The CultCast

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-r

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/in

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/e

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

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 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.cultof

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 t