MacRumors

Google today told employees that they will need to return to their physical offices starting on Monday, April 4, reports CNBC. This will apply to employees located in the Bay Area, which is where Google has a Mountain View-based main campus, along with employees in other locations around the United States.

Santa Clara County,t where Google and Apple are located, has been lifting Covid-related restrictions as infection rates have significantly dropped, and the indoor mask mandate in the area ended today, paving the way for Google to ask workers to return.

With cases dropping and Google calling employees back to the office, there's a chance that Apple is going to follow in the near future. Apple has been eager to get employees back to 1 Infinite Loop, Apple Park, and other offices in the Bay Area, but it has had to push back return dates several times now.

Back in November, Apple told employees that it wanted them to return to their offices starting in February, but with the Omicron surge in December, Apple delayed the return indefinitely.

Apple has promised to give employees at least one month notice before they are required to go back to work, and Apple is also implementing a hybrid work schedule. Employees will be expected to be in the office three days a week, but will have the option of working from home for two days a week. Apple also plans to allow employees to work remotely for up to one month per year, giving them more time to travel and be closer to loved ones.

Over the past two years, tech company employees have become used to working from home, and there has been pushback from Apple workers who do not want to do their jobs in person, especially as the company has successfully launched products, services, and software updates with most people working remotely. Employees sent letters to Apple pleading for the ability to work from home on a permanent basis, but Apple is a proponent for in-person collaboration.

Back in June, Apple CEO Tim Cook said there are things that video conferencing is unable to replicate. "For all that we've been able to achieve while many of us have been separated, the truth is that there has been something essential missing from this past year: each other," he said in a memo.

Like Apple, Google plans to have employees transition back to work using a hybrid schedule. Most workers will be expected to come into the office for three days a week, with two days available to work remotely. Google is also letting some employees work from home on a permanent basis.

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.

Mophie in January introduced the 3-in-1 MagSafe Travel Charger, an official MagSafe accessory that directly competes with Apple's ‌MagSafe‌ Duo. Unlike the ‌MagSafe‌ Duo, Mophie's Travel Charger can charge three devices at once rather than two, plus it comes with an included power adapter, USB-C cable, and carrying case.

Priced at $150, or $20 more than the $130 MagSafe Duo, the 3-in-1 Travel Charger features a simple tri-fold design. It includes a pop-up Apple Watch charger that supports Nightstand Mode, a ‌MagSafe‌ charging puck, and a Qi charger for wirelessly charging AirPods.

Each of the three chargers has black plastic bases, but two of the actual charging pucks are Apple components. Belkin used to be the only company that had access to Apple's official ‌MagSafe‌ charging hardware, but now other third-party companies can get the components. Mophie's charger is using Made for iPhone certified Apple Watch and ‌MagSafe‌ charging hardware, while the Qi charger is a standard coil underneath the plastic base.

I'm not a fan of the black plastic that's being used for the bases of the chargers and for the single Qi charger because it feel like cheap, low-quality plastic, but it probably keeps costs down and it's also lightweight so the entire charging trio is fairly light. The outer casing features a heather gray/black fabric, and the chargers fold over one another into a compact square-shaped package.

The folded-up Travel Charger fits inside a felt travel pouch that also houses a USB-C charging cable for power purposes and a 30W power adapter that offers enough juice to charge an ‌iPhone‌ at 15W (12W for iPhone 12 mini and ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini), an Apple Watch, and the AirPods at 5W. The Apple Watch charger is not able to charge the Series 7 models at the faster charging rate as it is not a fast charger.

Everything included is basic and no-frills, but it's not unattractive and I appreciate that Mophie has included all of the components that you need to use the charger in one easy to carry package.

When unfolded, it's just over three inches wide and 12 inches long, and when folded up, it's about an inch and a half thick and about three and a half inches wide. The carrying case that it goes into is about seven inches long and four and a half inches wide, so when in the case, it is a good bit larger. You can carry it without the case if you want, but the case is handy to have for the cable and the power adapter.

For travel purposes, I think Mophie's 3-in-1 Travel Charger is ideal. Everything packs up into one neat case, and it's easy to get the components in and out when needed. I travel fairly often and have been using the ‌MagSafe‌ Duo, but I like that the Mophie charger has an extra spot for AirPods.

The ‌MagSafe‌ charger included with the Mophie accessory is essentially identical to Apple's own ‌MagSafe‌ charger. In my testing, it was able to charge an ‌iPhone‌ 12 that was dead to 33 percent in a half hour, which is about the same result that I see with a standard ‌MagSafe‌ charging cable.

Though designed for AirPods, the 5W Qi charging base of the 3-in-1 Travel Charger can be used with an ‌iPhone‌ as well, though charging will obviously be slower. The ‌MagSafe‌ charging spot can charge non-MagSafe phones (with no magnetic alignment) and it can also be used for AirPods, so those two spots have some versatility depending on the mix of devices you need to charge up.

Bottom Line

If you travel a lot and hate dealing with cables, Mophie's 3-in-1 Travel Charger is convenient, and it's also the best portable ‌MagSafe‌ charger on the market. I much prefer it to Apple's own ‌MagSafe‌ Duo because it has an extra charging spot and comes with the charging cable and USB-C power adapter that I need to charge at full speed.

It's not the best looking charger, but it's perfectly serviceable and worked well in my testing. On the downside, it's expensive at $150, but it is priced competitively with other multi-device ‌MagSafe‌ charging solutions that are on the market and worth considering for those who have a need that it meets.

How to Buy

The 3-in-1 Travel Charger from Mophie is an Apple exclusive and can be purchased on Apple's website for $150.

Apple today announced that its first event of 2022 will take place on Tuesday, March 8. Featuring the tagline "Peek Performance," the event is now featured on Apple's events website, and if you visit the page on an iPhone or iPad, you can see an augmented reality version of the logo Apple created.

Nested Apple icons in shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, and purple are featured in this year's event image, and there is an animated internal effect along with radiating colors along with accompanying music.

Tap on the colorful Apple logo on the page to open Apple's AR viewer, which allows you to scan the area around you and see the animated logo in action. You can also view it in "Object" mode to get a clearer picture of what it looks like.

Apple always creates unique graphics for its events, and each one comes with a morphing augmented reality logo for people to check out.

In addition to adding the Peek Performance event to its webpage, Apple has also uploaded a placeholder video to YouTube, where the event will be livestreamed. People can sign up for reminders to get notified when the event takes place.

Apple's event will kick off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, March 8. In addition to being streamed on YouTube, the event can also be watched through the events webpage and in the Apple TV app. If you're unable to watch, you can tune in to MacRumors on the site or through our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

Rumors suggest the event will focus on 5G connectivity, with Apple bringing 5G to the iPhone SE and the iPad Air. We're also expecting at least one new Mac, and possibilities include the Mac mini and the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple today announced that it will be holding its first event of 2022 on Tuesday, March 8 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.

As with the 2021 events, Apple's first event of 2022 will continue to be a digital-only gathering with no members of the media invited to attend in person due to the ongoing public health crisis.

We've already heard quite a few rumors about what we can expect to see at the March 8 event. Apple is expected to announce the next-generation version of the iPhone SE, a revamped iPad Air, and at least one Mac with an Apple silicon chip, which could be the Mac mini, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, or both.

The third-generation iPhone SE will look similar to the second-generation model available now, and no design changes are expected. It will continue to feature thick bezels and a Touch ID Home button, but it will include an updated A-series chip, likely the A15, and faster 5G connectivity. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said it will be Apple's most affordable 5G iPhone.

Apple isn't going to make any design changes to the next-generation iPad Air either, but it too will get a faster chip and 5G connectivity. It could also be updated with a new FaceTime camera that supports Center Stage, the feature that keeps you in frame even as you move around the room.

As for Macs, Apple is rumored to be planning to release a higher-end version of the Mac mini with an overhauled design and M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. The new ‌Mac mini‌ will replace the current Intel ‌Mac mini‌ options, and it could come at Apple's March event.

The final device rumored for March 8 is an updated version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which is said to be equipped with an M2 chip, the successor to the M1 chip. The MacBook Pro will look identical to the current 13-inch model, and it will be a lower-end version of the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that have ‌M1 Pro‌ and ‌M1 Max‌ chips.

The M2 chip will feature the same 8-core CPU as the ‌M1‌, but speed and efficiency improvements are expected, as are GPU improvements. Rumors suggest the ‌M2‌ chip will be available in 9 and 10-core GPU options, up from the 7 and 8-core GPU options available with the original ‌M1‌ chip.

Apple plans to stream the‌ event live on its website and in the Apple TV app when it kicks off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 8. For those unable to watch, MacRumors will be providing full event coverage both on MacRumors.com and through the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

Apple and its service partners can now repair Face ID on an iPhone without replacing the entire device, allowing the company to offer cheaper and more environmentally sustainable means of device repairs to customers.

As MacRumors reported last week, Apple Stores and authorized service providers would soon be receiving parts of the TrueDepth Camera system, including the front-facing camera and ‌Face ID‌.

In a new memo seen by MacRumors today, Apple said it has begun to send out those parts to authorized service providers and Apple Stores, allowing for ‌Face ID‌ repairs without whole-unit replacement. Repair prices will vary depending on the service provider, location, and device. The new repair option is available only for the ‌iPhone‌ XS and later. The ‌iPhone‌ X, which marked the birth of ‌Face ID‌, is not supported.

Apple said that the new repair option is not available in Argentina, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad, and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The memo did not offer any timetable for when availability may expand to other countries.

Update: We now have invites for a March 8 event! Apple uncharacteristically sent them out less than a week ahead of the event.

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With no sign of Apple event invites being sent out for the company's rumored spring event on March 8, when could Apple's long-awaited spring event be?

What Happened to the Rumored March 8 Apple Event?

Despite having a ring of the widely-rumored March 23 Apple event from last year that never occurred, when Bloomberg's Mark Gurman first floated the chances of an Apple event on March 8, he noted that the company's plans could change:

Apple Inc. is targeting a date on or near March 8 to unveil a new low-cost iPhone and an updated iPad... Given that the planned timing is still more than a month away, the company's plans may change in the face of production delays or other changes...

Global events have changed considerably between February 4, when Gurman's article was published, and March 1, when invites would have likely been sent out for an event on March 8. It seems plausible that Apple could have chosen to delay its spring event until international tensions are calmer and there is a better climate for optimism to unveil new products.

There is a small chance that Apple could still hold an event on March 8, but this would mean sending out invites less than a week before the event and this is very uncharacteristic of Apple. While the company did give just six days of notice for its event in October 2021, invites were sent out on Tuesday for the event on the following Monday, so this still seems unlikely for the rumored spring event this year.

When Could the Spring Event Be Now?

Looking ahead, there are still lots of potential dates for when Apple could host its spring event. In line with Gurman's rumor, a spring Apple event in March seems most likely, with the company having held an event in March in six of the past eleven years. Only two spring events have occurred in April:

• April 8, 2010
• March 2, 2011
• March 7, 2012
• March 9, 2015
• March 21, 2016
• March 27, 2018
• March 25, 2019
• April 20, 2021

Apple typically holds its events on Tuesdays, with invites being sent out to the media one week earlier. Unless Apple provides less than a week's notice ahead of its Spring event this year and with no invites sent out yet, an event on March 8 can now be mostly ruled out. This leaves three other potential dates this month:

• Tuesday, March 1
• Tuesday, March 8
• Tuesday, March 15
• Tuesday, March 22
• Tuesday, March 29

Another rumor suggests that Apple could be targeting Wednesday, March 9 or Thursday, March 10 for its event, citing that Belkin is planning to launch accessories for the as-yet unreleased third-generation iPhone SE on March 10 in Japan:

With Apple choosing to host its spring event in April last year and opting for an event on Monday in October 2021, there is a chance that the company is starting to deviate slightly from its expected patterns, which may make an event on a Thursday more believable, but since Japan is 17 hours ahead of time in Cupertino, Wednesday, March 9 may be a more likely date.

Likewise, Gurman's original claim said that Apple was "targeting a date on or near March 8," meaning that March 9 or March 10 would still be more or less in line with the most influential spring Apple event rumor to date.

Could There Just Be No Apple Event?

Given the state of current affairs, there is also a chance that Apple could simply choose to unveil its new products via newsroom posts and press releases. Apple is expected to release an updated iPhone SE, iPad Air, and 13-inch MacBook Pro this spring, and all of these products would be good candidates for a more low-key announcement via press release since they are expected to be minor internal upgrades.

The current ‌iPhone SE‌, which was a substantially bigger upgrade than is expected for the new model this year, was unveiled in a press release in 2020 when there was no spring Apple event, and the company has also done this for various other iPad and Mac upgrades over the years.

In a what could be more striking announcement, Apple is also expected to launch a redesigned high-end Mac mini this spring, but it is still important to remember that the company occasionally chooses press releases to unveil even major new products, such as the AirPods Max in December 2020.

What We Know For Sure

Whatever happens, we know that new Apple devices are set to launch imminently. In January, Apple filed what is believed to be new iPhone SE and iPad Air models in the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) database, and in mid-February the company filed three new Mac models in the EEC database with the model numbers A2615, A2686, and A2681. A2681 is said to be a laptop, while the other two Macs are desktop machines. It seems likely that this relates to two Mac mini models and one 13-inch MacBook Pro model. Apple tends to file new devices in regulatory databases within weeks of announcing them, which suggests that the launch of these devices is now very close.

The imminent launch of these four new Apple devices is also supported by a plethora of rumors from reliable sources and they are believed to have been in mass production for several months, but there are also other devices such as the redesigned iPad Pro with wireless charing that could be on the cards for announcement soon.

It seems like it is just matter of time before we know when these new devices will be formally unveiled, and it is worth keeping an eye out at around 9am PST, which is when Apple usually sends out event invites. We will update this article as soon as we know more about when Apple's spring event is set to take place.

Flexibits this month is offering 75 percent off Flexibits Premium for new customers, including access to both Fantastical and Cardhop. This offer will run through March 31 on the Flexibits website, and the subscription supports apps across macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

When you follow this link, you'll be prompted to create a Flexibits account and then begin your 14 day free trial of Flexibits Premium. Afterwards, you can pick from an Individual or Family plan; the 75 percent off sale can apply to either option.

Individual Plans billed yearly are priced at $9.96 (originally $39.96), or you can opt for the monthly option at $1.25 per month (originally $4.99). Family plans billed yearly are priced at $16.20 (originally $65.04), and $2.00 when billed monthly (originally $7.99).

This sale is for 75 percent off your next purchase on Flexibits, so whatever option you choose will be the only time you can get this deal. Given these parameters, buying for a full year will save you more money. After the year is over, Flexibits Premium will return to its regular price, or you can cancel.

Fantastical is a calendar app that can sync across apps for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Similarly, Cardhop can sync across Apple devices and provides a more in-depth contact management platform.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

While the Beats Pill+ was discontinued a few months ago, the portable Bluetooth speaker is making a comeback with a new limited-edition model.

Beats has collaborated with fashion brand Stüssy on a limited-edition Beats Pill+ speaker featuring a skull-and-bones design and the Stüssy logo. An engraved message on the top of the speaker says "the only good system is a sound system."

The limited-edition model appears to have the same overall design as the original Beats Pill+ released in 2015, based on images shared on Stüssy's website.

The speaker will be available worldwide on Stüssy's website for a limited time starting Friday, March 4 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Pricing is set at $185 in the United States, $255 in Canada, £185 in the United Kingdom, €205 in the Netherlands, ₩230,000 in Korea, and ¥21,500 in Japan, according to an emailed announcement from Beats.

Today on Amazon you can get four of Apple's 24-inch M1 iMacs at up to $150 off their original prices, including the 7-core GPU and 8-core GPU 256GB models. Both of these iMacs have two colors on sale, and all are in stock and sold directly from Amazon.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Starting with the entry-level 7-core GPU/256GB model, this iMac is available for $1,199.00, down from $1,299.00. This $100 off sale is available in Blue and Pink, and it's a match of the all-time low price on this version of the 24-inch iMac.

Secondly, you can save on the 8-core GPU/256GB 24-inch iMac, priced at $1,349.00, down from $1,499.00. This one is available in Silver and Orange, and it's another record low price for the 24-inch iMac.

You can keep track of ongoing sales on Apple's iMac line by visiting our Best iMac Deals guide. There, we keep track of the best iMac offers from Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, and other retailers, so be sure to check back often if you're shopping for an iMac for the first time, or thinking of upgrading.

A YouTuber has successfully made the M1 Mac mini 78% smaller and added MagSafe in a unique DIY project, highlighting Apple's iterative approach to the current entry-level ‌Mac mini‌ ahead of the expected launch of a redesigned high-end model.

When Apple introduced the ‌M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ in November 2020, it retained the exact same unibody design that the company has used since 2010. Subsequent teardowns revealed that the ‌M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ contains a very large amount of empty space.

This is because the unibody design was conceived for Intel processors and hardware from over the past twelve years, while modern components such as the ‌M1‌ chip and its unified memory system are extremely small and thermally efficient, being suitable for the likes of the thin and passively cooled MacBook Air.

Now, Quinn Nelson, the YouTuber behind the popular channel Snazzy Labs, has shrunk the ‌M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ as much as possible by relocating its internals and engineering a new casing.

Since most of the ‌Mac mini‌'s internal space is taken up by a 150W power supply, Nelson replaced it with an external 65W Microsoft Surface power supply with a retrofitted ‌MagSafe‌ 2 connector, which connects to a DC voltage regulator leading to the ‌Mac mini‌'s logic board.

Nelson created a smaller new enclosure for the ‌Mac mini‌ using resin 3D printing, adopting the distinctive "cheese grater" design of the 2019 Mac Pro for enhanced thermals. Nelson relocated parts such as the antennae and power button to the new enclosure and removed the ‌Mac mini‌'s fan. Overall, the modified device is 28% of its original volume internally.

Despite the ‌Mac mini‌'s logic board being in a much smaller enclosure with no fan, Nelson noticed virtually no change in performance, with the device benchmarking just as well as the original machine. Nelson has made a detailed build guide available for any skilled users who wish to undertake the project for themselves.

The ‌Mac mini‌ is due to get a significant overhaul this year, featuring the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips from the MacBook Pro in an all-new design. According to leaker Jon Prosser, who shared renders of the new Mac mini's alleged design last year, the new ‌Mac mini‌ will retain a similar form factor to the current ‌Mac mini‌, but with an overall reduction in size.

The new design is purported to feature a "plexiglass-like" top, sitting above an aluminum frame, much like the first-generation Apple TV. The rear of the device is said to feature the same ports that are currently available with the high-end Intel-based ‌Mac mini‌, including four Thunderbolt ports, two USB-A ports, one Ethernet port, and one HDMI port, but will add a magnetic power connector from the 24-inch iMac.

Apple is believed to have been working on a new Mac mini for some time. Apple updated the entry-level ‌Mac mini‌ with the ‌M1‌ chip in November 2020, but the high-end offering is still the Space Gray model with an Intel processor from 2018. It is this high-end model that is expected to be replaced this year with an Apple silicon model that features the first redesign since 2010, but an update for the entry-level ‌M1‌ model to add the M2 chip also seems plausible.

Apple is reportedly planning to launch the new Mac mini at an event in the spring. For more information about what to expect from the high-end ‌Mac mini‌, see our detailed guide.

Apple is being challenged by a group of developers to end WebKit's dominance on its mobile devices and allow other browser engines on iPhone and iPad, following accusations that the current situation amounts to anti-competitive conduct.

For those unfamiliar with WebKit, Apple's browser engine powers Safari and other areas of the operating system where web content is displayed. Apple requires all third-party browser apps on iOS and iPadOS to use WebKit, but many browser developers are not happy with the limitations this imposes on them.

The latest pushback comes in the form of "Open Web Advocacy" or OWA, a project launched by UK-based developers who want third-party access to all the features that Safari enjoys but which are not available in WebKit.

"The motive of the group is to try to persuade Apple that they need to allow other browser engines on iOS, so the iOS can be a better platform for developing stuff for the modern web," developer Bruce Lawson told The Register. "Because at the moment, every browser on iOS, whether it be badged Chrome, Firefox or Edge is actually just a branded skin of Safari, which lags behind [other browsers] because it has no competition on iOS."

Some Safari features that are not available to other browsers that use WebKit include the ability to display fullscreen video on ‌iPhone‌, install web apps, use browser extensions, and integrate Apple Pay. Developers are also frustrated that iOS forces Safari to be used in all instances of in-app browsing. These and more than 30 other missing functions or APIs for WebKit are outlined in the OWA's "Bringing Competition to Walled Gardens" paper.

Apple argues that WebKit limitations are motivated primarily by security and privacy considerations, but Lawson belives Apple's handling of Safari bugs makes a mockery of that claim.

"Over Christmas, there was a huge bug in something called IndexedDB," said Lawson. "That allowed any arbitrary website to see other websites you visited. Not all of them but those that use certain browser features. And that remained unpatched by Apple for 57 days. So for 57 days, every iOS user who used any web browser on iOS – because it was using WebKit – was leaking data left, right and center. If Apple actually did fix security errors fast, that would be a plausible defense, but they don't."

The OWA says it has been communicating with the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has already heavily criticized Apple's policies around WebKit.

• Should Apple Continue to Ban Rival Browser Engines on iOS?

The OWA is now urging Apple users to contact regulators and legislators in other jurisdictions to galvanize support and force Apple to end its restrictions around WebKit, although such a move could make sideloading apps from the web a real possibility, and that is something Apple appears equally reluctant to allow.

Endless snowboarding game "Alto's Adventure" is set to expand to Apple Arcade this month, with Apple launching "Alto's Adventure: The Spirit of the Mountain." The ‌Apple Arcade‌ exclusive title is a remastered version of the original "Alto's Adventure," but with an all-new exclusive character that features unique attributes and special abilities, plus more than 15 new goals to complete.

The game will feature original music and handcrafted audio to provide an immersive experience, and it will be popular with those who were fans of the first "Alto's Adventure" game that came out seven years ago. ‌Apple Arcade‌ will get the title on Friday, March 25.

‌Apple Arcade‌ is gaining new App Store Greats this month, and for those unfamiliar, ‌App Store‌ Greats are classic titles that have been reintroduced on the ‌Apple Arcade‌ platform. "Shadow Blade+" from Crescent Moon Games will come out on March 4, and it is an action-platformer where players take on the role of a ninja named Kuro, racing through different stages filled with traps and enemies.

Popular puzzle game "Monument Valley 2" is also coming to ‌Apple Arcade‌ in March, and players will once again be able to take on the role of Ro, teaching a child about the mysteries of the valley, exploring the environment, and manipulating architecture to progress. The ‌Apple Arcade‌ version of the game includes a new chapter called "The Lost Forest," designed to raise awareness for the conservation of trees.

Several existing ‌Apple Arcade‌ games are set to get notable content updates this March, including "Solitaire Stories," "Disney Melee Mania," and "Taiko no Tatsujin Pop Tap Beat."

‌Apple Arcade‌ can be accessed from the ‌App Store‌ app, and the service is priced at $4.99 per month for the whole family.

Apple today confirmed that it has stopped all product sales from its online website in Russia, which means customers in Russia can no longer purchase Macs, iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices. Attempting to make a purchase from the Russia store results in a "delivery unavailable" result when trying to add a product to the online cart.

Sales have been halted following a plea last week from Ukrainian vice prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook asking Apple to stop device sales and to block App Store access in Russia.

I appeal to you and I am sure you will not only hear, but also do everything possible to protect Ukraine, Europe, and finally, the entire democratic world from bloody authoritarian aggression - to stop suppling Apple services and products to the Russian Federation, including blocking access to App Store!

We are sure that such actions will motivate youth and active population of Russia to proactively stop the disgraceful military aggression.

Apple said in a statement that it has also stopped all exports into the sales channel in the country and disabled traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens.

We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence. We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region.

We have taken a number of actions in response to the invasion. We have paused all product sales in Russia. Last week, we stopped all exports into our sales channel in the country. Apple Pay and other services have been limited. RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia. And we have disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens. We will continue to evaluate the situation and are in communication with the relevant governments on the actions we are taking. We join all those around the world who are calling for peace.

Cook explained the same info in a letter sent out to employees, and provided information on how Apple employees can donate. Apple will be matching all donations at a rate of 2:1 for eligible organizations, retroactive for donations made since February 25.

I wanted to take a moment to address the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

I know I speak for everyone at Apple in expressing our concern for all of those affected by the violence. With each new image of families fleeing their homes and brave citizens fighting for their lives, we see how important it is for people around the world to come together to advance the cause of peace.

Apple is donating to humanitarian relief efforts and providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis. We are also working with partners to assess what more we can do. I know that many of you are eager to find ways to support as well, and we want to help amplify the impact of your donations. Starting today, Apple will match your donations at a rate of 2:1 for eligible organizations, and we will make this retroactive for donations to those organizations since February 25. Please visit the Employee Giving Portal to learn more.

We are working to support our teams in Ukraine and across the region. In Ukraine, we have been in contact with every employee, assisting them and their families in any way we can. For our Ukrainian team members located outside of the country that may need support, please contact Crisismanagement@apple.com. And for any employee who needs any support, please visit the People site for available resources.

As a company, we are taking additional actions as well. We have paused all product sales in Russia. Last week, we stopped all exports into our sales channel in the country. Apple Pay and other services have been limited. RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia. And we have disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens.

We will continue to evaluate the situation and are in communication with relevant governments on the actions we are taking.

This moment calls for unity, it calls for courage, and it reminds us that we must never lose sight of the humanity we all share. In these difficult times, I take comfort in knowing that we are united in our commitment to each other, to our users, and to being a force for good in the world.

As of now, ‌App Store‌ access has not been eliminated in Russia, but Apple Pay has been limited and major banks in Russia are not able to use the service. RT News and Sputnik News have been removed from the ‌App Store‌ outside of Russia, in addition to Apple's other measures.

Cook said that Apple is working to support its teams in Ukraine and across the region, and that the company has been in contact with every employee in Ukraine to offer assistance. He wrapped up the letter by saying that "this moment calls for unity, it calls for courage, and it reminds us that we must never lose sight of the humanity that we all share."

Cook's letter and Apple's actions come following U.S. sanctions that were implemented against Russia back in February, preventing companies from exporting select products to the country. Apple did not halt sales at that time, and the response appears to have been made as a result of Ukraine's request.

Apple's next Apple Watch activity challenge is set to take place on International Women's Day, which will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 8.

The Activity Challenge will show up on the Apple Watch as a notification in the days leading up to the event. To win the International Women's Day award, Apple Watch users will need to complete a workout of any kind with a length of at least 20 minutes.

March 8 is a day to celebrate women around the world! Earn this award by doing any workout for 20 minutes or more. Record your time with the Workout app or any app that adds workouts to Health.

Apple Watch users who earn the award will unlock a badge in the Fitness app along with a series of animated stickers that can be used in the Messages and FaceTime apps.

In February, Apple hosted Activity Challenges for Heart Month, Lunar New Year, and Black History Month.

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming macOS macOS Monterey 12.3 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming a week after the release of the fourth macOS Monterey 12.3 beta.

Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.

macOS Monterey 12.3 is a major update that introduces Universal Control, a feature that Apple first teased at WWDC and then delayed for several months. ‌Universal Control‌ is designed to allow you to use a single mouse/trackpad and keyboard across multiple Macs and iPads (with iPads running iPadOS 15.4).

After updating your devices to macOS 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4, ‌Universal Control‌ works automatically, allowing your Mac's cursor and keyboard to work on the iPad and vice versa. It's simple and intuitive to use.

macOS Monterey 12.3 adds support for updating the AirPods firmware when the earbuds are connected to a Mac, plus it deprecates kernel extensions used by Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive, and it eliminates Python 2, with Apple instructing developers to use an alternative scripting language like Python 3 going forward.

There are also new emoji characters, including melting face, biting lip, heart hands, bubbles, beans, face with diagonal mouth, palm up hand, eggs, troll, low battery, coral, lotus, and more.

Apple today seeded the fifth betas of upcoming iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming one week after Apple seeded the fourth betas of iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4.

Developers can download iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

iOS and iPadOS 15.4 introduce some of the most significant changes we've seen in an update since iOS 15 launched. On the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and 13 models, there's now an option to use Face ID while wearing a mask with no Apple Watch required for authentication. It works just like Face ID, but it scans the area around your eyes when you're wearing a mask.

On ‌iPad‌, iPadOS 15.4 brings the long awaited Universal Control feature. Paired with a Mac running macOS Monterey 12.3, Universal Control allows multiple Macs and iPads to be controlled with a single cursor and keyboard. It's a feature that works seamlessly after installing the updates, and it is simple and intuitive to use.

There are 37 new emojis with the addition of Emoji 14 characters, so you can now use emojis that include melting face, biting lip, heart hands, bubbles, beans, face with diagonal mouth, palm up hand, eggs, troll, low battery, coral, lotus, and more.

The second beta added support for the "Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌" feature that is designed to allow NFC-compatible iPhones to accept payments through Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets, without requiring additional hardware.

Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ is enabled in the iOS 15.4 beta, but it does require third-party providers to add support, so it is not yet available for use.

In the fourth beta, Apple added a new Siri voice for American users and support for AirTag anti-stalking features announced in February. When setting up an AirTag or a Find My accessory, there is now a warning that the device is locked to an Apple ID and that using it to track someone without consent is a crime.

"You can locate this item using the ‌Find My‌ network," reads the setup screen. "Using this item to track people without their consent is a crime in many regions around the world. This item is designed to be detected by victims and to enable law enforcement to request identifying information about the owner."

There are also signs that Apple may be planning to roll out support for digital IDs and driver's licenses in iOS 15.4. There isn't a ton of evidence for this at the current time, but there was a mention of the feature in the PassKit code in beta 2. "Find out when your driver's license or state ID is ready to use and get important updates about your ID," it reads.

Other new features include full 120Hz ProMotion support for app animations on ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro models, EU vaccine certificates in the Wallet app, the ability to turn off notifications for Shortcuts automations, keyboard brightness controls in Control Center on the ‌iPad‌, an Apple Card widget, iCloud Keychain notes, support for adding custom email domains to ‌iCloud‌ Mail right on device, and a SharePlay option in the share sheet.

We have a full list of all of the features introduced in iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 in our dedicated guide highlighting everything new in the update.

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming watchOS 8.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the release of the fourth watchOS 8.5 beta.

To install ‌‌‌watchOS 8.5, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, ‌‌‌watchOS 8.5‌‌‌ can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update.

To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌. You'll also need the accompanying iOS 15.4 update before you can install watchOS 8.5.

watchOS 8.5 introduces support for Emoji 14 characters, with new additions including melting face, biting lip, heart hands, bubbles, beans, face with diagonal mouth, palm up hand, eggs, troll, low battery, coral, lotus, and more.