The CultCast

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 the

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 fr

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

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 ba

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 peop

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 ca

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