The CultCast

Send us a text!This week, the Apple Watch is BANNED in the US! We’re also talking bad news about next year’s models and the future of CarPlay that was just announced, followed by new picks for the Best of 2023! 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. Songfinch creates a totally original song inspired by your story, written and recorded by a professional artist. Go to songfinch.com/CULTCAST to get your song added to Spotify Streaming for free, a $50 value, with your purchase. CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co This week’s stories: It’s the last day to buy Apple Watch from Apple.com before US sales ban [Updated] U.S. sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from Apple’s website stopped on December 21. Your Apple Watch Bands May Not Work With Next Year's Model Next-generation Apple Watch models will feature a completely redesigned band connector, rendering them incompatible with all current bands, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as “Kosutami.” Enter to win an iPhone 15 case and screen protector bundle from MagEasy Two winners will receive a MagEasy iPhone 15 case of their choice, along with a screen protector. Enter now for your chance to win! Porsche and Aston Martin preview gorgeous next-gen Apple CarPlay Now we have our first looks at what next-gen Carplay will look like thanks to Porsche and Aston Martin. Best of 2023: Erfon: Silo. In a ruined and toxic future, thousands live in a giant silo deep underground. After its sheriff breaks a cardinal rule and residents die mysteriously, engineer Juliette starts to uncover shocking secrets and the truth about the silo. Lewis: Slow Horses. This quick-witted spy drama follows a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents—and their obnoxious boss, the notorious Jackson Lamb—as they navigate the espionage world’s smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces. Griffin: U.S. Interstate 77 is possibly the greatest highway on the planet, offering two lanes of 70 mph speeds with regular stops, little congestion or traffic, scenic views and a world-class interchange with Interstate 70 — it’s the fastest way to leave Cleveland.

Send us a text!This week: Apple just made it harder for the Gov to spy on your phone, iOS 17.3 makes your iPhone a lot harder to steal, and our picks for best (& worst!) gear (& stuff!) of 2023! This episode supported by: Factor Foods. Treat yourself to high-quality, delicious meals over the holidays. Head over to FactorMeals.com/CultCast50 and use offer code CultCast50 to get 50% off. Notion AI can now give you instant answers to your questions, using information from across your wiki, projects, docs and meeting notes. Go to notion.com/cultcast to try the powerful Notion AI today. CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co This week’s stories: You can now buy stand-alone USB-C case for AirPods Pro 2… for $99! In September, Apple introduced a tweaked version of AirPods Pro 2 that comes with a charging case with a USB-C port. The MagSafe Charging Case (USB‑C) for AirPods Pro (2nd generation) joined the online Apple store Wednesday. Apple makes ‘push notification spying’ more difficult Governments will find push notification spying harder to do now that they no longer enjoy easy access to records of push notifications sent to iPhone users. Apple changed its policy so that law enforcement and other government agencies need a court order to obtain this data. How Apple plans to ramp up iOS security for stolen iPhones The just-released iOS 17.3 beta 1 includes a surprise feature: Stolen Device Protection. The option makes it harder to reset the passcode on a stolen device if the thief already knows the current passcode. There are also new password protections. Why Google Play courtroom loss could hurt Apple, too Epic Games convinced a federal jury that the Google Play store for Android applications is an illegal monopoly. The decision might have wide repercussions. Apple reportedly offers to open iPhone NFC to other payment systems The days of the iPhone’s NFC capabilities being limited to just Apple Pay could be coming to an end. Apple is reportedly open to allowing other systems to use the wireless payment system. Best of 2023: Erfon: Matter is the best new smart home technology that brings all your devices together seamlessly. Lewis: The Last of Us is a show on Max about a hardened survivor (Pedro Pascal) taking care of a 14-year-old girl (Bella Ramsey) who may be humanity’s last hope. Griffin: Music, a great way to experience art in the form of rhythmic sounds, vocalizations and instruments. The Roland Cube 30X was designed for listening to music.

Send us a text!This week: new rumors say updated iPad Pros are right around the corner, along with the new M3 MacBook Air! Plus: the iPhone 16’s Action button is getting supercharged, and our first picks for the Best of 2023! 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. Songfinch creates a totally original song inspired by your story, written and recorded by a professional artist. Go to songfinch.com/CULTCAST to get your song added to Spotify Streaming for free, a $50 value, with your purchase. CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co This week’s stories: Entire iPhone 16 lineup could feature force-sensitive Action button Apple reportedly will bring the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action button to the entire iPhone 16 lineup next year. It will seemingly be a capacitive button and pack a lot of additional functionality. How Apple muffed the iPhone 15 Pro’s new Action button by Leander Kahney MacRumors: ‘All-Screen’ iPhone Under-Display Camera Enters Development According to The Elec, LG Innotek has entered the preliminary development of the UDC, which sits under the display and does not result in a visible hole in the panel when the camera is not in use. Win a 3-in-1 MagSafe travel charger from mophie [Cult of Mac Giveaway] This week’s Cult of Mac giveaway prize is a mophie 3-in-1 MagSafe travel charger that retails for $149.95. The compact charger is perfect for anyone with a busy schedule who’s on the go. You can charge multiple devices simultaneously at maximum speed with this great fold-up Apple accessory. MacBook Air gets speedy M3 chip in spring 2024 The Apple M3 processor will make its way to the MacBook Air line in March 2024, according to a trusted source of insider info. Both the 13-inch and 15-inch versions of the laptop will receive the chip upgrade. 12.9-inch iPad Air, OLED iPad Pro pegged for March release March 2024 will bring a bonanza, according to a report Wednesday from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. A 12.9-inch iPad Air is supposedly on the docket. An updated 10.9-inch version will also be released. Apple confirms ‘push notification spying’ by government agencies Some governments are spying on push notifications sent to iPhone users, Apple confirmed Wednesday. By examining logs of push notifications sent by various apps, authorities can piece together surprisingly detailed information about smartphone users and their activities. Under Review: Griffin: Stray,

Send us a text!This week: Apple’s falling out with Goldman Sachs could mean the end of Apple Card - we’ll fill you in. We’ll also give you the real deal on how NameDrop works and run through the top podcasts of 2023. And finally — could multiple cheaper Apple Vision headsets be in the works? This episode supported by: Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a private tutor - or fooling yourself with language apps that are little more than games - Babbel’s quick 10-minute lessons are designed by over 150 language experts to help you start speaking a new language in as little as 3-weeks. Get 55% off at babbel.com/cultcast. 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. Cult of Mac’s watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple’s. See the full curated collection at store.cultofmac.com CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co This week’s stories: Apple reportedly ending Apple Card partnership with Goldman Sachs Apple’s partnership with Goldman Sachs for the Apple Card is reportedly coming to an end. The Wall Street Journal says Apple sent a proposal to the bank to exit from the agreement in the next 12 to 15 months. MacRumors: Interesting new features in iOS 17.2 Beta 4 Under Sounds & Haptics, there's a new "Default Alerts" section that allows you to choose the sound used for all incoming notifications aside from texts, mail alerts, and calendar alerts, which already had customization options. With the iPhone 15 Pro models, ProRes video can be recorded directly to an external device. iOS 17.2 appears to include a new pop up message that lets users know that external recording is not working because of a USB-C cable that is too slow. Arm ain’t happy about how little Apple pays for its chip tech All Apple computers run on chips based on technology licensed from Arm. And it turns out the licensing fee is surprisingly low. Pennies per device. New deal means fully American-made Apple silicon chips Apple silicon processors that TSMC makes at its Arizona plant will be packaged by Amkor at a nearby facility. Why iPhone NameDrop feature is not a security risk Parents are mistakenly being warned that they need to quickly deactivate iOS 17’s NameDrop feature on their children’s iPhones. The warnings claim that it’s causing the devices to broadcast their contact information to anyone nearby. This simply isn’t true. MacRumors: Work on Multiple Next-Gen Vision Pro Headsets Ongoing, Including Cheaper Model DigiTimes claims that there are a total of four different second-generation Vision Pro headsets in development, including a

Send us a text!GOBBLE GOBBLE YAAALL! This week: iPads are going OLED! More HUGE legislation is coming out of the EU, Sonos is taking on Apple and Tim Cook talks about his succession plan. And we wrap up another all-new Under Review! This episode supported by: Notion combines your notes, documents, and task or project management into one space that’s simple and beautifully designed, with the power of AI built right inside. Try Notion AI for free when you go to notion.com/cultcast. 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. Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at store.cultofmac.com CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co This week‘s stories: iPad Air and iPad mini with OLED screens pegged for 2026 release Add iPad Air and iPad mini to the list of Apple tablets getting OLED screens. At least, that’s what an unconfirmed report coming out of Asia says. And the mini will supposedly get a boost in display size. EU’s proposed right to repair law incentivizes repairs, bans parts pairing The European Parliament has voted to approve a strong Right to Repair proposal. It aims to make consumer electronic goods more repairable, with companies required to prioritize repairability over replacement. The EU’s draft law prevents parts pairing. Apple notoriously uses this software block to discourage iPhone users from getting their devices repaired by third-party shops. Enter to win a super-protective iPad case from Zugu [Cult of Mac Giveaway] We teamed up with Zugu to give five lucky winners the chance to win one of these fantastic iPad cases, which come with a great adjustable kickstand and a built-in Apple Pencil holder. MacRumors: Sonos to Launch $400+ Headphones and Set-Top Box, Competing with Apple Devices Popular speaker company Sonos is planning to enter several new product markets that will see it competing with Apple devices, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Apple CEO Succession Plans 'Very Detailed', Says Tim Cook In a 45-minute interview for the BBC Sounds podcast Dua Lipa: At Your Service hosted by singer Dua Lipa, Cook admitted that he does not know how long he will remain at Apple. Tim said, “I would say that my job is to prepare several people for the ability to succeed, and I really want the person to come from within Apple, the next CEO. So that's my role: That there's several for the board to pick from.” Under Review: The Apple II Age: How The Computer Became Personal by Laine Nooney 100W Righ

Send us a text!This week, performance showdown! It's the 14 Vs. the 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pros - can the 14-inch keep up?! Plus: is 8 GB of memory enough for the base MacBook Pro; new features coming to iOS 17.2, iOS 18 and RCS finally coming to iMessage; and the huge iPad Air coming early next year! This episode supported by: Factor is America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Kit, and can help you fuel up fast with ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door. Head to factormeals.com/cultcast50 and use code cultcast50 to get 50% off your first box. Notion combines your notes, documents, and task or project management into one space that’s simple and beautifully designed, with the power of AI built right inside. Try Notion AI for free when you go to notion.com/cultcast. 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. Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at store.cultofmac.com CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 15 Pro, guitars, glasses and lenses sparkling clean! For a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a two free CarryCloths with any order $20+ at CultCloth.co This week‘s stories: 14" vs 16" M3 Max MacBook Pro: Major OVERHEATING Issues! M3 MacBook Pro 8GB vs 16GB RAM - How BAD is base model? YouTube videos by MaxTech   New features coming in iOS 17.2 iOS 17.2 adds a Translate Action button shortcut, the Journal app and spatial video recording from the camera. Spatial video playing on Meta Quest   Enter to win a super-protective iPad case from Zugu [Cult of Mac giveaway] The prize in this week’s giveaway is every iPad owner’s dream: an iPad case from Zugu with a built-in Apple Pencil holder. We teamed up with Zugu to give five lucky winners the chance to win one of these fantastic iPad cases.   Shocker: Apple commits to RCS for better texting with Android users In what is apparently an enormous change of direction, Apple reportedly plans to add support for Rich Communication Services (RCS) to the iPhone Messages app in 2024. This will enable iPhones and Androids to communicate more securely.   ​​iPhone 16 Likely to Get Exclusive AI Features in iOS 18 Apple at WWDC 2024 will reveal a turbo-charged version of Siri powered by large language models (LLMs) that will debut in iOS 18, but some new cutting-edge generative AI features could be exclusive to iPhone 16 models.   12.9-inch iPad Air could launch in early 2024 Apple could overhaul its tablet lineup in 2024, delivering the first 12.9-inch iPad Air and upgrading iPad Pro models to OLED displays and the company’

This podcast discusses the cold hard truth of M3/Pro/Max MacBook Pros versus previous generations, rumors about iOS 18, and Apple's cutting-edge battery technology. They also cover the confusion surrounding the release of the M3 MacBook Pro and compare the M3 Pro and M3 Max models. The hosts joke about coldamac.com, mention a podcast swap with Twit, and recommend checking out Mac Break Weekly and other Apple-related shows. Lastly, they discuss Apple's next major software releases and upgrading a PC with NVMe.

Send us a text!This week: the pros and cons - it's our reactions to the new M3 MacBook Pros and iMac! Plus: a long-rumored health feature will finally debut in the next Apple Watch, and we find out the winner of last week's Scary Fast event predictions! This episode supported by: Factor is America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Kit, and can help you fuel up fast with ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door. Head to factormeals.com/cultcast50 and use code cultcast50 to get 50% off your first box. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a private tutor - or fooling yourself with language apps that are little more than games - Babbel’s quick 10-minute lessons are designed by over 150 language experts to help you start speaking a new language in as little as 3-weeks. Get 55% off at babbel.com/cultcast. PDF Editor ,PDF Book Reader is your do-it-all PDF app, perfect for reading, creating, editing, signing, and scanning PDFs. And CultCast listeners can get a year of all pro features totally free. Here's how: First, download the app on your device (iPhone, iPad or Mac) Next, click on this link Enter the code CULTOFMAC You'll unlock a free year of pro features Code expires on Dec 1, 2023 or after 10,000 uses!   This week‘s stories: Apple M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max boost Mac performance up to 50% The M2 was a fairly modest improvement over the original version, but the M3 brings more of a boost. Much of that come from a switch from a 5nm production process to a 3nm one. Shrinking the chip’s components allows them to work faster while generating less waste heat. 3 new M3 MacBook Pro models promise blazing speed The basic new MacBook Pro is a 14-inch model with the M3 chip. “Perfect for aspiring creatives, students, and entrepreneurs, it now starts at $1,599,” Apple said. Orders start Monday for all the new laptops, with shipping starting November 7, Apple said. The base M3 MacBook Pro at $1,599 ($1,499 for education). M3 Pro starts at $1,999 ($1,849 for education). M3 Max starts at $2,499 ($2,299 for education). Good riddance: 13-inch MacBook Pro discontinued Apple has discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Pro. It was the last MacBook in the company’s lineup with a Touch Bar, a thin, customizable OLED strip at the top of the keyboard that replaced the usual row of function keys. M1 vs. M3 24-inch iMac comparison: What’s changed? The biggest upgrade between the 2021 and 2023 24-inch iMac is the switch to the faster M3 chip. Apple claims its newest iMac delivers 2x faster performance. Fail: No USB-C update for Magic Mouse or Keyboard With the latest iPhones dropping the Lightning port in favor of USB-C, there was speculation (and hope) that Apple would release new versions of the Magic Mouse, Trackpad and Keyboard that also reject the Lightnin

Apple's surprise 'Scary Fast' event is expected to showcase a barrage of new Macs. Speculations and rumors about the event include the possibility of new Mac Pro and AirPods. The hosts discuss Apple's challenges in Mac gaming and the availability of new Macs. They also touch upon the rumors surrounding upcoming AirPods models and express gratitude to Leo LaPorte. The episode concludes with discussions on Apple's streaming service price increases and predictions for Apple's 'Scary Fast' Mac event, including potential redesigns and focus.

Apple is preparing a 32-inch iMac Pro, and a foldable iPad could launch in 2024. They also discuss rumors about the next iPad Pro, including its higher price tag. The hosts debate whether fast charging harms Apple devices and talk about the confusion surrounding the new Apple Pencil. They mention funny anecdotes about Mac's 'reactions' feature and share their thoughts on different hybrid car models.