MacRumors

After a fake app for MyEtherWallet.com rose to gain prominence on the iOS App Store last week, another scam has hit Apple's App Store in the form of a fake version of the popular side-scrolling shooter Cuphead, which is an Xbox One and PC exclusive (via TouchArcade). The app is still on the App Store as of writing and sells for $4.99, listing what seems to be Cuphead's actual developer -- StudioMDHR Entertainment Inc. -- as the app's seller, which is an incorrect description of the developer's real name: StudioMDHR.

When news of the fake app spread online this morning, StudioMDHR took to Twitter to confirm that this is not a real version of Cuphead and it will be working to contact Apple and remove the app as soon as possible.

Cuphead launched on September 29 as an exclusive for Microsoft Windows PCs and the Xbox One console. StudioMDHR has hinted that it has "plans to support" other platforms in the future, but those plans appear to be focused on macOS and not iOS. For the fake app, the App Store listing appears to use real screenshots from the game, while a video shows off touch screen controls with a joystick and A and B buttons appearing as the inputs to control the main character.

Apple's app review process tends to be very strict, so it's again unclear how a fake app asking users for money made it past the company in the first place. For MyEtherWallet, that fraudulent app also charged people $4.99, making it as high as #3 on the App Store's Finance charts and existing on the store for over one week. Apple eventually removed the app from the App Store, which it is expected to do for Cuphead as well.

Update 7:32 a.m. PST: Apple has removed Cuphead from the iOS App Store.

Today marks the 18th day of Best Buy's 20 Days of Doorbusters holiday shopping event, and brings with it a $200 discount on the original price of the higher-end, stainless steel models of last year's Apple Watch Series 2. While stainless steel cases were occasionally marked down this season, aluminum models tend to get the heaviest discounts, so Best Buy's sale prices are definitely a good opportunity for anyone who's been looking for a non-Sport Apple Watch and who doesn't mind owning a previous generation device.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The models appear to be selling fast, with some requiring you to find a nearby store for stock since they are sold out online. The full list of Series 2 models on sale is below:

• 42mm Stainless Steel Case and White Sport Band - $349.00, down from $549.00
• 42mm Space Black Stainless Steel Case and Space Black Sport Band - $349.00, down from $549.00
• 38mm Stainless Steel Case and Milanese Loop Band - $399.00, down from $599.00
• 42mm Stainless Steel Case and Milanese Loop Band - $449.00, down from $649.00
• 38mm Space Black Stainless Steel Case and Space Black Milanese Loop Band - $449.00, down from $649.00
• 42mm Space Black Stainless Steel Case and Space Black Milanese Loop Band - $499.00, down from $699.00
• 38mm White Ceramic Case and White Sport Band - $949.00, down from $1,149.00

Although not part of the Doorbuster event, Best Buy also has $50 off the aluminum Series 1 models this week, knocking down 38mm to $199.00 and 42mm to $229.00. Right now, Target is beating those prices with 38mm at $179.99 and 42mm at $209.99 while supplies last. Additionally, Best Buy has savings of up to $150 on select MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and 12-inch MacBook devices.

For those interested, the headlining Doorbuster item today are the Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones, priced at $149.99, down from $279.99.

Our exclusive promo code for 15 percent off any full-priced item at Nomad has also been extended to December 20, giving you an extra couple of days to shop the retailer's website for accessories like Apple Watch stands, iPhone X cases, and more. Visit our blog post for more information on the exclusive promotion, and then place your order at Nomad before 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday to get your discount.

Anyone looking for deals on Mac software might be interested in a 20 percent off sale on Affinity's creative apps Affinity Photo (Mac, iPad, and Windows) and Affinity Designer (Mac and Windows). Developer Serif announced today that this discount will run through January 5 for all versions of its apps on Mac, iOS, and Windows PC.

The price brings the desktop apps to $39.99, down from $49.99, while Affinity Photo on iPad is getting an extra 25 percent discount and will run for $14.99 from the iOS App Store during the sale [Direct Link]. Here is a quick description of each app from Serif:

Affinity Photo, available on Mac, Windows and iPad, pushes the boundaries for photo editing software. Its huge toolset is specifically engineered with creative and photography professionals in mind. Whether you are editing and retouching images, or importing RAW files and creating expansive multi-layered compositions with hundreds of layers, it has all the power and performance you will ever need. The iOS version was this month named App of the Year by Apple.

Affinity Designer, on Mac and Windows, is a complete vector graphic design solution brought to life in the fastest, smoothest, most precise software around. Each feature, tool, panel and function has been developed with the needs of creative professionals at its heart. With continuous innovation and development, the result is a ground-breaking application that will revolutionise how you work.

For those keeping an eye on Best Buy's sale as it winds down this week, tomorrow will see a discount on MacBook and on the last day the retailer will mark down a big-screen smart 4K TV. Make sure to head over to our full Deals Roundup to stay updated on these sales and more as the holiday shopping season continues.

iPhone trivia game HQ continues to surge in popularity. Tonight, over two-thirds of a million users played along for a chance to win $10,000.

HQ tweeted that over 680,000 users played Sunday evening's game, easily a new all-time record, while the in-game counter showed over 700,000 players were connected at various points of the roughly 15 minute show. That's more than twice as many players as some HQ games drew just last week.

For those of you who are just learning about HQ as you read this article, it is a free-to-play live trivia game show—sort of like Jeopardy—in which players attempt to answer a series of 12 questions correctly to win a cash prize. To reduce cheating, players have less than 10 seconds to answer each question.

The app launched on iPhone in September, with an Android version promised by Christmas Day. HQ attracted an audience in the lower thousands during its earliest days, with prizes starting at around $100, but the game has become an absolute viral sensation and now pulls around 300,000 to 400,000 or more players every game.

As the game's popularity has grown, so have the prizes. 107 winners split a prize of $10,000 on Sunday—that's roughly $93 each—and HQ even gave away $10,000 twice in one night earlier this month. Once players have won at least $20, they can cash out their U.S. dollar winnings via PayPal.

Unfortunately, as it has ballooned in size, HQ has experienced several technical difficulties. The most common issue is lag, but there are sometimes bigger problems. Saturday night's game initially saw no correct answers displayed, for example, resulting in the show being delayed by about 45 minutes.

HQ games take place every day at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and there's an extra game at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on weekdays. The shows are usually hosted by comedian Scott Rogowsky, with occasional guest hosts ranging from electronic music artist Dillon Francis to on-air personality Sharon Carpenter.

While it remains to be seen if HQ will be able to maintain its popularity over the long term, it might be the fastest growing thing that isn't named Bitcoin right now. If you haven't yet joined in the fun, download the app from the App Store now and opt into notifications to be alerted when a new game starts.

In iOS 11, the native camera app includes functionality that allows you to scan QR codes and access QR code content like URLs without having to download a third-party app.

Here's how to scan a QR code when you run into one:

1. Open the Camera app on the iPhone or iPad.
2. Make sure you have adequate lighting so the camera can pick up the QR code.
3. Align the camera with the QR code.

That's all there is to it. From there, the camera will read the QR code and provide you with a notification to access whatever it contains.

QR codes can include contact information, calendar events, website links, phone numbers, email addresses, Wi-Fi information, and more, so they can be pretty handy, and it's nice to have the built-in scanning feature available when you need it.

December historically has been the busiest month for iOS game releases, and so far this year has not disappointed. We're absolutely drowning in unbelievable ports, great game releases, and even more amazing titles scheduled to launch next week. The only problem is how truly spoiled iOS gamers are when it comes to choice -- If you're at all into mobile gaming, you probably have a massive backlog already. Whether you download these games now or just mentally bookmark them, they should at least be on your radar.

Gorogoa is a puzzle game where players are put to the task of manipulating four panels of illustrations. Playing the game involves discovering the puzzle's goal, and trying to execute on it using familiar touch gestures of zooming and rearranging these panels around. Here's an excerpt from our review:

With its sense of artistic cohesion and its inventiveness, Gorogoa impressed me as few other puzzle games have, and I can't see any player who enjoys puzzle games even a bit not enjoying it. It might not be the longest game in App Store history, but it also doesn't overstay its welcome, which can be an issue with story-heavy puzzle games. Gorogoa really is a gem of a game that belongs on most people's devices and one that will cast its magic on you as soon as you start playing. ...Read More

Fez Pocket Edition is a pint-sized version of Polytron's hit puzzler, Fez. The game is a 2D platformer, but its main puzzle mechanic involves rotating the 2D world in 3D, exposing new faces of the world to explore. For instance, a tiny platform in one dimension, when rotated 90 degrees, suddenly could become a walkway. We also reviewed Fez:

Fez is a very good game, and I love how the player never really faces any consequences for failure. It goes a long way in creating an experience that's fun from beginning to end, instead of being loaded with frustration because you ran out of continues and missed a jump. The virtual controls are basically in line with most other games that have reasonably decent virtual button configurations, but the "real" way to play Fez is with an MFi controller.

Whether you pair a controller, or wrestle with virtual buttons, as long as you're actually playing Fez, you'll be in for a great time. ...Read More

Square Enix has been all over the App Store lately, and Life is Strange is an incredibly welcome addition. It's a point and click adventure game with a unique twist: Your character has the ability to rewind time, which allows you to alter the story both in good and bad ways. We absolutely loved it in our review, and the only thing stopping us from scoring the first episode higher was some annoying technical issues which I'm sure will be ironed out in future updates:

Since this is the first episode, Dontnod did a great job with making me hate the episodic format upon release. The first episode literally had me craving for more and the wait for episode 2 was unbearable. You won’t need to worry about that because Episodes 2 and 3 are available right now via in app purchase with the remaining episodes launching early next year. I hope the visual issues and some performance issues are ironed out because this could end up being the best way to experience Life is Strange. The lack of proper controller support is baffling because this exists on multiple consoles. Out of all the point and click adventure experiences available today, Life is Strange is my favourite by a long shot. I hope this does well for Square Enix so they can port Life is Strange: Before the Storm as well. ...Read More

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! has tons of history behind it. It's a ground-up remake of the original Oddworld released on the Playstation, which eventually made its way to PS4 and now to the App Store. Gameplay hinges around solving puzzles and platforming by controlling other creatures in game with a feature called GameSpeak which was incredibly innovative in its day. We have lots of good things to say in our review:

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! is a faithful port of an excellent classic remake. If you game with an MFi controller, it's a ridiculously easy title to recommend. In the absence of that option, you need only ask yourself how well you can cope with what is a relatively complex layout of virtual buttons. If nothing else, the controls are better here than they were in the other mobile Oddworld titles. If you were okay with those games, you'll be more than fine here. If not, you may want to skip this one. But I really do suggest giving them a solid go. The game is fantastic, and if you have to spend a little time adjusting to the controls to experience it, you'll still find the effort worth it in the end. ...Read More

It's wild just how many Ace Attorney games there are on the App Store, and Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is the latest to join the long list of titles mobile gamers have to choose from. This time around, we follow Phoenix Wright's rival and sometimes-ally, Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, and the game virtually abandons the courtroom in favor of focusing on the investigations themselves. Here's an excerpt from our review:

Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is a little different from the usual Ace Attorney game, but it carries a similar feel and quality that should please fans of the other games. The mobile version is sensibly improved from the original Nintendo DS release, as well. Adventure game fans would do well to give this game a look. As with other Ace Attorney games, it's a bit of a long haul, with over 20 hours of play required to reach the ending, but you won't notice the time passing by for a pretty good portion of that. ...Read More

Inside hit the App Store this week, and its just as brutally unforgiving as its predecessor, Limbo. This 2.5D platformer begins with a boy running through the woods in a surreal dystopian world filled death. The amount of times you'll die playing through this game is unreal, and deaths are particularly gruesome. That being said, even though we didn't have a ton of fun with the game, we gave major props to what a high quality port it is in our review:

I probably would've scored Inside quite a bit lower had the port not be so unbelievably well done. I started playing it on my iPad, and it occurred to me that I should check and see if it's iPhone X optimized. I downloaded the game on my iPhone, and not only is it in full iPhone X widescreen, but it just automagically loaded my save game from my iPad on the first launch without me needing to do anything. This kind of cross-compataibility and iCloud syncing magic is the exact kind of future I want to be living in. Developers bringing their games to the App Store from other platforms should take a good long look at Inside.

If you enjoyed Limbo (or similar trial and error puzzle games), chances are you didn't even need this review to smash the buy button- You'll really dig Inside. However, if you're like me and aren't really into the obtuseness of it all, there's a lot to like about it but I'm not sure I'd consider the game a must-have. ...Read More

Next week Bridge Constructor Portal hits the App Store (on the 20th, to be precise), and we absolutely cannot wait. The Bridge Constructor series of games have been among the best bridge builders on the platform, and who doesn't love a completely unexpected Portal mashup? GLaDOS coming to iOS seems like a dream come true, and I really hope they manage to slide in some additional Portal world building. Needless to say, when this launches, we'll also have a review up.

That's about it for the world of iOS gaming this week. This is just a tiny, tiny snippet of what's been happening, so if you're even remotely interested in mobile gaming be sure to follow along with the day to day developments over on TouchArcade.

Samsung is planning to unveil its next-generation Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus smartphones in February of 2018, just a few months after the launch of the iPhone X, reports Bloomberg.

The two devices could be introduced as early as late February with a launch following in early March. Last year, the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus were unveiled in late March and released in April.

The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are said to be similar to the current Galaxy models that are available, but with upgraded camera systems.

The two smartphones will likely also include upgraded processors and will continue to offer features like fingerprint recognition, facial recognition, and iris scanning. A feature equivalent to Face ID is not likely to be available, however, as Android manufacturers are further behind on development of 3D facial recognition techniques.

Samsung's upcoming smartphones will directly compete with Apple's latest flagship iPhone, the iPhone X.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with WaterField Designs to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win either a Vitesse Messenger Bag or an iPhone Camera Bag.

The Vitesse Messenger Bag, priced at $159 (or $169 with cycling strap) is made from a stylish waxed canvas in brown or navy. It holds up to a 15-inch MacBook Pro in an unpadded laptop pocket, and it also has several additional pockets that can hold an iPad and other accessories.

In addition to the laptop compartment, there are two waterproof zip pockets at the front, a main inner compartment, a hidden ultrasuede-lined phone pocket, and three accessory compartments for cables, battery packs, and other small devices.

The Vitesse is designed for commuting, with a nylon adjustable strap and optional stabilizer messenger strap, but it also looks nice enough to take into the office.

WaterField Designs' iPhone Camera Bag, priced at $99 for black ballistic nylon or $129 for leather, is designed to hold an iPhone, mobile lenses, and a small tripod, while remaining compact and easy to carry.

There's a pocket for holding a cell phone and battery, a mesh zipper pocket for accessories like cords, and a customizable lens pocket with four dividers that can be rearranged to fit each user's needs.

The body of the camera bag is lined with foam to keep everything safe, secure, and protected from drops, and soft lining prevents scratches. Using a set of straps at the bottom, you can also attach a small mobile tripod. It can be used with either a shoulder strap or hooked into a belt using leather loops.

We have one of each of these bags from WaterField Designs to give away. 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 winners and send the prizes. 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 or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (December 15) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on December 22. The winners will be chosen randomly on December 22 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Sam's Club is launching a member exclusive one day event tomorrow, December 16, with discounts and promotions on the iPad Pro, Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 2, iPhone X, and a few Beats by Dre products. To gain access to the deals, you'll need a Sam's Club membership, which start at $45/year.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Sam's Club. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The sale items will be available to purchase in your local Sam's Club store (beginning at 7:00 a.m. ET) as well as online (beginning at 12:01 a.m. ET), but the retailer noted that there are limited quantities on all items. Some products will see discounts only lasting December 16, while others will run through Christmas.

Below are a few of the Apple products and accessories with promotions or deals at Sam's Club tomorrow (note that the Beats Solo 3 deal is already up):

• iPhone X - Get a $150 Sam’s Club Gift Card with activation on installment: AT&T, Verizon and USCell
• 12.9-inch and 10.5-inch iPad Pro, 256GB - $125 off starting 12/16
• Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 2 - $25 off only on 12/16
• Powerbeats3 Wireless - $128 only on 12/16 (matching Amazon and Walmart)
• Beats Solo3 - $198 through 12/25 (compared to $240 at Amazon and $220 at Walmart)
• $50 iTunes Card - $42.98
• $100 iTunes Card multipack - $84.47

Although $25 off isn't the best deal we've seen for Apple Watch Series 2 models this season, it is one of the first straight cash discounts on Series 3, which as of yet have only received promotions for store credit of some kind, like at Kohl's on Black Friday. This should knock down the non-cellular Aluminum Series 3 devices to about $305 for 38mm and $335 for 42mm. Cellular models in Aluminum will be $375 for 38mm and $405 for 42mm.

Check out the catalog for the December One Day Only event at Sam's Club for a longer list of products, and then head over to our Deals Roundup for more holiday sales.

Microsoft this week announced that the beta for its main Xbox iOS app will soon allow testers to enable party chat and speak with friends who are in a party on Xbox One, with a wide launch expected to follow. Those interested can sign up for the Xbox app beta, run through Apple's TestFlight program, on Microsoft's website. The party chat mode is already available on the Android beta of the Xbox app, as spotted on Reddit (via Engadget).

Details on the party chat feature are scarce, but it appears that it will work similarly to Nintendo's Switch Online mobile app, although likely won't be as game-specific. Nintendo's app was created due to the fact that the Switch console itself lacks a voice chat feature, so players in online games like Splatoon 2 are required to use the Switch Online app if they want to talk with friends. As of today, Splatoon 2 is still the only game supported in the app, despite numerous other online games being available for Switch, like Mario Kart 8.

For the Xbox app, players will be able to chat with their friends who are playing on Xbox -- or on the mobile app themselves -- even when not at home near their console. Otherwise, the app allows users to view their friend list, send messages, post updates and game clips, purchase games on the store, and more. The Xbox app is available to download for free on the iOS App Store [Direct Link].

Chinese smartphone makers Huawei and Xiaomi are reportedly in discussions with carriers AT&T and Verizon, who may begin selling each company's flagship Android smartphones in the United States as early as next year.

The negotiations are still in progress, and it's possible no final agreements will materialize, according to Bloomberg News.

The news echoes an earlier report from The Information that claimed AT&T has tentatively agreed to sell at least one Huawei smartphone, which was believed to be a high-end model resembling the company's flagship Mate 10 handset.

A partnership with AT&T and/or Verizon would be a major win for Huawei, already the world's third largest smartphone maker by market share behind Samsung and Apple, which dominate the smartphone market in the United States.

Huawei is the most popular smartphone maker in China, and it has aggressively pushed into Europe and Canada, but it has considerably less brand awareness in the United States since no major carriers sell its smartphones in the country. American customers currently have to resort to retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart, or Amazon to purchase a Huawei smartphone.

If it wants to achieve its lofty goal of becoming the largest smartphone maker in the entire world by 2021, Huawei will almost certainly have to secure these types of agreements with AT&T, Verizon, and other carriers.

Huawei remained in third place with an estimated 39.1 million smartphone shipments worldwide last quarter, according to research firm Strategy Analytics, while Apple reported sales of 46.7 million iPhones over that period. In the United States, Huawei held just a 0.2 percent share of the smartphone market as of June 2017, according to Counterpoint Research.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi said it aims to roll out smartphones in the United States within two years. Xiaomi is also considering opening retail stores in the country to increase its brand presence, according to the report.

In the United States and a select few other countries today is Free Shipping Day, a shopping holiday in which most participating retailers offer free shipping with no minimum purchase required. Although lesser-known than previous shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Free Shipping Day is a great opportunity for last-minute shoppers to get orders in ahead of Christmas, because most retailers joining in on the shopping holiday also guarantee delivery by December 24th.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Over 900 retailers are participating in the event, so chances are there is a store you might be interested in that you can place an order for free shipping today. Some websites require a code and also go beyond free shipping to offer you discounts and other promotions.

Below we've listed a few places joining in on the event:

• Target - Free shipping on all orders
• Best Buy - Free shipping on all orders
• OtterBox - Free 2-day shipping on all orders
• LifeProof - Free shipping on all LifeProof Protective Cases and accesories, 10 percent off purchase (Code: LPFS17)
• Speck - Free 2-day shipping on all orders, $15 gift card with purchase of $30 or more
• Office Depot/OfficeMax - Free shipping on all orders
• Bose - Free expedited shipping on all orders
• Belkin - Free ground shipping on all orders
• Sonos - Free shipping sitewide (Code: FRE2NDYSHP17)
• Case-Mate - Free sitewide shipping, $10 off order (Code: SHIP10)
• Brydge - Free shipping on all orders
• Macy's - Free shipping on all orders
• JCPenney - Free shipping on all orders (Code: SHIP3)
• B&H Photo - Free next day shipping until 4:00 p.m. ET on December 21
• Twelve South - Free 2-day shipping and orders made by 2:00 p.m. on December 20 have guaranteed Christmas delivery

Although this is a one-day-only shopping event, some stores are stretching their free shipping and guaranteed Christmas delivery policies further into this weekend and early next week, so make sure to read the promotion and delivery promises at each website you visit for more information.

There are also numerous stores taking part in the event that require a minimum purchase to be made for free shipping to be activated. These include Amazon ($25 or more), Walmart ($35 or more), Verizon ($49 or more), GameStop ($50 or more), and others that FreeShippingDay.com has listed on its website (which is loading slowly today, likely due to high traffic).

As a note for Apple.com, the company is offering free next-day delivery on in-stock items ordered by 3 p.m. local time on December 22, so you still have one week from today to get your Apple orders in for Christmas.

Visit our Deals Roundup for more sales and promotional offers that might help you out during your holiday shopping.