MacRumors

Mozilla released the first public preview of Firefox for iOS on the App Store in New Zealand today. The company aims to collect feedback on Firefox for iOS in the country, and eventually a few others, to help make improvements and add new features to the browser prior to a worldwide launch later this year.

The public preview version of Firefox for iOS features Intelligent Search, Firefox Accounts and Visual Tabs.

• Intelligent Search: Suggested search results and list of search options, including Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, Twitter, Amazon and WordPress
  

• Firefox Accounts: Firefox browser history, passwords and tabs from your desktop on your iPhone
  

• Visual Tabs: A card-based grid of open tabs

To provide feedback within the app, tap the numeric tab icon on the top right, tap the "Settings" menu on the top left and tap on "Send Feedback" under the "Support" menu.

Mozilla was initially opposed to releasing Firefox on iOS because of Apple's policy that requires third-party browsers to use its own WebKit framework and JavaScript engine, but the company reversed course and announced plans to release an iOS app in December 2014. Other third-party browsers include Chrome and Opera.

Sphero, the company responsible for creating robotic balls that can be controlled by iPhones, today announced a remote-controlled BB-8, a droid from the upcoming film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

While Sphero developed this version of BB-8 as a connected toy, the company was instrumental in the development of the BB-8 droid used in the actual movie. The company was a part of Disney's accelerator program and was paired with Disney CEO Bob Iger as its mentor. When Iger visited with Sphero to see the robotic ball they were working on, he realized the technology could be used for BB-8, who at the time was still being designed. He connected Sphero to the filmmakers and special effects people behind the film and they collaborated on the real BB-8, which was shown off at the Star Wars Celebration convention in May.

The toy version of BB-8 will go on sale on September 4, 2015 as a part of "Force Friday," which is when toys and merchandise from "The Force Awakens" officially go on sale. BB-8 will be available for $149.99 at Sphero.com and Apple Stores.

Skype today announced a new update for both its iOS and Android mobile apps that introduce a new design experience, a few tweaks to the service's messaging functions, and some enhanced search functionality. The new update, version 6.0, promises to be a "simple, familiar" experience for Skype users, but with a bevy of new features and touch inputs that will help the service's users get in and out of conversations with more ease.

The company has introduced swipe gestures to do just that, letting users quickly start calls and manage message threads with quick and easy right and left swipes. The message feature as a whole has been bolstered, with easier access to sharing photos, links, emoticons, and even location status while also on a video or voice call. Along with enhanced search and improvements to the iPad app, version 6.0 aims to be the most robust iOS Skype experience yet.

Here is what’s new:

Redesigned for iPhone and iPad – We’ve redesigned Skype for both iPhone and iPad to make the apps easier to use than ever before. The new navigation is simple, familiar and gets you to your conversations fast. With Skype 6.0 you can use swipe gestures to quickly make calls and easily manage your messages. We have also made it easier to share photos, web links, emoticons and your location while you’re on a voice or video call.

Enhanced search – We’ve made it easier to find things in Skype. Simply use the new recents tab to search your messages and find contacts and groups.

The features you love, now on iPad – All the features you love on Skype for iPhone are on your iPad too. We’ve made messaging on Skype for iPad a whole lot better – you can share your location, send large emoticons, see web link previews and easily send and receive photos. Skype for iPad also helps you stay in touch with your groups – now start a group chat or a group voice call straight from your iPad.

Skype for Android sees a handful of the same featured updates in its own overhaul, but has a few exclusive features -- like an ever-present "floating action button" to instantly start a call from anywhere in the app -- that Android users can check out here. For everyone else, the Skype for iPhone [Direct Link] and Skype for iPad [Direct Link] apps are available to download from the App Store for free.

Griffin today announced an expansion of its popular Survivor case lineup for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, introducing the new Survivor Summit and the Survivor Journey. Like its existing Survivor cases, both the Summit and the Journey offer military grade protection for Apple's iPhones.

The Survivor Summit is Griffin's most protective Survivor case yet, featuring a sealed weatherproof design that's resistant to dust, rain, mud, and snow. It includes a screen shield that both serves as a stand and protects the touchscreen and home button from grime.

With rubber bumpers and a built-in impact resistance system that suspends and cushions the iPhone within the case, the Summit can survive 10-foot drops onto concrete. According to Griffin, despite the high level of protection, the Summit is "slim enough to easily slide into pockets."

The Survivor Journey is not as protective as the Survivor Summit, but it's thinner and sleeker. Described by Griffin as "ultra-thin, ultra-tough," the Journey is a one piece snap-on shell that deflects and absorbs impacts to survive a 6.6 foot drop onto concrete.

The Journey includes Griffin's "Impact Dispersion System" that includes multiple layers, housing the iPhone inside a rigid, shatterproof shell coated in a material that's easy to grip.

Survivor Summit and Journey take our best-selling case line to a whole new level with sleek, slim designs that continue to offer the extreme protection users have grown to love from our Survivor cases," said Aaron Jones, Survivor Category Manager at Griffin Technology.

The Survivor Summit is available from Griffin.com in black/blue, black/clear, black, and pink/gray. It's priced at $49.99 for the iPhone 6 and $59.99 for the iPhone 6 Plus.

The Survivor Journey is available from Griffin.com in black/blue, black/white, black/gray, and pink/gray. It's priced at $29.99 for the iPhone 6 and $39.99 for the iPhone 6 Plus.

Apple is believed to have sold over over 1.07 million Apple Watches in China, according to data analysis company TalkingData (via Business Insider). The company uses a monitoring platform supported by over 80,000 mobile apps -- including the country's most popular app WeChat, with over 1 billion registered users -- to receive its data.

Many remain curious as to how many Apple Watches the company has sold specifically, but Apple continues to remain firm on not assigning a tangible number to the sales figures of its new wearable device. After a few weeks of speculation, in July CEO Tim Cook gave the closest hint to the success of the Apple Watch, stating that its sales had "exceeded expectations" at the company.

Also of note today is a new report from Japan Display Inc. CEO Mitsuru Homma, who stated that the display manufacturer's "biggest client" is ramping up orders ahead of an upcoming launch for the unnamed company's newest smartphone (via Reuters). JPI has been known to work with Apple in the past, and was reported earlier in the year to be seeking a partnership with the Cupertino company in becoming its go-to manufacturer for iPhone screens with a $1.7 billion display plant.

Mitsuru Homma, who was appointed CEO in June, said weakness in China's smartphone market, the world's biggest, amid that country's broader economic slowdown was not affecting the orders for display screens it was getting from its top client.

"They're coming to us with more orders, saying 'give us more, give us more'. They keep increasing," he told Reuters in an interview.

Homma fielded questions about "difficult technology" causing production stalls in the manufacturing process -- most likely this year's inclusion of Force Touch -- but he still believes that "ramp-up is going well." The big reveal of the "iPhone 6s" and "iPhone 6s Plus" is just under a week away on September 9. The latest rumors point to a slightly thicker and larger "S" generation device, with the possibility of Apple Watch-like motion wallpapers and a slightly overhauled iOS thanks to the addition of Force Touch.

Philips today expanded its Hue lighting lineup with the launch of the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus, which adds new white lighting options to the colorful mood lighting introduced with the original Philips Hue Lightstrip.

Like the first LightStrip, the new Lightstrip Plus is a two-meter LED-studded adhesive-backed strip that can be used behind televisions, under desks, and more, as mood lighting within the home. The new Lightstrip Plus is an enhanced version of the Lightstrip, adding brighter, tunable white light in addition to the 16 million color options of the original.

As an indirect source of light, Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus can be placed anywhere in the home to complement and enrich existing Philips Hue lights, delivering a uniformed color. Self-adhesive and easy to install, place along the bottom of a hallway choosing a beautiful shade of white light to create a sense of spaciousness; run along coving high up the walls of a room to wash the entire space with light instantly transforming its look and feel; or line along shelves and cabinets to add a stylish touch of ambience to match a mood or moment.

The Lightstrip Plus measures in at 1,600 lumens, and the new version allows multiple strips to be chained together to reach a length of up to 10 meters. As with the first version, the Lightstrip Plus can be cut and bent as needed to fit into any space, and it can be controlled alongside other Hue lights with the Hue app.

The Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus will be available for purchase in North America starting in October. It is priced at $89.95 for a two meter strip, with one meter extension strips available for $29.95.

CBS Sports this week announced it will expand its streaming NFL coverage on the Apple TV, with plans to stream two regular season games, four playoff games, and Super Bowl 50.

The games will be available on laptops, computers, and tablets via CBSSports.com, in addition to being available on connected television devices like the Apple TV, Roku, Xbox One, and Chromecast. Games will be streamed live and will be free to watch, with no cable authentication required.

New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins in London will be the first regular live game streamed for free, and it will be broadcast on October 4 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The second regular season game CBS will show is the Carolina vs. Dallas on November 26 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. AFC playoff coverage will also be streamed, including Wild Card, Divisional, and Championship games.

"We're very excited to offer more NFL ON CBS streaming coverage across more digital platforms than ever before," said Jeffrey Gerttula, Senior Vice President and General Manager of CBS Sports Digital. "All NFL fans will have access through their computers, tablets and now Connected TVs to two regular season games for the first time in addition to all of the AFC playoff action, culminating with a truly historic Super Bowl."

While CBS will be streaming NFL games to connected television devices, computers, and tablets, most iPhones will not be able to be used to stream CBS NFL content due to contractual agreements with Verizon. Verizon iPhone owners will have access to streaming content through the NFL Mobile app.

CBS's plan to stream additional NFL games comes just days after the NFL introduced a new Game Pass subscription plan available on the Apple TV, which lets users watch live preseason games and standard season games on-demand after they've aired on broadcast television.