This week on The CultCast: WWDC 2019 is right around the corner, and a new report sheds light on everything Apple’s prepping to reveal. We discuss! Plus: The magic of Corning glass, and how making your iPhone just slightly thicker would make it indestructible. And we reveal how (and why) Jony Ive created the massive mystery rainbow stage now present at the heart of Apple Park.

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China Mobile is blocked from offering phone service in the United States. The Federal Communications Commission just unanimously voted to prevent this company, which is owned by the Chinese government, from expanding to the U.S.

Apple devices famously hold their value well, and if they’ve never been used, they can fetch a lot more than they originally cost. But would you pay $19,995 for a classic iPod?

That’s exactly how much one eBay seller is asking for a first-generation unit that comes in its “unopened original box.”

Samsung’s boss Koh Dong-jin says that his company will announce its conclusion about the future of the Galaxy Fold this week.

Samsung has reportedly “reviewed the defect” highlighted in early reviews, and will announce its rescheduled launch plan in the U.S “in a couple of days.”

Some lucky Apple fans who preordered its new Powerbeats Pro buds are set to enjoy early deliveries.

Apple originally stated a delivery date of May 13 for its latest Beats headphones. However, many customers are now expecting to receive theirs on Friday, May 10.

Some of the methods developers use to get players to pay for “free” games would be outlawed by legislation proposed today in the U.S. Senate.

The act would ban games played by children from offering items only as in-app purchases that are actually required to win.

Apple’s third-generation AirPods could bring big internal design changes, according to a new report.

Supply chain sources claim Apple will switch to system-in-package (SiP) technology that frees up space inside each bud. The move could allow other components to be squeezed inside the tiny wireless headphones.

Google and Apple’s feud has cooled a lot in recent years. But like a married couple who are staying together until the kids are at college, neither company is beyond throwing a bit of undercover shade at the other.

Tim Cook has previously taken issue with tech giants which gobble up user data. Now Google CEO Sundar Pichai has taken to the New York Times to blast unnamed tech giants which sell privacy as a “luxury good.”

Considering that a cup of coffee with Tim Cook goes for hundreds of thousands of dollars, you’ve got to be pretty lucky as an up-and-coming coder to get some quality time with Apple’s CEO.

That’s exactly the situation that 16-year-old Liam Rosenfeld found himself in this week, however. One of the 350 U.S. student recipients of a WWDC 2019 scholarship, Ronsenfeld had the rare opportunity to meet and talk with Apple’s honcho.

Minecraft Classic is now free-to-play inside almost any web browser.

The game’s release is part of a #MinecraftMemories campaign to celebrate its tenth anniversary. It obviously doesn’t offer everything you expect from modern Minecraft. But it’s a wonderful trip back in time — and anyone can enjoy it.