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How to use a Bluetooth keyboard with Apple TV

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Apple TV with the wireless keyboard
With tvOS, your newer Apple TV can work with Bluetooth keyboards.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

With this week’s release of tvOS 9.2 for Apple TV, the fourth-generation set-top box now works with Bluetooth keyboards. While the splash screen specifically calls out Apple wireless keyboards, the truth is that you might be able pair pretty much any Bluetooth external keyboard with your new Apple TV.

Here’s how. (And here’s how to upgrade to tvOS 9.2 if you haven’t already.)

Best new cases and accessories for Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad Pro [Reviews]

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9.7-inch iPad Pro
Treat yourself to a 9.7-inch iPad Pro today!
Photo: Apple

Ordered yours yet? Following Apple’s “Let us loop you in” keynote earlier this week, the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro is ready for purchase as are loads of new products to go with it. Here’s a quick look at some of the best cases and accessories for your new iPad Pro, either available right now or coming soon.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of disappointment

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Ben Affleck kicks ass as Batman.
Ben Affleck kicks ass as Batman.
Photo: Warner Bros.

The battle between the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has been billed as the greatest gladiator match of all time, but if you’re looking for a film with substance and cohesion, you should probably avoid the new movie like Clark Kent shuns kryptonite.

The sad truth of BvS is that it beats itself into a bloody pulp thanks to its brutish director, Zack Snyder, who can’t tell a compelling story to save his life — even when he’s got more than 70 years of comic book history to mold to his will.

In BvS, the message is as clear as the Bat-Signal: It’s time to pull Snyder away before he ruins more movies that could have been great.

Two top Apple execs score big (and one giant) payday

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money
Turns out there's a lot of money to be made at Apple. Who knew?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s Chief Operating Office Jeff Williams and Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri both dumped large amounts of AAPL stock this month — prompting speculation that those inside Apple aren’t confident that the share price is bouncing back to all-time high levels any time soon.

Although, as usual, such fears are almost certainly greatly exaggerated.

Gene Munster thinks virtual reality will be the ultimate iPhone killer

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Virtual reality was one of the first iPhone accessories Apple considered. Photo: USPTO/Apple
One of Apple's previous VR patents.
Photo: USPTO/Apple

Hit-and-miss Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster (a.k.a. the “Apple television set is coming” guy) has a somewhat wacky theory in his latest note to clients: that Apple will not only announce its own virtual reality project at some point in the future, but that this will prove to be the real iPhone killer.

And that Apple’s totally okay with that.

These sleek docking stations are worthy of the iPhone and Apple Watch [Deals]

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The HoverDock supports and charges your phone while doing justice to its sleek design.
The HoverDock supports and charges your phone while doing justice to its sleek design.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When you buy a top-flight tech product like an iPhone or Apple Watch, some of the future-is-now magic can be lost as you plug it into a flimsy plastic docking station. HoverDock isn’t having it, though — hence these sleek, future-ready docks for both iPhone and Apple Watch. Take a look!

Holy smokes! Sony is bringing PlayStation games to mobile

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holy-smokes-sony-is-bringing-playstation-games-to-android-and-ios-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201603Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-151743-png
PlayStation greats are coming to your smartphone.
Photo: Sony
PlayStation greats are coming to your smartphone. Photo: Sony
PlayStation greats are coming to your smartphone. Photo: Sony

Days after Nintendo launched its very first smartphone game, another gaming giant has announced it will start making mobile games.

Sony has formed a new company called ForwardWorks Corporation that’s dedicated to bringing PlayStation greats to Android and iOS.

Small expectations? Apple’s not aiming high with iPhone SE sales

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Scalpers will give you a discount on the iPhone SE.
Apple's not projecting massive sales for the iPhone SE.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone SE may have been one of the big announcements at Apple’s keynote event this week, but despite the fanfare it seems Apple isn’t banking on its 4-inch handset to come close to the sales its bigger brothers make.

According to a new report, citing component makers in the iPhone supply chain, Apple is playing it conservatively with orders for the new iPhone SE — with total shipments of the device likely to come in around 15 million units in the remainder 2016.

Apple is presenting Microsoft Office 365 as an iPad Pro add-on

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Screen_Shot_2016-03-24_at_8.03.31_AM.0
Apple clearly believes offering Microsoft Office 365 will help sell more iPad Pros.
Photo: Apple

Apple has been clear about its belief that the super-charged iPad Pro is designed as a replacement for notebooks and desktops for a large number of users.

With that in mind, it’s no surprise that the company is giving buyers of the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro the option of picking up a subscription to Microsoft Office 365 as part of their pre-order.

Apple Watch apps kinda suck, but Cupertino hopes you won’t notice

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watch bands march 21 apple event
Apple Watch apps were conspicuous in their absence at this week's Apple event.
Photo: Apple

At this week’s “Let us loop you in” keynote, Apple revealed a major shift in its smartwatch strategy. Tim Cook tried to dress it up by announcing new Apple Watch bands and a price drop, but the most significant aspect was what he did not say: There was no mention of third-party Watch apps.

After Monday’s keynote, Apple updated its website with a new marketing proposition that represents a tacit acknowledgment that, right now, Apple Watch is only good for three things: notifications, fitness and health.

What happened to the idea that there is an app for everything?

Pre-order your iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro now

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se_and_ipad_pro
Have you ordered Apple's new devices?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac/Apple

Are you excited about Apple’s newly-announced 4-inch iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro? Well, the time for talking is through, and the time for pre-ordering is here!

Available to ship next Thursday, March 31st, the iPhone SE is available in 16GB and 64GB configurations. Prices start at $399, or $13.30 a month with carrier financing. The new iPad Pro, meanwhile, is available in 32GB, 128GB and — for the first time ever — 256GB configurations, with prices starting at $599.

Both devices are available in silver, gold, rose gold and space gray options.

Google Maps’ iOS app just got Uber useful

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Google-Maps-Uber
Google Maps has some nice new tricks on iOS.
Photo: Google/Uber

Google has finally updated its iOS app to include the Uber connectivity that Android users have had for like a week now.

It’s not just Uber, but that’s definitely the biggest ride-sharing company to get support in the new version. Users in Brazil, India, the UK, Spain, and Germany can also use their local call-a-car service of choice.

How to choose the best iPhone for you

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New options for all of us.
New options for all of us.
Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

The iPhone line just got more expansive, with the new, smaller-yet-powerful iPhone SE dropping into the fray to compliment the bigger and still powerful iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus and 6s Plus handsets.

So how do you choose the best iPhone? That depends on your own needs, of course, but we’re here to help you figure it all out with our iPhone buyer’s guide.

Smaller iPad Pro is even bigger on features

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iPad Pro prices
Prices aren't the only major difference between iPad Pros.
Photo: Apple

Size isn’t the only thing that counts when you’re weighing your iPad Pro options.

Sure, it’s a major consideration. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro that Apple showed off earlier this week has the same dimensions of the less sprawling iPad Air 2, and it weighs just under a pound. That’s about two-thirds the weight of the original Pro, and people trading up from an iPad Air won’t need to look at new cases or bags to carry the thing around in.

But that’s all surface stuff, and the two iPad Pros have a lot of differences behind — and even inside — their screens.

Apple Pay is expanding to mobile websites

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Apple Pay
Apple Pay is everywhere.
Photo: Apple

Using Apple Pay to buy items has been limited to physical retail stores and apps, but Apple is reportedly planning to rollout the service soon to mobile websites, putting it in closer competition with PayPal and other platforms.

The mobile website version of Apple Pay will allegedly be ready in time for the 2016 holiday shopping season. Once launched, the mobile version will allow shoppers to complete purchases using their fingerprint rather than entering credit card info on websites.

How to decide which iPad is best for you

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Which one is best for you?
Which iPad model is best for you?
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

With the iPad lineup now verging on unwieldy, it’s harder than ever to decide which Apple tablet to buy. Which iPad is best for you? That’s going to depend on your needs, desires and budget — but your iPad buyer’s guide can help!

Do you go for the massive appeal of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro or opt for the smaller-but-newer (and slightly gimped) 9.7-inch iPad Pro? Will a tiny iPad mini suit you, or should you opt for an iPad Air 2, which is still a very capable, thin tablet?

All good questions! We’re here to help you answer them with this handy iPad comparison, just in time for when the new iPad Pro goes on sale Thursday, March 24 (most likely at 12:01 a.m. Pacific, according to Apple Support).

Apple’s full iPhone SE keynote is now on YouTube

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Size does matter, says Phil Schiller.
Size does matter, says Phil Schiller.
Photo: Apple

If you didn’t have time to catch up pn Apple’s event on Monday, you can relive all the glory anytime you want, now that the company has posted the entire iPhone SE keynote on YouTube.

The 63 minute event contains everything from yak-friendly solar farms in China to all the details on the smaller iPad Pro that isn’t quite as fast as its bigger sibling. Apple’s recent event wasn’t as exciting as previous product unveiling, but it will probably be the last one ever hosted at the company’s Cupertino campus.

Watch the full event below:

How to control your home media with 3D Touch and Launch Center Pro

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Want faster access to home audio? Here's how with the help of Launch Center Pro and 3D Touch!
Want faster access to home audio? Here's how with the help of Launch Center Pro and 3D Touch!
Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor

app-factor-logo-thumbnailWhile some apps haven’t quite figured out best use cases for 3D Touch yet, a handful of apps have gotten it right. One of those apps is Launch Center Pro, which lets you choose what apps you get access to through 3D Touch actions.

I’ve chosen to take advantage of this by using Launch Center Pro to launch my most-used media apps: Rdio (RIP, now replaced), Sonos, Music.app and Pandora. By doing this, I’ve freed up four additional spaces on my first Home screen for other apps.

Google Photos now smartly sorts your snaps automatically

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Your vacation snaps can now be viewed on the big screen.
Smarter albums now available in Google Photos.
Photo: Google
Google Photos smart albums
Smarter albums now available in Google Photos. Photo: Google

Taking lots of photos when you’re doing some fun is great, but sorting them when you go home is not. But now you don’t have to.

Use Google Photos and it takes care of organization for you, with smart albums that are made up of your best images from every event.

Apple Music partners with Vice for music documentary series

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Vice is diving deep into Reservation Rap.
Vice is diving deep into Reservation Rap.
Photo: Vice

Apple is teaming up with Vice for a new six-part documentary that will stream exclusively on Apple Music.

The Score will spotlight music scenes from around the world that are lot more diverse and rich than your typical five-day outdoor EDM rave. The first episode called “Reservation Rap” debuts this week and covers Minnesota Red Lake Reservation’s unique hip-hop style created by the Ojibwa tribe.

Watch members of the third largest indigenous tribe in North America spit some bars:

FBI teams up with Israeli firm to hack San Bernardino iPhone

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Your iPhone will always need to be recharged everyday.
The FBI finally found someone who can unlock the iPhone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The mysterious party that is assisting the FBI in its quest to unlock the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone 5c may have finally been revealed today, and contrary to previous theories, it’s not the NSA.

Cellebrite, an Israeli tech firm specializing in mobile forensic software, has reportedly offered to help the FBI unlock the iPhone. Citing industry sources, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper says if Cellebrite succeeds, the FBI will no longer need Apple’s help with the case.

Apple TV app lets you see the weather without opening it [Reviews]

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forecast-bar-apple-tv-2
Think Dark Sky for your Apple TV.
Photo: Forecast Bar

For several months on my new Apple TV I’ve been searching for a decent weather app that doesn’t cost too much, and truth be told I really haven’t been able to find any. My go-to weather app has been Carrot Weather for quite some time, but I don’t love the interface on a big television screen. So I was eager to try out Forecast Bar for Apple TV, which offers some standout features and lots of forecast detail.

We reviewed Forecast Bar for Mac back in September and declared it the closest thing possible to getting Dark Sky on your Mac, and it still is. Dark Sky, known for its down-to-the-minute precipitation forecasts, has become a favorite weather app on iOS and Android. So let’s see if Forecast Bar for Apple TV is the closest thing to getting Dark Sky on the big screen.