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Haptic Touch goes missing on new iPhone SE notifications

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Haptic Touch notifications aren't working - sort of - on the new iPhone SE.
Photo: Brad Gibson / Cult of Mac

Since receiving their new 2020 iPhone SE mobile phones on Friday, customers have been reporting the inability to press on notifications in the Notification Center and to select various shortcuts and commands, better known as Haptic Touch. From all indications, it appears the specific inability is deliberate on the new device.

If your MacBook Pro overheats, you might be charging it from the wrong side

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It takes years of professional training to place MacBook stickers this badly.
Even the new-ish 16-inch MacBook Pro runs hot.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Does your brand new MacBook Pro go into meltdown when it’s plugged into power? Do the fans spin up into a blast of white noise, while the heat makes your hands sweat as you type? Is your kernel\_task pegged using 100% of the CPU when you check things out in the Activity Monitor app?

If so, don’t worry — it’s not your Mac’s fault. It’s you. You’re charging it wrong.

Yes, if you plug your USB-C power cable into the left-hand side of your MacBook Pro, you might make it overheat.

Using the Space bar for Push to Talk makes Zoom calls bearable

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filthy spacebar zoom push to talk mute
Would you touch this Space bar?
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Zoom is the world’s favorite app during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its flagrant privacy abuses, and a history of startlingly bad security holes, people are using the videoconferencing service for remote teaching, conference calls and virtual get-togethers.

If you — or your boss or a stubborn family member — insist on using this software rather than one of the safer Zoom alternatives, this Mac tip will save you a lot of trouble. Using the Push to Talk feature will make your Zoom life a lot easier.

HBO Max to launch May 27 on Apple devices; current App Store customers to get free upgrade

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As expected, HBO Max will launch May 27 with support for Apple devices.
Photo: WarnerMedia

HBO Max will be available on all Apple devices when it launches on May 27 and will be fully integrated with the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple TV, WarnerMedia announced Monday.

Apple and WarnerMedia also announced that that existing HBO Now customers, billed through the App Store, and HBO subscribers who subscribe through ‌Apple TV‌ channels, will be upgraded to HBO Max at no additional charge.

UK rejects Apple/Google COVID-19 contact-tracing system

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The UK's National Health Service won’t use Apple/Google tech to warn users if they've recently been in contact with someone infected with coronavirus.
Photo: NHS

The U.K. reportedly decided to go with a coronavirus contact-tracing application different from the system Apple and Google are creating jointly. The National Health Service built an app that creates a central database of people who have tested positive for COVID-19. The Apple and Google solution uses a decentralized system for privacy reasons.

$500,000 will buy you this stunning replica of the only race car Apple ever sponsored

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Apple Car replica
What better way to turn up to the Apple Park tour once things reopen after lockdown?
Photo: DuPont Registry

Have $499,000 to spare and looking to show off your Apple fandom credentials? A replica of the Apple-sponsored 1979 Porsche 935 K3 race car, which once raced at Le Mans, has shown up for sale online.

Apple sponsored the original car, operated by racing team Dick Barbour Racing, in 1980, only a few years into Apple’s history. That vehicle, which features the Apple Computer name and rainbow colors, is now part of radio host and podcaster Adam Corolla’s extensive car collection. While the model for sale here is just a replica, it’s still a pretty stunning collector’s piece — as suggested by the sizable asking price.

Germany flip-flops on contact-tracing tech, now embraces Apple’s approach

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Apple and Google support a decentralized approach to contact-tracing.
Photo: Apple/Google

Germany has reportedly changed its mind over whether or not to embrace the decentralized approach to contact-tracing technology supported by Apple and Google.

As recently as the end of last week, Germany was backing a centralized standard technology called PEPP-PT. This stands for called Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing. It has now seemingly switched its support to a “strongly decentralized” approach. This is the approach backed by Apple and Google.

Construction on Apple’s London HQ grinds to a halt during lockdown

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Apple's forthcoming London HQ will be located in one of the city's most iconic buildings.
Photo: Alberto Pascual/Wikipedia CC

It’s not just building new Apple devices that has slowed down with the coronavirus pandemic. According to a report published Monday, work on Apple’s new London HQ — located in the city’s iconic Battersea Power Station — has also been impacted by COVID-19 lockdown.

CNBC‘s article notes that work on both Apple and Google’s individual new London headquarters have ground to a halt, with both now “turned into ghost towns.”

Wait for iPhone 12 drags on as Apple delays production by a month

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Forget getting yours in September.
Photo: ConceptsiPhone

Apple is delaying mass-production of the iPhone 12 lineup by around one month, according to a Monday report from The Wall Street Journal.

Sources blame the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for the delay, which is likely to mean Apple’s next-generation handsets won’t be available until October. A trusted source for Cult of Mac recently made the same prediction.

No pet detection on iPhone SE Portrait Mode? These apps will help

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iPhone SE pet photos: With Halide Camera and Spectre, you can bokeh everyone in your household, human or otherwise.
Now you can bokeh everyone in your household, human or otherwise.
Photo: Halide

The iPhone SE does a great job of taking the body of the iPhone 8 and infusing it with some of iPhone 11’s cutting-edge tech. But not every feature carried across to Apple’s new budget phone. For instance, the iPhone SE lacks the ability to take Portrait photos of pets.

That’s somewhat confusing, since iPhone SE’s Portrait mode works impressively. Fortunately, updates to a pair of highly rated apps will let iPhone SE owners take Portrait photos of nonhumans for just a few bucks.

Lots of iPhone SE components are swappable with iPhone 8 — but not all

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Well, that should make repairs a bit cheaper.
Photo: Apple

A 2020 iPhone SE teardown shows just how similar the new phone is to the iPhone 8. Many — but not all — components of the new handset are totally swappable with the 2017 iPhone, according to a weekend report from iFixit.

The iPhone SE’s cameras, SIM tray, Taptic Engine and display assembly can be directly swapped out with the iPhone 8. However, not all parts are so switchable. The iPhone SE’s battery might look the same, but it won’t work on the earlier iPhone due to a different logic board connector.

RavPower’s massive power bank pushes the limit with AC outlet [Review]

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RAVPower RP-PB055 AC Power Bank review
It’s a bit bulky, but the RAVPower RP-PB055 can recharge an iPhone 11 more than 5 times.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Power banks designed for phones don’t do much for laptops and tablets. But the RavPower RP-PB055 AC Power Bank packs a whopping 30,000mAh, and more than doubles a MacBook’s time between recharges. Even better, it includes a standard wall socket so it can run DVD players, lamps, fans … whatever you need.

I tested it not only with Apple products but with other electronics, too. Read on to see how this uber-size power bank held up.

iPhone SE comes in hot! [Cult of Mac Magazine 346]

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Good reviews (and giddy owners) greet Apple's budget iPhone SE.
Good reviews (and giddy owners) greet Apple's new budget iPhone.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

The reviews are in: The 2020 iPhone SE is a wallet-friendly speed machine with features that make it totally tempting. You can almost hear new owners squealing with delight as their preorders arrive.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 12 faces delays due to the worldwide COVID-19 shutdown. Get those stories and more in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download the app now for a smooth read on your iOS device of choice. Or hit the links below for the week’s top Apple news, reviews and how-tos.

Learn 14 languages with this lifetime subscription to a highly rated app [Deals]

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Babbel App Image
Learn 14 languages across more than 10,000 hours of online language education.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Learning a new language opens up a world of possibilities. This highly rated app will teach you up to 14 different languages, so you can emerge from quarantine with some fresh skills. And since we’re offering a big discount on a lifetime deal, you can continue to master new tongues long after this COVID-19 pandemic blows over.

First Apple Watch concept drawing reveals brilliance of original designs

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Apple Watch concept
Imran Chaudhri drew this Apple Watch concept sketch long before the release of this wearable.
Photo: Imran Chaudhri

Imran Chaudhri, who played a pivotal role in the Apple Watch’s creation, offered an inside look into the device’s design process Friday, showing off an early concept drawing of the smartwatch’s home screen.

His sketch, shared on the 5-year anniversary of the Apple Watch launch, looks amazingly close to what is in use now. He also showed off a video of the very first Apple Watch band and talked about the history of some Watch faces.

Facebook takes on Zoom, Group FaceTime with free video calls for up to 50 people

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Facebook on Friday announced new video calling features including Messenger Rooms, which allows users to host video calls of up to 50 people.
Photo: Facebook

Facebook announced Friday it will add the ability for free video calling for up to 50 people on its new video-calling service, Messenger Rooms. The change is taking direct aim at the Group FaceTime and the popular Zoom service that has taken the world by storm as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The expanded service will launch by days end in selected regions with a smaller number of users at launch, but will not be available for the maximum number for a few more weeks, the company said.