MacRumors

Snapchat is expanding the use of its Bitmoji characters -- specifically "Friendmojis" -- for iOS users in the coming days. With the update, iPhone and iPad users will be able to send personalized Friendmojis, or Bitmoji stickers that include both you and your friend, directly in Apple's Messages app.

Currently, Bitmoji is available as a keyboard extension and a Messages app so users can send Bitmoji in Messages, but the new update marks the first time combo Friendmojis can be sent outside of the main Snapchat app. Anyone who has their Bitmoji and Snapchat accounts linked together will be able to send Friendmojis in Messages.

To send a Friendmoji, a new "Friend" icon will appear in the upper-right corner of the Bitmoji keyboard extension, which can be added to trusted keyboards in the iOS Settings app. From there users will see a list of Snapchat friends they can tap on to generate customized Friendmojis featuring their own Bitmoji and their friend's character.

Friendmojis have numerous themes and celebratory messages, from simple "Good Morning" messages to more specific stickers for birthdays, holidays, major events, apologies, and more. Snapchat acquired Bitmoji in the summer of 2016, heavily integrating the sticker characters into its app over the years. In 2018, Snapchat now uses Bitmojis as the main form of identifying friends in the app.

Since Bitmojis popularized the creation of personalized animated characters, many companies have now unveiled interest in the space, most recently Apple with its own "Memoji" coming in iOS 12 on iPhone X. With Memojis, users can create customized animated characters that look like themselves, and then use the iPhone X's TrueDepth camera system to replicate movements made by the mouth, eyes, eyebrows, and tongue.

Memoji messages can be sent through Messages as stickers and video clips, and can be attached to the user's face in a video clip. Memojis are an evolution of Animoji, which take traditional emoji characters and turn them into full 3D emojis that follow the face movements of the user. Of course, the main difference between Apple's efforts and Bitmoji is Bitmoji's focus on full-body customization, while Apple's animated characters are only floating heads.

Yahoo today announced that its Yahoo Messenger service will no longer be supported after July 17, 2018, encompassing the closure of apps for iOS and Android and any web browser clients (via TechCrunch). The service will function normally until then, and after that date users will no longer be able to access their chats and the Messenger service as a whole will be shut down.

The company promised that the discontinuation of Yahoo Messenger will not impact a user's Yahoo ID, so it will continue to work for products like Yahoo Mail and Yahoo Fantasy. As for a reason, Yahoo said that it is focusing on "building and introducing new, exciting communications tools" that will be a "better fit" for its customers.

We know we have many loyal fans who have used Yahoo Messenger since its beginning as one of the first chat apps of its kind. As the communications landscape continues to change over, we're focusing on building and introducing new, exciting communications tools that better fit consumer needs.

"There currently isn't a replacement" for Yahoo Messenger, however, so the company pointed users toward the invite-only group messaging app Yahoo Squirrel. Squirrel is still in the testing phase and allows groups to organize private chats with friends and family members in a style similar to Slack and Discord.

Yahoo originally debuted its Yahoo Messenger app on the iOS App Store [Direct Link] in April 2009, giving users the ability to instant message their contacts when away from their computer. In the years since, messaging apps like Apple's iMessage, Facebook Messenger, and others have surged in popularity and caused users to leave Yahoo's platform for ones more popular among their own friend groups. Today, Yahoo Messenger is #167 on the App Store's most-downloaded Social Networking app list.

Prior to its appearance on the App Store, Yahoo Messenger originally debuted in 1998 (dubbed "Yahoo Pager") as an instant messaging client that users could download for free to chat with friends. In 2018, Yahoo said that users will be able to download their chat history to a computer or other device for the next six months, and more information can be found in the FAQ section of the announcement page.

Yahoo Messenger's closure in 2018 follows the sunsetting of AOL Instant Messenger in December 2017, both of which are owned by parent company Oath and lasted for around 20 years online.

Apple Maps has gained indoor maps for an additional four international airports and one shopping mall around the world.

The recently enabled airports include Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina, Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International and Québec City Jean Lesage International in Canada, and Taoyuan International in Taiwan.

When searching for those airports, Apple Maps users can tap "look inside" or simply zoom in to view terminals, boarding gates, security checkpoints, airline check-in desks, baggage claim carousels, information kiosks, restrooms, stores, restaurants, parking garages, and even escalators, elevators, and stairs.

An indoor map is also now available at the Trinity Leeds shopping center in England, according to Apple's iOS feature availability page.

Indoor maps at shopping malls make it easier to find the exact location of stores, restaurants, restrooms, escalators, elevators, and stairs on each floor. The feature enables users to filter stores by categories, such as clothes, shoes, accessories, beauty, food, and drinks, with detailed place cards for each.

When the feature launched with iOS 11, indoor maps were only available in a handful of airports and shopping malls around the world, but Apple has been steadily adding locations over the past year.

The list includes airports and shopping malls in select cities across North America and Europe, including Baltimore, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, San Jose, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, and Washington, DC. The full list can be viewed here.

A new Father's Day-themed Apple Pay Promo is providing customers who spend at least $100 in the Nike app with a $20 gift code, according to emails Apple sent out to Apple Pay customers this afternoon.

The offer is valid from June 7 to June 11 and requires customers to make a $100 purchase using Apple Pay in Nike's app. The $20 code is not provided at the time of purchase, but will be delivered within two weeks of purchase.

The $20 promo code must be redeemed by August 25 on a separate Nike app purchase. Apple is also promoting the Apple Store, StubHub, and Newegg as recommendations for Father's Day.

Apple regularly sends out Apple Pay promotional emails to customers with discounts on a range of products. Recent deals have included $15 off flowers for Mother's Day and 10 percent off furniture from Hayneedle.

Following the release of iOS 11.4 on May 29, Apple has stopped signing iOS 11.3.1, the previous version of iOS that was available to consumers.

iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners who have upgraded to iOS 11.4 will no longer be able to downgrade to earlier versions of iOS.

Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date.

iOS 11.4 is now the only version of iOS 11 that can be installed on iOS devices by the general public, but developers can download iOS 12, the next-generation version of iOS that's in beta testing ahead of a fall release.

We've teamed up with Pad & Quill for a special series of WWDC-themed giveaways this week to celebrate Apple's big June event, and our third and final giveaway takes place today.

Pad & Quill, for those unfamiliar with it, is a company that's well-known for making high-quality hand-crafted leather accessories for iPhones, Macs, iPads, Apple Watches, and more.

For our last WWDC giveaway, we're offering MacRumors readers a chance to win a Cartella Slim Case for the MacBook or MacBook Pro, a TechFolio Cord Organizer, and a Lowry Leather Cuff for the Apple Watch.

The Cartella Slim, priced at $100 to $110 depending on size, is available for the 12-inch MacBook, the 2016/2017 13-inch MacBook Pro, and 2016/2017 15-inch MacBook Pro. It's a book-style case, made in a bindery in St. Paul, Minnesota, with a thin front and back cover wrapped in charcoal, cranberry, or gray linen.

All ports, vents, and fans are accessible with the Cartella Slim, and the MacBook attaches to the case using adhesive technology. Because there's no solid frame, the Cartella Slim adds little bulk, but still protects your Mac from bumps, scratches, and minor drops. An elastic band closure completes the book-style look and keeps everything in place when your machine is closed.

The $90 TechFolio Cord Organizer, which can hold all of your MacBook's accessories, is designed to keep all of your cords neatly organized in one easy-to-access place. Like all Pad & Quill products, the TechFolio is handmade from leather and able to hold a ton.

It has three cord organizer pockets, an Apple Pencil slot, a larger zipper pocket for a MacBook charger, two smaller pockets for accessories, and slots for keys or SD cards. All of this folds down into a small package that secures with a rivet closure.

Pad & Quill's Lowry Leather Cuff for the Apple Watch fits the 42mm models and is made from a soft, vegetable-tanned leather with a comfortable suede interior. Priced at $130, it comes in American Tan, Galloper Black or Chestnut, and while it is a cuff design, it leaves the heart rate sensor accessible through a cutout at the back.

The Lowry Leather Cuff fits wrists sized 125 to 215mm, with lugs available to match all of the Apple Watch models.

Today's prize pack includes one Cartella Slim for the MacBook or MacBook Pro, a TechFolio, and the Lowry Leather Cuff. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

As part of its antitrust examination into the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, the US Department of Justice is looking at how the two firms combining would affect smaller wireless carriers that frequently buy network access on larger networks to resell to "pre-paid or price-conscious consumers" according to a report from Reuters.

There are concerns, the report claims, that because Sprint and T-Mobile are more popular for smaller mobile virtual network operator or MVNO carriers looking to resell cellular service to users, a combined firm may result in higher costs for those MVNOs and their customers because of decreased competition.

The Justice Department, which is evaluating T-Mobile’s $26 billion deal to buy Sprint, has been speaking with small wireless operators that buy access to the major wireless networks at wholesale rates, and is seeking their opinions about the merger.

There's no indication yet that this part of the antitrust investigation could cause any issues for the merger, but it does illustrate how complicated these large telecom mergers can be and how many different issues they can affect.

Back in April, Sprint and T-Mobile — the third- and fourth-largest mobile carriers in the US - agreed to combine into a giant carrier with more customers than AT&T. The companies hope to complete the merger by the first half of next year, but have to get approval from antitrust regulators first.

Singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes has broken the latest Apple Music record, with his self-titled third album becoming the most-streamed pop album of 2018 in under one week (via Billboard). Released on May 25, the new Shawn Mendes album was accompanied by a collection of bonus material on Apple Music, including a Beats 1 interview with Zane Lowe, exclusive live concert and Q&A session, playlists, and more.

The previous record holder for most-streamed pop album of 2018 was Justin Timberlake's "Man of the Woods," which launched in February. In the wake of the news, Apple Music confirmed that Mendes has also surpassed one billion global streams on the music service, encompassing his three studio albums, singles, and live recordings.

There have been a few record breaking stories related to Apple Music this year, most recently with rapper J. Cole breaking the record for most album streams in the first 24 hours in the United States. Prior to that, Cardi B's "Invasion of Privacy" set a new record for first-week streams by a female artist on Apple Music, beating Taylor Swift's "Reputation."

According to the last count, Apple Music has over 50 million users total, combining those paying for the service and anyone on a free trial. The last specific paid count sat at 40 million in April, compared to 71 million listeners paying for Spotify.

Apple Music isn't tipped for a major revamp in iOS 12, but beta testers have discovered that artist profiles will be slightly upgraded in the new software with bigger portraits and a handy shuffle-all Play button. Subscribers will also be able to search for some songs even if they only know a snippet of the track's lyrics.

Amazon today unveiled its latest "Fire" branded product, called the "Fire TV Cube." The company describes the device as a hands-free box that streams 4K Ultra HD video using Alexa voice controls. The set-top box appears to have many features similar (or coming soon) to the Apple TV 4K, with 4K HDR content, smart assistant integration, HDMI CEC, Dolby Atmos support, and more.

With far-field voice recognition, one difference between the two devices is that the Fire TV Cube relies on eight microphones embedded into the box to hear users across the room, whereas Apple TV 4K picks up commands solely via the handheld Siri Remote. The Fire TV Cube does ship with an Alexa Voice Remote, however, so handheld commands are also an option.

The Fire TV Cube appears to be similar to HomePod in regard to far-field voice commands, with advanced beamforming technology that suppresses noise, reverberation, currently playing content, and competing voices from other people "to make sure Alexa clearly hears your request."

“We believe voice makes it easier for customers to control their entertainment systems and watch the TV and movies they care about,” said Marc Whitten, Vice President of Fire TV. “And, it’s just the beginning. Amazon Fire TV Cube will only get better over time with the Alexa service always getting smarter.”

Another notable difference is the Fire TV Cube's compatibility with set-top boxes from cable companies including Comcast, DISH, and DirecTV. With the integration, users can ask Alexa to "switch to channel 31" and the Fire TV Cube will speak to the cable box to initiate the command.

With HDMI CEC, users can power their TV sets on and off, with Amazon giving the following example of this interaction: "Even with the TV off, simply say 'Alexa, play Billions on SHOWTIME' and Fire TV Cube powers on your TV and starts playback right where you left off."

Otherwise, the Fire TV Cube has a user interface that Amazon says puts "content forward" and is built around voice control. Commands include "Alexa, find sci-fi movies"; "Alexa, play the trailer"; and "Alexa, show me more results." Users can also initiate searches based on directors and actors.

Additionally, the company optimized Alexa responses for the big screen "with rich visual information," so users can view smart home camera feeds, check out the news, catch up with sports, look at the weather, and more after asking Alexa for each task.

The Fire TV Cube can be pre-ordered today and tomorrow for a special price of $89.99 (for Prime members only), and afterwards the device will cost $119.99. The Cube comes with 16GB of storage, a power adapter, IR extender cable, Ethernet adapter, Alexa Voice Remote, and will begin shipping out to customers on June 21. Anyone who buys the device and registers it by July 1 will get a $10 credit for Prime Video.

Following yesterday's announcement from Sonos that AirPlay 2 will be coming to its speakers this July, more details about the company's partnership with IKEA have now emerged, after first being revealed in December. In a press release shared by the Swedish furniture maker, the two companies detail a "long-term partnership" that's beginning with a new range of speakers called "Symfonisk" (via The Verge).

A few non-functional prototypes of Symfonisk were showcased at IKEA's Democratic Design Day event in Sweden, and the company says that the Wi-Fi speaker system will fully integrate with Sonos' existing products as well as IKEA's own Trådfris smart home line of lights and switches. Of course, Symfonisk will also be compatible with many of IKEA's furniture through a bracket system that can turn the speaker into a shelf or place it under a METOD kitchen cabinet, among other prototyped ideas.

"Sonos' company culture is very similar to that of IKEA. Our shared values and beliefs made us connect from day one. When the actual work started, we felt that we were the perfect match in every way", says Björn Block, Business Leader for IKEA Home Smart.

"Many people dream of built-in sound systems, but few can afford it. Our goal is for our collective work to save space, get rid of cords, make clutter invisible, and bring sound and music into the home in a more beautiful way", says Björn.

IKEA has already gotten into the speaker market, launching a line of minimalist "Eneby" Bluetooth speakers earlier this year. These devices come in 8-inch and 12-inch sizes, can be both mounted on a wall or displayed on a stand, and are designed to fit in the Kallax and Eket storage systems.

In 2017, IKEA launched the Trådfri Smart Lighting System in the spring, and then debuted HomeKit support for the lighting range in the fall, allowing users to easily integrate their IKEA bulbs and switches into the Home app on iOS. The company got inspired by Apple when it launched a new ad campaign for its Qi charging furniture alongside the debut of Apple's foray into wireless charging with the iPhone X, 8, and 8 Plus in September 2017.