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Maotoam Pro brilliantly combines laptop stand with 13-in-1 USB-C hub [Review]

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Maotoam Pro review
Maotoam Pro is a robust tablet/laptop stand and a multifunction USB-C hub all in one well-designed package.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Maotoam Pro is two popular desktop accessories in one. It’s both a laptop/tablet stand and a USB-C hub with 13 ports. It can prop up a MacBook or iPad at your preferred angle, and connect it to up to a monitor, three USB devices, Ethernet and more.

I used the stand/hub in my everyday life for days. Here’s why I like it so very much.

Reorganize Control Center to make favorite tools easier to find [Pro tip]

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How to reorganize Control Center
And to remove tools and shortcuts you never use.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

Make your favorite Control Center tools and shortcuts easier to find by reorganizing and cleaning up your Control Center window. It’s easy on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch — and we’ll show you how.

Massively entertaining setup probably includes some computer gear [Setups]

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Some room just say
Some rooms just scream "fun," don't they?
Photo: andygigante_82@Reddit

Illustrator and graphic designer andygigante_82 knows how to place his computer setup in an entertaining context. The fantastical space is his “Little Hobby Hole” — which he writes with a trademark symbol — as depicted in his Reddit post.

Looking at his photos, you might not notice the computer gear. That’s understandable, given every shot’s explosion of dynamic graphics, colorful action figures, skateboards festooned with his own graphic designs and more.

Ping a lost iPhone using Control Center on Apple Watch [Pro tip]

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Ping a lost iPhone using Control Center on Apple Watch
Make your iPhone easier to track down — even in the dark.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

Can’t remember where you left your iPhone? Use Control Center on your Apple Watch to “ping” it so that you can quickly track it down. You can even have your iPhone light up so that it’s easier to find in the dark.

We’ll show you how.

Switch between AirPods audio modes in Control Center [Pro tip]

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Switch AirPods audio modes in Control Center
The quick and simply way to toggle noise cancellation and Transparency.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

Switching between different AirPods audio modes is simple with Control Center on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. You can activate or deactivate Transparency and active noise cancellation in just a couple of taps.

We’ll show you how.

What we learned from today’s Apple preorders

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iMac preorders start: Early on, the purple iMac looks like the hardest to come by.
Early on, the purple iMac looks like the hardest to come by.
Photo: Apple

It’s preorder day for the new iMac, iPad Pro and Apple TV 4K — and we learned a few unexpected things.

For starters, the rumored May 21 shipping date for the devices looks confirmed.

Secondly, the Magic Keyboard for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is on sale again in both black and white color options, via the Apple Online Store.

Block access to Control Center when iPhone and iPad are locked [Pro tip]

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Disable lock screen access to Control Center on iPhone and iPad
Keep Control Center protected by your passcode.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

Control Center puts a ton of useful toggles and shortcuts at your fingertips, and you can access all of them while your iPhone or iPad are locked. If that’s not something you want, you can change it.

Here’s how to block Control Center access from the lock screen on iOS and iPadOS.

The Mosquito Coast gives familiar tale an exciting twist [Apple TV+ review]

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Justin Theroux, Melissa George, Logan Polish and Gabriel Bateman in The Mosquito Coast
Justin Theroux, Melissa George, Logan Polish and Gabriel Bateman in The Mosquito Coast
Photo: Apple TV+

The Mosquito Coast, the original cautionary fable about off-the-grid living, gets a shiny new update on Apple TV+ just as we’re all itching to get back out in the world after a year in quarantine.

Shepherded by director Rupert Wyatt and starring Justin Theroux, the show is an interesting addition to the ever-growing Apple TV+ lineup. It’s paranoid, fraught and full of personality.

Activate Live Listen for AirPods inside Control Center [Pro tip]

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Activate Live Listen Control Center
Make it easier to hear other people in a crowded room.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

Activate Live Listen for AirPods and Powerbeats headphones inside Control Center to make it easier to hear other people in a noisy environment. The feature is built into iPhone and iPad and easy to use.

We’ll show you how.

Europe says Apple Music wields unfair advantage over the competition

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Streaming services like Apple Music dominate the US music market
Does Apple's App Store control give it an unfair leg up?
Photo: Apple

The European Commission accused Apple on Friday of wielding an unfair advantage over Apple Music rivals because of Cupertino’s tight control of the App Store’s commission system.

“By setting strict rules on the App Store that disadvantage competing music streaming services, Apple deprives users of cheaper music streaming choices and distorts competition,” said Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager in a statement. “This is done by charging high commission fees on each transaction in the App Store for rivals and by forbidding them from informing their customers of alternative subscription options.”

Bag a bargain MacBook Air refurb for under $400 today only

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MacBook Air 13.3_
Don't miss out!
Photo: Apple

Need an ultraportable Mac that’s not going to break the bank? Check out Woot’s latest sale on MacBook Air refurbs, where prices start at a mere $379.99 for an Intel Core i5 machine with 128GB of storage.

Various models are available but supplies are limited, and this sale runs for today only. Don’t miss out!

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

App Tracking Transparency makes Chinese tech giant Alibaba worry

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Alibaba
Alibaba is a giant in the world of e-commerce.
Photo: Markus Winkler/Unsplash CC

It’s not just U.S. tech giants that fear iOS 14.5’s new App Tracking Transparency feature. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, with a market cap of $646.84 billion, is supposedly very worried, just like Facebook.

A report from The Information says Alibaba invited half a dozen marketing execs to its Hangzhou headquarters to discuss how to react to the new feature, which stops apps from tracking users across websites and third-party apps.

Actually, the original Magic Keyboard will work with new iPad Pro

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iPad-Pro-Magic-Keyboard
The Magic Keyboard for iPad looks incredible. And it’ll be usable with more than one generation of iPad Pro.
Photo: Apple

Turns out the 2020 version of Apple Magic Keyboard does fit the slightly thicker iPad Pro set for release in May. Apple said Thursday the accessory is “functionally compatible” with its newest tablet.

The clarification was necessary because previous statements from the company seemed to indicate that only a new, larger version of keyboard case was usable with the 12.9-inch version of the 2021 iPad Pro.

Learn piano with this AI-powered, App Store Editor’s Choice subscription

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piano
This AI-powered piano app is your key to a new hobby.
Photo: Skoove

Whether you want to revive your long-lost musical talent or pursue a long-held dream of learning the piano, this lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons will teach you to tickle the ivories.

The highly rated app for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch uses an engaging blend of interactive lessons, songs and artificial intelligence to help you learn to play the piano. Plus, you can get this subscription for an additional 20% off with Mother’s Day coupon code WELOVEMOM.

Heavy iPad demand leads to amazing shipment numbers

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iPad Air 4 comes in a range of colors.
Demand for iPad and all tablets remains robust.
Screenshot: Apple

iPad shipments increased a whopping 75% during the first quarter of the year over same period of 2020, according a market analysis firm. It’s the result of people needing computers to work and learn from home as the pandemic drags on.

Other tablet makers saw strong Q1 2021 growth as well, but iPad continues to dominate the market.

Enable Schooltime inside Control Center on Apple Watch [Pro tip]

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How to use Schooltime in Control Center on Apple Watch
Schooltime prevents Apple Watch from being a distraction in the classroom.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

Schooltime is a handy new feature, introduced in watchOS 7, that keeps Apple Watch quiet and prevents it from being a distraction in the classroom. It can be added to your Control Center options so that enabling Schooltime at any time takes just a swipe and a tap.

We’ll show you how.

How to convert WebM to MP4 for Mac, Windows and mobile

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Evano converter: Convert WebM videos to MP4 and other formats with an easy-to-use online converter.
Convert WebM videos to MP4 and other formats with an easy-to-use online converter.
Photo: Szabo Viktor/Unsplash CC

This post is brought to you by Evano converter.

Videos are a part of our daily lives, whether for blasts of knowledge or pure entertainment. But while we rely on them for work and pleasure, the file formats of some videos can present a problem. For example, the increasingly popular WebM video format — which was designed for the web, as you probably guessed from its name — doesn’t work on all devices.

If you need to convert WebM to MP4 or another widely used audio or video format, conversion tools are your friend. However, you should choose a video converter wisely. You want a user-friendly app that can change the video format within a few minutes.

Procreate takes painting with iPad to a whole new dimension

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Procreate 5.2 is “coming soon” according to Savage Interactive.
Go from a virtual canvas to painting 3D objects with Procreate 5.2.
Photo: Savage Interactive

Procreate 5.2 will let iPad users paint in 3D and then view their creations with augmented reality. That’s a significant  step beyond traditional 2D creation.

And Savage Interactive says its digital tool will be up to four times faster on the 2021 iPad Pro thanks to the M1 processor.

An OLED MacBook is possible … and probably inevitable

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OLED MacBook is possible… and probably inevitable
While there’s some disagreement among experts about the chances for an OLED MacBook, most think it will happen.
Photo: Cult of Mac

A trusted Apple analyst recently predicted MacBooks would never use OLED displays, shutting macOS laptops out from the best-looking type of screen. But an expert in display technologies disagrees, as do several other analysts.

iPads with OLED screens have been rumored to be on Apple’s drawing board. And iPhones and Apple Watch already use this type of display. It’s possible the tech will spread to all Apple products. There are advantages and drawbacks to OLED, though.

Use Control Center to quickly adjust Mac’s keyboard brightness [Pro tip]

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How to adjust keyboard brightness using Control Center
Get greater control over keyboard brightness.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

If you use the Touch Bar on your MacBook Pro as it was intended, your keyboard brightness controls aren’t immediately at your fingertips. But you can use Control Center instead to quickly adjust your backlighting.

We’ll show you how.

Some iMac colors won’t make it to Apple Store shelves

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M1 iMac color options
You won't be able to say hello to all of them in store, though.
Photo: Apple

The redesigned M1 iMac marks the first time in about 20 years that Apple will sell its desktop Macs in multiple color options. But don’t expect to find all of them on display in your local Apple Store.

According to a press release published Thursday by Apple, only the green, pink, blue and silver iMacs will be available through physical Apple Store locations. To get your hands on the orange, yellow and purple color options, you’ll have to order online.

Start screen mirroring in an instant using Control Center [Pro tip]

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How to start screen mirroring with Control Center
Stream your screen to Apple TV or a smart TV with AirPlay 2 support.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

The handy screen mirroring feature built into iPhone, iPad, and Mac allows you to stream video or your device’s screen to Apple TV or an external display with AirPlay 2 support. And you can enable it in an instant by using the screen mirroring button in Control Center.

We’ll show you how.

Quickly activate or deactivate AirDrop using Control Center [Pro tip]

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Control AirDrop in Control Center
There's no need to fiddle around inside the Settings app.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

Want to quickly activate AirDrop, or deactivate it to avoid unwanted requests? There’s no need to mess around inside the Settings app or System Preferences; the toggle you need is baked into Control Center.

It’s enabled by default on iPhone, iPad, and Mac and can be quickly accessed when you need it. We’ll show you how.