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Mythic Quest crew dives into post-pandemic life in bonus episode next week

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You don’t have to wait until May for new ‘Mythic Quest.’
“Everlight” is a bonus pre-season Mythic Quest episode premiering in April. It takes a funny look at returning to work after the pandemic.
Photo: Apple TV+

Fans of Mythic Quest won’t have to wait until May for season two of the comedy series to return to Apple TV+. A special pre-season episode will debut Friday, April 16.

It will explore the challenges the quirky characters experience returning to their office after the COVID-19 pandemic. Anthony Hopkins will have a voice role.

ScoutPro power bank promises easy Mac, iPhone and Apple Watch charging

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Intelli ScoutPro can charge up to five devices at once.
The Intelli ScoutPro Max includes 24,000mAh of power and can send it to 5 devices at once.
Photo: Intelli

Intelli ScoutPro boasts features few other power banks do. There’s built-in wireless Apple Watch and iPhone chargers. And its USB-C ports can output up to 100W.

The external battery holds up to 24,000 mAh and powers up to five devices at once. It’s ready to handle almost every type of Apple device simultaneously while on the go.

App Store, licensing deal with Google could supercharge Apple services

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As the world shifts from web browsers to apps, tensions may rise between Apple and Google over search.
Google is a major source of Apple's revenue.
Photo: Solen Feyissa/Unsplash CC

In a Tuesday note to clients, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty raised her services-related revenue forecast for Apple through 2022 even as she lowered the overall price target for AAPL stock.

“Following strong March quarter App Store results and an analysis of the key drivers of Apple’s Licensing & Other segment, we raise our already above-street FY21 and FY22 Services revenue estimates by 3% and 5% respectively, and are increasingly convinced that consensus Services forecasts over the next 2+ years are too low,” Huberty wrote.

Apple debuts war crimes podcast The Line

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The Line
There's a line. And on this side of it, people listen to Apple Podcasts.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s foray into podcasting continues with a new series called The Line that debuted Tuesday.

The podcast, which follows the true-crime blueprint successfully laid out by Serial, tells the story of former Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who was accused of war crimes. The first two episodes are now available to listen to.

Apple manufacturer earnings soar on massive iPhone 12 demand

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Totallee's thin, light but protective clear case for iPhone 12 is like having no case at all.
Foxconn's earnings are through the roof thanks to iPhone 12.
Photo: Totallee

Apple manufacturer Foxconn’s first quarter revenue soared by 44%, Bloomberg reports. The publication pins the increased cashflow on “robust demand” for the iPhone 12.

Revenue for the first three months of 2021 increased to $47 billion, Foxconn reported Tuesday. In addition to the massive success of the latest iPhones, the high earnings also reflect demand for devices like video games consoles, servers, electric vehicles as well.

How Steve Jobs unwound by looking at future Apple products

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Steve Jobs only turned off his phone while hanging out with Apple design chief Jony Ive.
Steve Jobs only turned off his phone while hanging out with Apple design chief Jony Ive.
Photo: Ben Stanfield/Flickr CC

Steve Jobs didn’t turn off his phone often. But if he did, it probably meant that he was in Jony Ive’s Industrial Design department, where Jobs relaxed by scouring prototypes of future Apple products.

That’s according to Jobs’ former assistant, Naz Beheshti, in a new book titled Pause. Breathe. Choose: Become the CEO of Your Well-Being. While the book focuses mainly on Beheshti’s practice as a wellness coach, it includes a few memories of her time at Apple. Including how Apple staffers would go into meltdown when they couldn’t reach Jobs — and how they eventually figured out where this meant he was.

TikTok tops the App Store charts yet again in March

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U.S. investigations of TikTok gather steam.
TikTok's dominance of the App Store isn't slowing down.
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

TikTok topped the App Store charts for another month as the top non-gaming app worldwide. Across both iOS and Android, the popular video-sharing app racked up more than 58 million installs.

The No. 1 audience for TikTok is China, where the app is called Douyin. China accounted for 11% of downloads, followed by the United States with 10%.

Apple warns devs that App Tracking Transparency is almost here

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App Tracking Transparency will be part of iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5 and tvOS 14.5. It’s already showing up in betas.
Developers need to get their software ready for App Tracking Transparency. iPhone and iPad will soon prevent apps from tracking users without permission.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Apple reminded developers on Monday that new iOS, iPadOS and tvOS versions coming soon will block applications from tracking users without specific permission. It’ll no longer be possible for networks of apps to surreptitiously track what people use their devices for.

The same note includes a warning that its also is also forbidden to try to find a workaround for this block by “fingerprinting” devices.

Microsoft takes potshots at iPad Pro in Surface Pro 7 ad

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Surface Pro 7 vs. iPad Pro: the Microsoft perspective
No matter what it looks like, don’t mistake a new video for a fair comparison of the Surface Pro 7 and iPad Pro.
Screenshot: Microsoft

Microsoft pretends to compare its Surface Pro 7 with the iPad Pro in a video released Monday. Not surprisingly, the Windows product comes out way ahead. But to make that happen, Microsoft had to leave out some facts and distort reality a bit.

To see all the ways Microsoft stretched the truth, watch its video now:

Step into the hand-drawn world of Wolfwalkers

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‘Wolfwalkers’ is available now to watch on Apple TV+.
Despite being an Apple TV+ production, a surprising amount of Wolfwalkers was hand drawn or painted.
Image: Apple

A new behind-the-scenes video on the making of Wolfwalkers shows that much of the animated movie was sketched and painted the traditional way. Kind of surprising — one might think an Apple TV+ film would be an intensely computer-driven production.

Watch the amazing video now:

Apple Arcade makes a serious play for your gaming dollar

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Apple Arcade is closing in on 200 games.
Apple Arcade includes 180 titles at a cost lower than what the average American spends on iPhone games.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Hey, iPhone gamer, save yourself some money: Subscribe to Apple Arcade. A recent study showed that the average American spends way more on games every year than the annual cost of Apple’s $4.99-a-month gaming service.

Plus, the deal just got a lot better. Almost a dozen original games debuted on Apple Arcade last Friday, and the service added a bunch of classic ones as well. After launching with just a few dozen games in 2019, Apple Arcade is now closing in on 200 really great titles.

Small desk plus small room does not equal small setup [Setups]

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A small desk and a small room need not necessarily mean a small setup.
A small desk and a small room need not necessarily mean a small setup.
Photo: vostok91@Reddit

After toiling for many months to get it right, Southeast Asia-based Redditor vostok91 finally finished fitting a vibrant computer setup on a small desk in a small room. The result may be a small setup compared to some, but that doesn’t make it a “small setup.” It’s plenty feisty.

A 15-inch MacBook Pro paired with an LG 32UL950 Ultrafine 4K LED Monitor make up the setup’s core.

Apple rejects 40,000 App Store submissions every week

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App Store
Running an App Store isn’t easy. But CEO Tim Cook says it’s one Apple needs to do.
Photo: Graham Bower

Apple rejects a large percentage of App Store submissions, CEO Tim Cook said Monday, arguing that the company’s strict oversight is necessary to keep iPhones secure.

He was responding to questions about moves by government regulators around the world that might result on Apple being forced to allow rival iPhone software stores.

Tim Cook says Apple is committed to AR, TV+ and privacy but not to Apple Car

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Apple continues to soar under Tim Cook's assured leadership.
In a wide-ranging interview with the NYT, Apple CEO Tim Cook talked about privacy, AR, the Apple Car and Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple

It’s never easy to get Apple’s CEO to talk about the future. But Kara Swisher from The New York Times managed to get Tim Cook to drop a few hints about some of the company’s future plans.

Cook says Apple is committed to Apple TV+. And to user privacy. But he’s not promising that the Apple Car will ever be real.

iPhone 13 mockup helps confirm smaller notch

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This is an iPhone 13 mockup obtained by Macotakara.
The iPhone 13 might look much like this 3D-printed mockup.
Screenshot: Macotakara

Among the improvements expected in the iPhone 13 is a smaller notch. The latest evidence is a 3D-printed mockup of the device that supposedly shows how Apple rearranged the components behind the screen cutout for the upcoming model.

45 ways Apple put a ding in the universe [Cult of Mac Magazine 395]

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Yes, Apple changed the world.
Yes, Apple changed the world.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

In some ways, it’s hard to remember what the world looked like before Apple arrived in 1976. The upstart company made computing consumer-friendly, fashionable and, ultimately, ubiquitous.

In just four and a half decades, Apple made a surprisingly big impact on the tech scene and the world at large.

As we look back on the company’s 45th birthday this week, we take stock of 45 ways Apple put a ding in the universe. Hit the highlights in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Get the free app to enjoy the stories on your iOS device. Or read them on the web via the link stacks below.

Mantra behind orgy of screens: ‘Nothing exceeds like excess’ [Setups]

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Can you ever really have too many monitors?
Can you ever really have too many monitors?
Photo: KipKang@Reddit

A Mission Control-looking setup featuring an ultrawide monitor with a spacious screen above it and a portrait-oriented screen on either side of it was bound to get some attention — especially with ring lights sticking up from it like antennae. And it did.

“That just seems so excessive that it isn’t even funny,” one Redditor commented on KipKang’s post promoting his MacBook Pro setup and its relative orgy of displays. “I love it and I am jealous of it. Long winded way of saying NICE!”

“Thanks! ‘Nothing exceeds like excess,’” KipKang replied.

New Star Trek and NBA games lead major Apple Arcade expansion

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Apple Arcade
The 11 original games that just debuted on Apple Arcade cover a wide range of genres.
Graphic : Cult of Mac

Apple made a huge push for its gaming service on Friday, launching 11 original games. These cover a range of genres, from NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition to Star Trek: Legends. And Fantasian from the creator of the Final Fantasy series also launched in Apple Arcade. Plus many, many more.

Apple Arcade adds 21 classic games and App Store greats

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Apple Arcade just added
The total number of games in Apple Arcade passed 180 on Friday.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s subscription gaming service grew significantly Friday. Apple Arcade added 30 titles and two new categories: Timeless Classics and App Store Greats. This adds favorites like Monument Valley and Fruit Ninja Classic. And there are now versions of Suduku, chess and other perennial favorites.

“Today we’re launching our biggest expansion since the service debuted, now offering more than 180 great games that include new Arcade Originals, Timeless Classics, and App Store Greats,” said Matt Fischer, Apple’s vice president of the App Store.

iPhone SE Plus with edge-to-edge screen might not launch for years

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Replacing iPhone notch with holepunch camera makes no damn sense
The iPhone SE Plus might have a hole punch camera, not a notch.
Artists concept: Cult of Mac

Don’t get your hopes up for an iPhone SE Plus this year. Or next. This is rumored to be the first in the SE series with an edge-to-edge screen, but an analyst focused on the display business said Thursday that the wait will stretch into 2023.

However, a new model using the current design might arrive before then.

US iPhone users spend a whopping $138 a year on apps

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iPhone 12 Pro parts cost shockingly little
American iPhone users put down a surprising amount of money for apps in 2020.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The average U.S. iPhone user shelled out $138 for apps in 2020, according to a market research firm. That’s a 38% year-over-year increase.

As has held true for many years, mostly what people are buying is games.

Apple could announce another record-breaking quarter on April 28

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Apple leases new offices near to Apple Park
Apple just finished its first financial quarter of 2021, and we’ll soon find out how it did.
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

Apple will announce the financial results of its winter quarter on April 28. So far, people forced to work and learn from home have been very good for the Mac-maker’s bottom line. We’ll soon see if that carried through to the beginning of 2021.

Apple’s proposed iPhone control scheme will take your breath away

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Apple Watch or iPhone breath control — Is this a joke?
What if you could interact with your Apple Watch by blowing on it?
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Your hands are full and you need to look something up on your Apple Watch. Engineers at Apple dreamed up a system that would allow you to control the wearable by blowing on it. A newly filed patent application also imagines a breath-controlled iPhone.

So far, there’s no sign this is an April Fools’ Day joke. But it’s possible.

45 ways Apple put a ding in the universe

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Apple-45
Happy birthday, Apple! The company turns 45 today.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Today marks 45 years since a little outfit called the Apple Computer Company was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. Apple set out to build and sell personal computers. Since then, it’s risen from a hobbyist startup to a tech giant valued at more than $2 trillion.

In the last four and a half decades, Apple changed the tech world in all kinds of ways — some big, some small. Here, in no particular order, are 45 of the most notable ways Apple put a ding in the universe.