Apple is Working with Logitech and Other Developers on Designing an iOS Game Controller

Back in April, PocketGamer claimed Apple secretly met with developers at the annual Game Developers Conference to discuss production of an unnamed iOS "joypad". It was then discovered at the Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, that Apple had added MFi (Made for iOS) game controller support to iOS 7. Apple followed up the MFi announcement by holding a 45-minute long session on Tuesday, where they showed developers app frameworks and hardware mock-ups for third-party iOS controllers, according to Apple Insider.

iPhone Game Controller

The event was entitled "Integrating with Game Controllers", and Apple revealed that both Logitech and Moga were already collaborating on some prototypes. Apple also showed two mock-ups of a "form-fitting" design, and a standalone device for both the iPhone and iPad. Both controllers featured the standard D-pad and dual analog sticks seen in most home console controllers these days. The form-fitting model turns the iPhone into a gamepad that and frees up space on its smaller display, and the standalone mock-up is a wireless device that does not need to connect to the iPhone or iPad to work. Both controller mock-ups featured a dedicated pause button, pressure-sensitive buttons and non-drifting D-pads.

iOS 7 Allows You to Redeem iTunes Gift Cards With Your Camera

There's nothing more frustrating than typing in those long iTunes gift card codes, especially when you make a mistake and have to start all over again. Thankfully Apple has decided to make the process easier by adding the ability to redeem a gift card by using your device's camera. Twitter user Beau Giles discovered the new feature and tweeted the screenshot below. iTunes 11 gave the same feature to Mac users who can now use their FaceTime cameras to redeem gift cards also.

iOS 7 Gift Card Redemption

To use the new iOS 7 camera gift card feature, go to the App Store app, and tap the Redeem button at the bottom of the Featured page. You can then choose to enter the code the old way, or use your iPhone's rear iSight camera to snap a picture. The gift card needs to have a "gift card with a box around the code” for it to work.

Siri Gets a Sex Change and New Look

I decided to cut Siri out of my life a long time ago by installing Google Search on my iPhone instead. Using Google's voice search or the Google search bar is a lot easier than asking Siri three times for an answer she's just going to Google anyway. But no matter how much iOS users ignore her, the Apple voice assistant refuses to go away. Siri has decided to get a makeover, learn a few new tricks, and become a man. If that's not a cry for attention, I don't know what is.

Siri iOS 7

Apple announced at its keynote that Siri will feature a new female and male voice and promised it will deliver faster results and check more sources like Bing, Wikipedia, and Twitter. Not very exciting news if you ask me, however, Siri will also be able to return calls, playback your voicemail, and control iTunes Radio.

Case-Mate Launches iPhone 5 and Galaxy S 4 Acetates Collection

Case-Mate has rolled out another line of high-end cases for both the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S 4. The Case-Mate Acetates Collection features three new elegantly designed iPhone cases. The new designs include White Horn, Tortoise (w/ gold brushed aluminum), and Pewter. Each case features a two-piece design to protect the back and front of your device, and an interior patterned inlay for extra protection. The Galaxy S 4 cases only come in White Horn and Pewter. The Acetates Collection cases are $80 with free shipping.

Case-Mate Acetates Collection

If an $80 iPhone case is out of your price range, Case-Mate also offers more affordable designer and basic cases. Case-Mate's colorful line of Olo cases range from around $10 to $25, and feature sizes for all types of smartphones including the iPhone 4/4S.

WiFi HotSpot 2.0 Spotted at iOS 7 Keynote

One of the many iOS 7 features not mentioned but spotted at Apple's WWDC keynote was WiFi HotSpot 2.0. The Wi-Fi Alliance's Passpoint certification program made a quick cameo with several other new iOS 7 features towards the end of the event. You can see it listed on the right hand side under "Notification sync" in the image posted below.

iOS 7 Features

Apple's new operating system will support HotSpot 2.0 which aims to make roaming public Wi-Fi networks easier. The new authentication system allows users to switch between Passpoint-supported hotspots without having to enter a password each time. This only works with Passpoint-enabled hotspots, but several large companies like AT&T, Boingo, CableVision, Comcast and TimeWarner are already conducting trials, according to ArsTechnica.

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