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Real astronauts will splash-land on For All Mankind podcast

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‘For All Mankind: The Official Podcast’ debuted Friday on Apple Podcasts
For All Mankind: The Official Podcast is a mix of hard science and alternate history.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is launching a podcast dedicated to For All Mankind, the streaming service’s alternate-history show about the space race. The podcast will serve as a platform for real astronauts and scientists to discuss space travel with the series’ cast and creators.

The first episode of the podcast debuts Friday, the same day season two of the sci-fi series arrives.

Colorado finance pro likes his (indoor) open spaces [Setups]

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Ryan Brookes likes open spaces in and around his setup.
Ryan Brookes likes open spaces in and around his setup.
Photo: Ryan Brookes

Ryan Brookes, who works in sales for a financial services firm in Denver, Colorado, likes his open spaces. That includes indoor ones, like a spare, clean setup on his desk. Physical space helps him think, he told Cult of Mac.

His Mac mini with an M1 chip tethered to a 49-inch Samsung curved monitor probably help him think, too. Those and his iPad, which he will soon pair with a Keychron K1 Mechanical Keyboard.

Build your own iPhone, Apple Watch charging stand with Blocks

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Blocks charging stand kit
What kind of charging stand will you create?
Photo: SwitchEasy

Build your own charging stand with the brilliant Blocks set from SwitchEasy. The kit includes everything you need (except charging cables) to create a wonderfully unique charging dock for iPhone, Apple Watch, or both.

Blocks makes a great gift for any creative mind, and it’s just $19.99 through the Cult of Mac Store.

Apple Music Replay 2021 is your own personal hit parade

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Replay
Replay is the easy way to check out your most listened-to tracks.
Photo: Cult of Mac/Apple

Apple launched its Replay 2021 playlist on Monday, giving Apple Music users a way to easily see a ranking of their most listened-to songs.

Unlike Spotify’s ultra-popular Wrapped feature, which summarizes annual listening, Apple updates its Replay feature constantly throughout the year. Updated rankings show up every Sunday.

Steve Jobs’ teenage job application goes up for auction

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Jobs
Before he co-founded Apple, Steve Jobs had to apply for jobs like the rest of us.
Photo: Esther Dyson/Flickr CC

Steve Jobs didn’t have to fill in a whole lot of job applications during his life. After founding Apple Computer at 21, Jobs’ name was well enough known that he didn’t have to mail off too many resumes and cover letters. Or have reasons to send them out.

However, one of the rare applications Jobs did complete is coming up for auction. It’s a great piece of memorabilia, even if it will likely set you back a whole lot more than Steve would have ever earned in the role.

Get 15% off iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad accessories this Presidents’ Day

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These apple charging accessories are an additional 15% off for President's Day
It's time to save on must-have Apple accessories.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Did Valentine’s Day stress you out? There’s a better way to celebrate than splurging on chocolate sales the day after. Presidents’ Day is here, so you can enjoy the long weekend by finding amazing gifts for your significant other (or yourself).

And for a limited time, you can enjoy 15% off these Apple accessories with code PREZ2021.

VW boss says threat of Apple car’s overnight success does not worry him

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VW
Rumors of an Apple car continue to roil the automotive industry.
Photo: Sgcdesignco/Unsplash CC

Welcome, Apple…. Seriously.

That, in essence, seems to be the message from Volkswagen chief exec Herbert Diess in a recent interview, responding to rumors about the Apple car.

“The car industry is not a typical tech sector that you could take over at a single stroke,” Diess said in a recent interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. “Apple will not manage that overnight.”

iPhone 13 could be Apple’s first with an always-on display

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A signature feature of the iPhone 13 might be an always-on display.
The iPhone 13 could stand out from its predecessors thanks to an always-on display.
Artist’s concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 13 series will borrow the always-on screen from the Apple Watch, according to an unconfirmed report. And the upcoming iPhone supposedly will support some new camera tricks, including Portrait Mode for video.

It’s shaping up to perhaps be more than a speed-bumped version of Apple’s 2020 models.

Epic adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation premieres on Apple TV+ in fall 2021

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Foundation is coming to Apple TV+ next year.
Foundation on Apple TV+ will be a mix of Star Wars and Game of Thrones.
Photo: Apple/Skydance Television

Apple TV+’s ambitious version of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series is reportedly scheduled for fall of 2021. Previously, all we’ve known is a vague promise from Apple that the sprawling sci-fi epic is “coming soon.”

In addition, the series is expected to extend over dozens of episodes.

Protect your data forever with this bulletproof Mac recovery software

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This recovery system for Mac will protect you from data loss
Kick data loss in the teeth with a lifetime sub to Disk Drill Pro.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’ve been faithful to your MacBook for many years, you know how many important files it holds. From old work portfolios and personal documents to  sentimental photos and more, your laptop is likely loaded with files you’d hate to lose.

But accidents do happen, and drives do fail. So it’s good to have what amounts to an insurance policy on all your most important data. This lifetime sub to Disk Drill Pro 4 makes it easy to recover documents, music, photos, videos or even whole partitions from your Mac.

Why we want a bigger iPad Pro Max [Cult of Mac Magazine 388]

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We want a bigger iPad -- call it an iPad Pro Max. Please make it happen, Tim!
Please make it happen, Tim!
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac Magazine

When it comes to iPad Pro, bigger would be better. And when it comes to iPhone 12 mini, smaller was definitely not better – at least from a sales perspective.

Get those perspectives in this week’s top opinion/analysis pieces from Cult of Mac Magazine. Then enjoy the rest of the week’s top Apple news, how-tos and reviews. It’s all free and ready to download and read on your favorite iOS device.

P.S. After weeks of Apple car rumors, don’t miss our thought experiment that explores five ways Cupertino could shake up our ideas about automobiles.

Film perfectly lit videos with this ring light and tripod

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This streaming studio is the perfect work-from-home companion
This versatile lighting rig will make your videos look awesome.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whether you’re filming instructional videos for your company’s YouTube channel, building your TikTok brand, or going live on Instagram, proper lighting can make all the difference. You don’t need an expensive studio setup to look great and potentially score a viral video hit, though. The Aduro U-Stream Executive Home Streaming Studio with Ring Light & Tripod will help you shoot captivating, beautifully lit videos from the comfort of your home.

Facebook plans smartwatch to compete with Apple Watch

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A Facebook watch will likely give new meaning to the word “watch.”
A rumored Facebook watch will offer many of the features already in the very successful Apple Watch.
Illustration: Wikipedia CC/Cult of Mac

Facebook is reportedly building a smartwatch that’ll offer instant messaging on the go. And help users stay fit.

Of course, the Facebook watch will have to go head-to-head with Apple Watch, the 500-pound gorilla of the wearables market.

Emily becomes invisible in this week’s Dickinson [Apple TV+ review]

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Emily Dickinson (played by Hailee Steinfeld) gets published ... and disappears!
Emily Dickinson (played by Hailee Steinfeld) gets published ... and promptly disappears!
Photo: Apple TV+

Emily Dickinson is finally a published author, but will that stitch the tear in her heart or repair the fraying nerves of everyone in her orbit? Anyone who knows the story of the 19th-century poet knows the answer to that, but we’re not watching Apple TV+’s revisionist history for its accuracy, are we?

AirTags and newly updated iPad Pro could be right around the corner

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AirTags and newly updated iPad Pro could be right around the corner
AirTags and the 2021 iPad Pro could launch together in only a few weeks.
Photo: Cut of Mac

Apple’s long-awaited AirTags personal item trackers might finally jump from rumor to reality. A reliable prognosticator says these accessories will reach customers in March.

And the same goes for an updated iPad Pro. Previous leaks also point to the tablet coming out before the end of Q1 2021.

It’s time for an iPad Pro Max for professional users

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iPad Pro Max: It’s time to take iPad to the next level
Apple has repeatedly increased the size of the iPad over the years. A 15-inch version is the logical next step.
Graphic Cult of Mac

While the iPad Pro serves as a primary computer for many people, the 12.9-inch version is simply too small. Apple needs to make a 15-inch iPad Pro Max to make the tablet truly useful for power users.

And a bigger screen is only the start. This version should include other top-tier features not found in Apple’s smaller tablets.

Losing Alice crawls toward a predictable conclusion [Apple TV+ review]

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Ayelet Zurer in Losing Alice
Ayelet Zurer plays Alice, and the audience is losing its patience.
Photo: Apple TV+

On this week’s episode of Losing Alice, the Apple TV+ limited series about a director matching wits with a hot young screenwriter, the titular filmmaker has a potential murderer on her hands. With her movie due to shoot any second, can Alice do the right thing and keep her job?

The bodies are piling up, and Alice is losing control of her star, her marriage, her movie and her life, just as the title implies. If only it were more exciting to watch.

UK government splashes out for 11,000 iPhone SE handsets

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Pandemic iPhone: The 2020 iPhone SE seems perfect for the times.
The 2020 iPhone SE seems perfect for the times.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

The UK government’s Department for Work and Pensions is reportedly buying 11,000 iPhone SE handsets for use by employees.

The report claims that it is paying around (4.1 million British pounds) $5.7 million for the total quantity of 64GB handsets.

How much Steve Jobs’ Disney and Apple shares would be worth today

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How much would Steve Jobs be worth today?
Things would have been even better had Steve Jobs held onto his original Apple shares.
Photo: Jorge Palma Pastor/Flickr CC

One of the things that always surprised me was how, compared to some of his Silicon Valley peers, Steve Jobs’ net worth during his life paled in comparison to some of his contemporaries.

When Jobs died in late 2011, his net worth was reported as being $10.2 billion. That’s an enormous amount of money, but it was a drop in the ocean next to Bill Gates’ $56 billion that year, and less than Google’s Sergey Brin and Larry Page’s $19.8 billion apiece, Michael Dell’s $14.6 billion, and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg’s $13.5 billion.

Had Jobs had the same share arrangement today, however, it would be a very different story.

Charge all your devices at once with this travel-friendly wireless power station

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This dock can power up your smartphone, airPods & apple watch all at the same time
This dock can power up your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch all at once.
Photo: Adam Elements

Nothing beats a clutter-free desk or nightstand and an arsenal of fully charged Apple gear. This Omnia Q3 3-in-1 wireless charging station will charge your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods all at the same time. Plus, it’s foldable, so you can take it with you wherever you go.

And, unlike some other chargers — we’re looking at you, Apple — this travel-friendly workhouse comes with its own 24-watt power adapter. It even packs international fittings so you can use it in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

App Store subscriptions boom in 2020, dwarfing Google Play

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App Store image
App Store continues to rake in money.
Photo: James Yarema/Unsplash CC

Subscription apps are thriving right now, and nowhere more so than on iOS. According to a new report from app analytics platform Sensor Tower, worldwide spending on the top 100 subscription apps on the App Store generated $10.3 billion in 2020.

That’s a massive 32% increase from the $7.8 billion spent in 2019. It’s also close to four times what Android apps in the Google Play store pulled in in 2020. (They earned just $2.7 billion.)

More than 100 million people apparently wear Apple Watches now

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Strapa band for Apple Watch
That's a whole lot of Apple Watches.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

More than 100 million people in the world now wear an Apple Watch, Above Avalon analyst Neil Cybart claims.

Provided those numbers are accurate, that’s the equivalent of every single person in California, Texas and Florida, the three most populous U.S. states — and with a good few warehouses of Apple Watches left over.