MacRumors iPhone and iPad Blog: Apps, News, and Rumors

Apple SIM partner GigSky today announced that its data plans are now available in over 180 countries around the world. MacRumors obtained a list of the 40 or so new countries and territories that GigSky has expanded into as of this week: Algeria Bangladesh Belize Bhutan Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Burkina Faso Cameroon Cape Verde Chad Christmas Island Côte d'Ivoire Curaçao F...

Apple yesterday updated its iTunes U education app with some notable new annotation and media sharing features. In an extension of iTunes U's markup support, which was previously limited to PDF documents, version 3.5 of the app now enables users to apply visual notes to image files using the same annotation toolset. Elsewhere, video messages can now be shared between teachers and...

Google announced a fresh update to its Search app yesterday, highlighting Gboard keyboard integration, a raft of 3D Touch enhancements, and a new Trending widget. Launched last May, Gboard offers users the ability to search for emoji, includes a built-in animated GIF search, and supports glide typing and voice transcription. Users can also use the keyboard to share information and content...

Feral interactive has announced the release of Rome: Total War – Barbarian Invasion for iPad. The game is a standalone expansion pack of the cult classic PC strategy title, Rome: Total War, and builds upon the empire-building mechanics of the original as well as introducing a dramatic new historical context. Barbarian Invasion takes place in 363AD during the height of the Roman Empire, when...

Ultimate Ears today announced the latest addition to its lineup of portable speakers, debuting the palm-sized $99 WONDERBOOM. The WONDERBOOM fits right in with its bigger siblings the UE Boom 2 and the MEGABOOM, offering 360 degree sound in a smaller, more affordable package. Design wise, the WONDERBOOM looks a lot like the UE Boom 2, but it's half as tall and a bit thicker. It's 10.2cm tall...

Apple Pay is rolling out to Taiwanese customers starting today, reports The China Post. Seven banks in Taiwan are supporting Apple Pay at launch according to Apple's Taiwanese Apple Pay website, including Cathay United Bank, CTBC Bank, E. Sun Commercial Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank, Taishin International Bank, and Union Bank of Taiwan. Apple Pay is available to...

iOS 10.3 includes a new feature that allows developers to change app icons after an app has been installed, bringing custom app icons to the iOS Home screen. Both the MLB.com At Bat and NHL iOS apps are now taking advantage of the new custom icon feature following updates released this afternoon. In the MLB.com At Bat app, users can customize the Home screen icon of the app with MLB...

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 10.2.1 update to developers for testing purposes, one day after releasing tvOS 10.2, an update that introduced improve scrolling and iPad support for the Apple TV Remote app. The tvOS 10.2.1 beta is designed for the fourth-generation Apple TV. It can be downloaded by connecting the Apple TV to a computer with a USB-C cable and installing...

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 3.2.2 update to developers for testing purposes, one day after the launch of watchOS 3.2, a major update that introduced Theater Mode. watchOS 3.2.2 can be downloaded through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on ...

T-Mobile today announced that it will offer its customers a free annual subscription to MLB.TV Premium, a $119.99 value, on Tuesday, April 4. T-Mobile customers will be able to claim the gift through its T-Mobile Tuesdays app until Wednesday, April 5 at 1:59 a.m. Pacific Time. Then, customers need to sign up for MLB.TV Premium by Tuesday, April 11 at 1:59 a.m. Pacific Time. MLB.TV Premium ...

Amazon has launched another grocery initiative, this time for Amazon employees in Seattle. The service is called AmazonFresh Pickup and it allows customers to order groceries from the Amazon mobile app on iOS and Android, or on the web, select a pickup time, and show up at the AmazonFresh Pickup location to get their items bagged into their vehicle by an Amazon worker. Although it's limited to ...

Following yesterday's iOS 10.3 release, several carriers around the world have enabled support for native Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE on iPhone. In addition to updating to iOS 10.3, the features require installing a carrier settings update to be enabled. Your device should prompt you to install the carrier settings update in Settings > General > Software Update. Features may be limited to...

Facebook today is officially rolling out its long-in-testing upgrade to the main Facebook mobile app on iOS and Android, bringing a number of changes focused on the addition of an all-new camera, filters, themed effects and "Facebook Stories." The company's 24-hour post Snapchat clone was reported to have launched a few weeks ago, but a Facebook spokesperson contacted MacRumors at the time and con...

Payments company Square today announced that it has officially launched within the United Kingdom, bringing its popular Square Reader to small and medium businesses within the UK Square's UK debut marks the company's first European launch, but its products are already available in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia. In the UK, the Square Reader will cost businesses £39, and will...

Samsung announced on Monday that it will sell refurbished versions of its Galaxy Note7 smartphones, the model it officially discontinued last year because of fire-prone batteries. Samsung's Note 7 devices were permanently scrapped in October and recalled globally, after multiple reports of some phones self-combusting. A highly publicized in-depth investigation by the company discovered that...

Google has revealed that its Amazon Echo rival, Google Home, will arrive in the United Kingdom on April 6. The announcement was made on Tuesday at an event in London, where it was also revealed that the British version of the connected smart speaker will deliver news briefings from several U.K. media outlets including The Guardian and the BBC. Rollout of Google Home beyond American shores...

Swedish home furniture store IKEA announced its own affordable smart lighting system today called Trådfri, which means "wireless" in Swedish. The Smart Lighting range of products includes Trådfri LED bulbs, a remote dimmer switch puck, a gateway kit, a motion sensor kit, and dimming lights. IKEA is also introducing a selection of LED light panels and doors that can be built into cabinets...

First introduced in watchOS 3.2, Theater Mode is a simple but useful feature that's designed to prevent the Apple Watch's screen from activating when you raise your wrist. It's useful in situations where the bright screen can be a distraction, such as a movie or a play, and it's also useful for those who like to sleep with their Apple Watches. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for ...