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5 things you might not have noticed about the 2021 iPad Pro

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5 things you might not have noticed about the 2021 iPad Pro
Even beyond the better screen and processor, there’s a lot to like about the 2021 iPad Pro. But not every change is good.
Photo: Apple

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.

Last chance! Win a classy perforated leather Apple Watch band from Monowear [Cult of Mac giveaway]

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Win a classy perforated leather Apple Watch band from Monowear [Cult of Mac giveaway]
These burnt orange Apple Watch bands will fire up our winners' wrists.
Photo: Monowear

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.

Apple springs it on us! [Cult of Mac Magazine 398]

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Apple Spring Loaded event: Full coverage in Cult of Mac Magazine.
When Apple said its spring event would be "loaded," it wasn't kidding.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac Magazine

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.

Get this convenient PDF editor for Mac for 33% off

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PDF Editor
This Mac app gives you the power to edit PDFs like a pro.
Photo: PDF Technologies

Raise your hand if you’ve received an important PDF and needed to edit it, but couldn’t. Most of us have. Whether it’s filing your taxes online, editing a document for work, or filling out necessary health forms, there are a variety of reasons why you may need to edit a PDF as soon as possible — and find yourself unable to.

That’s precisely what PDF Reader Pro was made for. This Mac app allows you to edit PDFs to tweak text, replace images or annotate a few lines. Available at an additional 20% off for Mother’s Day with code WELOVEMOM, PDF Reader Pro is just $31.99 for a limited time.

Original $350 Apple Magic Keyboard is ‘functionally compatible with’ 2021 iPad Pro [Updated]

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Original Apple Magic Keyboard might not work with 2021 iPad Pro
Seems there’s might not be quite enough room in the original Apple Magic Keyboard for an iPad Pro that’s 0.5 mm thicker.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

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.”

Edit photos like never before with Luminar, the world’s first AI-powered editor

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Luminar
Award-winning photo software Luminar 4 will take your shots to the next level.
Photo: Skylum

These days, you don’t need to be a professional photographer with a with a DSLR to snap high-quality photos. If only the same could be said for photo editing. Tweaking colors, shadows and light can be an intimidating and overwhelming endeavor for the casual photographer who wants the best photos.

Perhaps that’s why Luminar 4 is so popular. This award-winning software is the world’s first AI-powered photo editor. Available now at an 85% discount, Luminar 4 comes bundled along with photography lectures and editing add-ons for just $39.99.

1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything hits Apple TV+ on May 21

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“1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything” debuted on Apple TV+ in May.
Jump back 50 years to take a deep dive into “1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything.”
Photo: Apple

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.

How to easily color calibrate your Apple TV with an iPhone

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How to color calibrate Apple TV
You don't even need the newest Apple TV (but you do need an iPhone with Face ID).
Image: Apple

Apple just added a brand-new feature to Apple TV that works with your iPhone to color calibrate your TV. It’s really simple to use and the results can be terrific. What’s more, you don’t need the newest Apple TV.

The new Color Balance tool is available on Apple TV models released in 2015 or later. Here’s how to use it.

What you need to know about 12.9-inch iPad Pro’s swanky new mini-LED display

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There’s more 2021 iPad Pro RAM than in any previous Apple tablet.
The larger iPad Pro packs a mini-LED screen, but what exactly does that mean?
Photo: Apple

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.

Want a purple iPhone 12? Sell your old model today for fast upgrade cash

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purple iphone 12
Find out how much your old iPhone is really worth.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

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.

Computer science student’s M1 rig is a pile of Schiit [Setups]

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This MacBook Pro M1 setup is all about quality audio.
This MacBook Pro M1 setup is all about quality audio.
Photo: The-deluxe@Reddit

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.

AirDrop flaw potentially reveals users’ email and phone number

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Airdrop ios iPad iPhone
Turns out it's not "contacts only."
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

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.

Travel anywhere with confidence with this translator app

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translator
This app allows you to translate text, voice, images, websites and documents on iOS, Mac and more.
Photo: LingvaNex

Language is a complicated thing. You could spend years studying a language and still not quite fully grasp all the colloquialisms that native speakers regularly use. So when you visit another country where you don’t really speak the language, it can feel a little nerve-wracking navigating a new space without the help of a local.

For All Mankind shoots the moon in season 2 finale [Apple TV+ review]

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For All Mankind review: In the season 2 finale, the fate of the moon rests on the unlikely shoulders of astronaut Gordo Stevens (Michael Dorman).
In the season 2 finale, the fate of the moon rests on Gordo's unlikely shoulders.
Photo: Apple TV+

The Russians have taken over the moon! The second season of Apple TV+ space soap For All Mankind ends with bloody faces, broken marriages, uncertain futures, and a whole boatload of moon crime.

If you’re wondering if any of it’s handled well, read on. But you know the score by now, don’t you?

Spotify could take on Apple’s premium podcast service … with a twist

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Spotify is adding 2x as many monthly subscribers as Apple Music
Spotify reportedly won't take a cut of creators' subscription revenue.
Photo: Spotify

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.

New Apple TV remote is not compatible with some tvOS games

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Apple's new Apple TV 4K with redesigned Siri Remote
The new Siri Remote doesn't pack the proper hardware for some games.
Photo: Apple

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.

Mario Kart Tour rakes in more than $200 million, most of it on iOS

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Mario Kart Tour has the second best debut month ever on mobile
Now that's a reason for Mario to be happy!
Photo: Nintendo

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.

Not waiting around, Apple seeds iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6 beta 1 to devs

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Not waiting around, Apple seeds iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6 beta 1 to devs
Not one to let moss grow under its feet, Apple quickly began testing follow-up operating systems for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV.
Photo: Cult of Mac

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.

Apple must defend iTunes ‘Buy’ button in court

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Apple must defend iTunes “Buy” button in court
Is buying something in iTunes or Apple TV really buying it?
Photo: Cult of Mac

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.

Enough key rings, we need an AirTag pet collar

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An AirTag pet collar is a product that’ll sell
Attaching an AirTag to a beloved pet makes at least as mucgh sense as putting an item tracker on your keys.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

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.

Macs run iPad apps. It’s time for iPads to run Mac apps.

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iPad should run Mac apps, like Xcode.
Xcode is just one of the Mac applications that should be available for iPad now that it has an M1 processor.
Photo: Cult of Mac

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.