This week on The CultCast: Apple has powered up the new iPad so much, it’s hard to resist! We’ll tell you why we’re so excited. Plus: What you need to know about iOS 11.3; everything Apple revealed at its “field trip” event; a reliable report says Apple Watch Plus is incoming; and you asked, we answer — from the best Home apps, to our Mac mini predictions, to Commando versus Predator, we answer your most burning questions.

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Juuk’s precision-made aluminum Apple Watch bands are always on point. The Velo is the latest style in Juuk’s lineup of amazing steel bands — the Locarno, the Revo, the Ligero and the Vitero — and is decidedly different in design from its predecessors. Redesigned and reengineered from the ground up, the Velo Apple Watch band features a three-row link design.

This beautiful band comes in three different finishes — Midnight, Silver and Ruby. Obsidian and Cosmic Grey are currently in production. Check out Juuk’s latest lineup below!

Apple will soon let you download all the information it has stored about you, modify it, or even delete it. The privacy change is required by a new European law, but is also in-line with Apple’s policy to not spy on its customers. This sets it apart from rivals like Google and Facebook.

Marketing language often invites a reviewer to find the flaw in the claim. So skepticism was in order when the OnePack arrived with the declaration of being the “Most Functional Backpack.”

I have a backpack for every time I heard that one. But of all the backpacks I’ve shouldered for reviews, OnePack at least comes close to keeping its word.

The software update Apple just released for the HomePod doesn’t include AirPlay 2, the most anticipated new feature. In fact, this new version doesn’t seem to have any enhancements, though maybe that’s to be expected from a smart speaker that just launched last month.

Are you a table drummer? Then here’s a fantastic way to annoy your family and friends this weekend. It’s a iPad and iPhone app called AAS Objeq, which uses the iPad’s microphones to listen to your ceaseless, OCD tappety-tapping, and transforms it into more drumlike sounds. That it, the sound of you whacking the table becomes a bass drum, a chopstick on a water glass can become a hi-hat, and so on. The possibilities for irritating those around you are almost endless.

Thanks to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, a backlash is brewing against the way tech giants like Facebook monetize data. This could result in government regulation, which has the potential to upend the business models of some of the world’s biggest companies.

Luckily, Apple is practically immune. Here’s why 2018’s biggest tech scandal could actually help the world’s biggest tech company.

This post is brought to you by MacPaw, maker of Setapp.

As indie developers, we can get too caught up in how things work — what features our product has, what users can do with it. It often seems like if we can just explain how our product works, everyone will become a devoted user.

We spend lots of time pulling together onboarding videos and tutorials. But there’s a whole other front in the battle of promotion and conversion: making an emotional connection between a potential user and your product and brand.

The just-released iOS 11.3 requires Safari users to tap in web pages to AutoFill their user names and passwords. This means extra work for you, but it’s also more secure.

Another change in the latest version of iOS adds warnings when entering private information onto non-encrypted web pages.

The new Apple Pencil-friendly version of Pages for iPad also has a couple of other big new features. One of these is iBook creation, which we’ll look at in another post. Today we’re going to see how to add an Image Gallery to a regular Pages document. This is handy if you need to include lots of pictures into a document, but don’t want to use pages and pages to do so.

You could, for instance, include galleries of vacation photos in a newsletter for family and friends, with images stacked into daily galleries, or organized by event. Or you could pile a bunch of diagrams into one Image Gallery, allowing you to include a lot more information without cluttering the document. Better still, you can export your Pages document as an eBook, and the galleries become fully interactive.

Let’s find out how to add one.

Apple Watch owners can finally download the first big software update of 2018 for Apple’s wearable. watchOS 4.3 launched to the public this morning, adding a bunch of small new features and performance improvements that make the Apple Watch tick better than ever.

The first major iOS update of 2018 has finally arrived, bringing a host of new features and improvements to the iPhone and iPad.

Apple initially released iOS 11.3 yesterday just for the only available to download on the new 9.7-inch iPad Apple. Now the software update is finally available to all users worldwide.

An iPad sale? Already?!? If you want to save on the new iPad that Apple unveiled this week, you’re in luck. Best Buy is offering the tablet at the best price with a store gift card.

Plus, save on AirPods at Costco. Or choose from a wide selection of refurbished phones, accessories and more at the TechRabbit March Mobile Madness Sale.

iOS 11.3 could be missing two big features when it finally makes its public debut this spring.

Messages on iCloud and AirPlay 2 are notably missing from early release notes. Both features, which were initially expected to come with iOS 11 last fall, have been hit by several days. Who knows when they will appear again.

Thunderclap Newman once sang that there’s something in the air. The Foobot smart air monitor promises to tell you what that something is.

Designed to detect a variety of air conditions in your home, the pint-size Foobot gathers loads of data about indoor pollution. It then let you delve into that information on your iPhone or iPad. So is it a “must have” device or one gadget too many? Get our initial thoughts in our Foobot review.

Tim Cook doesn’t have the same problem with porn that Steve Jobs did.

During a recent interview, Cook made it clear that he feels comfortable with people using their Apple devices to check out, err, adult materials online.

This week’s Apple Pay promotion could get you 20 percent off when you buy sporting goods from Fanatics. You’ll need to spend a minimum of $25 to qualify for the offer, which is valid until April 4. You will also need to use a promo code at checkout.

You’ve probably seen us recommending our readers get a VPN. It’s one of the easiest and most reliable ways to keep your online life anonymous and secure. The reminders are common, but deals on top-shelf VPNs like this one are not.

Apple Music subscribers have started spotting a “Music Videos” section in their Apple Music app, which can be found by looking in the “Browse” tab.

While music videos have been available in Apple Music since the start, the dedicated section shows that Apple is keen to showcase them as a big part of its $9.99 per month service. The curated section features both new videos and also artist and region-specific highlights.

iOS users have installed upwards of 13 million augmented reality apps since Apple debuted ARKit back in September, a new report from Sensor Tower Store Intelligence suggests.

That’s up from 3 million worldwide one month after iOS 11 was launched. Apps which established themselves early on, including Ikea Place, Giphy World, The Machines, and My Very Hungry Caterpillar AR, continue to be top-performers in terms of downloads.

Epic Games is now rolling out its latest Fortnite patch, adding new weapons, new game modes, and more. There are big improvements for those who play on iOS, too — including the addition of party text chat and a whole host of bug fixes.

CHICAGO — Apple’s vision for the future of the classroom is clear: Students armed with iPads and quality apps, and instructors leveraging creative teaching methods. Laying the groundwork for a combination of interactive group projects, immersive audio and video experiences, and some gamification, Apple thinks students will find greater success in schools through the use technology.

With yesterday’s big educational event behind us, we know a lot more about Apple’s vision for the classroom of the future.

It clearly makes Tim Cook angry that people think the iPhone is made in China. “It’s not true that iPhone isn’t built in the United States,” Apple’s CEO said today.

The design work definitely happens in the United States. However, Cook points out that Apple suppliers produce many components in this country as well.

Apple CEO Tim Cook threw some major shade at Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg during an interview this morning discussing Apple’s stances on education and user privacy.

Facebook has come under fire over the last few days after it was discovered that data for millions of users was leaked to Cambridge Analytica. In his interview this morning, Tim Cook said that Facebook should have regulated its self, but its too late for that now.

Apple’s most affordable iPad is now even greater. With a faster A10 processor and support for Apple Pencil, it’s closer to the iPad Pro than it’s ever been. And yet, it’s less than half the price — and even more affordable if you’re a student.

So, what’s the difference between them? Is the iPad Pro still worth the extra cash?

Choosing between the two doesn’t have to be difficult. Our helpful comparison will help you decide which iPad is right for you.