This week: is a secret Apple project stalling Mac updates?  It wouldn’t be the first time… Plus: Apple teases Black Friday deals; Airport routers are dead, and the Mac Pro might be next;  the future of Time Machine; why iPad should be iOS/OS X hybrid; and Jony Ive’s new role designing Apple itself. This episode supported by Might Tees’ artful Steve Jobs, Woz, Apple and Star Trek tees are worn Will Wheaton, LeVar Burton, co-founders at Bad Robot, Chris Hardwick, Veronica Belmont, and even Steve Wozniak himself.  And without Might Tees, there’d be Leander have Erfon would have never met.  Grab a piece of CultCast history!  While supplies last, get 60% off any order at MightTees.com and use code CultCast at checkout. CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can get 20% off your order with code JETBLACK at CultCloth.co.   And check out Cult of Mac’s new, free fitness eBook! This ebook is your practical how-to guide, covering step by step everything you need to know about getting fit with Apple’s devices.   We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a  thanks for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace / @lkahney   Apple teases one-day shopping event for Black Friday Apple is teasing a one-day shopping event for Black Friday that could bring tasty discounts on its latest products. Apple chose not to participate in Black Friday sales last year, so fans were forced to look elsewhere for price cuts on Apple products. In 2014, Apple took a different approach to Black Friday, offering free gift cards with certain purchases instead of cutting prices. Customers got up to $150 for buying a Mac, up to $75 with an iPad, and up to $50 with an iPod. It’s also worth remembering that over the holiday period, the company offers free two-day shipping on almost all online purchases, while its retail stores are open longer.   Apple grounds its AirPort router division for good According to Bloomberg, Apple has disbanded the division dedicated to developing its Airport wireless routers. The product line — which spawned the AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time capsule, which Apple continues to sell — hasn’t been updated since 2013.   Jony Ive’s design book is much more than an ego trip He’s killing ports and headphone jacks left and right. The latest MacBooks value form over function. He’s designing gold watches for the 1 percent. And now his glossy new photo book, Designed by Apple in California, looks like a $300, linen-bound ego trip. "I see why some people think Designed by Apple in California could be Ive’s goodbye to Apple. But it feels to me like Ive’s heartfelt goodbye to his best friend and colleague, five years gone. I don’t think Jony Ive is going anywhere."   Surprise! Jony Ive’s Christmas tree is a plain fir on a white backdrop Having previously been announced as the co-designer (with BFF Marc Newson) of the Christmas tree at London’s famous Claridge’s hotel, Ive’s creation was unveiled over the weekend, and — surprise — it’s a plain tree with no decorations, set on a white background. “There are few things more pure and beautiful than nature, so that was our starting point, layering various iterations of organic forms with technology,” Ive and Newson said. “Our aim was to create an all-enveloping magical experience that celebrates our enormous respect for tradition while recognising our excitement about the future and things to come.”

This week: the reviews are in! We’ll tell you what praises and complaints reviewers have about new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.  Plus: the one Touch Bar feature you’ll absolutely covet; why the new “Designed by Apple in California” book is an artifact Apple fans will love; Apple quietly rebuilds a library of their gadgets long past; how to get the best Black Friday deals; and Buster reviews the hawt new Mavic Pro drone by DJI, then crashes it into a cliff.    This episode supported by   Harry’s super-sharp, German-made razors ship free right to your door and for way less than the drugstore razors. Get a free trial set at Harrys.com and score free post shave balm with code CultCast at checkout.   Might Tees’ artful Steve Jobs, Woz, Apple, Star Trek, and Star Wars tees are worn Will Wheaton, LeVar Burton, co-founders at Bad Robot, Chris Hardwick, Veronica Belmont, and even Steve Wozniak himself.  And without Might Tees, there’d be no CultCast, as Leander and Erfon would never have met.  Grab a piece of CultCast history!  While supplies last, get 60% off any order at MightTees.com and use code CultCast at checkout. CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can get 20% off your order with code JETBLACK at CultCloth.co.   We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a  thanks for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney   MacBook Pro reviews roundup: Promising, not groundbreaking https://www.cultofmac.com/453848/macbook-pro-review-roundup-promising-not-groundbreaking/ So what do the early reviews make of Apple’s new pro laptop? In a nutshell, that it’s futuristic, but maybe not an entirely successful device for present-day users. Wired: The new MacBook Pro is a terrific laptop and, like the super-skinny MacBook, a clear indication of where most of the computing world is going. But comes with growing pains Techcrunch: The less celebrated spec bumps are what make the new Pro a worthy upgrade. Better processors, more storage, a brighter display and better speakers are all wrapped up in a sleeker and lighter package than before… The Touch Bar feels like a nice bonus for the time being. ArsTechnica‘s Andrew Cunningham writes, “The more I use the Touch Bar, the more I become convinced of its potential utility” — although a lot of its ability to replace the old function buttons remains hypothetical for now.” Industry-leading storage performance. Touchbar get 1.3Gbps WiFI (like 2015 model) instead of 867Mbps. Walt Mossberg describes the Touch Bar as having “potential, but it’s not magic.” ARS: CPU performance increases by an amount that’s roughly proportionate to the 200MHz maximum clock speed increase, and GPU performance increases by around 10 percent. It’s not nothing... WSJ:  “it’s a dongle nightmare.” The SD card slot is particularly missed. WSJ: A Touch Bar, Touch ID and new design are tempting, but you’ll get the same performance and battery with the older model… So how do you decide? Do you invest in the present—the “old” MacBook Pro with performance, good-enough portability, a keyboard to cherish and lots of ports? Or do you invest in the future—a beautiful, highly portable machine with new tricks? Or maybe you do what I’m doing: Stare down at your three-year-old laptop and wonder if you can tough it out another year or two while this sorts itself out.   MacBook Pro Touch Bar lets users skip through YouTube ads http://www.cultofmac.com/454274/macbook-pro-youtube/ First spotted by users on Reddit, at present the fancy new Touch Bar lets users scrub through otherwise unskippable ads so you can start watching videos straight away. “In Safari, the touchbar [sic] will pop up a scrubbing control whenever a video begins to play,” Redditor RomansFiveEight writes. “Amazingly, you can use that to scrub THROUGH an ad, even a non-skippable 30 second pre-roll ad; and begin your video right away!”   Apple chronicles 20 years of iconic design in pricey new book http://www.cultofmac.com/454027/apple-chronicles-20-years-iconic-design-pricey-new-book/ Apple has announced that it will be debuting a new hardbound book, entitled “Designed by Apple in California,” chronicling 20 years of its groundbreaking designs — boasting 450 photographs of past and present Apple products. The book, which is dedicated to the memory of Steve Jobs, will also include exclusive details on the design processes used by Apple’s design team under the leadership of Jony Ive. The photos contained are all shot by photographer Andrew Zuckerman, a filmmaker and photographer who has previously shot portraits of Judi Dench, Clint Eastwood, Ted Kennedy, and others. “Designed by Apple in California” it is available in two sizes — including a small 10.20” x 12.75” edition for $199 and a large version sized at 13” x 16.25” — costing $299. Specially milled German paper Gilded matte silver edges Low-ghost inks   Jony Ive goes inside Apple’s design lab in new video http://www.cultofmac.com/454084/jony-ive-goes-inside-apples-design-lab-new-video/ Going inside Apple’s design lab is a rare privilege some Apple execs don’t even get, but Jony Ive is giving the world a glimpse inside his lab to celebrate the company’s new book.   Apple had to buy back old products featured in its new design book http://www.cultofmac.com/454045/apple-buy-back-products/ According to a new interview with Jony Ive, Apple had to actually go out and buy copies of its old products in order to photograph them for its new $300 coffee table book “[W]e’ve been so consumed by our current and future work we came to realise we didn’t have a catalogue of the physical products,” Ive told design journal Wallpaper*. ” … Many of the products that you see, we actually had to go out and purchase. It’s a rather shameful admission, but it’s just not an area that we really invested much time or energy in.” Shortly after he returned to the company in the late 1990s, Steve Jobs gave Apple’s historical archive — comprising records that management at Apple had kept since the mid-1980s — to Stanford University Libraries because he didn’t want Apple to be fixated on the past. A few years after that, in 1996, an ex-Apple employee named David Pakman who had worked there from 1991 through 1997 emailed Steve to suggest staging a celebratory event for Apple’s thirtieth birthday. He received a simple answer: Apple is focused on the future, not the past. —Steve Fortunately, things are changing, Ive said. Around eight years ago, the company felt an “obligation” to go out and start building up an archive of every product it had released.   Liveblog: The best Black Friday deals for 2016 http://www.cultofmac.com/453858/liveblog-best-black-friday-deals-2016/   Mavic Pro—10 years ago you’d need a helicopter to get footage like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i9Uo_szlqU

This week: early reviews show new MacBook Pro is a video editing powerhouse; Apple’s massive interest in augmented reality; rumors of a Jet White iPhone; AirPods to finally start shipping; new dongle discounts; and finally—is Apple still developing an electric car? This episode supported by Might Tees’ artful Steve Jobs, Woz, Apple and Star Trek tees are worn Will Wheaton, LeVar Burton, co-founders at Bad Robot, Chris Hardwick, Veronica Belmont, and even Steve Wozniak himself.  And without Might Tees, there’d be Leander have Erfon would have never met.  Grab a piece of CultCast history!  While supplies last, get 60% off any order at MightTees.com and use code CultCast at checkout. CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can get 20% off your order with code JETBLACK at CultCloth.co.   Learn how to get in shape using your Watch and iPhone! Sign up for Cult of Mac's new FREE Fitness ebook.   We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a  thanks for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney   AirPods supposedly land in Apple stores next week According to one Apple fan, who spoke to an employee at Conrad, an Apple authorized reseller in Germany, AirPods will be delivered to stores next Friday, November 17. “I have just talked with an employee of the Conrad Online Store, since I am there on 14.10 the AirPods ordered and I wanted to cancel today,” he explained to Apfelpage.de. “According to information from the employee, they have stockpiles from 17.11, I will then have them between November 18-19.   MacBook Pro with Touch Bar moves one step closer to shipping http://www.cultofmac.com/452996/macbook-pro-touch-bar-one-step-closer-shipping/ “Multiple reports collated by AppleInsider and other sources show that Apple is gearing up for the first wave of shipments of the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, in every configuration,” The first wave of shipments is expected to reach customers as early as November 11. Those who ordered before the shipping estimate slipped should expect to receive them by November 17, though some could be waiting until November 25.   New MacBook Pro has already outsold every other notebook in 2016 http://www.cultofmac.com/453266/macbook-pro-has-already-outsold-every-other-notebook-in-2016/ latest model generated over seven times the revenue that the MacBook 12-inch did during its April 2015 launch. The new model’s sales already equal 78 percent of all the revenue generated by the MacBook 12-inch since it became available, and has accumulated more revenue than any other laptop this year. Slice Intelligence found 40 percent of Apple laptop owners who purchased a MacBook in 2014 bought their next laptop with another brand. Dell and Asus computers were the most popular laptops for people who previously purchased a MacBook.   The truth about the 2016 MacBook Pro 13” (@JonnyLewisFilms) https://youtu.be/NWp9k2lydtk Jonathan Morris pits a specs’d out HP Specter to a 13” MacBook Pro Premier takes 9+ minutes to export, Final Cut 1:20   Dongle Discount!  Apple Drops Prices on USB-C Adapters http://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/04/apple-drops-prices-on-usb-c-adapters/ In response to Mac outrage, Apple has temporarily dropped the prices on their adapters. - USB-C to USB Adapter - Was $19, now $9 - Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter - Was $49, now $29 - USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter - Was $69, now $49 - USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter - Was $69, now $49 - USB-C to Lightning Cable (1m) - Was $25, now $19 - USB-C to Lightning Cable (2m) - Was $35, now $29 - Apple has also introduced some significant price cuts to the 4K and 5K LG UltraFine displays that were announced at its October 27 Mac event. - The LG UltraFine 5K Display is now priced at $974, a $325 price cut from its original price of $1,299.95. - The LG UltraFine 4K Display is now priced at $524, a $175 price cut from its original price of $699.95.

This week:  we’ve canceled our MacBook Pro order! It’s true, and we’ll you why...  Plus: we compare new MacBook Pro’s performance to older models and similarly priced machines;  Apple call it quits on external displays;  and, the end of an era—one of Mac’s most iconic features gets retired.   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.   CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can get 20% off your order with code JETBLACK at CultCloth.co.   We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a  thanks for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney   Professional Mac Users' Complaints List Grows After 'Disappointing' Apple Event http://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/02/professional-mac-users-complaints-grow-apple-event/ It seems like everyone’s pissed!     This week’s notes and links Hiked prices really make you think about what you’re getting, especially compared to how much better it is to what you already have (or what’s available on the market). Raw Power differences/Speed increases in new MBP (compared to 2012 model) We specs aren’t everything as Apple optimizes everything. Felix Schwarz on twitter CPU Only ~30% increase in Geekbench Single and MultiCore increases if buying the same speed processor you have no. Skylake processors are already a year old, but Kaby lake isn't due out until January and Cannonlake due in 2017 as well. GPU You get 100-180% increase in GPU performance over 2012 dedicated GPUs AMD Pro 400 series is used for low power consumption.  4 year old architecture. it’s a mobile version of a budget graphics card AMD claims "the thinnest graphics processor possible” ideal for artists, designers, photographers, filmmakers, visualizers Not on par with Nvidia GPUs Nvidia’s budget card, GTX 1060, performs at 4.2 teraflops a second vs AMD Pro 460’s 1.8 Teraflops.  455’s 1.2 Tflops 450’s 1 Tflop. Nickel and dimed New cables or dongles for all your USB devices, your iPhone, your peripherals and Thunderbolt 2 devices, maybe your existing monitor. No power brick extension cable. Funny enough, Phil Schiller noted the new MacBook Pro still has a 3.5mm headphone jack because it is a "pro machine," but lacks an SD card reader because it's a "cumbersome" slot best left to adapters or wireless transfers.  Take into account the $400-$500 price increases, it’s hard to get on board. Next year’s upgrade will address a number of my concerns Much newer Intel CPUs. More availability of USB C and Thunderbolt 3 tech. Lower prices. Touch Bar bugs worked out (if any). Cheaper SSD upgrades. Again, specs aren’t everything.  Apple says the new MacBook Pro has: 130% better 3D graphics performance. 60% better gaming performance 57% better video editing performance   Performance comparison of the 2012 and 2016 15” Retina MacBook Pro https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cv-JmoDWYAAlMp7.jpg:large   MacBook Pro’s two biggest problems may get fixed in 2017 http://www.cultofmac.com/452087/macbook-pros-two-biggest-problems-may-get-fixed-2017/ The KGI Securities analyst told investors in a recent note that he expects Apple will bring big price-cuts to the MacBook Pro along with some internal upgrades. Kuo also claims the 2017 update will finally give the MacBook Pro up to 32GB of RAM. KabyLake CPUs will be used if Intel’s Cannonlake chips aren’t ready. That will keep max RAM support at 16GB for another year. Price cuts on the next MacBook Pro won’t arrive until the second half of 2017 though.     Apple is officially done making displays http://www.cultofmac.com/451644/apple-officially-done-making-standalone-displays/ Buster The days of Apple making its own stand-alone displays for the Mac Mini and Mac Pro are dead. Apple revealed a new 5K 27-inch Thunderbolt 3 display during its “Hello Again” keynote yesterday, only instead of being made by Apple, the company partnered with LG to create the monito The Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel tweeted that, after asking about it at the Hello Again event, was informed by Apple that “it’s out of the stand-alone display biz.” Apple did add some tech to LG’s display so that it integrates better with Macs. You can adjust the brightness settings on the LG 5K UltraFine display from your Mac, rather than pushing buttons on the display itself. $1300, or $700 for a 4K model   2016 MacBook Pro loses the iconic startup chime http://www.cultofmac.com/451891/unlikely-origins-macs-startup-chime/ The new MacBook Pro jettisons the iconic F-sharp sound Apple uses to show a Mac is booting up. The use of an arpeggiated chord when you started your Mac dates back to the Macintosh II, when software engineer Mark Lentczner incorporated it into the system. The sound was later revised by Jim Reekes, Apple’s senior software engineer in charge of the audio and system sounds, during the 1990s. Over the years, its tone has changed further and the instrumentation has also varied, The reason for getting rid of the sound instead has to do with the fact that the new laptops now turn on from a fully switched-off mode if they’re opened — meaning you can save all that energy you would otherwise have expended pressing the power button. There’s hope!  You can reactivate the sound via a terminal command.   Nvidia GTX 1060 Laptop vs Desktop Benchmarks – Is Pascal Really a Game Changer? http://digiworthy.com/2016/09/26/nvidia-gtx-1060-laptop-vs-desktop-benchmarks/   How to restore Mac startup chimes on 2016 MacBook Pro http://www.cultofmac.com/452075/restore-macs-startup-chimes-2016-macbook-pro/   How Faster are the Intel processor and Radeon Pro 450 / 455 / 460 GPU on the New MacBook Pro 15 2016? https://www.techwalls.com/new-macbook-pro-15-processor-radeon-pro-gpu/   Apple Has Received More Online Orders for New MacBook Pro Than Any Previous Generation http://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/02/phil-schiller-new-macbook-pro-interview/

This week: Happy?  Disappointed?  Downright pissed off?  Don’t miss our Hello Again Mac event reactions!  Plus: everything we know about Apple’s new MacBook Pro, and the two big omissions in Apple TV’s new TV app.   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.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney   What do YOU think of the new MacBook Pros?  Tell us your thoughts on The CultCast sub Reddit.     Pros   The new MacBook Pro won’t ship for another 2-3 weeks, but members of the media who got their fingers on the new Touch Bar came away from Apple’s event with rave reviews. Techcrunch: The Touch Bar is, in a word, neat…The strip itself is glossy. Not quite slick, but frictionless enough so as to run a finger across with little effort. It’s quick and responsive, reacting to multi-touch and the amount of pressure the user applies. It also adapts quite quickly as you toggle between different apps.” Versatile - You know get Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1, Display Port, and charging abilities on every port. Brighter screen with better color Engadget was particularly impressed by the screen on the new MacBook Pro models, calling it "stunning" when in person and "a noticeable upgrade" from the previous generation of MacBook Pros. Massive new trackpad. Headphone jack! Upgraded GPU and processor. 60hz refresh rates on 4K and 5K displays Second-generation “fine tuned” butterfly mechanism keyboard. Now available in Space Gray and Silver   Nos Previous MacBook Pros started at $1299 (13”) and $1999 (15”).  New MBPs start at a whopping $1799 (13”) and $2399 (15”). USB C only ports mean dongles for everything, including regular USB peripherals. No SD card slot. No HDMI out. Your current iPhone cable won’t work. Your Thunderbolt cables and peripherals won’t work without Apple’s new $50 adapter. No Magsafe 😥 Dongles for literally EVERYTHING: iPhone AirPods SD Card readers Ethernet Thunderbolt 2 peripherals Displayport monitors No other Macs announced or updated AirPods delayed 13" Macbook Air not updated but will continue to be sold for time being.  11” retired. So long non-retina MacBook Pro. Previous gen MacBook Pro with Intel graphics still for sale but at the same price.   Apple’s TV app doesn’t work with the two best streaming services http://www.cultofmac.com/451509/apples-tv-app-doesnt-work-two-best-streaming-services/ Apple revealed its plan to own your TV screen today with a new app called TV. The new service aims to unify your TV experience on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV by taking you straight to content, but the two best streaming services won’t be available. Both Amazon Prime Video and Netflix won’t participate in Apple’s new feature.  Netflix confirmed "we are not participating and evaluating the opportunity”

This week: is Apple is about to make massive updates across the entire Mac line?  Don’t miss our Oct. 27 Mac event predictions!  Plus: everything we know about Nintendo Switch, and why we already love it.   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.   Harry’s super-sharp, German-made razors ship free right to your door and for way less than the drugstore razors. Get a free trial set at Harrys.com and score free post shave balm with code CultCast at checkout   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney   Event predications   Macbook Pro It’s been 528 days since its last update (average is 268), and 4 years since its last major overhaul. We expect an: OLED display bar. Touch ID power button and 4 USB-C ports (with Thunderbolt 3 compatibility) The MagSafe port reportedly will be scrapped. Upgrade to 4K 4096 x 2160 resolution from current 2880x1800 res.   Macbook Air, Apple’s cheapest computer It’s been 591 days since its last update (average is 350). Overall design of the MacBook Air will likely remain the same. The machines are expected to be updated with USB-C support, according to a new Bloomberg report. Updated internals for sure. Retina display is possible but may not happen since this is now Apple’s budget machine. According to Macotakara, no more 11 inch.   Macbook Nuthin - The MacBook was updated with Intel Skylake processors and a new Rose Gold color option in April of 2016.   iMac 374 days since its last update, with an average of 317. We haven’t heard a peep about updates. Likely just updated internals, but possibility of larger screen with curved display.   Mac Pro 1037 days since since the Mac Pro released.  No updates since. Average update is 449 days. Major internal updates expected with possibly design overhaul.   Mac Mini No rumors. 735 days since last update, average is 438. We’re expecting internal updates, but that’s probably it.   New Cinema Display In June of 2016 the Cinema display was officially discontinued. There have been rumors of a new ‘Thunderbolt Display’ that will feature a 5K display and an external GPU in the display itself so under-powered Macs can still run it.   A Magic Trackpad 2 with multi-touch and Force Touch was announced on October 13, 2015 along with the Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Keyboard, so probably no updates.  It’s possible we get an updated Magic Keyboard with OLED display bar.   First Look at the Nintendo Switch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5uik5fgIaI

This week: tips, tricks, and techniques to take beautiful iPhone photos and build a following on Instagram. Plus: the crazy exploding Samsung Galaxy Note saga ends in a strange twist; rumors point to Macs with radically new e-ink keyboards;  and an honest look at Siri vs. the AI competition.   This episode supported by   CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can get 20% off your order with code JETBLACK at CultCloth.co.   And check out Cult of Mac’s new, free fitness eBook! This ebook is your practical how-to guide, covering step by step everything you need to know about getting fit with Apple’s devices.   We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a  thanks for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney   Intro - Freedom of choice! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pJWMs5claM   Earin wireless earbuds https://www.earin.com   Apple may be working on keyboard with e-ink display keys http://www.cultofmac.com/449008/apple-e-ink-keyboard-demo/ Buster A Redditor namede Foxconninsider recently posted about a new Smart Keyboard claimed to be a working e-ink keyboard prototype potentially coming to both iMac and MacBook devices sometime in 2018.   The Guardian is now corroborating the keyboard with a claim that Apple CEO, Tim Cook has met with Sonder founder Serra-Martins in while in China.   Samsung mercifully puts Galaxy Note 7 out of its misery http://www.cultofmac.com/448826/samsung-mercifully-puts-galaxy-note-7-misery/ Samsung has permanently stopped production of its once-acclaimed new smartphone flagship. Owners will be able to return their phones for a refund or to swap it out for another Samsung device. The handset was allegedly rushed to market due to Samsung’s confidence that the iPhone 7 would turn out to be a box office dud.   LOL: Galaxy Note 7 return kit includes fire-proof box and gloves http://www.cultofmac.com/448863/lol-galaxy-note-7-return-kit-includes-fire-proof-box-gloves/ If you bought your Note online from Samsung,returning it could be tricky. In the United Kingdom, the Post Office won’t even accept packages that contain the device. Fortunately, Samsung has a solution. Its special Note 7 return kit was designed with explosions in mind, and it includes thermally-insulated packaging with a ceramic fiber paper lining, and gloves that ensure you won’t suffer burns while handling the device.   Mossberg: Why does Siri seem so dumb? http://www.recode.net/2016/10/12/13251618/mossberg-apple-siri-digital-assistant-dumbS When was the last time Siri delighted you with a satisfying and surprising answer or action? Siri started as an iOS app in 2009, then was purchased by Apple and introduced again in the iPhone 4S It seems to me that Apple has wasted its lead with Siri. And now Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook and others are on the march If you try and treat Siri like a truly intelligent assistant, aware of the wider world, it often fails (Weather on Crete, Presidential Nominees) Google Now, on the same Apple devices, using the same voice input, answered every one of these questions clearly and correctly Siri is too limited and unreliable to be an effective weapon for Apple in the coming AI wars. It seems stagnant

This week: revamped iPads coming this spring; Apple lays the groundwork for the next era of personal technology; how smart homes get hacked; Google’s Pixel phone vs. iPhone 7; and we reveal our favorite new iOS and Mac apps!   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. Easiest   Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them.  Learn why at Casper.com/cultcast and get $50 towards any mattress with code "CultCast".   We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a  thanks for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney   Intro - Do you even scan, bro? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRRHHqY7RwE   We’re glad to see they’re putting them to good use https://www.instagram.com/p/BLOEKS7j9gw/   Replacement Galaxy Note 7 catches fire on a plane http://www.cultofmac.com/448043/replacement-galaxy-note-7-catches-fire-plane/ Southwest Airlines was forced to evacuate a flight from Louisville to Baltimore this morning before it hit the runway, thanks to a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone that caught fire. The owner of the Galaxy Note 7 said he got the new phone on September 21st at an AT&T store. Before the flight left the gate, the owner says he powered it down and put it in his pocket when it started smoking. Thick grey-green smoke poured out of the device after the owner dropped it on the floor. In a matter of moments it had burned through the plane’s carpet. “All passengers and crew exited the plane via the main cabin door and no injuries were reported,”     With new hardware trio, Google makes major play for your home http://www.cultofmac.com/447847/new-hardware-trio-google-makes-major-play-home/ During an event in San Francisco today, Google unveiled a new Wi-Fi router, an improved Chromecast with 4K support, and a new Google Home device that’s a lot like Amazon’s Echo smart speaker, only it’s powered by Google Assistant. Google Home allows owners to use voice commands to do stuff like play music on YouTube, Google Play Music or Spotify. You can also ask Google Home to play podcasts or news feeds.   AirPods point to Apple’s domination of ‘ambient paradigm’ http://www.cultofmac.com/448065/airpods-point-apples-domination-ambient-paradigm/   Three new iPads Pro are coming early next year http://www.cultofmac.com/447676/apple-said-planning-trio-new-ipad-pros-early-2017/ Apple is set to debut a trifecta of new iPad Pro models in Q1 2017, according to a new report Mac Okatara suggests that the 12.9-inch and 7.9-inch iPad Pros will get the same 12MP iSight camera and True Tone technology that the 9.7-inch iPad Pro currently has. All three models will also supposedly receive quad microphones and, in something of a pleasant surprise, 3.5mm headphone jacks. If Apple’s yearly product cycle wasn’t enough of a hint that a new iPad was on the way, Apple’s iPad Pro tablets both received discounts of up to $100 after Apple’s iPhone 7 media event last month. This announcement coincided with a storage upgrade for other iPad models.   Let’s talk about apps, man   Leander Mezi smart shopping assistant (iOS, Free) https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mezi-personal-shopping-assistant/id988314457?mt=8 Rejoinders iMessage stickers https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rejoinders/id1155853742?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4   Buster Lightroom for iOS https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adobe-photoshop-lightroom/id804177739?mt=8   Erfon OmniDiskSweeper https://www.omnigroup.com/more PasteBot http://tapbots.com/pastebot/beta/

This week: reports point to a big Mac event coming in October!  We’ll tell you why we expect more than just overhauled MacBook Pros...  Plus: we remember Steve Jobs, and what made him so damned good; why the jet black iPhone 7 is impossible to find; and stay tuned for drone chat, where we discuss the super cool new drones hitting the market.   This episode supported by   Dollar Shave Club delivers amazing razors right to your door for a third of the price of what the greedy razor corporations charge.  Try it yourself with your first month free at DollarShaveClub.com/CultCast.   Withings Body Cardio scale helps you assess overall cardiovascular health with Heart Rate and Pulse Wave Velocity, a medically-accepted measurement that tracks the speed at which heartbeat-generated waves move along the arteries.  Learn more at Withings.com.   We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a  thanks for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lewiswallace   Intro - The Extraordinary Powerbook https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqcZttJJtIE   Long-awaited MacBook Pro update might land in October http://www.cultofmac.com/447146/apples-new-macbook-pro-may-launch-october/ MacRumors has reported that Apple is moving rapidly toward a launch of the new MacBook Pro models, with current development work on macOS 10.12.1 focused largely on preparing the operating system to support the updated hardware's new features Apple hasn’t made a significant update to the MacBook Pro lineup since May 2015 According to MacRumors‘ report, Apple is just waiting for development of macOS 10.12.1 to finish so it can support the updated hardware’s new features. Apple is supposedly planning to seed one more beta version of macOS 10.12.1 early next week. That version will then be polished and loaded onto hardware currently being produced. rumored by several sources to include Touch ID support and an OLED "touch bar" replacing the current row of function keys across the top of keyboard. Apple is also said to be shifting to "Polaris" graphics chips from AMD on the higher-end 15-inch models.  iMac 352/317 (days since update/average) MBP 500/268 MBA 570/350 Mac Mini 714/438 Mac Pro 1015/449   Here’s why jet black iPhone 7 is impossible to find http://www.cultofmac.com/446735/heres-jet-black-iphone-7-impossible-find/ Apple’s new jet black iPhone 7 is nearly impossible to find at stores, and the shortage isn’t going to get better anytime soon, according to one of the most accurate Apple analysts in the game. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told investors in a research note today that Apple is having trouble with production of the jet black cases. A substantial number of cases don’t meet quality standards for the jet black finish, which is already susceptible to scratches. Apple had to create an entirely new process to produce the high-gloss black finish, which is why it’s so hard for manufacturers to get their yield rates up.   iPhone 7 Plus haptic engine no longer works after being exposed to water. https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/5500bd/iphone_7_plus_haptic_engine_no_longer_works_after/   DJI’s tiny Mavic Pro drone will land at Apple Stores http://www.cultofmac.com/446916/djis-tiny-mavic-pro-drone-will-land-apple-stores/ The battle for droning supremacy is heating up today after DJI revealed its tiny new Mavic Pro drone that will take on GoPro’s new Karma drone system. DJI’s new Mavic Pro drone features a folding design that can compress the device down to the size of a water bottle. DJI strapped a 4K video camera on a 3-axis gimbal. It can also take 12MP RAW stills in either portrait or landscape mode thanks to the gimbal that can be controlled via an iPhone. $750 - drone only $999 drone with remote $1300 with extra batteries, quick charger, propellers, bag, etc Ships Oct. 15, in Apple Stores in November   Casey Neistat loves the DJi Mavic Pro drone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqcZttJJtIE

This week: seven days with iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2—we’ll tell you what we love (and don’t) about Apple’s newest iPhone and Watch.  Plus: Hissgate, explained; auto-unlocking your Mac with an Apple Watch; and if you’re wondering how to use picture-in-picture mode on Youtube videos in macOS Sierra, we’ll reveal just how to get it working.   This episode supported by   Dollar Shave Club delivers amazing razors right to your door for a third of the price of what the greedy razor corporations charge.  Try it yourself with your first month free at DollarShaveClub.com/CultCast.   TunnelBear, the simple privacy app that makes it easy to browse privately and enjoy a more open internet. Visit GetTunnelBear.com to get your free TunnelBear today.   We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a  thanks for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney   Let the lovely lady Lisa enchant you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNDi4UYwrTs   iPhone 7 display is the best LCD ever tested http://www.cultofmac.com/445998/iphone-7-display-best-lcd-ever-tested/ Apple’s new LCD display was rated as “visually indistinguishable from perfect” when it comes to image contrast and intensity. The tiniest amount of color variation, seen when viewing the screen from an angle, also yielded top marks. The DisplayMate report calls the touchscreen display the “crown jewel of the smartphone” One thing that gives the iPhone 7 display a competitive advantage is its adoption of two standard color gamuts: The new DCI-P3 wide color gamut used in 4K UHD TVs, and the smaller sRGB/Rec.709 gamut traditionally used in digital cameras, TVs, computers and most other consumer devices. The test also found that the iPhone 7’s peak brightness can only be achieved when Automatic Brightness is turned on. This prevents users from draining their battery in a flash by accidentally keeping the slider all the way up.   Hissgate: iPhone 7 Plus emits strange noise when under heavy load http://www.cultofmac.com/445972/hissgate-iphone-7-plus-emit-strange-noise-heavy-load/ Some iPhone 7 Plus owners are reporting that Apple’s new devices emit a strange hissing noise when performing processor-intensive tasks. And no one is sure what’s causing it. It appears that Hissgate only effects a small number of devices. Cult of Mac has not been able to replicate the hissing problem on any of our new iPhones. Engadget theorized that it could be a “coil whine” and is likely a small manufacturing defect instead of an overall design flaw. Apple looks to be replacing phones which present the issue   Apple Watch Series 2 review: A tick closer to perfection http://www.cultofmac.com/445874/apple-watch-series-2-review/ Buster For the past 16 months, Apple’s wearable and I have had an on-again, off-again relationship. Apple Watch Series 2 is supposed to be wicked fast at this, but there’s just one problem. The device’s screen never shows “GPS” or another indicator to prove it’s connected. You just have to take it on faith that there’s a connection behind the scenes. It still can’t track your elevation. There’s a huge difference in difficulty between running 5 miles on flat roads verses 5 miles with a 2,000-foot elevation gain. The only way to get your elevation data is to pack your iPhone along for the ride. This watch is screaming fast. I didn’t notice any major gains in battery life, so it’s likely that all the extra juice is being used to power the new GPS chip and display.