Did Apple Just Accidentally Reveal Its New Line of iPods?
Some graphics in the latest iTunes update seem to be showing off iPods that don't exist yet. At least, not in the wild.
Spotted by one of the sharp-eyed users at Mac Rumors, a graphic showing iPods in colors not yet offered by Apple appeared in the 12.2 version of iTunes when the option to restore or set up an iPod is initiated.
Users also noticed the calendar date on the iPod touch shows Tuesday, July 14, leading to speculation that the new line-up could be announced on France's Bastille Day.
The colors shown off are a dark blue Touch,"a new gold or beige color for the iPod nano," and a brighter, more vibrant pink for the Shuffle.
AppleCare Updates Free Battery Replacement Plan
AppleCare has updated the terms of its warranty service to cover replacement batteries for Apple devices that have fallen below 80% their original capacity, free of charge.
The new policy was spotted by MacRumors and applies only to iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Apple Watch devices purchased on or after April 10th, 2015, and active under the AppleCare+ extended warranty plan. This covers Macs as well, according to a footnote on the AppleCare Products page.
Before, the warranty applied only to batteries at 50% under capacity. Read the policy change below or on Apple's website.
Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Director Talks Outfits, Origins, and PVP
As the director of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Hiromasa Shikata understands the pressure of making a new game in Nintendo's precious Zelda series. And the pressure to get it right doesn't only come from hardcore fans. Back when Shikata and some developers at Nintendo pitched the original Link-to-mural-on-the-wall concept for Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, it was rejected by series creator Shigeru Miyamoto. The project had some ups and downs, but it turned out well in the end.
We caught up with Shikata at E3 2015 to discuss his multiplayer-focused concept for Zelda: Tri Force Heroes. Read on for a detailed breakdown of what to expect when the game launches later this year.
Master of Orion Returns to Reclaim its 4X Crown
As familiar as the term “4X strategy game” (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) is today, it was originally coined to describe 1993’s Master of Orion, an innovative turn-based strategy title that spawned not only a pair of sequels but an entire PC genre as well. Orion’s accrued a lot of fans over the past 22 years, including, apparently, the IP’s unlikely new owner: Wargaming.net.
“We are bringing back the legend — this legend which is deep in the hearts of many, many people, including ourselves,” said Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi during our private demo of the company’s Master of Orion reboot. Obviously Wargaming is best known for its free-to-play MMOs like World of Tanks, but as Kislyi was quick to remind us, “Good turn-based strategy is in Wargaming’s DNA.” If you happen to remember the publisher’s Massive Assault games from the early 2000s, you already know his statement checks out.
Windows 8.1 Beats Out Windows XP in Total Users
Microsoft's most recent version of its Windows operating system has finally pulled ahead of legacy OS Windows XP in total number of users.
According to numbers posted by StatCounter, Windows 8.1 pulled ahead of Windows XP in November of last year. Numbers of 8.1 users have continued to increase as Windows XP use has steadily declined.
In fact, Windows XP use is now comparable to Apple's OS X, with just under 10% of users running either system.
Windows 7, however, still has a tremendous lead over both its predecessor and immediate successor, with nearly half of all users running the OS.
Cities: Skylines Developer Teases New Expansion
More content is on the way for Colossal Order's city simulator Cities: Skylines.
Boss Mariina Hallikainen recently teased future content would be announced in early Augst while speaking with TechRadar.
"We'll have a big expansion and release both free and paid updates, all of which we'll be revealing at Gamescom," she said.
During the interview, Hallikainen suggested this may not be the last planned expansion for Skylines, claiming the team will continue to add updates as long as they're able.
"As long as we possibly and technically can while people enjoy playing the game," she said. "I think the point where we have to move on to a sequel is when the technology is in such a state that it doesn't make any sense to continue working on Cities: Skylines. I'm hoping that will be some years in the future because there's so many ideas we want to add to the game before going there."
App Store Update: July 1
Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
Welcome to a special App Store Update week, iOS owners! 2015 is halfway over as of this week, so we're doing a little mid-year evaluation on the state of the App Store so far. Looking back across the past six months, we've picked out 15 games that we consider to be among the best new Game Debuts of 2015 to this point. We'll be presenting three picks a day for each day this week, so come back every day to see which apps made the cut!
PS4 System Software Update Now Available
Version 2.55 of the PlayStation 4 system software is now available. The 233 MB update fixes some stability issues that cropped up when using some of the PS4 features.
The update, which can be done either as an iterative install or as a fresh installation, follows the 2.50 update which saw quite a few changes to the PS4 ecosystem.
Among the changes in the 2.50 PS4 software update is the ability for the PS4 to keep applications suspended in rest mode, meaning games could be accessed instantly on power-up provided they were the last game played before the system powered-down.
Lionsgate and Hasbro Team for Monopoly Movie
Lionsgate and Hasbro have partnered to bring the iconic board game Monopoly to the silver screen, the two companies announced today.
According to the press release, the film "centers on a boy from Baltic Avenue who uses both Chance and Community in a quest to make his fortune, taking him on a fun, adventure-filled journey. It's about making your own luck, what makes you truly rich and, of course, avoiding Jail time!"
Deals of the Week: $10 Off Batman: Arkham Knight, Pre-Order Discounts on Star Wars Battlefront, Halo 5, Guitar Hero and More
Save Up To $10 On Games With Amazon Prime
If you have Amazon Prime, you're in for a treat: Right now Prime members can get $5 to $10 off a number of pre-orders and games that are out right now. If you don't have Prime, start a free trial, get free two-day shipping on nearly anything, and a ton of streaming video content. You can always cancel the trail before your thirty days runs out and not pay a dime for it. Set a calendar reminder!
To get the discount on these games make sure you are selecting Amazon as the seller - I'll do my best to link you right to that. Once you hit Proceed to Checkout, you'll see the discount as Prime Savings.