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

Orbotix, the company behind the smartphone-controlled robotic ball Sphero, today announced its next-generation toy, the Sphero 2B. Unlike the original Sphero, which was spherical in shape, the Sphero 2B features a rugged, tubular two-wheel design. According to Orbotix, the Sphero 2B is able to move up to 14 feet a second, making it twice as fast as the Sphero 2.0, which debuted in August 2013. ...

Withings, the company behind the Smart Activity Tracker and the Smart Body Analyzer is showing off its newest health monitoring device, the Aura Smart Sleep System. Aura, which consists of a bedside device with an ambient light, a sleep sensor, and an app, is designed to monitor and improve the sleeping experience. The system's bedside device records information like noise pollution, room...

Credit card processing company Square and accessory manufacturer Griffin today announced the Merchant Case + Square Reader, a specialized case that integrates itself with the popular mobile card payment system for added convenience. The case itself is made from a non-slip silicone material, and provides a custom fit to the included Square Reader. The card reader can also detach itself from...

LaCie today announced the Fuel, a wireless hard drive designed to work with the iPad, the iPhone, and Mac computers. With 1TB of storage, the Fuel is able to wirelessly stream to any Apple device, serving as a portable storage unit for extensive media libraries. Fuel, which does not require an internet connection, functions as a Wi-Fi hotspot able to stream HD content to up to three devices at ...

Fox Sports has announced that it will stream all its NFC playoff games and the Super Bowl online, though only the Super Bowl will be available to iOS users through the Fox Sports Go app. Fox's playoff games do not appear to be available for streaming via the iOS app.However, though the Super Bowl -- along with CBS' AFC playoff coverage -- will be viewable by all viewers without requiring any...

Yahoo has updated its Yahoo Sports app with a new feature called Loops, which allows users to create GIFs from footage from any of the four major sports leagues in America (the NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA). Loops provide a new way for sports fans to easily capture, transform and share their favorite sports moments, right away or later on. Think of Loop as an animated GIF, with captions, effects and...

Following the December release of the evasi0n jailbreak for iOS 7 devices, several new jailbreak tweaks for the iPhone 5s are in the works, including a newly updated version of AppLocker that is designed to take advantage of the Touch ID sensor of the iPhone 5s. AppLocker is a tweak that has existed for some time, allowing users to lock individual apps with a password. With iOS 7 and an iPhone ...

BlackBerry today announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Typo Products, a company that developed a BlackBerry-esque keyboard case for the iPhone designed to allow users to type with physical keys. The Typo Keyboard on an iPhone next to the BlackBerry Q10 First announced in December of 2013, the Typo iPhone Keyboard Case was created by Laurence Hallier and media personality Ryan Seacrest ...

Anki Drive, the iOS-controlled AI-based racing game that first debuted at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, got a major app update today, adding new weapons, support items, and a new upgrade system. Following the update, there are a total of 20 upgrades that can be used to customize cars, in categories like Combat, Chassis, Engine, and Energy Systems. The Anki Cars, which are largely...

Readdle's popular document scanning app Scanner Pro has been named Apple's app of the Week, and as a result, it is available for free for the first time since its initial 2011 release. Scanner Pro is one of the most highly rated scanning apps in the App Store and is designed to turn the iPhone or the iPad into a portable scanner for documents, receipts, notes, photos, and more. The app removes ...

CBS announced today that it will stream its full slate of NFL playoff games to PCs and tablets for the first time, beginning with a wildcard game this weekend.The coverage will include all the network's AFC playoff games including one wildcard game, plus its coverage of the divisional and championship rounds.The network will carry Sunday's Chargers v. Bengals tilt at 1:05PM EST, plus both...

According to a new report from App Store analytics firm Distimo (via The Next Web), Apple's App Store once again experienced a great spike in interest on Christmas day, with revenue increasing by 56 percent and the number of total downloads rising by 53 percent. The firm tied the increase in downloads and revenue to interest from Western countries on Christmas day, and also credits developers ...

After three-and-a-half months on the market, iOS 7 is installed on some 78 percent of devices connecting to the App Store, according to the latest numbers posted on Apple's App Store support page for developers. The company puts iOS 6 adoption at 18 percent, and older OS versions at 4 percent. The data from Apple is likely the most accurate adoption data we will see and is the most relevant for ...

Fitbit, the fitness company behind the Fitbit line of wearable activity tracking devices, today updated its Fitbit iPhone app with a new "MobileTrack" feature, which is designed to offer iPhone 5s users standard Fitbit activity tracking without the need for one of the company's fitness bands. To track movement and activity, the revamped Fitbit app uses Apple's "M7" motion coprocessor. First...

Apple and Samsung have reportedly resumed settlement negotiations over their ongoing patent-infringement dispute, according to The Korea Times. A source from the Korean Fair Trade Commission (FTC) told the newspaper that the two companies are in "working level discussion" about a potential deal, adding that Apple and Samsung are attempting to narrow differences over royalty payments. Samsung ...

Mobile trade organization CTIA has launched Know My App, a website dedicated to informing consumers about the impact that specific apps have on data usage, reports PCWorld. The group notes that while tools have been available to measure an app's post-installation impact on data usage, the new website is the first to measure data usage before a download. Currently, the site allows users to...

Apple has officially started giving away free downloads on its "12 Days of Gifts" app for iOS devices, starting with an exclusive EP from Justin Timberlake made up of four live performances from the 2013 iTunes Festival. Before the official start of the giveaway, the app delivered a bonus song and video from New Zealand singer Lorde. Apple's "12 Days of Gifts" giveaways will run daily...

Apple has been fined 20 million New Taiwan dollars ($670,000) by the Taiwanese Fair Trade Commission after the company was found to be unlawfully influencing the price of the iPhone on the country's cell phone carriers, reports The Wall Street Journal. Under article 18 of Taiwan's Fair Trade Act, an enterprise is not allowed to decide the prices of their goods after handing them over to a...