Apple is rumored to be considering a rather large investment in the popular social network, Twitter. The investment would be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and could push Twitter from an $8.5 billion valuation to $10. Evelyn M. Rusli and Nick Bilton, writing for the The New York Times, report:
There is no guarantee that the two companies, which are not in negotiations at the moment, will come to an agreement. But the earlier talks are a sign that they may form a stronger partnership amid intensifying competition from the likes of Google and Facebook.
Never the less, the Times also reports that the Apple relationship is so important to Twitter, they've appointed a vice-president, Kevin Thau, to work with Apple full time. Twitter integration was brought to the iPhone and iPad with iOS 5 and increased with iOS 6, which also added Twitter to Notification, and added Facebook integration into the mix. Just this week Twitter also debuted on the Mac with OS X Mountain Lion update's deeper social media integration.
Given that level of integration, it only makes sense for Apple to explore a stake in Twitter. Apple traditionally doesn't like being dependent on technology it doesn't control. It only makes sense Apple would want influence over Twitter's direction -- especially if any competitor ever looked like they might be making a move towards a similar investment, or a buyout.
Likewise, Apple has proven less than adept at trying to spawn their own social media network, namely Ping and integrated a successful network like Ping could be a better strategy, just as Apple CEO, Tim Cook suggested during Apple's Q2 2012 earning call.
Apple doesn’t have to own a social network, but does Apple need to be social? Yes.
Apple's relationship with Facebook has been up and down over the years, though Facebook integration is coming to both OS X and iOS this fall. Google has been making a huge push into social with Google+, yet they also compete with Apple in smartphone and tablets, namely, Android.
Would a more intertwined Apple and Twitter be a good thing? It probably wouldn't prevent Twitter working with rival platforms any more than Microsoft's investment in Facebook prevents Facebook from working with Apple. With $117 billion in the bank, Apple wouldn't miss a few hundred million for Twitter. Would it make you feel more secure about Twitter features not going anywhere? Or should Apple keep trying to do their own social thing?
What do you guys think of Apple investing in Twitter? Are there certain social media features you'd like built deep into iOS that just aren't there yet?
UPDATE: Apple's talks with Twitter apparently occurred over a year ago, no talks are currently underway. That, according to Shira Ovide and Jessica E. Vascellaro at The Wall Street Journal and their "little birdies".
People close to Twitter have said the San Francisco company is ahead of 2012 revenue projections laid out last year. Twitter has largely ruled out acquisitions as it builds its business for a potential initial public offering in a year or so.
Source: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal

Apple Store employees in the United States must now wear masks
Apple has reportedly told employees at its United States Apple Stores that they must once again wear masks when at work, although the company has stopped short of requiring that customers also wear face coverings.

Apple's mixed reality headset could have an external screen
Rumors of Apple working on some kind of mixed reality headset are far from fresh but a new report has shared more information about how the project has struggled to ship a product. According to that report, and to deal with concerns from people on the team, Apple may be putting an external display on the headset so that people can see what you look like.

Leaked iPhone 14 cases show Pro models' insanely huge camera bumps
Apple is roundly expected to announce a new iPhone 14 lineup later this year and a new leak claims to show some of the cases that are being built for those new handsets. And as we've been expecting, they show the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max devices will both come with massive camera bumps.

Need to print something from your iPhone? Check out these printers!
Printers are a reliable way of obtaining a physical copy of documents. Even if you're mostly using your iPhone or iPad for everyday computing, AirPrint capable printers will keep you printing with no problems. Here are some of our favorites!