Apple’s efforts to broadcast pro football games on Sunday nights reportedly have come to an end. The Mac-maker has pulled out of negotiations with the NFL.
Apple TV+ will continue to boast high-profile sports. But apparently its roster won’t include the NFL Sunday Ticket.
At WWDC20, Apple promised to complete its transition to Apple silicon inside Macs in two years. It missed that deadline, and the company is yet to reveal a replacement for its 2019 Intel Mac Pro.
A new report details the reason behind the delay in the next Mac Pro’s launch. It also sheds light on why, contrary to initial rumors, Apple won’t launch a version powered by an upcoming processor that’s essentially four M2 Max processors merged together, sometimes called the M2 Extreme.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: If the EU does indeed force Apple to open up the iPhone to allow alternative app stores, is that a bad thing? Some people think sideloading apps will be fantastic.
Also on The CultCast:
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★★★★☆
Apple TV+ spy thriller Slow Horses nears its bogey this week, in an excellent episode full of richly drawn character detail from the show’s charismatic cast.
Lamb is on the hunt for more evidence, Louisa’s giving in to her grief over Min, River’s getting lost down a rabbit hole of suspicions, Catherine relives a bad moment from her past, and the Russians are cleaning house.
The episode, entitled “Cicada,” stands as a fine and compelling exercise in tension and unspoken personal development.
★★☆☆☆
Acapulco, the bilingual Apple TV+ comedy about the staff at a high-end Mexican resort, reaches the end of its wildly uneven second season this week. Maximo and Hugo make it to the former’s childhood home. Nora and Esteban are getting married. Julia and Maximo need to make a choice about the future. Memo gets what he wants in life. And Diane gets her resort back in order.
Indeed, everyone gets exactly what they want. What a very, very pat ending for a show that promised to tackle more real-life issues.
★★☆☆☆
Echo 3‘s gung-ho warriors spring back into action after weeks of repose and dissolution. Prince decides he’s had enough of a glimpse into a life without his kidnapped wife, Amber, and he’s ready to become part of the rescue operation again. But he’s going to need to get back into her brother Bambi’s good graces if he wants to make any semblance of a clean getaway.
Their next best hope is a DJ with bad security and bad habits — but getting him is going to be a chore and a half. It’s another baffling episode of the really odd Apple TV+ action thriller.
Looking for some sweet holiday gifts that won’t break the bank? The Cult of Mac Store has a massive collection of affordable stocking stuffers, sure to put a smile on the face of any Apple fan, for less than $20 each.
You’ll find cases, screen protectors, bands, stands and more from our most popular vendors. And every product has been used and approved by us, so you can be confident you’re spending your hard-earned cash on great products.
★★★☆☆
Apple TV+’s Mosquito Coast, about a family uneasily fleeing terrorism charges by hiding in the jungle, is all about betrayal this week. Dina comes clean with Allie — and he almost ruins their relationship in return. Margot starts trying to get her family back to the states, but she’s going to need Richard to do it.
Meanwhile, Allie and William are back on a job. And every minute Charlie spends in the jungle makes him like the idea of returning to America a little less. It’s going to be a long Good Friday.
★★★★★
Apple TV+ comedy Mythic Quest takes its annual journey to the past with a stunning episode about the origins of game designers Poppy Li and Ian Grim. We meet the geniuses when they were petulant kids who’d rather dream in nonexistent worlds than pay attention to the one they’re in.
Mythic Quest fans are in for a treat this week. This is a superb episode of this consistently well-played comedy series.
★★★☆☆
Apple TV+ limited series Shantaram comes to a thunderous close this week. The series, based on the novel by Gregory David Roberts about the travails of Aussie escaped convict Lindsay Ford, sees its hero making one last-ditch escape attempt while casting about for his last remaining friends in Bombay.
The Shantaram finale is riddled with questions. Will Abdullah, Prabhu, Lisa, Modena and Khan get out alive? Can Nightingale finally get his man? Will Shah win the war for the streets? And will Apple TV+ try to stretch Shantaram into a second season? We get answers to most of them.