The U.K. government has an idea for getting around the thorny issue of tech companies creating a backdoor for encrypted services: just let government agents be able to listen in on encrypted communications.

That’s the so-called “ghost proposal” being put forward by officials from Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), a close surveillance partner of the U.S. National Security Agency. The proposal would make it possible to inject hidden participants into secure messaging services.

This week on The CultCast: A new report details what’s (probably) next for Apple’s 2019 and 2020 iPhones. Plus: Apple plans Netflix-for-games subscription service (with Alex E. Heath!); it’s not just you, everyone got way more spam calls in 2018. And we talk a new wireless charging brick for iPhone, a smart outlet with HomeKit support, and the super-smart HomeKit thermostat you’ve never heard of, in an all-new Under Review.

Our thanks to Dashlane for supporting this episode. Dashlane is the official password manager of Cult of Mac. It’s so good, even Leander Kahney’s mommy uses it. Use it for free for one device at Dashlane.com/CultofMac.

During good times, Apple’s record-breaking share buyback has been credited with helping with a stock market boom.

Something weird happened in December, however. When Apple’s stock price was tumbling from its record high, Apple stopped buying back shares. Clearly the whole “buy low, sell high” thing doesn’t always apply!

Samsung may have accidentally given us an early glimpse at its first foldable phone — weeks before it gets its official unveiling.

A foldable device appears in a one-minute teaser posted and then quickly removed by Samsung Vietnam. But is it really the handset that will be revealed during a big Samsung Unpacked event in San Francisco on February 20?

Nintendo has confirmed that Dr. Mario will be its next franchise to make the leap to mobile.

Dr. Mario World is scheduled for a worldwide release in “early summer” on Android and iOS. It will be developed by Nintendo, Line, and NHN Entertainment, and just like the rest of Nintendo’s mobile lineup, it will be free-to-play.

I’m still blown away that the developers of Rome: Total War for iOS were able to take the classic PC strategy game and translate it almost perfectly to Apple’s touch-based mobile operating system.

Well, the game just got even better since its latest update adds 8 more playable functions, and numerous other updates. Check out more details below.

Having apparently proved its point, Apple has restored its access to enterprise certificates for both Facebook and Google, essentially un-breaking their internal apps.

In a statement to the New York Times‘ Mike Isaac, Facebook confirmed that Facebook is currently “in the process” of returning its internal apps to working order. Google, meanwhile, confirmed to Bloomberg that it was, “working with Apple to fix a temporary disruption to some of our corporate iOS apps.”

Puma is the latest brand to announce a self-lacing, AI-powered athletic shoe that will adjust with swipe gestures or apps for iPhone or Apple Watch.

Puma unveiled the Fi – short for Fit Intelligence – today with plans for the smart shoe to hit store shelves by next year.

Google’s internal apps have been completely disabled from running on iPhone’s and iPads today by Apple.

The move comes one day after Facebook’s internal apps suffered the same fate when Apple revoked the social network’s enterprise certificates that allowed them to install apps without going through the App Store. Without the certificates, Google is unable to test beta builds of its iOS apps.

We’ve seen some terrific discounts on the latest iPad Pro lineup, despite the fact that it hasn’t been out for long, and Amazon’s latest is up there with the best of them. The retail giant has slashed $100 off the 256GB model with cellular connectivity, reducing its price tag to $999.

And that’s just one of the awesome offers in today’s Deals & Steals roundup! We also have refurbished 9.7-inch iPad Pro units for under $300, and $125 off the Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE. Plus, you can save up to 46 percent on some of Logitech’s best accessories for iPad and Mac.

Did you ever look at the five-minute intervals on the Calendar app’s time picker and think, “I really wish I could set that appointment at 09:03 and not 09:05”?

No, neither did I (nor did anyone else that isn’t some kind of control-freak psychopath). But that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Today we’ll see how to tweak the Calendar’s time wheel to show one-minute increments instead of the usual five-minute segments.

Apple developed a design for a MacBook keyboard that’s slim, lightweight, silent and can’t possibly have problems with grit in the keys. That’s because it consists of a sheet of glass with raised keys.

Obviously there are drawbacks, but this proposal shows the company’s efforts to innovate.

Gabrielle Reilly purchased Apple AirPods because there were no wires for her mischievous cat to chew up.

But AirPods came with a new risk of loss from slipping out of her ears. So Reilly, a paralegal from Virginia, created a set of earrings to hold her AirPods.

iPad shipments grew by double digits last quarter, giving Apple its best holiday period for tablet sales since 2015.  Shipments of slates and 2-in-1s had dropped earlier in the year, but analysts correctly predicted this was the result of people holding off for the new iPad Pro.

Some of Apple’s rivals also saw gains at the end of 2018.

Remember the iLoud? It’s a fantastic portable Bluetooth speaker that can also be used as a kind of crappy audio interface to plug guitars into iPads.

Well, iLoud-maker IK Multimedia finally come up with a sequel. It’s called the Micro Amp, and it looks amazing.

The most iconic Apple store in the world is finally getting ready to reopen its doors.

Apple’s glass cube store on Fifth Avenue in New York City has been temporarily closed for over two years, but according to the property company Apple leases the land from, construction on the store’s expansion is nearly done.

Qualcomm is revving up its legal battle with Apple. In a new court filing in Munich, Qualcomm demanded “significant fines” be put on the iPhone-maker for not complying with a previous court order.

Apple was barred from selling some iPhones in Germany at the end of 2018. The company pulled the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 at its retail stores, but Qualcomm is crying foul that other third-party shops still had units in stock.

Fortnite players can now start earning exclusive new Marshmello rewards ahead of the artist’s in-game concert on February 2.

There are four altogether, but sadly the Marshmello model that leaked in data files earlier this week isn’t one of them. You can look forward to a new spray, emote, and pickaxe, however.

Apple seemingly scrapped plans for an iPhone SE 2, but there’s good news for fans of Apple’s 4-inch handset. For the third time this month, Apple is offering brand-new, unlocked models of the iPhone SE for up to $150 off.

The handsets are available in rose gold, gold and silver options on Apple’s clearance webpage. The 32GB models cost just $249 and the 128GB models go for $299.

Compal Electronics will be the primary supplier of the next-generation iPad mini, which is expected to launch sometime this year, according to a new report.

The manufacturer is in the process of expanding production capacity with the expectation of increased shipments and revenues in 2019, despite “clouded” economic prospects.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has confirmed plans to merge WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger — but says it probably won’t happen until 2020 at the earliest.

In a fourth-quarter earnings call this week, Zuckerberg also explained the reasons behind the plan, such as increased security with end-to-end encryption. Many questions still remain unanswered, however.

The average American spends about 13 hours each year dealing with taxes. That’s a lot of work to get money you’ve already earned. For years the options were either fork over money to a tax advisor, or grind through the DIY process. A new app-based solution called Visor offers a third way.

Apple supplier Foxconn may be rethinking its U.S. manufacturing plans in Wisconsin, but the Taiwan-based company wants people to know it’s serious about delivering the jobs it promised.

Responding to a recent report, Foxconn says it will keep its promise to create 13,000 jobs in Wisconsin.

You’ll have to wait longer to get your hands on the very first Mario Kart game for Android and iOS.

Nintendo has confirmed that the launch of Mario Kart Tour has been pushed back to this summer. The much-anticipated title was originally scheduled to arrive by the end of March, but Nintendo says it needs more time to “improve quality of the application.”

It is Nintendo’s second big delay in just one week.

A fresh attempt is being made to demolish Federation Square’s Yarra Building in Melbourne, Australia to free up space for a proposed flagship Apple Store.

The application has been made by the square’s management, which argues that the building to be demolished is not in keeping with the other building designs in the precinct.