of $89.95, and it's also selling the Speck CandyShell Card case for the iPhone 6 Plus for $39.99. The Lenmar ChugPlug External Battery pack for Apple MacBooks is available from Best Buy for $79.99, down from its regular price of $159.99.

MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.

Keyboards have become an increasingly important way for iPad users to boost the productivity of their tablets, and there are dozens of keyboards and keyboard cases on the market designed for the iPad. Apple itself has begun highlighting keyboard cases in recent weeks, showcasing a range of products in its brick and mortar stores, and with Apple beginning to put an emphasis on iPad accessories, interest in keyboards will undoubtedly pick up in the coming months.

ClamCase, a well-known iPad accessory maker, has been producing keyboard cases for several years and its most recent case, the ClamCase Pro iPad Keyboard Case for iPad Air 2, is a culmination of everything the company has learned people look for in a keyboard case.

Priced at $169, the ClamCase Pro is a premium entrant in a market where $50 to $100 options are common, but it offers features that power users and frequent writers will find worth the money, including a unique 360 degree hinge for multiple screen positions, full iPad protection, and most importantly, a keyboard that has generous spacing and an above average key feel.

What's in the Box

The ClamCase Pro ships in a high-quality iPad-style box that includes the keyboard case itself, a micro-USB cord for charging, a quick start guide, and a headphone adapter.

As described in the quick start guide, setup is easy, and we were able to pair the ClamCase Pro with an iPad after switching the case's power on and pairing it in the iPad's Bluetooth settings menu. After pairing, it worked immediately, with no apparent lag.

Design

The ClamCase Pro for iPad Air 2 is, as you might imagine, a clamshell-style case that fully encompasses the iPad. The iPad Air 2 snaps snugly into the top of the case (so snugly, in fact, that it can be difficult to remove) and the bottom of the case houses black MacBook-style keys. Both the outside of the case and the top portion are constructed from a white plastic, but inside, the keyboard portion of the case is made from brushed aluminum and heavily resembles a MacBook.

The two halves of the case are connected by a 360 degree hinge, and overall, with the iPad snapped in, it looks and feels very much like a MacBook Air -- so much so that in MacRumors' testing, we repeatedly attempted to use a non-existent trackpad instead of touching the screen.

The top of the ClamCase Pro has a cutout for the iPad's Lightning port and the camera, as well as buttons that allow the iPad's power and volume controls to be used. The keyboard portion of the case has a port for headphones and a micro-USB port that's used to charge the case itself.

While the plastic of the case feels somewhat flimsy and low-quality, the aluminum keyboard portion is solid and feels well made. When closed, the ClamCase Pro is able to completely encase the iPad, protecting it from drops and scratches. Unfortunately, this solid feel and the high level of protection come at a cost --- bulk. The ClamCase Pro is 0.74 inches thick (at its thinnest point) and the iPad Air 2 is 0.24 inches thick, which means this case triples the thickness of the iPad Air 2 and more than doubles the weight (ClamCase Pro weighs 1.2 pounds, iPad Air 2 weighs 0.96)

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A growing number of users on Apple's support forums are reporting an issue with iOS 8 and the time zones of synced calendar events, reports Forbes. Known by users as the "GMT bug," the issue is causing confusion as calendar events sometimes see a secondary time zone (frequently GMT) added on.

The issue is documented in a lengthy thread on Apple's support forums that was started shortly after iOS 8 was released, and it has continued to gain significant attention since that time. According to user reports, calendar events created in one time zone are converted to another timezone possibly when they sync across a server.

Most of the affected appointments originate from either Google or Microsoft Exchange calendars that are linked to the default iOS calendar app. While the appointment remains at the correct time for the user, the actual time setting becomes defined in GMT rather than the user's local time zone, which can cause issues if the user edits the entry without realizing the different time zone.

The issue may in fact be related to a "Time Zone Override" setting in iOS 8 that allows users to maintain a consistent time zone for their calendars even while traveling to different time zones, but even if the GMT addition is intended behavior the implementation is clearly causing confusion for many users.

Apple last updated iOS to version 8.1.2 in December with a fix for disappearing ringtones. A minor iOS 8.1.3 update is in testing with Apple engineers and retail staff, with a public launch expected soon. Developers are now also using iOS 8.2 betas, the fourth of which was released in last week. None of the public or beta versions of iOS are yet confirmed to contain a provision to address this issue.

The "super simple, surprisingly challenging" puzzle game Shades, by developer UOVO, has been named by Apple as this week's App of the Week. Launched last year, and also featured in the App Store's "Best New Games" section, the game usually costs $1.99 to download.

The game takes inspiration from Tetris, with falling blocks of varying color hues - instead of shapes - needing to be slotted into the correct position by the player. Matching hues make darker colors, resulting in chain moves that can knock out entire rows of blocks.

A mesmerizing, calming, zen-like experience that quickly evolves into a devilishly challenging puzzler. Meditation + Panic. It's a fantastic combo.

A very simple game that will challenge you to think very fast.

"Surprisingly difficult!" ~ The guys who made it.

Features:
- Simple rules
- Intuitive gameplay
- Difficult to master
- 3 modes of play. Easy. Medium. Hard.
- Beautiful, colorful, minimalist design.
- Sound design by ONBC

The longer players spend in the game and the better they become, the quicker the game evolves into a frantic rush to slot blocks into the correct position as they fall faster and faster.

The game currently sits at a solid 4.5 star rating in the App Store, with one review calling it "Tetris meets 2048" and many others praising its addictiveness alongside the challenging nature the game slowly builds up to. Shades: A Simple Puzzle Game can be downloaded for free for the next week from the App Store. [Direct Link]

A new study that measures iPhone usage rates by state suggests that Apple's iPhone is most popular in states like Alaska, Montana, Vermont, New York, Kansas, and Mississippi. The study, conducted by Chitika Insights on December 25 through December 31, sampled "hundreds of millions" of U.S.-based iPhone ad impressions to determine the percentage of iPhone users in each state.

Each of the above listed states, along with many states in New England, saw between 55 and 65 percent of smartphone traffic coming from iPhones. Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan saw the lowest amount of traffic coming from iPhones, at 40 to 44 percent. New Mexico was the state with the lowest iPhone usage.

According to Chitika, iPhone usage rates did not correlate to geography or raw population figures, but there was some relationship to both population density and education level. A higher median income was also associated with iPhone usage, but that could be a result of education level, as those two variables go hand in hand. In states with higher education levels and denser populations, iPhone usage tended to be higher.

In a similar study conducted in 2011, Montana was one of the few states where iPhone usage outpaced Android usage. In many states the iPhone is not dominant, but the two usage maps provide an interesting look at how iPhone adoption has grown by state over the past four years. Many states where BlackBerry dominated, for example, are now seeing high iPhone usage.

Chitika's study is not the first to correlate iPhone usage with higher education and income levels. Several other studies have also suggested that iPhone owners are, on average, wealthier and higher educated than other smartphone owners.

Popular children's film The LEGO Movie has been translated into an iOS app, which was released in the App Store today. The LEGO Movie Video Game, like other LEGO games, is a premium title that's based on the movie, offering the same fun characters and plot line in a playable format.

In the game, players will take on the role of Emmet, an ordinary rule-abiding lego guy who has to take on the job of saving the world from an evil tyrant, with the help of the friends he meets on his journey.

The LEGO Movie Video Game features more than 90 characters from the movie, and there are 45 levels to play through across worlds like Cloud Cuckoo Land and Flatbush Gulch. There's also an all new animation style.

KEY FEATURES:
- A delightful and surprising mix of over 90 characters as seen from the film, including Batman, Superman, the Green Ninja, Gandalf, Benny, and more.
-Journey through fantastical worlds like Flatbush Gulch, Cloud Cuckoo Land, and more in 45 exciting levels!

-Smash bricks in a fascinating environment made of LEGO bricks.

-Collect and use LEGO instruction pages to build in a new way.

-Harness the awesome power of the Master Builders to virtually build extraordinary LEGO creations.

-Enjoy a brand new animation style as seen in the film that simulates the movement of actual LEGO toy sets.

Like other LEGO games, the new LEGO Movie game is quite large at 1.16GB. It requires 2.2GB of space to download over-the-air, or 1.1GB of space installing via iTunes. The game does have in-app purchases, but for a limited time, "Confetti" and "Bubble" Red Brick abilities are free to purchase to celebrate the game's launch.

The LEGO Movie Video Game can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99. [Direct Link]

Developer Matt Wiechec today released a major update to his Marco Polo iOS app that helps users recover misplaced iPhones and iPads with the sound of their voice. The new update brings custom responses and a new Notification Center widget that allows users to find other iOS devices also running the app.

Addressing a different use case than Apple's Find My iPhone service, Marco Polo is intended to allow users to easily find an iOS device located in close proximity to the user. The app's core functionality requires the app to be running in the background, with the device's microphone listening for the key passphrase, which is "Marco" by default. Once the user speaks the phrase, the app generates an audio response, with the default being "Polo".

The new update lets Marco Polo users select phrases like "I'm Over Here" and "Who's There?" over the simple "Polo" response, while also bringing a slew of new character voice options, like "Movie Guy" and "Wicked". The widget, once installed in the Today section of the Notification Center and set to discoverable within the app, allows users to find other iOS devices with a simple tap.

Our largest update yet, ready for the new year. We've added great new features, new voices, custom responses, widgets, and improved the entire app experience!

- Custom Responses are here! Now your device can ring back more than just POLO!
- Choose from responses like "I'm Over Here", "Who's There?", "iPhone Reporting", and many others. Even enter your own phrase!
- New iOS 8 Nearby Widget; skip shouting and find other devices right from Notification Center
- Greatly improved voice recognition
- Added new voices like MOVIE GUY and WICKED, including supporter exclusives like ARNOLD, BUSH, KERMIT, SLY, and more
- The app is now Universal to support the iPad, and completely optimized for iOS 8 and the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

Marco Polo even allows some customization to the phrase shouted to prompt the app's response, meaning virtually any 12-letter word a user can think of could be used to discover a lost iPhone, an improvement over the original version of the app where some users complained that words with similar sounds to "Marco" such as "mark" would trigger a response.

Functionality in silent mode and while the device is sleeping, as well as a volume boost feature that makes sure the app's voice is heard even if your phone is low, round out most of standard features that were available even before today's 2.0 update.

The app has a decent voice recognition range, and recognizes almost any 12-letter word or phrase added as a passphrase. Slight drawbacks may hinder daily use of the app, however, including the need for the device's microphone to always be active. This means that once you leave the app, the red "recording" microphone bar will be a permanent mainstay atop the iPhone screen. Using the Notification Center widget to discover other missing devices doesn't require the microphone to be on, however.

Potential battery drain may also be a concern given the need to keep the device's microphone active, although we did not see significant drops in battery status during limited testing.

Marco Polo can be downloaded for $0.99 from the App Store. [Direct Link]