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Apple about to make AirPods A LOT better + Threads vs. Twitter! (CultCast #602) Jul 06, 2023

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This week: We're talking BIG changes coming to AirPods, Apple's radical plan for new displays, and Twitter vs. Threads, battle of the the tech titans! Plus: Apple hits 3 TRILLION in market value, so Erfon's got another epic Apple stock update!

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This week's stories

Next-gen AirPods Pro could measure your body temperature

In the Sunday edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman shared Apple’s future roadmap for the AirPods. The company wants to position AirPods as a hearing aid replacement. It has hired engineers from traditional hearing aid companies to boost its research in this area.

Apple plans to launch a monitor that stays on when you shut down your Mac

Vision Pro’s complex design forces Apple to make significant production cuts

Apple reportedly made hefty cuts to its production goals for the Vision Pro due to the headset’s complex design, which makes mass production a challenge.

Lewis: Win a compact charger that juices up 3 devices at once [Cult of Mac giveaway]

This is a rare repeat - but this time it's open to contestants worldwide!

How to use Threads, the new (new (new)) Twitter replacement

Threads is the new social media platform with Twitter-like features, coming from Instagram.

Apple TV+ has a lot more subscribers than you might realize

The number of Apple TV+ subscribers has more than tripled in the past two years, according to data from a market-analysis firm.

Apple passes $3 trillion mark cap … again

Apple’s share price us up 53% this year!

Apple prepping 30-inch iMac + iPhone 15 leaks! (CultCast #601) Jun 30, 2023

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This week: We've got new intel on the next round of Apple's upcoming hardware releases including the long awaited 30-inch iMac (Pro?!), OLED iPads, the next Apple Watch Ultra, and more. Plus, fresh new images leak for iPhone 15 Pro Max!

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Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com

This week's stories

Apple is reportedly working on iMac with 30-inch-plus screen

Aside from the inevitable iPhone refresh (and the headset everyone’s buzzing about), Apple reportedly has several other major new products lined up for launch in 2023 and the first half of 2024. This includes revamped iPad Pros with OLED displays, new Macs powered by a next-gen M3 processor and an upgrade to the Apple Watch Ultra.

iPhone 15 Pro Max case leaks well ahead of fall announcement

Those eager to get their hands on the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro Max should check out a short video showing a case supposedly designed for Apple’s next flagship smartphone. This helps confirm a few details that previously leaked out.

EU countries, lawmakers reach data rule deal targeting Big Tech

The European Commission proposed the Data Act last year to cover data generated in smart gadgets, machinery and consumer products, part of a raft of legislation aimed at curbing the power of U.S. tech giants.

Apple Hikes iCloud+ Subscription Prices in Many Countries Around the World

Apple has increased the price of iCloud storage in several regions around the world, including the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and South America.

Win this brilliant bundle from Function101 to whip your desk into shape [Cult of Mac giveaway]

In this week’s giveaway, two lucky winners will bag themselves a magnetic Desk Mat Pro with two Cable Block XL cable managers from Function101. This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to tidy up their desk and ensure wires are secure and easily accessible.

Removable batteries coming to iPhone & iPad + cool features coming to Vision Pro! (CultCast #600) Jun 22, 2023

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This week: Imagine being able to easily swap out the battery on your iPhone or iPad - the EU is about to force Apple to do just that. Plus, cool new features coming to Vision Pro and the Photos app!

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Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com

This week's stories

EU forces removable batteries on iPhone and iPad

The European Parliament passed sweeping legislation last week intended to make recycling batteries easier. The new rules will require Apple to redesign iPhone and iPad so their batteries can be replaced by users. (Android devices will face the same mandate.)

Devs can now start making apps for Apple Vision Pro AR headset

Turning the Apple Vision Pro headset from an announcement into a shipping product took a big step forward Wednesday with the release of the visionOS SDK. This includes the software tools developers will use to write applications for the AR headset that Apple unveiled earlier this month.

Lewis: Win a 65W GaN travel charger you can plug in anywhere [Cult of Mac giveaway]

The Ugreen 65W Nexode GaN Charger packs two USB-C ports along with one USB-A port, making it easy to charge multiple devices simultaneously. Plus, its switchable plugs make it effortless for use when traveling in the United States and Europe. It retails for just $55.99, but you could snag one for free in this week’s giveaway.

8 New Photo Features Coming to iPhone in iOS 17

When viewing your photos, Apple has enhanced Visual Look Up in iOS 17 in a few ways, one being the ability to find recipes for similar dishes when meals are recognized in the picture.

iPhone media apps can play music on HomePod using Siri with iOS 17

Apple will finally make playing music from third-party sources on your HomePod easier. Starting with iOS 17, you can ask Siri to play music on your HomePod from music apps installed on your iPhone.

MacBooks make up a whopping 77% of Mac

If you own a Mac, it’s almost certainly a MacBook rather than a desktop. New data from a market research firm show that Apple’s notebooks made up the lion’s share of macOS sales over the last year.

M2 Mac Studio & the 15" MacBook Air - nothing else comes close! (CultCast #599) Jun 15, 2023

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This week: We react to reviews of the M2 Mac Studio, Mac Pro, and 15" MacBook Air - Plus: all this week's best Apple stories!

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Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com

This week's stories

2023 Mac Studio review roundup: Eye-watering power

The primary difference between the new Mac Studio and its predecessor is the processor, so this was the focus of many of the reviews.

M2 Ultra Mac Pro proves twice as fast as Intel Mac Pro — at half the price

In Geekbench 6 stats that surfaced online Saturday, the M2 Ultra scored 2,776 and 21,402 in single-core and multi-core benchmarks, respectively. For comparison, the M1 Ultra scores 2,379 and 17,579 in the same set of tests. This indicates Apple’s M2 Ultra packs a 20% faster CPU.

First Benchmark Result Surfaces for Mac Pro With M2 Ultra Chip

The first Geekbench 6 benchmark result for the new Mac Pro surfaced today, providing a closer look at the M2 Ultra chip's CPU performance in the desktop tower.

Win a Ugreen Nexode a fast 65W Charger with universal plugs

15-inch MacBook Air review roundup: Killer for consumers

Reviewers have plenty of praise for the first 15-inch MacBook Air, with comments like it “does its job very, very well” (The Verge) and it’s “more than good enough” (CNET).

Cheaper Apple Vision Headset Likely to Launch by End of 2025

Apple still plans to launch a more affordable version of its Vision Pro headset by the end of 2025, with the non-Pro model likely to be called "Apple Vision One," or more

Reactions/impressions of Vision Pro! Plus: iOS 17 hidden features! (CultCast #598) Jun 09, 2023

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This week: We're talking all the best announcements at WWDC 23, reactions to the Vision Pro and "Spacial Computing", iOS 17 hidden features, and we reveal the winner of last week's WWDC '23 predictions!

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Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com

This week's stories

First looks at Vision Pro: Apple nails the hardware (and the experience)

The headset, which Apple says will launch in 2024 and with a $3,499 price tag, represents the company’s first foray into what it calls “spatial computing.”

iOS 17 Tidbits: Enhanced Siri Suggestions, Multiple Timers, Recipe Visual Look Up, and More

If you have an Apple Watch paired to your iPhone, Apple has added an optional button in Control Center that enables you to ping your watch if you have misplaced it.

Enter to win a clever AirTag bike reflector mount [Cult of Mac giveaway]

For this week’s giveaway, we teamed up with Device Therapy, which makes a clever disguise to keep an eye on your bicycle. Three lucky winners will receive an awesome Bike Reflector Mount that can help foil thieves who want to steal your two-wheeler.

Mac Studio updated with ‘most powerful chip ever made for a personal computer’

The desktop machine now comes with Apple’s new M2 Ultra chip — the “most powerful chip ever created for a personal computer,” according to Apple.

Mac Pro finally gets updated to Apple silicon, is 3X faster

The new Mac Pro features the “most powerful chip ever created for a personal computer,” and is up to 3x faster than the previous-generation Intel-based model.

WWDC23 Prediction Results

WWDC 23 predictions! (CultCast #597) Jun 01, 2023

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This week's we're talking:

New Macs expected at WWDC 23
Last-minute rumors on what to expect
Our most anticipated announcements
What will make the Apple headset completely different from everything on the market
More!

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Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com

This week's stories

WWDC 23: What to expect from Apple’s blockbuster keynote

New high-end Macs with M2 Max and Ultra chips could debut at WWDC23

Rumored 4K screens could let Apple VR/AR headset offer real world-like clarity

The CultCast WWDC23 Predictions

iOS 17 - everything leaked! (CultCast #596) May 25, 2023

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This week's we're talking:

All the new iOS 17 leaks!
New Apple TV+'s shows top the streaming charts
The return of MoviePass, the company that won't die!

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Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com

This week's stories

iOS 17 might add smart home display mode to iPhone

The always-on display in recent iPhone Pros will get a new use in iOS 17, according to a tipster. The device will reportedly show upcoming appointments, controls for smart home accessories, and more.

iOS 17 to Include Dedicated Journaling App and Mood Tracking

The iOS 17 update that Apple plans to announce in June will include a dedicated journaling app, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The Wall Street Journal in April highlighted Apple's work on a Day One-style journaling app, but at the time, it was not clear if it would come in iOS 17 .

More intel on Apple's journaling app iOS 17 Said to Feature Wallet, Find My, SharePlay, and AirPlay Upgrades

Enter to win the ultimate protection for your Apple Watch Ultra [Cult of Mac giveaway]

Apple Watch Ultra owners, this week’s giveaway is for you. We teamed up with Elkson to give away five Quattro Pro 2.0 cases for Apple Watch Ultra. All winners also will receive an Apple Watch Ultra screen protector for an added layer of protection.

3 Apple TV+ hits are more popular than almost anything else on streaming

Silo, Ted Lasso and Ghosted all showed up in this week’s lists of the most-watched streaming movies and TV shows. They offer further proof that Apple TV+ can successfully compete against Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+.
In fact, Silo currently ranks as the most popular series on any streaming service.

MoviePass relaunches nationwide with a new pricing model

5 reasons to get excited about the Apple VR/AR headset + iMessage hidden features! (CultCast #595) May 17, 2023

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This week: we've got FIVE reasons the Apple VR/AR headset is turning into an incredible product. Plus: five hidden iMessage tips do you didn't know about, and Erfon's dead HomePod story takes an unexpected turn!

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Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com

MacBreak Weekly Podcast

From Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, Apple TV to the ins and outs of Apple shaking things up in tech… you name it, the MacBreak Weekly podcast covers it.
Get a new episode of MacBreak Weekly every Tuesday by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week's stories

5 reasons to get excited about the Apple VR/AR headset

Apple’s next-gen M3 Pro chip could pack even more CPU and GPU cores

5 hidden features in iMessage

Apple sting BUSTS major leaker + Logic & Final Cut on iPad REACTIONS/details (CultCast #594) May 11, 2023

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This week: Apple's internal sting operation just nabbed them one of Twitter's most prolific leakers — but how'd they do it? Plus: our reactions and details on Final Cut Pro and Logic for iPad, and a new startup staffed with a stable of Apple's top ex-employees showcases a new gadget they say is BETTER than the iPhone.

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Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com

This week's stories

Apple busts major iOS 17 leaker with spycraft ‘canary trap’

The tipster who went by analyst941 leaked a large number of details about iOS 17, but his or her inside source apparently was caught by Apple in a sting operation. The source has reportedly been fired, and both they and the tipster could face legal action by the iPhone-maker.

Apple unveils Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro for iPad

With Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro becoming available for Apple’s tablets, “music and video creators can now unleash their creativity in new ways that are only possible on iPad,” Apple said.

iPhone users want pro camera mode from Final Cut Pro for iPad

The iPad version of Final Cut Pro that Apple recently unveiled includes a “pro camera mode” with a number of manual settings not included in the standard camera application. iPhone users saw this and quickly started calling for these features to be brought over to iOS, too.

Enter to win a stylish MacBook case from SwitchEasy [Cult of Mac giveaway]

Two lucky winners will bag a SwitchEasy Urban MacBook Sleeve. Made of water-resistant threaded polyester material, these laptop cases will protect a MacBook from scuffs and scrapes. And they look good while doing so!

Apple brings in robust iPhone revenue but Mac and iPad are down

During the first three months of 2023, Apple’s total revenue dropped 3% year over year. iPhone was a bright spot, but revenue from virtually all of the company’s other product segments saw annual declines. CEO Tim Cook blamed the drop on a “challenging macroeconomic environment.”

Why Humane’s screenless AI gadget will not replace your iPhone

Humane, the hot Silicon Valley startup that’s been drumming up interest in its secretive product recently, finally showed the world what its A-list talent has been working on.

Finally! The Mac we’ve been waiting for is INCOMING + new details on watchOS overhaul! (CultCast #593) May 04, 2023

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This week:

iPadOS 17 could make Stage Manager a lot better
How to install the first-ever iOS and macOS Rapid Security Response
Apple to Announce 15-Inch MacBook Air at WWDC
Apple to Upgrade Its Watch Operating System With New Focus on Widgets
Report Details Turmoil Behind Apple's AI Efforts

This episode supported by

Protect your online activity TODAY with the VPN rated #1 by Business Insider. Visit ExpressVPN.com/cultcast to get an extra 3 months FREE on a one-year package.

Hello Fresh is America's #1 food kit! Go to HelloFresh.com/cultcast16 and use code cultcast16 for 16 free meals, plus free shipping!

Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com

This week's stories

iPadOS 17 could make Stage Manager a lot better

Apple reportedly will make meaningful improvements to the Stage Manager multitasking feature in iPadOS 17. Leaker @analyst941, who previously shared several tidbits about iOS 17, claims Apple is working on some big Stage Manager changes for iPadOS 17.

How to install the first-ever iOS and macOS Rapid Security Response