You’ve probably tried putting yourself on the the Do Not Call list, asking to be taken off call lists and even blocked specific numbers on your phone. Of course, nothing seems to be foolproof. Robocallers and telemarketers ignore what you want and just keep calling. It happens quite a bit when you are shopping around for something, like a new car or a new house. All of a sudden you are inundated with calls about lower interest rates or other special offers.

While Apple has always had Do-Not Disturb mode to keep your phone silent during specific times of day, they company hasn’t invested much time in helping you block robocallers and telemarketers. Previous to iOS 13, you would have to trick your phone into ignoring calls, like creating a “No Caller ID” profile in your phone to force blocked numbers into voicemail.

Available as a free update for iPhone users, iOS 13.1 will help you ignore all those pesky robocallers and telemarketers with a new feature called Silence Unknown Callers. After updating to iOS 13.1, you can find this option under Settings -> scroll down to Phone -> click the “Silence Unknown Callers” toggle.

Any call that’s from an unknown number will be completely silenced, no ringing, no vibrating. Just straight to voicemail. You will get a notification about the call, but your phone won’t vibrate to alert you. The calls that will continue to ring / vibrate when received are calls from your contacts, recently outgoing calls (like calling a repairman, then they call you back) and Siri’s suggestions.

Other popular iOS 13 features include a dark mode for higher contrast browsing, mouse support (for iPads), full page screenshot support, a new subscription manager, and a faster way to connect to Bluetooth devices.

iOS 13 helps you ignore robocallers and telemarketers

Happy 2019!  A new year means a fresh start, and with that comes a new set of resolutions.  One of the most common resolutions involves one’s health, whether that is to “eat better”, “lose weight”, or “get fit”.  However, it’s a well known fact that most people fail to reach their new year goals.

What’s something that often stops projects–and resolutions–in their tracks is a lack of a clear plan.  Getting healthier is always an admirable goal, but it also can be overwhelming for those that don’t quite know how to go about such goal.  Thankfully, there are a number of apps to use that can help you get organized to make 2019 the year you hit that healthy resolution.

MyFitnessPal

The key to losing weight is quite simple in theory–eat less calories, and you’ll burn fat.  But, how much less food should you eat?  Do you know how many calories that spaghetti you made is?  Calorie counting can be really overwhelming, but MyFitnessPal can make it so much easier.

You simply plug in your stats and how many pounds you want to lose (or gain!) a week, and the app does the calculations for you.  Then, you pick the foods you eat from its extensive database (the largest of all the apps of its ilk), and viola, you’ve taken the first step in getting your diet in shape!

Google Play   Apple App Store

MapMyFitness

There are dozens upon dozens of workout tracking apps, but MapMyFitness is one that gets a bit of a special mention.  By the same makers as MyFitnessPal, syncing the two apps for accurate measurements of calories you burn is an immensely helpful feature for someone overwhelmed with the healthier lifestyle.

MapMyFitness tracks walks, runs, and cycling trips via GPS, giving you plenty of information about how far you went, how quickly, and how many calories you burned.  Additionally, MapMyFitness has a datatbase for things like local trails and fitness events, to make sure you never run out of things to do.

Google Play   Apple App Store

Fitocracy

If you’re not as worried about syncing your apps together, and like to ‘gamify’ things, then Fitocracy is right up your ally.  Fitocracy has a nice database exercises that you can search, and as you do them you earn points.

Points level you up and earn achievements, adding a competitive element with friends if you so choose.  It’s a bit of a more fun way to motivate yourself to work out.

Google Play   Apple App Store

C25K

All the fitness tracking apps are great, but they don’t help if you’re not sure what to do in the first place!  If you’re interested in running and cardio, but don’t quite have the endurance yet, one of your best bets is the Couch to 5k (or C25K) program.

The program is designed to get completely sedentary people up and running a 5k in only 90 days, by a staggered run/walk program three days a week.  It’s an extremely helpful program, and there is a whole slew of apps that can help you with this particular program.  The one I chose for this list is both free and has a nice looking interface, though most of the apps do serve the same purpose.

Google Play   Apple App Store

Stronglifts 5×5

If you’re not one for cardio, maybe weightlifting is more your cup of tea.  One of the best beginners’ programs for lifting heavy things has to be the Stronglifts 5×5 program.  It’s deceptively simple–you only need learn five exercises, and you’re only in the gym three times a week.

The app gives you all the information you need on what exercises to do and on what days, and there are many success stories out there with how much this program help others get stronger and lose weight.  The creator of this program wanted all the information about Stronglifts to be free to all and easily accessible, and that extends to this official app.

Google Play   Apple App Store

Headspace

People tend to not realize how important their mental health is to their physical health!  Stress can cause hormone inbalances, to hold on to water weight, and even a terrifying smorgasbord of health issues.  One of the simplest ways to set aside some time to yourself, a way to calm down and unwind from our busy lives.

This is where meditation comes into play.  When meditation is properly practiced, it gives the mind time to slow down, unwind, and simply let thoughts slip by.  But meditation is not always easily learned… but thankfully with meditation apps at our fingertips, there’s never a better time to try.

Headspace is my personal favorite–while it does require a monthly subscription, Headspace teaches you the foundations of meditation and how to practice it, as well as many different varieties of guided meditation.  There are programs to help you sleep, deal with anxiety, and plenty of other series well worth the fee.

Google Play   Apple App Store

Fitness and Health Apps to Kickstart Your New Year’s Resolutions

If want to get six more months out of your old iPhone before the next upgrade cycle, the latest version of iOS is going to make your older device just a bit more responsive. Released today, iOS 12 is a solid improvement for older iPhone devices like the 5S and 6 as well as older iPad models.

According to these tests performed by Arstechnica, there are launch time improvements up to 26% on the iPhone 5S (compared to iOS 11.4.1) and improvements up to 21% on the iPhone 6 Plus. Most of the tests were performed on common apps like Safari, Camera and Mail as well as cold boot tests.

The full list of iOS 12 supported smartphones includes the 5s, SE, 6, 6 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, and X (as well as all new models). For iPads, the full list of supported tablets includes:

• iPad mini 2, mini 3 and mini 4
• iPad Air and Air 2
• iPad 5th generation (2017) and 6th generation (2018)
• 9.7-inch iPad Pro, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, 12.9-inch iPad Pro 1st generation and 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2nd generation.

While the update will automatically install at some point, you also have the option of forcing the update. To install the update, go into Settings and select General -> Software Update to download. If you don’t have enough space, Apple will automatically uninstall apps to make space, then reinstall those apps after iOS 12 is installed.

If you are shopping for budget iPhones, pricing is significantly better this week as well. We featured a deal last week for a $240 iPhone 6S (64GB). The MSRP for the base iPhone 7 has dropped to $449 and you can find refurbished models sold by Apple for $379. Check our smartphone deal feed for more options.

If you are looking for information about new features in iOs 12, you can find that here on Apple.com. A review of iOS 12 can be found below:

Money Saver Tip: iOS 12 makes older iPhones a little faster

Looking for the best smartwatches to give as gifts this holiday season? We’ve collected our top favorites this year, the majority of which have nothing to do with that popular fruit company in Cupertino. Check out our picks below:

Huawei Watch

Gaining a 4.5 out of 5 star review rating on Amazon, the Huawei Watch has quickly become one of the more popular smartwatches on the market due to high-end design. The watch offers a 1.4″ full circle AMOLED display (42 millimeter) as well as a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 4GB of storage and roughly two days of battery life.

• Compatibility: Android and iOS
• MSRP: $299
• Best Recent Price: $200 (refurb)

Check Price on Amazon

Samsung Gear S2 Smartwatch

Stepping up with a beautiful display at 360 by 360 resolution, the Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch is Samsung direct response to the Apple Watch. The stylish watch includes a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. In addition to providing notifications from your Android smartphone, it also include a built-in fitness tracker. The watch will offer a 3-day battery life.

• Compatibility: Android Only (for now)
• MSRP: $299 to $349
• Last-Gen Alternative: Samsung Galaxy Gear S for $150

Check Price on Amazon

Pebble Time Steel Smartwatch

Rolling out the company’s first color display on a smartwatch, the Pebble Time Steel is a platform agnostic smartwatch that’s roughly the same size as the 42mm Apple Watch. While the display is notably more muted and less advanced than other smartwatches, the advantage to that display is a 10-day battery life. Also, the screen always stays on, compared to other smartwatches that require user interaction all the time.

• Compatibility: Android and iOS
• MSRP: $249
• Last-Gen Alternative: Original Pebble Steel at $100

Check Price on Amazon

LG Watch Urbane Smartwatch

Offering up a gorgeous design in both gold and silver, the Urbane from LG is another style-oriented design that’s meant to tackle the Apple Watch head on. It’s one of the first Android watches to offer compatibility with iPhones and is outfitted with a speedy quad core 1.2GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage.

• Compatibility: Android and iOS
• MSRP: $349 / Ben’s Best Price: $204
• Last-Gen Alternative: LG G Smartwatch R for $140

Check Price on Amazon

Moto 360 Smartwatch (2015 revision)

Available in a 42mm and 46mm version, the Moto 360 revision for 2015 sports a speedy 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage and an on-board GPU. Features include on a heart rate sensor on the back of the smartwatch as well as an ambient light sensor, which auto-adjusts the display brightness depending on light in the area. Battery life rated between 1.5 to 2 days, depending on model.

• Compatibility: Android (and iOS soon)
• MSRP: $299
• Last-Gen Alternative: Original Moto 360 for $115

Check Price on Amazon

ASUS ZenWatch 2 Smartwatch

Easily mistaken for an Apple Watch, the ASUS ZenWatch 2 is a stylish follow-up to the original ZenWatch. Complete with a snappy 1.2GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage, the ZenWatch 2 is available as a 1.63-inch version with a 400mAh battery pack (3-days) and a smaller 1.45-inch version with a 300mAh battery pack (2-days). Also, the price is amazing, basically half the MSRP of most competitors.

• Compatibility: Android Only
• MSRP: $149
• Last-Gen Alternative: ASUS ZenWatch for $130

Check Price on Best Buy

Apple Watch Series 7

Rounding out the bottom of our list specifically due to the exorbitant price, the Apple Watch 7 is only compatible with iOS. Reviewers love the design of the product, but battery life is still short at roughly 18 hours. It includes activity tracking as well as GPS, NFC and a heart rate monitor.

• Compatibility: iOS Only
• MSRP: $399 to $1,759
• Cheaper Alternative:

Check Price on Apple

2016 Tech Gift Guide: Best Smartwatches

We’ve just updated the Ben’s Bargains mobile app for both iOS and Android devices (version 1.2), specifically with a sleeker design to showcase more deals. In addition to the new design, we’ve also added landscape support on iOS as well as an iPad version of the app.

On the iPad version of the app, we’ve placed the category listings on the left side as well as a search bar and your most recent searches. You can quickly jump between product categories without having to switch to another page within the app. You also have the option of switching to landscape mode automatically in order to browse a larger number of deals at a time.

Managing deal alerts is easier in the new layout, ideal for anyone watching mulitple product categories for specific deals. We’ve also added optional push notification options within the app, useful if you want to catch an extremely hot deal before it sells out. You can set push notification for each specific alert as needed.

You can download (or update) the new versions of the apps on Google Play for Android users (LINK) and the App Store for iOS users (LINK). The Google Play version is compatible with Jelly Bean and higher (Android version 4.0.3 and up). Our iOS version for Apple devices is compatible with iOS version 8.2 or higher.

Ben’s App on Google Play –  Ben’s App on iTunes

You can also see more photos of the new iPad version of the app below:

The Ben’s Bargains app now offers iPad support, new design

Plex is a popular multi-platform media player that works with Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, set-top boxes like Roku, Apple TV 4 and Amazon Fire TV, smart TVs from Vizio and Samsung and NAS devices from popular brands like Synology, Drobo and QNAP.

Plex basically works like this: 1) set up your media on a Plex server on a PC or NAS and 2) stream the media to a mobile device, set-top box, game console, home theater PC (HTPC) or smart TV.

What separates Plex from something like iTunes—and why it has gained such a loyal following—is not just its platform- and format-flexibility but its eye-catching user interface and exhaustive (and frequently overwhelming) under-the-hood customizations.

If you’re using iTunes (and most people are), it’s pretty easy to transfer your library (or other music libraries) straight over to Plex. Plex will do all the transcoding (changing media into appropriate formats for streaming) on the fly and pretty it up in the Plex UI.

Apps or “channels” also make Plex more than a media server for user generated content. You can add popular apps like Apple Movie Trailers, PBS and Vimeo (no Netflix or Hulu, though).

While Plex is free*, you can spend $4.99 per month for Plex Pass ($40 per year or $150 lifetime) to get additional features such as mobile and cloud syncing, movie trailers, music videos, Gracenote music organization and more.

*Mobile apps are free with limited functionality, but there’s a $5 in-app purchase required to unlock full functionality.

Also, if you have Plex Pass, new features are frequently rolled out. In late December 2015, synchronized lyrics from LyricFind were added for Plex Pass subscribers, just in time for embarrassing holiday sing-alongs.

Plex Pass Subscribers now get synchronized lyrics

Let’s take a look at Plex Pass and what you get for $5 a month.

Plex Pass Movie Trailers

It might seem like a small thing, but having movie trailers play automatically before your movie is pretty cool.

Plex Pass will pull in trailers from new and upcoming movies in theaters and also Blu-ray (if you choose), and you can select the number of trailers that play (up to 5). You can’t select the exact trailers to play, but it does choose ones that are appropriate to the main feature.

Choose whether you want new or old movie trailers to play

Plex Pass Premium Music Library (Gracenote)

With Plex Pass, you have the option to set up a library with Gracenote metadata, which includes artist bios and reviews, as well as automatic playlists, similar to a Pandora-type radio station.

Gracenote Premium Library also includes a feature called “sonic fingerprinting” which is a fancy way of saying that it will figure out the metadata for a music file that has incorrect tags or none at all.

You have the option of downloading upcoming concert information for the artist as well as using existing tags and/or iTunes information like playlists, ratings, play count and original date added to library.

Gracenote metadata includes liner notes, reviews and upcoming concerts

Plex Pass subscribers also get music videos from Vevo automatically added to either regular music libraries or Premium (Gracenote) libraries. Videos appear next to tracks as a small display icon and also under the artist page.

Plex Pass Mobile and Cloud Sync

Your home network is where Plex normally operates, but if you want to access your media library outside of the home, then a Plex Pass is required.

Sync media for offline viewing/listening

Using Mobile Sync is easy. Similar to streaming services like Spotify, you find the track or album that you want to have for offline listening and press the sync button, either on your mobile device or the main server (via the web browser UI).

To play offline media on your mobile device, choose “Location” from the top navigation menu and select your mobile device instead of your main media server.

This is not much different from what you can do with iTunes and your phone, so if all you need is Mobile Sync, then free Plex is probably all you need.

Using Cloud Sync requires a little more work but it’s also fairly straightforward. First, you’ll need a cloud storage account from one of these providers: Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon Cloud Drive, Box (paid version) and/or Copy. Second, link up one or all of your cloud storage accounts with Plex under Cloud Sync in Accounts (https://plex.tv/cloudsync/providers).

After you’ve done that, you can easily sync media to the cloud from the main media server. (You have to sync from Plex. Adding media files directly to your cloud storage won’t work.)

Depending on the limitations of your cloud storage account and your mobile data plan, Cloud Sync is probably one of the most powerful features of Plex Pass, basically allowing you to exceed your phone’s storage capacity and create your own streaming service a la Spotify.

Other Plex Pass Features

• Plex Home: Allows you to create multiple switchable user accounts that you can share libraries with and also set content restrictions for (i.e. for children).
• Camera Upload: Allows you to wirelessly upload photos from iOS/Android/Windows phones to your Plex server (no videos).
• Early Access, Free Apps and Forums: Allows you first dibs on new features, early access to apps like the new Plex Media Player (for HTPC setups like a Mac Mini) and access to the members-only support forum.

Plex Pass: Good Deal?

Plex Pass is a good deal if you have a large media library and plan to use Cloud Sync. For $5 a month, it’s cheaper than a streaming service like Spotify or Netflix and offers you both music and movies. However, unlike a traditional streaming service, your experience with Plex is heavily dependent on your own media library, aside from the very limited online content choices.

If you’re an avid buyer of music and movies or are simply satisfied with the media you already have, then Plex Pass is more suitable for you. If you’re not sure, you can still test basic Plex features mostly for free, and the Plex experience feels way ahead of something like iTunes, which seems stuck in time.

The best deal is the $150 lifetime pass, but then you’re banking on using it for at least 4 years (at the $40 / year rate). Over the past year, Plex has been introducing new features like Gracenote, Plex Media Player and the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One apps, so a lifetime pass is a good investment in this maturing ecosystem.

Plex Pass Review: iTunes on Steroids

Launching on Google Play for Android users recently (LINK) and iOS today (LINK), the new Ben’s Bargains mobile app incorporates all the account functionality found on the main site in a compact, speedy package with more features than our mobile Web version of Ben’s.

The core new feature in the app is mobile notifications. When you set a deal alert on a specific product, we will send you a mobile notification the second that it’s posted on the site (assuming you toggle notifications on). This way, you won’t miss out the next time we post deals that sell out in less than an hour.

Tied to your Ben’s profile, you can manage preferences including Deal Alerts you’ve set on specific products, products that you have set as favorites over time and products that you have recently viewed (either on the Web version of Ben’s or the mobile version).

Similar to the main site, you have the ability to filter products by categories, stores and price range. You can also use the quick filters at the top of the app to see the latest deals, the hottest deals and your recently viewed deals.

We’ve also includes easy icons to trigger specific events. Tapping the bell icon will set a Deal Alert on the product (and tapping it again will turn it off). The same goes for the heart icon, which triggers the favorite function.

We also have a share icon on the deal page that allows you to share to Facebook, Twitter or via email. Also similar to the main site, you can visit the deal page within the app to make comments as well as vote on comments left by others.

The Google Play version is compatible with Jelly Bean and higher (Android version 4.0.3 and up). Our iOS version for Apple devices is compatible with iOS version 7.0 or higher.

Ben’s App on Google Play –  Ben’s App on iTunes

You can check out pictures of both versions of the app below:

Android App Photos:

iOS App Photos:

Introducing the new Ben’s Bargains mobile app

The holidays may be swiftly passing us all by, but the gift of giving will never go away. Now that you’ve gone through the shopping mall ringer once again, surely having compiled new strategies in the wake of old ones thrown out, maybe you feel confident. Next year it will all go swimmingly. That birthday around the corner, or whatever holiday might cross your calendar next, is surely just a breeze to be breathed in as concurrently as the air in your everyday life.

But this is a mistake, dear consumer. This is a folly, and you will rue the coming holiday, the maker of your emotional and psychological defeat. There is only one way to overcome that creeping shadow of potential gift-giving failure, only one way to ensure your family members still love you in the passing of a traditional swapathon. It’s not your wiles or your experience. It’s much simpler than that. Just use these handy-dandy shopping apps!

Shopkick

Sometimes you end your shopping adventure empty-handed. You just never crossed paths with that perfect gift, and now you’re fearful of a wasted day. Fear not. This is the app that strives to actually reward the act of shopping, granting points upon simply entering one of its many partnered retailers’ stores, eventually leading to earned gift cards and other goodies.

And the partners are nothing to scoff at. Target, Best Buy, Old Navy and more are all in on the game. The app even makes an effort to locate deals in your vicinity. It’s a must-have for the aimless browsers of the world, especially for those who like free things.

Android iOS

Barcode Scanner+ (Plus)

If you do find yourself in the regrettable position of using your legs and leaving the house, try not to do it without the Barcode Scanner+ (Plus) application. It scans barcodes. Unlike other barcode scanning applications, however, it doesn’t do anything else.

The twist is that’s a good thing, since the developers behind this app seem to have an obsession with scanning every kind of barcode on the planet, whereas other apps will often run into products it can’t quite understand. It’s the singular focus of this one that makes it worth the price tag.

Android

Gift List Manager Pro

There’s a real pragmatic edge to this particular app, opting for budgeting lists and cold, hard mathematics over flashy graphics and cute fonts. If you’re serious about your gift giving and getting, as any whole person should be, then knowing just how much you can or should spend from gift to gift is only slightly less important than the gift itself. This is for the “it’s about the journey” guy in the odyssey of department stores and Build-A-Bears.

Android

Amazon Surprise!

Surprise! Amazon is, for some unknown reason, all about the shopping applications. Amazon wants you to shop. Amazon wants you to never forget to buy gifts. That’s what Surprise! is all about. It’s a calendar of gift-giving events, an eCard generator and, most importantly of all, a painless way to give somebody an Amazon gift card. It may be cheap and easy. It’s also quite quick and painless, a last-second reminder for those last-second kind of people.

Android iOS

The calendar in Amazon’s iOS and Android Surprise! App.

What’s It Worth on Ebay?

If you ever ask yourself this question, chances are you’ve sauntered online and found out the old-fashioned way: through Ebay. That’s fine and everything. This app just makes that process a little easier, a little more streamlined. What’s It Worth on Ebay? compiles and averages for you a good price for whatever you’re looking for based on successfully sold items in the past few weeks.

It may be a selling app before anything else, but there’s utility in the realm of gift-giving, especially for those flea-market, antiquing types, always on the lookout for that one, unique gift nobody else could ever find. Except for Ebay. Ebay already found it.

Android

Car Finder

Parking lots are vast and scary places. Danger is afoot. Rows of metallic beasts create a hedge maze of confusion and horror. All you needed was the Car Finder app, but now you’re hopelessly lost and caved in by Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target.

You may finally even bemoan your decision to paint your car a quaint silver, instead you should have used this GPS-enabled car locator, because all those gifts weighing down your aching heels aren’t getting any lighter and you have the sick feeling your car isn’t getting any closer. That’s the feeling of many regrets, my friend. Time to hit the dreaded alarm button on your key and endure the public shame.

Android

The Shopping Apps You Need to Survive Another Holiday

Amazon’s new Surprise! app needs to know something. Take a quick moment and evaluate whether any of these agree with you:

• You often receive passive aggressive text messages from family members “gently” reminding you that an anniversary, holiday or birthday is coming up.
• You’d rather just buy a gift card and get it over with, and you’re okay with getting gift cards in return.
• eCards are better than real cards, because trees.
• eCards are better than real cards, because animation.
• An eCard and a gift card are the peanut butter and jelly of the Internet.
• Amazon lives in your wallet.

If you nodded your head, then you’re in luck. Amazon will never let you forget to give somebody a gift. Ever again. The Surpise! app, just released on the app store currently sitting in your pocket or purse, does a number of things better than your brain. It keeps a calendar of gift-giving events, reminds you of those events and, finally, let’s you send an eCard packaged nice and tight with an Amazon gift card.

The calendar in Amazon’s iOS and Android Surprise! App.

eCards in Amazon’s iOS and Android Surprise! App.

Customization in Amazon’s iOS and Android Surprise! App.

Here’s the iOS version and here’s the Android version. The eCards are fairly simple at the moment, albeit with a small dose of customization. Users can insert photos, videos, audio and text into the templates. If the app is a success, expect a much more robust version in the future. And coming from the laziest among them, this thing is going to be a hit.

And for those who’ve long settled for the innocent shrug on those very special days, avert your eyes and make sure your parents never hear of this horrifying invention.

Amazon’s New Surprise! App Keeps the Laziest Gift Shoppers on Their Toes

After iOS 8 launched this week, consumers have started to notice a new icon on the lock screen of their iPhone. Positioned in the bottom left corner of the screen, the icon is completely dependent on the user’s location and the installed (or available) apps on the phone.

For instance, if a user is near a Starbucks location and has the Starbucks app installed, a ghost white version of the Starbucks app button will appear. It also displays an App Store icon in the corner, if you don’t have the app.

If you swipe up on that icon, you immediately launch into the retailer’s app. It’s likely that Apple has tied this to the Maps data, thus store integration of a location beacon would not be needed. In many respects, the icon acts as a reminder that you have the store app installed, thus you may be able to take advantage of location-based coupons or special offers. Or perhaps simply using the app to place an order and checkout.

It wouldn’t have to be limited to retail storefronts either. Pretty much any organization that sells access tickets to events could take advantage of this feature; places like the zoo, the movie theater or concert venues. It could be used for travel as well, places like the train station or even the airport. It would also be useful for restaurants as well, encouraging diners to download the company application.

Of course, if you aren’t interested in receiving a app recommendation based off your location, you have the ability to turn it off in the Settings app. Within Settings, tap on the “iTunes & App Store” section and scroll down to the “Suggested Apps” section. Tap the toggle on “My Apps” and “App Store” to flip off those notifications on the lock screen. (see below)

How iOS 8 could encourage more mobile shopping, no Apple Pay required