MacRumors

Google today announced a number of improvements that are coming to the Google Maps app in the near future, including a tool that makes it easier to highlight missing roads and transportation errors.

There's a new road editing tool available on the desktop, accessible by going to maps.google.com. Users can click on the side menu button and select the "Edit the map" option to get to the a "Missing Road" entry.

Choosing the Missing Road option lets users add missing roads by drawing lines, which is an upgrade from the prior tool that was pin based. Users could drop a pin where there was an error, but the new road drawing tool allows for better accuracy.

In addition to drawing lines to add missing roads, the tool lets users rename roads, change the direction of a road, and realign or delete incorrect roads. There are also tools for informing Google about road closures with specific dates, reasons, and routes.

Google is vetting all contributed road updates before publishing them to maps. The new editing feature is rolling out over the coming months to more than 80 countries.

Along with new road editing tools, Google is adding a photos update option to Google Maps. In the coming weeks, Google plans to add a tool that will let users "share experiences and highlights" with their recent photos.

Photo updates can be added by going to the "Updates" tab when viewing a specific place in Google Maps and tapping the "upload a photo update" button. The tool will also display photos shared by others.

Apple today updated its privacy website with a new "Labels" section that brings privacy labels for all of Apple's apps together in one place, making it easier for users to learn about how Apple apps handle their personal data.

Apple already provided privacy labels for its apps since the feature launched last year, but on individual support pages, so this new "Labels" section makes it easier to view the labels all in one place, and in alphabetical order. Privacy labels are available for Apple's apps across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, so some apps like GarageBand appear more than once. Apple has also included labels for developer tools like Xcode and even the App Store itself, providing a very comprehensive level of privacy information.

Apple emphasizes that users will not find any data under "Data Used to Track You" for its apps, as Apple does not track users. Apple says it holds itself to a higher standard than it does for all other developers, who will be permitted to track users if they obtain their permission via the App Tracking Transparency framework that will be enforced as of iOS 14.5.

Apple introduced privacy labels on the App Store in December, providing users with a broad overview of the data types an app may collect, and whether the information is used to track them or is linked to their identity or device. These labels appear in App Store listings for third-party apps and downloadable Apple apps like Apple Podcasts, while built-in apps that cannot be removed like Messages have labels on Apple's website.

Apple has required developers to fill out the privacy labels when submitting new apps and app updates to the App Store since early December, but the labels function on an honor system. Apple previously said it "conducts routine and ongoing audits of the information provided" and works with developers to correct any inaccuracies, adding that apps that fail to come into compliance may ultimately face removal from the App Store.

Apple's custom-designed 5G cellular modem will likely debut in all 2023 iPhone models, according to Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Thomas O'Malley. In a supplier-focused research note shared with MacRumors, the analysts said chipmakers Qorvo and Broadcom should be among the companies that benefit from the shift to Apple's in-house solution.

Fast Company's Mark Sullivan and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman are among several sources who have reported that Apple is working on its own modem for future iPhones. Apple reportedly began development of the modem in 2020, after acquiring the majority of Intel's smartphone modem business a year earlier to bolster its efforts. Barclays previously said the modem will support both sub-6GHz and mmWave bands of 5G, as to be expected.

Apple currently uses Qualcomm modems, including the Snapdragon X55 modem in iPhone 12 models. In 2019, a legal settlement between Apple and Qualcomm revealed that Apple will likely use the Snapdragon X60 modem in 2021 iPhones, followed by the Snapdragon X65 modem in 2022 iPhones. The roadmap did mention the possibility of 2023 iPhones using an unannounced Snapdragon X70 modem, but this now appears less likely.

Apple's modem would likely be manufactured by its longtime chipmaking partner TSMC.

The developers behind the popular note-taking app Notability today announced a brand-new version of Notability for macOS, based on Apple's Mac Catalyst technology.

The latest version will bring popular features from Notability on the iPad to the Mac. Now, Notability on macOS supports shape detection, paper backgrounds, Apple Pencil for ‌iPad‌ when using Sidecar, and more. Marc Provost, the apps team director, calls the update "especially useful for students who take notes on ‌iPad‌ and also use a Mac for studying."

Mac Catalyst enables us to maintain feature parity across Apple devices, something we've wanted to offer for a long time. This can be especially useful for students who take notes on iPad and also use a Mac for studying. They can easily pick up where they left off with the same functionality and experience.

Existing customers of Notability for iPhone and Pad can download the new Mac version of the app for free from the Mac App Store. New customers can purchase the new app for a discounted price of $3.99, compared to its regular $8.99 price tag.

The full-size Space Gray HomePod is currently unavailable from Apple in the United States for purchase and delivery, as first spotted by French site Consomac.

The White model of the ‌HomePod‌ remains available for purchase and delivery, indicating this is likely simply a shortage of the Space Gray model, rather than an indication of an imminent product refresh. Furthermore, the Space Gray ‌HomePod‌ is fully available on Apple's website in the UK, France, Australia, and several other countries.

For customers in the United States looking for a Space Gray ‌HomePod‌, Best Buy currently has them listed as in stock. As a complete alternative, both the White and Space Gray models of the smaller and cheaper HomePod mini are available for purchase on Apple's website in the United States.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission watchdog is eyeing a potential probe into pre-installed software and pre-defined "default" choices on mobile devices, including Google being set as the default search engine on Apple devices.

In a press release (via ZDNet), the agency is asking for consumer and industry feedback on the state of default settings, pre-installed web browsers, and how it impacts consumer choice, freedom, and competition. On Apple devices, Google is the default search engine in Apple's Safari browser, and while users can change it, there has been concern over how it hinders competition.

Earlier last year, the United States Department of Justice launched an antitrust lawsuit against Google, accusing it of anticompetitive behavior. As part of the case, it was revealed that Apple receives anywhere between $8 billion and $12 billion per year from Google in exchange to make it the default search engine for Safari. The lawsuit claims that the lucrative deal makes it significantly harder for competing search engines such as DuckDuckGo to grow and compete, given the massive advantage Google has.

ACCC Chair Rod Sims says that while users can change the search engine to other providers besides Google, the default option "increases the likelihood that consumers and businesses will stick with that option." Sims says that the agency wants to hear directly from consumers and businesses about how these default choices and pre-installed software impact how they use those services.

We would like to hear from consumers and businesses about the impact of the pre-installation of services and default settings on devices on their use of these services. We're also interested in how the design of user interfaces on devices, such as widgets, search bars, and the steps required for a consumer to change a default search service can affect how consumers use these services.

The agency has not formally launched an investigation into the situation. However, it is requesting feedback as part of an upcoming report "on the impact of default settings and pre-installation of search services and web browsers on consumer choice and competition."

Apple supplier Wistron has reportedly restarted operations at its iPhone manufacturing facility in India, where workers caused widespread damage late last year over claims of unpaid wages.

In a machine translation from Chinese-language paper United Daily News:

Indian media reported that the local Minister of Industry, Jagadish Shettar, stated that Wistron had resumed production at the factory in accordance with relevant licensing conditions. In the future, relevant departments will pay attention to labor issues and do not hope that similar incidents will happen again.

In December 2020, disgruntled staff went on a rampage at the plant, upturning cars and destroying equipment and furniture.

Wistron initially claimed that the incident was caused by people of unknown identities from outside who intruded into and damaged its facility with unclear intentions.

However, local media reported that many of the 2,000 employees were involved in the violence, with many claiming that they had not been fully paid for four months and were being forced to do extra shifts.

Following the unrest, Apple placed Wistron on probation while it conducted an audit, which found that the plant showed violations of its "Supplier Code of Conduct."

According to Apple, Wistron had failed to implement proper working hour management processes, which "led to payment delays for some workers in October and November."

The plant was set to hire up to 20,000 more workers to manufacture more iPhone SE devices, but the plan was put on ice and Apple said it would not award Wistron any new business until it addressed how its workers are treated.

According to today's report, Wistron's iPhone manufacturing team has cooperated with independent auditors and Wistron in the past three months to ensure that the plant has established the necessary systems required to resume production.

Apple said in February that workers at the plant would receive a new training program to ensure they understood their rights and how to raise questions. According to Wistron, all employees have now received full salaries and a new recruitment and salary system has been implemented to ensure that everyone gets the correct salary and provides the correct documentation.

The Apple probation has delayed the tech company's manufacturing push into India, where it has pledged to invest $1 billion dollars as it seeks to diversify its global supply chains.

Amid rumors that Apple is working on an Apple-branded car that will come out in the next decade, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has published an article about Apple's troubled search for an existing automaker partner to build the vehicle, and how the company's more traditional approach to launching new products could better work in its favor.

Reports first surfaced in January suggesting that Apple was eyeing an existing car manufacturer to be its official partner for Apple Car. Several carmakers are said to have been approached by Apple, including Hyundai and Nissan, but these talks don't appear to have come to anything, and have only served to highlight a general reluctance among automakers to dilute their own brands.

As Apple has recently learned, its strategy of partnering with an existing carmaker invites problems related to brand image that tech giant isn't used to, largely because of its dependence on long-term contract manufacturers that are more than happy to assemble its iPhones, iPads, and Macs in their factories, where public-facing brand image often takes a back seat. Not so with established carmakers, notes Gurman:

In this scenario, Apple would develop an autonomous system for the vehicle, the interior and external design, and on-board technology, while leaving the final production to the carmaker. Such a deal would essentially ask an existing car company to shed its brand and become a contract assembler for a new rival.

A longtime manager at both Apple and Tesla Inc. said this would be like Apple asking bitter smartphone rival Samsung Electronics Co. to manufacture the iPhone. Apple wants to challenge the assumptions of how a car works -- how the seats are made, how the body looks, the person said. A traditional automaker would be reluctant to help such a potentially disruptive competitor, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters.

The article goes on to note that Apple reaps high profits by focusing on product and development while outsourcing manufacturing, which is generally a low-margin business. This in turn allows it to avoid spending billions of dollars on constructing its own factories, not to mention staff pay and training, along with additional liabilities.

By contrast, the auto industry runs on a different model which includes carmakers running their own high-volume factories and tightly controlling their supply chains at considerable expense – a business model that has lower profit margins than Apple is used to.

According to industry insiders, this is why Apple is more likely to go with a contract manufacturer like Foxconn, which has an existing relationship with the Cupertino company. Foxconn is the main assembler of iPhones, and also recently unveiled an electric vehicle chassis and a software platform to help carmakers bring models to market faster. According to Gurman's report:

An Apple employee involved in manufacturing said Foxconn is used to having Apple engineers tell it what to do and that the company’s factories are already filled with Apple-designed equipment. The person asked not to be identified discussing sensitive matters.

Contract manufacturer Magna is another possibility. Apple was in talks with the assembler about building a car when it first began making inquiries into the possibility of developing an electric vehicle about five years ago. Gurman notes that Magna is also a lot more experienced at making cars, having assembled luxury models for companies like BMW, Daimler AG and Jaguar Land Rover.

"Magna is the most logical choice," said Eric Noble, president of consulting firm the CarLab, speaking to Gurman. Noble has worked with the "amazingly good" Canadian auto supplier, and believes that an Apple-Magna partnership would prove far more stable than one where Apple worked with an existing carmaker, which would be more likely to invite power struggles.

That said, a recent job listing suggests Apple could be eyeing its own production, notes Gurman. Apple is seeking a "senior hands on manufacturing engineer" for its special projects group, which is leading its work on a car. The successful candidate will be responsible for growing a team of engineers focused on manufacturing strategy and the supply chain, drawing on their experience working with aluminum, steel and composites, which are key materials in cars.

Apple today introduced a new "iPhone Carrier Offers" website in the United States, with the site more prominently highlighting carrier deals offered by AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

A banner on Apple's iPhone purchase pages also points out various carrier discounts that are available, with "Special Offers Available" wording also included when choosing a carrier during the purchase process.

Apple previously highlighted carrier deals on its Financing website, but the new page specific to carrier deals is more noticeable and the deals are more heavily advertised on the iPhone product pages.

Carrier deals can be obtained when purchasing an iPhone from Apple, with the company highlighting up to $700 in savings from AT&T, up to $320 in savings from T-Mobile/Sprint, and up to $440 in savings from Verizon, with all of these deals related to trade-in bonuses.

Apple's carrier deal site breaks down the bonuses that are available from each carrier for each iPhone 12 model, and it provides links to the iPhone purchase pages and options to chat with an iPhone specialist for more info.

Apple relies on carrier deals and trade-in offers to make iPhone pricing more attractive for consumers, so it makes sense for the company to put more emphasis on the price drops that customers can get when using a carrier trade-in option. Apple also has its own trade-in deals that are available separately.

Twitter today updated its official Twitter app with a mention of the launch of "Spaces," its chat room feature that's similar to popular social networking app Clubhouse, but Spaces isn't quite ready to launch.

In a Twitter Space hosted by the company this morning, Twitter said (via The Verge) that it is aiming to make Spaces available for everyone starting in April.

With Spaces, Twitter offers users public chat rooms that users can create or join. The host who created the Space has speaking privileges to talk to those who join, and can designate up to nine other speakers.

While there's a maximum of 10 speakers allowed, there's no limit on the number of listeners who can join a given Space. Spaces has been available in a beta capacity on iOS and Android devices, and creating Spaces is limited to a select number of people who have been selected to beta test the feature in the iOS app.

All iOS and Android users can join an existing Space that has been created by someone in the beta, it's just the creation process that's limited at the current time.

A couple of years ago, I took a look at the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and its Uconnect 4 infotainment system featuring CarPlay and Android Auto, which I found to be a well-designed and visually appealing system with great ‌CarPlay‌ integration. Fiat Chrysler, which merged with Groupe PSA earlier this year to become Stellantis, is now starting to roll out its next-generation infotainment system, Uconnect 5, and I recently had an opportunity to test it out on a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica.

Uconnect 5 was announced just over a year ago, but it's still in the early stages of making its way into updated models, and the Pacifica was the first to gain the new system. Uconnect 5 on the Pacifica runs on a nice 10.1-inch infotainment screen that's standard on all trims, although built-in TomTom navigation requires a higher-level trim or package beyond the standard Uconnect 5 system.

One of the key new features of Uconnect 5 is support for wireless ‌CarPlay‌, which has so far been limited to just a few largely premium brands but is starting to roll out much more broadly as an increasing number of manufacturers have undertaken revamps of their infotainment hardware and software.

As with Uconnect 4, I found the new Uconnect 5 system to do an excellent job of integrating ‌CarPlay‌, leaving a persistent, customizable menu bar along the bottom of the display and a thin status bar at the top, even while turning the majority of the display over to ‌CarPlay‌. The result is a nice level of integration, allowing you to easily jump back and forth between ‌CarPlay‌ and the rest of the Uconnect system as needed.

The menu bar along the bottom allows for a dedicated ‌CarPlay‌ icon once your phone is connected, and you can reorder the icons to suit your preferences. Regardless of whether you're in ‌CarPlay‌ or the main Uconnect system, the top status bar offers glanceable information like time and outdoor temperature, as well as configurable quick-access icons for features like climate control (manual climate controls are also available) and the interior "FamCam" that lets you keep an eye on kids wherever they're sitting.

Wireless ‌CarPlay‌ setup is extremely simple, requiring just a few taps in settings on the Uconnect system and on your iPhone to get the pairing confirmed. From that point on, ‌CarPlay‌ is a seamless experience, automatically connecting quite quickly once the vehicle is turned on, and I never experienced any lag or glitches over the wireless connection in my testing.

That snappy performance was evident throughout the Uconnect 5 system, with FCA saying that the new hardware that comes with Uconnect 5 has five times the processing power of Uconnect 4 systems. I also found the screen to be high-quality with vivid colors. Overall, the Uconnect 5 system offers a clean, modern layout that will remain familiar to those who have used the previous version.

Uconnect 5 does come with a new Home Screen experience that supports multiple pages, customizable widgets, and more, giving you a quick glance at your most important types of information, although this is less useful is you're a heavy ‌CarPlay‌ user. With the ability to configure up to five user profiles, preferences such as media, climate settings, and seating and mirror positions can be customized for different drivers. Uconnect 5 is also capable of supporting two simultaneous phone connections.

Wireless ‌CarPlay‌ is great for short trips around town, but if you've got a longer road trip planned, you're probably going to want a way to charge your phone, and that's where wireless charging comes in. The Pacifica has an optional wireless charging pad located at the base of the console, letting you plunk your phone down and get some juice while you drive.

The charging pad keeps your phone tucked out of the way, which also helps reduce the temptation to pick it up and look at it. I found the pad was plenty big enough to accommodate my iPhone 12 Pro Max, although I did find placement a little bit finicky as it gave me a red error light a couple of times when I put my phone down. A quick adjustment of the phone's position did, however, quickly change the light to blue, confirming that it was charging my phone.

Unfortunately, while wireless ‌CarPlay‌ is standard with Uconnect 5, wireless charging is not standard on the 2021 Pacifica. The feature is only available on the higher-end Limited and Pinnacle trims, as those are the only two trims that include integrated console designs with room for one.

If you're interested in or limited to a wired connection, the Pacifica certainly has you covered, with my Limited trim featuring two sets of USB inputs at the base of the center stack with each set including USB-A and USB-C port options. The storage compartment in the center console offers an additional set of USB-A and USB-C ports as well as a 12V power port.

For second-row users, my test Pacifica came equipped with Uconnect Theater, which is great for the kids on road trips. I gave a bit more thorough overview of the system in my 2018 Pacifica review, so I'll just say that the system includes a pair of 10-inch touchscreens for second-row passengers offering games, media options, and more.

Each seatback screen has a headphone jack and HDMI and USB-A ports for connecting external devices, and a Blu-ray player and USB-A port up front can also be used to send media to the rear screens. Each screen is also paired with wireless headphones and a remote with touchpad and buttons, all housed in storage pockets specially designed for the accessories.

Uconnect Theater is standard on the Limited and Pinnacle trims and available as part of Uconnect Theater Family Group packages on the Touring L and Touring trims.

Third-row passengers won't get their own screens, so they'll have to watch over their siblings' shoulders, but at least they get a set of USB-C/USB-A ports for charging their own devices on the Limited and Pinnacle trims. It's part of an optional package on lower trims.

Aside from all of the infotainment bells and whistles, my Pacifica also came with a number of other technology features including the built in "Stow 'n Vac" integrated vacuum system with crevice and brush tools, which I took advantage of to clean up after my messy kids. Built-in vacuums are becoming increasingly popular in minivans, and they're very handy for taking care of messes without needing to haul out a separate vacuum from the inside the house, garage, or basement. Stow 'n Vac is standard on the Limited and Pinnacle trims and included in that Uconnect Theater Family Group package on the Touring L trim.

While my test 2021 Chrysler Pacifica was a Premium AWD trim coming in at a smidge under $50,000 (there's an even higher Pinnacle trim for a few thousand more), even the base Touring trim starting at just over $35,000 gets the 10.1-inch screen with wireless ‌CarPlay‌.

Infotainment systems have increasingly become focal points for car buyers, so I really appreciate the uniformity across Pacifica trims and I'd like to see more manufacturers offering high-quality infotainment systems and handy features like wireless ‌CarPlay‌ across all trim levels.

Wireless phone charging remains more of a high-end option, and sometimes a quite expensive one. As seen on the Pacifica, the availability of wireless charging is sometimes linked to other features like higher-end console designs, which is understandable, but I remain hopeful that it will roll out more broadly across models and trims, particularly as wireless ‌CarPlay‌ and Android Auto proliferate and more customers demand an all-wireless experience.

Last month, MacRumors reported that Apple was introducing a new same-unit repair method for iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 models exhibiting certain issues that would typically require a whole-unit replacement. Now, we've learned that Apple has extended these same-unit repairs to the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers have access to a new "iPhone Rear System" part that is essentially an iPhone enclosure that includes all components except the display and rear camera. As of this week, this part is available for all four iPhone 12 models, according to an Apple memo obtained by MacRumors.

If a customer has an iPhone 12 Pro with cracked rear glass, for example, an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider is able to replace the entire rear portion of the device with the iPhone Rear System part, while retaining the customer's original display and rear camera. For this reason, the iPhone's display and rear camera must be free of damage or issues in order for the device to qualify for a same-unit repair.

iPhone 12 models may be eligible for a same-unit repair if they are unable to be powered on, or are experiencing issues with the logic board, Face ID system, or the enclosure of the device, such as cracked rear glass, according to Apple. The new repair method is said to be available in all countries and regions where iPhone 12 models are sold.

In its memo, Apple reiterated that this move supports the company's ongoing commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of every product it sells.

Twitter today announced it is testing full-sized image previews in the timeline on iOS and Android, allowing users to see a full image in its original size, rather than merely a cropped 16:9 version.

On iOS and Android, Twitter currently displays a cropped version of any non-16:9 image on the timeline. The newly announced change, currently being tested, will instead show an image in its full size right inline on the Twitter timeline. With the change, you'll be able to see the full image without having to tap it directly, making the browsing experience easier.

Alongside the timeline change, Twitter also announced it is testing the ability for users to upload 4K images on iOS and Android. Users will see a new "High-quality image upload" option on the "Data usage" settings page. Twitter hasn't specified a timeframe for when these changes will roll out, but it is testing them with iOS and Android users and they should be available to everyone sometime later this year.