MacRumors

With Apple's media event still four days away and the launch of new iPhone hardware likely two weeks away, campers are already starting to line up at the company's flagship Fifth Avenue retail store in Manhattan.

While early lineups are frequently done as promotional stunts rather than campers arriving simply as devoted fans, with some early campers at past launches even receiving sponsorships to promote brands while they wait, it seems that the bar is continually being raised with campers now arriving even before Apple has announced anything.

Two representatives from Cincinnati-based SellYourMac arrived on the scene today to begin what they hope will be a two-week campout, only to find that they were not the first people in line at the Fifth Avenue store, which generally serves as one of the most high-profile launch sites due to its iconic design and 24-hour operation. Two other campers claimed their spots at the front of the line last night, settling in for the long wait.

According to Sell Your Mac's Jon Murphy, the campers have yet to have any discussions with Apple's store staff about their plans, but the line is forming in its usual spot on the plaza outside the store's landmark glass cube.

Apple's media event is scheduled for next Tuesday, with rumors and speculation pointing to a launch of the iPhone 5S and 5C in the United States and other first-wave countries on Friday, September 20.

Gameloft yesterday released a new trailer for its upcoming Thor: The Dark World – The Official Game on Apple's iOS platform, a title scheduled to arrive in November as a tie-in with the upcoming movie. Notably, the hack-and-slash gameplay nature of the title is centered around Marvel’s Thor superhero and his quest to defend the Nine Realms from evil, with the ability for the player to use his powers and work with CPU allies to combat enemies in a variety of different situations and environments.

Our sister site TouchArcade had this to say about the game when its teaser trailer was released back in late July:

Dark World is being developed by Gameloft in partnership with Marvel, Gameloft says in today's announcement materials for the game. And you know what? It could be pretty rad. The footage we've got below reveals it as a hack-and-slash, which is a good genre for a hero that hits things with a hammer. Also, Gameloft is pretty good at making these kinds of games, if Dungeon Hunter 4's solid mechanics are any indication of skill.

Thor: The Dark World – The Official Game is scheduled to be released this November, with the film Thor: The Dark World hitting theaters on November 8.

Google today announced a newly redesigned version of its Google Drive app for iOS, which incorporates the company’s card-style layout that has been used across many of its mobile apps like Google+.

The new look features thumbnails that display file content, but it also retains the traditional app layout. Users can toggle between the thumbnail view and the list view with the tap of a button.

Google Drive now supports viewing and editing files in landscape mode and folders are grouped more intuitively. Google has also made it easier to copy and share links to files, and search is located more prominently to make finding files simpler.

Google Drive can be downloaded from the App Store for free and the update should be live later today. [Direct Link]

Activision today released Call of Duty: Strike Team, its new combination first- and third-person shooter for iPhone and iPad. The game has a story campaign set in 2020, as well as a survival mode with leaderboards.

The most unique aspect of the $7 Strike Team's gameplay is the combination first- and third-person mode. The game starts as a top-down strategic shooter somewhat like Breach and Clear; but, at any time, gamers can take control of the soldiers and switch to first-person mode.

Gaming site Kotaku has a video of the first twelve minutes of gameplay, and Activision's launch video is below.

Call of Duty fans can take the action on-the-go with Call of Duty: Strike Team, available at launch exclusively for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Call of Duty: Strike Team is optimized for mobile and tablet glass mechanics, offering a choice of how to play: as players control a squad of up to four highly trained Strike Team members, each with customizable skills and loadouts, the in-game view can be seamlessly switched from classic first-person action, to a top-down, third-person perspective providing a full range of both action combat and tactical decision making.

The game requires iOS 6 and at least an iPhone 4S or iPad 2.

Call of Duty: Strike Team is available for $6.99 on iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link]

Social network Path has announced a significant update to its iOS app, bringing new features such as private sharing to specific contacts, a new “inner circle” grouping feature for existing contacts on the service, and a new premium membership that allows for unlimited use of exclusive filters and characters. The company has also announced a global partnership with mobile carrier Deutsche Telekom, bringing its German customers a free year of Path’s premium membership.

Our team is proud to announce Path 3.2 and with it, Private Sharing, Inner Circle, and Premium. A lot of thought and iteration went in to these features, during which we constantly asked ourselves—will this help bring you and your friends and family closer together? Will this give you more control over what you share, and who you choose to share with? Will this encourage you to be yourself, and be more open with those who matter most?

The last major update to the app came in March and brought entry-level private messaging and a shop for its stickers and characters to use in messages. Path can be downloaded from the App Store for free, although the update has yet to go live. [Direct Link]

After years of negotiations, Japanese carrier DoCoMo will begin carrying the iPhone this fall, according to a report from Japanese newswire Nikkei [Google Translate].

DoCoMo will begin carrying the new models of the iPhone this fall, after Apple and DoCoMo came to an agreement over terms and conditions, including sales quotas, claims Nikkei.

The other large Japanese carriers, KDDI and Softbank, have carried the iPhone for years. Softbank recently purchased a controlling interest in American carrier Sprint.

DoCoMo lost a total of 3.2 million users over the last four-and-a-half years years, with much of that loss blamed on the lack of an iPhone on the network. DoCoMo had long insisted that its own services be preloaded onto devices sold on its network, something that is anathema to Apple.

The companies have appeared closer to a deal in recent weeks, as the CEO of DoCoMo said there were "compelling reasons" for the two companies to reach an agreement.

Nikkei previously reported that both the iPhone 5S and 5C would launch in Japan on Friday, September 20th -- expected to be the same day as the phone's release in the United States.

Google has pulled its Google Authenticator app from the App Store following an update that removes all stored accounts when installed.

The app is used with Google's two-factor authentication service to make logging in to Google accounts more secure.

TechCrunch reports that users who don't have a trusted computer will need to reset their all stored tokens on Google that allow other services like Dropbox or Evernote to connect to users' Google accounts.

Updating the app removes all your existing accounts, with users complaining in reviews for the update that they’ve lost their Dropbox, Google Apps, DreamHost, Twilio, Evernote and other tokens after updating and have been forced to sync each over again. It could leave you locked out of your accounts entirely and forced to contact support for a reset, as Dashlane’s co-founder Alexis Fogel tells us is happening with his service, and it’s something that will also result in an awful lot of unnecessary busy work to set up things that have already been set up before.

The update points to a larger potential problem with iOS 7, where app updates will download automatically onto iOS devices. MacRumors has heard from several iOS 7 beta testers who lost their account info on Google Authenticator because the update was downloaded automatically when it was released.

iOS 7 users do have the option to revert to the manual update scheme used in prior versions of iOS.

There is no word from Google on when the app will be updated and returned to the App Store. The update also includes a new design with a flat icon to match Apple's iOS 7 look-and-feel.

Google Authenticator is normally available free from the App Store. [Direct Link]

PayPal today announced a major update to its iOS app, introducing a complete iOS 7-style redesign that focuses on mobile payments in physical locations.

A new "Shop" tab has been added to allow users to discover nearby restaurants and shops that support payments via PayPal. In a location that offers payments through PayPal, users can check in to pay for merchandise, pay directly at restaurant tables, and place and pay for orders ahead of time to skip lines.

Different payment methods, such as separate debit cards and credit cards, can be stored within the app and accessed at any time. The app also supports PayPal’s Bill Me Later function, letting users apply for a line of credit within the app. PayPal partners are able to offer coupons and discounts, which are also viewable within the app, and a transfer function supports quick and easy payments between friends and family.

According to PayPal's Vice President of Global Product, Hill Ferguson, the redesign is part of a push to increase consumer awareness about PayPal's availability in retail locations as well as online.

The new PayPal app update will be available for download later today. [Direct Link]

Konami has launched Star Wars Force Collection, a card battle game using properties from the popular franchise. The game allows players to collect cards of characters and vehicles from the entire film saga, as well as the ability to power up their cards and the ability to participate in random events to win premium rewards. The game also has a multiplayer component, allowing players to team up with each other in order to defeat enemies.

Build a team of formidable heroes and use treasured blueprints to create squads of starfighters as you fight for control of the galaxy!
Create the ultimate formation and challenge your rivals in highly strategic battles. Gain fame and climb the ranks in the Jedi Order.

The Star Wars franchise has launched various popular titles on Apple’s iOS platform, with a sequel to the successful Angry Birds Star Wars to be released on September 19. Star Wars Force Collection is a universal app that can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Video game publisher 2K and studio Lucid Games, the company formed by prior developers of console games such as Blur and Project Gotham Racing, have released 2K Drive, a racing title exclusive for iOS.

Notably, the game includes all content up front upon purchase, including over 25 tracks, over 100 unique events, and over 25 licensed cars from automotive brands such as Dodge, Nissan, and McLaren in addition to original cars. 2K Drive also includes "RaceFace", a feature that allows characters to put their faces onto characters within the games and real life racing news within menus from publications such as AutoBlog and Car & Driver.

With a wide variety of racing modes for both single and multiplayer, 2K Drive promises a dynamic gaming experience for motorsports enthusiasts of all interest levels. Offering more than 100+ unique events on 25+ tracks in five environments, 2K Drive provides mobile gamers with the chance to get behind the wheel of more than 25 licensed cars, from manufacturers including Dodge, Fiat, Ford, GM, Icon, Local Motors, Mazda, McLaren, Nissan and So-Cal. And by using the “RaceFace” function, players can put their own face on their driver’s, as well as see their friends behind the wheels of their cars when playing in asynchronous multiplayer.

The title was formally announced last month after Lucid Games originally teased the project in May on Facebook. 2K Drive is $6.99 and is available now in the App Store. [Direct Link]

Electronics manufacturer Philips has announced (via Engadget) the M1X-DJ system, an iOS-centric DJ controller with various features including compatibility with both the iPhone and iPad via Lightning connector, a compact mixer, and onboard turntables. The system also supports streaming via Bluetooth, a shoulder strap, and support for Algoriddim’s popular music-mixing app Djay 2.

The Philips M1X-DJ System includes speakers that output an impressive 80-Watts of sound. Optimized for iPad® and compatible with the iPhone 5®, the system includes an Apple ‘Lightning’ connector and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. Using the djay 2 app, you can switch between tracks on your playlist or mix tracks together for a sound that is truly your own. The integrated DJ controller allows you to mix and scratch your music using two professional grade platters, cross faders and controls – just like a professional DJ would use.

Last week, Pioneer announced the “DDJ-WeGO2”, a iOS-centric DJ controller with similar features including jog wheels and an onboard mixing console. The Philips M1X-DJ will be released in November for €399 ($526).