The CultCast

Send us a text!This week: Even more juicy details leak on iPhone 8, plus a report says the keynote reveal is right around the corner. Leander shares the strange twist in Apple’s autonomous car project Why the 13” MacBook Pro might soon become your favorite Mac Story time with L Kahney - he’s going to share the highlights from his whirlwind tour of Japan and other defenseless Asian lands. Plus Erfon recalls what it’s like in the darkness of a total solar eclipse.   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.     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   This week’s intro (thanks Nick Bracken!) http://www.ngataonga.org.nz/collections/catalogue/catalogue-item?record_id=147476   The shadows take on the sun's new shape https://instagram.com/p/BYEHnqbHU1d/   We might know the iPhone 8 keynote date https://www.cultofmac.com/498836/iphone-8-release-date/ Hot on the heels of Samsung’s grand unveiling of the Galaxy Note 8 today, carrier sources have supposedly informed Mac4Ever that Apple plans to unleash its device in just a few weeks. Apple’s keynote is allegedly slated for September 12 where the company will reveal three new iPhones. While we haven’t been able to verify the accuracy of the report ourselves, Apple usually hosts its iPhone keynote in the middle of September so the date could make sense. The French Apple blog claims that carriers have been informed by Apple to expect the device announcement on the second Tuesday of next month. Carriers usually receive a heads up so they can start planning marketing and to organize pre-orders to ensure inventory. And get this, the minimum storage capacity for Apple's OLED iPhone is said to be 64GB, with a 256GB option offered as the mid-tier capacity and a 512GB option at the highest tier, while 3GB of RAM is claimed to be included across the board.   iPhone 8’s amazing facial recognition is super quick, works in the dark https://www.cultofmac.com/498426/iphone-8s-amazing-facial-recognition-super-quick-works-dark/ The iPhone 8’s facial recognition feature will work in a millionth of a second, and be more secure than the existing Touch ID sensor, and even work in the dark, a pair of new reports claim. In addition to the regular iPhone sensors you’d expect to find, the upcoming handset will reportedly boast a new “structured light” sensor, which uses bounced infrared light to work out the depth of different poin

Send us a text!This week:  Apple makes a major play to become the next HBO, meanwhile, intriguing new images surface showing what looks to be what we all thought had died—the long lost Apple Television.  Plus: a trusted source says Apple’s next Watch will be more boring that we hoped; and finally… eating bugs… Thai Tinder… yes, Buster Heine is back to share strange stories from his travels deep into the heart of Thailand.   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 CULTCAST20 to score a free CleanCloth AND get 20% off your 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 / Buster on Instagram   Blurry photos purport to show mythical Apple TV set https://www.cultofmac.com/497858/blurry-photos-apple-tv-set/ Blurry images that popped up online supposedly show the testing of an Apple OLED television set of around 60 inches in size. The photos were shared on Chinese social media before being circulated by mobile leaker Benjamin Geskin on Twitter. images depict what looks like an Apple-branded standalone display in some kind of lab testing environment. They show a metal frame design, while accompanying notes on Weibo suggest that the set also includes a camera. And, just like that, longstanding rumors of an Apple TV set reignite! The rumors gained momentum with the publishing of Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography in 2011. “I’d like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use,” Jobs was quoted as saying. “It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine.”   Apple will throw $1 billion at original programming over next year https://www.cultofmac.com/497846/apple-will-throw-1-billion-original-programming-next-year/ According to the WSJ, Apple is reportedly preparing a $1 billion “war chest” which it will spend on acquiring or producing original content over the next year. That sum is around half of what HBO spent on production last year. Apple SVP Eddy Cue is reportedly aiming for Apple to offer up to ten new shows, which could rival Game of Thrones in scope. Apple has been ramping up its hirings to try and establish itself as a force to be reckoned with. The company’s recent hirings include a pair of former Sony execs, who previously helped bring to the screen shows including AMC’s Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and Netflix’s The Crown WSJ: "Mr. Van Amburg and Mr. Erlicht have begun meeting with Hollywood agents and holding discussions about shows Apple could acquire, the people familiar said. Mr. Matt Cherniss has movie experience, having worked as a production executive at Warner Bros."   Apple Watch Series 3 will bring LTE but no design changes

Send us a text!This week:  what does Apple have in store for the next version of  Watch?  We’ll roundup the current rumors and reveal our Gen 3 wish list.  Then: could Face ID actually replace Touch ID on iPhone 8?  We have concerns.  Plus: proof that a 4K Apple TV is right around the corner; more incredible demos of AR Kit; and we share our favorite new shows, movies, and board games in an all-new What We’re Into!   This episode supported by   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 CULTCAST20 to score a free CleanCloth AND get 20% off your 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 / @maccast   Apple Plans to Release a Cellular-Capable Watch to Break iPhone Ties https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-04/apple-said-to-ready-cellular-capable-watch-to-break-iphone-ties "Apple Inc. is planning to release a version of its smartwatch later this year that can connect directly to cellular networks, a move designed to reduce the device’s reliance on the iPhone, people familiar with the matter said.” What would we like to see in the next Apple Watch Round version or a new shape/style Way better battery life always on screen Thinner No LTE fees!   Blurry photo might confirm iPhone 8 Touch ID fears https://www.cultofmac.com/496382/foxconn-photo-confirms-iphone-8-touch-id-fears/ An apparent iPhone 8 photo straight out of Foxconn has confirmed one of our biggest fears for Touch ID: It will be relocated to the back of the device. Apple has been working to embed its fingerprint scanner into the iPhone’s display, but according to numerous reports, the technology won’t be ready in time for this year’s big refresh. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg: Apple’s pitch come September will be that Face ID is quicker, more secure, and more accurate than Touch ID. People inside Apple say it is. Security implications   iPhone 8 facial recognition will unlock your phone even when it’s lying down https://www.cultofmac.com/496270/iphone-8-facial-recognition-will-unlock-phone-even-lying/ The new iPhone 8 will be capable of unlocking with its face recognition even when it’s lying flat on your desk, a new report from The Information suggests. This information appears to back up a report published in 

Send us a text!This week: Apple just accidentally leaked major details about the iPhone 8 and HomePod.  Whoopsie!  We’ll tell you everything we’ve learned.    Plus: leaked audio files show off the HomePods cool UI sounds; we reveal exclusive new audio of the HomePod's boot-up noise;  Buster’s shares a very special announcement; and we wrap with our reviews of the best internet-connected security cameras and the hawt new flagship Olympus OM-D EM-1 mirrorless camera in an all-new Under Review 🔥🔥🔥   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.   Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show.   On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / Buster on Instagram   More juicy details about iPhone 8 discovered in Apple code https://www.cultofmac.com/495480/juicy-details-about-iphone-8/ Apple clearly didn’t realize that the firmware it made available on Friday was a goldmine of secret information. Not only did it reveal the final design of the iPhone 8 and its new facial recognition technology, but it tells us stuff we didn’t know about HomePod, too. First of all, buried in the firmware are GLYPHS of the actual phone itself. WHOOPSIE! We now know the device will have a split status bar designed to fit its edge-to-edge display Things like cellular signal and time might be displayed on one side of the bar, while indicators for Bluetooth, location, and battery level could appear on the other. “The new status bar seems a lot more complex and powerful in design, maybe even interactive,” Troughton-Smith says. The software has also revealed that iPhone 8 will boast tap to wake functionality. This is a feature found on many Android and Windows Phone devices, which lets you wake the device simply by tapping its screen. It’s handy when there is no physical Home button. It appears, however, that iPhone 8 will have a “Home Indicator.” It’s believed to be similar to the virtual Home button that appears at the bottom of the display on Android devices, and it looks like Apple will allow developers to hide it in certain contexts. Interestingly, Troughton-Smith tweeted “I’ve seen nothing to suggest an ultrasound under-the-display Touch ID here,” meaning either no touchID or one on the back Rumors have said that facial recognition is even more accurate than touch id and will even work with Apple Pay.   Apple code confirms that facial unlocking tech is on the way https://www.cultofmac.com/495340/facial-recognition-code-stevets/ "I can confirm reports that HomePod’s firmware reveals the existence of upcoming iPhone’s infra-red face unlock in BiometricKit and el

Send us a text!This week:  Parts shortages force Apple to start handing out free MacBook Pros, and everyone on the internet wants a piece of the action. You knew Jony Ive designed some of Apple’s most iconic products, but did you know he also helped craft one of Star Wars most nefarious light sabers?   Apple discontinues two of their most iconic products. And stay tuned for all our favorite new stuff in another episode of What We’re Into!     This episode supported by   BlueApron - a better way to cook! Get your first 3 meals free with free shipping at BlueApron.com/CultCast   Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of sink and bounce, 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 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 / @lewiswallace   Shortages force Apple to swap old MacBook Pros for new models https://www.cultofmac.com/494546/supply-shortages-force-apple-swap-old-macbook-pros-new-models/ Apple has been forced to swap old MacBook Pros in need of repair with new models due to severe component shortages. It means some lucky customers are getting a free upgrade to the latest machines when in need of service under warranty. A common fault with any laptop after regular use is that its battery loses its ability to charge. The cells can only withstand so many cycles before they no longer perform as intended. Fortunately, Apple will replace them for free under warranty. MacRumors reports that the company is currently facing “a severe constraint of top case assemblies with integrated batteries” for 15-inch MacBook Pros released in mid 2012 and early 2013 — and this is expected to last until September. As a result, Apple is said to have instructed its Genius Bar employees and Authorized Service Providers that they can temporarily swap affected notebooks for a newer, “functionally equivalent” model. If your MacBook Pro is still covered by the one-year manufacturer warranty, or an extended AppleCare plan, the cost of a battery replacement (or upgrade were eligible) is completely free. If your warranty has expired, the fee is $199. However, Apple has been waiving this fee for customers who are willing to wait for new batteries to arrive, rather than taking an upgrade for $199.     Apple No Longer Replacing Some MacBook Pros Needing Battery Service With Newer Models https://www.macrumors.com/2017/07/26/apple-ends-macbook-pro-battery-exchanges/ Apple's memo says, effective July 26, service inventory of top case assemblies with batteries is now available for new repairs. For all new repair requests, Apple advises Genius Bar employees and Apple Authorized Service Providers to order the necessary inventory. Apple advises its ser

Send us a text!  This week:  Why Apple’s making an iPhone Pro, a tech-packed cutting-edge phone that will showcase what Cupertino is capable of.   Genius Bar jackpot!  Aka, why the Genius Bar sometimes replaces your old broken tech for a brand new model.   Stick around for a super-powerful electric long board, a HomeKit-enabled ceiling fan, and pro-level keyboard case for your iPad Pro in an all-new Under Review 🤖   This episode supported by   You might know of Shutterstock as home to royalty-free photos. But, they offer much more.  Kickstart your next interactive project with video clips or music tracks from their collection, and save 20% for a limited time at shutterstock.com/cultcast   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.   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   Macintosh Jr. has the power to crush the other kids!   Apple’s risky balancing act with the next iPhone http://www.macworld.com/article/3207552/iphone-ipad/apples-risky-balancing-act-with-the-next-iphone.html   Why Apple sometimes gives brand new products for your old broken one (connected podcast) Have you or a friend ever taken an old product into the Genius Bar, and had them replace that product with a brand new version?  Isn’t it great when that happens?? Well it turns out it’s likely not cause Apple’s so nice. When Apple develops a new product, they can’t test for everything. When a problem surfaces, Apple may initiate what they call a "Field capture period” During this time, if Apple is investigating a problem with a product, and you bring in a product that exhibits the symptoms of that problem, they’ll give you a new piece of hardware, then send your device back to Cupertino to dissasemble and investigate. Certain kinds of sunscreens dissolving glue in Apple watch backs, causing the back to come off.   Under Review Hunter Symphony Fan Logitech Slim Combo Keyboard Huger Electric Longboard   Leander on a skateboard http://imgur.com/8YmIU2s

Send us a text!This week:  the magic of HomePod!  We’ll tell you about the built-in audio tech that's getting even the most ardent audiophiles hyped about Apple’s new smart speaker.   Plus: why iPhone 8’s biggest features may be disabled at launch Why you can grab free Beats in Apple's new back to school promo without being in college The fascinating story behind Steve Jobs' iconic turtleneck More of iOS 11’s best unknown features And we wrap with the heart warming story of why Steve Jobs insisted on always buying Scott Forstall's lunch.   This episode supported by   You might know of Shutterstock as home to royalty-free photos. But, they offer much more.  Kickstart your next interactive project with video clips or music tracks from their collection, and save 20% for a limited time at shutterstock.com/cultcast   What is Backblaze? It’s unlimited, cloud backup for Macs and PCs. And it’s native for Macs!  Try it out free for 15 days at Backblaze.com/cultcast.   Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of sink and bounce, 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 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   iPhone 8’s biggest features could be disabled at launch https://www.cultofmac.com/492358/iphone-8s-biggest-features-disabled-launch/ Some of the iPhone 8’s biggest new features could be disabled when the handset makes its debut this September. According to Fast Company, there is “a sense of panic in the air” at Apple as engineers scramble to iron out software bugs that are affecting wireless charging and 3D facial recognition. For both features, the hardware is ready — but the software that controls the features is “not ready for prime time.” If Apple cannot fix the issues, wireless charging could be disabled when the iPhone 8 goes on sale this September. Users would then have to wait for a future iOS update for it to be enabled — just like Portrait Mode on iPhone 7 Plus, which wasn’t ready for launch last fall. Same goes for facial recognition, but this report says Apple will indeed include a touch ID sensor under the screen, so at least you’ll have that.   Apple offers free Beats in latest Back to School promo https://www.cultofmac.com/492362/apple-offers-free-beats-latest-back-school-promo/ Apple is giving away free Beats headphones for its latest Back to School promotion. Those who purchase a new iPad Pro — either the 10.5-

Send us a text!This week: it’s easy to ignore how intuitive it is to use an iPhone, but behind those vast array of simple swipes and taps was an entire team of designers who painstakingly crafted the sophisticated interactions that give the iPhone its magic.     This week we'll tell you the stories behind inertial scrolling, swipe to unlock, and Bas Ording, the man who brought iOS to life using the physics of our natural world.   This episode supported by   You might know of Shutterstock as home to royalty-free photos. But, they offer much more.  Kickstart your next interactive project with video clips or music tracks from their collection, and save 20% for a limited time at shutterstock.com/cultcast   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.   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   iPhone 8 will include fewer casing colors, no Touch ID https://www.cultofmac.com/490788/iphone-8-will-include-fewer-casing-colors-no-touch-id/ Will Apple manage to successfully embed Touch ID into the OLED display of the iPhone 8, or will it have to follow in the footsteps of Android device makers and opt for a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor? None of the above, claims well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a list of predictions he’s made for the next iPhone, Kuo claims Apple will skip Touch ID altogether for its next-gen handset. “We predict the OLED model [iPhone 8] won’t support fingerprint recognition,” Kuo writes. The reasons? The full-screen design doesn’t work with existing capacitive fingerprint recognition, and under-the-display fingerprint recognition tech still isn’t ready.     iPhone 8 might drop Touch ID for 3-D face scanner https://www.cultofmac.com/490848/iphone-8-3-d-facial-scanning/ The iPhone 8 might ditch Touch ID for 3-D facial scanning that could prove faster, easier and more secure than the fingerprint reader currently used for logins and payments. Apple is currently testing the 3-D face-scanning technology in iPhone prototypes that utilize a new 3-D sensor, according to Bloomberg. The new security system could be augmented by eye-scanning technology with the intent of replacing Touch ID, the report adds, citing anonymous “people familiar with the product.” One major production problem Apple faces with the OLED screen iPhone 8 is getting an under-screen finger

Send us a text!This week: you’d never know it from Steve Job’s effortless keynote introduction, but the original iPhone was plagued with huge design and production issues that almost made Apple call it quits, right up until the day it was released!  To commemorate the iPhone’s 10th anniversary, we’ll recount some of the incredible stories behind iPhone’s beleaguered early days, and celebrate how Apple pulled off one of the greatest device launches in history.   And stay tuned for an all-new What We're Into!   This episode supported by   You might know of Shutterstock as home to royalty-free photos. But, they offer much more.  Kickstart your next interactive project with video clips or music tracks from their collection, and save 20% for a limited time at shutterstock.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   Sign up to get a free copy of Unsung Apple Hero, an e-book detailing Bas Ording’s career at Apple. We’ll email you a copy when the e-book is released in July!    Trying to build a better iPod iPod was ruling the world, it was 50% of Apple’s revenue. Apple had the wherewithal to realize it was only a matter of time before phones would do it all, and they realized they needed to build one. Well the iPod used a click wheel, so why not build a phone function into that?  It worked great, until they realized it wouldn’t work for dialing numbers. Steve Jobs realized their multitouch technology, which existed as rough demo, could be the key to controlling the iPhone.  But they’d had to shrink it.  The technology at the time consisted of  a ping-pong table-sized display with a projector shooting down onto it.  They had found their solution.   Birth of the iPhone: How Apple turned clunky prototypes into a truly magical device     Insider stories on how the iPhone was born     The pressure Around 2005, Steve Jobs conveyed to Forstall and team that he hated the replacement iPhone proposals he was seeing, and that’s when he threatened to take the project away from them.  He gave the team two weeks to come up with a good design. The team went into overdrive. Working tirelessly.  Non stop.  They had to come up with an entire multitouch design language, touch interactions, like pinch to zoom and the rubber banding scroll. When the two weeks was up, they convened with Steve to show him their new work. He watched silently, stoic. And when the demo was over, Steve said, "let me see it again.” So once more they dived into their vision of the iPhone. And after they were through, Steve simply said: Good job guys.  He wa

Send us a text!This week:   More of the powerful new iOS 11 features you’ve never heard of.  The talented app which will harnesses the power of Apple’s  new augmented reality features   Scott Forstall is back, and he’s sharing the bizarre story of how the original iPhone really came to be.  Everything you need to know about HEIF, the JPEG-killing format Apple is adopting Cliff jumping in our loin cloths   This episode supported by   BlueApron - a better way to cook! Get your first 3 meals free with free shipping at BlueApron.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   Former iOS Chief Scott Forstall Discusses Creating the First iPhone https://www.macrumors.com/2017/06/21/scott-forstall-discusses-creation-first-iphone/ Former iOS chief Scott Forstall is back from the dead.  In a rare appearance, he appeared an event Tuesday night at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, where he discussed the birth of the iPhone and his relationship with Steve Jobs. It’s  the first time he's spoken publicly since he was ousted from Apple in October 2012 Forstall also spoke about the concept of skeuomorphic design, claiming he had "never heard of skeuomorphism" when he was working on iOS and that it sounded "unnatural”. "When I look at design - when I look at good design - it's approachable, friendly, you can use it without a manual. It's fun. We talked a lot about photo-illustrative design. It was infused into the design sense of Apple by Steve Jobs since the original Mac. We used these design philosophies. It doesn't mean we loved it, or loved every single part of it. We know it worked. How do we know it worked? You just have to watch people use it.” Where things got really interesting is when Scott spoke about the origins of the iPhone.  The TRUE origins. Forstall claimed that before the iPhone was conceived, Jobs had initially wanted a tablet with capacitative touch and multitouch in order to get one over on someone he "hated" who worked at Microsoft. "It began because Steve hated this guy at Microsoft. That is the actual origin," Forstall said, before adding that it wasn't Bill Gates. After hearing the person boast about Microsoft's tablet and stylus development, said Forstall, "Steve came in on a Monday, there was a set of expletives and then he said, 'Let's show them how it's really done'."   New Siri icon in iOS 11 may hint at iPhone 8’s virtual Home button https://www.cultofmac.com/488534/new-siri-icon-ios-11-may-hint-iphone-8s-virtual-home-button/ Apple may have left a big clue in iOS 11 that points to huge design changes coming later this year to the iPhone 8. While doing some testing with the new Do Not Disturb When Driving feature, eagle-eyed Apple observers have spotted a ne