Apple pulling #1 Top Paid sticker pack over faked iMessage bubbles, clarifies no prank apps allowed
In the first high-profile iMessage App Store rejection we’ve seen, the developer of the Phoneys sticker pack says Apple has reached out with bad news: the company will pull the app in a week if it is not significantly changed. Phoneys (currently) features stickers that look like iMessage bubbles, effectively allowing users to replace messages from their friends with some funny alternative text.
The app hit #1 Top Paid in the iMessage App Store. Despite getting approved initially, Apple says that the store does not accept “prank apps” and the current form of the stickers violate Apple trademarks …
Filed under: Apple
9to5Toys Lunch Break: SanDisk 32GB Lightning Flash Drive $35, 27″ Retina 5K iMac $1,600, iPhone 7 Slickwraps 35% off, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:
Best Buy’s 2-day sale is packed w/ tech deals: SanDisk Lightning Flash Drive $35, more
Apple 27-inch Retina 5K iMac 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB $1,600 (Reg. $1,799)
Show off your new iPhone 7/Plus with a Slickwraps protective skin, exclusive 35% discount now live
Get Anker’s new Self-Docking Eufy RoboVac 20 for $249 (Reg. $299) + deals on Eufy Air humidifier & desk lamps
- Eufy RoboVac 20 $249 w/ promo code eufy2101 (Reg. $299)
- Eufy Humos Air $49 w/ promo code eufy3140 (Reg. $59)
- Eufy Lumos A3 $45 w/ promo code eufy1102 (Reg. $54)
- Eufy Lumos A4 $34 w/ promo code eufy1107 (Reg. $40)
Give your new iPhone 7/Plus some added coverage: cases from $5 and 3-pack screen protectors $4
These minimalist iPhone 7/Plus cases will protect without overshadowing Apple’s design for $4.50 Prime shipped
Roundup: The best ultra-thin iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus cases
App Store Free App of the Week: Flowing Meditation & Mindfulness goes free for the first time (Reg. $3+)
True Skate: one of the best skate sims for iPhone/iPad just went free (Reg. $2)
Keyboard Maestro for Mac: $20 (Reg. $36)
Apple Store app is your key to the award-winning iOS game INKS for free
The Best Console Game Releases for September: BioShock Collection, NBA 2K17, and more
Review: This is Ground’s Mod 3 carries your iPad and accessories in a luxurious leather wrapping [Video]
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
Smartphone Accessories: Aukey Quick Charge 3.0 10-Port USB Charging Station $34 (Reg. $39), more
- Games/Apps: Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 Deluxe $40, iOS freebies, more
- DJI Phantom 3 Professional 4K Drone bundled w/ extra battery & backpack: $899
- MyDigital 512GB USB 3.0 External Solid-State Drive $115 (Reg. $170)
- Daily Deals: Samsung Galaxy S5 Active 16GB (Refurb) $150, Beats by Dr. Dre Urbeats $35, more
- Rubbermaid 2-pc FreshWorks Set: $12 Prime shipped (Reg. $20+)
- Amazon’s Gold Box has everything to reload your kitchen: T-fal 13-piece Set $120, more
- Score a free Kindle download + Audible Narration of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- The Aroma Smart XL 4-Quart Digital Deep Fryer just hit its all-time low: $32.50 (Reg. $60)
- Dyson’s sleek AM08 Multiplier Pedestal Fan (cert. refurb) is on sale for $150 in today’s Gold Box
MORE DEALS STILL LIVE:
Jaybird’s Freedom Bluetooth Earbuds are a perfect match for iPhone 7: $150 shipped (Reg. $200)
Amazon has a pair of top-rated monitors on sale: Dell 29-inch Widescreen $291 (Reg. $350), LG 27-inch 4K $396 (Reg. $450)
Magazine bundles w/ titles as low as $3.50/yr: Wired, GQ, Rolling Stone, Men’s Health, ESPN, Dwell, many more
Filed under: Apple
Apple’s spaceship glows to life at Campus 2 in latest drone flyovers
Quick Look: Tile Slim – a thinner version of the handy Bluetooth tracker
If you often find yourself misplacing your wallet or other valuable items around the house, then the Tile Slim ($29.99) may be worth your consideration. The Tile Slim, like the original Tile, is a Bluetooth tracker that allows you to quickly hone in on items within your general vicinity.
The Tile Slim’s thinner form factor makes it much more practical for tight spaces such as wallets or portfolios. Check out our brief hands-on video inside to see how it compares to the original Tile. more…
Filed under: Apple
iPhone 7 hitting South Africa on Oct 14, then Samsung’s home market on Oct 21
Apple Premium Reseller iStore has tweeted that the iPhone 7 is coming to South Africa on October 14, with the information confirmed on its website, above. ET News is also reporting that Apple’s new iPhone is expected to be launched in Samsung’s home market of South Korea a week later, on October 21 – though it notes that this is not yet certain.
Through discussion that took place [yesterday], Apple Korea and three mobile network providers have decided to release the iPhone 7 on the 21st of October, based on final approval from Apple Headquarters.
Apple products are currently sold in South Korea only by third parties, but it appears that Apple has plans to take on Samsung directly on its home turf …
Filed under: Apple
Apple Pay reportedly coming to Taiwan’s four big banks as soon as this year
A brief Digitimes report suggests that Taiwan is one of the next countries in line to get Apple Pay, possibly by the end of the year.
Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission has started accepting applications from banks for providing Apple Pay mobile payment services and Taiwan users will be able to apply for using Apply Pay at the end of 2016 at the earliest.
Four banks are expected to support the service …
Filed under: Apple
Here are the top 9 reasons people upgraded to the iPhone 7 …
Black hat security company increases bounty to $1.5M as iOS 10 ‘much harder to exploit’
Black hat security company Zerodium – which seeks to find vulnerabilities in iOS and Android to sell to corporate and government clients – has increased its maximum bounty for zero-day iOS 10 exploits to $1.5M. It previously offered $1M for iOS 9 vulnerabilities.
A zero-day vulnerability is one not yet known to the developer, so companies have zero days to prepare for exploits. The company’s founder told Arstechnica that the increased reward reflected the improved security in the latest version of iOS. He also explained why the company pays far more for iOS vulnerabilities than Android ones …
Filed under: Apple
Unhappy customer smashes tens of thousands of dollars of kit in French Apple Store [Videos]
French media has posted multiple videos of a man in an Apple Store in Dijon, France, smashing tens of thousands of dollars worth of iPhones and Macs. He removed display products from their stands, placed them flat on the tables and then smashed them with a heavy steel ball used for the popular French game of Boules.
Filed under: Apple
Apple negotiating with Sharp to supply OLED displays for next-generation ‘iPhone 8’ in 2017
Apple currently uses LCD display technology for all of its iPhones but this appears to be changing next year with the rumored radically-new iPhone in 2017, following the iPhone 7’s smaller, iterative, design changes. Many reports have said that the next-generation iPhones, dubbed ‘iPhone 8’, will feature OLED displays for the first time. More indicators for this has come to light today with Bloomberg reporting that Apple is negotiating with Sharp to produce OLED panels for its phones.
Filed under: Apple