The CultCast

Send us a text!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

Send us a text!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 ship

Send us a text! 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.

Send us a text! 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.

Send us a text! 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 o

Send us a text! 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 No

Send us a text! 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’

Send us a text!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 accur

Send us a text! 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 b

Send us a text!This week: should you buy Airpods?  The reviews are in, and we’re excited.  Plus: the iPhone 7 carrier deals you need to know about; iPhone 7 smashes pre-order expectations; Series 1 vs. Series 2 Apple Watch; and, Apple, the new NASA?   This episode supported by   Build a beautiful, responsive website quick at Squarespace.com.  Enter offer codeCultCastat checkout to get 10% off. Squarespace—Build it Beautiful.   Audible, the home of over 150,000 audio books from practically every genre in existence.  Grab Leander's book, Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products, for FREE with a 30-day Audible trial.  The book is yours to keep even if you decide not to keep your Audible subscription.  Get started at audible.com/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 - Whole Earth Access has the Macintosh you’ve been looking for! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHGDpYXtqow   T-Mobile CEO: iPhone 7 is shaping up to be a smash hit http://www.cultofmac.com/445389/t-mobile-ceo-iphone-7-shaping-smash-hit/ According to charismatic T-Mobile CEO John Legere, reports about a supposed lack of interest in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are way overblown. “So I don’t know what everyone is doing, but it’s like four times bigger than the iPhone 6 for us at this order stage,” he said, calling orders thus far a “phenomenon.”    Apple won’t have any iPhone 7 Plus models for sale in stores on Friday   http://www.recode.net/2016/9/15/12925820/apple-iphone-7-sold-out It’s completely sold out, as is the smaller iPhone in Jet Black   Our pre-order experiences (discussion)   AT&T/T-Mobile/Verizon iPhone 7 deals are bonkers (discussion)   Thoughts on watchOS 3 and the Apple Watch Series 1 vs. Series 2  (discussion)   AirPods review roundup: A nice idea with room for improvement http://www.cultofmac.com/445557/airpods-review-roundup-nice-idea-room-improvement/ We’ll have to wait until October to get our hands on Apple’s new wireless AirPods, but select reviewers have been granted early access to help us decide whether they’re worth their $159 price tag.   Impressions