Apple will close its Support Community after 28 years of operation

Apple still does not have a forecast for when it will be able to meet the demand for its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo. John Ternus, the company's CEO, confirmed that the company is actively working to increase availability, but does not know when production and demand will reach a balance.

In conversation with Reuters, Ternus explained that the manufacturer is striving to get the device into the hands of as many customers as possible, yet he cannot specify a time when supply constraints will be overcome.

This scenario unfolds shortly after the launch of the iPhone Duo, which marks the debut of Apple's first foldable phone. The device was presented last month with a price of US$ 1,999 (and costs from R$ 21,999 in Brazil). It features a 5.4-inch external screen and a 7.6-inch internal panel.

The high demand for the iPhone Duo resulted in the rapid sell-out of units offered during the pre-sale. Some deliveries were scheduled only for 2027, and Apple also limited the number of devices available in physical stores at the time of launch.

The difficulty in meeting orders adds to other obstacles that the company's supply chain faces. Apple has been facing issues related to supply limitations and rising component costs for several months.

In the same interview given to Reuters, Ternus also commented on reports of cracked screens on the iPhone Duo. According to the executive, only a very small fraction of devices returned due to this issue, and Apple is arranging the replacement of affected units.

This statement comes at a time of great interest regarding the durability of the company's first foldable model, which introduces a new product category to the manufacturer's smartphone line. For now, Apple has not announced a date to normalize the supply of the iPhone Duo, indicating that interested consumers may have to wait for a long period.

Google will discontinue Jules, its artificial intelligence tool developed to perform programming tasks autonomously. The knowledge acquired with this service will be incorporated into other company offerings, notably Antigravity, a platform focused on software development that utilizes AI agents.

The shutdown process will be gradual. According to the official schedule released, users will have until November 11th to complete any pending tasks. After this date, Jules will operate in read-only mode until December 31st.

This decision reflects Google's efforts to consolidate its initiatives related to software development with AI agents. The Jules team communicated in a post on the X network that the learnings obtained from the product would be transferred to Antigravity.

Antigravity, launched in 2025, is conceived as a development environment designed to interact with various AI agents, enabling the delegation of activities such as code writing and test execution. Previously, Jules was distinguished by its ability to operate autonomously and in the background.

Before the definitive shutdown, users will have the option to export most of the history maintained by Jules to a local directory. This history covers account settings, environment variables, scheduled tasks, linked repositories, memories, scripts, and past sessions. It is important to note that code already submitted to GitHub will not be affected and will remain on the respective platform.

The agent was presented by Google at the end of 2024 as an experiment based on Gemini 2.0 technology. Its functionality consisted of receiving a request, developing a plan, modifying files, running tests in a virtual environment, and preparing changes for developer review. In August 2025, it moved out of the beta phase and began offering paid plans.

The end of Jules echoes what happened in May with Project Mariner, another agent created to perform tasks on the internet. Like Project Mariner, Jules will also be discontinued as an independent service, although part of its technology will be relocated to other Google projects. Thus, the movement of capability concentration occurs again in the field of programming, aiming to centralize functionalities in Antigravity instead of keeping it as an isolated product.

Jules will be deactivated less than two years after its launch. However, Google has not provided information on whether Antigravity will assume Jules' direct function nor detailed an automatic migration process for existing tasks.

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has registered over one million applications for the 2027 funding cycle. Prospective students are advised that the application window is closing soon, with the final deadline set for October 31, and this date will not be extended.

Ishmael Mnisi, a spokesperson for NSFAS, confirmed that the scheme has received more than a million submissions from students looking for financial aid to attend public universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.

Mnisi emphasized that the application period concludes on October 31, 2026, and stated clearly that no extensions will be granted. He strongly encouraged all potential applicants to submit their paperwork ahead of the cutoff date to prevent issues at the last minute and guarantee their applications are processed within the specified timeframe.

Submissions can be made either via the official NSFAS website, located at www.nsfas.org.za, or through the dedicated NSFAS mobile application.

Mnisi also issued a warning regarding incomplete submissions. He urged applicants who need to supply supporting materials to upload these relevant documents using the official NSFAS application platform. Furthermore, applicants must verify the specific requirements pertinent to their personal situation and confirm that every necessary document has been provided.

The spokesperson cautioned that missing documentation, inaccurate details, or incomplete information could negatively impact the verification and subsequent processing of an application. Therefore, prospective students are advised to thoroughly review their applications prior to the deadline to ensure all required data and supporting proofs are included.

As the submission deadline nears, the NSFAS Board plans to conduct a final outreach program. This initiative is designed to reach prospective students who might face barriers in accessing application information or necessary assistance. The program will place a special focus on rural communities, townships, and other regions where access to support and information may be restricted.

Mnisi mentioned that the board is appealing to learners, parents, guardians, educators, community organizations, and other interested parties to assist in disseminating correct information and motivating prospective students to apply before the final date. The scheme noted that this outreach effort is part of its broader commitment to ensuring that all eligible students have the opportunity to receive financial aid for their education.