News

Celebrate Earth Day with Apple's app promotion, then survive a zombie outbreak in Los Angeles with the game Dead Run. In the news this week, some iPhone 7 rumors have been confirmed, including a Smart Connector on the next generation device. The Apple Watch will see an "S" upgrade in the fall, with a complete redesign coming in 2017. Last but not least, find out how to get the most out of your new iPhone SE.

Apple has teamed up with over 20 app developers to launch Apps for Earth. From now until April 24, 100 percent of the proceeds from all participating apps will go to the World Wildlife Fund to aid its efforts in global conservation. As part of the promotion participating apps are offering WWF-inspired bonuses, such as a compost bin in Cooking Dash 2016. Hearthstone players can download an exclusive mage called, Khadgar, and Candy Crush Saga is holding special weekend-only events on April 15-17 and April 21-24. You can see a list of all the participating apps by opening the App Store app on your device and tapping the Apps for Earth banner. Here are a few examples of the WWF bonuses being offered right now.

More iPhone 7 leaks point to a next generation Apple device with a similar form factor as the current generation iPhone 6s. Design changes are said to be subtle, with antenna lines being moved to the edges of the iPhone 7 or made invisible entirely. The dimensions and thickness of the next iPhone aren't expected to change much, but this doesn't mean Apple has no new tricks up its sleeve.

Apple has announced the end of its iTunes Allowances service, and has recommended Family Sharing and Gift Cards as an aleternative way for iOS users to send and recieve Apple-related gifts. iTunes Allowances allowed parents to give children monthly credit to spend on the App Store and iTunes purchases. For example, a parent could assign a $10 per month allowance to their child's iTunes account. The recipient could then use the assigned credit until it ran out and wait for it to refresh the following month.

Google has added a new "Goals" feature to its Calendar app for busy iPhone owners. The app now helps users by searching their Calendar app and scheduling the best time for completing personal goals. The app will also automatically reschedule a goal if it conflicts with a new event, and users can defer goals if they can't be completed at the scheduled time. The update comes as part of the app's tenth anniversary.