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The Banker‘s troubled road to theaters ends today

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The Banker is the first original movie from Apple TV+.
The Banker was originally scheduled to debut last year.
Photo: Apple

Apple-owned movie The Banker is due to land on Apple TV+ later this month. But if you want to catch it on the big screen, you can do so starting today.

The movie, which is based on a true story, stars Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson as Bernard Garrett and Joe Morris, two of the first African-American bankers in the United States. To combat systematic racism during the Jim Crow era, they hire a white man (Nicholas Hoult) as the face of their business while posing as a chauffeur and janitor.

Androids lose resale value twice as fast as iPhone

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iPhone resale value beats Android year after year.
After a few years, it’s hardly worth the hassle of reselling an Android.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

There’s an area where Android is much faster than any iPhone: losing value. A gadget trade-in service tracked the depreciation of Apple and Android handsets and found that after a year the iPhone had held on to far more of its resale value.

Apple cancels ‘Today at Apple’ sessions in Italy amid COVID-19 outbreak

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Apple Oriocenter 2
Apple Oriocenter is closed for now.
Photo: Apple

Apple on Friday cancelled its “Today at Apple” sessions across all stores in Italy amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

Apple Oriocenter, a store in Italy’s Bergamo Province, is also closed temporarily as Apple makes efforts to help contain the spread of the coronavirus. It is currently out of action until March 8.

Apple rejecting COVID-19 coronavirus apps that aren’t from official sources

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app-store
Apple has changed App Store rules to only accept coronavirus apps from official channels.
Photo: Apple

With plenty of scaremongering about the COVID-19 coronavirus, Apple is doing its part to stop the spread of misinformation related to the outbreak. According to a report published Thursday, Apple is cracking down on non-official apps relating to the novel coronavirus.

Those are apps not made by recognized institutions such as governments or hospitals. Independent apps providing functionality like tracking of the outbreak’s spread are being rejected by Apple, developers claim.

First episode of Amazing Stories debuts on Apple TV+

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Amazing Stories Apple TV+
Steven Spielberg anthology series has landed on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple

Episode one of Steven Spielberg’s anthology series Amazing Stories debuted on Apple TV+ Friday.

The first episode of the five-episode season is about a person who discovers a portal back to 1919 in the storm cellar of a house they are restoring. The show promises to “transport the audience to worlds of wonder through the lens of today’s most imaginative filmmakers, directors and writers.”

WWDC at risk as California authorities call for cancellation of events

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WWDC might go virtual this year.
WWDC 2020 is in jeopardy as Apple’s local health department asks large gatherings be cancelled.
Photo: Apple

The pressure on Apple to cancel its yearly developers conference and possibly a planned March product keynote has gotten a little tougher.

The Public Health Department of Santa Clara County, where Apple’s headquarters is located,  recommended Thursday the postponing or canceling of mass gatherings to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus. That calls into question whether Apple will hold its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, as it traditionally does.

Apple renews Truth Be Told for second season

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First 3 episodes of crime drama Truth Be Told debut on Apple TV+
Poppy Parnell is coming back for a new case.
Photo: Apple

Octavia Spencer’s critically-acclaimed series, Truth Be Told is coming back to Apple TV+ for a second season.

Apple revealed this afternoon that it renewed the crime drama thriller for a second season that will have Spencer reprise her role as Poppy Parnell who will investigate another mysterious murder case. The show was originally billed as a limited-series but Apple apparently thinks Poppy’s story isn’t finished yet.

Call of Duty: Mobile loses its Zombies mode because it’s not good enough

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Call of Duty: Mobile racks up amazing 100m downloads in first week
It may be back, but probably not.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Call of Duty: Mobile is losing its popular Zombies mode this month because it doesn’t meet the “level of quality” Activision expects.

It’s unclear whether Zombies, which was added last November, will return at a later date. The game’s developers are currently focused on more important aspects of Call of Duty: Mobile, like Multiplayer, Battle Royale, and Ranked Mode.

How to disinfect your Mac, iPhone, mouse, trackpad, keyboard and cases

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Disinfect your gadgets with DIY alcohol wipes.
Disinfect your gadgets with DIY alcohol wipes.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple has a long support page of links and tips, dedicated to keeping your devices clean and shiny. But what about keeping them germ-free? Even if you only ever use your iMac’s keyboard at home, you probably transferred plenty of unwanted organisms onto it before you started washing your hands properly.

As for your iPhone, it’s probably dirtier than a music-festival toilet. And your AirPods, which you keep touching with your dirty hands all day long? I feel nauseated just thinking about it.

So, how do you keep all this stuff sanitary? It’s easy, even if your local store has run out of disinfectant wipes due to panic buying induced by fears about the COVID-19 virus.

Apple Pay for Mexico looks set to launch imminently

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Apple Pay Terminal
¡Es inminente!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple Pay could make its official debut in Mexico any day now after local iPhone users on Thursday discovered they could start adding debit and credit cards to the Wallet app.

Only regional bank Banregio appears to be supported for now, which suggests Apple Pay support may be an exclusive initially.

Critics call Apple TV+ movie The Banker ‘emotionally satisfying’ but ‘staid’

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Apple TV will debut “The Banker” later this month.
Nicholas Hoult, Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie often drew praise for their work in The Banker.
Photo: Apple

Reviews for Apple’s The Banker are generally positive, but some critics had some harsher comments about this portrayal of black entrepreneurs tricking racist white businessmen during the Jim Crow era.

This movie will hit the Apple TV+ service later this month.

Apple Affordable Housing Fund launches with $150 million for projects

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Tim-Cook-Gavin-Newsom
Tim Cook discusses plans with Governor Gavin Newsom.
Photo: Apple

The first wave of Apple-funded affordable housing projects is about to get underway in Silicon Valley.

Housing Trust Silicon Valley revealed this week that Apple has given it a $150 million grant to help projects in the Bay Area. The non-profit organization is using money from Apple’s $2.5 billion commitment to help the affordable housing crisis in Silicon Valley and they’re ready to hand out some big checks.

Apple faces big challenges in building a supply chain in India

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india
Apple is doing all it can to grow in India.
Illustration: Cult of Mac

Apple became a trillion-dollar tech giant thanks to its deep and intricate ties to China for manufacturing and component supplies.

But a coronavirus that began in China has left that giant a little shaky on its feet and dizzy from renewed questions over why Apple hasn’t developed a more diverse strategy for building the world’s most popular personal computing devices.

It’s definitely not from a lack of trying as pointed out Thursday in an article by The Information, which took a deep-dive into Apple’s arduous path through India.

New entry-level AirPods could hit store shelves this summer

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AirPods-Pro-vs-AirPods
AirPods Pro Lite might look like Apple’s high-end wireless earbuds, or the basic AirPods.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple’s next AirPods go into production very soon, according to an unconfirmed report coming out of Asia. These are the wireless headphones that are typically referred to as AirPods Pro Lite, though they are unlikely to have that name when released.

Facebook Messenger has a brand-new app for Mac

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Facebook-Messenger-Mac
It's finally here, almost a year after it was confirmed.
Photo: Mac Generation

A brand-new Facebook Messenger app has finally landed on Mac. It gives users the ability to more easily keep on top of their conversations across different devices, and it supports a whole host of useful Messenger features — including group video chat.

You might not be able to download it where you live just yet, however.

COVID-19 virus means tough decisions about WWDC and rumored Apple keynote

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Apple faces tough decisions about a potential March product event and WWDC 2020 as COVID-19 virus spreads.
Apple faces tough decisions about a potential March product event and WWDC 2020.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

With COVID-19 spreading in the San Francisco Bay Area, and at least one upcoming event at a critical planning stage for the high-tech giant, Apple must make some tough decisions about how to proceed, according to conference experts contacted by Cult of Mac.

Apple faces mounting pressure to decide whether to cancel, delay or change the format of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, typically held in June. The same holds true, although to a lesser extent, for Apple’s rumored March product keynote.

“There’s a lot to consider for Apple and it won’t be easy,” said Ian McGonnigal, marketing executive with Experiential Executive, who has consulted on conference and convention planning with more than a dozen Fortune 500 companies. “Reputation is a huge challenge here and that’s part of it. Companies don’t want to appear tone-deaf to what’s going on out there.”

Apple’s biggest contract manufacturer had a rough February thanks to COVID-19

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iPhone sales drive Apple’s biggest supplier to big profits
Foxconn had its worst February in a long time.
Photo: CBS

Apple’s biggest contract manufacturer, Foxconn, endured a rough February as the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak worsened in China.

The company, which is also the world’s biggest electronics manufacturer, suffered its biggest monthly drop in revenue in around seven years. Its earnings, announced Thursday, show an 18.1% decline in revenue versus the same period last year. This marks the company’s third straight month of decline.

Save on Magic Mouse and Keyboard by getting Apple refurbs [Deals]

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Cert Refurb Apple Accessories Main
Get good-as-new Apple gear at a deep discount.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When it comes to Apple computers, the best accessories are also made by Cupertino. But that means they carry Apple prices, so if you want to get the awesome Magic Mouse or Magic Keyboard — but don’t want to make a mortgage payment to do it — refurbs are the way to go. These certified Apple accessories work just like new; they just cost less.

Google Stadia can now stream games to your Mac in 4K

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Google-Stadia
Stadia gets an edge over game streaming rivals.
Photo: Google

Google Stadia just got a nice little update that gives it an edge over rival streaming services like Nvidia GeForce Now. It can now stream games to your Mac in glorious 4K (or Ultra HD).

Upgrading your video quality requires a simple settings change. You will also need a 4K display, and an internet connection that’s fast enough to handle 4K video.

iPhone SE 2 production may have been pushed back due to COVID-19

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Apple could debut iPhone SE successor as soon as March
iPhone SE 2 will be the successor to 2016's iPhone SE.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s iPhone SE 2 could be pushed back beyond the March release some were expecting as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak causing disruption in Apple’s supply chain.

A report published Thursday claims that Apple has deferred orders for the flexible printed circuit boards (PCBs) for the low-cost handset. Orders initially scheduled for the first quarter have been delayed until the second.

Here’s how much a $1,000 investment in Apple in 1980 would be worth today

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Talk about a bet that paid off. A $1,000 investment in the Apple IPO would be worth $651,000 today.
Talk about a bet that paid off.
Photo: Amanda Jones/Unsplash

At $1.3 trillion these days, Apple’s a pretty darn valuable company. But how much could you have netted had you been smart enough to invest in the company in December 1980 when the stock first went public?

Obviously that depends on how much you’d have invested in the Cupertino computer company, and how long you had the nerve to keep the stock. A new report by CashNetUSA ran the numbers for a $1,000 investment in 1980. And, well, you’d be pretty happy with the results.

Low-cost iPhone SE 2 enters final stages of engineering validation

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iphone 8
The iPhone SE 2 will reportedly look a lot like the iPhone 8.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s supply chain might be suffering due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, but that isn’t stopping things moving forward for the iPhone SE.

According to a report published Thursday, the new entry level LCD iPhone has entered the final stages of engineering validation in Zhengzhou, China. That’s the stage at which the finalized hardware is tested and validated. Should all go according to plan, it will then undergo design validation and testing, prior to going into mass manufacturing.