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Apple came up short at Sunday night’s Oscars, losing its Best Animated Feature nomination (for the great animated movie Wolfwalkers) to Pixar’s Soul.

As brilliant as it was (and Cult of Mac‘s resident reviewer hailed it as the best animated flick of the year) Wolfwalkers was very much a long shot. This would have been Apple TV+’s first Oscar. Instead, it was scuppered by Pixar winning its 11th (!!) award in the Best Animated Feature category.

There are some changes in the 2021 iPad Pro that shouldn’t be overlooked, even as most of the attention has gone to the speedy M1 processor and gorgeous mini-LED display. Some of the differences are good, but not all.

Here are five things you shouldn’t miss about Apple’s new top-tier tablet.

This week, Cult of Mac is giving away three classy Apple Watch bands from Monowear. You have a chance to win the brand-new burnt orange Perforated Leather Band in your choice of two sizes.

Monowear’s Perforated Leather Band is made with the highest-quality leather. Finished with classy, motor-sport-inspired perforations, it will keep your wrist cool. And it makes you look cool to boot.

Previously available in black, brown and burgundy, Monowear’s perforated band looks great in the new burnt orange color. Known to promote motivation, orange is a color that radiates happiness and warmth. If your Apple Watch is in need of a vibrant pop of color, be sure to enter this giveaway.

iMac … iPad Pro … Apple TV 4K … AirTag …

So much new Apple hardware, so little time!

And that’s not to mention the purple iPhone or the upgrades and updates coming to Apple Podcasts, Apple Card and more. Jump right into all our coverage of this week’s big “Spring Loaded” Apple event in Cult of Mac Magazine. (And if you’re already caught up on that, you’ll find plenty of other Apple news, reviews and how-tos.)

Our iOS mag is free and makes reading easy and fun, but you also can find the headlines below.

The 12.9-inch 2021 iPad Pro unveiled April 20 is slightly thicker than its predecessor. And that’s enough to prevent the latest tablet from being a good fit with the Apple Magic Keyboard released last year. But apparently the fit is just close enough.

Update April 29, 2021: Apple added a paragraph to its support document for this keyboard that says:

“The first generation of the Magic Keyboard (A1998) is functionally compatible with the new iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation) with Liquid Retina XDR display. Due to the slightly thicker dimensions of this new iPad Pro, it’s possible that the Magic Keyboard may not precisely fit when closed, especially when screen protectors are applied.”

Music fans rejoice! 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything is an upcoming Apple TV+ documentary series exploring the musicians and soundtracks that shaped the culture and politics of 50 years ago.

It’ll premiere on Apple’s streaming video service on Friday, May 21.

The M1 Mac processor in the recently-revealed 2021 iPad Pro forced Apple to reiterate that it’s not planning to combine macOS and iPadOS. According to two top-level executives, the company is producing the best Mac and the best iPad it can make. Not a mashup of them.

The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro boasts a swanky mini-LED display, making it the first Apple tablet without a traditional LCD screen.

Apple calls the mini-LED screen in the 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro a “Liquid Retina XDR display.” The new technology brings a welcome boost to the iPad’s display quality. And it seems likely that mini-LEDs will show up in MacBook Pros and other Apple gear in the near future.

“This is the display you have to see to believe,” said iPad marketing manager Raja Bose during Apple’s mind-blowing “Spring Loaded” event on Tuesday.

But what exactly are mini-LED displays, and how do they differ from LCD or even OLED or micro-LED screens? Don’t worry: We’ve got the answers to your questions.

iPhone 12 and 12 mini is now available to preorder in purple for the first time. If the new color option has encouraged you to upgrade, it’s time to turn your old model into fast upgrade cash.

Sell your old iPhone (and other Apple devices) to Cult of Mac today and we’ll send you a fat stack of cash to make your upgrade more affordable.

Call it a “nice pile of Schiit.” Or a “Schiit stack.” That’s what admiring commenters said about computer science student and Redditor the-deluxe’s M1 MacBook Pro-centered setup.

“You fulla Schiit,” one audiophile enthused.

Why? Well, people who are into Schiit audio components are really into them. Game recognize game, after all.

Strangers can see the email address and other personal info of AirDrop users due to a security flaw in Apple’s file-sharing system, security researchers say. All that is required for this exploit to take place is physical proximity to an AirDrop user and a Wi-Fi device.

The researchers reportedly disclosed the flaw to Apple in May 2019, but it remains unfixed. That potentially leaves more than 1.5 billion Apple devices vulnerable.

Earlier this week, Apple opened up its Podcasts service to subscriptions, calling it a “global marketplace for listeners to discover premium subscriptions offered by their favorite creators.” Now, The Wall Street Journal reports that Spotify is set to jump in with a rival premium podcast feature.

However, unlike Apple, Spotify supposedly won’t take a cut of podcasters’ subscription revenues.

The redesigned Siri Remote that comes with the next-gen Apple TV 4K won’t work with certain games available on tvOS.

Since it doesn’t come with an accelerometer or gyroscope sensor, it won’t be compatible with games that rely on spatial positioning data from the controller as an input.

Nintendo’s mobile game Mario Kart Tour has surpassed 200 million downloads and $200 million in lifetime revenue, a new report from app analytics firm Sensor Tower says.

The United States remains the biggest market for Mario Kart Tour, representing 37.4 million downloads and $76 million in revenue across iOS and Android. According to Sensor Tower, Google Play makes up 56.2% of global installs, compared to 43.8% on iOS. However, the App Store comes out on top in generating revenue — making up a whopping 63.4% of total lifetime spending.

Apple already began testing the first betas of iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6, watchOS 7.5 and tvOS 14.5. Developers were seeded these on Thursday, even though the versions that were previously in beta testing have yet to be introduced to the public.

A federal judge gave the go ahead to a lawsuit that claims Apple is tricking customers with the iTunes “Buy” button. There are questions about whether what’s happening qualifies as a purchase of the movie or TV show.

Apple was hoping to have the suite completely dismissed. As it is, the company may have to make a change to the way it offers this type of content.

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Bad news AirTag shoppers: there’s no hole in Apple’s item-tracker. You have to buy an add-on to attach it to anything. Accessory makers have rushed to put out key rings and luggage tags. But no one makes the item I want: an AirTag pet collar.

The Apple M1 processor in the 2021 iPad Pro could make it the most productive tablet ever. But only if Apple takes the logical next step and lets iPads run Mac apps.

M1-powered Macs can run iPadOS applications. The reverse should be true.

Are you bored of your oh-so-basic Apple Watch? Did you know you can easily add some glamor without breaking the bank?

Mifa’s gorgeous Sparkle Bracelet is made from shiny stainless steel (in silver or rose gold) and finished with a gorgeous mother of pearl decoration. It oozes luxury, but costs a mere $25.

A wall switch can turn on a light or two, but the Wemo Stage Scene Controller from Belkin can activate an entire scene, controlling lights, thermostats, music and other devices all around the house.

It ties into Apple’s HomeKit home automation system allowing someone to press a single button to launch their movie night scene, or wake their house up in the morning, for example.

The first AirTags reviews and unboxing videos paint a pretty positive picture of Apple’s new tracking tags. After a short time using AirTags, reviewers praise the tiny trackers’ design as “classic Apple” and their precise finding capabilities as “utility-driven augmented reality.”

However, they also point out some limitations — including surprising scuffability!

Today is Earth Day and, to celebrate the occasion, Apple’s introduced a plethora of “Earth Day programming” across its various platforms, including the App Store, Apple TV+, and Apple Watch. For today, at least, no matter where you go for your Earth Day reminders, Apple’s got you covered.

iOS 15 will include tweaked user notifications, an updated Lock Screen, an iMessage overhaul, additional privacy features and a redesigned iPad Home Screen, according to Bloomberg.

Until now, little has been reported about iOS/iPadOS 15 ahead of its likely debut at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference this June. Thursday’s report says Apple refers to the upcoming upgrade internally as “Sky.”

Apple is ramping up the advertising side of its App Store business, according to the Financial Times.

The company currently sells App Store ads, allowing developers to pay for top spots. But soon Apple will roll out another advertising spot for sale in the “Suggested” apps section. This will allow developers to more widely promote their apps, rather than having them show up only in response to certain search terms.

Ninety-four-year-old David Attenborough is a beloved institution — and he may have helped Apple rack up one of its biggest viewership wins for Apple TV+ thus far.

According to Deadline, the Attenborough-narrated The Year Earth Changed documentary special is the most-viewed documentary currently on Apple TV+ in the United States. That’s ahead of high profile titles like Beastie Boys Story, Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, and Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You.