MacRumors

Twitter says it is rolling out a number of changes to the way direct messages work, including the ability to send a direct message to several people in different conversations.

Going forward, Twitter says users will be able to share the same tweet in up to 20 separate direct message conversations, which should ensure "no more (awkward) accidental group chats when you DM a tweet to multiple people."

Twitter says this change is rolling out on iOS and web over the next few weeks, with the changes coming "soon" on Android.

Twitter is also tweaking DM timestamps for iOS users in order to reduce "timestamp clutter." Rather than having each message within a DM conversation stamped with the date and time, Messages will be grouped by day.

In addition, the Twitter iOS app is gaining a couple of user interface tweaks, including a long-press gesture to access the "add reaction" buttons (previously only accessible via a double tap, and a new down-arrow button to return to the most recent message in a DM conversation after scrolling through.

Earlier this month, Twitter added support for Sign in With Apple, allowing new users to create an account using their Apple ID while hiding their true email address from the social network.

Apple has delayed its plan to return employees back to the office until at least January, due to concerns over an increase in COVID-19 cases and the possible emergence of new variants, Bloomberg reports.

Apple had previously planned to return to in-person work by early September, but the company delayed that timeline until October. Now, due to continued concerns, that timeframe has been further pushed back until at least January.

In a memo sent to staff, obtained by Bloomberg, the company's human resource and retail chief, Deirdre O’Brien, said that Apple is not planning to close its offices or retail stores that are currently open, but is encouraging employees to get vaccinated. Unlike other companies, Apple has yet to enforce a requirement for employees to be vaccinated.

The company told staff it would confirm the re-opening timeline one month before employees are required to return to the office. Apple had previously aimed to require all staff to return to corporate offices by early September before delaying that until October. When employees are required to return, they will be expected to work at the office at least three days a week -- Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays -- with remote work on Wednesday and Friday available.

The memo to staff, sent by human resources and retail head Deirdre O'Brien, added that the company does not currently expect to shutter its offices or retail stores. But she strongly encouraged staff to get vaccinated. The company is yet to require vaccinations or testing, though it is upping its testing program to as many as three at-home coronavirus tests per week. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the memo.

Apple's plans to return to the office have received criticism from Apple employees, who claim that the company is being insensitive to staff members who may prefer working remotely. When employees return, Apple plans to have employees in the office at least three days a week, with the remaining days working remotely.

Apple today sent out emails letting Apple Pay users know about its latest promotion, which offers $2 off any footlong sub from Subway when using ‌Apple Pay‌ and the Subway app to make the purchase.

To get the deal, customers will need to use the promo code APPLEPAY when checking out. The $2 discount is available through August 25, and it is applicable in participating U.S. restaurants only. It applies to footlong subs, but PRO and signature wraps are excluded.

The United States Federal Trade Commission today reinforced its antitrust case against Facebook by providing more detail on how the company either crushed or bought out its rivals in an attempt to get rid of competition.

The updated filing is longer than the original complaint and it offers additional evidence in favor of the FTC's argument that Facebook is a monopolist, plus it again asks the judge overseeing the case to force Facebook to sell Instagram and WhatsApp, the two social networking apps that Facebook also operates.

In the complaint, the FTC says that Facebook used an illegal "buy-or-bury" scheme to maintain its dominance in the social networking market after it failed to "develop innovative mobile features" during the transition from desktop to mobile devices. Facebook is also accused of luring developers to its platform, surveilling them for signs of success, and then burying them when they became a threat.

With no "serious competition," the FTC says that Facebook has been able to "hone a surveillance-based advertising model" that causes increasing harm to consumers.

"Facebook lacked the business acumen and technical talent to survive the transition to mobile. After failing to compete with new innovators, Facebook illegally bought or buried them when their popularity became an existential threat," said Holly Vedova, FTC Bureau of Competition Acting Director. "This conduct is no less anticompetitive than if Facebook had bribed emerging app competitors not to compete. The antitrust laws were enacted to prevent precisely this type of illegal activity by monopolists. Facebook's actions have suppressed innovation and product quality improvements. And they have degraded the social network experience, subjecting users to lower levels of privacy and data protections and more intrusive ads. The FTC's action today seeks to put an end to this illegal activity and restore competition for the benefit of Americans and honest businesses alike."

According to the FTC, Facebook was unable to integrate its desktop-based technology to mobile devices, and when it was unable to fairly compete, Facebook executives addressed the threat by buying up new innovators in the space like Instagram and WhatsApp, who had "succeeded where Facebook failed."

Facebook's policies of hindering third-party developers on its Facebook Platform impacted companies like Circle and Path, and also "deprived consumers of promising and disrupting mavericks" that would have been able to force Facebook to make improvements to its own social network.

The FTC says that its amended complaint provides direct evidence that Facebook has the power to control prices, drive competitors out of business, and reduce the quality of the product delivered to consumers without losing a significant number of users.

The FTC originally filed an antitrust lawsuit against Facebook in December 2020, teaming up with 46 states, the District of Columbia, and the territory of Guam to accuse Facebook of maintaining an illegal social networking monopoly.

Major features like SharePlay, Safari updates, Photos changes, and more have received most of the attention when it comes to iOS 15 coverage, but there are some notable new translation-related features that are being introduced in the update.

System-wide translation, Live Text translation, and other new options add useful new functionality to the iPhone. This guide highlights everything that's new with the Translate app and the translation features in iOS 15.

System-Wide Translation

Apple in iOS 14 introduced a new Translate app that can be used to translate conversations from one language to another, and also added translation features to Safari.

In iOS 15, translation capabilities are expanding further and can be used system-wide. You can select any text anywhere in iOS 15 and choose the new "Translate" option to translate it into your preferred language.

Live Text

iOS 15 adds a Live Text feature that lets your ‌iPhone‌ detect text in any image or photo on your device. You can select text in images and it works like any other text on your ‌iPhone‌.

You can copy text, paste text, and use the built-in system-wide translation feature to translate text. So if you're in another country and need to read a sign or a menu in a foreign language, you can snap a quick picture, highlight the text, and choose the translate option to see just what it says.

Live Text can be selected and translated in ‌Photos‌, screenshots, Quick Look, Safari, and even live previews with the Camera app.

Translate App

In addition to the system-wide translation feature, Apple has made several improvements to the dedicated Translate app, which is designed for communicating with someone who speaks another language.

Conversation Updates

The Translate app's conversation feature has been updated to make it easier to get into conversation mode. Just tap on the Conversation tab in landscape or portrait view, which is located at the bottom of the Translate app.

Chat bubbles have been added to the conversation mode so that it's easier to follow along with the chat.

Auto Translate

The Translate app is now able to auto translate speech without the need to tap on the microphone button when in conversation mode.

It automatically detects when you start speaking and when you stop, so the other person can just respond without the need for interacting with the ‌iPhone‌.

• iOS 15: How to Turn on Auto-Translate in the Translate App

Face to Face View

The conversation view has a face to face option so that each person participating in the conversation through the Translate app can see their own side of the chat.

Language Selection Improvements

Apple has made it easier to select languages through drop-down menus.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the updated Translate app features in iOS 15, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Apple supplier Foxconn is making a major push into electric vehicle manufacturing and has long been aiming to get into the vehicle market, according to a new profile of Foxconn's car ambitions that was shared by Nikkei.

"If we can make iPhones, why can't we make EVs?" Foxconn founder and former chairman Terry Gou said in an internal meeting. "It is an iPhone with four wheels."

Foxconn has been pursuing electric vehicles since 2014 when there was an "A-Fu Initiative" to build an electric vehicle prototype. That project ultimately folded because of the complexity of creating a car, but Foxconn is once again building up a vehicle supply chain with plans to get into EV manufacturing.

Gou's successor Young Liu is aiming to have Foxconn designs, components, and mechanical parts or software inside five percent of electric vehicles by 2025, and Foxconn is building factories in the U.S. and Thailand for car assembly.

Apple too is making inroads into car manufacturing with its long running "Project Titan," and though the project has evolved and shifted over the years, rumors suggest that Apple is working on creating a full electric vehicle that could come out by 2028.

Foxconn subsidiaries already supply parts to companies like Tesla and BMW, and Foxconn has signed vehicle supply deals with Fiat and Chrysler owner Stellantis and is working with Geely to develop software platforms and whole vehicles. It is also planning to manufacture vehicles for Fisker.

As Foxconn is already a major Apple supplier, Foxconn could play a key role in Apple's future vehicle plans. According to Nikkei, Foxconn is assumed to be a candidate to produce Apple Cars.

Rumors have suggested that Apple is pursuing manufacturing partners and talking with multiple companies at the current time, though there's no concrete word yet on the companies that Apple will end up working with for the Apple Car.

Apple has temporarily shut down its retail store located in Charleston, South Carolina after more than 20 staff members were exposed to or tested positive for COVID-19, reports Bloomberg.

According to the website for the store, it will be shuttered until Monday, August 23. According to Bloomberg, stores of this size typically have 70 to 80 employees, so around a quarter of the staff may have been exposed.

Apple appears to be suffering from staff shortages at the Charleston store and other retail locations, both because of COVID exposures and the difficult labor market. Stores remain operational at this time, but some have been forced to close earlier and open later because of a lack of staff.

Continuing issues with the delta variant of COVID-19 have impacted Apple's store plans. Apple stopped requiring customers and employees to wear masks back in June, but then reinstated mask mandates at many retail locations in the United States in late July. So far though, Apple has not reinstated widespread store shutdowns.

Apple had also planned to bring back in-person Today at Apple classes on August 30, but has since pushed back those plans because of the prevalence of the delta variant.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News 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.

With the introduction of iOS 15, Apple rebadged its paid iCloud plans to "‌iCloud‌+" to reflect the fact that subscribers now get access to additional privacy features like Private Relay and Hide My Email. This article explains what Hide My Email is and how to use it.

Hide My Email builds on the idea of Sign in With Apple by providing you with unique, random email addresses that forward to your personal inbox whenever you want to keep your personal email address private.

It's especially useful if you suspect that a business you're transacting with is likely to share your email address with ad agencies or other third-parties for marketing purposes. Using a random email address means you can delete the address at any time, ensuring unsolicited emails don't reach your inbox.

How to Create an Email Address Using Hide My Email

The following steps show you how to create a new dummy email address with Hide My Email, for use in Safari and Mail. Make sure your iOS device is running iOS 15 or later.

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad
2. Tap your Apple ID name at the top of the main settings menu.
3. Tap iCloud.
   
   

4. Tap Hide My Email.
5. Tap Create new address.
   
   

6. Tap Continue, then give your address an identifying label. You can also optionally make a note about it.
   

7. Tap Next, then tap Done.
   

You can now use the random email address when you send emails in Mail, or when you're asked to enter your email address on a website in Safari.

How to Deactivate an Address Using Hide My Email

If you aren't currently using a random address generated by Hide My Email, you can temporarily deactivate it so that you don't receive any forwarded email from it.

1. Launch the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌
2. Tap your ‌Apple ID‌ name at the top of the main settings menu.
3. Tap iCloud.
   
   

4. Tap Hide My Email.
5. Tap the email address in the list that you want to deactivate.
6. Tap Deactivate email address.
7. Tap Deactivate to confirm.
   

From now on, you won't receive emails sent to that address anymore. If you want to re-activate the address at any time, you'll find it in an "Inactive addresses" section at the bottom of your active addresses list. Tap the address in question, then tap Reactivate Address. Alternately, you can delete it by selecting Delete Address.

How to Change Your Hide My Email Forwarding Address

You can change the forwarding address for the dummy accounts that Hide My Email randomly generates. Here's how.

1. Launch the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌.
2. Tap your ‌Apple ID‌ name at the top of the main settings menu.
3. Tap iCloud.
   
   

4. Tap Hide My Email.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the address list and tap Forward to.
6. Select one of your email addresses, then tap Done.
   

Paid ‌iCloud‌+ plans also include another premium feature called Private Relay, which ensures that all traffic leaving your device is fully encrypted, so that no third party between the website and your device can see the website being viewed. Check out our dedicated how-to for all the details.

Actor Hank Azaria has signed on to play Apple CEO Tim Cook in upcoming Showtime series "Super Pumped," reports Variety. "Super Pumped" is a series set in Silicon Valley that details the rise of ride-sharing company Uber.

Hank Azaria is known for his roles in movies like "Mystery Men," "Godzilla," "The Smurfs," and "America's Sweethearts." He has also starred in TV shows that include "Ray Donovan," "Huff," "Mad About You," and "Brockmire."

"Super Pumped" is planned as an anthology, and the first season will focus on Uber. The show is based on Mike Isaac's "Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber" book that focuses on Uber founder Travis Kalanick and the "roller-coaster ride of the upstart transportation company."

In the series, Joseph Gordon-Levitt will play Travis Kalanick, and Kyle Chandler will play his mentor Bill Gurley.

Nanoleaf today announced the addition of Thread Border Router technology to the Nanoleaf Shapes and Elements Controllers, with the functionality available through a firmware update in the Nanoleaf app.

With the Nanoleaf Border Router, Nanoleaf Essentials devices will be able to connect to the Thread network automatically when the Shapes or Elements Controller is connected to WiFi.

Nanoleaf is also partnering with Eero for similar capabilities. The Eero Pro, Eero Beacon, Eero Pro 6, and Eero 6 will function as Border Routers with the Nanoleaf Essentials line. Eero will expand compatibility with other products in the future.

Nanoleaf is one of the first companies bringing Thread Border Routers to the HomeKit network, making Thread technology available to other Thread-based smart home devices.

Thread technology is designed to improve the smart home networking and usage experience. Thread is a networking protocol designed for smart home products, and it offers improved connectivity, reliability, and range compared to the single connection points of Bluetooth and WiFi. Border Router technology connects a Thread network to another network like WiFi and is essential for the Thread system.

With Thread Border Router functionality built into the Nanoleaf Shapes Controller, Elements Controller, and Eero routers, there is no need for an extra hub because these devices serve as a bridge to connect the WiFi network and the Thread network together.

Apple is researching a MacBook keyboard that features a removable key to be used as a precision mouse, according to a newly published patent application.

The patent application, first spotted by Patently Apple, is titled "Deployable Key Mouse" and was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The filing envisages a standard-looking MacBook scissor-system keyboard that features a hidden removable key. This key would contain a position sensor to be used as a pointing device. Apple describes the system as providing a "comfortable, portable, and precise pointer input for a computer input system."

The filing explains that some precise tasks, such as graphic design, computer-assisted design and modeling, and editing large and complex documents, are better suited to a handheld mouse than a trackpad. Apple acknowledged that carrying a separate mouse with the computer can be a burden and may be "redundant when the computer already has built-in pointing devices."

The removable key is a viable solution to this issue, according to Apple. In some embodiments, the key would be able to work as normal on the keyboard when it is not deployed and feature a small battery.

Apple outlined various mechanical systems to facilitate the removable key, including sliding a single or set of multiple keys out of the housing vertically, as well as sliding a key out from the side of the machine horizontally. The patent's illustrations showed the deployable key located toward the edge of the keyboard so that it would not be a key that sees frequent use.

Patent filings cannot be taken as evidence of Apple's immediate plans, but they do indicate areas of interest for the company and what it is considering developing behind the scenes. While the prospect of a removable key may seem like an outlandish potential MacBook feature, it may be less obtrusive than other unusual features such as the Touch Bar and could appeal to certain pro-users who require maximum portability but could still benefit from occasional precise input.

An email from Steve Jobs surfaced as part of evidence of Apple's ongoing legal battle with Epic Games, has confirmed that in 2010, the company had internal plans of working on an "iPhone nano," a possible miniature version of the ‌iPhone‌ 4.

The email, spotted in a trove of evidence by The Verge, was sent by late Apple CEO Steve Jobs to fellow executives in October of 2010, months after the company had released the ‌iPhone‌ 4. The email consists of several different business plans for 2011, including Jobs wanting Apple to find its identity, its best selling points, and Apple's "Holy War with Google."

One section of the email, labeled "‌iPhone‌ - Joz & Bob," referring to current Apple executive Greg Joswiak and former Apple executive Bob Mansfield, aimed to lay out the roadmap for the ‌iPhone‌. Jobs notes in the email that for 2011, Apple would want to release a "plus" version of the ‌iPhone‌ 4 with improved antennas, a point likely inspired by antennagate, improved performance, camera, and software. Apple did ultimately follow through with that plan with the ‌iPhone‌ 4S.

The last point of the email is perhaps the most interesting, where Jobs lists "‌iPhone‌ nano plan," with a "cost goal" and "show model (and/or renderings) - Jony" sub-bullet points. Rumors were swirling between 2009 and 2011 about Apple planning to release an "‌iPhone‌ nano," which never came to fruition.

In the email, Jobs also listed wanting to create a "low-cost ‌iPhone‌ model based on iPod touch to replace 3GS". However, as The Verge notes, it's unclear if the ‌iPhone‌ nano referenced in the email is that low-cost ‌iPhone‌ Jobs was envisioning or an entirely different device.

Apple, up until 2014, had only offered one sized ‌iPhone‌. With the ‌iPhone‌ 6 in 2014, the company introduced the ‌iPhone‌ 6 Plus, introducing the "Plus" nomenclature into the ‌iPhone‌ for the first time. The company has since drastically altered its ‌iPhone‌ strategy, offering a wide range of ‌iPhone‌ sizes, hoping to target customers who enjoy larger and smaller handsets.

Apple is scaling back its work on a critical internal initiative within its health department, possibly presenting a significant setback to the company's long-term health goals, as well as the departure of multiple staff members, according to a report from Business Insider.

The initiative in question is an internal app used by employees called "HealthHabit" that allowed them to monitor and log a wide range of health metrics, such as fitness goals, management of hypertension, and gain direct access to clinicians in the AC Wellness group, a doctors group that has Apple has partnered with.

According to Business Insider, Apple is "scaling back" HealthHabit, which had a dedicated team of 50 employees working on the app. The report notes that employees who previously worked on the app will be dismissed unless they find another role within the company.

More than 50 employees were spending a significant amount of time working on the app. Some of them will be laid off with severance if they're unable to find other roles inside Apple in the next few weeks, two of the people said. The people requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press. Their identities are known to Insider.

At its original inception, Apple had hoped that HealthHabit would allow for experimentation of possible new health services. HealthHabit is one project part of Apple Health, a division within Apple that consists of hundreds of engineers, scientists, doctors, designers, and more that oversee Apple's health features, such as the ones inside the Apple Watch.

Despite the cutback on staff and resources, the report notes that HealthHabit may continue internally at a much smaller scale or possibly shut down entirely. A report in June by The Wall Street Journal detailed how Apple has piloted the idea of launching a healthcare service based on a subscription model with "Apple Doctors." That project, spearheaded by Dr. Sumbul Desai of Stanford University, has, however, stalled.

Over the past few years, Apple has continued to build health features into the iPhone and Apple Watch. In the years to come, Apple is looking to expand the capability of the Apple Watch itself by adding new sensors, such as temperature, blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood alcohol monitoring.

Apple today highlighted that the Apple Card and Goldman Sachs has been ranked top for customer satisfaction in the midsized issuer credit card segment, according to J.D. Power.

The J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study showed that the ‌Apple Card‌ ranked highest with a score of 864.1, across all of the surveyed categories including interaction, credit card terms, communication, benefits and services, rewards, and key moments. Apple's vice president of Apple Pay, Jennifer Bailey, said:

It is exciting to be recognized with this first J.D. Power win, just two years after introducing Apple Card in 2019 and the first time being included in this study. We designed Apple Card to help our customers lead healthier financial lives, so it's incredibly meaningful to see that our customers are valuing this. Being recognized as the leader in this category this year is an honor, and we look forward to continuing to deliver this product, service, and support with our award-winning issuer as Apple Card expands to more and more customers across the U.S.

The ‌Apple Card‌ launched in 2019 as a no-fee credit card designed for the iPhone and supported by Goldman Sachs, featuring Apple Wallet integration and Daily Cash rewards with up to three percent cashback. The card is only available in the United States.

Images of an aluminum cutout allegedly based on the upcoming sixth-generation iPad mini have surfaced online. The cutout is largely in line with rumors of what we can expect in the ‌iPad mini‌ 6, including a larger display in lieu of a Home button, a thinner body, and flat edges.

The images originated from the website techordo.com in cooperation with a leaker named xleaks7, whose track record for accurate leaks isn't very well established. The cutout showcases a design much in line with renders of the upcoming ‌iPad mini‌ shared by Apple leaker Jon Prosser earlier in June.

One interesting new change the images depict is the relocation of the volume buttons. The volume buttons on iPads have always been on the right side, however, the images show the buttons relocated to the top, on the opposite side of the power button.

The new ‌iPad mini‌ will take inspiration from the updated iPad Air and iPad Pro by ditching the Home Button in favor of an all-screen design. Apple is unlikely to provide users with Face ID embedded into the bezel and is expected instead to integrate Touch ID into the power button, similar to the ‌iPad Air‌. It's also expected to feature a faster processor and possibly USB-C.

Reliable Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has reported that the new iPad mini is on track to be released this fall, alongside new iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods, and MacBook Pros.