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

Opera today announced the launch of a brand new privacy-focused app, called Opera VPN, which allows users to block ads and even change their virtual location to circumvent restricted internet access (via TechCrunch) In addition to these features, Opera VPN will stop ad-tracking software from gaining information about your internet habits that create personalized advertisements within browsers...

Spotify today announced 12 new original series coming to the music streaming platform this summer and fall, which the company hopes will keep its users drawn into the service more often (via Bloomberg). The shows will surround music and pop culture in general and be "centered around three main themes – music performances, music profiles and music culture," with episodes lasting up to...

Although Drake's newest album "Views" was only available on iTunes and Apple Music for one week, under the terms of the company's exclusivity deal with the artist, the album managed to sell more than one million copies in just five days, which The Wall Street Journal calls "a rare achievement in an age of rapid streaming growth and declining sales of downloads and CDs." Most of those sales...

Apple Maps has recently been updated with the introduction of all new Transit information for the city of Sacramento, California, which will let iPhone users in the city navigate using public transportation options like buses, subways, commuter rails, and more. Transit routing became available within iOS 9 with a limited number of supported cities at launch. Since then, Apple has worked at...

Microsoft has updated its OneDrive app for iOS with new 'Peek' and 'Pop' support for owners with 3D Touch-enabled devices. The 7.1 update to the cloud storage app means iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users can now get instant previews of file and folder contents using a lighter press, while a deeper press 'pops' open the uploaded content. Other changes to OneDrive include a new-look interface and ...

A unified, Apple-designed HomeKit app has been desired by HomeKit users since HomeKit first debuted, and it appears Apple is planning to introduce such an app in the near future, perhaps in iOS 10. The hint on Apple's HomeKit plans comes from an Amazon reviewer who works in the marketing department at Apple. The name of the reviewer coincides with the LinkedIn profile of an alleged marketing...

Popular third-party Twitter client Tweetbot was updated to version 4.3 today, adding a new "Topics" feature that's designed to link multiple related Tweets together in a cohesive way. Tweetbot's Topics function is built around the Twitter feature that links Twitter conversations, something that clever Twitter users have utilized for "Tweetstorms." Twitter has no built-in tool for handling...

For today's giveaway, we've teamed up with Ultimate Ears to give MacRumors readers a chance to win a limited edition UE Boom 2 Bluetooth speaker. Called "Lost Time," the speaker has a colorful, abstract design that was created by Australian artist Reka. Available for $199.99, the same price as all of the UE Boom 2 speakers, the Lost Time version is available in limited quantities. Ultimate...

Although a number of social networks have introduced scaled-down apps for the Apple Watch, the biggest holdout thus far has been Facebook. Thanks to a third party app called "Littlebook," Facebook users will now be able to browse their news feeds right from Apple's wearable device (via The Next Web). In addition to basic browsing, Littlebook lets users interact with posts by tapping to like...

Pocket, a popular iOS app that allows users to save, discover, and recommend stories to read later, has been updated this week with the ability to like and repost recommendations from other people they follow. The new Like and Repost actions can be found next to the Save action within the Recommendations feed on Pocket version 6.3.0 or later. Pocket users can find out when someone Likes...

Once-banned iOS widget app Launcher received its first major update yesterday, more than a year after its return to the App Store. Launcher was one of the first apps to take advantage of Notification Center widgets introduced in iOS 8 by letting users add shortcuts to apps and tasks, thereby avoiding the need to swipe through screens or perform a Spotlight Search. Apple originally...

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has begun to "tape out" the design for Apple's A11 processor built on a 10nm FinFET process, according to industry sources (via DigiTimes). Taping out refers to the initial design of the chip having been completed for creation of the masks that will be used to print the actual chips, although further tweaks are likely as test production is carried ...

Streaming company Netflix today introduced a new set of "cellular data controls" that will give its customers control over the quality of video streaming on cellular networks so as to avoid overcharge fees with data-capped plans. The launch follows an admission of throttling video by Netflix earlier in March, when the company also confirmed the data saver feature would debut in May. According...

Apple recently updated its online storefront with the addition of a new "Accessibility" category, which is broken up into sections pertaining to the assistance of individuals with impairments related to vision, physical and motor skills, and learning and literacy (via Amvsement). There are 15 total products broken up into each of the three sections, with further sub-categories allowing users...

British luxury car maker Bentley has released an Apple Watch app that treats Bentayga SUV passengers to a bevy of car functions not seen before on a smartwatch. The app uses "bespoke digital architecture" that synchronizes with the vehicle's Touch Screen Remote (TSR) system, enabling passengers to access in-car climate control and entertainment systems, including the ability to adjust the...

Live video streaming iOS app Periscope has gained a new feature that lets users save their broadcasts forever. Users of the Twitter-owned app are now able to permanently save replays of their videos simply by including the hashtag #save in the title, with the option remaining to delete the broadcast at a later time. The new feature puts it on a level footing with Facebook Live, which touts the ...

Apple no longer has the exclusive rights to the "iPhone" trademark in China after the Beijing Municipal High People’s Court ruled in favor of leather goods manufacturer Xintong Tiandi Technology earlier in March. As reported by Legal Daily [Google Translate], the decision will let the Beijing company continue to sell leather bags and cases with the brand name "IPHONE" on each cover without fear...

As a few users have noticed over the past day, Spotify has begun rolling out a small but significant design change to its iOS app that does away with the hamburger menu and replaces it with an easier-to-understand navigation bar across the bottom of the experience. The new bar more closely resembles the rest of the apps in Apple's ecosystem, particularly the navigation menu on its own streaming...