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Apple reportedly strikes deal to launch iPhone on China Mobile later this month (update: or not)
That was quick -- just hours after China Mobile granted its first 4G licenses, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has reached a deal to launch the iPhone on the giant carrier. China Mobile would stock hardware later in December, likely starting with the recently approved iPhone 5s and 5c variants for the country. Neither side has confirmed the deal just yet. If real, though, it could help Apple recover some lost smartphone market share in the region. With over 700 million subscribers, China Mobile has a large volume of potential customers. Update: Ruh roh. China Mobile told Reuters that it is actually "still negotiating with Apple." But hey, it's just a matter of time, right?
RuneScape opens 2013 Premier Club, donates $90K to charity
If you've got the cash and interest to spare, then RuneScape would like to convince you to invest in one of its 2013 Premier Club packages. Jagex has unveiled its new limited-time Premier Club membership tiers, which offer extra goodies in exchange for committing to a multi-month subscription. The bronze package is $23.50 for three months, the silver is $44.50 for six months, and the gold is $86.50 for a full year. Extras include exclusive pets, bonus spins on the squeal of fortune, and access to a VIP server. Jagex congratulated the community on donating in-game wealth via the Well of Goodwill that was translated into a real-world donation by Jagex to several charities. The studio split $90,838 between seven charities. RuneScape also just added a level 92 slayer, the Airut, for players to defeat.
Path of Exile going strong a month after launch
Path of Exile is strutting its stuff a month after its official launch, boasting a huge community, a new patch, and strong sales of its new supporter packs. Grinding Gear Games announced that Path of Exile has topped four million registered users and sees over 250,000 players every day. Last Wednesday's 1.0.2 patch was the first post-launch update for the game, containing new items, recipes, achievements, and various fixes and balance tweaks. The studio sold nearly 5,000 purchases of its supporter pack bundles, which range from $50 to $900, over the Thanksgiving weekend. Grinding Gear says that these purchases "have funded a significant portion of the game's development." [Source: Grinding Gear press release]
Daily Deals for December 3, 2013, featuring Xcode Fundamentals for iOS 7
It's time to save some of that hard-earned cash with our Daily Deals, featuring exclusive TUAW Deals, a handy list from Dealnews and our own handpicked iOS and OS X selections. TUAW's Daily Deals Xcode Fundamentals iOS7 [On sale for $79, down from $499] So you want to make apps, but you don't know where to start. You start a few tutorials on the internet, but you end up without an app or any knowledge whatsoever. If you want to make apps you pretty much have to use Xcode, Apple's app-making program. But when you download it and take a look, it seems really complicated to use. There are tons of books on how to program and use Xcode, but none of them are that user-friendly. That's where this course is different! This course shows you how to use Xcode while learning another in-demand, valuable skill: user experience. User experience is one of the toughest jobs to fill in 2012 according to Forbes. With this course, you get to learn mobile user experience and Xcode at the same time! Save 84% on Xcode Fundamentals iOS7 at TUAW Deals. Deals from Dealnews Other World Computing: [Computer Accessories] OWC Garage Sale: Deals from $1 on RAM, accessories, computers and more. Home Depot: [iPhone Accessories] Belkin WeMo Switch 2-Pack for iPhone or iPad for $55 + pickup at Home Depot. MegaMacs: [iPhone Cases] HEX Cases & Bags for iPhone 5 & MacBooks from $9 + free shipping. eBay: [iPhone Accessories] USB Charging Kit for iPhone 5 / 5S / 5C from $12 + free shipping. BuyDig: [TV Wall Mounts] TuffMount HDTV Wall Mounts: Up to 82% off, extra $5 off + free shipping. BuyDig: [Digital SLR Cameras] Refurb Nikon DSLR Lenses from $95 + free shipping. Adorama: [Secure Digital Cards] Toshiba 8GB FlashAir WiFi Class 6 SDHC Card for $19 + free shipping. eBay: [Laptop Carrying Case] Tri-Fold Sleeve for 13" / 15" Macbook Air or Pro for $4 + free shipping. Dell Home: [22-Inch LCDs] 2 Dell 22" LED LCD Displays w/ Dual Stand for $380 + free shipping. B&H Photo Video: [24-Inch LCDs Or Larger] HP 27" 2560x1440 IPS LED-Backlit LCD Display for $449 + free shipping. Zagall: [TV Wall Mounts] HDTV Wall Mounts at Zagall: Deals from $4 + $6 s&h. Home Antenna: [TV Antennas & Receivers] Home Antenna Coupon: $5 off antenna orders, free shipping w/ $150. iOS Software Discounts Rivals for Catan [iOS Universal; Category: Games; On sale for $1.99, down from $3.99] This exciting Catan card game challenges you to rule a realm on Catan. Construct cities and settlements, build ships and roads, and hire heroes to outplay your opponents! Image Blender [iOS Universal; Category: Photography & Video; On sale for $0.99, down from $2.99] A simplistic and creative app for combining images with masks and different blend modes on your iPhone and iPad. Baby Nom Nom [iOS Universal; Category: Games; Now free, down from $0.99] Baby Nom Nom is a uniquely devious puzzle game that will set your brain spinning. BlogTouch for Blogger [iOS Universal; Category: Social Networking; Now free, down from $4.99] BlogTouch is a powerful, but easy-to-use Blogger/Blogspot editor. It's designed to ease your work so you can manage an unlimited number of blogs by adding, editing and removing Posts, Pages and Comments. LegoMe [iPhone; Category: Photography & Video; Now free, down from $0.99] LegoMe makes your ordinary photos into stunning Lego Style Artwork. Red Crow Mysteries: Legion HD (Full) [iPad; Category: Games; Now free, down from $6.99] Save mankind from a terrifying fate in this heart-pounding adventure! Dark Nebula HD - Episode Two [iOS Universal; Category: Games; Now free, down from $2.99] Dark Nebula is a labyrinth game on steroids. Just tilt the device to move your character through the levels while avoiding traps, opening doors, bouncing, sliding and not falling off. Seedio [iPhone; Category: Music; Now free, down from $2.99] Enjoy music together: Seedio connects multiple iOS devices to create one perfectly synchronized loudspeaker. The Walking Dead: Assault [iOS Universal; Category: Games; Now free, down from $2.99] Play as your favorite characters from the series -- Rick, Glenn, Shane, Carl, Andrea, Lori and more! Assemble and choose your ultimate team of four, hunt for supplies, upgrade and use unique special character abilities to survive against the zombie horror. Stitch It! [iPhone; Category: Utilities; Now free, down from $2.99] Stitch It! allows you to create one seamless image of a text message conversation so that you can share it on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr or anywhere else. Toca Builders [iOS Universal; Category: Educations; Now free, down from $1.99] Join your new builder friends on an island far away and create a whole new world with blocks. Jump, walk, roll and rotate the builders to use their unique skills, and they will help to build whatever you can imagine! Apple's App of the week. OS X Software Discounts Eggscellent [OS X; Category: Productivity; Now free, down from $9.99] Based on effective time-management principles, Eggscellent transforms your to-do list into manageable activities. Two Dollar Tuesday [OS X; Category: Various; $1.99] Two Dollar Tuesday is offering three OS X apps for $1.99 each. Titles include DragonDrop, USBMate and PhotoBulk. QuickRes [OS X; Category: Utilities; On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] QuickRes is the best way to switch between screen resolutions on your Mac. Appy Fridays [OS X; Category: Various; $9.99] Get the Holiday Bundle for $11.99, which includes Librarian Pro 3, iTunes Data Recovery and Patterno. The Holiday Bundle is available till December 6, 2013. Note: All prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly. TUAW is not responsible for third-party deals and cannot guarantee availability or quality of any particular product at a specific price.
Mists of Pandaria discounted to $7.99 at Amazon
Tis the season for holiday sales! Though Blizzard's Winter Sale offers some great prices, right now Amazon is offering a slightly better bargain for dealhunters looking to pick up Mists of Pandaria for their holiday wishlist. The online megaretailer is offering Mists for $7.99 -- compared to Blizzard's current price of $9.99 -- and is matching Blizzard's $4.99 pricing for World of Warcraft proper, which includes all other expansions. These are boxed versions -- Blizzard's sales are for digital downloads -- so if you want a game box to wrap under the tree, this is an ideal option... but bear in mind that it means you will have to pay shipping costs, which could prevent this buy from being as much of a bargain as it appears. Of course, Amazon's prices could change at any time, so if you were considering picking up Mists for the holidays, get it before these holiday prices are gone!
Blizzard's Winter Sale brings World of Warcraft discounts [Updated]
Looking to give the gift of Warcraft to friends or family? Then you're in luck, because Blizzard's just-announced Winter Sale is bringing big discounts to World of Warcraft and StarCraft II for European and North American shoppers. The deals are: World of Warcraft for €5/$4.99 Mists of Pandaria for €10/$9.99 StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty for €20/$19.99 StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm for €20/$19.99 That's a great deal for any of these games -- and a good way to take advantage of the new recruit-a-friend bonuses. Though the Winter Sale has only been announced in the EU, we'd be very surprised if Blizzard didn't announce a similar sale for North America, too -- stay tuned and we'll be updating this post to let you know exactly what deals are on offer. The sale is now live on both North American and European realms. Happy shopping!
Correction: GameStop's Black Friday deals
Earlier this month, we reported a rumor regarding GameStop's Black Friday deals, via a leaked Black Friday ad. As with all rumored information, this was not set in stone -- and now we've got the real deal: GameStop will not be selling 60 day game cards for $5 on Black Friday. We've verified this information with a source, and we're confident of the source's information. Those of you hoping to fill your pockets with cheap game time cards can save your money -- or you can cash in on GameStop's real Black Friday deals, which are still pretty good when it comes to WoW. Mists of Pandaria will be on sale for $9.99, and it comes with a free 60-day game card. In addition, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm and Wings of Liberty will be on sale for $19.99 each, and purchasing either of those will net you a 60 day game card. The World of Warcraft Battle Chest will be on sale for $4.99, but it does not include a game time card with the purchase. For those looking to get started with WoW, this does come out to a pretty good deal -- you can get the Battle Chest and Mists of Pandaria for $15, and get a 60 day game time card free as part of the purchase. Or if you happen to have a friend interested in StarCraft, you can pick up the game for them, and keep the WoW game time for yourself. GameStop's Black Friday ad should be available on their website soon -- those looking for the official ad can visit their official Black Friday page and sign up to be notified once the ad itself goes live.
Nokia's shareholders approve sale of devices and services business to Microsoft
As expected, the sale of Nokia's devices and services business to Microsoft has been given the stamp of approval from the Finnish handset maker's shareholders. The group met this morning in Helsinki to give its official vote of confidence on the $7.35 billion transaction includes not only devices, but also Nokia's mapping service too. It remains to be seen if CEO Stephen Elop will be tasked with the same job at Microsoft after Ballmer's departure, or if the company will decide to take another road toward its future.
GameStop offering 60-day game cards for $5 on Black Friday
Black Friday (November 29th), the traditional beginning of the holiday shopping season, is always packed with sales to lure us away from our computers and into shopping centers. This year's deals at GameStop are particularly tempting for WoW-players -- or those that want to become WoW players. On offer are the World of Warcraft Battle Chest (which includes expansions up to Cataclysm) for $5, Mists of Pandaria for $10, and a 60-day game time card for $5. The former offers are a great deal for anyone looking to get friends into WoW, but the latter is a great deal for any active player -- even if you don't usually use game time cards, the appeal of getting $30 worth of gameplay for $5 is definitely high. Bear in mind, however, that this information is coming from a leaked Black Friday ad on the site BlackFriday.com and could still change -- so you may want to wait for an official announcement from GameStop before you start camping out in front of your local shop. Editors note: Gamestop will not be selling $5 game time cards on Black Friday. For the correct information, please visit our updated post.
Humble Bundle includes LotRO Steely Dawn pack
For the next five or so days, Warner Bros. is participating in a new Humble Bundle that includes a special package for Lord of the Rings Online. Humble Bundle allows players to name their own price for a collection of games, and as long as customers pay more than the average amount (currently $4.62), then the Steely Dawn pack will be tossed in for LotRO players. The Steely Dawn pack includes a unique cosmetic armor set, the Evendim quest pack, five XP boosts, and 500 Turbine Points. To use the pack, you have to access LotRO through Steam.
CIA reportedly pays to collect foreign call data from AT&T
The NSA wields its legal authority to collect phone call data from American telecom providers, but the CIA apparently doesn't even need to apply pressure. The New York Times claims that the agency has a years-old voluntary agreement with AT&T that lets it obtain the call records of foreign suspects; the CIA pays $10 million per year in compensation. While the carrier reportedly hides identifying data for American participants, intelligence officers can demand that information as well if they get FBI subpoenas. Both AT&T and the CIA tell the Times that they're obeying the law, but that may not be very reassuring to those who want to keep their international calls private. [Image credit: David Drexler, Flickr]
Super Meat Boy now $3 thanks to Steam's Midweek Madness sale
If you haven't yet experienced the soul-crushing difficulty of Super Meat Boy, now's your chance: From now until 7PM on November 7, the indie platformer is available on Steam at an 80 percent discount. Including 300-plus stages, boss fights and sadistic jumping puzzles, Super Meat Boy is not for the faint of heart. It does however, offer immense bragging rights for anyone able to finish the game. Then, once you've trumped every level, you can start building your own diabolical masterpieces in the game's level editor, or pour another dozen hours into Super Meat Boy seeking its hidden warp areas and well-hidden secret characters. The one major caveat here is that while you can play Super Meat Boy on a keyboard, the game's split-second timing almost demands players utilize a gamepad. Fortunately, the game's rudimentary control scheme lends itself well to almost any controller, including Sony's new DualShock 4.
Renewed Bing deal keeps Twitter posts in your search results
Microsoft has made a big deal of weaving social networking into Bing's search results, and it has just proven that commitment by renewing an agreement with Twitter. The extended pact lets Bing explorers see public tweets alongside the usual web links, making it easy to track down posts from celebrities and friends. It's not clear how long the new deal will last, although Microsoft told TechCrunch that the past four years of working with Twitter have been "great" -- Redmond is clearly in it for the long haul.
Naturespace, a "sonic landscape" app, has a special Halloween surprise
Naturespace is simply one of my favorite apps, and that includes every piece of software I've used since 1978. If you've ever had problems with ringing in the ears or going to sleep, Naturespace could also be one of the greatest things ever. In short, it is a sonic landscape app, with access to dozens of expertly recorded and crafted audio "scenes" that play out in a seamless loop for as long as you wish, all in glorious "holographic" (aka 3D) audio. The quality is breathtaking, the choices are vast and the app is a pleasure to use. Here's a video with some info on how and why they do this. But since it's Halloween, Naturespace is offering its Thunder God collection for free! That's $10 of content available to our readers for nothing. Plus, on October 31st they'll post a "Trick or Treat" track on their Facebook page. You can read a review of Naturespace here and or watch our live demo here, but since you can try a few tracks for free there's no reason to not download it and try it. Put on some headphones and lose yourself in the auditory delights of a variety of sonic landscapes and I think you'll agree that this app is a gem on the App Store. If you're looking to buy a few tracks to really experience the magic of the app, here are some thoughts from one of the guys who produces the audio you'll hear: "The Ascendancy of The Redwoods" is an epic track. It took us almost a week of recording to create the piece. It's a perfect track for people that have never visited the Redwoods or for people that want to revisit this ancient forest. We also have three recordings that have trains in them. These recording stand out from the pure nature aspects of the catalog and use our 3D techniques to deliver a truly unique experience. The first called "The Cloud Engine" was created by us by chartering an authentic steam train in the Rocky Mountains. This piece a serious trip back to the 1800's and places the listener on what was considered "advanced tech" back then. The second train piece is called "Serpentine" which includes a fantastic distant train winding through canyons. It is a great piece for anyone whose past holds the sound of trains in the distance. The third piece "The Ghost" is a more ambient steam train experience that puts the listener aboard a train alone. This piece is a ride down into a canyon without the strong "chugging" of "The Cloud Engine". It is meant as a companion piece to "The Cloud Engine".
Shadowrun Returns summons temporary 33% price cut
If you've been waiting for a good opportunity to pick up Shadowrun Returns, this is your moment: Until October 30 at 10AM, the PC and Mac incarnations of Shadowrun Returns are available from Steam at a 33 percent discount. For $13.39, Shadowrun Returns offers players a grimy, dystopian futurescape that works nicely as a singleplayer experience, but really comes into its own when you examine the Steam Workshop community that's built up around the game. After completing the 10- to 12-hour campaign that ships with Shadowrun Returns, you'll find dozens of new adventures there available for free download. This was only attractive potential when our review was published, but the community has blossomed since, and it's now trivial to find numerous player-created adventures that humble the campaign built by developer Harebrained Schemes. In addition to cutting its base price, this Daily Deal also reduces the cost of the Shadowrun Returns Digital Deluxe edition. That version includes a downloadable soundtrack as well as a .pdf containing short stories set in the Shadowrun universe, alongside the game. Buying the Digital Deluxe edition will now set you back $23.44, though if you already own Shadowrun Returns, you can upgrade to Digital Deluxe for $10.05.
Blizzard adds Cataclysm to WoW Battle Chest deal
You may have noticed that it's been a little while since that little game called World of Warcraft released -- almost nine years to be exact. And in that time, there have been four major expansions, each adding quite a bit to the game (not to mention their own price tags). So what's a new or long-absent returning player to do? Thanks to Blizzard adding the Cataclysm expansion to the basic Battle Chest edition, it won't be shelling out tons of cash to get caught up. As the previous expansions were already bundled into the basic edition, the $19.99 price tag now nets a player The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, and Cataclysm on top of the base game. Also included is one full month of subscription play time. Only the most recent expansion, Mists of Pandaria, must still be purchased separately. So if you've been thinking about jumping (back) into WoW, now is a good time to take the plunge.
TalkTalk launches a SIM-only mobile plan that costs less than a London pint
With 4G prices keeping LTE in the "luxury goods" bracket for many British mobile users, TalkTalk is trying to hoover up the cost-conscious consumers on the bottom end. The TalkTalk Mobile "Small" plan offers 100 minutes, 250 texts and 100MB of data for just GBP3.50 a month -- with double data if you sign up online. The SIM-only deal (which uses Vodafone's network) requires a 12-month contract, making it cheaper than a beer in most reputable drinking establishments in the capital. Unless it's pound-a-pint night, of course, but in that case, you should be happy to get a round in.
Shadow of the Colossus joins PS Plus free games on October 8
The next free game on offer to PlayStation Plus subscribers will be the PlayStation 3's high-definition remake of Shadow of the Colossus, according to the PlayStation.blog. Though it borders on "cult classic" status, Shadow of the Colossus is a widely beloved classic. Our Deja Review of the high-definition remake describes it as "one of the most remarkable video games ever created." The PlayStation 3 version maintains the crisp gameplay and grand scope found in its initial PlayStation 2 release, but increases the resolution of the game while also increasing the size of its textures. The result, as our review puts it, is "an unreproducible treat." Unlike many other PlayStation Plus free games, those without subscriptions to Sony's program will not see a discount on Shadow of the Colossus. Instead, it will maintain its normal $20 pricing.
EverQuest I and II give free gold memberships during Heroic Character event
If jumping in to the latest content on a new level 85 Heroic Character isn't enough of an incentive to check out EverQuest II, SOE has sweetened the deal. During the free Heroic Character promotion running until October 15th, select returning players will also have a free gold-level membership. And those who sign up to continue their gold membership on or before the 15th will receive an extra bonus of their choice of either a mount, a Thurgadin Grand hall prestige home, or a Windwalker robe armor set. EverQuest is also running a Welcome Back to Norrath promotion during the same time frame, offering free gold membership to select returning players as well as a large bag and potions. Signing up for a gold membership before the event ends will net the player his choice of either the Hero's Forge armor system, a mount, or a 36-slot bag. [Thanks to BabaGraPL for the tip]
Beats Electronics unplugs HTC with $265 million share buyback
Looks like the rumors were true. HTC announced today that Beats Electronics will buy back the remaining 25 percent stake it had in the headphone maker for $265 million, all but bringing to an end a two-year partnership that has never really worked out. It's quite a bit of cash for HTC, after it took a 50.1 percent share of Beats for $300 million in 2011, later agreeing to sell a 25 percent stake back to its partner just shy of its one-year anniversary. Beats, on the other hand, has recently embarked on a global expansion, broadening its product lines beyond headphones and its exclusive mobile partnership with HTC to include speakers, in-car audio systems, and soon an online music streaming service. Dr Dre. and Co. are rumored to be lining up a new investor that has the funds to help boost its growth. HTC said it will "continue to partner [with Beats] as future opportunities arise" but remains silent on its reasons to sell. It's strange how things turn out: not long ago we'd have guessed HTC would be the success and Beats the fly-by-night. Now, it appears those roles have been reversed.
