Apple and Google in standoff with NHS over contact tracing

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bluetooth
NHS wants Google and Apple to give it more access for contact tracing.
Photo: MIT

Apple and Google are reportedly in a “standoff” with the UK’s National Health Service over the development of the companies’ joint program to build contact tracing APIs.

According to a report from The Guardian, the two companies are taking a strong stand against the NHS’s insistence to break current Bluetooth privacy protocols. The NHS is hoping Apple and Google will lift their limits on how Bluetooth can be used, but Google says those limits are in place so that they can’t be abused for surveillance efforts.

Sleek iPhone 12 Pro concept brings new industrial body to life

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iphone-12-concept
iPhone 12 Pro will likely come in a new midnight blue color option.
Photo: Technizo Concept

Now that the super-cheap 2020 iPhone SE is finally out Apple fans can turn all their anticipations to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro launch this fall.

There has been no shortage of video concept videos imagining what Apple’s first 5G handset will look like, but the latest mockup created by Technizo Concept might be the most accurate depiction of the iPhone 12 Pro we’ve seen yet.

Look at that sleek new industrial body:

Latest macOS beta brings fab new tool for boosting battery life

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macOS Catalina is here. But proceed from Mojave with caution.
Portable Macs get the most attention in the new Catalina beta.
Photo: Apple

Apple seeded the second beta of macOS Catalina 10.15.5 to developers this morning, bringing with it a major change to the way MacBooks charge.

Several tech sites got an explainer from Apple on how the new Battery Health Management feature works. The tool is coming to every MacBook with a Thunderbolt 3 port — and it could be a godsend to your battery.

During coronavirus quarantine, Apple Watch is some people’s best fitness friend

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Apple Watch helps people like Sune Holt stay fit during COVID-19 chaos.
Stuck in quarantine? Apple Watch can help you stay active.
Photo: Sune Holt

Even people who never realized Apple Watch’s awesome motivational power are standing up and testifying: The device helps get your butt up off the couch during the coronavirus quarantine.

“It’s fantastic that a gadget was the thing I needed to get myself in shape again,” said Sune Holt, an Apple Watch wearer from Denmark. “In November, I feared I wasted my money. Now it’s the best investment in a lifetime.”

3D Touch is dead. Long live Haptic Touch

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3Dtouch
Au revoir 3D Touch.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

3D Touch, the pressure-sensitive screen tech ushered in by Apple, has officially met its end.

Introduced as one of the major new features on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, Apple said 3D Touch was going to take multi-touch into a whole new dimension. Jony Ive waxed poetic about the new peek and pop gestures 3D Touch would enable in an Apple video explaining the feature. With the unveiling of the iPhone SE this morning, 3D Touch is as good as dead and we can’t say we’re really going to miss it.

AppleCare+ for iPhone SE gets $50 price cut

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iphone-se
The iPhone SE is the cheapest new iPhone you can own.
Photo: Apple

The new iPhone SE comes with one of the lowest-ever pricetags for a new iPhone. Keeping the new device safe from accidental damage is also ridiculously cheap compared to other iPhones as Apple cut $50 off the price tag for AppleCare+ on the iPhone SE.

Apple introduces Mac Pro wheel kit for only $700

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mac-pro-wheels
These wheels aren't cheap.
Photo: Apple

The new iPhone SE isn’t the only new product Apple unveiled today, but unless you already have a Mac Pro and an extra $700 to spend on making it more mobile, you’re probably not interested.

Apple quietly added a new Mac Pro Wheels Kit to its online store this morning, giving owners of the 2019 Mac Pro the option to retroactively add wheels if they didn’t choose the option when the machine was originally purchased.

Slick Apple ad introduces iPhone SE’s killer features

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iphone-se
Behold, the new iPhone SE.
Photo: Apple

The new iPhone SE is finally here and boy was the wait worth it.

$399 gets you an iPhone with the same processor as the iPhone 11 and a camera that is pretty much just as good too. All of that is wrapped in a smaller body that won’t be bursting out of your pockets. Of course, Apple made an awesome new video that will get you hyped to see the iPhone SE in the flesh.

Check it out:

Oprah to address COVID-19 impact on black America for Apple TV+

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Oprah special on COVID-19 and its impact on black America to air on OWN and Apple TV+ for free.
Photo: OWN/Apple TV+

Oprah Winfrey is set to host a conversation about how COVID-19 has impacted black America during an Apple TV+ special that will be available for free.

The special, “Oprah Talks COVID-19 – The Deathly Impact on Black America”, will air Tuesday, April 14, at 11 p.m. and stream on AppleTV+ and OWN.

Check out the teaser:

NBCUniversal streamer Peacock comes early to Comcast customers

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peacock
Peacock is ready to take on Netflix and Apple TV+.
Photo: NBCUniversal

Comcast is jumping into the streaming wars this week with an early preview of Peacock that gives customers access to over 15,000 hours of movies and TV shows from NBCUniversal. Peacock isn’t set to launch to the public until July, but if you’re an Xfinity X1 or Flex customer, you can get a taste of service starting on Wednesday, April 15, 2020.

Watch Mac OS X Leopard running on 2020 iPad Pro

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ipad
You've never seen an iPad Pro like this.
Photo: Hacking Jules

Running OS X on a tablet was a pipe dream for many Apple fans long before the iPad came out. Now that the iPad Pro has a processor that can compete with desktop CPUs, that pipe dream is almost a reality.

YouTuber Jules Gerard managed to get Mac OS X Leopard 10.5 running on his new 2020 iPad Pro without jailbreaking the device. Jules turned to the UTM emulator to show off how fast the old Mac operating system can run on the iPad Pro. Everything works shockingly well, including the built-in apps and Microsoft Office.

Prepare to be amazed:

Facebook creates experimental messaging app only for Apple Watch

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kip
Kit's interface is very simple.
Photo: Facebook

Facebook launched an experimental new app today that aims to make it easier to message friends and family from your wrist while stuck inside during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new app, called Kit, short for “Keep in touch”, only works on Apple Watch. Kit can be used to send voice messages, your location, emoji and more all with just a few quick taps.

Apple responds to lawmakers’ concerns of COVID-19 screening site

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apple
The new COVID-19 app and website provide the latest information and guidance from the CDC for users across the US.
Photo: Apple

Apple has responded to US lawmakers’ concerns regarding the company’s COVID-19 screening site that was created in coordination with the CDC and the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and FEMA.

Earlier this month, lawmakers demanded proof that the new tools protect citizens’ privacy. In its letter addressed to senators Robert Menendez, Richard Blumenthal, Kamala Harris and Cory A. Booker, Apple details how its site was designed to protect users’ rights during this important time.

IGTV app gains new Discovery tab and hands-free video recording

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instagram
Watch long-form, video from your favorite Instagram creators.
Photo: Instagram

Instagram pushed out a big update to its IGTV app Monday focused on helping users discover more content from popular creators directly in the app.

IGTV, Instagram’s house for all long-form video, hasn’t been nearly as popular as the regular IG app, but Monday’s update hopes to change that by putting a bigger focus on creators and discovery.

Lustworthy iPhone 12 Pro concept will hold you over until the real thing launches

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iphone12
So many camera lenses.
Photo: Donel Bagrov

An all-new iPhone 12 Pro concept is out this week, hot on the heels of the latest report that Apple plans to introduce four 5G iPhones this fall.

The beautiful new video concept created by Donel Bagrov and Anton Panton envisions the most drop-dead-gorgeous iPhone we’ve ever seen, with a slick new body design, haptic volume slider, 120Hz refresh rate display and so much more.

We sure hope the 2020 iPhone looks something like this:

Apple registers domain name Applecoronavirus.com

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apple
Perhaps the domain name will be used for Apple's COVID-19 screening site.
Photo: Apple

Apple has registered its first COVID-19-related domain name as the total number of global confirmed cases inches towards 2 million this week. The iPhone-maker scooped up the domain name AppleCoronavirus.com but the site isn’t being put to use yet.

Explainer: Contact tracing and how Apple and Google will make it work

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COVID-19
Electron microscope image of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Photo: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Apple and Google revealed Friday that they’re teaming up to take on one of the most colossal tasks in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19: contact tracing.

If you’re like me, you probably hadn’t heard about contact tracing until the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it’s proven to be an important tool in countries that have seen a drop in their reported cases of the coronavirus.

With a little background, here are the basics of contact tracing and what you need to know.

Apple and Google team up to build COVID-19 contact tracing apps

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Apple Google
Apple and Google join forces using Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Photo: Apple/Google

In a rare moment of collaboration, Apple and Google said Friday they have teamed up to create a contact-tracing program that uses smartphones to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The privacy-focused solution created by the companies will use anonymous Bluetooth “chirps” from phones as a way to tell where an infected person has been and who they’ve come in contact with.

Mac Pro and Mac mini land in Apple refurb store with huge savings

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President Trump will tour Apple's Mac Pro factory in Texas this week
You can finally buy a certified pre-owned Mac Pro.
Photo: Apple

Looking for a new Mac but don’t want to put a dent in your bank account during the COVID-19-induced economic meltdown?

Apple added a bunch of 2018 Mac mini and 2019 Mac Pro units to its online refurbished store late Thursday, offering customers huge savings with the same warranty as a brand-new machine. In the case of the Mac Pro, you can save up to $4,000!

Apple might step in to save Martin Scorsese’s next movie

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Killersoftheflowermoon
Scorsese says his big-budget film will feel like a western.
Photo: Rainy Day Books

Apple TV+ could become the home of Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese’s next major film.

Scorsese’s project, Killers of the Flower Moon, is reportedly looking to find a new partner to produce or distribute the film after Paramount Pictures balked at the estimated $200 million budget.

Train NASA’s supercomputer by playing an underwater voyage iPhone game

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NASA
NASA's game looks basic, but it does a world of good.
Photo: NASA

NASA needs your help on its mission to save the planet’s coral reefs. The US space agency created a new video game for iPhone, iPad and Mac that sets players off on an underwater voyage to map coral reefs around the world.

Dubbed NeMO-Net, NASA’s game uses real 3D imaging data obtained during recent drone flybys in Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and elsewhere. Players set off in their own ship, the Nautilus, and scan the ocean floors identifying and classifying different corals.

TikTok commits $375 million to COVID-19 relief

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2020 is the year everyone wants to be TikTok famous.
TikTok has been keeping us entertained while stuck at home.
Photo: Aaron Yoo/Flickr CC

TikTok is chipping into the global fight against COVID-19 with one of the largest financial contributions we’ve seen yet from a major tech company. The video-sharing platform has been one of the biggest bright spots of joy and inspiration during this quarantine age, and now it’s ready to pay it back.

On Thursday, the company revealed it is pledging $375 million in relief that will be distributed in various ways to individuals, hospitals, companies and other organizations.

Fresh iOS 14 concept brings big changes to Calendar, iMessage, Music app and more

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iOS 14
Another iOS 14 concept to get you hyped for the real thing.
Photo: Jack Phillip

Some of the most anticipated iOS 14 features that allegedly leaked though an early beta build of the upcoming software are on full display in a fresh iOS 14 concept that’s full of stuff like widgets on the home screen, list view for apps, new call alert screen and more.

The new iOS 14 concept created by Jack Phillip imagines how Apple’s planned mentions feature for iMessage would work, while also tossing in some new ideas, like a list view in Calendar, a Habits app, an overhaul of the Music app’s UI and so much more.

These are our favorite features: