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

Dick's Sporting Goods has discounted the aluminum Apple Watch Nike+ Series 2 by about 33 percent today, marking a notably low price point for the second-generation device ahead of Black Friday. The deal is part of the retailer's holiday flash sale, with 38mm aluminum cases priced at $243.98 while 42mm aluminum cases are at $273.98. There were non-Nike+ models on sale, but most have now gone out...

Apple today sent out an Apple Pay email to customers, highlighting a Postmates deal. If you use Apple Pay to sign up for the Postmates Unlimited service, you can get free delivery through the end of the year on all orders over $20 without paying the $9.99 per month fee. Postmates Unlimited is a subscription service that allows customers to get free delivery from any merchant in their city on...

Apple today published a new entry in its online Machine Learning Journal, this time covering an on-device deep neural network for face detection, aka the technology that's used to power the facial recognition feature used in Photos and other apps. Facial detection features were first introduced as part of iOS 10 in the Core Image framework, and it was used on-device to detect faces in photos...

Vimeo today announced that support for high dynamic range (HDR) videos has officially arrived across the company's entire suite of apps for the iPhone X, 2017 iPad Pro models, and Apple TV 4K. Vimeo said this means it's "the only video-hosting platform available in HDR" on Apple's platforms right now. This might be a reference to YouTube, which has been notably absent from including 4K video on...

iHome today launched the iSP100, a smart plug for controlling outdoor lights, decorations, and small appliances with up to 1,800 watts of power. The three-pin Type B smart plug works with a GFI-enabled outdoor 120V power supply and has a rugged design that is able to withstand the elements of weather. Like iHome's indoor smart plugs, the iSP100 is compatible with Apple's HomeKit platform,...

Beats By Dre today unveiled an all-new black-and-yellow version of the Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones, which will be exclusive to Third Man Records. The Third Man Records Limited Edition headphones will cost $329.50 -- which is $30 more expensive than other Solo3 headphones sold by Apple -- and officially go on sale Friday, November 24. The limited edition #ThirdManBeats #Solo3Wireless are ...

An announced update to Google Maps on Thursday brought a partial redesign that aims to make it quicker and easier for users to find places depending on their usage. As part of the change, Google Maps will now only highlight points of interest that might be relevant depending on what kind of map is selected (driving, navigation, transit, and so on). For example, gas stations will now show up ...

Lifx today introduced a new HomeKit-enabled Lifx Z Starter Kit that includes two 3.3-foot light strips and a power pack for $89.99. The new Lifx Z setup is similar to the previous version, but it adds HomeKit support. The light strips offer 1400 lumens per two meters and can be set to 16 million colors. Multiple shades of white are also available, as is dimming functionality. Lifx light...

AT&T appears to be experiencing some kind of outage, and many AT&T customers across the United States are unable to make and answer phone calls. There are numerous reports of issues on Twitter, and MacRumors has also been unable to place calls on an iPhone associated with AT&T. The problem appears to have begun at least 30 minutes ago. Customers affected by the problem who attempt to make a ...

Belkin today announced the launch of a new 36W USB-C car charger, which is able to provide fast charging capabilities for the iPhone X, the iPhone 8, and the iPhone 8 Plus. All three of those devices support a fast charging feature that allows them to be charged to 50 percent battery life in 30 minutes. Priced at $29.99, Belkin's new car charger accessory does not include a USB-C to...

Sprint and Hulu today announced a partnership that will bundle the Limited Commercials tier of the streaming TV service into Sprint's Unlimited Freedom cellular plan. This means that new and existing Sprint customers who sign up for Unlimited Freedom beginning Friday, November 17 will be able to watch Hulu with Limited Commercials at no extra cost. In addition, the companies said that sometime ...

DJI today announced that its popular Mavic Pro drone is now available in a limited edition "Alpine White" combo exclusively through Apple. The combo includes the drone, a remote controller, two extra batteries, two additional pairs of propellers, and an aircraft sleeve—all in a matching "Alpine White" color—for $1,049.95 in the United States. DJI's Mavic Pro, which launched last year in a ...

Steven Soderbergh, the director currently experimenting with smartphone technology in the television show "Mosaic," has now unveiled his next feature film "Unsane," which was shot entirely on an iPhone. Soderbergh kept the project secret during filming so it's unclear which iPhone he used, but the film began making waves over the summer as news of its existence surfaced, suggesting it was filmed...

Encrypted messenger app Telegram received an update today that brings additional features and enhancements to the platform, including media albums, saved messages, and an improved search function. Starting with Telegram 4.5, whenever users send multiple photos or videos they will be grouped into albums. Each album can include up to 10 photos or videos, which are displayed in chat threads as...

AT&T this week announced that it plans to launch its "5G Evolution" network in parts of Minneapolis over the next few months, intending to provide next-generation cellular coverage to customers at Super Bowl LII. AT&T didn't mention which specific areas of Minneapolis would be covered by February 4, 2018, but confirmed "areas near the host stadium" will have 5G at the time. Minneapolis is the...

Nokia has announced that its Steel HR hybrid smartwatch will ship in time for the holiday season, almost a year after it was supposed to launch under the Withings moniker. The watch was first announced in September 2016, but its scheduled launch the following month never happened as Nokia began negotiating its takeover of Withings, which was eventually finalized in June. Shortly...

Apple has agreed to help the Indian government develop an anti-spam app for iOS devices, after initially refusing to do so because of privacy concerns, according to Reuters. In early September we reported that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) attempted to get its Do Not Disturb (DND) software on the App Store. The app lets users share spam call and text message logs with the...

Augmented reality gaming company Reach Robotics today announced that its MekaMon gaming robot is coming to Apple Stores throughout the US and UK starting on November 16. Priced at $299.99, MekaMon is a real-life robot that melds real-world gameplay with augmented reality. MekaMon, a four-legged spider-shaped robot that measures in at 11.8in x 11.8in x 5.9in, is designed to let players battle ...