The CultCast

Send us a text!This week: the Wall Street Journal leaks details about iPhone 11; Apple's new Smart Cases come with wireless charging; Nike unveils the self-lacing Back-To-The-Future shoes you’ve always wanted; and we pitch you our favorite apps, movies, cook books, and exotic alcohols in an all-new What We’re Into! This episode supported by Opsgenie empowers Dev & Ops teams to plan for service disruptions and stay in control during incidents. It also gives teams the power to respond quickly and efficiently to unplanned issues. Visit Opsgenie.com to sign up to get a FREE company account and add up to 5 team members. Burrow sofas are designed for comfort, with supportive proprietary foam and a built-in USB charger so you never have to get up. Plus they're hand-crafted in North Carolina, and surprisingly affordable. Get $75 on your next sofa at burrow.com/cultcast. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeod for the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace WSJ: High-end ‘iPhone 11’ will feature triple rear camera, XR successor gets dual lenses The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple’s iPhone 2019 lineup will feature three models, including 2 OLED and 1 LCD. They’re basically just upgrading the XS, Tennis Match, and XR. But get this, the high-end iPhone 11, probably called the iPhone 11 Max, will feature a triple rear camera system. Triple! The iPhone 5.8-inch iPhone 11 will stick with a dual lens system. The successor to the iPhone XR will have an LCD screen panel, and will be upgraded to a dual-camera system. The report says that Apple may drop the LCD option in 2020, moving to an OLED only lineup late next year. It also alludes to the removal of the pressure sensitive component that enables 3D Touch, in order to reduce components costs. It doesn’t say that 3D Touch is certainly going away necessarily as the feature may be achieved through other hardware changes. Apple unleashes new Smart Battery Cases for iPhone XS, XS Max and XR Apple’s new Smart Battery Cases are now available iPhone XS, XS Max and XR Along with adding some extra protection to your device, Apple’s new cases promise to deliver 37 hours more hours of talk time, Internet use up to 20 hours The cases also support wireless charging. Only cost a mere $129! And it seems that the XS case will work with the iPhone X, but it does block some of the mics and speakers since it’s not made to fit the X Nike kills shoelaces with new iPhone-controlled sneakers The back to the future shoes you’ve always wanted are finally a reality. Nike’s new Adapt BB self-lacing shoes pack wireless connectivity, and a custom motor and gear train, to give athletes a perfect fit without having to fuss with retying their laces. The Adapt BB shoes can be tightened and loosened using the buttons on the side of the shoe or via an app (both iOS and Android). This could be really valuable to baske

Send us a text! This week: Smart curtains, smart plugs, smart lights, smart locks, and now... the best televisions on the market— Apple just revealed big moves to bring HomeKit to all your favorite gadgets, and they're just getting started. In 2019, the smart HomeKit devices we've always wanted finallay arrive. Plus: Tim Cook just let it slip--Apple's got new services lined up for release this year, but what could they be? We think we might just know... And stick around for a CultCast United updated, and the saga of FartGate, the most insidious sports scandal you never heard about. This episode supported by Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeod for the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lewiswallace 2019 - The year of HomeKit Until the release of iOS 11.3 in March, anyone who wanted to make HomeKit devices had to plan and pay to build in Apple’s authentication co-processor. With iOS 11.3, Apple changed the game, and allowed devices makers to add HomeKit with simple software integration. Apple promotes HomeKit at CES with press event to highlight new smart home accessories coming in 2019 Apple is pushing HomeKit hard at CES this year. It coordinated with manufacturers to demo key new HomeKit smart home announcements to the tech press TechCrunch says Apple spotlighted announcements from Belkin Wemo, Eve, ConnectSense, Kwikset locks, Nanoleaf lights, and a Netatmo HomeKit connected doorbell. We also got an announcement that Netgear is bringing HomeKit support to their Arlo Pro 2 cameras and their new 4K camera. And… a bunch of TVs Here are all of the TVs getting AirPlay 2 in 2019 Apple announced that it will bring AirPlay 2 and HomeKit compatibility to a bunch of TVs in 2019, spanning models from manufacturers like Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio. A small list of 2018 models will also receive Airplay 2 support. Samsung TVs will be getting the iTunes Movies and TV apps. Sony will be adding HomeKit and AirPlay 2 to it beautiful TVs powered by the horrendous and slow Android TV. Tim Cook: New services coming to Apple in 2019 Tim Cook teased new services that will be coming to Apple users this year. Responding to questions about falling iPhone sales during a CNBC interview, Cook stressed the way that Apple’s Services division has grown significantly in the past several years. “The services are on a tear,” Cook said. “On services, you will see us announce new services this year. There will more things coming.” First and foremost is Apple’s original TV content, which the company has supposedly spent more than $1 billion on, but not yet formally announced. Second is Apple’s rumored magazine subscription service. Based on Texture, the $9.99 a month magazine servi

Send us a text!This week: Our huge mega-list of must-have favorite iOS and Mac apps! Special guest Adam Christianson from the Maccast! Plus, a very special announcement… This episode supported by Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Help team CultCast reunite in San Fransisco for a Mecca to Cupertino, and a special CultCast United episode. And we might just bring you with us…. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeod for the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @maccast Apple warns investors that iPhone sales are weak https://www.cultofmac.com/598692/apple-revenues-iphone-sales-tim-cook/ Tim Cook warned investors today that weak iPhone sales could translate into revenue shortfalls in the billions of dollars. He went on blames the expected revenue drop on fewer-than-expected iPhone upgrades and weakened demand in China. “While we anticipated some challenges in key emerging markets, we did not foresee the magnitude of the economic deceleration, particularly in Greater China,” Cook wrote in a letter published on Business Wire. “In fact, most of our revenue shortfall to our guidance, and over 100 percent of our year-over-year worldwide revenue decline occurred in Greater China across iPhone, Mac, and iPad.” “As we exit a challenging quarter, we are as confident as ever in the fundamental strength of our business,” he said. “We manage Apple for the long term, and Apple has always used periods of adversity to re-examine our approach, to take advantage of our culture of flexibility, adaptability, and creativity, and to emerge better as a result. Apple shares plummet following Tim Cook letter https://www.cultofmac.com/598726/apple-shares-plummet-following-tim-cook-letter/ AAPL shares fell steeply in after-hours trading on Wednesday, after Tim Cook acknowledged that Apple’s earnings would underperform Shares fell by more than 7.4 percent, declining as low as $146.22. That’s the lowest that Apple has hit since July 12, 2017. It means that Apple has lost a massive 35.5 percent of its value in just three months. Tim Cook will host meeting for all Apple employees to talk iPhone https://www.cultofmac.com/598744/tim-cook-will-host-meeting-for-all-apple-employees-to-talk-iphone/#more-598744 Tim Cook is reportedly hosting an all-hands meeting with every Apple employee today about the revelations regarding stalling iPhone sales. Our favorite must-have apps, with Adam Christianson, aka Maccast! Mac Audio Hijack Pro let's you record and reroute sound on your Mac Setapp is a Mac app subscription packed full of great software TryCa.st, let's you record high-fidelity audio, alone or with guests Bartend

Send us a text!This week: it’s our list of the best—and most disappointing—Apple tech of 2018! And stay tuned for all our most favorite news, movies, food, gear, video games, and drug paraphernalia of the year. This one gets real weird... This episode supported by Opsgenie empowers Dev & Ops teams to plan for service disruptions and stay in control during incidents. It also gives teams the power to respond quickly and efficiently to unplanned issues. Visit Opsgenie.com to sign up to get a FREE company account and add up to 5 team members. Whether it’s planning a date night or scheduling a business trip, Fin’s army of virtual assistants can do the tasks you don’t have time to do. Try itself for free at fin.com/cultcast. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeod for the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r Ranking all the major hardware Apple released in 2018 [Year in Review] https://www.cultofmac.com/596754/ranking-2018-apple-hardware/ Our favorite What We’re Intos of 2018! MoviePass Annihilation Super Mario Odyssey Captain Jean-luc Picard will helm a new Star Trek series Boosted Board Mini X Finger Bang Pizza Dillas Pack Rafts

Send us a text!This week: In December of 1994, Apple began allowing PC manufacturs to license their OS, building their own versions of the “Mac”, and it almost destroyed them. Leander Kahney was a young reporter on the scene in those days, and regales us with the tale. Plus, we have a very special announcement we'd like to make, about a very special annoumcement we're going ot be making next week. And if you stay tuned, and you definitely should, we're going to wrap up with our favorite movies of 2018, and it’s a long list. This episode supported by Opsgenie empowers Dev & Ops teams to plan for service disruptions and stay in control during incidents. It also gives teams the power to respond quickly and efficiently to unplanned issues. Visit Opsgenie.com to sign up to get a FREE company account and add up to 5 team members. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeod for the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace / @bst3r Apple Music Connect is shutting down, suffering Same Fate as iTunes Ping - lewis https://www.macrumors.com/2018/12/13/apple-music-connect-shutting-down/ Apple today announced that its Apple Music Connect social platform for artists is in the process of shutting down, suffering the same fate as Ping, the company's previous social network for music removed from iTunes in October 2012. The only band that ever posted anything was ColdPlay. Apple Sending Unsolicited Notifications for New Carpool Karaoke Episodes and Apple Music Echo Support -erfon https://www.macrumors.com/2018/12/18/apple-unsolicited-notifications/ Apple has recently been sending out unsolicited notifications to iOS users, promoting Carpool Karaoke episodes and the availability of Apple Music on Amazon Echo devices. Apple doesn't appear to be sending these push notifications to all users, so it's not clear what criteria the company is using to determine who to send content to Why did Apple just send me a notification about an all new carpool karaoke, something I've never watched and have absolutely no interest in? Today in Apple history: Apple signs ‘clone Mac’ deal https://www.cultofmac.com/458490/clone-mac-era-tiah/ This week, in 1994: Apple Computer inks a licensing deal with Power Computing, allowing the company to produce Macintosh-compatible computers. With falling market share, and longtime rival Microsoft steaming ahead thanks to its software-licensing strategy, Apple executives think the only way to compete is for Apple to hand over its operating system for third-party Macs. The “clone Mac” era turned out to be a disaster for Apple. Rather than spurring Mac sales, it just meant cheaper “Macs.” As a result, Apple took a massive hit in the amount it earned per unit. Apple CFO Fred Anderson later worked out that the strategy actually cost the company money. The $50 fee Apple got for every clone Mac sold didn’t come close to recouping the money lost from people choosing to buy third-party Macs instead of more-expensive official ones.

Send us a text!This week: it’s all our favorite gadgets of 2018! Well, not all, but lots of them. We didn’t have time to get through them all but we tried real hard. Plus: Apple is finally gearing up to overhaul the AMD GPUs in their Mac lineup; and the legit way to purchase a base iMac Pro for just $3800. This episode supported by Opsgenie empowers Dev & Ops teams to plan for service disruptions and stay in control during incidents. It also gives teams the power to respond quickly and efficiently to unplanned issues. Visit Opsgenie.com to sign up to get a FREE company account and add up to 5 team members. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeod for the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week: @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace Mojave update hints at new AMD Vega GPUs coming to Mac https://www.cultofmac.com/595740/mojave-new-amd-vega-gpu-mac/ Apple’s most recent macOS Mojave update suggests we’ll soon see new AMD Vega GPUs coming to the Mac. Apple just updated the GPUs in the Macbook Pro with Vega 16 and Vega 20 options, and now they look to be planning similar upgrades for other Macs in its lineup. Sonos Beam Sonos One Simply Safe security system See Sense Icon 2 bike lights Nintendo Switch Cal Digit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 dock Apple Pencil 2 Apple Watch 4 "Refurbished" iMac Pro on eBay

Send us a text! This week: Apple’s new online store includes a 10% discount on ALL products, but there’s a catch…. Plus: redesigned AirPods are on the way; Tim Cook promises more Apple censorship; and we wrap up with our favorite shows of 2018! This episode supported by Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Opsgenie empowers Dev & Ops teams to plan for service disruptions and stay in control during incidents. It also gives teams the power to respond quickly and efficiently to unplanned issues. Visit Opsgenie.com to sign up to get a FREE company account and add up to 5 team members. Audible is the home of over 150,000 audio books from practically every genre in existence, and right now you can get 3 books a month for just $6.95 a month, half off the normal price. And your books are yours to keep even if you decide not to keep your Audible subscription. Get started at audible.com/cultcast. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeod for the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace Plot twist: Erfon's 2018 MacBook Pro story update takes a unexpected turn... Apple store adds 10% discount for vets and military https://www.cultofmac.com/594072/apple-discounts-for-vets-military/ I think this may be one of the biggest stories of the year, but no one seems to be talking about it. Apple revealed this week that it has launched a new website that gives a 10% discount to vets and active military members that the company says is an expression of its gratitude for service. It's just like the education store, but it provides a flat discount of 10% across ALL products. This is the biggest, most broad discount, possibly ever. When I first heard about this, I didn't think much of it. But then I found out that, just like the education store, the military and vets site doesn’t ask for verification so it’s all based on the honor system. You just click into it, and poof, all prices drop 10%... Base iPhone 10s Max, usually $1100, is $989 (only sim-free iPhones are discounted) Base 11" iPad Pro, normally $799, is $719. 256GB is down to $854 from $949. Updated AirPods will supposedly land in early 2019 https://www.cultofmac.com/593894/updated-airpods-are-supposedly-on-their-way-in-e

Send us a text!This week: we’ll tell you how iPhone’s Smart HDR takes pics better than cameras costing thousands, and how a proper Apple Camera positively unstoppable. Plus: the Supreme court may force Apple to allow competing app stores; proposed tariffs on the iPhone could send prices sky high; and Apple says the XR is one of their best selling iPhones ever. This episode supported by Opsgenie empowers Dev & Ops teams to plan for service disruptions and stay in control during incidents. It also gives teams the power to respond quickly and efficiently to unplanned issues. Visit Opsgenie.com to sign up to get a FREE company account and add up to 5 team members. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters… go to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. Whether it’s planning a date night or scheduling a business trip, Fin’s army of virtual assistants can do the tasks you don’t have time to do. Try itself for free at fin.com/cultcast. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace / @bst3r Reminder: Apple's $29 iPhone battery replacement program ends December 31 https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/11/28/reminder-apples-29-iphone-battery-replacement-program-ends-december-31 Apple has been running a reduced cost battery replacement program in response to customer complaints about battery gate, but this offer ends on December 31, 2018. After that, replacing an iPhone battery will cost you $49 for the iPhone 8 and older, or $69 for the iPhone X, iPhone XS family, and iPhone XR The price until Dec. 31st is just $29. App Store antitrust suit might make Supreme Court https://www.cultofmac.com/592676/app-store-monopoly/ Apple’s legal team could soon be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court to face an anti-trust case being levied against the company. U.S. Supreme Court justices heard an hour of arguments for an anti-trust lawsuit against Appletoday. The nine justices appeared to be open to letting the lawsuit move up to the highest court in the U.S. and it could bring huge changes to the App Store if Apple loses. Apple is being accused of breaking federal antitrust laws by monopolizing the way applications are installed on the iPhone. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim that Apple’s 30% cut on all sales in the App Store are causing consumers to overpay. Lead plaintiff Robert Pepper of Chicago argued that Apple’s App Store monopoly leads to inflated prices because developers have to account for Apple’s 30% fee. The plaintiffs want Apple to open up iOS so apps can be installed from sources other than the App Store.

Send us a text!This week: Did you know about Apple’s super secret 90-day return and exchange policy? We’ll tell you what it is, and how to use it if you’re unhappy with your Apple purchase, but outside of your 14-day return window. Plus: quest to trade up-the story of three MacBook Pro owners trying to get Apple trade in their newly purchased 2018 MacBook Pros for models with the brand new—smoking fast—Vega 20 GPUs. And finally, and most importantly: 🦃 🦃 YAAA’AALL! It’s our most and least favorite Thanksgiving meal picks. Happy Thanksgiving everyone, we love ya. This episode supported by The experts at Casper work tirelessly to make a quality sleep surface that cradles your natural geometry in all the right places. And for a limited time, you can save 10% off any Casper purchase. Opsgenie empowers Dev & Ops teams to plan for service disruptions and stay in control during incidents. It also gives teams the power to respond quickly and efficiently to unplanned issues. Visit Opsgenie.com to sign up to get a FREE company account and add up to 5 team members. Gantri offers over 30 unique 3D-printed lights created by independent designers from all over the world, and unlike typical 3D-printed things you see, Gantri’s 3D-printed lights superbly nightlights and beautiful to behold. Check them out in AR at gantri.com/cultcast, and use code CultCast at checkout for $20 off. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace Apple reportedly cuts both iPhone XR and XS orders https://www.cultofmac.com/591352/apple-reportedly-cuts-both-iphone-xr-and-xs-orders/ According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple has reduced its orders for both the iPhone XS and iPhone XR. Apple’s stock is not at $177 as of this writing, down from an October high of $232! That’s a drop of almost 25% But it’s not just Apple stock that’s dropping, the DOW is also way down. Amazon is down 25% too. $1500 down from $2000. Is Vega 20 Worth it for 15" MacBook Pro? Benchmarks & Thermals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJVciTqsUAo&t=49s In Max Yuryev’s tests, the new Vega 20 GPU was 25-35% faster than the 560X GPU in various benchmarks. We’re waiting for Final Cut Pro tests, but I get they’ll be even faster there. In Dave 2D’s premier render tests, the Vega 20 is almost twice as fast as the 560X

Send us a text!This week: How to get the best Black Friday deals most shoppers miss! The New MacBook Pro GPUs are a huge upgrade for a meager cost Erfon's quest to get Apple to upgrade his two-month-old MBP! We have to talk about iPhone XR. Everyone thinks it’s failing but the only thing tanking is Apple’s stock. And we’ll wrap up with a Steve Jobs story so mundane, the internet is fascinated with it This episode supported by Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. The National Security Agency plays a big part in protecting our country from cyber-attacks, and if you work in computer science, networking, programming or electrical engineering, YOU can help keep our country safe. Learn more about careers at the National Security Agency today at IntelligenceCareers.gov/NSA Opsgenie empowers Dev & Ops teams to plan for service disruptions and stay in control during incidents. It also gives teams the power to respond quickly and efficiently to unplanned issues. Visit Opsgenie.com to sign up to get a FREE company account and add up to 5 team members. The Cult of Mac watch store has the best straps in the biz! Check out the huge Black Friday Day sale with savings up to 40% at http://store.cultofmac.com. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace / @bst3r Apple adds beefy Radeon Pro Vega graphics to MacBook Pro https://www.cultofmac.com/590380/macbook-pro-radeon-pro-vega-graphics/ Apple’s done it. A mere 4 months, almost to the day. The 15-inch MacBook Pro got a big performance boost this morning with the new option to add Radeon Pro Vega graphics to the top-of-the-line model. New Radeon Pro Vega graphics cards with up to 60% faster performance in GPU intensive tasks, like VIDEO EDITING, are now available as new options. The Vega 16 is only a $250 upgrade. Vega 20 is a $350 upgrade. Apple quietly mentioned the update after its October 30th event where it revealed the new MacBook Air and iPad Pro. A maxed out 15-inch MacBook Pro is a whopping $7,049 I’m attempting to get Apple take back my machine and let me pay to upgrade to the new one. I think everyone who’s purchased a 2018 MBP should have the same option. The best Black Friday deals in tech [Live blog]

Send us a text!This week: we love the new iPad Pro, but it has one glaring problem Apple needs to fix! We discuss. Plus: what the reviewers are saying about the new MacBook Air; the totally ridiculous iPad accessory we kind of really want; and two weeks with iPhone XR—we’ll tell you how it’s better and worse than iPhone XS and Tennis Match. This episode supported by The National Security Agency plays a big part in protecting our country from cyber-attacks, and if you work in computer science, networking, programming or electrical engineering, YOU can help keep our country safe. Learn more about careers at the National Security Agency today at IntelligenceCareers.gov/NSA Gantri offers over 30 unique 3D-printed lights created by independent designers from all over the world, and unlike typical 3D-printed things you see, Gantri’s 3D-printed lights superbly nightlights and beautiful to behold. Check them out in AR at gantri.com/cultcast, and use code CultCast at checkout for $20 off. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Opsgenie empowers Dev & Ops teams to plan for service disruptions and stay in control during incidents. It also gives teams the power to respond quickly and efficiently to unplanned issues. Visit Opsgenie.com to sign up to get a FREE company account and add up to 5 team members. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace 2018 iPad Pro review roundup: The best tablet money can buy https://www.cultofmac.com/588070/2018-ipad-pro-review-roundup/ Everyone is drooling all over the new iPad Pro Verge “Nothing is ever slow, and it always feels like there’s more headroom to work with. We were able to import several minutes of 4K footage into Adobe Premiere Rush, edit them, and export without breaking a sweat.” Pocket lint The new iPad Pro is “pretty much a laptop in terms of performance thanks to the new 7nm processor,” “Side-by-side with an iPad Pro 10.5 we have noticed a considerable difference in app loading times, certainly on processor intense apps like iMovie, Affinity Photo, Procreate, and games like Fortnite or Asphalt 9: Legends.” Wired “No apps or games I’ve used have been able to make the Pro break a sweat at all and benchmark numbers have been impressive,” adds Jeffrey van Camp of Wired. “By every measure I can think of, these are the best, most powerful, most capable iPads I’ve ever used. “It would be a total waste of $999 (or more) to use the iPad Pro 12.9 just for bingeing Netflix, but damn does this screen look good,” Wired also noted the new Liquid Retina screens are “gorgeous and packed with pixels.” “Color is vibrant and precise enough for Photoshopping and minute color tweaking if needed.” Verge Nilay Patel on lack of storage support: Like everything about the n

Send us a text!This week: Apple’s More in the Making hardware keynote was an action-packed ride stuffed with one hardware update after another! We’ll tell you what we like (and what we don’t) about Apple’s newest product updates. Plus: Apple quietly offers a big screw you to 2018 MacBook Pro owners… prepare for a rant. This episode supported by Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Whether it’s planning a date night or scheduling a business trip, Fin’s army of virtual assistants can do the tasks you don’t have time to do. Try itself for free at fin.com/cultcast. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace Everything you need to know about Apple’s Q4 2018 earnings call https://www.cultofmac.com/587580/everything-you-need-to-know-about-apples-q4-2018-earnings-call/ USB-C for iPad Pro: Everything you need to know https://www.cultofmac.com/586972/ipad-pro-usb-c/ All the ways the 2018 iPad Pro blows away its predecessors https://www.cultofmac.com/586822/2018-ipad-pro-comparison-2017/ iPad Pro Super sexy new design. Already sold out for 1-2 weeks! Thinner, and even smaller. 12.9” now the size of a sheet of paper. No headphone jack... Big performance increases, big price increases. Start price is now about 20% higher. 11-inch models start at $799 (Wi-Fi) and $949 (Wi-Fi + Cellular), while 12.9-inch models start at $999 iPad Pro comes with Apple's next-generation Neural Engine for advanced machine learning This is the first gadget besides iPhone that will include FaceID. Powered by the new A12X Bionic chip A12X Bionic has eight cores (four performance cores and four efficiency cores) and per Apple provide up to 35 percent faster single-core performance. Seven-core GPU to deliver up to twice the graphics performance. They say it’s now as powerful as an Xbox One S console. USB-C connector is replacing the Lightning connector, Allows iPad to charge your iphone What can connect to the iPad? USB Hubs? Hard Drives? Printers? Even Apple said they weren’t sure when The Verge asked them.

Send us a text!This week: with iPhone XR finally here, we’ll tell you 10 reasons why it’s the best iPhone you can get. Plus: how iOS 12.1 solves beautygate; new Macs leak ahead of Apple’s big October hardware event; Ming Chi Kuo says new iPad Minis, AirPods, and the AirPower mat are on the way; and we wrap up with our favorite new gadgets in an all-new Under Review 💪🏼 This episode supported by The National Security Agency plays a big part in protecting our country from cyber-attacks, and if you work in computer science, networking, programming or electrical engineering, YOU can help keep our country safe. Learn more about careers at the National Security Agency today at IntelligenceCareers.gov/NSA CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace iOS 12.1 will improve selfies on iPhone XS and XR https://www.cultofmac.com/584796/ios-12-1-improve-selfies-iphone-xs-xr/ You may remember that people were complaining that the iPhone XS/MAX cam were making them look too good. Ugly people everywhere were very offended and prefer to remain ugly in their photos. Issue was causing people to have “unnaturally” smooth skin times and reduces blemishes. Sometimes it did look unatural, but that’s always what HDR has done. Nilay Patel spoke to Apple about the problem and here’s what they told him the issue was actually a bug “iOS 12.1 will fix a bug in its Smart HDR camera system that resulted in smoother-looking photos taken by the front camera on the iPhone XS and XR,” What causes the Beautygate issue, Patel explains, is the Smart HDR system choosing the wrong base frame for HDR processing when a selfie is snapped. Rather than choosing a frame with a short shutter speed to preserve detail, it is choosing a frame with a longer shutter speed. “This should all be fixed in iOS 12.1, which will pick the sharpest base frame for the HDR merge when taking selfies,” New Macs spill in online database https://www.cultofmac.com/585172/online-database-suggests-new-macs-are-on-the-way/ The Eurasian Economic Competition database may have just confirmed more than one Mac will be unveiled at Apple’s upcoming more in the making hardware event The online database has been updated with three new filings for desktop computers running macOS 10.14. These most likely refer to rumored upgrades of the iMac, Mac mini, and the new lower cost MacBook Air replacement Ming Chi Kuo has been talking about for the last 6 months. The iPad mini might not be dead after all https://www.cultofmac.com/584918/the-ipad-mini-might-not-be-dead-after-all/ The iPad mini hasn’t

Send us a text!This week: New AirPods? AirPower Mat? Don’t you dare miss our “More in the Making” hardware event predictions. Then: 17 reasons the iPhone XR should be your next phone; the world’s largest Mac collection could be yours for free; and we pitch your our favorite games, shows, and scooters in an all-new What We’re Into! This episode supported by Casper makes the internet’s favorite mattress. Learn why at Casper.com/cultcast, and use code "CultCast" at checkout for $50 off select mattress purchases. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters… go to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace / @bst3r Apple sets ‘More in the Making’ event for Oct. 30 https://www.cultofmac.com/583870/its-official-apple-holding-special-event-october-30th/ The second Apple event everyone has been expecting just became official. Looks like new tablets, laptops, and desktops could be unveiled October 30. What makes this unusual is it won’t be at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, but at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Keynote is at 10am EASTERN 😩 YouTubers get early access to iPhone XR, and it looks positively delicious https://www.cultofmac.com/583908/youtubers-weigh-in-on-iphone-xr/ Time to pre-order your iPhone XR https://www.cultofmac.com/583092/iphone-xr-looks-set-to-become-a-massive-smash-hit/ Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo thinks the iPhone XR is going to be such a huge hit, he’s increased his esimtate for XR shipments in the fourth quarter by 10 perfect. Pre-orders start Friday the 19th at 12:01am, so tonight! Will begin shipping on the 26th XR features all the same powerful internals as the XS series. The same faster FaceID and Truth depth camera system The same A12 Bionic chip Same 8-core neural engine It features True Tone and a wide color gamut It has dual sim Same 25% louder speakers Same wide angle rear camera with Smart HDR capabilities! Computational portrait mode with wide angle lens Battery life that is up to 25% longer than the XS. It even bests or matches the XS Max in battery performance. 1.5 hours longer than iPhone 8 plus. Starts at just $749 64GB ($749), 128GB ($799), 256GB ($899) World’s large

Send us a text! This week: Why Apple’s October event could be totally insane! Something very strange is going on with the Mac… we’ll talk about it. MacBook Pro Touch Bar: our brutally honest opinions Surprise! Apple’s planning to give away its $1 billion TV shows And stay tuned for an all-new CultCast 2nd Hour: Siri Shortcuts, explained! This episode supported by Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace / @bst3r Mac sales declined in Q3, despite new MacBook Pros https://www.cultofmac.com/582236/mac-sales-q3-2018-gartner/ The third quarter of this year wasn’t a particularly good one for Apple, with Mac sales dropping a significant amount, even though the new MacBook Pros debuted this summer. Apple shipped 4.9 million laptops and desktops in the July-to-September period, according to preliminary figures from market-research firm Gartner. That’s an 8.5 percent decline from the same quarter of last year. But Q3 is supposed to bring fairly strong sales, as it includes the back-to-school shopping season. Not so much this year. At least not for Apple. Its three biggest rivals all saw increases in laptop/desktop shipments. Apple plans to give away its $1 billion TV shows https://www.cultofmac.com/582218/apple-tv-free-streaming/ Apple’s new TV streaming service will allegedly debut in early 2019 Some have suggested the company would bundle it in with Apple Music for an extra fee or that it would create it as a separate subscription option like Netflix. But according to a recent report, Despite planning to spend more than $1 billion on original content this year, Apple will supposedly give away its original content to customers that already own an iPhone, iPad or Apple TV. Because Apple is giving the shows away for free it’s aiming to create “PG” quality content that has wide audience appeal. Apple is currently making TV shows that are free from gratuitous sex, profanity or violence, although some shows may break this standard. How to create your first Siri Shortcut https://www.cultofmac.com/579560/how-to-create-siri-shortcuts/ This Siri shortcut keeps an eye on police during a traffic stop

Send us a text!This week: How Chinese spy chips may be stealing secret data from Apple’s own servers! Another week, another gate-we’ll you about #ChargeGate, the huge iPhone XS problem that ended before it even began. Tim Cook reveals why Apple really banned Alex Jones, but can't explain why Siri still sucks We’ve got another epic MoviePass update for you, and this is the weirdest one yet! And we’ll pitch you a hot new electric skateboard, an uber premium keyboard for your Mac, a super portable keyboard for your iPad, and a an AI-powered bicycle light in an all-new Under Review! And, in honor and remembrance of Steve Jobs, we conclude with one of his greatest keynotes. This episode supported by Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace / @bst3r The Governor’s Lounge awaits you, in The CultClub http://discord.gg/aKfta89 iOS 12.1 beta fixes reported iPhone charging problems https://www.cultofmac.com/580852/ios-12-1-beta-charging-problems-fix/ What is charge gate? Well, some, but not all, iOS 12 users have complained that their iPhone or iPad won’t begin charging if it’s in sleep mode when a Lightning cable is plugged in. The charging issue doesn’t occur if the device is awake when the cable is plugged in. It only crops up when a phone or tablet’s screen is off. Well this blew up this week when Tim Cook’s arch nemesis Lewis Hilsenteger, aka Unbox Therapy popularized the issue with a new video on his Youtube channel, titled: “iPhone XS has a serious problem” But it turns out, the problem seems to be not so serious, as Apple has already introduced a new beta of iOS 12.1 that appears to fix the issue. So if you’re experiencing the issue and want to solve it right now, install iOS 12.1 beta 2. Otherwise you could be waiting weeks until this 12.1 gets a final release. “Gates’ should be limited to hardware issues! Tim Cook talks privacy, Alex Jones and China in new interview https://www.cultofmac.com/580798/tim-cook-talks-privacy-alex-jones-and-china-in-new-interview/#more-580798 Appearing on VICE News Tonight on HBO, Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked if Apple’s stance on privacy is hurting Siri from becoming more com

Send us a text!This week: BeautyGate—what it is, and why it’s undoubtedly the dumbest “gate” in the history of iPhone. Plus: how have we liked our one week with Apple Watch 4 and iPhone XS? WE’LL TELL YOU. And the shockingly low production price of the XS Max proves the deadbeats at Apple owe us more storage space! This episode supported by A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters… go to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace /@bst3r Imagine a place where you can slip into your silk robe, fez, and enjoy the company and fellowship of other CultCast listeners and tech enthusiasts. A club, if you will. A Cult Club. https://discord.gg/DbKApv iPhone XS Max: A condensed review https://www.cultofmac.com/579035/iphone-xs-max-review-condensed/ iPhone XS Max is fast, fast, fast Everything is very fast and responsive. Apps spring right open. Photos scroll without delay. Maps render without a hiccup. Everything is basically instantaneous, and it’s a joy. It’s all thanks to the A12 Bionic chip. Apple is so far ahead in mobile chips, it’s head-spinning. One benchmark shows the iPhone XS is faster than the new iMac Pro, a $5,000-plus pro workstation! It’s definitely not too big For such big phone, it doesn’t feel too big. Having used an X all last year, and liking it, I thought the Max would be too big. But it doesn’t feel as big as the old Plus iPhones used to iPhone XS Max camera The camera is excellent Especially the new Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control. The Max is less a phone, and more an advanced, near-DSLR camera with a cellular connection. The big screen is amazing The screen is so big and clear, there’s no need to take your laptop or iPad on flights any more. The Max will do nicely. It deserves to be caseless Despite dropping my old iPhone X numerous times, it has just a few scuffs and no cracked screen (it was, however, often in a case). But this time, because the Max is so thin, I’m going to try it caseless for a while. I’d like to enjoy Apple’s design for a change, without a bulky wrapping. (I know; I may regret this later.) iPhone XS selfie cam is so beautiful it spawned an ugly conspiracy theory https://www.cultofmac.com/579503/iphone-selfies-xs/ The iPhone XS and its front-facing camera are supposed to help its owners make better self-p

Send us a text!This week: is iPhone Xs the worst Apple "s" phone of all time? We’ll compare Xs to Apple’s other “s” releases. Plus: we’ll run through what the early reviewers are saying about iPhone Xs and Apple Watch 4, and which one Apple Watch feature is giving people a serious case of FOMO. And a leaked detail in iOS 12.1 all but confirms a new iPad event this fall—we’ll tell you what we know. This episode supported by Casper makes the internet’s favorite mattress. Learn why at Casper.com/cultcast, and use code "CultCast" at checkout for $50 off select mattress purchases. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace iPhone 3GS = drastically faster data iPhone 4S = Siri iPhone 5S = Touch ID iPhone 6S = 3D Touch iPhone 10s = ? First iPhone XS and XS Max reviews: Great phone, but not revolutionary https://www.cultofmac.com/577203/first-iphone-xs-and-xs-max-reviews-great-phone-but-not-revolutionary/ Early reviews for the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max have already come in and while most of the people that have tested the new device are impresssed, this years models aren’t as big a leap as the iPhone X. FaceID Panzarino for Techrunch: “As far as Face ID goes, there has been no perceivable difference for me in speed or number of positives… There is also supposed to be improvements in off-angle recognition of your face, say when lying down or when your phone is flat on a desk. I tried a lot of different positions here and could never really definitively say that iPhone XS was better in this regardit… it very likely takes training time to get it near the confidence levels that my iPhone X has stored away.” Battery Life Nilay Patel for The Verge: "I got a full 12 hours of battery life out of the XS Max without low power mode, and that’s even under my heavy daily use. The smaller XS is rated to get 30 minutes more than the X, which has run for about 8 hours for me this past year. It’s solid." XS Max Screen is glorious NYT: "The XS Max screen was so good-looking that I wanted to keep reading articles and looking at photos on Instagram. When I used Apple’s new Screen Time feature to monitor my use of each device, I discovered that I spent an average of roughly five and a half hours a day on the XS Max, two hours more than on the XS.” LTE is noticeably faster “On the test Verizon account I used, iPhone XS delivers. I got download speeds of 250 Mbps in New Jersey, versus 170 Mbps using the same SIM in the iPhone X. The camera has some impressive improvements In his comprehensive review of

Send us a text!This week: hot off the heels of Apple’s keynote, it’s our unfiltered Gather Round event reactions! We'll tell you what we think about iPhone Xs, Xs Max, iPhone Xr, and the new Apple Watch 4. Plus: is it worth upgrading from X to Xs? We discuss that and all the products that were noticeably missing from today’s festivities. This episode supported by Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace / @bst3r

Send us a text!With over a hundred thousand attendees, the Penny Arcade Expo is one of the largest video game conventions in the world, and it all started in Seattle, Washington. Hot off the heels of PAX 2018, Erfon sits across his good friend, The Amazing Aaron Hughes, to discuss the state of Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo, their favorite games and spectacles from the event, and how FORNITE and PUBG have changed the face of gaming.

Send us a text!This week: get ready for the iPhone MAX! Plus: rumors indicate Apple’s new iPhones will receive a serious price cut; Apple is working on the one feature the  Watch desperately needs; and Leander reveals Apple’s secret sauce—the design and creative processes Cupertino has developed over the years that have helped them create some of the world’s most iconic products. This episode supported by Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters… go to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace Possible new name for the 6.5-inch iPhone takes it to the Max https://www.cultofmac.com/573591/possible-new-name-for-the-6-5-inch-iphone-takes-it-to-the-max/ Apple’s marketing team has reportedly been considering losing the Plus suffix that has been used on the largest models since the iPhone 6 Plus came out in 2014 We’ve already head reports that Apple is going to ditch the “Plus” description for its larger iPhones. Now there’s word that the replacement term could be “Max.” If true, this means that the company will announce a week from today the iPhone Xs with a 5.8-inch display and the iPhone Xs Max with a 6.5-inch one. 2018 iPhones could cost just the same as the 2017 models https://www.cultofmac.com/573625/2018-iphone-prices-xs-plus-max/ With most of the specifications of the 2018 iPhones already known, the largest remaining question is price. A report from the German website Macerkoff, who starts by pointing out that the iPhone 8 costs €799, the iPhone 8 Plus sells for €909, and the iPhone X is €1149. Citing two different sources, the site says the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone expected to be announced next week will cost €799, the 5.8-inch replacement for the iPhone X will be €909, and the 6.5-inch OLED device sell for €1149. If that assumption is correct, the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will be $699, the speed-bumped 5.8-inch iPhone X will be $799, and the the 6.5-inch OLED model will be $999. Apple Watch could get always-on display mode https://www.cultofmac.com/573027/apple-watch-always-on-display/ Apple is developing an always-on display mode for Apple Watch, a new patent application reveals. The feature would give u

Send us a text!This week: hours after Apple sends out their iPhone event invites, a BIG leak reveals what they have in store. Plus: all our hardware expectations for Apple’s upcoming keynote; Erfon’s first impressions of his new 2018 MacBook Pro, how to get the best discounts, and how to score a free extended warranty. This episode supported by Campaign Monitor gives you everything you need to run beautifully-designed, professional email marketing campaigns to grow your business. No wonder it’s used by more than 250,000 businesses, worldwide. To start building smart and beautiful email newsletters today, try Campaign Monitor for free at campaignmonitor.com The Cult of Mac watch store has the best straps in the biz! Check out the huge Labor Day sale with savings up to 50% at http://store.cultofmac.com. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney Confirmed: Apple sends out invites for Sept. 12 iPhone event https://www.cultofmac.com/572637/apple-iphone-event-sept-12/ The "Gather Round" event invites have been sent out. Apple’s big fall event will take place at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park on September 12. The keynote will start at 10 a.m. PT, during which we expect to see the new iPhone lineup, an Apple Watch Series 4, major improvements to iPad Pro, and more. Apple Watch Series 4 revealed — massive display, dense watch face, more https://9to5mac.com/2018/08/30/exclusive-apple-watch-series-4/ This is ‘iPhone XS’ — design, larger version, and gold colors confirmed https://9to5mac.com/2018/08/30/2018-iphone-xs-design-larger-version-gold-exclusive/

Send us a text!Better late than never! With Erfon and Buster out, Lewis and Leander take the reigns of their very first CultCast to discuss the week's best Apple stories! Ladies and gentlemen, this is one for the record books. This is last week's episode come late. We'll have another new episode out this week.

Send us a text!This week: Alex Jones and free speech, part 2. Plus: Ming-Chi Kuo says the Apple car is real, and you can drive it off the lot 2023. And stay tuned for our most loved tech! We’ll discuss the gadgets and apps we can’t be without. This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Campaign Monitor gives you everything you need to run beautifully-designed, professional email marketing campaigns to grow your business. No wonder it’s used by more than 250,000 businesses, worldwide. To start building smart and beautiful email newsletters today, try Campaign Monitor for free at campaignmonitor.com CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeod for the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace / @bst3r Kuo: Apple to Launch Apple Car in 2023 to 2025 https://www.macrumors.com/2018/08/14/ming-chi-kuo-apple-car-2023/ According to Kuo, Apple will launch an Apple Car sometime between 2023 and 2025. He said this is a recent note to investors: "We expect that Apple Car, which will likely be launched in 2023–2025, will be the next star product. The reasons for this are as follows: (1) Potentially huge replacement demands are emerging in the auto sector because it is being redefined by new technologies. (2) Apple’s leading technology advantages (like AR) would redefine cars and differentiate Apple Car from peers’ products (3) Apple’s service will grow significantly by entering the huge car finance market via Apple Car, and (4) Apple can do a better integration of hardware, software, and service than current competitors We may finally know AirPower Mat price https://www.cultofmac.com/569989/we-may-finally-know-airpower-price/ The long-awaited launch of Apple’s AirPower wireless charging pad may coincide with the launch of the 2018 iPhone lineup. Based on a new report out of Asia, Apple engineers are in the debugging phase of the AirPower rollout. The product may not launch on the exact same day as the 2018 iPhones, but a Chinese site claims to know the planned price. And it’s not going to be cheap. Though a previous rumor claimed the price could hit $200, Apple will reportedly charge $149 for the AirPower charging mat, according to Chongdiantou. Overheating issues have allegedly caused delays with the Apple charging pad Our most-loved gadgets! Anker Powerhouse https://amzn.to/2leoxlP Parrot Zik 3 headphones

Send us a text!This week: Apple wipes the Infowars podcast from iTunes, but should they be getting involved in the censorship game? Plus: we look at the new gadgets announced at Samsung’s unpacked event; and we discuss some of the biggest TV news of the decade in an all-new Under Review! This episode supported by A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters… go to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. Casper makes the internet’s favorite mattress. Learn why at Casper.com/cultcast, and use code "CultCast" at checkout for $50 off select mattress purchases. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeod for the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace EU may force iPhone to switch from Lightning to USB https://www.cultofmac.com/568215/eu-may-force-iphone-to-switch-from-lightning-to-usb/ EU regulators are considering whether they need to force a common standard for phone chargers. The idea is to cut down on the 51,000 tons of old chargers and cables thrown away each year. Way back in 2009, the European Commission pressured Apple and 13 other companies to work toward a common charging standard by 2011. All the other signatories gave up their proprietary plugs and switched to USB. Apple switched to lightning, their own proprietary port. Accordingly to Reuters, that didn't satisfy that EU Commissioner of Competition, and now the commission is launching an impact assessment study to evaluate costs and benefits of different other options, the other option being forcing Apple to adopt USB on the devices. Apple removes InfoWars and Alex Jones podcasts https://www.cultofmac.com/567935/apple-removes-infowars-and-alex-jones-podcasts/ Apple has removed the entire back catalog for five InfoWars’ six podcasts on iTunes and its Podcasts app. One of these shows is the daily “War Room” show hosted by owner and radio host Alex Jones. Shortly thereafter, Facebook removed InfoWars page, YouTube removed their channel, Pinterest pin boards, Linked In removed the InfoWars page, Mail Chimp refuses to send their emails, and website comment host Disqus has given them the boot. "Consistent with our existing policies, we take action against accounts that repeatedly save content that could lead to harm," a Pinterest spokesperson said in an email statement. Samsung preps rivals for Apple Watch and HomePod https://www.cultofmac.com/568965/samsung-galaxy-watch-home-apple-homepod/ What we’re into! The Orville

Send us a text!This week: Is the i9 MacBook Pro a total ripoff? One YouTube reviewer says yes, and his tests are convincing. We’ll fill you in. Plus: the journey to a trillion! How did Apple become the most valuable company on earth? We discuss, and remember the company's troubled history. And stay tuned for the sad decline of MoviePass. Is the troubled movie service still worth it? This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace i9 Macbook Pro - Apple's biggest RIPOFF! - erfon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSvfEhdNT4s&frags=pl%2Cwn YouTuber Max Yuryev pitted the 2.2Ghz and 2.6Ghz i7 MacBook Pros against the the 2.9GHz i9, and the results aren’t great. These are the tests I’ve been waiting for. in his Cinebench test, he found the i9 beat the i7 by only 2 percent, averaging only 3.15Ghz, while both the 2.2Ghz and 2.6Ghz i7’s both averaged 3.05 Ghz. And in test after test, he showed that the i9 rarely performs better than the 2.6Ghz i7. Why? It seems like it comes down to heat. Even with the patch, the MBP struggles to keep the i9 cool enough to keep it in turbo mode, and sometimes it’s even not cool enough to run at base clock. For example: In his Red Raven 4.5K Raw rendering test, he noticed that the 2.2Ghz i7 ran about 500Mhz over base clock speed, the 2.7 ran about 200Mhz over base, and the 2.9 ran about 500Mhz below base clock. He noted that the GPU and CPU use the same cooler, so if you’re pushing the GPU, like many rendering apps do, the CPU won’t be cooled as well, so can end up throttling more than you’d want. So what does all these mean? It doesn’t seem to make sense to pay extra for the i9. It matches or barely beats the 2.6Ghz in many tests, and sometimes can’t even beat the 2.2Ghz i7. A better value, and bigger a bottle neck in the 2018 MBP isn’t the CPU, it’s the GPU. The base MBP comes with a 555X Radeon GPU, whereas the premium 2.7Ghz i7 and 2.9Ghz i9 models come with a Radeon 560X, and that’s what made the biggest difference in his tests. My thoughts, go with the 2.7Ghz i7, the 560X GPU, and use the i9 money you save for extra SSD space. The biggest takeaways from Apple’s dominant Q3 earnings results https://www.cultofmac.com/566691/the-biggest-takeaways-from-apples-dominant-q3-earnings-results/ Apple beat Wall Street’s expectations today with its Q3 2018 e

Send us a text!This week: Apple has issued a patch that significantly increases performance for all 2018 MacBook Pros, but there's one glaring problem it doesn't fix... Plus, we talk new HomePod features from iOS 12 beta, and we wrap up with your emails! This episode supported by The Cult of Mac watch store offered a curated collection of beautiful Apple Watch bands at prices far lower than what Apple charges. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace / @bst3r Consumer Reports says MacBook Pro thermal throttling is a feature not a bug https://www.cultofmac.com/564741/macbook-pro-thermal-throttling-consumer-reports/ Consumer Reports came to the Apple's defense this week. The consumer-testing organization points out that other laptops with top-tier processors are also subject to thermal throttling. “Most processors have had this capability built in for years,” says Richard Fisco, an electronics testing program leader at Consumer Reports. “I would rather have the system throttle and take a lot longer to do things than just let itself get fried.” They recommend a desktop “If you absolutely need bleeding-fast speed — perhaps you’re a programmer who regularly compiles large applications or someone who edits huge amounts of high-resolution video — a high-end desktop may be a better bet than a souped-up laptop,” wrote Consumer Reports. Apple issues thermal throttling fix for 2018 MacBook Pros https://www.cultofmac.com/564973/macbook-pro-thermal-throttling-fix-macos-high-sierra/ Apple saw Dave Lee’s video, and worked with him to figure out what was going on. Turns out, a major part of the problem was actually a big in the firmware, which was preventing the fans from coming as often or as high as they should. “Following extensive performance testing under numerous workloads, we’ve identified that there is a missing digital key in the firmware that impacts the thermal management system and could drive clock speeds down under heavy thermal loads on the new MacBook Pro. A bug fix is included in today’s macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 Supplemental Update and is recommended" Apple went on to say this should result in better performance for every version of the new MacBook Pro, even i7 models. Core i9 MacBook Pro - After the Patch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTguywiC9aw Dave confirmed that now, MBP fans actually come on, which increased performance on the i9 to the save level achieved with the MBP in the freezer. In his tests, the 2018 i9 model is now 30-35% faster than the 2017 i7 model. It seem

Send us a text!This week: The 2018 MacBook Pro is both a beauty AND a beast. In fact, it's one of the most exciting MBP refreshes in years. The benchmarks are in and they’re impressive. A popular tech reviewer warns that the i9 processor upgrade in the MBP has a major flaw, and his video proof is compelling. We’ll fill you in. We also bring back Matthew Taylor, creator of the very popular butterfly keyboard recall petition, now with over 32,000 signatures, to have a frank discussion on the state of the 2018 MBP keyboard. Has Apple fixed the issues plaguing their butterfly key design? And stay tuned for a strange new HomeKit controller and the best insulated water bottle on the market in an all-new Under Review! This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace 2018 MacBook Pro performance shows dramatic improvement https://www.cultofmac.com/562621/2018-macbook-pro-performance-geekbench-scores-benchmark/ The 15- and 13-inch MacBook Pro models launching this week boast significantly faster processors. Tests with the Geekbench benchmarking tool show speed increases as high as 86 percent. The improvements come from faster Turbo Burst frequencies and more processor cores. “For the 15-inch models, single-core performance is up 12-15%, and multi-core performance is up 39-46% “For the 13-inch models, single-core performance is up 3%-11%, and multi-core performance is up 81%-86% 2018 MacBook Pro review roundup: Apple unleashes a speed demon https://www.cultofmac.com/562925/2018-macbook-pro-review-roundup/ Majorly faster CPU Much faster SSDs Faster DD4 RAM CPU: John Poole from Geekbench: “The 2018 MacBook Pro is the most substantial upgrade (at least regarding performance) since the introduction of the quad-core processors in 2011 MacBook Pro,” Photography Austin Mann did to covert a 4K Mavic Pro video file to 1080p H.265 (HEVC) using QuickTime Player. 2013 MBP with 16GB RAM = 33 minutes Maxed out 2016 MBP = 99 seconds Maxed out 2018 MBP = 24 seconds SSD Laptop Mag: “It’s rare that I don’t believe the results comin

Send us a text!This week: it’s the best update in YEARS. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about Apple’s very powerful new MacBook Pros. Plus: new Mac Minis are on the way; Ming-Chi Kuo confirms Apple’s about to update their entire product line; how Coke-heads use Apple watch to maximize their high; and we talk Killer Whale attacks, port wines, and the story of Saturday Night Live's world renowned sax player on an all-new Under Review. This episode supported by The Cult of Mac watch store has the best straps in the biz! Check out the huge Black Friday sale with savings up to 50% at http://store.cultofmac.com. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeod for the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace / @lkahney Apple updates MacBook Pros with 8th gen Intel Coffee Lake CPUs and ”quieter” keyboards 13” gets 4 cores 15” get six cores with options i7s on both machines with faster i9 chip available on 15” Apple says that the 15-inch model will have a 70 percent performance increase, and the 13-inch model should double in speed. Keyboards have been made quieter, but Apple told The Verge that this 3rd gen keyboard has not been designed to alleviate the issues they say are only affecting a “tiny portion” of buyers 32GB RAM and 4TB SSD option now available on 15” model for a mere $6700 Both models come with True Tone displays, which allows the screen to change its color temperature based on the color temperature of the room. Interestingly, the Touch Bar will also support True Tone These will also be Apple’s first laptops to support “Hey Siri” New Mac mini and cheaper MacBook might finally land this fall https://www.cultofmac.com/561703/mac-mini-2018/ Ming Chi Kuo has basically just confirmed what I’ve been saying the last couple of weeks: Apple is about to drop an orgasmic amount of updated hardware products on us. Yes, according to Kuo’s new report, Apple is getting ready to update almost their entire hardware line. iPhone - There are three iPhones in the works, two OLED models in 5.8 and 6.5-inch sizes and one lower-cost LED model that will be available in a 6.1-inch size. All three will feature Face ID and upgraded A12 processors. While the two OLED models will have dual-lens cameras, the lower-cost model will feature a single-lens camera. iPad Pro - Apple is working on two new 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models that are equipped with a full-screen design similar to the iPhone X and no Home button, with Apple to replace Touch ID with Face ID. Mac mini - Kuo didn't have a lot of information to share on this one, but he did say a processor upgrade is expected. He did not say if additional upgrades would be included, like as a redesigned body. It’s been over 3 and a half years since the Mac Mini was updated, and they’re still charging ful

Send us a text!This week: New evidence just today that Apple has a big Mac refresh right around the corner. MacBook Pro is about to get the new feature we’ve all been wanting. Apple is rebuilding their maps app from the ground up, and it looks magnificent. Erfon visited Apple’s new Seattle flagship store it was STUNNING. We pitch a wood-wrapped iPhone case, waterproof camping lights, and a great new reading app an all-new Under Review! This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Act quick! Until July 9th, you can save up to $245 on one of Casper’s American-made award-winning mattresses, at Casper.com/savings. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace / @bst3r Apple paves the way for new iPads and Macs to arrive in Europe https://www.cultofmac.com/559755/new-ipad-mac-europe/ Apple has this week registered new iPads and Macs with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). The filings hint that a big refresh could be just around the corner. Five new Macs with the model numbers has been registered with the commission. Looking at the model numbers it looks like three of the machines will be MBPs, and then one will be a MBA and A MB. There are five iPad model numbers, too, meaning we’ll likely be seeing an iPad Pro refresh very soon. What’s particularly interesting about the filings is that the Apple lists macOS 10.13 and iOS 11 as the software for these devices, which suggests it might be planning to launch them before macOS Mojave and iOS 12 ‘Coffee Lake’ chips could give 2018 MacBook Pro a jolt https://www.cultofmac.com/559433/2018-macbook-pro-performance-specifications-coffee-lake/ Apple may soon be planning to upgrade the MacBook Pro line to the latest generation of Intel processors. Benchmarks for a macOS laptop running a “Coffee Lake” chip showed up on Geekbench. Why’s that exciting? More cores and a huge 40-50% increase in multitasking performance. If this isn’t a fake, what’s interesting is the machine tested was likely a 13” MBP, but its processor had 4 cores (8 with hyper threading) instead of just two (what current 13” MBPs have) This would probably also mean the 15 would have SIX cores. Apple is rebuilding Maps from the ground up

Send us a text! This week: Apple plans new, improved AirPods, HomePod and over-ear headphones; Apple finally acknowledges its new MacBook keyboards suck, and they’re going to make it right; a top Apple analyst drops a bunch of details on Apple’s 2018 product pipeline; and Apple is tries to solve a fascinating issue with autonomous vehicles. This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Print postage from your office and take advantage of special shipping discounts at pb.com/cultcast, and beat the postage rate increase with exclusive discounts on letters. Plans start at just $5 a month! CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r Apple finally acknowledges its new MacBook keyboards suck https://www.cultofmac.com/557431/apple-finally-acknowledges-its-new-macbook-keyboards/ The butterfly keyboards on the new MacBook and MacBook Pro are officially defective. After months of outcry from angry customers, Apple has finally acknowledged that the new keyboards have some serious problems. The company says the issues are limited to a small percentage of MacBooks, but its offering free repairs. Apple plans new, improved AirPods, HomePod and over-ear headphones https://www.cultofmac.com/557567/apple-plans-new-improved-airpods-homepod-and-over-ear-headphones/ Bloomberg has a new report out that says we could have some exciting new Apple audio products in 2019. Top Apple analyst drops a ton of details on Apple’s 2018 product pipeline https://www.cultofmac.com/557883/2018-apple-product-roadmap-revealed/

Send us a text!This week: It’s been over a year since Apple has updated virtually any of their Macs. Just what in the heck in going on? Why all your online purchases will soon be taxed Instagram takes on YouTube with new IGTV app MoviePass is about to change for the worse. AGAIN. America’s largest theater chain just put the final nails in the MoviePass coffin And things get weird in an all-new what we’re into! This episode supported by A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters… go to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. Whether you’re looking to learn something new or just sharpen your skills, Udemy has over 65,000 courses starting at just 11.99. Visit Ude.my/CULTCASTor download the Udemy app to learn anytime, anywhere. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Print postage from your office and take advantage of special shipping discounts at pb.com/cultcast, and beat the postage rate increase with exclusive discounts on letters. Plans start at just $5 a month! Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r Supreme Court Kills Quill, Gives States More Authority To Collect Sales Tax https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2018/06/21/supreme-court-kills-quill-gives-states-more-authority-to-collect-sales-tax/#5259f8dc3994 It’s a sad day for US. It’s the end of an era. The end of tax-free shopping online. In 1992 the supreme court that a state couldn’t force an online retailer to collect sales tax for them if the retailer didn’t have a physical presence in that state. Today, they reversed that decision What does that mean? Well, it means that you state will undoubtedly begin forcing online retailers to charge you sales tax on all your online orders. If you have a big purchase to make, I’d do it this summer. On The Sad State of Macintosh Hardware https://weblog.rogueamoeba.com/2018/06/14/on-the-sad-state-of-macintosh-hardware/ Rogue Amoeba developer Quentin Carnicelli posted this week on the company’s blog about his frustration with Apple’s continued neglect of the Mac. "At the time of the writing, with the exception of the $5,000 iMac Pro, no Macintosh has been updated at all in the past year.” Instagram takes on YouTube with new IGTV app https://www.cultofmac.com/556779/instagram-launches-

Send us a text!This week: the hidden iOS 12 features you need to know about! Plus, in an all-new Under Review, we’ll tell you about one hecka good portable mouse, a pair of earphones that give you supersonic hearing, the king of all power banks, and a beautiful new wireless charger you’ll be proud to set your phone upon. This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. The single-router wifi model just doesn’t work for our increasingly high-bandwidth world. The EEROdistributed system will blanket your home in hyper-fast, reliable WiFi, and you can score free overnight shipping with code "CultCast" at checkout. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeod for the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace / @bst3r iOS 12 UI tweaks let you interact with apps as they’re opening - buster https://www.cultofmac.com/554711/ios-12-ui-tweaks-let-you/ Your phone is always available to answer to your input. No more waiting for animations to finish. You can launch an app and start scrolling within the app even before it fills the screen. You can launch an app and then dismiss it even before the app has fully opened. You can close and app and instantly open another app from the home screen before the closing animation has finished, The best iOS 12 features Apple didn’t mention https://www.cultofmac.com/553125/all-the-ios-12-features-apple-didnt-mention/ Police across the country are purchasing a tool called GrayKey. When hooked to an iPhone’s Lightning port, this swiftly enters thousands of passcodes until the correct one is reached. But just-released beta of iOS 12 can be set to partially deactivate the Lightning port after an iPhone hasn’t been used for an hour. iOS 12 makes iPhones immune to ‘brute force’ unlocking https://www.cultofmac.com/552919/iphone-unlocking-blocked-ios-12/ Under Review Logitech MX Anywhere 2S wireless mouse https://amzn.to/2lcKtOs Spigen Essential F306W https://www.spigen.com/products/essential-f301w-ip

Send us a text!This week: It’s our WWDC 2018 reactions! Plus—our picks for the best new features announced at the keynote. This episode supported by Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them. Learn why and get $50 towards any mattress at Casper.com/cultcast. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters… go to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace All the important new stuff Apple revealed at WWDC 2018 https://www.cultofmac.com/552775/apple-wwdc-2018-keynote-takeaways/ Speed through the WWDC 2018 keynote with sketchnotes https://www.cultofmac.com/552845/apple-wwdc-2018-sketchnotes/ It is always exciting to capture the WWDC keynote in sketchnotes, and this year we filled up four pages with drawings showcasing the biggest new features coming in iOS 12, macOS Mojave and watchOS 5. iOS 12 definitely speeds up your iPhone https://www.cultofmac.com/553599/ios-12-performance-improvements/ Side-by-side comparisons between iOS 12 beta 1 and version 11.4 show clear speed improvements. Apple’s Craig Federighi explains how iOS apps will work on macOS https://www.cultofmac.com/553127/apples-craig-federighi-explains-how-ios-apps-will-work-on-macos/ How iOS 12’s smartest features put users firmly back in control https://www.cultofmac.com/553009/how-ios-12s-smartest-features-put-users-firmly-back-in-control/ If any other company had introduced Screen Time, the new system-wide toolset for limiting phone distractions, then it would (rightly) be dismissed as a gimmick, a sop to the increasing worries about phone addiction. But as is typical of Apple, Screen Time looks like it took a lot of work to get just right. iOS 12 makes iPhones immune to ‘brute force’ unlocking https://www.cultofmac.com/552919/iphone-unlocking-blocked-ios-12/ The just-released beta of iOS 12 can be set to partially deactivate the Lightning port after an iPhone hasn’t been used for an hour. This is a clear attempt to make useless the unlocking tools employed by law enforcement (or thieves). Face ID in iOS 12 recognizes two different faces

Send us a text!This week: It’s been a tight ship over there at Apple, so for the first time in a long time, we know almost nothing about what will be announced at an Apple Keynote. But we think there’s a good case for new hardware come Monday, and we’ll tell you why. Plus, we’ll tell you everything we think we know about iOS 12. And stick around for our ears-on, gaping-jaw review of two HomePods in stereo mode. This episode supported by Whether you’re looking to learn something new or just sharpen your skills, Udemy has over 65,000 courses starting at just 11.99. Visit Ude.my/CULTCASTor download the Udemy app to learn anytime, anywhere. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace / @bst3r Apple delays big new iOS features to focus on stability in 2018 https://www.cultofmac.com/526181/apple-delays-big-new-ios-features-to-focus-on-stability-in-2018/ “Apple has shaken up its iOS software plans for 2018, delaying some features to next year in an effort to put more focus on addressing performance and quality issues,” reporter Ina Fried writes for Axios. Cheaper HomePod, smarter Siri predicted for WWDC https://www.cultofmac.com/551137/cheaper-homepod-smarter-siri-predicted-for-wwdc/ Apple will introduce a Beat-branded $250 HomePod smart speaker at WWDC, predicts Apple analyst Gene Munster. “The knock on HomePod is its $349 price is about 2-3x the price of a typical smart speaker,” Munster writes. “We believe Apple can advance its digital assistant ambitions with a $250 Beats-branded option that does not compromise HomePod’s $349 price point.” iOS 11.4 Launches Today With AirPlay 2 and Messages in iCloud, HomePod Gets Multi-Room Audio, Stereo Pairing https://www.macrumors.com/2018/05/29/ios-11-4-with-airplay-2-releases-today/ iOS 11.4 finally brings HomePod stereo pairs and AirPlay 2 https://www.cultofmac.com/550985/ios-11-4-finally-brings-homepod-stereo-pairs-and-airplay-2/ iOS 11.4 is finally here, bringing AirPlay 2’s multi-room audio capabilities as well as the long-awaited ability to use two HomePods in stereo. Apple also said the HomePod will arrive in Canada, France and Germany by June 18. The speaker is currently available in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Using HomePod as TV speakers Ears-on review: Stereo HomePods will blow you away

Send us a text!This week: The press passes are out, the WWDC keynote is around the corner. We gotta talk about it and we’ll tell a new way you can watch it live. New details out this week show the Apple car has taken yet another sad and disappointing turn. We’ll you where it’s at now. It’s the 12 year anniversary of one of Apple’s best creations—we remember Apple’s incredible Get a Mac ads. And thoroughly embarrass our ourselves in an all-new Get To Know Ur Cultist. This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. The single-router wifi model just doesn’t work for our increasingly high-bandwidth world. The EEROdistributed system will blanket your home in hyper-fast, reliable WiFi, and you can score free overnight shipping with code "CultCast" at checkout. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lewiswallace Apple confirms WWDC 2018 keynote livestream https://www.cultofmac.com/549805/apple-confirms-wwdc-2018-keynote-livestream/ Press invites for the June 4 keynote were sent out today. And guess what? Cult of Mac is on this year’s guest list, so we’ll be live blogging all of the action from ground zero at the San Jose convention center. For the rest of you shlubs, Apple will give you a front row seat to the keynote on June 4th. WWDC 2018 is expected to include the unveiling of iOS 12, macOS 10.14, tvOS 12 and watchOS 5. Other rumors have suggested that Apple may unveil new hardware such as new MacBook Pros, or possibly an iPhone SE 2. WWDC livestream will support Chrome and Firefox this year https://www.cultofmac.com/549965/wwdc-livestream-will-support-chrome-and-firefox-this-year/ As always, you’ll be able to watch it using Apple’s Safari browser, the WWDC app or Apple TV. However, for the first time Apple is also supporting Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. But does this mean you’ll be able to watch the stream on PC? Unsure. Apple teams with VW for self-driving bus project https://www.cultofmac.com/550185/apple-teams-with-vw-for-self-driving-bus-project/ Apple originally began its car project — known internally as Titan and T172 — in 2014. At the time, Apple planned to build a single vehicle that would upend society and industry, in what would be the automotive version of the iPhone. The company set

Send us a text!Don’t buy any new MacBook Pro until you hear this episode—seriously. There are growing reports, tons of complaints, and a new petition claiming the butterfly keyboard in the new MacBook Pro has a critical design flaw that can’t be fixed. This episode we explore the issue with Matthew Taylor, creator of the keyboard recall petition, who tells us what’s going wrong with Apple’s butterfly keyboard, why it can’t be fixed, and why almost 30,000 people are demanding it be recalled. And stick around for a innovative new iPhone gimbal, a very cool throwback iPhone case, and the perfect green screen for your Twitch or Youtube streams in an all-new Under Review. This episode supported by Whether you’re looking to learn something new or just sharpen your skills, Udemy has over 65,000 courses starting at just 11.99. Visit Ude.my/CULTCASTor download the Udemy app to learn anytime, anywhere. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace / @bst3r MacBook butterfly keyboard problems spawn recall petition [Update] https://www.cultofmac.com/545441/macbook-butterfly-keyboard-problems-recall-petition/ The butterfly keyboard in recent MacBooks draws frequent complaints. And these have now escalated to the point where an online petition is requesting that Apple recall every MacBook Pro released since 2016. The “butterfly” name comes from the shape of each key’s internal mechanism. In the 2015 MacBook, Apple replaced the old scissor design with one reminiscent of a butterfly. It’s supposed to more evenly distribute the pressure from tapping on the keys. As mentioned, it’s also 40 percent thinner. Jason Snell: “Apple’s relative silence on this issue for existing customers is deafening. If these problems are remotely as common as they seem to be, this is an altogether defective product that should be recalled.” John Gruber: “This keyboard has to be one of the biggest design screwups in Apple history. Everyone who buys a MacBook depends upon the keyboard and this keyboard is undependable.” Marco Arment: “Butterfly keyswitches are a design failure…. they are fatally unreliable.” Casey Neistat: Pic on twitter with caption: what am i supposed to do when the space bar stops working. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING WITH THIS FCKING KEYBOARD Apple’s ‘butterfly’ MacBook keyboard problems bring class action lawsuit https://www.cultofmac.com/547643/macbook-lawsuit-butterfly-keyboard-class-action/ A lawsuit filed in federal court claims that the keyboard used in all the MacBook Pros and MacBoo

Send us a text!This week: Apple is secretly building a TV empire Google’s new AI assistant has a feature you have to see to believe Financial filings show MoviePass’s time is running out Our favorite lesser-known iOS and Mac apps And… why do men have nipples? We answer your most burning questions in an all-new CultCast QnA 🔥 On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace This episode supported by Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them. Learn why and get $50 towards any mattress at Casper.com/cultcast. The single-router wifi model just doesn’t work for our increasingly high-bandwidth world. The EEROdistributed system will blanket your home in hyper-fast, reliable WiFi, and you can score free overnight shipping with code "CultCast" at checkout. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show. All the important stuff revealed at Google I/O https://www.cultofmac.com/546807/all-the-important-stuff-revealed-at-google-i-o/ An updated version of Google Maps aims to keep you in-the-know about what’s going on around you. There’s a new tab called “For You” that’s designed to tell you about events in neighborhoods you care about. You can now hold your phone up to the world in front of you and Maps will overlay walking directions that make finding your way around a new city easier. A very human-sounding Google Assistant made a call on behalf of it’s owner to book a haircut, and the result was was magical as it was creepy. The most impressive thing was that the person on the receiving end of the call didn’t seem to suspect they were talking to an AI Every single TV series Apple is currently making https://www.cultofmac.com/542653/every-single-tv-show-apple-is-making/ After going on a spending spree in Hollywood the last eight months, Apple appears to be poised to make a huge push into original content. Apple has 13 shows in development. Today’s SEC filing suggests MoviePass’ time is running out https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/8/17332188/moviepass-helios-and-matheson-sec-stock-price The future doesn’t look promising for MovePass According to a recent financial filing, the company has spent an average of $21.7 million per month for the stretch between October 2017 through April 2018, but as of April 30th, MoviePass has just $15.5 million in cash Apple ‘cash machine’ puts profits ahead of innovation https://www.cultofmac.com/547009/ap

Send us a text!This week’s very HOT stories: Analysts were wrong—iPhone X is a massive hit The death of 3D Touch starts with 2018 iPhone The world’s most famous Apple analyst may no longer be reporting on Apple Apple’s AirPort router lineup is officially dead And we pitch you our favorite shows, movies, and vodka in an all-new Under Review! This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lewiswallace Apple’s AirPort router lineup is officially dead https://www.cultofmac.com/544371/apples-airport-router-lineup-is-officially-dead/ Apple introduced the AirPort lineup back in 2003 when it was starting to ride the high from the original iPod Apple decided to finally put the nail in the coffin for its lineup of AirPort routers that haven’t been updated in years. Statement: “We’re discontinuing the Apple AirPort base station products. They will be available through Apple.com, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers while supplies last.” Analysts were wrong: iPhone X is a massive hit https://www.cultofmac.com/545233/5-big-revelations-from-apples-surprising-q2-earnings-call/ Apple blew analysts’ expectations out of the water this afternoon with its historic Q2 2018 earnings report that saw the company post the most revenue ever in the March quarter. Tim Cook and Apple CFO Luca Maestri were giddy during Tuesday's call with investors. Everyone expected the iPhone X to be a bust, but even Apple was surprised by its success as it still dominates the iPhone sales charts. Death of 3D Touch starts with 2018 iPhone https://www.cultofmac.com/544359/3d-touch-2018-iphone-2019-ming-chi-kuo/ A very reliable analyst predicts one of the iPhones coming in autumn won’t have this pressure-sensitive technology, and none of the 2019 devices will. Ming-Chi Kuo says it’s all because Apple is changing the components of its displays to make them lighter and less likely to break. The analyst says sources in Apple’s supply chain told him that the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, expected this fall, will use a CGS (Cover Glass Sensor) process. This means the touch sensor will no longer integrated with the actual display, but will instead be part of the cover that protects the

Send us a text!This week: How Steve Jobs saved Pixar, then stole all their stock iPhone SE will steal one of iPhone X’s best features Told ya! MoviePass ends its unlimited movie option Gal Gadot promotes Huawei on twitter… from her iPhone What the heck happened to the AirPower Mat? And we wrap with the best iPhone camera lenses, wireless security system, and the most powerful flashlight on EARTH in an all-new under review. This episode supported by Students around the world choose Udemy to discover new passions, expand their skills, and even change careers. Visit Ude.my/CULTCASTor download the Udemy app to learn anytime, anywhere. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lewiswallace Gal Gadot: I didn't cheat on Huawei Mate 10 Pro with iPhone https://www.cnet.com/news/gal-gadot-says-she-didnt-cheat-on-huawei-mate-10-pro-with-iphone/#ftag=CAD590a51e Gal Gadot, best known for the lead role in the Wonder Woman movie, became a ‘brand ambassador’ for Huawei earlier this year. In that role, she yesterday tweeted a glowing video about her new Huawei Mate 10 – with just one small problem Marques Brownlee spotted, the tweet was sent from Twitter for iPhone. Gadot’s publicist told CNET there was a perfectly innocent explanation. “Some people have asked about my recent post with my new Huawei smartphone, and think I am using an iPhone,” Gadot said through her publicist. “That’s simply not the case. I love my Huawei P20 and Mate10Pro. They are lifelines wherever I am in the world.” New iPhone SE will steal one of iPhone X’s best features https://www.cultofmac.com/543543/new-iphone-se-will-steal-one-of-iphone-xs-best-features/ iPhone SE is looking to be a real beauty. Reliable leaker Benjamin Geskin claims the new iPhone SE, codenamed Jaguar, will feature wireless charging just like iPhone X. To make that possible, Apple is expected to scrap the handset’s aluminum unibody first introduced with iPhone 5 in favor of a shiny glass back panel. Hopefully it’s waterproof and gets Touch ID 2. The new iPhone SE, with a faster A10 Fusion processor, will likely make its official debut next month, according to recent reports. What happened to the AirPower Mat? At its September 2017 event, Apple said AirPower would appear some time in 2018, but since then we've barely heard a peep about about it. AirPower will charge multiple devices at the same time, and while other mats out there can do that to

Send us a text!This week: Apple threatens employees to quit leaking, or go to jail! Apple’s building new tools to help you know just how addicted you are to that iPhone of yours. We’ll fill you in. It looks like a new iPhone SE will be landing real soon. We’ll tell you what we know. And we reveal all the cool stuff we’re currently into in an all-new What We’re Into! This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them. Learn why and get $50 towards any mattress at Casper.com/cultcast. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r Tim Cook won’t compromise Mac and iPad by combining them https://www.cultofmac.com/542885/mac-and-ipad-merge-combine-tim-cook-macbook/ With Apple planning to move Macs to Arm chips, and the rumored unification of iOS and macOS apps, you might be anxious Apple might just go ahead and combine your iPhone and Mac into some God forsake combo device. Tim Cook recently stated that merging the Mac and iPad lines would be bad for both. He told a reporter from The Sydney Morning Herald, “We don’t believe in sort of watering down one for the other. Both are incredible. One of the reasons that both of them are incredible is because we pushed them to do what they do well. And if you begin to merge the two … you begin to make trade offs and compromises.” Leaked Apple memo details efforts to stop leaks https://www.cultofmac.com/541563/leaked-apple-memo-details-efforts-to-stop-leaks/ In a leaked memo detailing Apple’s efforts to stop leaks, the company says it caught 29 leakers in 2017. Of those caught, 12 were arrested. Apple told employees they are “getting played” by journalists and bloggers that approach them with flattery in exchange for information. Apple should battle smartphone addiction, iPod creator says https://www.cultofmac.com/541947/apple-should-battle-smartphone-addiction-ipod-creator-says/ Former Apple executive, father of the iPod and current Nest CEO Tony Fadell wants Apple to do more to battle smartphone addiction. In a newly published op-ed, Fadell argues that it would be “easy” for Apple to create a deep dashboard that could reveal exactly how much time we spend on different apps. Fadell suggests that users could receive a regular itemized list like a credit card bill, complete with detailed information about how long they spent on each app, or even what they were doing inside each app. It turns out Apple agrees, and has said that it plans to incorporate smartphone-monitoring features into the next version of iOS. Apple plans to launch the Apple Music of magazines

Send us a text!This week: HomePod is already stumbling in sales—is it doomed? Apple Is the richest company on earth, so where are all its billionaires? Face ID could replace passwords on your favorite websites The death of Touch ID scheduled for this fall And stay tuned for Under Review, where we go hands on with an $80 tech-packed coffee cup, a beautiful new HomeKit smart lock, and the all-new Mavic Air drone. This week: HomePod is already stumbling in sales—is it doomed? Apple Is the richest company on earth, so where are all its billionaires? Face ID could replace passwords on your favorite websites The death of Touch ID scheduled for this fall And stay tuned for Under Review, where we go hands on with an $80 tech-packed coffee cup, a beautiful new HomeKit smart lock, and the all-new Mavic Air drone. This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. The single-router wifi model just doesn’t work for our increasingly high-bandwidth world. The EEROdistributed system will blanket your home in hyper-fast, reliable WiFi, and you can score free overnight shipping with code "CultCast" at checkout. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lewiswallace New RED iPhone 8 So beautiful. So red. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O9dNuiOWDg Join us for a live hangout on Friday the 13th, 12PM Pacific! live.thecultcast.com Erfon’s YouTube review of the tech-packed Ember Ceramic mug https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6oOEv70mec Apple's Stumbling HomePod Isn't the Hot Seller Company Wanted https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-12/apple-s-stumbling-homepod-isn-t-the-hot-seller-company-wanted Is the HomePod toast? According to some Apple store workers, inventories are piling up and Apple has cut orders with their manufacturer. "At first, it looked like the HomePod might be a hit. Pre-orders were strong, and in the last week of January the device grabbed about a third of the U.S. smart speaker market in unit sales, according to data provided to Bloomberg by Slice Intelligence. But by the time HomePods arrived in stores, sales were tanking, says Slice principal analyst Ken Cassar. “Even when people had the ability to hear these things,” he says, “it still didn’t give Apple another spike.”” According to Slice Intelligence: During the HomePod’s first 10 weeks of sales, it eked out 10 percent of the smart speaker market, compared with 73 percent for Amazon’s Echo devices and 14 percent for the Google Home Why aren’t people buying HomePods?

Send us a text!This week: Whoa! Apple just stole Google’s head of A.I. to make Siri smarter Apple plans to ditch Intel processors on the Mac You won’t believe the massive cash being pay to silicon valley’s A.I. talent Future iPhones could boast curved displays and touch-free controls iOS 11.4 public beta arrives with AirPlay 2, but it won’t work with your HomePod And a Leander gives us the scoop on his new Tim Cook book! This episode supported by Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them. Learn why and get $50 towards any mattress at Casper.com/cultcast. The air you were meant to breathe is finally here. For $75 off your first order, visit molekule.com and enter the code CULTCAST at checkout. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeod for the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace / @bst3r CultCast live hangout on Friday the 13th at 12PM PST! http://live.thecultcast.com Apple steals Google’s A.I. wiz to make Siri smarter https://www.cultofmac.com/539125/apple-steals-googles-john-giannandrea-ai-siri/ John Giannandrea used to be in charge of Google’s search and artificial intelligence, but now he works for Apple. He’s leading the drive to make the company’s Siri voice assistant smarter, a goal many would agree is overdue. NYT: Apple said on Tuesday that Mr. Giannandrea will run Apple’s “machine learning and A.I. strategy,” and become one of 16 executives who report directly to Apple’s chief executive, Timothy D. Cook. This is the most high-profile move yet in a ongoing drive to hire more talent for the Siri team. Mr. Giannandrea came to Google in 2010, where he helped make AI and machine learning part of all the company’s products, from search to Gmail. And now he’s doing that for Apple. Apple is also looking to hire to hire 142 more people for Siri-related jobs, almost twice as many as this time last year. Tech Giants Are Paying Huge Salaries for Scarce A.I. Talent https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/22/technology/artificial-intelligence-experts-salaries.html Fun fact: Engineers with A.I. expertise are some of the most sought-after people in Silicon Valley, with salaries sometimes exceeding eight figures. Tech’s biggest companies are placing huge bets on artificial intelligence, banking on things ranging from face-scanning smartphones and conversational coffee-table gadgets to computerized health care and autonomous vehicles. Typical A.I. specialists, including both Ph.D.s fresh out of school and people with less education and just a few years of experience, can be paid from $300,000 to $5

Send us a text!This week: Apple has powered up the new iPad so much, it’s hard to resist! Plus: what you need to know about iOS 11.3; everything Apple revealed at its “field trip” event; report says  Watch Plus is incoming; and you asked, we answer—from the best Home apps, to our Mac Mini predictions, to Commando Vs. Predator—we answer your most burning questions. This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Print postage from your office and take advantage of special shipping discounts at pb.com/cultcast, and beat the postage rate increase with exclusive discounts on letters. Plans start at just $5 a month! CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lewiswallace / @IanFuchs Apple is finally selling a space gray keyboard and mouse https://www.cultofmac.com/537711/apple-is-finally-selling-a-space-gray-keyboard-and-mouse/ Mac fans that love the look of the new space gray iMac Pro — but don’t want to plop down four grand — can finally buy the computer’s coveted accessories separately. The space srey keyboard costs $149. That’s $20 more than the normal silver keyboard Buying a space gray Magic Mouse will set you back $99, while the normal version costs just $79. The black Lightning cable that comes with the iMac Pro is still exclusively available to iMac Pro owners, though. New in iOS 11.3 New Animoji Battery tools Privacy popups HomePod update Everything Apple revealed at its ‘field trip’ event https://www.cultofmac.com/537703/everything-apple-revealed-at-its-education-field-trip-keynote/ New 9.7inch iPad Updates to iWork Updated Classroom and new Schoolwork Cloud Apps ClassKitAPI More iCloud storage for students and teachers iPad vs. iPad Pro: Which is right for you? https://www.cultofmac.com/538053/ipad-vs-ipad-pro-which-i

Send us a text!This week: Apple’s surprise education event could showcase new, cheaper hardware 🔥 A huge upgrade is may be coming to the screens of Apple products Why 2018’s iPhone X refresh could cost less than last year’s model Fortnite streamers are striking it rich, and the iOS version will totally blow your mind This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Print postage from your office and take advantage of special shipping discounts at pb.com/cultcast, and beat the postage rate increase with exclusive discounts on letters. Plans start at just $5 a month! CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. On the show this week @erfon / @killianbell / @lewiswallace Apple’s surprise education event could showcase new, cheaper hardware https://www.cultofmac.com/535399/apple-issues-invites-for-education-event-on-march-27/ Apple issued invites last Friday for an education-themed event in Chicago on March 27. The invite promises “creative new ideas for teachers and students.” That could indicate the arrival of more-affordable Apple devices — like the new MacBook Air and iPad we’ve been hearing about. Apple is hosting the event in a high school, rather than on its Cupertino campus or at a convention center in the San Francisco Bay Area. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously claimed Apple has a more-affordable MacBook Air in the pipeline. The lightweight laptop, which has been looking a little long in the tooth for a while now, might get a Retina display and updated internals. Reports indicate the new MacBook Air could cost as little as $799. The 9.7-inch iPad could drop to $259. If so, the devices’ lower price tags would make them ideal for students and schools on a budget. Caligragphy on invitation--I’m guessing the new cheaper iPad will support the Apple Pencil, currently only supported on the iPad Pro models. Apple developing its own ‘MicroLED’ displays for future devices (A huge upgrade coming to the screens of Apple products) https://www.cultofmac.com/535817/apple-developing-its-own-microled-displays-for-future-devices/ What is microLED? Before we get to that, we need to talk about current screen technology. Most of the screens you see today are LCD, Liquid Crystal Display illuminated with backlight (usually LEDs). LCDs are easy to manufacture, cheap, and perform well over a long period of time. But because they have a back light, colors can look washed out, especially blacks The iPhone X has an OLED display. Each OLED pixel can self illuminate when exposed to electrical current, so there’s no need for back light. This r

Send us a text!This week: Leander goes to the Spaceship campus and he’s back to tell us all about it. Siri sucks, Apple knows it, and they’re not sure how to fix it. Our 2018 WWDC hardware expectations! And you asked, we answer: Has Tesla become more innovative than Apple? Plus our very honest opinions about the price, features, and value of the MacBook Pro with Touch bar. This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Print postage from your office and take advantage of special shipping discounts at pb.com/cultcast, and beat the postage rate increase with exclusive discounts on letters. Plans start at just $5 a month! CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace WWDC 2018 returns to San Jose, runs June 4 to 8 https://www.cultofmac.com/534629/wwdc-2018-kicks-off-on-june-4-in-san-jose/ Apple will kick off its 29th annual Worldwide Developers Conference on MondayJune 4. keynote at 10am? The week-long event, which will offer the first previews of Apple’s next big software updates, will again be held in the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose. Alt-conf! https://www.cultofmac.com/534701/altconf-2018-offers-a-free-alternative-to-wwdc/

Send us a text!This week: A new cheaper HomePod is likely on the way A leaked apple email harkens the end of iTunes It looks like changing the battery in your older iOS devices can bring some surprising performance increases MoviePass is tracking iOS users every move, and privacy experts are madder than a beehive And we wrap up with a What We’re Into, with our reviews Black Panther, Annihilation, Daredevil, The Punisher, and the first security camera for your car! This episode supported by Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them. Learn why and get $50 towards any mattress at Casper.com/cultcast. Print postage from your office and take advantage of special shipping discounts at pb.com/cultcast, and beat the postage rate increase with exclusive discounts on letters. Plans start at just $5 a month! CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace Cheaper HomePod might lead Apple’s push for lower prices https://www.cultofmac.com/533247/cheaper-homepod-iphone-ipad/ A version between $150 and $200 will change that, if a report from Taiwan’s Economic Daily News is correct. This unconfirmed report doesn’t say what features will change to lower the cost that significantly. However, a separate research note from Rosenblatt analyst Jun Zhang says the upcoming cheaper HomePod will be smaller. This isn’t expected to be a replacement for the current HomePod. It would be a lower-priced alternative that’s within the grasp of a far wider potential audience, enabling Apple to better compete with the Amazon Echo and Dot smart speakers. Leaked Apple email hints at the possible end of iTunes https://www.cultofmac.com/532813/apple-end-of-itunes-email/ Apple could kill off iTunes in the near future, a new report suggests. It cites an email that Apple reportedly wrote to people in the music i

Send us a text!This week: Reliable sources say Apple is working on an“audiophile” grade set of headphones with built-in AirPods magic. SIGN US UP. Wow Apple plans to revolutionize healthcare The cool, weird, and whacky HealthKit gadgets you’ve never heard of And we wrap up with Pro whistling, rock accordion, and arguments over which actors have the hands-down best filmography on an all-new Get to Know Ur Cultist. This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. Apple audiophile headphones tipped with AirPods magic https://www.slashgear.com/apple-audiophile-headphones-tipped-with-airpods-magic-26521085/ Apple is aiming to pivot its AirPods success into a set of Apple-branded over-the-ear headphones, reports suggest, effectively competing with its own Beats range. KGI analyst and accurate Apple psychic Ming-Chi Kuo is says a new pair of Apple-branded over-the-hear audiophile-grade headphones is coming our way. Kuo’s prediction went on to say we shouldn’t expect to see the new Apple headphones until Q4 2018 at the very earliest In the meantime expect a new version of the AirPods to hit the market, with always-on "Hey Siri" functionality so a simple, and a new case with wireless charging capability Apple wellness clinics will offer ‘world’s best healthcare’ https://www.cultofmac.com/531283/apple-wellness-clinics-will-offer-worlds-best-healthcare-to-employees/ Apple plans to launch new wellness clinics that will offer employees and their families “the world’s best healthcare.” AC Wellness will be independently operated, according to its official website — but job listings suggest it is a wholly Apple-owned subsidiary. One of its clinics will be situated inside Apple Park, the Cupertino company’s brand new headquarters. Apple has started recruiting for two AC Wellness clinics in Santa Clara, California — one of which will be located at Apple Park. They will initially serve Apple employees and their families when they open this spring, but Apple has much bigger plans, according to CNBC. “Aside from the typical roles involved with a primary care clinic, Apple is also looking to hire “designers” who will help implement a program focused on preventing disease and promoting healthy behavior,” reads the report, which cites people familiar with the plan. “Sources said the company will leverage its medical clinics as a way to test out its growing range of health services and products, which it is starting to roll out to consumers at large.” iPhone sweeps Consumer Reports’ best camera list https://www.cultofmac.com/531915/iphone-sweeps-consumer-reports-list-best-phone-cameras/ The camera is a major f

Send us a text!What a show this week! We talk: a new gaming console from Apple? Some new evidence says yes. Plus: some of HomePods best features get delayed; why Leander switched from 1Password to Dashlane; how to get a heckuva great deal on a new iPad; and we wrap up with the smart bike helmet you haven’t heard of, a rugged charge-it-all solar-powered battery back, and an updated version of one of our favorite products on an all-new Under Review. This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney / @lewiswallace Is AppleTV about to become a gaming console? http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2018/02/apple-files-major-apple-tv-logo-trademark-update-focused-on-all-things-related-to-gaming-including-a-video-game-console.html Apple has updated their Apple TV logo trademark by adding all things related to gaming. Apple's Trademark filing 87801324 filed last Friday and published today by USPTO was filed solely under international class 028 which specifically covers the following: "video game consoles; controllers for game consoles; video output games, namely, video output game machines for use with televisions; apparatus for electronic games adapted for use with an external display screen or monitor.” This is a significant update that has to be taken seriously. Bringing a whole new level of gaming to Apple TV could be another twist coming to Apple TV in addition to a video content service driven by Apple Worldwide Video. Looks like multi-room AirPlay just got further away https://www.cultofmac.com/530155/airplay-2-0-delayed/ One of the best features for Apple’s new HomePod appears to be facing some big delays. AirPlay 2.0 promises to give HomePod users the ability to stream the same song to different devices in different rooms from a single iPhone. But with the release of iOS 11.3 beta 3 this morning, Apple has decided to pull the feature from testing. The functionality of AirPlay 2.0 was pretty buggy in the first two beta builds of iOS 11.3. Apple removed it in the latest betas of iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3 that just came out. Until AirPlay 2.0 comes out, you also won’t be able to pair two of Apple’s new smart speakers together so they play stereo sound or multi-room audio. Why I switched from 1Password to Dashlane [Review] https://www.cultofmac.com/525405/dashlane-review-password-manager/ Our thoughts on apps with subscription fees

Send us a text!This week: friends, HomePod is even better than the hype, it’s one of the best products Apple's ever made. Plus: HomePod vs. the rivals; the big HomePod flaw you need to know about (and the one Apple is trying to downplay); how Apple plans to revamp their future software; and is another new Apple product on the horizon? We think so, and we’ll tell you what it is. This episode supported by Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. From how to become more productive and professional to how to read body language, network, and negotiate, the Art of Charm podcast covers anything that will help you become a high-performer at home and at work. Check it out at theartofcharm.com/podcast. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney / @lewiswallace Consumer Reports says HomePod doesn’t sound as good as its rivals https://www.cultofmac.com/528645/consumer-reports-says-homepod-doesnt-sound-good-rivals/ One of the most reputable tech review sites isn’t that impressed with the HomePod’s superb sound. While most reviewers have noted the HomePod as the best sounding speaker they’ve ever listened too, Consumer Reports claims Google Home Max and Sonos One sound better. “The HomePod will serve many music fans well, but CR testers did hear some flaws. The HomePod’s bass was a bit boomy and overemphasized,” wrote Consumer Reports. “And the midrange tones were somewhat hazy, meaning that some of the nuance in vocals, guitars, and horns was lost Audiophile Review: HomePod 'Sounds Better' Than $999 KEF X300A Digital Hi-Fi Speakers https://www.macrumors.com/2018/02/12/homepod-audiophile-review-standing-ovation/ Reddit user WinterCharm posted exhaustive audio performance testing results for HomePod to the Reddit audiophile community. Using specialized equipment and a controlled testing environment, the review features in-depth analysis of the smart speaker's output when compared to a pair of $999 KEF X300Adigital hi-fi monitors, representing a "meticulously set up audiophile grade speaker versus a tiny little HomePod that claims to do room correction on its own”. "I am speechless. The HomePod actually sounds better than the KEF X300A. If you're new to the Audiophile world, KEF is a very well respected and much loved speaker company. I actually deleted my very first measurements and re-checked everything because they were so good, I thought I'd made an error. Apple has managed to extract peak performance from a pint sized speaker, a feat that deserves a standing ovation. The HomePod is 100% an Audiophile grade Speaker." Siri on HomePod Correctly Answered 52.3% of Queries in New AI Test https://www.macrumors.com/2018/02/10/siri-on-homepod-new-ai-test/ Our ol’ pal Genie Munster, in a new test shared today by Loup Ventures, HomePod