The CultCast

Send us a text!This week: Everything you need to know about Apple Pay Cash. One of the best, most anticipated Apple TV apps fo 2017 is FINALLY available.  We’ll talk about that. Why are we so hard on Apple?  We recently received some harsh email from a critic asking that very question.   We wrap up with our huge list of the best gadgets of 2017!!     This episode supported by Build a beautiful, responsive website quick at Squarespace.com.  Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off. Squarespace—Build it Beautiful.   The single-router wifi model just doesn’t work for our increasingly high-bandwidth world. The EERO distributed 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 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can use code CULTCAST to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney / @lewiswallace   iPhone X delivery times fall to within one week in US http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/11/30/iphone-x-delivery-times-fall-to-within-one-week-in-us All iPhone X models up for sale on Apple's online store are showing delivery in a week, down from 2-3 weeks two weeks ago. KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said supply chain improvements were to thank for Apple's improved iPhone X ship times, specifically a diversification of LCP LTE antenna orders and higher yields of iPhone's TrueDepth dot projector.   Everything you need to know about Apple Pay Cash  Used to pay people via the Messages app, though you can also use your Apple Pay Cash card to make Apple Pay payments if you have money on the card (card lives in your Apple Wallet) You can add cash to your card by receiving payments, or adding cash in the wallet app (minimum $10).  This is one in the Wallet app.  Just select the card then press the little “i” at the bottom right of the screen Money paid to you will live on your Apple Pay Cash card until you use it or transfer it to your bank. Debit cards let you send money for free, while credit cards cost 3% You can send money via Siri to people in your contacts You can send/receive a minimum of $1-$3,000 in a transaction, and can send/receive up to $10,000 in any 7 day period.   Amazon Prime Video is finally available for your Apple TV https://www.cultofmac.com/517355/amazon-prime-video-debut-appletv/ Apple has finally delivered on its WWDC promise to bring Amazon Prime Video to Apple TV, with just a few weeks to spare before Apple hit its own end-of-the-year deadline. The tvOS version of the app is available to download on Apple TV 3rd generation devices or above by searching “Amazon Prime Video” on your set-top box. It brings an end to the days of having to use AirPlay to play Amazon Prime Video on your Apple TV, via another device.   Ditch your old router, Eer

Send us a text!This week: The bigs ones.  The bangers.  It’s our favorite movies of 2017! The useful iPhone X gestures you haven’t heard about. Apple’s new Youtube channel and it’s actually pretty cool. The data for the LTE Apple watch is way more than we originally were told It’s the end of an era.  Jailbreaking is dead.   This episode supported by   Learn all you want for free with 30-day trial to LinkedIn Learning at http://linkedin.com/cultcast   If you just want great WiFi everywhere, check out an award winning Orbi WiFi System from Netgear, at http://netgear.com/orbi   CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can use code CULTCAST to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney    Heads up: Apple Watch data is significantly more expensive than carriers will tell you https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/7gg373/heads_up_apple_watch_data_is_significantly_more/ Just a heads up: Got my first AT&T bill with my Apple Watch LTE added on. Taxes on the $10 data plan add-on come to $7.69 meaning the cellular plan for the watch is actually $17.69/month or $212.28 for a year of service. That's insane and totally not worth it. Just wanted to make people aware of the fact that AT&T conveniently neglects to mention how expensive the plan will actually be.   Big Cydia sources shut down as jailbreaking dies out https://www.cultofmac.com/515907/big-cydia-sources-shut-jailbreaking-dies/ Jailbreaking was once a necessity to millions of iPhone owners, is just about dead, at least according to Cydia store creator Jay Freeman Many of the features that made jailbreaking so popular — like video recording, useful settings toggles, custom ringtones, and enhanced multitasking — are now baked into iOS. So jailbreaking is no longer required for many iPhone and iPad users. It was the only way to obtain native apps during the handset’s first year on the market. But even after the launch of the App Store, users turned to jailbreaking to get their hands on software Apple wouldn’t allow. Two of Cydia’s largest repositories have been shutdown as jailbreaking dies out. ModMy and ZodTTD are no longer available, leaving BigBoss as the only major source still available to those who want apps and tweaks you can’t find in the App Store.   Apple’s new YouTube channel teaches iOS tips https://www.cultofmac.com/516289/apples-new-youtube-channel-teaches-iphone-ipad/ Apple wants to help you make the most of your iPhone and iPad with a brand new YouTube channel. It offers a collection of how-to videos that teach you how to take screenshots, send attachments in Mail, print on the go, and more. The channel, which launched on Monday evening, currently hosts ten how-to videos. They’ll teach you how to do things like change your wallpaper, mute or leave a group conversation in iMessage, delete call logs and photos, and more.

Send us a text!This week: HomePod’s been delayed, we’ll talk about that, but Bloomberg put out an interesting piece on the history of the HomePod, and it gives previously undisclosed details of the device you may find very interesting. We gotta talk about net neutrality How Tesla just out Apple’d, Apple Is there still a point to Apple TV?   Tactics to get the best prices on all the Black Friday stuff you want Oh yeah, and 🦃 Gobble gobble yaaa’aaall! 🦃   This episode supported by   Learn all you want for free with 30-day trial to LinkedIn Learning at LinkedIn.com/cultcast   If you just want great WiFi everywhere, check out an award winning Orbi WiFi System from Netgear, at http://netgear.com/orbi   CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can use code CULTCAST to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.   The Cult of Mac watch store has the best straps in the biz!  Check out the huge Black Friday sale with savings up to 50% at http://store.cultofmac.com.   Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney   Net neutrality is almost dead, but we can still save it FCC is about to kill Net Neutrality, and they’re calling it the Restoring internet freedom order They’re currently taking our feedback into account, but the official vote for the order will be on Dec. 14th Details of the new plan will were released today.  The plan completely removes restrictions on throttling or prioritizing content, and explicitly allows paid prioritization of content Go to Battleforthenet.com.  It will help you take action. If will connect you to your congress person via phone and even provide you a script of what to say.   Tesla out-Apples Apple with the new Roadster “one more thing" https://youtu.be/lAQGBxtLSWU?t=1m15s   Apple’s HomePod smart speaker won’t be home for Christmas - buster https://www.cultofmac.com/514723/apples-homepod-smart-speaker-wont-home-christmas/ Apple’s new Siri-powered smart speaker won’t be one of the hottest gifts of the 2017 holiday season after all. The HomePod was set to launch in December 2017, but the company released a statement today saying it needs more time to make the smart speaker ready for customers. “We can’t wait for people to experience HomePod, Apple’s breakthrough wireless speaker for the home, but we need a little more time before it’s ready for our customers. We’ll start shipping in the US, UK, and Australia in early 2018 When it does launch, HomePod will cost $349, making it a lot more pricey than rival smart speakers from Amazon and Google   Apple's HomePod project actually predates the Amazon Echo, but has been canceled and restarted numerous times, and has undergone radical design changes

Send us a text!This week:  Two weeks with the X.  We’ll tell you what we like and what still sucks. Some very exciting new rumors about the next international of iPhone X Two big features coming you to in iOS 11.2 which is now in its 3rd beta What we tell you what we like and don’t about our favorite gadgets in a all-new under review 🤜🏼💥🤛🏼   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.   Learn all you want for free with 30-day trial to LinkedIn Learning by visiting http://linkedin.com/cultcast   CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can use code CULTCAST 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 / @lkahney / @lewiswallace   Apple may launch 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus in 2018  https://www.cultofmac.com/513809/apple-may-launch-6-5-inch-iphone-x-plus-2018/ One of the most reliable Apple analysts in the game is predicting big things for the iPhone X design in 2018. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will release an iPhone X Plus next year with the biggest smartphone screen the company has ever made. Kuo says Apple will release three iPhones in 2018 with a notch design. There will supposedly be a 5.8-inch (updated X) and a 6.5-inch model, both with OLED displays. The third iPhone will supposedly have a 6.1-inch LCD display but come with the same bezel-free design as the iPhone X. The 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus will have a display with 480 to 500 pixels per inch, possibly making it more pixel dense than the iPhone X. The 6.1-inch LCD version will only have a display with 320 to 330 PPI.   iPhone will get rear-facing 3D sensors in 2019 https://www.cultofmac.com/513959/iphone-rear-3d-sensor/ According to a Bloomberg, Apple is working on a new rear-mounted “3D sensor” for its 2019 iPhone, which will help further the company’s augmented reality ambitions. The new system will work using lasers and measuring the amount of time it takes for them to bounce back to create a depth map. This is reportedly different to the TrueDepth sensor system used on the front of the iPhone X, which uses a pattern of 30,000 laser dots to measure depth information for features like Face ID.   Two big features coming to your iPhone 8 and X with the release of iOS 11.2 https://www.cultofmac.com/513967/iphones-get-faster-7-5w-wireless-charging-with-ios-11-2/ Apple Pay cash, which will work on the iPad. Apple has added support for faster 7.5W wireless charging in its latest iOS 11.2

Send us a text!This week: the iPhone X may be Apple’s best phone, but it’s not perfect.  Catch our first week impressions to hear what we love (and what we don’t!) about Apple’s very spicy new iPhone. Plus: our top reasons to NOT buy an iPhone X; how to use Apple Pay cash to pay your friends an fam; and catch our list of X-rated tips, aka the really useful iPhone X tips and tricks you haven’t heard about.   This episode supported by Build a beautiful, responsive website quick at Squarespace.com.  Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off. Squarespace—Build it Beautiful.   Speck makes some of the best looking, most protective iPhone cases in the land.  Shop iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and iPhone X cases in stores or online at SpeckProducts.com/cultofmac   The single-router wifi model just doesn’t work for our increasingly high-bandwidth world. The EERO distributed system will blanket your home in hyper-fast, reliable WiFi, and you can score free overnight shipping with code CULTCAST at checkout, at eero.com.   CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can use code CULTCAST to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.   The Cult of Mac watch store has the best straps in the biz!  Save 20% off any order with code CultCast at checkout.   Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney   Apple, the most personal computer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHh8RmWDD9o   iPhone X setup shows Apple’s core brilliance https://www.cultofmac.com/512591/easy-iphone-x-setup/ Automatic Setup signs you into iCloud, Keychain, iTunes, the App Store, iMessage and FaceTime using your Apple ID, according to Apple. It also takes care of device settings like language, region, network, keyboard preferences, Siri and Home and health data. The setup is reminiscent of setting up a new Apple Watch, but even easier.   DisplayMate: iPhone X Has the 'Most Innovative and High Performance' Smartphone Display Ever Tested https://www.cultofmac.com/512485/iphone-x-boasts-best-smartphone-display-ever/ Displaymate:  iPhone X's display resolution provides "significantly higher image sharpness" than can be analyzed by a person with normal 20/20 vision at a 12-inch viewing distance. DisplayMate said this means that it's now "absolutely pointless" to increase the display resolution and pixels per inch of the iPhone any further, since there would be "no visual benefit" for users "highest absolute color accuracy of any display we have ever tested," with a display that is "visually indistinguishable from perfect.”   iPhone X could be Apple’s most fragile handset ever https://www.cultofmac.com/512369/iphone-x-apples-fragile-handset-ever/ Stress

Send us a text! This week: iPhone X—the good, the bad… the ugly.  The reviews are in, we’ll tell you what people love and don’t about Apple’s newest iPhone.     Plus: how to speed up Face ID we’ll tell you about the clever new strategy Apple used to build massive hype for the iPhone X launch, and why it really pissed a lot of folks off.  And stick around for a very weird What We’re Into, where we reveal the stuff we’ve been dong in our lives that you should try too.   This episode supported by Build a beautiful, responsive website quick at Squarespace.com.  Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off. Squarespace—Build it Beautiful.   CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can use code CULTCAST to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.   The Cult of Mac watch store has the best straps in the biz!  Save 20% off any order with code CultCast at checkout.   Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney   Siri, before Siri https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1bmZLePhCs   Massive iPhone X lines form at Apple Stores worldwide https://www.cultofmac.com/511715/iphone-x-attracts-apple-store-lines-around-world/ Fans have begun lining up outside Apple Stores around the world to get their hands on iPhone X. The X makes its official debut on November 3. Apple has promised that units will be available for walk-in customers, but just like pre-orders, they’re expected to disappear quickly. Some lines have already turned chaotic, while latecomers are offering money for precious spots near the front. Scumbags camping just to sell their spots!   Why Apple short-circuited the media machine for iPhone X reviews https://www.cultofmac.com/511357/apple-strategy-iphone-x-reviews/ Anybody who thinks Apple can’t innovate should look in awe at the fecal hurricane whipped up by the company’s unorthodox iPhone X marketing plan. By giving popular YouTubers early access to the next-gen iPhone, and allowing them to “scoop” the old-school journalists traditionally granted such preferential treatment, Cupertino upended the typical review cycle. Apple apparently bruised a few fragile egos in the process. Frankly, it’s hilarious watching the ensuing media meltdown.   iPhone X meta review: Setting Apple up for the next 10 years https://www.cultofmac.com/511193/iphone-x-meta-review-setting-apple-next-10-years/   Face ID Unlocks an iPhone More Slowly Than Touch ID, but is Faster in Day-to-Day Usage htt

Send us a text!This week: How to get the best deal on your iPhone X, save yourself some serious buckets Why Woz says the iPhone X will be the first iPhone he won’t buy day one Would you let your delivery man enter your house when you’re not home? We discuss Amazon key! Plus we’ll tell what we like and don’t about the gadgets we’re reviewing in an all-new Under Review   This episode supported by CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can use code CULTCAST to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.   The Cult of Mac watch store has the best straps in the biz!  Save 20% off any order with code CultCast at checkout.   Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney   Woz: iPhone X will be the first iPhone I haven’t bought on day one https://www.cultofmac.com/509875/woz-iphone-x-will-first-iphone-havent-bought-day-one/ Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says the iPhone X is the first iPhone he doesn’t plan to buy on “day one.” “I’d rather wait and watch that one,” Wozniak said during an interview at the Money 20/20 conference. “I’m happy with my iPhone 8 — which is the same as the iPhone 7, which is the same as the iPhone 6, to me. " will, so I’ll be close enough to see it.”   How to get the best deal on the iPhone X https://www.cultofmac.com/510141/get-best-deal-iphone-x/ $500 off with Xfinity Triple Play $350 off at Sprint Up to $300 off on Verizon T-Mobile gives $300 off Nothing yet at    iPhone X will be available to walk-in customers on launch day https://www.cultofmac.com/509959/iphone-x-will-available-walk-customers-launch-day/ Apple has promised that iPhone X will be available to walk-in customers on launch day. You will also be able to purchase iPhone X from Apple Stores beginning Friday, November 3 at 8 a.m. local time. “Stores will have iPhone X available for walk-in customers, who are encouraged to arrive early,” Apple says.   Amazon Key opens your home for indoor deliveries https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/25/amazon-key-service-delivery-access-unlock-door/ Would you be cool with your delivery person opening your front door when you’re away to drop off your package? Amazon Key, uses a smart lock and connected camera. When a delivery is made the courier scans the package's barcode which sends an access request to Amazon's cloud. When it grants permission, the camera starts recording, the courier swipes a prompt on their app and then your door unlocks. They leave the package by the door and relock it on their way out. You'll get a notification that the delivery has been made, along with a video of the drop-off to reassure you everything was done above board. Amazon has des

Send us a text!This week: you’ll have mere seconds to lock down your iPhone X pre-order on October 27th, and if you’re not ready, you’ll be waiting months!  We’ve got the strategies you’ll need to employ to have your order placed seconds after the X goes live.     Plus: Steve Wozniak just launched his first new product in years, and it’s actually pretty cool; the really dumb Mac accessory you’ll definitely want; Apple taps one of Hollywood’s best for a new TV series; and stick around for Leander’s new $10,000 bike, Buster’s new affordable action camera, and a new movie service you’ve GOT to try in an all-new Under Review.   This episode supported by CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can use code CULTCAST to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.   The Cult of Mac watch store has the best straps in the biz!  Save 20% off any order with code CultCast at checkout.   Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney   Foxconn is reportedly pumping out iPhone X’s on schedule https://www.cultofmac.com/508843/iphone-x-component-suppliers-beat-teething-troubles/ According to a new report, Foxconn has sent out 46,500 units from its facilities in Zhengzhou and Shanghai, headed for the Netherlands and United Arab Emirates After running into multiple problems building its next-gen iPhone X, Apple’s suppliers have reportedly achieved more stable yield rates for troublesome components. Foxconn has managed to ramp up its output of the iPhone X from 100,000 to 400,000 units a week Digitimes says "shipments of the device have increased gradually and will meet Apple’s demand ahead of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, the sources indicated.” But even though production has ramped up, no one is quite sure how big demand will be. Will this be the most popular iPhone ever? KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, iPhone X preorders could exceed 40 million, and may even hit 50 million. However, Kuo has also noted right from the start that supply of the new device is likely to be constrained through the first half of 2018   Chrome Auto Refresh plug-in https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/auto-refresh/ifooldnmmcmlbdennkpdnlnbgbmfalko   The candle that makes your house smell like a Mac is back https://www.cultofmac.com/508933/candle-makes-house-smell-like-mac-back/ Mac and iPhone accessory maker TwelveSouth is bringing back its Mac-scented candle that flew off store shelves last year. The all-new Inspire candle still smells like a new Mac but comes with some big updates to its design that are sure to delight Apple fans. TwelveSouth updated the Inspire candle this year with a new fragrance formula that’s supposed to remind you of opening up a new Mac. The scent is created by blending bergamot and armoise with hints of lemon, tarragon, amber and musk.   Steve Wozniak announces tech

Send us a text!This week: live in the home of the future, today!  We’ll tell you how with iOS 11’s huge improvements in the Home app and HomeKit.  Plus: there’s a new Apple ID phishing scam you need to know about; there’s been a disappointing development with Apple’s AR glasses; we have to talk about the hundreds of new emoji coming at you in iOS 11.1; and we’ve got a svelte iPhone 8 case, a MacBook Pro sleeve made from real sheep, and a new power brick that’ll charge your MacBook, iPhone, Nintendo Switch—EVERYTHING—in an all new under review.   This episode supported by CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can use code CULTCAST to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.   The Cult of Mac watch store has the best straps in the biz!  Save 20% off any order with code CultCast at checkout.   Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace / @lkahney   9 beautifully minimalist cases for your iPhone 8 & 8 Plus (and 7/7Plus) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhsoKFLYBuw   Why you shouldn’t trust Apple ID prompts in third-party apps https://www.cultofmac.com/507863/beware-apple-id-prompts-appear-third-party-apps/ A savvy developer named Felix Krause has discovered it is shockingly easy for an iOS app developer to phish your Apple ID and password with a  fake authentication prompt that looks exactly the a real one. He posted pictures of a real and fake prompt this week and they look identical. Worse, developers can add this code after their app has been approved by Apple. How to tell the difference: The app will close and the popup will disappear with it. This means it was a phishing attempt. The app and popup remain on screen. This means it is a genuine system dialog and can be trusted.   Apple is now selling its latest MacBook Pro at a discount https://www.cultofmac.com/507865/apple-now-selling-latest-macbook-pro-discount/ Apple has updated its online Apple store to start offering refurbished 15-inch MacBook Pro models with Touch Bar, marking the first time this year’s Touch Bar-equipped models have been available to buy refurbished. Apple typically sells refurbished models for around 15 percent off the full retail price   Apple CEO Tim Cook: Technology Doesn't Exist to do AR Smart Glasses 'In a Quality Way’  https://www.macrumors.com/2017/10/10/tim-cook-on-augmented-reality-smart-glasses/ Apple CEO Tim Cook recently sat down for a wide ranging interview with The Independent When questioned about the topic, he said the technology to create a pair of augmented reality smart glasses "in a quality way" does not exist today. "But today I can tell you the technology itself doesn't exist to do that in a quality way. The displ

Send us a text!This week: a company unlike any other, some say Steve Job’s greatest product was Apple itself, but how have they fared in the 6 years since his passing?  Leander shares the cold hard facts.  Plus: Leander’s long soliloquy about his new love, the 4K Apple TV; an iOS 11 software trick doubles your iPhone storage; and we’ll wrap up our favorite minimalist cases for your iPhone 7, 8, and X.   This episode supported by Build a beautiful, responsive website quick at Squarespace.com.  Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off. Squarespace—Build it Beautiful.   CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can use code CULTCAST to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.   The Cult of Mac watch store has the best straps in the biz!  Save 20% off any order with code CultCast at checkout.   Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney   Photos and videos shot in iOS 11's HEIF/HEVC format are literally now half the size they were in iOS10’s JPG/H.264 formats