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Coronavirus less likely to hurt Samsung than Apple

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Samsung Galaxy S20 isn’t made in China
Samsung depends more on Vietnam for production than China, so the Galaxy S20 series probably won’t be in short supply.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung is less exposed to the negative effects of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in China than many of its rivals, including Apple.

But the opposite is true of Huawei, a China-based smartphone-maker likely getting hurt more than Apple.

Marshall brings active noise cancellation and USB-C to over-the-ear headphones

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Marshall
These are some of the best looking headphones we've seen.
Photo: Marshall

Marshall’s best over-the-ear headphones finally gained active noise cancellation (ANC) with a big update that pushes the vintage-inspired cans into the modern age.

The new Monitor II ANC headphones were revealed by Marshall this morning and along with adding ANC to put them on par with AirPods Pro, the headphones also have a nifty multi-directional control knob that lets you easily control music and phone functions without touching your phone.

March or April? Reports clash over iPhone supply

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Foxconn iPhone assembly
A Foxconn assembly plant in China.
Photo: Foxconn

Apple’s contract iPhone assemblers in China are far from operating at full capacity and will likely miss its production schedule on a budget-friendly iPhone.

If the report by a major economics news site in Japan is true, Apple would postpone rumored plans for a March announcement of an iPhone 9 or SE 2.

Stardew Valley’s massive 1.4 update is coming soon to iOS

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Stardew-Valley-1-4-iOS
It's just waiting for Apple's approval.
Photo: Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley’s gigantic version 1.4 content update is coming soon to iOS. It brings a new farm map, fish ponds, a new end-game mystery, and more than 60 brand-new items. There are also 14 music tracks and “hundreds” of fixes.

The update is already live on Android (it first rolled out on PC and console late last year), and it’s now waiting for Apple’s approval before it hits the App Store.

watchOS 6.1.3 brings a heart-related bug fix

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watchOS 6.1.3 update is available now
If you live in Iceland, you need watchOS 6.1.3 right now.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The newly-released watchOS 6.1.3 fixes a significant bug, but only for the residents of Iceland. Still, Apple thinks it’s important enough to put out a software update primarily for this reason.

Sliding screens might make more sense than folding phones

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TCL prototype phone has a slidable screen
This TCL prototype phone investigates whether a slidable screen would be better than a foldable one.
Photo: Cnet/TCL

TCL reportedly developed a prototype phone with a slidable screen. This would allow a small, easily portable handset to include a 7-inch display.

The design is clearly intended to take on foldable displays, which also allow smaller phones to offer large screens.

Samsung crams unsightly ads onto $1,400 Galaxy Z Flip phones

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Z Flip
Say hello to the Galaxy Z Flip.
Photo: Samsung

The new Galaxy Z Flip is one of the most expensive phones you can buy right now but it doesn’t come with an ad-free experience.

Less than a week after the phone launched, new owners discovered that Samsung put advertisements directly into the phone app. Anytime Galaxy Z Flip users go to make a call on the device they paid for they’re greeted with ads based on places nearby.

Look at this ugly interface:

AirTags on the radar for roll out in the second half of 2020

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New evidence shows AirTags closer than ever to release
Here's how AirTags will work on your iPhone.
Photo: MacRumors

Apple’s fall product launch will include a tiny gadget with a big responsibility: knowing the whereabouts of your devices when you lose them.

AirTags, a circular Bluetooth tracking keychain attachment similar to Tile, got on the radar of supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who reported news Tuesday on the supplier charged with producing the circuitry.

Coronavirus could cause smartphone sales to hit 5-year low

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iphone glitch
Coronavirus is a major disruptor when it comes to smartphone sales.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Smartphone production — and, therefore, sales — could hit their lowest point in five years as a result of the coronavirus, a new report claims.

According to analysis by TrendForce, detailing the impact of coronavirus on the tech industry, smartphone production will shrink by 12% this quarter due to the outbreak. The shortage of component manufacturing elsewhere in the supply chain could mean that shortages persist through the April to June quarter as well.

Habit-tracking app Streaks is finally available for Mac

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streaks-for-mac
Break your bad habits with Streaks.
Photo: Streaks

To-do and habit-tracking app Streaks is finally available for Mac after previously being available only for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

The app lets you track up to 12 tasks to complete every day. Users must build a streak of consecutive days they have accomplished these on. That makes it perfect for promoting good habits such as walking more, or breaking bad habits like drinking too much coffee or smoking.

Apple lobbies EU lawmakers on AI policy

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European Commission on artificial intelligence
The European Commission is drafting rules on artificial intelligence. Apple seems to want a say.
Photo: European Commission

Apple apparently wants to make sure the European Union doesn’t put too many restrictions on artificial intelligence. John Giannandrea, Apple’s AI chief, is reportedly in Brussels while lawmakers debate new rules on machine intelligence.

Is neumorphism the big new look for iOS 14?

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Flat UI elements, bolstered with real-world visual cues, make neumorphism easy to
Flat UI elements, bolstered with real-world visual cues, make neumorphism easy to "read."
Photo: MazePizel/Dribbble

Take one look at any screenshot from a pre-iOS 7 iPhone, and you’ll wonder how we ever used such a hideous interface for so many years. The skeumorphic design language included so much fake wood, glossy plastic and gray gradient that there’s almost nowhere to put the actual contents of the app.

iOS 7 went way too far in the opposite direction, with flat white pages and skinny text. Is that a button? Is it just a label? Can I press it? Who knows? We’re still suffering from this UI ambiguity today, in iOS 13. Text got thicker, but it’s still hard to know what to press, and what is just there to be read.

Clearly, there’s a space between these two extremes. Something as clean as iOS 7 and, at the same time, as obvious and usable as iOS 6 and previous versions. But what would that look like? I know what I want it to look like. It’s called “neumorphism,” and it looks fantastic.

MacBooks may be in short supply after March

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The MacBook Pro has a Touch Bar, and a better display.
The coronavirus outbreak means it isn’t a good time to procrastinate on a MacBook purchase.
Photo: Apple

Now might be the best time to buy that MacBook you’ve been considering. Factory shutdowns in China because of the coronavirus outbreak will reportedly lead to shortages of components needed to make laptops.

Low-cost iPhone skirts virus-related delays for March release

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iPhone assembled in India
Coming soon with a 2?
Photo: Indian Express

The long-awaited successor to the popular iPhone SE remains on track for launch sometime next month, a top analyst on Apple’s supply chain in China said.

TF International Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo said in a note to investors that coronavirus has not impeded production of the budget-friendly iPhone. The new handset is known as either the iPhone SE 2 or iPhone 9.

iPad Pro refresh expected this March, but supplies could be limited

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This 2020 iPad Pro render is based on rumors
Big camera improvements are top of the list for the 2020 iPad Pro.
Photo: OnLeaks/iGeeksBlog

Apple is expected to deliver a big iPad Pro refresh this March, and that’s still on track despite the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, according to a new report. Supplies could be limited at launch, however, with production likely to be slow to ramp up until after April.

Warren Buffett’s investment firm unloads more than $800 million of Apple shares

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Buffett
Warren Buffett has been a long-time Apple supporter.
Photo: CNBC

Warren Buffett’s investment firm Berkshire Hathaway sold more than $800 million of Apple stock in the last quarter of 2019.

Buffett is probably Apple’s most famous investor and cheerleader. Berkshire Hathaway is the Cupertino tech giant’s biggest shareholder, with an estimated 5.4% stake in the company.