At first glance, you may not notice anything different about the Messages app in iOS 8, but there is definitely a lot more going on when compared to iOS 7. Within the Messages app, Apple added several features including Tap to Talk which allows you to quickly record an audio/video message to send and playback inline within the app and the ability to quick reply to incoming messges. Along with that, there’s a new Details tab that contains several useful features like an attachment gallery, Do Not Disturb (per message thread), and location sharing abilities....

We learned today that Ford is staffing up a research and development center in Silicon Valley located in Palo Alto, California, and heading the automaker’s new R&D facility is a former Apple engineer. Dragos Maciuca, who served as a senior controls systems engineer with mobile technologies at Apple since early 2013, will head the research center’s 125 scientists and researchers, Ford told CNBC. Prior to his tenure at Apple, Maciuca worked in various technology and research roles including for automakers Nissan and BMW....

For readers interested in taking home one of Apple’s newest devices, there’s still time to enter 9to5Rewards’ latest iPhone giveaway. We’ve teamed up with Survivor this month to reward one of our lucky readers with the Silver iPhone 12 Pro. Head below and check out the new line of cases for iPhone 12 from Survivor and for your chance to win Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro. With preorders for the iPhone Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max starting today, iPhone users can check out Survivor’s four new case designs ahead of their device’s anticipated arrival next week....

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications. 9to5Toys Lunch Break delivers the best deals every day of the week at 12:30PM EST. This includes price drops on all sorts of Apple products from iPad to MacBook and everything in between, as well as HomeKit gear, accessories of all kinds and so much more....

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the brand new 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications. Today’s can’t miss deals: Last Call Updates: Roku goes 4K Ultra HD with new Netflix partnership and upcoming Roku TVs Gogoro introduces the “world’s first” smart scooter and whole city charging solution CES roundup: ChillHub Smart Fridge, Harman Yurbuds, SanDisk and Netgear ION Audio: new hybrid smart LED light bulb speakers, Air LP Bluetooth turntable Kitchen Tech: The best bar tools for making amazing home cocktails (Part 1) Home: Stainless Steel electric kettle $20, heated blanket $40, storage set $25, more OtterBox iPhone 6/Plus cases in multiple styles and colors from $22 Prime shipped...

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications. Listen to the new 9to5Toys Daily Podcast: https://9to5toys.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2018/08/9to5Toys-Daily-8-15-2018.mp3 9to5Toys Lunch Break delivers the best deals every day of the week at 12:30PM EST. This includes price drops on all sorts of Apple products from iPad to MacBook and everything in between, as well as HomeKit gear, accessories of all kinds and so much more....

From 9to5Toys.com: A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal… Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+...

Microsoft announced support for hand-written or drawn annotations on the iPad the day after Apple launched the Apple Pencil. It’s taken the company almost a year, but it has finally brought the same feature to the iPhone versions of Word, Excel and Powerpoint … iPhones of course don’t support the Apple Pencil, so support here is for writing or drawing with your finger. To use the feature, open the new Draw tab....

This week, a few different financial analysts are reporting pessimism towards Apple iPhone 11 shipments. Rosenblatt reported that Apple is reducing production by about 25%. Today, Credit Suisse analyst Matt Cabral said that shipments of iPhone in China fell more than 35% in November, compared to the same month in 2018. Apple infamously suffered a mass slowdown in China iPhone demand for the holiday quarter in 2018, so a fall compared to that reduced level is possibly significant....

On the 20th anniversary of the first publication of A Game of Thrones, George RR Martin told the Guardian that a special edition of the book due to be released today on iTunes represents ‘an amazing next step in the world of books.’ The book, which is exclusive to iBooks, includes an extract from The Winds of Winter. Martin said that he was excited by the opportunity to offer readers access to a whole range of secondary material …...

Sponsored by Chargeasap: Preorder the new Flash 150W USB-C Powerbank for $139 (Reg $299) & enter our iPhone 11 giveaway. Sponsored by Zapier:Right now through the end of the month, try Zapier free by going to our special link Zapier.com/HAPPYHOUR Stories we discuss in this episode: Follow Zac: Instagram @apollozac Twitter @apollozac Follow Benjamin: Twitter @bzamayo Instagram @9to5mac Twitter @9to5mac Facebook Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Share your thoughts!...

Update: Congrats to our winner Daniel Woo!! This month we’ve partnered with August Home to offer 9to5 readers an exclusive $79 off August Smart Lock Pro + Connect & Smart Keypad bundle. That’s equivalent to getting the Smart Keypad for free, as it normally sells for $79 on its own. Get August Smart Lock Pro + Connect & Smart Keypad for $279 ($79 off). Included in the bundle is August’s Smart Lock Pro, which is HomeKit compatible out of the box for control with Siri and ready to install to your existing door’s deadbolt in around 10 minutes....

You can still enter for a chance to win Apple’s latest MacBook Air from ALOGIC. Head below for a look at the new display and to enter the giveaway now. You can also get the new 4K display from ALOGIC with a free ALOGIC 1080p Iris webcam for a limited time. ALOGIC Clarity 4K UHD Display Monitor The most important part of an external monitor is its panel, but having a good design changes everything....

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications. 9to5Toys Lunch Break delivers the best deals every day of the week at 12:30PM EST. This includes price drops on all sorts of Apple products from iPad to MacBook and everything in between, as well as HomeKit gear, accessories of all kinds and so much more....

From 9to5Toys.com: A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal… Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+....

9to5Toys now has a new app! Download it to stay to date on the best gear and deals on the web. Plus don’t forget to check us out on Apple News and sign up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications. Listen to the new 9to5Toys Daily Podcast: https://9to5toys.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2018/11/9to5Toys-Daily-11-06-20181.mp3 9to5Toys Lunch Break delivers the best deals every day of the week at 12:30PM EST....

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications. Today’s can’t miss deals: Last Call Updates: Apple 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (newest) 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB: $1,550 shipped (Reg. $1,999) 1Password secure password manager for Mac: $30 (Reg. $50) USB-C roundup: Aukey 3-Port USB Hub w/ Gigabit Ethernet $17, Aukey USB Adapter $7, more The new Light digital camera uses 16 lenses (!...

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed,Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature. Today’s can’t miss deals: Sharp 42″ LED 1080p 120Hz HDTV with DTS sound $330 shipped (Reg. $480) REI members 20% coupon: GoPro HERO3+ Black Edition $320 shipped (Reg. $400) or $340 w/ a new lifetime membership Kensington PowerBolt car charger w/ built-in MFi Lightning cable $13 (Reg....

Apple’s share price has taken a steep tumble since rumors began to spread that the iPhone XS and XS Max weren’t selling well. Unlike past years, though, this time the rumors were right: the iPhone giant confirmed yesterday that it expects lower-than-expected sales for its newest line of iPhones. Markets that were already jittery over trade wars and a government shutdown heavily sold off on the news, pushing Apple’s share price down to $144 from a high of $233 in October....

There could be any number of happenstance where you would prefer your messages to get deleted once it has accomplished what it was supposed to do. Whether it’s about sharing a confidential information, or is it part of a promotion that will have no point of existence after a specific period of time, self-destruction has become a very handy feature in our everyday life. We have made a list of some of the best self-destructing services down below....