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Why the 2020 iPhone SE is the perfect iPhone for a rotten time

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Pandemic iPhone: The 2020 iPhone SE seems perfect for the times.
The 2020 iPhone SE seems perfect for the times.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Talk about good timing. Apple unleashed its new budget-priced iPhone SE successor Wednesday, smack in the middle of a worldwide health crisis that’s wreaking havoc on health care, economies and behavioral norms.

With flagship-level specs packed into a familiar design — and priced at just $399 — the 2020 iPhone SE is the perfect iPhone for the current pandemic. It delivers tons of features we can all use during this rotten time, with a price tag that’s totally appropriate.

AirPods Pro replacement ear tips finally for sale on Apple.com

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Demand could far exceed supply for AirPods this holidays
Getting AirPods Pro replacement ear tips is now as simple as visiting the Apple Store.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Getting replacement ear tips for AirPods Pro just got whole lot easier. On Wednesday, these went up for sale on the Apple Store, and can be ordered like any other product.

That’s far easier than getting these used to be.

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.

Service Station app customizes your Mac’s right-click menu

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Service Station
Service Station should be on every Mac.
Photo: Knurling Group

Service Station is the Mac app I didn’t know I was waiting for. It lets you customize the Finder’s right-click contextual menu to put essential functions just a click away. It’s also from the Mac App Store, and uses the official Finder Extension framework, so you don’t need to worry about running some weird hack on your machine.

Unfortunately, it only runs on macOS 10.14.4 or later, so I can’t use it on my old iMac. (That’s a sad-face emoji right there.)

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.

2020 Powerbeats Pro may have scored FCC approval

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This might be the 2020 Powerbeats Pro next to the 2019 one
2020 Powerbeats Pro look familiar in FCC filings.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple got approval to release a pair of “totally wireless high-performance earphones” from the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday. But the company didn’t release this product, so exactly what they’ll offer is a mystery.

That said, information buried in the FCC filing shows these will be very similar to last year’s Powerbeats Pro. They might be the successor.

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:

2020 iPhone SE vs. iPhone 8: Time to upgrade?

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iPhone-SE-vs
It's a big improvement over your iPhone 8.
Image: Cult of Mac

The 2020 iPhone SE is out and, as expected, it looks a whole lot like the iPhone 8 in terms of design. But beneath the recognizable exterior of Apple’s handsome new handset are some nifty new features and internals.

Is it worth the upgrade if you’ve been clinging onto a several-years old iPhone? Here’s our initial (as far as spec details will allow) comparison.

Surprise! Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro launches early

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iPad-Pro-Magic-Trackpad
The Apple Magic Keyboard isn’t like any other iPad Pro accessory.
Photo: Apple

Apple began taking orders for the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro on Wednesday, about a month before the expected launch. This is Apple’s first iPad case with a built-in trackpad, and it sports an eye-catching design that leaves the tablet seemingly floating above the keyboard.

2020 iPhone SE combines a familiar face with new technology for $399

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iphone.se.image.1
The 2020 iPhone SE has finally landed after a lengthy wait.
Photo: Apple

Apple on Wednesday unveiled its long-awaited iPhone SE refresh for 2020. The latest model packs new technologies, including an A13 Bionic chip, into a form factor that’s familiar to any iPhone fan.

The new iPhone SE also offers up to 256GB of storage, Touch ID, and wireless charging. You can order yours from Friday, April 17, starting at $399. It makes its official debut on Friday, April 24.

Trump will consult Tim Cook about the best way to reopen US economy

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Apple CEO Tim Cook talked Mac Pro with President Trump
Trump and Cook speak during a previous tour of Apple's Mac Pro factory.
Screenshot: White House

Tim Cook is one of the advisers President Donald Trump will consult about the U.S. plans to reopen the economy following coronavirus lockdown.

Cook is one of a panel called the Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups that the president will consult via telephone. In total, the group consists of upward of 50 executives, think tank representatives and industry leaders.

Pokémon Go’s Remote Raid Pass lets you keep playing from home

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Pokemon GO
Coming later this month.
Photo: Niantic

Pokémon Go developer Niantic has been making changes to its game in an effort to ensure fans can continue playing while they’re stuck at home. Its latest is a brand-new Remote Raid Pass that lets you raid without leaving the couch.

It’s one of the biggest changes to Pokémon Go that we’ve seen so far. Here’s how it works.

EU might welcome Apple and Google’s contact-tracing API to fight COVID-19

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bluetooth-tracing
Bluetooth tracing is an anonymous way to assess exposure to COVID-19.
Photo: Apple/Google

The European Union might adopt Apple and Google’s contact-tracing API to help stop the spread of COVID-19, a Reuters report published Wednesday suggests.

The article cites Chris Boos of the Pan-European Privacy Preserving Proximity Tracing initiative. Paraphrasing Boos, it notes that adopting the Apple/Google tech “will make it quicker to get systems for tracing coronavirus infections up and running.”

Siri serves up doomsday prediction when asked about the end of 2020

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Answer: Clearly not calming our nerves.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Between a pandemic sweeping the world and the ramped-up rhetoric of a U.S. election year, 2020 has felt pretty apocalyptic thus far. It seems that Siri agrees, too — at least, based on the AI assistant’s response to the question, “How long until 2020 ends?”

Siri’s answer varies depending on when you ask the question. But one thing’s consistent: The doomsday clock only has a few hours left on it. Fortunately, there’s a logical explanation.

Google throttles Nest camera quality to reduce network strain

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Nest-camera
It's only temporary.
Photo: Nest

Google has confirmed in an email to Nest customers on Tuesday that it is throttling camera quality to “conserve internet resources.”

The temporary measure, which will roll out to every Nest user over the coming days, is one of many Google and other tech giants have made in an effort to reduce network strain during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

You’ll have to wait longer for Fortnite chapter 2, season 3

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Fortnite-season-2-chapter-2
But there's more to come in the meantime.
Photo: Epic Games

Epic Games confirmed on Tuesday that it is extending Fortnite Battle Royale chapter two, season two into June. It promises fresh gameplay, new challenges, bonus XP, and a “couple more surprises” before season three.

Epic did not provide us with a reason for the extension, but there are a number of reasons why season three may not be ready yet.

Pokémon Rumble Rush will shut down this July

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Pokemon-Rumble-Rush
We hardly Pika-knew you!
Photo: The Pokémon Company

You really did need to be in a rush to play Pokémon Rumble Rush because, having only debuted in 2019, it’s blasting off again. Destination: The great gaming scrap heap in the sky.

An in-game notice for the Pokémon-battling title reveals that support for its game service will end on July 22. That will be exactly one year after it launched on Android and iOS.

Coronavirus robs Steve Jobs opera of its premiere on Jobs’ home turf

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Ashton Kutcher and Michael Fassbender played Steve Jobs in movies. Now Edward Parks III brings his rich baritone voice to the Steve Jobs opera, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.
Opera's Edward Parks III brought his rich baritone voice to The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs in its 2017 premiere.
Photo: Dario Acosta/Santa Fe Opera

The San Francisco Opera company said Tuesday that it is scrapping its entire summer season — including its premiere of a critically acclaimed opera about the life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs — as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The classical Grammy Award-winning opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs had been scheduled to run June 20 through July 3. But like Apple’s canceled keynote last month, it will now no longer take place as planned.

Florida court throws out suit claiming Apple purposely broke FaceTime for some users

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FaceTime
Did Apple break FaceTime to push users to upgrade? This court doesn't think so.
Photo: Apple

A federal court has thrown out a Florida-based lawsuit claiming that Apple intentionally broke FaceTime for people with older Apple devices.

The lawsuit is very similar to a class action suit filed in California. Apple settled that lawsuit, related to the iPhone 4 and 4s, in February. Like that case, the Florida case concerned iPhones running iOS 6 and earlier. A Florida court wasn’t won over, however. It tossed out the suit Tuesday, claiming that it is “untimely and must be dismissed.”

Apple TV+ sees viewership bump from self-isolation

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“Amazing Stories” is coming to Apple TV+
Steven Spielberg’s “Amazing Stories” helps push up Apple TV+ viewership.
Screenshot: Apple

More people are watching Apple TV+ now that they are staying home to avoid the coronavirus, according to a market-analysis firm. Plus, this streaming service has a couple of strong shows that have increased viewership.

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

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oprah.covid.special.jpg
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: