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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.

Samsung beats Apple to claim title of top-selling smartphone maker

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Apple vs Samsung
Samsung came out on top this time. At least, in terms of shipments.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Samsung beat Apple to retain its spot as the world’s no. 1 smartphone manufacturer, new market analysis carried out by Canalys suggests.

In a newly published piece of research, the firm claims that Samsung shipped 76.5 million smartphones in the first three months of 2021. That’s 24.1 million more handsets than Apple’s 52.4 million.

Use this $20 Spotify music converter to save all your favorite songs

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Spotify
Spotify Music Converter for Mac lets you download songs so you can take them anywhere.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whether you’re working out or focusing on work, music can be a helpful tool to keep you motivated and productive. While Spotify Premium allows you to download music for playback later (helpful when you’re flying or traveling), you’re still limited to downloads on a maximum of five devices. And if you’re only using the free version of Spotify, you can’t download songs at all — making your subscription pretty ineffective if you’re hiking or out somewhere remote without service.

Control Apple TV from Control Center on iPhone and iPad [Pro tip]

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Control Apple TV with Control Center
Your iPhone or iPad can replace your Apple TV remote completely.
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.

Lost your Apple TV’s Siri Remote? Control your set-top box using Control Center on your iPhone or iPad instead. It’s super-simple to set up and you get all the buttons you need for complete control.

We’ll show you how to use it.

Looks like M1 iMacs, new iPad Pro and updated Apple TV 4K will arrive May 21 [Updated]

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iMac preorders start: Early on, the purple iMac looks like the hardest to come by.
Apple says only that the new iMacs will become available in the "second half of May."
Photo: Apple

According to (generally) reliable Apple tipster Jon Prosser, Apple will release the new iPad Pros with M1 chips and the faster Apple TV 4K with redesigned Siri Remote on May 21. And a leak straight outta Cupertino indicates the new M1-powered iMacs will arrive that day as well.

Apple showed off the new devices during last week’s Spring Loaded event. However, at the time, Apple kept the launch date vague, saying only that they would be available sometime in the second half of May. The devices will be available for preorder starting Friday, April 30.

Today in Apple history: Larry Ellison calls off Apple takeover plans

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Larry Ellison
The takeover didn't happen, but it still changed Apple history.
Photo: Oracle Corporate Communications

April 29: Today in Apple history: Larry Ellison calls off Apple takeover plans April 29, 1997: Steve Jobs’ friend Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle, calls off his bid to take over Apple.

Ellison’s plan is to reinstall Jobs, who is then just an adviser to Apple CEO Gil Amelio, as the company’s chief executive. He also wants to take Apple private again.

Video showcases what it was like buying a Mac in 1994

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Mac 1994
A whole lot has changed since 1994?
Photo: David Hoffman

Apple has changed a lot since 1994 — and so has the way we buy computers. A video posted on YouTube by filmmaker David Hoffman offers a neat time capsule showing customers at a computer store in Palo Alto, California, quizzing a salesman on a then-top-of-the-line Mac.

At the time, Hoffman was working for a startup called General Magic. As part of the team’s research, they went to a local computer store to watch customers buying computers. It makes fascinating — and, depending on your age, very nostalgic — viewing. It’s a great reminder of how much things have changed, too.

In-app purchacus: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery rakes in $300 million

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Harry Potter
No signs of slowing down yet.
Photo: Jam City, Inc.

If you check Amazon, the Harry Potter books remain big sellers, even approaching a decade-and-a-half since the last volume was released. While Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery can’t claim that kind of longevity, the iOS game continues to be a cash machine three years after launching.

According to a new report from Sensor Tower, the game — which launched in 2018 — has reached player spending of $300 million. In Hogwarts Mystery, players create their own characters, and then guide them through daily life at Hogwarts — including attending classes, forming friendships and rivalries, and more.

5 takeaways from Apple’s latest Mac-tastic quarter

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Mac FTW! Apple earnings Q2 2021: Sales of new M1 Macs powered Apple to yet another record-smashing quarter.
Sales of new M1 Macs powered Apple to yet another record-smashing quarter.
Photo: Wes Hicks/Unsplash CC

Apple did it again. It just announced a quarter where it didn’t just beat everyone’s expectations, it blew them away. The Mac had a phenomenal quarter, and so did iPhone and iPad.

But you don’t have to bury yourself in spreadsheets to get the lowdown on what it all means. Just read on.

Get all the tools you need to launch your startup (and succeed!) for just $50

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Startups
Startups.com will help you make your dream a reality.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

All great businesses start with a great concept. But after that, it can be difficult to know where to go next. From establishing operations, building an effective marketing campaign and ultimately boosting sales, entrepreneurs face a million challenges.

And while you might know you need help, it can be difficult to know what questions to ask, or where to even start. This lifetime subscription to Startups.com Unlimited gives you the education, tools and advice you need to make your great idea a true business success.

Apple shines in hugely successful quarter

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Apple earnings call 2Q 2021: Apple racks up another impressive quarter.
Apple racks up another impressive quarter.
Photo: Razvan Chisu/Unsplash CC

The first three months of 2021 brought a flood of revenue for Apple, up 54% from last year. And profits, too. The company had a successful quarter all around, with double-digit growth in iPhone, Mac, iPad, wearables and services revenue.

A shining star in the results was iPhone revenue, which increased by a whopping 65%. But other product categories increased by even higher percentages.

Activate your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch flashlight from Control Center [Pro tip]

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Enable your flashlight inside Control Center
Get a better view 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.

Searching for something in a dark room? You can turn your iPhone, iPad and even your Apple Watch into a flashlight with just one tap inside Control Center. We’ll show you how.

Wait, couples setups aren’t a thing, are they? [Setups]

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Harmonious his-and-hers setups? Aww.
Harmonious his-and-hers setups? Aww.
Photo: thateconomistguy@Reddit

OK, maybe it’s a tad premature to freak out over couples’ setups being some sort of thing now. After all, the sample size here is just one, and we have no intention of carrying out any kind of exhaustive and exhausting survey or study on the matter.

Redditor thateconomistguy presents a “couples study space” where he and his girlfriend pore over economics research side by side under the frames in which they plan to display their upcoming master’s degree diplomas.

Quickly capture voice memos with this Control Center shortcut [Pro tip]

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Use Voice Memos with this Control Center shortcut
Don't miss the chance to save important info.
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.

Did you know you can quickly capture a voice memo or audio recording with a simple Control Center shortcut? It’ll save you having to hunt down the Voice Memos app, or from having to place another unnecessary icon on your Home screen that you might not need every single day.

We’ll show you how to get set up.