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How to get replacement AirPods Pro tips from Apple

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AirPods pro tips
None of these tips will fit the AirPods Pro.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple’s AirPods Pro are just fantastic, especially if you hack them to fit your ears even better. But those interchangeable silicone tips are just one (or two) more thing to lose, or to break. The good news is, Apple will sell you replacement silicone tips for your AirPods Pro. The bad news is, you can’t just order them up from the Apple Store, or from Amazon.

This is how easy it is to add RAM to the 2019 Mac Pro

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Mac Pro ram
I want a Mac Pro, just so I can ram in some RAM.
Photo: CC iFixit

The whole point of the new Mac Pro is to make it easy to add more stuff inside it. Well, that, and to keep everything cool without sounding like a washing machine on spin cycle. The modular, standard nature of the Mac Pro’s design also means that you don’t have to pay Apple’s prices for RAM and storage upgrades. You can just buy them from somewhere like OWC or Crucial, and pop them in yourself. And I mean “pop.” It’s hard to imagine how adding RAM to the new Mac Pro could be any easier.

In fact, the hardest part might be unplugging all the cables on the back, so you can lift off the lid.

These tips make text-selection on iPhone and iPad far less frustrating

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Text-selection on the iPad can feel pretty clunky.
Text-selection on the iPad can feel pretty clunky.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

iOS 13 (and iPadOS) fixed the frustrating text-selection tools on the iPhone and iPad, but only if you know how to use them. Selecting a single word or sentence is still way easier on a Mac, because you have a mouse and keyboard permanently attached. On the iPad, though, you can still find the text selection slipping and jumping like an oiled fish.

Use these iPhone and iPad text-selection tips to highlight words and paragraphs the easy way in iOS.

CES 2020 trends: AirPower alternatives, rise of 5G, tasty TVs

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CES-2020-trends
It's shaping up to be an exciting year for tech.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

CES 2020The post-holiday tech fest that is CES shutters its doors today for another year. This week’s event has been as weird and as wonderful as any other, giving us a glimpse of all kinds of innovative gadgets on the way in 2020.

Better AirPods alternatives. Wireless chargers that achieve what Apple couldn’t. iPhone cases you can throw on the compost heap when they’re no longer needed. Here are the biggest trends from CES 2020.

Apple takes a hacksaw to trade-in values for used iPhones and more

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Apple takes a hacksaw to estimated trade-in values for its devices
You won't get as much money for your old devices today as you would yesterday.
Photo: Pictures of Money/Flickr CC

Overnight Apple has chopped estimated trade-in values on a variety of products. It means that users will get less money for their old products when they try and trade them in with Apple.

Note to Cupertino: When people talk about wishing that Apple would cut prices on their products, this isn’t what they generally mean!

Wemo WiFi Smart Plug with HomeKit is Belkin’s smallest yet

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The Wemo WiFi Smart Plug both support HomeKit
The Wemo WiFi Smart Plug and Wemo Stage were both unveiled at CES 2020.
Photo: Belkin

CES 2020Belkin’s latest version of its Wemo smart plug with HomeKit support is significantly smaller than its predecessor, making it less obtrusive on wall sockets.

The company also unveiled at CES 2020 the Wemo Stage, a remote than can be used to launch HomeKit scenes with the punch of a button.

How to check AirPods battery life from your Apple Watch

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Apple Watch AirPods battery
The Apple Watch can tell you about the batteries in your AirPods.
Photo: Cult of Mac

There are several ways to check the remaining battery life on your AirPods and AirPods Pro. You can flip open the AirPods’ case, and wave it near your iPhone or iPad to see a pop up battery screen. Or, if the AirPods are currently connected to your iPhone, you can swipe to the batter widget in the Today widget screen. But did you also know that you can check your AirPods’ battery from your Apple Watch?

Dubai fan has one of the most impressive Apple collections you’ll find

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Jimmy Grewal Apple collection
75 computers, a bunch of Newton MessagePads, and more.
Photo: Jimmy Grewal

A large white room filled with row upon row of just about every Apple computer you can imagine, all in pristine condition. On the walls are framed copies of Apple’s black-and-white “Think Different” ads. Sunlight streams through the large windows, giving everything a warm glow.

Is this heaven? The world’s greatest Apple Store? Nope, it’s Dubai, actually. Home to Jimmy Grewal, a collector of vintage Apple computers and one of the most impressive collections you’re likely to find anywhere.

HomeKit-compatible security tools are all over CES 2020

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August Wi-Fi Smart Lock offers HomeKit
The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock can be added to your door and your HomeKit network.
Photo: August

CES 2020This week’s Consumer Electronics Show brings a range of security devices that support Apple’s HomeKit home-automation system, including the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock.

Other notable announcements are new security cameras from Abode, and a smart lock and pair of cameras from ADT.

JBL enters Dolby Atmos space with Airplay 2-ready, wireless soundbar

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JBL Bar 9.1
Speaker company JBL week announced this week the JBL Bar 9.1, a new soundbar with AirPlay 2 support.
Photo: JBL


CES 2020
JBL used CES this week to introduce an AirPlay 2-ready soundbar with Dolby Atmos support and a unique take on wireless rear speakers.

Instead of cables running through the room or wireless speakers plugged into the wall for power, the JBL Bar 9.1 uses wireless, battery-powered rear speakers.

Satechi launches 108W dual USB-C desktop charger

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Satechi has introduced a new 108W Pro USB-C PD desktop charger
Satechi's new hub charges everything — and fast!
Photo: Satechi

CES 2020Tech accessory maker Satechi announced Wednesday its 108-watt Pro USB-C PD desktop charger which can power multiple devices simultaneously without needing to share power between ports.

The unit simultaneously charges four devices and includes two USB-C PD (90W, 18W) and two USB-A (a total of 12W) ports.

Power up all your gear at once with these multi-device chargers

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Satechi Trio Wireless Charging Pad
Satechi’s Trio Wireless Charging Pad is one of the multi-device chargers unveiled at CES 2020.
Photo: Satechi

CES 2020The number of Apple products with wireless charging support keeps growing. Accessory makers responded by unveiling multi-device chargers at CES 2020 that can send power to iPhone, AirPods, Apple Watch and other accessories all at once, with no wires needed.

Both Satechi and Pitaka unveiled wireless multi-device chargers at this trade show, going on now in Las Vegas.

Apple TV+ coming to more smart televisions later this year

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What Apple TV+ needs to be a big player in 2020
What Apple TV+ needs to be a big player in 2020
Photo: Apple

Buried in a press release with nothing from the manufacturers themselves, Apple revealed Wednesday its Apple TV+ app is coming to Sony and Vizio smart televisions “later this year.”

The additions join Samsung, which added the app to some of its TVs in December 2019. LG also announced this week it would be adding the app to its units later this year.

Apple exec takes the stage at CES to talk about the importance of privacy

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Apple exec turned up at CES to talk about the importance of privacy
Apple is big into privacy.
Photo: Apple

CES-2020-bug-2Apple has made its return to CES for the first time in 28 years, as a representative of the world’s biggest tech company appeared on-stage at the world’s biggest tech conference.

Apple wasn’t showing off new products, however. Instead, Jane Horvath, Apple’s senior director of global privacy, participated in a panel Tuesday titled “Chief Privacy Officer Roundtable: What Do Consumers Want?” The panel also included representatives from Facebook, Procter & Gamble, and the FTC.

Zagg soon to release charging mat to rival Apple’s failed AirPower

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AIrPower CultCast 382
Zagg has apparently solved issues to a workable wireless charging mat and will release such a product sometime this year.
Photo: Apple

CES 2020Mophie parent company Zagg Brands is preparing to release a wireless charger sometime this year similar to that of Apple’s canceled AirPower, according to a published report.

A company spokesman told Bloomberg on Tuesday that it is developing a wireless charging mat with the capabilities to power wireless devices, something Apple attempted to devise in the now-aborted AirPower.

Keep your PopGrip on with this wireless charger

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PopPower
PopPower Home Charger in Cosmic Cloud
Photo: PopSockets

CES 2020PopSockets was a wildly successful brand that was in danger of losing its grip.

Wireless charging is becoming a standard feature in smartphones and the stick-on PopGrip it created for reducing drops suddenly looked like an unintended battery barrier.

But the company finally figured out a way forward in the emerging wireless world with a round wireless charging pad with a hole in the middle.

Razer’s new Kishi controller makes iPhone a better handheld console

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Razer-Kishi-controller-iPhone
For iPhone gamers on the go.
Photo: Razer

CES 2020Razer wants to make your mobile gaming experience even better with its brand-new Kishi controller for iPhone, revealed today at CES.

The device puts controls on either side of your handset, making it look a little like a Nintendo Switch, and it offers everything you would want in a modern iPhone controller — including clickable analog sticks.

What makes the Kishi really special is its ultra-low latency technology that makes it ideal for game streaming.

Moshi announces 10-year warranty, chargers

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Moshi SnapTo wireless charger
The SnapTo charger does a stand-up job on iPhones.
Photo: Moshi

CES 2020Moshi, maker of stylish tech accessories, rolled out new products at CES Monday night along with a new warranty program that seems to discourage upgrades.

It sounds counterintuitive for a tech company. But Moshi, in announcing a 10-year global warranty program on all new products, says it wants to avoid producing cheap gadgets that add to mounting piles of tech garbage.

JBL takes on AirPods with cheaper, more colorful wireless buds

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JBL earbuds
These AirPods rivals are cheaper and, with their range of colors, more cheerful than Apple's.
Photo: JBL

CES-2020-bug-2Given what a ridiculously massive hit the AirPods have been for Apple, it’s no shocker that other companies are keen to jump aboard the wireless earbuds train with their own rival versions. This one, from America audio company JBL, looks highly reminiscent of Apple’s AirPods.

The main differences? It comes in a range of colors, and costs just $99.95. That makes it a cheap and cheerful alternative to Apple’s premium version.

Zagg loads up 10.2-inch iPad with keyboards and cases

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Zagg Slim Book Go and Zagg Messenger Folio
Versions of the Zagg Slim Book Go and Zagg Messenger Folio for the 2019 iPad were unveiled at CES 2020.
Photo: Zagg

CES 2020Those with the 10.2-inch iPad launched last year will soon have significantly more case options, thanks to announcements made today at CES 2020. Zagg unveiled a collection of three keyboard cases, while its Gear4 subsidiary added two protective cases.

Incipio’s plant-based iPhone cases are ready for your composting pile

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incipio
Incipio's Organicore cases decompose within 6 months.
Photo: Incipio

CES 2020 It’s finally possible to protect your iPhone from drops without adding extra plastic to our overflowing landfills.

Incipio, one of the largest smartphone case makers on the planet, is backing the plant-based plastics with its slim new iPhone 11 cases made out of Organicore, a 100% compostable material that can decompose in a compost pile in just six months.

Griffin, Aukey debut smaller, lighter, faster wall chargers

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Griffin PowerBlock Range
Griffin PowerBlock Range of Ultra-Compact USB-C PD Fast Charging Wall Chargers with Gallium Nitride (GaN) Technology
Photo: Griffin

CES 2020A slew of smaller wall chargers with better charging speeds are soon to hit the market and two companies – Griffin and Aukey – used the Consumer Electronics Show on Monday to show off their newest units.

Aukey’s Omnia and Griffin’s PowerBlock lineup are made from gallium nitride, or GaN, a next-generation semiconductor material with 100-times the speed of old silicon technology. They are well-suited for high-power transistors capable of operating at high temperatures. As a result, components are smaller, lighter and faster to charge, up to 70% faster than standard chargers.

Samsung’s new spinning Sero TV coming to U.S. with AirPlay 2

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Samsung Sero TV coming to U.S. with AirPlay 2
Launched last May in South Korea, the Samsung spinning Sero TV is coming to America with AirPlay 2 support.
Photo: Samsung

CES-2020-bug-2With the advent of more verticle videos on social media platforms, Samsung is introducing its Sero pivoting TV in the U.S. with Apple AirPlay 2 support.

Samsung showed off its new Sero TV at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Sunday with plans for its release in the second half of this year. No specific price was revealed, but Samsung launched the 4K display in South Korea for roughly $1,640 last May.

Watch Apple TV on LG’s new 8K, 88-inch television. That will be $30,000

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LG's 88-inch 8K, OLED smart tv
Picture this, your Apple TV+ shows in 8K on an 88-inch OLED smart TV from LG.
Photo: LG Electronics

CES 2020LG Electronics used the CES 2020 stage this morning to flaunt a 2020 lineup of more than a dozen new televisions with 4K and 8K displays along with a new Apple TV app.

Imagine watching your Apple TV+ shows on an 88-inch 8K OLED smart TV that is just a penny shy of $30,000.

Colgate and Oral-B smart toothbrushes talk to your iPhone for better brushing

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Oral-B iO smart toothbrush has a redesigned brush head.
A redesigned brush head on the Oral-B iO is just one of its improvements.
Photo: Proctor & Gamble

CES 2020It’s easy to mock smart toothbrushes, but most people don’t have very good dental hygiene. High-tech solutions like Colgate’s Plaqless Pro or Oral-B iO might be able to help by giving users feedback with an iPhone application.

Both toothbrushes were honored at CES 2020, with Colgate’s even earning the Best of Innovation award for Health and Beauty.