Future iOS update will help you spot third-party iPhone parts

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It's Thursday, December 09, 2021.

Apple’s incoming iOS 15.2 update includes a "parts and service history" section that indicates not only if the battery, camera and display have been replaced but also if they're officially sanctioned Apple parts. If something is listed as an "unknown part," it's either unofficial, malfunctioning or an already-used part from another iPhone.

This ties into Apple’s spare parts and self-replacement service coming in 2022, but the "unknown part" label might not thrill advocates for third-party component options. Apple clearly wants you to use its official parts. That said, it may help you catch shops lying about the quality of their replacements.

I’m intrigued to see how Apple’s self-repair service comes into being. What a nerdy reason to be excited for 2022.

— Mat Smith

Instagram is bringing back the chronological feed in 2022

Mosseri said the company has been working on the feature for months.

Five years since it ditched the chronological feed, Instagram might be bringing it back. Speaking to lawmakers at a Senate hearing on Instagram and teen safety, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said he supports “giving people the option to have a chronological feed.”

Instagram has confirmed this on Twitter, adding there would be the "option to see posts from people you follow in chronological order." The app is also adding a "favorites" feed to surface posts from designated friends higher in the feed. Both would be optional.

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Apple may have been forced to halt iPhone assembly for the first time in a decade

Let’s all say it together: supply issues.

According to a report from Nikkei Asia, Apple was forced to cease iPhone and iPad production for several days when it was supposed to kick into high gear. Apple factories typically ramp up production during the Chinese holidays at the beginning of October, running 24-hour shifts so it can meet holiday shopping demands. This year, though, it reportedly gave its workers some time off instead, due to limited chip and component supplies.

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Researchers have strapped a jetsuit to a humanoid robot

It’ll probably fly better than I did.

You might recall me testing a real-world jetsuit from Gravity Industries earlier this year, but now researchers in Italy are strapping them to robots. They believe flying humanoid bots could one day serve as first-line of emergency responders.

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YouTube TV is back on Roku after a lengthy feud

Both companies said the YouTube app could have disappeared from the streaming stick.

YouTube TV is finally back on Roku streaming devices following a dispute between the two parties that has dragged on since April. Roku originally pulled YouTube TV because it said Google made anti-competitive demands, like more prominent placements for the apps and demanding Roku use certain chips in its hardware. Google retorted that Roku's claims were "baseless," and it was focused on "ensuring a high quality and consistent experience for viewers."

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Sonos lays out plan to improve its mixed environmental track record

Eco-friendly products are key to its strategy.

The smart speaker firm has unveiled its first climate plan to make its "value chain" carbon neutral by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040. The company plans to use some carbon offsets (such as a marine ecosystem project in Cambodia), but it also promises to improve both its products and operations. While we know Sonos supports its speakers for a long time, its older devices often can't operate alongside newer ones, and its now-dead “recycle mode” bricked devices before they could be traded in.

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