Welcome to iFanzine’s new Weekly News Roundup, where we take a quick look at the most interesting Apple and iOS gaming-related stories of the week. Today’s installment includes: some very intriguing new information about the upcoming iPhone 8, fallout from the Pokémon GO Fest disaster, a daredevil iPhone heist that sounds like something out of a Fast and the Furious movie, and lots more!
You May Soon Be Able to Unlock Your iPhone With Your Face
While digging through the recently leaked HomePod firmware, iOS app developers Steve Troughton-Smith and Guilherme Rambo uncovered some interesting tidbits of info about Apple’s upcoming iPhone 8. According to these digital sleuths, the handset will feature a near bezel-less display and facial unlocking tech that does away with the need for a Touch ID-enabled home button. The mockup above (from Forbes) imagines what this bezel-less, home button-less iPhone might look like. Pretty nice, right?
Thieves Behind $590,000 iPhone Heist Apprehended
Following a year-long manhunt, a gang of Romanian “stunt thieves” believed responsible for a daring $590,000 iPhone heist have been nabbed by authorities in the Netherlands. If you’re wondering why the group are being referred to as “stunt thieves” by the media, it’s because their modus operandi involved them clinging onto the bonnet of a speeding car and breaking into the backs of cargo trucks carrying luxury goods. Check out the police helicopter footage of the same maneuver being attempted by another gang — it genuinely looks like something out of GTA V or a Fast and the Furious movie!
[Gizmodo]
Fans Suing Niantic over ‘Pokémon GO’ Fest Fiasco
The fallout from Niantic’s disastrous Pokemon Go Fest continued this week as Chicago-based attorney Thomas Zimmerman filed a class action lawsuit against the company on behalf of client Jonathan Norton and 20 to 30 other disgruntled attendees. The suit reportedly cites “promises that were not kept” and is seeking undisclosed damages for wasted travel expenses (many attendees travelled from out of state or from another country to be at the event).
[Modojo]
‘Trivia Guy’ Is Getting More Content
I’ve written a whole lot of new funny #triviaguy questions for review by the lovely folks at @AppStore… out next week, all going well! pic.twitter.com/KdNOiHAfcR
— Steven @ GW Games ⭐️ (@groovy_woovy) August 2, 2017
Steven McDade tweeted out the news this week that he’s submitted a new Trivia Guy update to Apple for review. And if you squint at the attached image, you can see that the incoming content includes 70 brand new questions. That’s a lot! By the way, if this the first you’re hearing about Trivia Guy, you should really familiarize yourself by checking out our recent interview with the very chatty comedy-writer-turned-game-dev behind it.
[Twitter]
‘Batman: The Enemy Within’ Mobile Release Delayed
A new trailer has been released for Telltale Games’ Batman: The Enemy Within ahead of the first episode’s arrival on PC and consoles next week on August 8th. The game looks great, but sadly the mobile version has been hit by delays, so us iOS gamers will have to wait until some time in October to be able to test our wits against classic Bat-villain The Riddler. Grrr…
Pocket Gamer are Looking for Interns
If you’ve ever dreamed of launching a career in mobile gaming or tech journalism, the fine folks over at Pocket Gamer have an opportunity you may be interested in. The popular news and reviews site is currently on the search for writers to fill a number of internship positions. The positions are unpaid, but the listing notes that successful candidates will receive many perks and learning opportunities. On a side-note: we here at iFanzine are always looking for new writers to join our ranks, too! 😉
Rinikulous Games Are Brainstorming Something New
Brainstorming my next game…thing.
— Nik Mihaylov (@rinikulous) July 30, 2017
A few days back, Rinikulous Games’ Nik Mihaylov announced that he’s currently brainstorming his studio’s “next game…thing.” Now this might seem like a bit of a non-story to some people, but anyone who’s played Rinikulous’ previous couple of releases — Lonely Sun and Hyper Beam — will no doubt appreciate that this tweet is reason enough to start getting very excited.
[Twitter]
Glittery iPhone Cases Cause Chemical Burns
More than 200,000 glittery iPhone cases have been recalled by their manufacturer, MixBin Electronics. Not because they’re hideous, but because the liquid inside them apparently leaked on people and caused severe chemical burns, blisters, and skin irritation. Ouch. The offending cases were available from a number of major retailers, including Amazon, Henri Bendel, Nordstrom Rack, Tory Burch, and Victoria’s Secret. If you think you might own one of them, you should get rid of it immediately.