Facebook Testing Cross-Posting Stories to Instagram

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Facebook is testing a new feature that would allow Facebook Stories to be cross-posted to Instagram Stories, reports TechCrunch.

Right now, Instagram Stories can be shared to Facebook Stories, but the reverse is not possible. The new option would allow Stories to be shared interchangeably from one platform to another.


Jane Manchun Wong, who often digs into unreleased features in social media apps, discovered the option to share a Facebook story to Instagram in the Facebook for Android app. In the version of the app with the toggle, once a Facebook Story has been created, there's an option to tap Privacy to review who to share it with, which is where the option to post to Instagram is located.

A Facebook spokesperson told TechCrunch that the cross-posting feature is being formally tested to "make it easier to share moments with the people who matter to you."

Facebook has been slowly adding Facebook features to Instagram since Instagram's founders left Facebook in 2018. There's an "Open Facebook" button in the Settings menu of Instagram, and the wording "Instagram - From Facebook" is shown on the title screen of the app.

Tags: Facebook, Instagram

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Sensor Tower Secretly Collecting Data From VPN and Ad-Blocking Apps on iOS and Android

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Sensor Tower, an analytics platform that aggregates data on app downloads and usage for developers, has been secretly collecting data from millions of Android and iOS users who have installed popular VPN and ad-blocking apps, reports Buzzfeed News.

Luna VPN, one of the VPN apps owned by Sensor Tower that asked users to install an enterprise certificate
These apps, which are owned by Sensor Tower, do not disclose that their user data powers Sensor Tower's analytics platforms. iOS and Android users have downloaded the apps more than 35 million times.

Some of Sensor Tower's 20 or more apps on iOS and Android include Adblock Focus and Luna VPN, with the former having been removed by Apple after Buzzfeed News alerted Apple's App Store team about the existence of the app. Free and Unlimited VPN and Mobile Data were also on the Google Play Store, but Google has since removed Mobile Data.

When installed, Sensor Tower's apps are designed to prompt users to install a root certificate, which lets Sensor Tower monitor all traffic and data passing through the phone. Sensor Tower bypasses Apple and Google's restrictions on root certificate privileges by requiring users to install the certificate through an external website.

Sensor Tower told Buzzfeed News that it collects anonymized usage and analytics data to determine the popularity, usage trends, and revenue of apps. Ownership of the apps was not disclosed due to "competitive reasons," according to Randy Nelson, head of mobile insights at Sensor Tower.

"When you consider the relationship between these types of apps and an analytics company, it makes a lot of sense -- especially considering our history as a startup," he said, adding that the company originally started with the goal of building an ad blocker. (He was unable to provide media coverage or other evidence of this early focus.)

He went on to explain that many of the apps are now defunct or are "in the process of sunsetting," which Buzzfeed points out is because they were removed from Apple and Google's App Stores due to policy violations.

An Apple spokesperson confirmed that a dozen Sensor Tower apps had previously been removed from the iOS ‌App Store‌ due to violations. Both Google and Apple are continuing to investigate Sensor Tower's apps, and more information on Sensor Tower's data collection practices can be found over at Buzzfeed News.

iOS users should be wary of installing VPN and ad-blocking apps from unknown developers, and should avoid apps that ask for certificates to be installed.

Tag: Sensor Tower

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Apple Giving Retail Workers Experiencing Coronavirus Symptoms Unlimited Sick Leave

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Along with allowing corporate employees to work from home for the next week, Apple has also told its hourly and retail employees that it is providing unlimited sick leave to those experiencing coronavirus symptoms.


Apple's hourly employees, which includes retail staff, are not required to submit a doctor's note if time off is required, according to details obtained by 9to5Mac. Apple's new policy will make it easier for employees who have COVID-19 symptoms to take necessary time off of work.

Apple has not closed any of its retail stores located in the United States at this time, but as we reported earlier today, Today at Apple sessions have been canceled in Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area, which are two areas with the most coronavirus cases in the U.S.

Apple is also tweaking some of its stores to cut down on the number of chairs at the Genius bar and the number of seating cubes in the Forum, which will provide more physical space between customers. Device cleanings are also being done more regularly to limit the spread of germs.

Apple over the weekend sent out a memo suggesting corporate employees in the United States, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, and the UK work from home for the next week. Many other tech companies have recommended similar measures for their employees in an effort to prevent the coronavirus from spreading further.

Related Roundup: Apple Stores

Tags: Apple retail, COVID-19 Coronavirus

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Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, Apple Confirms That It's Okay to Clean Your iPhone With Disinfectant

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Apple today updated its support document on cleaning Apple products with new information that confirms it's okay to to use a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes for the purpose of cleaning germs from your devices.


Prior to now, Apple's cleaning guidelines have recommended against all cleaners, warning that the chemicals have the potential to damage the oleophobic coating on iPhone and iPad displays. Apple still warns against aerosol sprays, ammonia, window cleaners, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, compressed air, and abrasives:

Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces. Don't use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don't submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. Don't use on fabric or leather surfaces.

Apple also says to avoid spraying cleaners directly onto your devices and to avoid getting moisture into the openings.

Apple's updated guidelines come as the coronavirus continues to spread around the world. Given that most people use their iPhones and other devices constantly, it's important to be able to disinfect them to cut down on virus spread through surfaces.

It's not entirely clear how long the virus lasts on surfaces, but various studies have found that it can survive on glass or plastic for as little as two hours or as long as nine days.

The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern tested Apple's new guidelines over the course of the last week. Using a new iPhone 8, she wiped the display 1,095 times with Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, the estimated equivalent of the number of times an ‌iPhone‌ might be cleaned over the course of three years.

After all the wiping, the oleophobic coating on the ‌iPhone‌'s display was in good condition with no perceived damage.

Tag: COVID-19 Coronavirus

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Official Asus Chromebook Flip C436 promo video confirms Asus USI pen

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Expanded Mouse Cursor Support Coming to iPadOS 14 Alongside New Smart Keyboards With Trackpads

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Apple in iPadOS 13 introduced support for external mice as an Accessibility feature, and in ‌iPadOS‌ 14, Apple is set to expand cursor support to make using a mouse or a trackpad on ‌iPadOS‌ similar to using a mouse or trackpad on the Mac.


A mockup of a Smart Keyboard with Trackpad
Apple is rumored to be working on a ‌Smart Keyboard‌ for the iPad Pro that includes a trackpad that will work with the new cursor capabilities, and code found in leaked iOS 14 snippets shared by 9to5Mac provides details on some of the functionality we can expect.

• No Persistent Cursor - When using a trackpad or mouse with an iOS device, the cursor will disappear after a few seconds of not being used, unlike on a Mac where the cursor is always visible. It will reappear after the trackpad or mouse is activated again.


• Multiple Pointers - As on the Mac, you'll see multiple pointers depending on what you're doing. A standard arrow pointer will be visible most of the time, but it will switch to a hand when overing over links.


• Right-Click - Gestures will be supported, such as a tap with two fingers to right click.


• Tap to Click - Tap to Click, a feature present on the Mac's trackpad, will also be available on the ‌iPad Pro‌ ‌Smart Keyboard‌ trackpad.

Code in ‌iOS 14‌ allegedly contains references to two new ‌Smart Keyboard‌ model identifiers, which suggests that the ‌Smart Keyboard‌ with Trackpad will be available for multiple iPad models. That could perhaps mean the 11 and 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ models.

While there's no detail on the physical shape of the accessories, the functionality suggests the upcoming Smart Keyboards will feature a standard laptop-like design that includes a keyboard above the trackpad.

Related Roundups: iPad Pro, iOS 14

Tag: Smart Keyboard

Buyer's Guide: 11" iPad Pro (Don't Buy), 12.9" iPad Pro (Don't Buy)

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Deals: Tile's New Limited Time Sale Offers Big Savings on Mate, Slim, and Sticker Bluetooth Trackers

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Tile is back with a new set of discounts on the Tile Mate, Tile Slim, and Tile Sticker, offering up to $80 off original prices.

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

To start, you can get the Tile Mate in a 1-pack for $19.99, down from $24.99. The Tile Mate is the company's best selling Bluetooth tracker, offering a 1-year replaceable battery in a small 35mm frame perfect for attaching to keys and bags.

You can get 2 Tile Mates and 2 Tile Slims for $29.99, down from an original price of $110. The Tile Slim is an ultra-thin tracker perfect for wallets and passports. There's also a Tile Slim 4-pack for $39.99, down from $120.

Lastly, the Tile Sticker 4-pack is on sale this week for $49.99, down from $79.99. The Tile Sticker is the smallest Tile and can stick to almost anything, like a MacBook or Siri Remote. This Bluetooth tracker has a 3-year built-in battery and measures 27mm in a circular frame.

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

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