What you need to know

Rumors of an iPhone SE replacement won’t go away.
Some believe it will carry the ”iPhone 9” designation.
But who will buy it?

Apple must think someone will.

You don’t need to be hanging on to every word uttered by an analyst to know that there’s tons of buzz around right now. All that buzz seems to focus on a new iPhone SE successor. But it isn’t going to be called iPhone SE 2. At least, that’s what the rumors say.

Instead, we’re going to get iPhone 9. And it won’t look like iPhone SE, either. It’s going to have a 4.7-inch display – again, so we’re told – and be powered by the impressive A13 Bionic chip that keeps iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro chugging along in ways the competition would kill for. So iPhone 9 will be fast. Real fast.

It’ll reportedly make use of some of the same camera tech that iPhone 11 has as well. That means new and improved Smart HDR, and a new wide-angle lens with all focus pixels, all the time. And that A13 processor will mean we…

Some folks might need a TV that straddles the line between a big screen and a smaller screen. The newest TV features usually only show up in bigger TVs, but plenty of smart TVs, including HDR, have been showing up at this size. So if you need something in that sweet sub-45-inch pocket, check out these 40 and 43-inch options.

Top pick

Samsung Q60R (43″)

Staff pick

Samsung’s Q60R TV line brings some of the most modern TV features down to 43 inches, including HDR10+ support and 20 watts of stereo audio. Four HDMI ports allow you to connect all of your devices, and support for FreeSync makes it one of the best TVs for gaming. AirPlay 2 support is built-in and compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Ambient mode helps it blend in with any room’s decor and lighting.

$498 and up at Amazon

Runner-up

Sony Bravia X800G (43″)

Sony has been making great TVs for years, and that continues in the 43-inch 4K category. With support for HDR10 and an IPS panel, colors remain s…

A deal is close for the star of Saturday Night Live.

What you need to know

Apple is nearing a deal for a new musical comedy from the writers of Despicable Me.
The series is reported to feature Saturday Night Live star Cecily Strong.
The series is set in a magical town called Schmigadoon.

Apple is reportedly nearing a deal for a new musical comedy from the writers of Despicable Me, starring Cecily Strong.

According to Variety:

Apple is nearing a series order for a comedy starring ”Saturday Night Live” cast member Cecily Strong.

The series follows a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship when they discover the magical town of Schmigadoon, in which everyone acts as if they’re in a studio musical from the 1940s. They then discover that they can’t leave until they find ”true love.”

Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio of the ”Despicable Me” franchise created the series, with Paul also set to serve as showrunner and Daurio as consulting producer. …

Apple remains committed to supporting the ailing manufacturer, despite being owed $800 million.

What you need to know

Ailing Apple supplier Japan Display Inc. has denied reports of another financial bailout.
It was previously reported that it had secured 100.8 billion yen ($925M) from Ichigo Asset Management.
Trading of its shares was suspended in wake of reports of a fresh stake from IAM.

Apple supplier Japan Display has denied having signed a deal worth 100.8 billion yen ($925M), after its shares were suspended over reports.

Yesterday, January 30, it was reported by Reuters that the company’s shares were suspended after it was reported that Ichigo Asset Management would inject over 100 billion yen into the company.

Today, a fresh Reuters report seemed to confirm that the deal had been finalized. This morning it reported:

Japan Display Inc (6740.T) said on Friday it had sealed a deal to receive up to 100.8 billion yen ($918.87 million) from Ichigo Asset Management, a crit…

It could prevent users from accidentally entering their code on a phishing site with the wrong URL…

What you need to know

Apple engineers have unveiled a proposal to standardize the format of two-factor authentication.
It has suggested the use of a new SMS format for one-time-passcode messages.
The new format would include the website the code is meant for, information that could be automatically extracted by a browser or app.

Apple WebKit engineers have unveiled a new proposal that could standardize the format of two-factor-authentication messages to improve security and prevent users from falling for phishing scams.

As reported by ZDNet, Apple engineers working on WebKit, a core component of Safari have come up with the idea, but Google’s Chromium engineers are also on board. According to the report:

Apple engineers have put forward a proposal today to standardize the format of the SMS messages containing one-time passcodes (OTP) that users receive during the two-facto…

Is it finally time to end the reign of the Lightning connector?

What you need to know

The European Parliament voted to force phone manufacturers to use a common charging standard.
Apple is the lone manufacturer not using USB-C for phone charging.
The European Commission must now write the laws that would be enforcable in the EU.

The European Union has officially encouraged phone manufacturers to use a common standard for ports and charging cords, but one major manufacturer never seemed to get the message. Now Reuters reports that the European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly, 582-40, to encourage the European Commission, the law-making body for the EU, to adopt new regulations to force the issue. European lawmakers say that the Commission should adopt the new regulations by the summer.

Of course, this leaves much undetermined, and that singular manufacturer is sure to raise a legal stink. Android manufactuers have almost entirely adopted the USB-C port standard on flagship d…

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…

It’s beautiful and we need it right now.

What you need to know

Animal Crossing: New Horizons releases on March 20.
Nintendo revealed a new Nintendo Switch console inspired by the game.
The console along with a carrying case and screen protector release on March 13.

As if Nintendo doesn’t already have enough of our money, it decided to go and announce a new Nintendo Switch inspired by Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Truthfully it looks much better than the Nintendo Switch Lite that released with Pokémon Sword and Shield, in my opinion. But you can judge for yourself.

A #NintendoSwitch system inspired by #AnimalCrossing: New Horizons is on the way! With unique Joy-Con controllers, a custom design on the back, and a special Nintendo Switch dock, it’s the perfect way to start your island life. Available 3/13 for $299.99.https://t.co/MC5dJ11F3U pic.twitter.com/VigTPi4NDB— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 31, 2020

The Joy-Cons are pastel green and blue with white…