What you need to know

A class action relating to iPhone 7 audio failures will go ahead.
Plaintiffs claim Apple breached warranties.
The judge did side with Apple in some cases.

Some claims have been dismissed.

A class action lawsuit relating to several failed iPhone 7 audio chips will go ahead after the judge refused to dismiss it. He did, however, agree with Apple in some instances, throwing out some claims in the process.

US district judge Jon Tigar agreed with Apple on some claims but denied its motion to dismiss claims of breach of warranty under California law, violations of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and unjust enrichment in the form of an alternative remedy. The lawsuit was originally filed in May 2019.

As MacRumors points out, this all relates to a period where we saw a number of iPhone 7 handsets begin to exhibit an issue which meant some people couldn’t be heard during calls. Others noticed that the speakerphone icon was greyed out when making calls, too. It ult…

What you need to know

Apple is reportedly giving out free AirPods Pro tips.
They normally cost around $4.
But you’ll need AppleCare+ to get freebies.

Multiple people have received free tips.

Apple appears to be giving away free AirPods Pro replacement tips to people who have taken out AppleCare+. The $29 insurance normally protects against out-of-warranty repairs and damage, perhaps explaining the freebies.

While Apple hasn’t made the policy public, multiple members of the MacRumors forums have reported that they received tips with no fee attached. Beyond that of AppleCare+, of course.

I’m not sure if it’s an ‌AppleCare‌+ thing or not but I set up the replacement online and there was no fee. I was under the impression that there will be a cost even with ‌AppleCare‌+.

If you don’t have AppleCare+ you’ll need to pay $3.95 to get replacement tips and you can usually walk into any Apple Store to pick some up. If you do have AppleCare+, make sure to mention that when c…

Every app seems to be going with a subscription pricing model. But is this the way?

Remember the good old days of the App Store, when apps and games cost just a few bucks and were one-time purchases? Yeah, me too. We’d get updates, and eventually completely new versions, though that meant sometimes having to pay again (if the app was rebuilt from the ground up). Yeah, those were the good days, weren’t they?

Unfortunately, that seems to no longer be a sustainable business model, much to my disdain. From the user’s view, paying once for an app and getting free updates for life (or at least a few years), is the ideal situation. But then how are the developers supposed to make a living?

For a while, the trend became pay once, get some updates, then a year or two later, a completely new version comes out and everyone has to pay (again). The updates were plentiful and frequent, but they were free for users until the next major version. And the cycle repeats itself. From a developer’s pe…

SpellTower is back and better than ever.

Back in 2011, there was this little game called SpellTower by Zach Gage. At the time, it was originally designed for the larger screen of the iPad, but eventually made its way to the iPhone as the screen size grew.

I remember SpellTower quite fondly — people raved about it on Twitter, and I picked it up at some point because I love word games (I write for a living, it’s only natural). The game has received updates up until about a year ago, though it still works on modern devices (I just launched the original on my iPhone 11 Pro).

But now we have the true successor, SpellTower+, and it’s a new reimagining of a beloved iOS classic.

Back and better than ever

SpellTower+

Bottom line: SpellTower+ is a great successor to a classic iOS word game. It adds five brand new modes, some new gam…

Niantic ia bringing plenty of Events to Pokémon Go this February!

What you need to know

Three Events will be held in Pokémon Go for February 2020.
Shadow Raikou needs to be saved from Giovanni and Woobat is coming to Research Breakthrough Rewards.
The next Legendary Raid Boss will be Tornadus.

Today, Niantic announced the Pokémon Go February Events and it’s going to be a busy month for Pokémon Trainers! To start off the month, a new Team Go Rocket Special Research will be available: A Professor’s Work Is Never Done. In completing this (or a previous month’s Special Research for those who are behind,) Trainers will have the chance to save Raikou from the terrible fate of a Shadow Pokémon as Giovanni has the Legendary Beast in his evil clutches! For your Field Research, Woobat will be the new Research Breakthrough Reward and in the spirit of Valentines, this Reward will come with bonus Woobat Candies! And the next Legendary Raid Boss will be Tornadus. Running from Tuesday, Fe…

The next Animal Crossing title is coming, and here are all the juicy details!

Finally, after years of anticipation, E3 2019 gave Animal Crossing fans the announcement they’ve been waiting for. Nintendo announced Animal Crossing: New Horizon for the Nintendo Switch, the first console addition since the beloved GameCube release and it’s easy to see that this franchise entry will be worth the wait.

Here’s everything we know so far.

What is Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
New Horizons: What’s new with gameplay
Phone a friend: Call an Islander and New Horizons multi-player
Other twists on the New Horizons
When does Animal Crossings: New Horizons release?

A relaxing getaway

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

$60 at Amazon

Build, craft, relax

Animal Crossing: New Horizons takes place on a deserted island. Start off with a tent and upgrade to a house, customize it to your liking, make friends with the villagers, and play with your friends.

What’s new in Animal Crossing: New Horiz…

Best answer: Yes! Animal Crossing: New Horizons will feature multiplayer. It’s confirmed that up to eight players can play together online, while up to four players can explore an island locally thanks to the new ”Call an Islander” app on your standard-issue NookPhone.

Deserted island paradise: Animal Crossing: New Horizons ($60 at Amazon)

Phone a friend

Animal Crossings isn’t just a single-player game anymore. While in the past you were able to visit other players’ homes or towns, there wasn’t any other interaction beyond that. However, with Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans can look forward to both online and local multiplayer options. To get to know how co-op play works, Nintendo presented a demonstration during its E3 2019 Nintendo Treehouse: Live segment.

For a local multiplayer session, up to four players can play at the same time using the Joy-Cons. Also, online multiplayer has been confirmed where up to eight players can join up.

Follow the leader

If you do pla…

Our earbuds are incredibly versatile tools. We use them for jamming out to music at the gym, listening to business calls at coffee shops, taking hands-free phone calls, and plenty of other tasks. Unfortunately, putting your earbuds to work like that results in them getting dirty with germs, earwax, and other unwanted grime. Nasty earbuds are no fun, so to keep them looking and working like new, here are a few tips on how to get them nice and clean.

Products used in this guide

Truly wireless: Aukey EP-T21 ($30 at Amazon)
Gentle cleaning: PRO-SYS Toothbrushes (From $6 at Amazon)
Disinfectant: Solimo Hydrogen Peroxide ($5 at Amazon)

How to clean your earbuds

Cleaning your earbuds might seem like a daunting task, but in all honesty, it’s pretty easy. All you need are the earbuds themselves, a couple of soft toothbrushes, and some hydrogen peroxide. To get started, you’ll want to get the tips off your earbuds and soaked in some warm and soapy water.

Remove the gel or foam ear ti…

Looking to pick up a brand new iPod touch 7? Well before you do, you need to know about the six awesome colors that it comes in. Not only is this new iPod incredibly eye-catching, but it also has up to 256GB storage, meaning you can rock out to all your favorite tunes and more in the most colorful of ways to match your style.

RED for a Good Cause

(PRODUCT)RED iPod touch 7

Staff favorite

The (PRODUCT)RED iPod touch 7 is a musical device that’ll give you peace of mind because your money goes toward the Global Fund to fight AIDS.

From $199 at Apple

Pop of Pink

Pink iPod touch 7

The iPod Touch 7 comes in a beautifully bright pink color that’s both eye-catching and perfect for spring.

From $195 at Amazon

Classic Silver

Silver iPod touch 7

The silver iPod touch 7 is both sleek and classic looking. It would look fantastic with a colorful, protective case.

From $195 at Amazon

Space Gray Gorgeous

Space Gray iPod touch 7

The Space Gray iPod touch 7 is incr…

What you need to know

Overcast has a big new update out.
It adds support for AirPlay 2, Voice Boost 2, and more.
It’s a free update for all users.

It’s here.

Popular podcast listening app Overcast has today received a big update, adding support for AirPlay 2 and more. That feature, in particular, has been a long time coming, with plenty of work having gone into making it work the way developer Marco Arment wanted it to.

Starting out with AirPlay 2, it’s important to note that the feature works with all of Overcast’s other bells and whistles. That means that Smart Speed and Voice Boost both work, which is something I haven’t seen elsewhere. With AirPlay 2, users can listen to podcasts via HomePods and other speakers without the lag that plagued AirPlay.

Voice Boost 2 is an improvement on the existing technology that allowed podcasters to be more easily heard. And it was already pretty awesome when it launched five years ago.

Voice Boost is a combination of dynamic compressi…