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Send us a text!This week: Our WWDC reactions! Apple keynotes don’t get more legendary than this one. Plus: the crazy cryptographic tech powering Apple’s new Find My app, and our favorite features of iOS 13, macOS Catalina, tvOS and watchOS. 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. Our thanks to Linked In for supporting this episode. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters… head 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. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney / @lewiswallace   This week's stories How new Mac Pro borrows from Apple’s best designs Aside from looks, there are many similarities to the G5, plus a couple of ideas from other older Apple machines. Here are some of the clearest design influences on the new Mac Pro Apple prods devs to give ‘Sign in with Apple’ top billing Not only will Apple require all apps that use third-party login services like Facebook to also support Apple’s privacy-focused login service, but it is also asking that the button be placed above competitors’ options. THE CLEVER CRYPTOGRAPHY BEHIND APPLE'S 'FIND MY’ FEATURE How to use a PS4 or Xbox One controller with iOS 13 and iPadOS iOS 13, iPadOS, and tvOS 13 will allow you to play games with a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One controller. Everything Apple showed off at WWDC 2019 in under 8 minutes [Video]  

Send us a text!Is the power of a Hackintosh worth the hassle of building and maintaining one?  Big daddy Erf gets the answers with YouTube creator and Hacktintosh expert Peter Paul Chato.

Send us a text!Apple may be prepping the Mac Pro for its big reveal...don’t miss our WWDC 2019 hardware expectations. This week: Apple may be prepping the Mac Pro for its big reveal... don’t miss our WWDC 2019 hardware expectations! Plus: the pros and cons of the 2019 MacBook Pro... we discuss. And did you know all the best Get a Mac ads never actually aired? We’ll tell you the odd reason why... All that and SO MUCH MORE. This episode supported by It is hackable? From laptops and webcams to drones, virtual-reality headsets, and smart plugs, that's the question the Hackable podcast asks every single week, and no gadget is safe. Check out new episodes on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. The NETGEAR Nighthawk WiFi 6 router gives you ultra-fast speeds and wider coverage throughout your home – it’s the biggest revolution in WiFi ever. Check it out today at Netgear.com/wifi6. 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   This week's stories Latest MacBook Pro blows away its predecessors The top-tier new MacBook Pro employs a Intel 9th-generation Core i9 processor, which just debuted. It’s clocked at 2.4GHz with Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz. This is Apple’s first 8-core laptop, and the promotional materials promises “40 percent more performance than a 6-core MacBook Pro.” Geekbench benchmark scores are now confirming that this macOS laptop is around 30 percent speedier depending the the tests look at. The multi-core score for this device is around 29180. Last year’s speediest 6-core version of the MacBook Pro topped out at 22620, indicating that its predecessor is 29 percent faster. The single-core score for the new model is around 5900, up from about 5350 in the 2018 version. That’s almost a 10% improvement. One YouTuber reported the new MacBook Pro is beating his base iMac Pro in some tests! 2019 MacBook Pro teardown reveals minimal keyboard changes Keyboard seems largely the same, though iFixit has confirmed Apple has changed some of the material used in the dome switch mechanism and keyboard condom. Steve Jobs didn’t want the ‘Get a Mac’ ads to be too funny Justin Long was recently on a episode of People Magazine’s TV show called Couch Surfing reciting why all the best Get a Mac ads never aired. Though 66 ads aired, apparently they filmed over 300! According to Long, it was Steve Jobs who kept the best ads off the air because they were just too funny. “One, in particular, I remember Zach Galifianakis played a drunken Santa Claus and I was dying to see this one,” Long said on the episode, which aired on Sunday. “Basically, Steve Jobs preferred when they weren’t super funny. It’s because he thought that would detract from the point of the commercial. He thought if people were too focused on humor, they would lose sight of the product.” But the commercials worked! Apple experienced a sales increase of 200,000 Macs after the first month of the campaign in May 2006. By July, Apple sold 1.3 million and at the end of the fiscal ye

Send us a text!This week: Apple releases the MacBook Pro we never thought possible, packed with Intel’s newest 8-core chip! But can a machine this slim handle the heat? Plus: WWDC 2019 is officially on! We talk our keynote predictions. And even more good news, Apple announces two new warranty repair programs to fix MacBook’s most troubling issues… for FREE. 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 NETGEAR Nighthawk WiFi 6 router gives you ultra-fast speeds and wider coverage throughout your home – it’s the biggest revolution in WiFi ever. Check it out today at Netgear.com/wifi6. 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   This week's stories Apple’s wacky unicorn invites press to June 3 WWDC keynote Invitations to the keynote address for Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference just went out. The design features a unicorn whose brain is exploding with ideas. You can catch Episode #387 for our rundown of all features expected to be announced for iOS 13, macOS 10.5, watchOS, all the OSs iOS 13 But Apple is expected to unveil a whole bunch of new and upgraded apps for iOS, a Dark Mode, possibly a new swipe keyboard. They’re adding new features to the Health, Books, Maps, and Messages Apple is also planning to let the HomePod respond to different users’ voices, creating a multiuser mode. iPad is getting some loving', including an updated home screen, updates to multi-tasking, and the ability to use two instances of the same apps. watchOS New apps for the Apple watch that will make it more independent from the iPhone, health tracking enhancements, and an Apple Watch store so you can download apps on the go. Marzipan is set to be unveiled for the Mac, meaning developers can bring their iPad apps to the Mac. This should be interesting. Apple will be bringing the Podcast app to the Mac, along with Find my Friends, Find my iPhone, and Screen Time. New voice memos app so you can record notes from your wrist. New watch faces (from Bloomberg: A “Gradient” face that makes a gradient look out of a color the user chooses, at least two new “X-Large” faces that show jumbo numbers in different fonts and colors, a “California” dial that looks like a classic watch face and mixes Roman numerals with Arabic numerals, a redesigned “Solar Analog” watch face that looks like a sundial, and a new “Infograph Subdial” one that includes larger complication views like a stock market chart or the weather. Apple is also adding more complications Hardware There’s a chance we could see new hardware, like the new Mac Pro, or Bloomberg says there’s a possibility we’ll see a new Apple Display featuring HDR. Apple unleashes its fastest ever MacBook Pro Apple just brought Intel’s latest eighth- and ninth-generation chips to the MacBook Pro, making it the company’s f

Send us a text!This week: new leaks give us our best look yet at iPhone XI and XIR. Plus: new US tariffs could skyrocket the prices of your next iPhone and iPad. And a new US Supreme Court ruling could break Apple’s iron control of the app store, making even alternate app stores a real possibility. This episode supported by Our thanks to Linked In for supporting this episode. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters… head to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. The NETGEAR Nighthawk WiFi 6 router gives you ultra-fast speeds and wider coverage throughout your home – it’s the biggest revolution in WiFi ever. Check it out today at Netgear.com/wifi6. 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   This week's stories New 2019 iPhone leak hints at extra camera lenses (again) Mark Gurman has posted molds of the iPhone XI, XI Max, and XR2, and not everyone is happy with how they look. Apple's Tariff Tradeoff: Raise Phone Prices or Suffer Margin Hit A new round of tariffs proposed by the U.S. on Monday includes mobile phones, meaning the iPhone. If these tariffs take effect, iPhone could be hit with a with a 25% import levy. Supreme Court sides against Apple in big antitrust case A lawsuit targeting Apple and the App Store will be allowed to proceed, the U.S. Supreme Court has decided. The case involves whether or customers technically buy apps from Apple, or whether Apple is a middleman connecting app developers with consumers. The Supreme Court ruled against Apple on Monday by 5 votes to 4. The Apple Inc. v. Robert Pepper case dates back to 2011. The broad argument is that Apple has artificially driven up the price of apps by virtue of its monopolistic control over the App Store. By passing the cost of Apple’s 30% cut onto consumers, iPhone users argue that it is an unfair use of monopoly power. Apple, meanwhile, argued that only app developers — and not users — should be able to bring this lawsuit against Apple.  

Send us a text!This week: WWDC 2019 is right around the corner, and a new report sheds light on everything Apple's prepping to reveal. We discuss! Plus: the magic of Corning glass, and how making your iPhone just slightly thicker would make it indestructible. And we reveal how and why Jony Ive and team created the massive mystery rainbow structure now present at the heart of Apple Park. This episode supported by Dashlane is the official password manager of Cult of Mac. It's so good, even El Kahney's mummy uses it! Use it for free for one device at Dashlane.com/CultofMac. 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. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace   This week's stories Order Leander's new book, signed! Apple to Reveal New Home-Grown Apps, Software Features at WWDC Apple Inc. is planning to unleash a slew of new apps, features and development tools at its annual software conference next month. How (and why) Jony Ive built the mysterious rainbow Apple Stage It’s the latest creation by Jony Ive’s team — and it’s just as thoughtfully and intricately designed as you might imagine. Apple Park: The Inner Spaceship Stage - May 2019  

Send us a text!This week: will it be a car, glasses, or a full frame camera? iPhones aren’t selling like they used to, and Apple’s looking for their next huge hit! We discuss... Plus: even with iPhone sales way down, Apple managed to have another MASSIVE quarter, and you won’t believe how they pulled it off. And stay tuned for our favorite shows and games in an all-new What We’re Into 🔥 This episode supported by Dashlane is the official password manager of Cult of Mac. It's so good, even El Kahney's mummy uses it! Use it for free for one device at Dashlane.com/CultofMac. 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. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace   This week's stories Order Leander's new book, signed! Apple’s wearables is now the size of a Fortune 200 company Sales of the Apple Watch grew 50% compared to the same quarter last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said on Apple’s Q2 2019 quarterly analyst call on Tuesday. If Apple’s wearables business — which includes the Apple Watch and the popular AirPod earbuds — were a stand-alone company, it would be in the Fortune 200, Cook said. Apple’s wearables business also includes its home and accessories category. Together, sales in the March quarter hit a record $5.1 billion in revenue, up from $3.94 billion in the year-ago quarter. Wearables now almost as big as the Mac business (5.5B last quarter). Services business is now more than twice as big as the Mac business! Apple Shipped an Estimated 36.4 Million iPhones Worldwide in Q1 2019, a 30% Year-Over-Year Decline Apple shipped an estimated 36.4 million iPhones worldwide during the first calendar quarter of 2019, which corresponds to Apple's second fiscal quarter, according to new estimates shared today by IDC. Apple's worldwide smartphone shipments were down 30.2 percent from 52.2 million iPhones shipped in the first quarter of 2018. The decline in sales led to Apple losing the number two worldwide smartphone vendor spot to Huawei. In Q1 2019, Huawei shipped an estimated 59.1 million smartphones. Our Under Review picks! The Man in the High Castle Borderlands 3 official gameplay trailer  

Send us a text!This week: some major changes are in store for Apple’s legendary industrial design team… we discuss. Plus: Apple commits to fixing all MacBook keyboard issues in just ONE day. This is huge. And it looks like not one but TWO new versions of the AirPods are in development, with one being released this year. We’ll fill you in. And the new Powerbeats Pro wireless earphones are almost here, and they look like the higher quality AirPods we’ve always wanted. This episode supported by Dashlane is the official password manager of Cult of Mac. It's so good, even El Kahney's mummy uses it! Use it for free for one device at Dashlane.com/CultofMac. 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. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace / @lkahney   This week's stories Order Leander's new book, signed! Apple sets 24-hour turnaround time for MacBook keyboard repairs Apple has ordered that sticky MacBook keys be repaired fast enough that, whenever possible, the owner can get their computer back the next day. An internal Apple memo said this: “Most keyboard-related repairs will be required to be completed in store until further notice. Additional service parts have been shipped to stores to support the increased volume. These repairs should be prioritized to provide next-day turnaround time.” Keyboard issues were previously being sent out for repairs, which could take a full week. Apple is now prioritizing repairs and they will be done in store whenever possible. The goal is to get your laptop back to you in 24 hours. My source says they see rarely see issues with the 3rd get butterfly keyboard He works at one of the busiest stores on the the west coast. They see 2017 and 2016 MBP keyboard issues all the time... When they do see issues, it’s usually with someone who does a lot of typing For 2016 2017 models, he said most issues are from debris under the keys. They use a special tool to remove the key, blow it out with canned air, and wipe it out with alcohol, then it’s “good as new” Renowned Apple analyst thinks 2 new AirPod models are on the way Ming-Chi Kuo says Cupertino plans to release two new models of AirPods, either at the end of this year or the start of 2020. The two models Kuo mentions will include a more expensive and a cheaper option. This would make the AirPods product lineup similar to how Apple has been dividing the iPhone since 2013’s iPhone 5c and 5s. Kuo says the pricier AirPods option will include a redesigned form factor. The cheaper models, meanwhile, will retain the same design and pricing as the current model.

Send us a text!This week: is the CultCast crew too critical of Apple? Some say yes. We discuss! Plus, we talk about the pros and cons of Apple’s reported modular Mac Pro. And we’ll look at why Samsung’s new folding phone is already breaking! And this fatal flaw might mean its demise... This episode supported by Dashlane is the official password manager of Cult of Mac. It's so good, even El Kahney's mummy uses it! Use it for free for one device at Dashlane.com/CultofMac. 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, 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 / @lewiswallace   This week's stories Order Leander's new book, signed! Modular Mac Pro - Apple’s next flop? Samsung Galaxy Fold vs Flagship Smartphones Samsung’s folding smartphones break on Day 1 Samsung’s new Galaxy Fold smartphone has a serious problem with its folding display. Multiple early reviewers are reporting that the display has broken after just one or two days of use. It appears that the hinge on some units is defective, causing the screen to be unusable. The Verge, Bloomberg, and other high profile reviewers have had the screens on their units break  

Send us a text!This week: Apple’s readying a totally redesigned MacBook Pro with next gen display! We discuss. Plus: Apple’s working on the next generation of Magsafe! And we take a fascinating look at the unbelievable scale and size of Apple’s megafactories from a bonus chapter of Leander’s new book, Tim Cook: The genius who took Apple to the next level. This episode supported by Techmeme Ride Home is silicon valley's water cooler podcast. Stay up to date on the latest tech news with new episodes each day--search for Ride Home podcast in your podcast app of choice and give it a listen! 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. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney   This week's stories Pre-Order Leander's new book, signed! 9 months with stereo HomePods! The good, bad, & the UGLY! Apple cuts price of HomePod in U.S. and other countries Apple permanently slashed the price of HomePod in the United States and a number of other countries. The company’s first smart speaker now lists for $299 — a full $50 less than its original price. Some might assume the HomePod discount is a result of lackluster sales. But Apple says it is simply passing on savings achieved by manufacturing at scale, according to AppleInsider. (It’s a shame the company doesn’t do that with all its products.) Biggest MacBook in years could debut in 2021 Ming Chi Kuo says Apple is working on a MacBook Pro that’s bigger than any released in years. The downside is this model won’t be out until 2021. This device, as well as a new iPad and an external display, will all supposedly use a new type of display: microLED.microLED is the next generation of screen technology. It’s brings the strength the strengths of OLED, perfect black levels, incredible color saturation and accuracy, without the negatives, E.G. degrading performance and brightness over time, and burn in. Multiple companies are currently working to figure out how to manufacture the technology, but it’s hard, because the LEDS have to be perfectly placed or the screen brightness looks wonky. The MacBook that will be between 15 and 17 inched. but he’s now saying this will be out in the first half of 2021. This is the same machine Kuo implied would be a major redesign... Apple’s beloved MagSafe connector could make a comeback Apple is exploring charging cables that attach to its devices with magnets. Apple just received a patent for “Smart Charging Systems for Portable Electronic Devices.” This describes using magnets in cables to prevent damage if they get yanked on. Apple envisions the system taking an active part in disconnecting itself if an accident occurs. “The connector can be disconnected from the portable electronic