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BlackBerry's BBM app for iPhone has been updated, now with a new look, that's more at home on iOS 8. The app is ready for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and adds new timer options and more. In addition to the brighter color scheme, there are a number of other additions and improvements in BBM. You can now send stickers in group chats, rather than just to individuals. Timed messages are now a little more flexible, and are now viewable multiple times until the timer expires. There's also a new 60-second timer option. You can download BBM for iPhone version 2.6.1.31 from the App Store right now. Free - Download Now Continue reading...

It looks like your pay at the pump experience might soon involve an NFC chip and an Apple logo. According to a tweet sent out by Chevron, the oil company is looking to integrate Apple Pay into its gas pumps at some point in early 2015. @SingAsana We are working alongside Apple to develop solutions to integrate with Apple Pay at the pump by early 2015. — Chevron (@Chevron) December 29, 2014 This would be an extension of Apple's current partnership with Chevron, which has already integrated Apple Pay at the registers of its Texaco and Chevron gas stations. Apple Pay has been slowly garnering more and more support over the previous months. Just this morning, w…

A few weeks ago, I put a call out on Twitter for Continuity-based copy/paste apps: My kingdom for a Continuity-based copy/paste utility. Does this exist somewhere? — Serenity Caldwell (@settern) December 4, 2014 Since 2010, I'd been using Syncopy to sync clipboards between my Macs; unfortunately, the app had been virtually untouched since its release, and it got buggier with every OS X release. And that's not even talking about its iOS support, which was minimal and very quickly outmoded. So, 2015 around the corner. Time for a new app to sync my clipboard. What better resource to turn to than Twitter? And though I didn't find a Continuity-based app, the iCl…

If you got a new smartphone or tablet for Christmas, the chances are good that it was an iPhone or an iPad made by Apple. A new report claims that 51.3% of all new smartphone and tablets activated worldwide between December 19-25 were from the team in Cupertino. The report comes from Flurry, which got its information based on the over 600,000 apps that it tracks with its analytics services. Samsung came in a distant second in new device activations with 17.7% and Microsoft's Lumia phones were third with 5.8%. Flurry added: The App Industry continued with its tradition of witnessing the largest numbers of App Installs on Christmas Day. With a new device, we'r…

Access to the Gmail website has been blocked for some time in China, but now the Chinese government is also blocking access to Gmail through apps. The block affects not just the official Gmail apps, but also accessing Gmail through third-party apps. Said Google in a statement: "We've checked and there's nothing wrong on our end." Traffic to Gmail from China, according to Google's Transparency Report has plummeted to next to nothing, indicating that there are still some Chinese users that have managed to circumvent the block by using a VPN, but most are currently out of luck. Gmail joins Google Search and Google Maps in being blocked by Chinese authorities,…

Screeny, an app that gathers your screenshots so you can easily delete them, has been updated with full iPad support. The app now finds screenshots more quickly, and a few important bugs have been fixed. Screeny on iPad lays out most of the app in one screen so you don't need to go back and forth. The app has also added an easy way to deselect all selected screenshots by shaking your device. A bug has also been fixed that caused a number of users to be told that they had saved virtually no space after deleting screenshots. You can download Screeny 1.2 from the App Store right now. $0.99 - Download Now Continue reading...

The most important Apple stories of the year don't exist in a vacuum and neither do we. What happens in technology in general matters to Apple and matters to us. Through that lens, 2014 was both terrific and terrible. We saw new technologies enable us to interact and move in ways never before possible, and we saw those same technologies abused and degraded in ways we would have hoped impossible. In retrospect, 2014 felt like another transition year, but we've crossed the horizon: We can start to see the designs of the future, and more importantly, the future we want to see. Inclusivity and diversity Having more diversity in tech means having tech that appeals …

Apple has introduced a new cancellation feature for digital content in several European countries, including the UK, Germany, and France. The new policy allows customers in applicable countries to essentially "return" digital purchases from iTunes, including apps, music, and books, for a refund within 14 days of purchase. From Apple UK: Right of cancellation: If you choose to cancel your order, you may do so within 14 days from when you received your receipt without giving any reason, except iTunes Gifts which cannot be refunded once you have redeemed the code. Apple will issue the refund within two weeks of getting a customer's order cancellation. The change h…

Disney CEO Bob Iger has been interviewed and profiled by Fortune about the technological influence he's had on Disney, including the company's relationship with Apple, and Iger's own friendship with Steve Jobs. The profile details how Iger needed to win back the trust of Jobs, along with Pixar co-founders John Lasseter and Ed Catmull, after a tension had developed between the animation studio and Disney under Iger's predecessor. Both Iger and Jobs came to see each other as partners, according to Fortune: "Steve recognized that in Bob he actually had a partner," says Catmull. "In the subsequent years they thought of each other as true partners. That's what he wanted,…

Designed to work with any standard wall outlet without crowding the extra space, this strikeBASE wall charger is great with any Lightning device, whether it's an iPhone or iPad! The cable reaches 3 feet in length and has a 1A output, perfect for your desk, nightstand or to take with you when traveling. Continue reading...

This year, Apple's most popular video wasn't their holiday commercial, but their iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus introduction (above). Given the pent-up demand for a new design, and the big and bigger screen sizes, that's not a surprise. iMore's most popular videos, based on your views, weren't a surprise either. Well, except for #1... 5. How to fix iPhone 6 and iOS 8 battery life problems! iOS 8 is here for iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches, and iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are available now for everyone, and while they provide more features and functionality than ever before, updating to new software and upgrading to new phones can often have an impact on battery life. …

It's December 29, 2014 and I'm sitting at the gate at the airport waiting to board yet another flight to San Francisco. (Yes, it's for an event. No, it's not for an Apple event. More on that in the next couple of days!) Like late night flights, early morning flights offer the opportunity for reflection and the chance to ask the impertinent questions. Such as: What's coming up for iMore in 2015? This year was our best ever. Again. We hit over 10 million monthly readers, a figure that's both staggering and humbling. Despite linking out to other sites a lot, iMore doesn't get linked to almost at all, so our success depends entirely on you, our readers. On you visiting iMo…

Apple is currently in talks with major UK banks to launch Apple Pay in the first half of 2015. According to a report in The Telegraph, discussions with at least one bank have proven to be tricky due to the debate over just what customer data Apple will be able to access. The service by Apple enables consumers to save their credit and debit cards to their supported mobile device, which can then be used at "wave and pay" terminals. After verification is successful via a thumbprint scan, the transaction is completed momentarily. It is understood the bank is uncomfortable with the amount of personal and financial information Apple wants to collect about its custome…

Choosing an Apple Watch won't be any more difficult than choosing a new iPhone. Right now you need to decide between 4.7 and 5.5 inches, between space gray, silver, and gold, and between a couple of materials and a bevy of colors for your case. (If you choose to buy a case.) Depending on what you choose, you can have a final look that's anything from a gray and black "Darth Vader" to a gold and brown "Indiana Jones". And the Apple Watch? Which Apple Watch are you eyeing? Well, the Apple Watch is similar, but also new. It's something that can easily be broken down into a few choices, but ones that won't be as practiced or familiar. You'll need to chose between 38…

Sony's The Interview is now directly available to stream from iTunes. You can watch it on an iOS device, Apple TV, or through iTunes on a Mac or PC. Apple reportedly declined to stream the movie on Sony's original timetable along with Microsoft and Google, and watching the movie on your iOS device previously involved purchasing or it from YouTube or Google Play. Sony had originally turned to potential partners to stream The Interview following the decision of several theater chains to pull the film citing security concerns. You can now rent or buy the movie from iTunes for $5.99 or $14.99, respectively. $5.99 to rent, $14.99 to own - Download Now …

2014 was an important year for Apple. No new products — and product categories — in the first half allowed many in the sensationalist, opportunistic media once again proclaiming Apple doomed, Tim Cook a failure, and a haunted empire all that remained for the future. Then, in quick succession, WWDC 2014 happened, then the iPhones 6 and Apple Watch event, and then the iPad and Mac event, and Apple's stock price hit new records. All told, we saw many amazing highs punctured by a few baffling lows, and we end 2014 as one of the most exciting, transformative years for Apple in recent memory. Here are what we consider to be the most significant Apple stories of 2014, with li…

Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine is reportedly speaking to artists about doing exclusive albums for Apple. The goal is apparently to repeat the success of Beyoncé when she released her self-titled album exclusively on iTunes at the end of last year. However, record labels may be a hurdle that Apple and Iovine need to clear before any deals are made. From the New York Post: The idea of artists making their own side deals with streaming services doesn't go down too well with record label brass, however. Apple was reported to be pursuing these types of deals earlier this year, before Iovine joined the company. Given his relationships with the music community, he coul…

For only $9.95 today these popular iPhone 5 hard cases are up for grabs and are an awesome addition to your device. Not only does it have a cool design on the back, it's slim in design and comes with its own holster for your belt or pocket, if that's your thing. [/url] Continue reading...

Vector is a news and analysis show focusing on the biggest stories, hottest trends, and most important issues in technology and popular culture. On this week's show, tech is screwing with our sleep cycles, so how do we stop it? What happens when your Facebook friend says something racist or sexist? Muting vs. unfollowing on Twitter. And Secret… why?! With Georgia Dow, Dave Wiskus, Rene Ritchie, and Manoush Zomorodi of New Tech City. Subscribe in iTunes Subscribe in RSS Download directly Follow on Twitter Show notes How tech has altered sleep through the ages Your Facebook friend said something racist: Now what? Hovercraft to Paris Panel Georgia Dow …

Just like some developers never considered design when creating their apps, many still don't consider marketing. Build it and, thanks to Apple, people will come has been a long held, long problematic assumption. The truth is, you need a great idea, amazing code, superb design, and a terrific marketing plan to succeed. And Joe Cieplinski has done a great job explaining why: Here's the problem with App Store search: it sucks for us. It's designed to promote what Apple wants to promote, not what developers want to sell. We can make tweaks to better our chances (and I highly recommend you do just that), but once that's done, we're mostly waiting for people to happen upo…

The holidays are filled with family, friends, and fun. They created laughter, and love, and memories. Thanks the iPhone and iPad, it's easier than ever to capture those memories and hold onto that laughter and love all year long. As convenient as our digital devices are, however, sometimes we want something more substantial to hold in our hands or gift to our loved ones. Sometimes we want a photo album. Well, with iPhoto on your Mac, you can easily take your iPhone or iPad pictures, lay them out just the way you like, and have Apple print and ship you your very own holiday album. Here's how! Before you book Before you even launch iPhoto, make sure you shoot a bunc…

I produced a lot of podcasts last year. Probably over 200 shows spanning 300 or more hours. We don't post all of them here at iMore anymore, but for much of the year they did, and they all embody the spirit we try to bring to iMore — that all this technology is by and for people, and it's the people that really matter. Out of all of those shows, I could never pick any favorites. Every time I'd try, I'd be reminded of another, and another, and find myself in an endless loop. So, I figured I'd see which ones appealed to you, our listeners, the most. According to the download numbers, and recognizing that's just one metric, here are our most popular podcasts of 2014. 5. V…

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