The Pokémon Company has officially launched Pokémon Champions on mobile devices, allowing players on iPhone and Android to join the same competitive battle ecosystem available on Nintendo Switch.

Unlike traditional Pokémon adventures, Pokémon Champions focuses entirely on battles, rankings, and competitive play.

Download for iPhone

Download for Android

Nintendo Switch Version

Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 players can also join the action through the Nintendo eShop.

Cross-Platform Battles

One of Pokémon Champions' biggest features is full cross-platform support. Mobile players can battle against trainers on Nintendo Switch, helping create a larger and more active competitive community.

The game also supports Pokémon HOME integration, allowing players to bring eligible Pokémon from their existing collections into battle.

Built for Competitive Players

Pokémon Champions is designed around ranked battles, casual matches, and tournament-style competition rather than story-driven gameplay.

For players who enjoy battling more than collecting, it may become one of the most important Pokémon releases in years.

The improvements in this release were initially meant to be a part of iOS 12.1.1 and 12.1.2 but had to be pushed back to satisfy the demands made by a Chinese court over the alleged infringement of Qualcomm Inc. patents.

The official changelog from Apple reads as follows:


The update will be pushed to all compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices OTA (over-the-air) and you will receive an update notification when it is available for your device. You could also manually update on your device by heading to Settings > General > Software Update.

Advanced users who prefer a clean installation of iOS could consider downloading the IPSW files and installing the update on their device using iTunes.

Download Apple iOS 12.1.3 IPSW files

• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XR
• iPhone X
• iPhone 8 (iPhone10,4)
• iPhone 8 Plus (iPhone10,5)
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone 6 Plus
• iPhone SE
• iPhone 5s GSM
• iPhone 5s CDMA
• iPad Pro (10.5-inch)
• iPad Pro (11-inch – 2018)
• iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (1st generation | 2nd generation | 3rd generation)
• iPad 5 (9.7-inch – 2017)
• iPad 6 (9.7-inch – 2018)
• iPad Air 2
• iPad mini 4
• iPad mini 3
• iPad Pro (9.7‑inch)
• iPad Air 1
• iPad mini 2
• iPod touch (6th generation)

Costco is prepping for Black Friday 2018, and the ad sent out to its members suggests that the retailer has a discount planned for the Apple iPad 9.7-inch (2018).

source - Verizon ( 1 | 2 )

The Apple iPad Pro 10.5 is one of the best tablets in the market, and it has retained that position since it was launched last year. While its an expensive piece of hardware to purchase, several major retailers offer sales on the device across the United States.



It is important to point out that the same model only retails for $550 on Apple, so you are paying only $120 more for this refurbished iPad, despite Walmart's higher markup. While the iPad Pro is meant to replace modern laptops, you'd still have to purchase they keyboard cover and Apple Pencil separately, for the full package.

On March 27th, Apple unveiled a cheaper, faster iPad during an education-focused event at Chicago. The new iPad is meant to take challenge the growth of Google's Chromebooks in classrooms. But is Apple's new tablet the right solution of teachers and students ?

WHAT'S NEW

Visually not much has changed between the 2017 iPad and the new model. When they are placed side by side, they are identical. In fact this is Apple’s third time offering an iPad in this chassis, first introduced in the iPad Air in 2013.

The specs and pricing however is where the two iPads differ. The 2018 iPad comes with a faster and more energy-efficient processor, which should also improve overall battery life. Apple has also improved the LTE components for those purchasing the cellular models. The rest of the harder is pretty much identical too, including the same 8MP rear camera, and touch ID sensor on the home button.

The biggest change Apple is marketing is the addition of Apple Pencil support. This stylus was previously exclusive to the iPad Pro lineup. The Pencil adds a new layer to the existing touch input, allowing writing and drawing on your iPad.

The few hardware changes haven't warranted a new price for the iPad 2018, which still costs $330. However students are offered a $30 discount, bringing the cost of the new iPad to $299. Apple also offers 128GB capacity (+$100) and/or LTE cellular versions (+$130) as upgrades. The Apple Pencil is a $99 add-on (discounted to $89 for students and schools).

WHY THE IPAD ISN'T RIGHT FOR SCHOOLS

Under Steve Jobs, Apple pioneered the market for selling computers to schools. However, it lost its early lead in the education market, first to Windows-powered machines, and more recently to Google's Chromebooks. Even though Apple has been aggressively marketing its iPad to regain lost ground, it hasn't exactly worked for them.

In 2016, Apple's iPads and Macs accounted for 18% of the laptops and tablets shipped to US schools, according to Futuresource Consulting. The company's iPad shipments, which account for most of its education sales, fell last year.

Google's success with their Chromebook's can be attributed to their aggressive pricing. These laptop style machines are priced between $200 to $300, and are very easy to maintain. Laptops, by design are fairly durable. And modern laptops are light and easy to transport. Their displays, which are the most fragile part are generally protected when the laptop is closed. Additionally Chromebook's don't require installing apps, and instead allow schools to offer web-based applications which are easy to access and work on.

While Apple's iOS is intuitive and modern, it is more complex that Chrome OS. Schools would still require an IT administrator to configure and maintain these tablets.

Unfortunately all of these work against the Apple iPad. The base model starts at $300, and that sleek tablet comes with zero protection. The iPad is inherently fragile with its all glass front. While so many adults break their phone displays, its not hard to imagine a kid accidentally dropping the iPad.

Companies like Amazon, release kid-friendly cases for their Amazon Fire tablets. These rubberized cases offer a great buffer for the tablet when its accidentally dropped. Its not meant to make the tablet look pretty, but built practically. Apple doesn't quite seem to understand this. Their education themed iPad should offer a similar protective case, but they don't. Instead they exact schools to pay extra for such cases.

The other big selling point of the iPad, is the Apple Pencil. Again we find Apple hasnt made any effort with their stylus, when marketing it as an education friendly product. Firstly purchasing the Apple Pencil is going to cost you extra, but on top of that, there is no easy to way to keep track of it. The Pencil doesn't magnetically attach itself to the iPad, nor is there a slot to keep the Pencil securely in place with your tablet. The only way the Pencil connects to the iPad is through its lightning port, while awkwardly poking out the end. When you have the Pencil sticking out like that connected through a relatively thin piece of metal, you can expect it will get snapped off accidentally. Apple does sell pouches designed for the stylus, but expect an additional $130 investment if you want to add one of those to your purchase.

While the iPad Pro lineup has a keyboard cover, the new iPad users will have to look for a special keyboard cases if they regularly write reports.

Now compare all this to having a Chromebook or a Windows Laptop. For $300 you have a fully functional device, which is durable and easy for teachers to setup and for students to use. While the iPad adds multiple costs for durability, additional work on setting up and a Pencil which hasn't been designed to complement the tablet.

How can school's embrace Apple's new iPad as a solution to their troubles and woes, when Apple has made little to no effort addressing what students need ?

The iPad 2018 also adds support for Apple Pencil, which you would have to purchase separately.

The full Apple iPad 9.7 (2018) specifications follow:

The full Apple iPad (2018) specifications follow:

source: T-Mobile | John Legere (Twitter) | Phone Scoop

In case you downloaded the recently released Microsoft Office for iPad, you may have realised that the free version only allows you to read documents or make presentation. If you want to make edits or perform other advanced tasks you will require a costly Office 365 subscription.

Luckily Microsoft is giving iPad owners a chance to walk away with a year's worth of Office 365 for free.

Today Microsoft finally announced Microsoft Office for iPad during a special media event which took place in San Francisco. The Office Suite for iPad includes Word for iOS, Excel for iOS and PowerPoint for iOS,  which joins OneNote for iOS. The apps can downloaded directly on your iPad through the App Store or by using the following links.

		Microsoft Word for iPad
		Word for iPad is part of Microsoft Office and lets you edit and create documents on your iPad. With an Office 365 subscription, you get always-up-to-date versions of Microsoft Office on your PC, Mac, tablet and phone.
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		Microsoft Excel for iPad
		Excel for iPad is part of Microsoft Office and lets you edit and create spreadsheets on your iPad. With an Office 365 subscription, you get always-up-to-date versions of Microsoft Office on your PC, Mac, tablet and phone.
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		Microsoft PowerPoint for iPad
		PowerPoint for iPad is part of Microsoft Office and lets you edit and create documents on your iPad. With an Office 365 subscription, you get always-up-to-date versions of Microsoft Office on your PC, Mac, tablet and phone.

The apps can be downloaded for free and you'll be able to use Word, Excel and Powerpoint on your iPad to view documents and for delivering presentations. Keep in mind that the Office apps for iPad require iOS 7.0 or higher.

While Office for iPad is free to download, the Office 365 subscription can cost as much as $120 a year, or $80 if you're a student. The Office 365 subscription unlocks everything else, giving you access to the full power and featureset of the applications.


Once unlocked you will get a full Office experience, replete with tables, charts, formatting, and even the previously-maligned but recently-improved Office ribbon. Microsoft's put a lot effort into making sure Office for iPad supports the same features as the desktop versions, and even additional features above them. For example, there's a custom numeric keypad for creating equations in Excel and recommendations that help to visualize the best-looking charts for your data. The PowerPoint app includes the ability to live highlight and annotate during a presentation, as well as a "laser pointer" red dot mode.



Office for iPad all syncs through an Office 365 subscription, so edits that you make on your iPad are synced through the magic of the cloud to your desktop and vice versa.

Additionally the Office 365 (Home Premium) subscription will also get you desktop copies of Office for Mac or Windows for up to 5 different computers, access to the Office web apps, 20GB of SkyDrive and some inclusive Skype calling. Office for iPad is another of the value added propositions to the package.

Step 1

backup your device with iTunes/iCloud before you proceed. This way, if something goes wrong, or you wish to remove the exploit, you can do so easily and without any loss-of-data hassles.



Step 2

Once you have backed up, make sure your device can be jailbroken by heading to Settings > General > About > Version. The current exploit only works for iPhone, iPad and iPod devices running iOS 7.0 through 7.0.4.



Step 3

Use iTunes to revert back to iOS 7.0.4, even if you have used OTA (Over The Air) to update your device in the past.



Step 4

Disable your passcode if you have one in place, as this is known to cause issues. Go to Settings > General > Touch ID & Passcode > Turn Passcode Off.



Step 5

Download evasi0n 7 for Mac (10.6 minimum!) or Windows (XP minimum!). Once installed, just extract the executable file from the archive and power it on. We assume that your device is already plugged to the computer, as you didn't forget to back it up via iTunes. If so, the small program will detect your device and list it as supported. Click the 'Jailbreak' button and do not interact with your device or iTunes in any way until prompted (at about 60% of the progress bar). You'll be then asked to unlock your iOS 7 device and tap the 'evasi0n 7' icon. Go ahead and do as instructed. The process will then continue, and you'll be asked once again to unlock your device.



Step 6

Once the process is done, navigate to the second homescreen and launch the 'Cydia' app. Don't touch your device while it prepares your file system. It'll take a short while, and your device will then restart. Voila! You're now officially jailbroken.



Step 7 

The Cydia store will ask you for an upgrade, go ahead and opt for the complete update. Do keep in mind that the alternative store is still stuck in the iOS 6 era, so it'll clash with your UI visually. Updates to Cydia, along with a bunch of other jailbreaking essentials are expected to come soon, though there's obviously no specific date.

That's it, folks, enjoy your freshly jailbroken iOS 7 device. If your device becomes unresponsive during the process itself, you can just put your device in 'DFU' mode (Device Firmware Upgrade) and restore it. For more specific issues, you can likely get help from evad3rs' support page, found here.