Jony Ive will give a rare look into Apple’s secret design studio in Cupertino this coming Sunday, December 20th. Ive will lead Charlie Rose through the secret design study for his popular show 60 Minutes on CBS. In addition to a tour of the design lab, Rose will also get a “first look at Apple’s store of the future” from retail chief Angela Ahrendts.

The news was revealed in a pair of tweets from the 60 Minutes Twitter account tonight, both of which included a teaser image. In one image, Ive can be seen showing Rose a portion of his secret design lab in Cupertino. In the other, Ahrendts can be seen leading Rose into an unidentified Apple Store.

This isn’t the first time Charlie Rose has landed an interview with notable Apple executives. In 2013, Rose sat down with Jony Ive and Marc Newson to discuss Apple’s partnership with RED, as well as other details about the design process at Apple. Last year, Tim Cook joined Charlie Rose to discuss Steve Jobs, Beats, Apple TV, and much more.

60 Minutes with Jony Ive and Angela Ahrendts airs this Sunday, December 20th, at 7:30PM ET & 7PM PT on CBS in the United States. The teaser tweets can be seen below:

.@CharlieRose goes inside Jonathan Ive’s secret design studio at Apple headquarters, Sunday on @60Minutes https://t.co/q1V6rI5yKi

—
60 Minutes (@60Minutes) December 17, 2015

.@CharlieRose gets a first look at Apple’s store of the future, Sunday on @60Minutes https://t.co/BdjygqqIdc

—
60 Minutes (@60Minutes) December 17, 2015

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: 60 Minutes, Angela Ahrendts, Charlie, interview, Jony Ive

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Apple today announced in a press release that it is brining Apple Pay to China. The company revealed that it is partnering with UnionPay in the country to bring support for its mobile payment solution to iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad users in the country.

In China, Apple Pay will support 15 of the country’s leading banks. At this point, however, it’s unclear what banks will be supported. In China, Apple Pay will work with the UnionPay Quickpass, which is an existing contactless payment method in the country. iOS users in China will be able to simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a UnionPay terminal at participating stores to activate Apple Pay.

“China UnionPay is dedicated to promoting payment innovations and providing secure, convenient mobile payment experiences for its hundreds of millions of cardholders, aligning multiple parties in the industry,” said Chai Hongfeng, executive vice president of China UnionPay. “We’re very excited to offer Apple Pay among a diverse set of innovative payment options that work with China UnionPay QuickPass.”

Apple says that the partnership with UnionPay allows for a secure and vast rollout in China. The rollout will commence “as early as 2016,” following the completion of tests and certification required by the Chinese government.

Apple Pay has been a long time coming for China. A report last month claimed Apple was hoping to launch the service in the country by February of 2016, while earlier this year the company invested $13 million into bringing it to China.

Filed under: iOS Devices

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We’ve received word that starting tomorrow Best Buy is going be offering the 16GB iPhone 6s, normally $199 on-contract (and often on sale for $99), for just $1. Head below for details… 

The deal is good for the device on the usual two year agreement through either Sprint and Verizon. And to sweeten the deal for upgraders, Best Buy will throw in a gift card up to $200 if you trade in your iPhone 5 when making the purchase.

Best Buy currently has the iPhone 6s in all color options— Silver, Gold, Space Gray, and Rose Gold— for both Sprint and Verizon online. It’s on sale for $99 for Verizon and available for the regular price of $199 for Sprint right now, but the price drop to $1 will kick in officially sometime tomorrow.

Bookmark Best Buy’s iPhone 6s page or check in-store tomorrow for the deal.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: 1, 16GB, Best Buy, code, deal, discount, iPhone 6s, on contract, promo, Sprint, Verizon

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Earlier today, Apple announced some of the most wide-ranging changes it has made at the senior executive level since iOS chief Scott Forstall was ousted and replaced in late 2012. Senior VP of Operations Jeff Williams was promoted to COO (Chief Operating Officer), Johnny Srouji was elevated from VP to Senior VP of Hardware Technologies, Senior VP of Marketing Phil Schiller added App Store responsibilities, and Tor Myhren is leaving the Grey Group to be VP of Marketing Communications at Apple, replacing Hiroki Asai. Let’s take a look at what each of these changes is likely to mean…

Jeff Williams – COO:

Of all the changes announced today, Jeff Williams’ promotion is essentially a no-brainer. Since former COO Tim Cook took over for Steve Jobs as CEO in 2011, Apple has not had a de facto COO, but Williams took over the majority of operations responsibilities and then some. With Cook serving in recent years as a representative of Apple, traveling all over the globe and managing more meetings and day-to-day business tasks, Williams has picked up additional responsibilities for Apple’s entire supply chain. This promotion is simply recognizing what Williams has already done for years. It also broadens his title, which makes sense given that he took over the Apple Watch engineering team after Bob Mansfield’s 2013 role reduction and led other medical-related efforts including ResearchKit.

The fact that Apple’s COO remains in charge of the company’s wearable and health efforts indicates that Apple has a pipeline of additional health-related products coming down the road. The Apple Watch 2 is already scheduled for debut in March, and as comments from Tim Cook indicate that Apple will not seek FDA approvals for the Apple Watch — but could do so for related accessories — it’s reasonable to expect health-related expansion in new bands and related apps.

Williams at last night’s Warriors game (in Eddy Cue’s seat?)

Looking even further down the road, Williams is likely instrumental in the development of the Apple Car. Building a car requires an entirely new supply chain for Apple that focuses on sourcing and manufacturing automotive parts, and Williams is certainly in charge of those tasks, as well as future distribution models. Williams’ stage time at Apple events has also been growing over the past year, so it makes sense to combine that with a title upgrade. The COO title likely comes with a significant pay raise and upgraded stock bonuses program that will lock Williams into Apple for many more years to come.

Lastly, naming Williams COO makes him the obvious choice in the eyes of investors as the successor to Tim Cook should a change to the CEO position have to occur in the near future. An unnamed Apple executive was quick to tell the WSJ this morning that more than just Williams would be capable of taking over for Cook, but I still believe a (small) portion of the title change was designed to reassure investors that Apple is doing emergency CEO succession planning.

Johny Srouji – Senior VP of Hardware Technologies:

Johny Srouji has led Apple’s chip efforts since the A4 with the iPad and iPhone 4 in 2010, and he, too, became an increasingly important player in the Apple food chain after Bob Mansfield’s role reduction over the past couple of years. Srouji first gained exposure on Apple’s website as a vice president last year, and he has been increasingly visible on the executive bench at Apple events over the last year or so. With the iPad Pro’s A9X and the increasingly visible transition to ARM Macs, Srouji is also more important than ever to Apple’s future.

His elevation to Senior VP does a few things, including a significant salary raise along with an upgraded stock options program. Naturally, Srouji has led one of the world’s largest and most successful chip making groups in the entire world by running Apple’s. There are plenty of other chip making companies that would instantly throw millions of dollars and a CEO title at Srouji if given the opportunity, and a pay raise along with a title promotion helps ensure that Srouji remains at Apple for the long haul.

Next, elevating Srouji to the senior team puts two engineering managers on the Apple executive board. Hardware is perhaps the most critical element of Apple’s business, as its development (in combination with supply chain management) directly feeds Apple’s profit machine. If Srouji or Dan Riccio, Apple’s general Hardware Engineering Senior VP, left the company, the company has a natural successor in place to take both groups back into one unit. Prior to the 2012 Apple executive changes, all Apple engineering matters were under one manager: Bob Mansfield.

Phil Schiller – App Store Additions:

Schiller, head of all marketing and product management efforts, is taking on new responsibilities related to the App Stores. What’s interesting is that these responsibilities appear to be coming out of Eddy Cue’s portfolio. A check on Cue’s official biography does indeed indicate a reduction in portfolio for the long-time executive. As of yesterday:

Eddy oversees Apple’s industry-leading content stores including the iTunes Store, the revolutionary App Store and the iBooks Store, as well as Apple Pay, Siri, Maps, iAd, Apple’s innovative iCloud services, and Apple’s productivity and creativity apps. Eddy’s team has an excellent track record of building and strengthening online services to meet and exceed the high expectations of Apple’s customers.

Here it is today:

Eddy oversees Apple’s industry-leading content stores including the iTunes Store and Apple Music, as well as Apple Pay, Siri, Maps, iAd, Apple’s innovative iCloud services, and Apple’s productivity and creativity apps. Eddy’s team has an excellent track record of building and strengthening online services to meet and exceed the high expectations of Apple’s customers.

No longer listed: the App Store and the iBooks Store. Recently, many developers have publicly voiced their dissatisfaction with the App Store (long iOS review times, Mac App Store being neglected, lack of features in the Apple TV store), so it makes sense for Apple to put an executive, one already in the public eye, out in front of these issues. Schiller previously ran developer relations as well, so combining all of these together makes sense. The surprising part here is that the removal of the App Store from Cue’s bio page could indicate that the App Store technology and development team might be under Schiller’s direction as well. What about the iBooks Store — is that under Schiller too now? Or is Apple now considering iBooks to be part of its suite of productivity apps?

Given what’s been going on with Apple Music, as well as repeatedly stalled negotiations for Apple TV-related services, it looks like Eddy Cue has had too much on his plate, and moving App Store responsibilities over to Schiller could be a wise shift.

Tor Myhren – VP of Marketing Communications:

The last significant change announced today is that Grey Group’s Tor Myhren is joining Apple in 2016. Here are his responsibilities at Apple, per the press release:

Tor Myhren joins Apple from Grey Group, where he has served as chief creative officer and president of Grey New York. Under his leadership, Grey was named Adweek’s Global Agency of the Year for both 2013 and 2015. As vice president of Marketing Communications at Apple, Tor will be responsible for Apple’s advertising efforts and will lead an award-winning team that spans a broad range of creative disciplines from video, motion graphics and interactive web design to packaging and retail store displays.

This puts Myhren in charge of Apple’s visual brand: everything you see on Apple billboards, packaging, website, and stores. But glossed over in most coverage is the last sentence in Apple’s announcement:

Tor will succeed Hiroki Asai, who earlier announced plans to retire after 18 years in graphic design and marketing communications roles at Apple.

While Apple says Asai “earlier announced plans” to retire, I couldn’t find any public indication of this “announcement” prior to today. He may well have announced it internally months ago, however. Asai leaving Apple is very significant: he worked at Apple for 18 years and was “known as a silent force who understood what Jobs thought about the Apple brand,” according to Inside Apple author Adam Lashinsky. A colleague also told Lashinsky that Asai “knew how to channel Steve.” Alongside Steve Jobs, Phil Schiller, and Jony Ive, Asai was also critical in advertising meetings, according to Insanely Simple author Ken Segall. Asai gained even more importance across 2014 when he, alongside Schiller, took charge of moving portions of Apple’s advertising operations from Media Arts Lab into Apple’s internal structure. With those facts combined, Asai’s retirement is significant, but Myhren’s resume puts him in a good position to be a worthwhile successor. As Adweek notes, Myhren tripled Grey’s awards at the Cannes Lions Festival, and earned Grand Prix awards for automotive and audio service ad campaigns.

Top Screenshot via DroidLife, Schiller via DesignoMatt, Asai/Jobs image via Business Insider.

Filed under: AAPL Company, Opinion

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Rockstar Games announced today that it’s bringing Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, the ninth game in the series originally in 2005, to iOS users.

You’ll find the full game packed into the iOS version for iPhone and iPad, which Rockstar notes in its press release was “originally designed with mobile gameplay in mind” for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). But you’ll also find some new features including some that take advantage of the iPhone and iPad’s touch display, iOS specific features like 3D Touch, and the larger iPad Pro:

• New high resolution textures and character art
• Real time lighting and shadows
• 60 FPS gameplay on iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus & iPad Pro
• Enhanced draw distance
• Rebalanced controls for touch-based gaming
• Cross-platform cloud saves via the Rockstar Social Club
• 3D Touch support for multiple control options
• Custom soundtrack support*
• Physical controller support
• Native retina screen support including the iPad Pro

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is available on the App Store now for iPhone and iPad for $6.99. It’s officially supported on the following devices: iPhone 5 & 6 Series, iPod touch 6th gen, iPad 4th gen, iPad Air/Air 2, iPad mini 2/3/4, and iPad Pro.

Another notable game release for iOS users today: Frogmind released the brand new BADLAND 2 for iOS and dropped the popular original game down to $3 (Reg. $5).

Filed under: Apps Tagged: App Store, Grand Theft Auto, iOS, iPad, iPhone, liberty city stories, Rockstar Games, update

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From 9to5Toys.com:

Many of you have likely played former Apple Game of the Year winner BADLAND. Well, the very highly rated, puzzle-platformer (flyer?) is now getting its first official sequel courtesy of developer Frogmind.

More details and gameplay footage below:

It looks like we will be getting more of what what we loved about the original including levels that scroll in both directions, online challenges, a full single player campaign and an all-new death dealing array of traps and hazards to avoid. Judging by the 4+ star rating from over 20,000 gamers on the original, it’s hard to imagine the sequel not being just as good.

As you may have noticed in this morning’s games/app roundup, the original has gone on sale to celebrate the release of the sequel.

BADLAND 2 is now available for download in the App Store for $4.99. Here is the release trailer:

You’ll find all of our best game deals across every platform in our daily roundups and the entire Infinity Blade Trilogy went on sale this morning. A bunch of MacPhun Mac apps are also on sale right now for as much as 40% off.

Witness the award-winning world of BADLAND in even more stunning beauty with levels that extend and scroll to all directions. Survive through new elements such as liquids, flamethrowers, frost, magma, water and volumetric burning light. Fall down deadly rifts, fly to any direction and race & jump along the surfaces as a rolling character on your way to safety.

Challenge your friends and strangers in constantly updating global online events. Race against their best performances and rise in the global rankings.

Features:

– A SINGLE PLAYER campaign with deviously imaginative levels

– Global ONLINE CHALLENGES

* Challenge your friends and others in asynchronous online events

– Intuitive two-touch controls combined with innovative level design

– Highly immersive audiovisual gaming experience – best enjoyed with headphones

– Universal app optimized for iPhones, iPods and iPads

– Game Center and iCloud support

* Progress synced between all linked iOS devices

– Achievements & online leaderboards

– 3D Touch support for iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus!

* Super precise flying using touch

* Quick actions added to home screen icon to quickly access single player and online

– More levels coming soon as free updates

* The original BADLAND is one of the most updated iOS games of all time

Filed under: Apps, Tips and Tricks Tagged: Apple Game of the Year, BADLAND, BADLAND 2, new iOS games

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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:

Amazon Gold Box – Logitech Accessories up to 60% off: Wireless Keyboards $19+, Mice $14+, Desktop speakers $8+, much more

Apple 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (newest version) 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB: $1,700 or $1,650 w/ .edu (Reg. $1,999)

Bowers & Wilkins recert: P3-P5 headsets $90-$140, AirPlay A5-A7 Speakers: $300-$500 shipped

Grab the entire Infinity Blade Trilogy on iOS for just $1 each ($20 value)

Gift Cards w/ Email Delivery: Sears $100 for $85, Cabela’s $50 for $40, Spotify $60 for $50, more

Apple Watch Sport $100 off at B&H Photo, prices start at $249 with tax only in NY

Best Buy’s latest Apple sale is your best chance to score iPad, Mac, & Watch deals before Christmas: iPad Air 2 $125 off, iPad Air $100 off, iPad mini 4 $100 off, much more!

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Games/Apps: Yoshi’s Woolly World $35, Xbox One bundles from $291, Wii U bundles from $250, freebies, more

Fashion: Amazon Gold Box – up to 75% off last minute gifts, Calvin Klein Fleece $41 (Reg. $90) + J.Crew Factory 70% off

• SONOS PLAY:1 Wireless Music System: $170 shipped (Reg. $199)
• Moto X (2015) 32GB Pure edition: $350 shipped ($50 off), more
• RAVPower 5-in-1 SD Card Reader, Battery Pack, Wireless Bridge $30 (Reg. $40)
• Daily Deals: Garmin vívofit 2 Fitness Band $59, SONY 32GB Handycam $300, more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

USB Chargers w/ Prime shipping: Imneed 10,000mah Slim power bank $12, Nylon Braided Lightning Cable $8, more

Anker USB Power Deals: Astro E7 26,800mAh Power Bank $40 (Reg. $60), Braided Nylon MFi Lightning Cables from $8, more

iPhone 6/s/Plus Accessories: Sport Armbands from $6, cases in a variety of colors/styles from $3 shipped, more

• Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker $99, QC25 Headphones $269
• Bluetooth Speakers: Inateck MercuryBox Aluminum $30, Aukey Rugged $15
• MacPhun Photo Editing apps for Mac 40% off: Intensify & Tonality $10 ea, more
• Toca Nature is now available for free on the App Store (Reg. $3)
• Nexus 6P 32GB Android Factory Unlocked Smartphone: $449 (Reg. $499)
• Sprint will give you a free HDTV when you open a new account/upgrade
• Networking: TP-LINK OnHub 802.11ac Router + Google Chromecast $179
• Buy a new Chromecast, receive a $20 Google Play credit plus more offers
• Google is offering a free $20 Best Buy Gift Card when you use Android Pay
• LG Optimus Exceed 2 (Verizon Prepaid) Android Smartphone $12 (Reg. $50+)
• Media: iTunes HD Movie $10 Sale, Blu-rays from $4, more
• Pencil by FiftyThree smart iPad stylus from $30 Prime shipped (Orig. $50)
• Get half off a replacement Apple MagSafe 2 Power Adapter: $40 (Orig. $79)
• Capture the action this Christmas with GoPro’s HERO+ LCD camera for $240 (Reg. $300)
• The Room for iOS goes free for the first time in two years (Reg. $1), more
• Download Josh Groban’s latest album Stages for free ($11 value)
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz free Kindle download and audiobook (Reg. $9+)
• Mophie iPhone 6/s Juice Pack Air: $75 (Reg. $100)
• Buy select movies from Google Play and get a second copy to gift to a friend for free
• 1-month free Marvel Unlimited comic subscription

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

The FLUXO Smart Lamp lets iOS and Android users paint their walls with light

Justin’s Holiday Gift Guide: speakers, Lightning mics, pocket synths & more to up your home recording set-up

Trevor’s Holiday Gift Guide: The perfect accessories for travel – backpacks, cord management, more

Dan’s Holiday Gift Guide: rare Apple collectibles & swag for the techie who has everything

Skip the holiday blues with these practical stocking stuffers

Top 10 holiday movies you can stream right now on Netflix

• YoCam tops GoPro’s tiny action camera in features, but does it matter?
• This limited edition Rolls Royce cocktail kit is a must see for car and James Bond fans alike
• LEGO Architecture teases upcoming Skyline series featuring the world’s most famous cities
• De’Longhi launches new PrimaDonna Elite coffeemaker w/ iOS connectivity
• Pine64 aims to knock off Raspberry Pi with its low-price 4K-capable microcomputer
• Amazon names the best-selling books of 2015, snag one as a surefire holiday gift

Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 9to5Toys Lunch Break

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Welcome to something new I’m trying out for 9to5Mac — a quick roundup of 5 interesting little things I’ve tested and discovered over the past week. These are all items that aren’t big enough for full articles, but are worth sharing with you anyway.

This week’s topics: real-world testing notes on the Apple Pencil’s battery, a quick look at Incipio’s new Octane watch band and case-style housing kit for Apple Watch, a way to score free Google Play and Spotify Premium credit, and thoughts on two apps — Algoriddim’s new djay Pro + Warner Bros.’ Scribblenauts Unlimited…

1. Apple Pencil. My colleague Zac Hall covered the Apple Pencil in a full review last month, and because we both love it, we’ve actively continued to use and talk about it for the last few weeks. While the Pencil’s charging pros and cons have been thoroughly discussed already, its real-world battery life has proved somewhat more difficult to quantify. Apple billed it as “12 hours,” and if you’re using it for 12 hours straight, that might be accurate. But both Zac and I have also noticed very significant power drops even when the Pencil’s not actively in use. It’s very common for me to see a 23-25% decline overnight when the Pencil hasn’t been used at all, such that a Pencil fully recharged but disconnected from a charger at night will start the next morning at 75% or 77%.

The culprit here appears to be Apple’s decision to omit a power button from Apple Pencil, seemingly keeping it turned on almost persistently, and/or using some overly sensitive trigger — perhaps an orientation sensor, rather than pressure on the tip — to wake it from sleep. On a positive note, this tends to mean the Pencil is always ready for instant use, but for us, it’s meant a lot of unnecessary wear on the stylus’s battery. Whatever the reason, knowing that you may be inadvertently running the battery down all day makes the Pencil less fun to carry around everywhere, and I’m hoping Apple can address it with a software update.

2. Incipio Octane for Apple Watch. Ever since the first cases appeared for early iPods, there’s been a debate over the extent to which plastic wrap cheapens the look of Apple devices. There haven’t been as many discussions about the Apple Watch, in large part because cases have been relatively few in number and largely ignored. (Case in point: Speck’s CandyShell Fit, which I thought was sort of a mess, but Zac thought was interesting enough to review.)

After making some really nice leather and fabric Apple Watch bands earlier this year, Incipio’s new Octane for Apple Watch (above) switches to a substantially plastic design with results I just can’t get excited about. Made largely from what feels like TPU, Octane combines an impact-resistant frame with matching straps, held together using polished metal screws and hardware. Visually, the cheapening impact on even the Apple Watch Sport is profound, stripping almost all traces of metal from Apple’s design while leaving you with a bumpered glass screen, open rear sensor/charging disc, and exposed Digital Crown. Octane doesn’t yet have a place on Incipio’s web site, but online retailers are listing it for $40. If you need to wear your Apple Watch during extreme sports, construction projects, or otherwise potentially dangerous activities, you might (underscore might) want to check it out.

On a brief related note: my review of Incipio’s first Apple Watch bands also included a look at Wristouch’s lineup of premium metal alternatives. I recently updated the review when Wristouch released the really nice link bracelet Meta, which delivers a handsome look and feel similar to Apple’s crazy-expensive Link Bracelet for much less. Take a peek.

3. Free Google Play + Spotify Premium Credit. I never owned Google’s Chromecast video streamer before, but a limited-time holiday deal made the small investment worth my time. Best Buy is currently offering the latest version of Chromecast for only $30, and it includes $20 of free Google Play Store credit, plus a free Google Play video rental (worth $5), a credit for 3 free months of Spotify Premium, as well as 1-3 month free trials of Sling TV, YouTube Red, and Google Play Music. You’ll need to redeem the offers through the iOS Chromecast app, which verifies that you bought and activated the unit within a pre-holiday timeframe. I bought mine through Best Buy’s website using same-day pickup.

4. Algoriddim djay Pro. Zac’s news story on the incredible iPad music app djay Pro was so comprehensive that I didn’t feel that I could do further justice to it in a full review. But after using djay Pro for the last week — and having kept the two prior versions of djay on every iPhone and iPad I’ve owned since Algoriddim released them — I have to say that I’m just floored by how much of the $50 Mac app the company shoehorned into the $20 iPad version. Even if you put aside some of the Pro features Zac spotlighted, including support for four separate songs at once, video integration, and iPad Pro-ready shortcut and split-screen support, djay is a killer update to djay 2 for non-professional users.

One of the new features I love is djay Pro’s integrated visualizer system, which lets you instantly add your choice of beat- and mix-responsive light shows to whatever songs you’re playing. Alternately, you can fill the screen more effectively with effects tools and sliders, so you don’t need to flip panels open and closed quite as often, making Pro feel less like a (great) toy than a legitimate DJing tool. I personally have found myself every night playing with key-locked time stretching, introduced in djay 2, which lets you turn all of your favorite songs into slow jams or dance tracks without making their singers sound squeaky or gravelly. If you love music (particularly if you have a Spotify account, which djay can instantly access to let you mix millions of tracks), you owe it to yourself to play with the latest version of djay. Algoriddim has done a fantastic job with this app.

5. Warner Bros. Scribblenauts Unlimited. As a parent, I try hard to balance my kids’ “fun” and “education” uses of their iPads, which isn’t always easy. There are tons of crappy freemium games in the iOS App Store, and similarly lots of one-note educational apps which appear to have been built by hobbyists chasing 99-cent payouts. So I’m always on the lookout for well-designed, educational games, and Warner Bros.’ new $5 Scribblenauts Unlimited is actually worth buying. As the sequel to Scribblenauts Remix, a popular console game that ported well to the iPhone and iPad, Unlimited places you in control of Maxwell, a kid who can walk, jump, and interact with people and objects using swipes and taps. The key to Scribblenauts, however, is using an on-screen keyboard to type words that create objects, solving puzzles. If you’re trapped on an island, you can create a jet pack, dragon, or boat to escape. At sea, you can fight pirates with a self-created cannon, laser, or shark. The cartoony, animated art is surprisingly funny and diverse.

Unlimited boasts a radically expanded word vocabulary with opportunities to “create anything” and “explore anything.” Rather than confining you to simple “go from point A to point B” tasks, Unlimited lets you enter areas where you can solve puzzles in your preferred order, unlocking other characters, challenges, and destinations as you go. With my kids, I took Maxwell into a hospital, where he helped heal a sick dog and an Arthurian knight before chasing down a bouncing heart transplant, fixing a robot, and assisting a lifesaving helicopter. In every case, the game gives you significant latitude to solve the problems, using nouns and adjectives to create frequently amusing objects. If you enjoy coming up with creative solutions to puzzles, Scribblenauts Unlimited is a must-see, regardless of your age.

More From This Author

Check out more of my reviews, How-To guides and editorials for 9to5Mac here! I’ve published a lot of different topics of interest to Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, and Apple Watch users, as well as a great holiday gift guide for iPhone users, a detailed holiday gift guide for Mac users, and a separate holiday gift guide for Apple photographers.

Filed under: Apple Watch, Apps, iOS

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Market intelligence firm IDC is forecasting that annual Apple Watch sales will increase from an estimated 13M units this year to 45.2M units in 2019, representing a compound annual growth rate of 36.5%.

The firm predicts that although Android Wear smartwatches will experience even stronger growth of 80.5%, Apple’s much stronger starting point will see it remain the market leader throughout the four year period. By 2019, IDC says, Apple will have a 51.1% market share, with Android Wear next at 38.8% and smaller platforms making up the difference.

The Apple Watch is described as “the measuring stick against which other smartwatches and platforms are compared,” and is said to have two key advantages over other platforms …

Apple’s watchOS will lead the smartwatch market throughout our forecast, with a loyal fanbase of Apple product owners and a rapidly growing application selection, including both native apps and Watch-designed apps.

The growth of Android Wear will be fueled by a mix of technology companies and traditional watchmakers, while it predicts that Pebble will maintain modest growth due to its simple user-interface and low price.

With Apple declining to disclose sales, we’re currently dependent on analyst estimates and channel shipment reports to give some clue as to likely numbers. These estimates are, to say the least, variable. Creative Strategies’ Ben Bajarin recently told a conference that sales will hit a staggering 100M by 2017 – more than double IDC’s forecast for two years later – while Asymco’s Horace Dediu suggested 21M in the first 12 months.

Apple does, however, appear to be pushing hard for growth, with a number of significant price promotions available recently at levels which suggest discounted supply from Apple.

Filed under: Apple Watch Tagged: Apple Inc, Apple watch, Apple Watch estimate, Apple Watch forecast, Apple Watch growth, Apple Watch market share, Apple Watch sales, Compound annual growth rate, Market share

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