9 great reads from CNET this week

This week showed some early signs of normalcy as parts of the US opened a crack after weeks of lockdown and we started talking more about consumer gadgets again. Samsung's Galaxy A51, for example, is the perfect iPhone SE rival, and Apple's new MacBook Pro bids a final farewell to the butterfly keyboard.

But a return to life as we knew it seems long way off as coronavirus cases and deaths continue to tally and recession looms. Facebook and Google this week said they'll allow employees to continue working from home until 2021. Apple's big summer kickoff, the Worldwide Developers Conference, will be online only, on June 22. And social networks and YouTube are struggling to moderate dangerous online content that this week included conspiracy theories about the pandemic.

Here are the week's stories you don't want to miss:

Deepfakes' threat to 2020 US election isn't what you'd think

And if a devastating deepfake does emerge, it'll hit at the last moment.

Hands-on with Ford's respirator that's protecting health care workers from the coronavirus

Ford designed this powered air-purifying respirator in record time. We try it out.

Star Wars' Anthony Daniels fell asleep the first time he saw Rise of Skywalker

The man in the golden suits shares stories from The Rise of Skywalker's production and dives into his new book, I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story.

With real theaters closed, actors are turning to virtual reality

The Under Presents is part game, part immersive theater. Its performers have been living virtually for months, paving a way toward where all of us may be heading.

The US job market had its worst month in history, but Apple and Amazon are still hiring

The coronavirus crisis has hit the US economy hard, putting at least 33 million people out of work. A lot of Silicon Valley so far has been spared.

iPhone SE may be small, but it signals the end of Apple's tiny phone era

Commentary: Apple seems to wave goodbye to tiny iPhones with the launch of its "small" iPhone SE.

Life in quarantine: Why I quit wearing makeup 2 months ago

Commentary: I've gone more than two months without makeup, thanks to Lent and the lockdown. I've learned a lot.

Exercise, family time, getting outdoors: Healthy habits to keep up after lockdown ends

If you forged some new habits or rediscovered old hobbies while staying at home, consider making those part of your normal routine.

Xbox Series X: How Microsoft learned from its mistakes in the last console war

Commentary: It's time for round 4.