Apple today updated its online website to announce free next-day shipping for all orders placed by 2:00 p.m. by Friday, December 23, giving last minute shoppers a chance to place orders before Christmas.
Orders placed before the December 23 cut off date will arrive in time for Christmas in most cases, but customers will need to confirm delivery times at checkout.
Apple normally limits free next-day delivery to iPhones, with free two-day shipping on most other products, but during the holidays, Apple often offers upgraded shipping. Apple also has an online gift guide for customers who need gift ideas, recommending iPhones, iPads, Macs, and related accessories.
Customers who live near an Apple Store who are looking for last minute gifts can also get items using in-store pickup. Today's new shipping policy comes just as AirPods have begun shipping out to customers, but in-store sales are the only way to get Apple's newest accessory as online sales are sold out through January.
Nintendo and developer DeNA's shares have declined over the weekend in reaction to negative user reviews facing the new mobile game Super Mario Run, which currently averages a 2.5/5 star rating on the iOS App Store, based on around 54,000 user reviews. Shares in DeNA have gone down 14 percent since Super Mario Run launched on December 15, while Nintendo's stock has fallen about 13 percent in the same time frame.
Although many of the top reviews for the game remark on Super Mario Run's better qualities, the harshest criticism remains to be Nintendo's decision to make the game free-to-download, but $10 to unlock all of its content. Users can play nearly all of World 1 for free, but gaining deeper access to the remaining five Worlds, along with Toad Rally and Kingdom Builder modes, requires the $10 fee.
Nintendo's argument has always been that the cost will help assuage parents' worries about their kids overspending on in-app purchases, but many users have now taken to the App Store to give the game a low score because of its cost. The always-on internet requirement has also been a sticking point for some players hoping to engage with the game during a commute.
A day after its launch, App Annie reported on the initial download numbers for Super Mario Run, and estimated that 10 million people downloaded the game, and that it made $4 million total in its first day of worldwide availability. Some have taken to comparing the game to Pokémon Go and its initial success, but as App Annie mentioned, the payment models of each game -- along with Pokémon Go's GPS-based gameplay -- means they "aren't truly comparable."
That said, it is important to bear in mind that Super Mario Run and Pokémon GO aren’t truly comparable. Pokémon GO follows a freemium model with optional in-app purchases to generate revenue. Its iOS revenue continued to grow in the following weeks as user engagement increased. Super Mario Run, on the other hand, offers a single $9.99 in-app purchase to unlock the full game. As a result, payments precede extended gameplay and, therefore, revenue is more likely to be concentrated early on in the game’s lifecycle.
According to App Annie, the real measure of the success of Super Mario Run will be in the weeks ahead as initial bulk downloads of the game at launch trail off, and shift towards mainstream users. "The ability to convert a meaningful percentage of these mainstream users into paying customers will be critical to Nintendo’s mobile ambitions."
AirPods have officially launched in the United States and Canada, as Apple Stores begin to open with limited stock available on a first come, first served basis.
AirPods line at Apple Georgetown in Washington D.C. (Source: MacRumors reader Alexander)
As seen in Europe earlier today, customers lined up at a number of Apple retail locations from coast to coast for a chance to purchase AirPods in time for the holidays. The all-new wire-free earphones launched online last week, but supplies depleted quickly and orders now face a 6-week shipping estimate.
MacRumors reader sktgater claimed Apple's iconic Grand Central store had plenty of AirPods stock this morning, while other users reported successful purchases in Chicago; Washington D.C.; Brooklyn; Menlo Park, NJ; Pittsburgh, PA; Tysons Corner, VA; Charlotte, NC; Greenville, SC; Metairie, LA; and elsewhere.
AirPods line at Apple Walnut Street in Philadelphia (Source: Instagram)
Meanwhile, customers are lined up at Apple Palo Alto and other west coast stores as limited stock appears to be readied for those queued.
In-store stock is unsurprisingly depleting quickly due to a combination of limited stock—under 100 units in most stores—and strong demand. MacRumors reader Chris told us the Apple Store in Knoxville, Tennessee only received one pair of AirPods today, while many other locations have already sold out for the day.
"About a dozen people in line at Sherway Gardens," said one Reddit user, referring to a shopping mall in Toronto. "Staff said they got 40 or so pair." Another user said he was third in line at the Apple Store in Square One, a shopping mall in nearby Mississauga. "Only a small crowd of 10. Employee claims 50-60 units in stock."
Apple's in-store Personal Pickup tool has yet to be added to the AirPods product page, so customers would be wise to call their local store ahead of time to confirm availability before making the trip. Apple appears to have set a typical limit of 2 AirPods purchases per customer in stores.
Lucky customers who ordered online within the first hour or so last week are beginning to receive their AirPods today too. The most common delivery estimates are Tuesday, December 20 and Wednesday, December 21, but some customers in the United States in particular have received their orders today.
Apple Stores will continue to receive "regular shipments" of AirPods. Apple authorized resellers and major carriers will begin receiving limited AirPods stock this week as well, so customers still on the lookout may wish to call or check with their local Best Buy, for example, in the United States and Canada.
Following a reveal during the "Hello Again" event in October, Mojang has now announced that Minecraft will officially launch today for the fourth-generation Apple TV. The exploration and crafting game is said to be "rolling out in all regions" throughout the day.
Minecraft for Apple TV will also come with seven pieces of DLC, including Holiday 2015, Town Folk, and City Folk skin packs, along with other add-ons "for a limited time." Otherwise, the game is similar to every other version of Minecraft, tasking users with venturing into a randomly generated world and customizing it to their liking.
We’ve just released Minecraft for the slim black boxes. And, for a limited time, it comes with seven pieces of lovely DLC, giving you the chance to customise the fun to your liking. Minecraft: Apple TV Edition currently includes the Holiday 2015, Town Folk, and City Folk skin packs, along with the Plastic, Natural, Cartoon, and Festive 2016 mash-ups. It costs $19.99 and is rolling out in all regions as I type.
The Apple TV version will also be up to date with the all-new Ender Update that Minecraft just launched. For those interested, Minecraft for Apple TV will cost $19.99.
The AirPods have officially begun arriving to customers in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and the first batch of users have started to share their opinions on Apple's new wireless headphones. When they were originally announced, many users cited concerns over the look of the protruding AirPods, their sound quality, and their battery life, among other points.
Now, most users who have the AirPods in hand are having largely positive reactions online, with one Redditor summing it up by stating the headphones "are better than expected." Users are ruling in favor of the lightweight headphones, noting the wide Bluetooth range of their connection with an iPhone, the snappy recharge time, and the simple connection to Apple devices via the W1 chip.
The AirPods have a strong, consistent Bluetooth signal with a connected iPhone, according to Reddit user Portatort, who said "so far I've been able to leave my phone plugged in in the kitchen and roam the whole house while getting clean Bluetooth audio the entire time." The layout of a house will likely alter Bluetooth performance on a user basis, but it appears Apple's wireless headphones have a reliably strong connection that facilitates wandering away from your iPhone.
MacRumors forum member The Game 101 took the connection test a step further and ventured out of the house and up the driveway, saying that the Bluetooth connection with his iPhone remained "incredible."
Apple Maps has been updated with comprehensive transit data for Great Britain, beyond the London area already supported.
Transit directions by bus, train, or tram are now available within and between large metropolitan areas such as Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Nottingham, and Cardiff, as well as other regions in England, Scotland, and Wales.
Transit coverage extends to a number of mid-size cities, small towns, and rural areas as well. Directions are available between Bath and Brighton, for example, and most other searches between any two areas in England, Scotland, and Wales yielded at least one available route in Transit mode.
Apple Maps now supports the National Rail network in many areas of Great Britain, including the CrossCountry, TransPennine Express, Great Western Railway, Grand Central, Northern Rail, East Midlands Trains, Virgin Trains, Virgin Trains East Coast, Arriva Trains Wales, Hull Trains, and other train services.
While transit coverage is now comprehensive throughout much of Great Britain, directions remain unavailable in Belfast and elsewhere in Northern Ireland, which lies within the United Kingdom. Transit directions are likewise unavailable in the neighboring Republic of Ireland.
Former smartphone company BlackBerry opened a new autonomous driving research center on Monday in Ottawa, Canada, according to Reuters.
BlackBerry is betting its future on the self-driving car business following its 2010 acquisition of QNX, a company which develops software for multiple in-car infotainment systems and whose software became the foundation of the BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system.
The new R&D facility is an extension of Blackberry's existing QNX operations in the region and is said to be developing advanced driving features like automatic emergency breaking, intelligent cruise, and complete driving autonomy.
The company will use Lincoln vehicles from Ford retrofitted with autonomous hardware and software as a basis for carrying out tests, with a direct partnership with Ford also reportedly in the wings.
Blackberry is one of three organizations to receive clearance from the government of Ontario to test self-driving vehicles on public roads, having avoided the sort of ire brought upon Uber by Californian regulators regarding nascent self-driving laws.
California says Uber needs permits for its cars because they're equipped with technology that allows them to operate autonomously, but Uber has argued that employee drivers are always seated and in full control of its cars.
Google has also complained about the situation regarding state and federal laws for self-driving vehicles, but Uber has gone further by completely ignoring authorities' demands. California's state attorney has threatened to sue the company if it doesn't take its cars off the roads immediately.
Apple has met with California DMV officials in the past regarding self-driving car laws within the state, with its Apple Car team reportedly focusing on autonomous systems rather than an out-an-out vehicle design. Earlier this month, Apple confirmed its interest in autonomous cars in a letter to federal regulators requesting equal rights for "new entrants" to the auto industry.
Early this year, Apple was also said to have opened an R&D facility in QNX's hometown of Kanata, stirring speculation that the offices could be linked to the development of its own autonomous car systems.
Early orders of AirPods arrived across Europe this morning as people were seen waiting outside Apple retail stores eager to get hold of a pair of the new wireless earphones before initial stock ran out.
Queues were reported outside Apple's Regent Street store in London and some other brick-and-mortar stores scattered around the U.K., but stock is reportedly limited and going fast. Regent Street was said to have only 150 units, while the Apple Store in Bath reportedly had only 10 in stock upon opening. Reddit user googang619 said that Newcastle's Eldon Square store initially had 25 pairs in at 9 a.m. but "they had sold twenty of them in the first 10 minutes".
People queue for AirPods outside Regent Street Apple Store (Image: Derek Baker)
For those lucky enough to have got in on the first wave of online orders last week and received the earphones on Monday via courier, the first impressions of Apple's audio accessory have so far been overwhelmingly positive, with wearability and ease of pairing coming in for particular praise.
Bringing a new case of AirPods within two inches of an unlocked iPhone, iPod touch or iPad and flipping the lid brings up a dialog on the screen offering to pair the device. Once the option is tapped, the AirPods are identified as the owner's and subsequently pair automatically.
MacRumors reader The Game 161 said of the Bluetooth connection: "Incredible, left phone in house, walked up the drive and it was still there".
Twitter user Long Zheng called the Bluetooth connection range "spectacular" and said he was able to walk around his whole house listening to podcasts. He also said they were "much more comfortable than traditional EarPods, much lighter on the ear and no pulling from the cord". MacRumors reader Boardiesboi agreed, claiming they "almost feel like they're not there" because they're so light.
As for audio performance, MacRumors reader ssrij called the AirPods "louder than EarPods", with better sound quality and stronger bass than Apple's wired earphones. Bazooka-joe called the audio quality "much better than expected. Lots of bass. Very clear."
Apple has included a Lightning to USB-A charging cable with the AirPods, rather than one with a USB-C connection for connecting to newer MacBook Pros. We'll post a more in depth look at how the AirPods function and perform later in the day.
Apple is set to appeal this week against the European Commission's ruling that it must pay up to 13 billion euros ($13.8 billion) to Ireland in back taxes (via Reuters).
EU regulators concluded in August that Apple had received undue tax benefits from Ireland – where the company's European headquarters are located – which allowed it to pay substantially less than other companies.
Apple CEO Tim Cook vowed to appeal the ruling at the time, calling the back tax calculation a "false number" and the EU's judgement "total political crap". The Irish government also rejected the conclusion and said it would fight to reverse it.
On Monday, Apple's General Counsel Bruce Sewell told Reuters that the company's imminent legal challenge will be based on its belief that EU regulators willfully ignored tax experts to come to its conclusions.
"The Irish put in an expert opinion from an incredibly well-respected Irish tax lawyer. The Commission not only didn't attack that - didn't argue with it, as far as we know - they probably didn't even read it. Because there is no reference (in the EU decision) whatsoever."
Sewell also said Apple intends to challenge the EU's basis for its penalty judgement, and will argue that a "crazy notion of non-residency" was chosen on purpose to produce a punitive amount, when other legitimate tax law arguments could have been used that would "produce much lower numbers". As to why the EU had gone down its chosen route, Sewell said he believed regulators had singled out the company because of its success.
"Apple is not an outlier in any sense that matters to the law. Apple is a convenient target because it generates lots of headlines. It allows the commissioner to become Dane of the year for 2016," he said, referring to the title accorded by Danish newspaper Berlingske last month.
Ireland also issued a statement on Monday, saying that the EU commission had "misunderstood the relevant facts and Irish law".
"Ireland did not give favourable tax treatment to Apple - the full amount of tax was paid in this case and no state aid was provided," it said. "Ireland does not do deals with taxpayers."
In addition, Apple says it plans to tell the court that the Commission erred when it ruled that Ireland-based Apple Sales International (ASI) and Apple Operations Europe existed only on paper, with no justification for the billions of euros it posted in untaxed profits. Sewell said that just because a holding company has no employees on its books doesn't mean it is inactive, since it could be actively managed by employees of its parent company:
"When Tim Cook, who is the CEO of our company, makes decisions that impact ASI, the Commission says we don't care because he is not an ASI employee, he is an Apple Inc employee. But to say that somehow Tim Cook can't make decisions for ASI is a complete mis-statement of corporate law, it's a misunderstanding of how corporations operate."
The strongly worded statements from Apple and the Irish government form a two-pronged attack on the European Commission as it readies a more detailed version of its ruling for publication before the court case begins.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
It's Monday morning in New Zealand and Australia, which means the first customers who placed orders for Apple's new AirPods have begun receiving them according to reports from MacRumors readers.
Deliveries are taking place across the two countries now, and Apple retail stores in Australia have also begun selling AirPods to customers.
AirPods that belong to MacRumors reader Sacha in New Zealand
In Australia, people who were hoping to get AirPods in store lined up early ahead of store openings, and as expected, supplies have been somewhat limited. At some stores, only a handful of AirPods were available, while others appear to have gotten more stock.
Customers who have received their AirPods are so far pleased with them. MacRumors reader Jason was impressed with how easy they were to sync and the sound quality. We'll have more first impressions a bit later as more customers receive their orders.
Impressed with the ease to sync and setup the AirPods with my iPhone. Nice.
The sound is a lot better than I had anticipated. It can go very loud. Overall, after testing for only 15 minutes or so, sound is a bit better than the EarPods I received with my iPhone 7 Plus, which I mostly pretty impressed with.
And they fit extremely well into my ear - really don't feel like they will fall out. Very snug!
Based on early information coming from Australia, customers in Asia, the United Kingdom, and the United States will likely want to get to Apple retail locations before they open for the best shot at getting a set on launch day.
Apple has said retail stores will receive regular stock going forward, and third-party retailers like Best Buy are also going to be receiving AirPods stock starting tomorrow.
AirPods orders in other countries will begin arriving as Monday morning arrives. For customers who were not able to pre-order, purchasing AirPods in the store will be the only way to get them before January, as orders placed today will not ship out for six weeks in many countries.
Apple's high-end OLED iPhone 8 will use a curved display rather than a flat panel and could potentially feature new touch-sensitive technology, according to a report published on Sunday.
"The OLED version of the new iPhone will all be curved as Apple ordered all plastic OLED -- not glass -- from Samsung Display. Samsung is capable of supplying a little less than 100 million units of curved OLED displays to Apple," a source familiar with the matter told The Korea Herald.
Previous rumors outlining Apple's intention to launch multiple iPhone models have been dogged by suggestions that it could delay adoption of OLED technology entirely due to supply constraints. Samsung is Apple's sole supplier of OLED displays in 2017, with LG and Sharp among the companies tapped to ramp up production for 2018, but the latest report indicates that limited supply may indeed shape differentiation in next year's 10th anniversary iPhone line-up.
According to the Herald, Samsung's curved OLED capacity for Apple is estimated at around 70 million to 100 million units. That's in line with previous estimates, but it's less than half of Apple's annual sales of the iPhone series, which stand at around 200 million units a year.
The paper's source goes on to state that next year's iPhone won't be foldable, but in order to set it apart from Samsung's phones it could feature new sensing technology which "enables the phone to respond when users touch any side of the device". No further details are forthcoming, but the source notes that Apple may ultimately choose not to adopt the technology.
Over the weekend, an image of a fake email circulated on Reddit which appeared to claim Pokémon GO for Apple Watch had been abandoned. A subsequent report, citing "a source with knowledge of the plans," said development of the companion Apple Watch app had indeed been shelved.
Pokémon GO developer Niantic confirmed the image in the Reddit post "is not real" in a statement sent to TechCrunch and Recode, and debunked the subsequent report in the process by noting development of the companion Apple Watch app continues, as it has since before the app was announced in September.
#pokemongo for Apple Watch is still on track for release. Looking forward to it! (Checked with a couple sources. They’re all excited.)
— Rene Ritchie 🖇 (@reneritchie) December 17, 2016
Ritchie believes Apple and Niantic are likely taking the time to ensure Pokémon GO's integration with the Apple Watch is done right.
So where is it? There's a certain amount of complexity involved in making Pokémon Go for Apple Watch. It ties into both the Apple Watch Workout system, which means you'll get credit towards your activity goals while out catching Pokémon, and HealthKit, which syncs all the information. The latter especially has some of the most involved privacy systems Apple has ever deployed, and my guess is Niantic and Apple are taking the time to make sure all that integration is done right.
Pokémon GO for Apple Watch was unveiled at an Apple media event in September. Skip to the 25:20 mark in the video below.
The app will provide Pokémon GO players with at-a-glance information, such as how far they need to walk to hatch a particular egg. The main screen shows the player's current level and XP remaining to get to the next. Pokémon GO walks are recorded in Workouts, helping players achieve their Activity goals.
After going up for order on Tuesday, Apple's AirPods have now been marked as "shipped" for the first wave of customers who were lucky enough to order their pair before delivery estimates slipped to four weeks, and then six weeks. Many users in the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe, and elsewhere have taken to Twitter and Reddit to share that their AirPods shipments are on the way.
Delivery dates still vary slightly among customers, but the average estimates suggest deliveries on either December 20 or December 21. AirPods launched in more than 100 countries around the world, and a few areas in Europe and Australia saw slightly earlier delivery dates for the wireless headphones than those given to U.S. customers, with some as soon as Monday, December 19. Australia customers specifically reported shipping status updates earlier in the week.
For anyone who missed out on the first run of orders, Apple will begin selling the AirPods in its retail stores Monday morning. Some of the company's authorized resellers and a few carrier stores will also be receiving AirPods stock next week. Given how fast they sold out online, the supply of AirPods in retail locations is also expected to be limited. Nevertheless, in the press release on Tuesday, Apple said that its retail locations will receive "regular AirPods shipments" going forward.
Every December, Apple provides its retail employees around the world with a special holiday gift to thank them for their contributions to the company and to celebrate the holiday season.
For 2016, Apple is giving each employee a T-shirt and a printed copy of the company's credo. The t-shirt is gray in color and features two circles created from what appears to be a list of all of the company's retail locations around the world.
The credo is printed on a heavy card stock and comes in a protective envelope. Apple first introduced its new six-paragraph credo in August of 2016.
We are here to enrich lives. To help dreamers become doers, to help passion expand human potential, to do the best work of our lives.
AT OUR BEST
We give more than we take. From the planet, to the person beside us. We become a place to belong where everyone is welcome. Everyone.
We draw strength from our differences. From background and perspective to collaboration and debate. We are open.
We redefine expectations. First for ourselves, then for the world. Because we’re a little crazy. Because "good enough" isn’t. Because what we do says who we are.
We find courage. To try and to fail, to learn and to grow, to figure out what’s next, to imagine the unimaginable, to do it all over again tomorrow.
AT OUR CORE
We believe our soul is our people. People who recognize themselves in each other. People who shine a spotlight only to stand outside it. People who work to leave this world better than they found it. People who live to enrich lives.
Apple's employee gift this year is somewhat less impressive than the gifts that have been handed out in past years. In 2015, employees were given a set of black and red urBeats headphones from the Beats by Dr. Dre product lineup and a nine-month Apple Music subscription.
In 2014, employees received an Apple-branded Incase backpack, and gifts in the years before that have included things like blankets, water bottles, hoodies, free apps, discounted iTunes gift cards, and more.
One of the best features on the fourth-generation Apple TV is its high-quality aerial screen savers that play on the screen after a short period of inactivity. The Aerial screen saver option on the Apple TV features an aerial view of different locations around the world, which Apple has added to over time to keep content fresh.
The Aerial screen saver picks a random video option from a data source maintained by Apple, and that data source was recently updated with 21 new screen savers. iDownloadBlog has parsed the data and shared direct links to each of the new screen savers that can be watched on iOS devices and Macs.
Screen savers are time-based and show off various cities and locations in slow motion, with the lighting changing based on the time of day. New screen savers of video captured in China, Dubai, Greenland, Hong Kong, Liwa, and Los Angeles have been added.
These screen savers aren't likely to be immediately available to all users, as the Apple TV downloads new aerial content on a regular basis depending on your Apple TV settings. New screen savers can be set to download on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis in the Settings app on the Apple TV.
Twitter today announced that rather than shutting down the Vine app entirely as planned, it will be transitioned into a new app called "Vine Camera."
Vine Camera will allow users to continue to make six-second looping videos that can then be saved to the iPhone's camera roll or shared directly on Twitter. No other Vine features will remain.
The Vine app will also be updated with a new feature that makes it easier for Vine users to link accounts to transition from Vine to Twitter, with a tool for allowing Vine followers to follow Vine users on Twitter instead.
Existing Vine videos can be downloaded through the Vine app or the Vine website, and all Vines will continue to be available on the Vine.co site. Vines will be available for download through the app until the transition is made to Vine Camera.
Twitter first announced plans to shut down Vine back in October. Twitter allegedly entertained multiple purchase offers for Vine before deciding to create the Vine Camera app.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with iSkelter to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win one of iSkelter's Slate 2.0 Lap Desks or Magic Trackpad 2 Stations. For those unfamiliar with iSkelter, the company makes a range of handmade high-quality wooden lap desks and desk accessories.
The Slate 2.0, designed for Apple's line of MacBooks, is a lap desk with a built in MacBook holder and a cutout to hold an iPhone, iPad, or another small accessory. It's been designed as an ideal mobile workspace for use on a couch, in bed, or anywhere else where there's no standard desk available.
Made from either light bamboo or a darker walnut bamboo, the Slate 2.0 is priced starting at $70 and can be customized with additional desk space, a white board, or a built-in mousepad. Holes are cut into the bottom of the Slate 2.0 for ventilation and to keep it light and easy to carry. The Slate 2.0 fits all of Apple's notebooks, from the 11-inch MacBook Air to the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
One of iSkelter's other new products is the Magic Trackpad 2 Station, which is a lap accessory that holds a Magic Keyboard and a Magic Trackpad so you can use them in your lap with an iMac or a MacBook.
The Magic Trackpad 2 Station, priced starting at $60, has precise cutouts specifically designed for Apple's Keyboard and Trackpad. A felt lining keeps your accessories from getting scratched, and since it's made from bamboo, it's lightweight and easy to store.
iSkelter has a wide range of other products, from lap desks to Apple Watch charging stations to full-on desks, but we're giving six MacRumors readers a chance to win their choice of a Slate 2.0 LapDesk with Mousepad or a Station for Trackpad 2.
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 winner and send the prize. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older 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.
The contest will run from today (December 16) at 11:15 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:15 a.m. Pacific Time on December 23. The winners will be chosen randomly on December 23 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Twitter has confirmed to TechCrunch that the social network is performing a small scale test for some of its iOS users, changing the popular "retweet" icon into an new "share" button. "Retweet" and "quote tweet" are now simply options to pick from within the "share" menu.
Additionally, the arrow that currently indicates a prompt to reply to a tweet has been overhauled into a small speech bubble icon. The change to the reply button is purely cosmetic and doesn't functionally alter how the feature works, but the "share" option is introducing a few new choices into the sub-menu.
In addition to the expected "retweet" and "quote tweet" buttons, when users click on "share," they are discovering new "send by direct message" and "share tweet" options. Currently in the iOS Twitter app, send by direct message is a one-tap option below each tweet represented by a small envelope, which has now been removed.
"Share tweet" lets users spread a tweet to other platforms. In its current state on the iOS app, it can be found by tapping a small, easily missable down arrow in the top right corner of the screen, after clicking on the tweet to expand it and get more information. Both the current and potentially new options bring up Apple's usual share card.
In its confirmation to TechCrunch, Twitter said that its purpose for the test is "to see how it changed behavior on the site," seemingly hoping to make it easier for users to send links to friends and family members with the new share options, boosting engagement in the process.
“We’re testing new icons on Tweets to evaluate how this impacts the way that people use Twitter,” a spokesperson said in an email.
Another reason for the change is rumored to be Twitter's acquiescence to "more established social media norms" that have been popularized by other social networks, with Twitter hoping that "share" is more recognizable and understandable by new users than Twitter-specific lingo like "retweet." In the new tests, "retweet" still exists, it's just buried under a newly named button. So if this part of Twitter's decision is true, it's still not clear why "retweet" would exist in any form within the app.
The new share button includes four options: retweet, quote tweet, send by direct message, and share tweet
This would also fall in line with the company's decision to change "stars" and "favorites" to "likes" and "hearts," two terms Facebook users are undoubtedly familiar with at this point. The move to a speech bubble from the curved "reply" arrow might also make it easier for new users to navigate the app, thanks to its similarity to app icons like iMessages. As with the sharing option, this has the potential to boost user engagement, which Twitter has been having trouble with this year.
It’s the same reason Twitter would change the reply arrow to a speech bubble: Twitter is looking for more understandable iconography, and having too many arrows was, again, confusing to anyone less familiar with Twitter beyond very regular, existing users. Having a speech bubble icon may also prove to remind people to react more frequently, boosting engagement — a key metric that Twitter, as an ad-based service, needs to grow (especially since user growth has largely been flat).
The details of how long the test might go on for were left unspecified, but one Twitter insider also mentioned that there are "a bunch" of tests being performed at the company, so it's impossible to say which change will become a permanent mainstay for its users. Twitter has been rolling out updates to compete with the growing popularity of Snapchat and Instagram, most recently adding in live video to its mobile apps earlier this week.
Apple is set to appeal this week against the European Commission's ruling that it must pay up to 13 billion euros ($13.8 billion) to Ireland in back taxes (via 
Twitter 
Twitter has confirmed to 
