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

Apple is set to change its pricing from U.S. dollars to local currencies for apps and in-app purchases in nine different countries later this month. Beginning in the next few weeks, developers will be paid in the local currency for sales in the following countries: Egypt (Egyptian Pound), Kazakhstan (Kazakhstani Tenge), Malaysia (Malaysian Ringgit), Nigeria (Nigerian Naira), Pakistan...

A former senior Foxconn manager was recently indicted for stealing 5,700 iPhones in China to pocket around $1.56 million. Factoring in his accomplices, the entire scheme made $2.2 million between 2013 and 2014 by stealing only the iPhones which were supposed to be scrapped on the manufacturing line, and selling them to various shops in China, according to a report by Asia One (via Business Insider...

Analysts at financial firm Oppenheimer today added to the pile of criticisms aimed at Apple and its current, and future, state of innovation within the technology industry. In a recently published note (via Business Insider), the firm addressed a few "strategic issues" it currently has with Apple, as well as concern for the future trajectory of the company. In the near-future, Oppenheimer...

Google issued an update to its YouTube app for iOS this week that adds a progress bar to the thumbnails of previously watched videos, allowing users to resume playback from where they left off. Ever have trouble remembering if you've seen a video or how far you made it through the video? We have added a progress bar to all previously watched thumbnails that lets you know how far you made it...

ZENS recently debuted its latest product, an iPhone/Apple Watch Power Bank that has a built-in Apple Watch charging puck and a USB port, allowing you to charge all of your devices at once. Priced at €69.99 (or $78.00) the 4,000 mAh ZENS Power Bank is about the size and shape of a chocolate bar, though perhaps a bit wider. Because it's neither short nor particularly flat, it doesn't fit well...

Apple has reduced its orders for the iPhone 7 with suppliers, following the initial sales influx within the first month of the device's launch this past September. Supply chain sources speaking with Digitimes pointed towards strong demand for the Jet Black iPhone 7 and Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 issues as catalysts for the initial shipping momentum, but both factors have now trailed off in producing ...

Popular iOS game Tiny Wings has launched today on the fourth-generation Apple TV for $2.99. The launch was teased by the game's creator on YouTube earlier in the week, with a video that showcased the game, now called "Tiny Wings TV," and its split-screen multiplayer abilities. Two players can play the game together on one Siri Remote, or with a combination of a Siri Remote and an Apple...

HSBC has announced it now accepts Apple Pay in Singapore as of December 1. Visa and MasterCard credit cards issued by the bank can now be used with Apple Pay wherever contactless payments are accepted in the country. Between now and January 15, 2017, the first 8,000 HSBC customers will receive $5 off every Apple Pay transaction with their HSBC credit cards, with a minimum spend of $10 per...

YouTube has announced it now supports 4K live streaming at 60 frames per second, enabling content creators to live broadcast both 360-degree and standard video in the high resolution standard. Viewers with screens equipped to take advantage of the resolution shouldn't have to wait long to tune in to regularly streamed 4K broadcasts. YouTube said the first event to be live streamed in 4K will...

Two days after the initial announcement, AT&T's new streaming television service DirecTV Now has officially launched on the iOS and Apple TV App Stores as a free initial download. [Direct Link] The service will allow customers to stream and subscribe to various channel bundles that range in price from $35 to $70, "with no commitments, no equipment, and no installers." Specifically, the bundles ...

Netflix this morning announced that offline viewing of its shows is now available to users around the world on the service's mobile app. The launch follows reports from over the summer that offline viewing would be coming to Netflix "by the end of the year." Now, users will be able to click a "download" button next to each episode in preparation for the times they won't be connected to the...

Schools in the U.K. should reduce the use of iPads during lessons because some children are using them to bully and harass others, according to a government minister (via The Telegraph). Edward Timpson, the Minister for Children and Families, claimed a number of schools were letting children spend too much time using iPads and said that headteachers should use their powers to confiscate them...

Apple Music global marketing executive Bozoma Saint John gave a brief interview at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit on Tuesday where she spoke about how self-confidence was crucial in her rise to prominence at Cupertino. Known as "Boz" to her friends, Saint John joined the Apple team when the company acquired Beats Music in 2014. After her fun and memorable on-stage demonstration of the...

Sony has released a new PlayStation Communities iOS app that allows players to interact with fellow PS4 gamers from their Apple phones and tablets. The app works much like a forum portal: Players using the app can search for, join, and interact with groups, where they can post messages and images on a community wall. Members can stick to chatting about gaming or join groups to set up...

Yahoo recently debuted Yahoo Answers Now, a native app version of its popular Q&A site. The app has secretly been in the App Store for months under a different name, according to TechCrunch. The app allows Yahoo Answers users to post and answer questions on the go. They'll also be able to more easily craft rich media responses to questions and get matched up with questions they might be...

Philips today updated its Hue app, used to control its line of Philips Hue lights, to version 2.6.0. The update adds long-awaited support for the iPad, allowing iPad users to access their lights from an iPad-optimized app for the first time. The iPad version of the Philips Hue app features the same general design and controls that were introduced when Philips revamped the Hue app back in...

Apple has advised developers to make sure their apps are up to date by Thursday, December 22, as new apps and app updates will not be accepted between Friday, December 23 and Tuesday, December 27. Apple says any planned app releases during this holiday period should be submitted, approved, and scheduled in advance. Other iTunes Connect and developer account features will remain available...

Apple has enabled carrier billing in Belgium and Norway, expanding upon the feature's existing availability in Germany, Japan, Russia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The feature is limited to select carriers in each country — share if yours is supported in the comments. The payment method enables customers to pay for iTunes content, App Store apps, iBooks, ...