| Cult of Mac

Add wireless CarPlay to your vehicle for just $90

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Get full Apple CarPlay functionality with this 7” display, now under $90.
Navigate, take calls, listen to music and more with this inexpensive CarPlay-compatible touchscreen.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Want a major car upgrade without buying a new vehicle? You can add a 7-inch wireless dashboard display that works with Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto for just $89.97 (regularly $139) through November 16!

Designed to put your smartphone’s features and apps front and center in any car, this wireless car display makes road trips easier, safer and more fun. It’s incredibly easy to set up and widely compatible with various automobiles

Apple adds 100+ podcasts with improved access

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iOS 17 gives Apple Podcasts users a refreshed player and queue, episode art, search filters and the ability to connect subscriptions to top apps.
iOS 17 gives Apple Podcasts users a refreshed player and queue, episode art, search filters and the ability to connect subscriptions to top apps.
Photo: Apple

Now you can listen to more than 100 new podcasts from various apps and services in Apple Podcasts, the company said Tuesday.

“Subscribers to Apple Music, Apple News+ and participating apps like Calm and Lingokids can connect their subscriptions to access new shows and more,” Apple noted.

Add wireless CarPlay to almost any car for just $105

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This $105 HUD can connect to almost any car.
Connect this Heads Up Display to almost any car for $105.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Want an easy way to add CarPlay to your car? Cars old and new can get an upgrade with this 9-inch car display that supports both Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto.

Enhance your ride without replacing your car’s head unit with this touchscreen car display for just $104.99. That’s 63% off the regular price, making this simple solution one of the cheapest ways to add CarPlay to any vehicle. However, this deal’s only available for a limited time.

The latest AirTag and Apple Watch rumors make us giddy [The CultCast]

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An Apple AirTag and an Apple Watch Ultra: We're talking the latest Apple rumors on The CultCast, episode 606.
AirTags with new functionality and Apple Watches in new colors sound good to us.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Which gets you more excited, an AirTag with new AR capabilities, a pink Apple Watch or a black titanium Apple Watch Ultra? This week’s top Apple rumors fuel our imaginations …

Also on The CultCast:

  • Apple touts 1 billion paid subscribers, a gigantic number that pushed the company to record-high revenue for its services division last quarter.
  • Leander cooks up a cheap-and-dirty way to add CarPlay to any car, even an old beater. (Still can’t get him to come on the podcast, though, because … 👀.
  • Tim Cook finally plays the AI card as Apple tries to cash in on the latest tech buzzword.
  • Griffin proves he’s a total nerd the consummate tech collector by revealing what he uses an ancient Apple Newton for these days.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

The cheapest and easiest way to add wireless CarPlay to any vehicle

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CarPlay with Fire tablet and adapter

The easiest and cheapest way to add Apple’s CarPlay to any vehicle is with a cheap Amazon Fire tablet and a USB CarPlay dongle.

You don’t need to buy an expensive new car stereo, nor spend the weekend ripping out your dash and fiddling with wiring. Adding a Fire tablet is very plug-and-play, and instantly makes a big difference. It cost me less than $100 and gave my old pre-Bluetooth stereo a new breath of life. Now I have a big, beautiful, 8-inch screen for maps and directions.

However, it took me a while to find the right combination of gear. Plus, you should consider a few things before taking the plunge with this DIY wireless CarPlay hack.

Here’s why people are learning to love Apple Maps

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Apple Maps' use of 3D imagery led the way, but in other ways it trailed Google Maps.
Apple Maps' use of 3D imagery led the way, but in other ways it trailed Google Maps.
Photo: Apple

After its launch in 2012, Apple Maps performed so badly that Apple CEO Tim Cook actually apologized for the service and fired the company’s head of software (for the disastrous launch and other reasons). But now, many people actually choose Apple Maps over Google Maps and other services, according to a new report.

Porsche’s new app integration drives CarPlay forward

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There goes the latest Porsche Cayenne with the new CarPlay app integration.
There goes the latest Porsche Cayenne with the new CarPlay app integration.
Photo: Porsche

Porsche just became the first carmaker to give drivers personalized control over vehicle functions from an app within CarPlay, accessible via new digital controls on the dashboard (and on iPhone).

With the My Porsche app showing up in CarPlay to control features like audio, climate and lighting in the latest Cayenne SUV, the integration may give a sense of what CarPlay could be like soon in other cars.

Ford won’t join GM in dumping CarPlay

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Apple CarPlay
Ford is sticking with CarPlay, even as GM opts out.
Photo: Apple

The Ford CEO Jim Farley indicated his company will not end support for Apple’s CarPlay in the vehicles it makes. He said the decision was an easy one because a majority of Ford buyers own Apple products.

He was asked the question in an interview because rival GM recently announced it will end CarPlay support in some of its vehicles.

Today in Apple history: Apple teams with Volkswagen for iBeetle car

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The first Apple car, a collaboration with VW known as the iBeetle, rolls onto the scene.
The first Apple car, a collaboration with VW known as the iBeetle, rolls onto the scene.
Photo: Volkswagen

April 22: Today in Apple history: Apple teams with VW for the iBeetle. It's the first Apple car! April 22, 2013: The world gets its first Apple car. Well, kind of.

In reality, the iBeetle is a collaboration with German automaker Volkswagen that offers a car “stylistically linked” to Apple. This means Apple-inspired colors, a built-in docking station for your iPhone, and a special app that lets you control the car’s features.

New iPhone 15 leaks sound encouraging! [The CultCast]

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An image of iPhone 14, adorned with the phrases
The iPhone of the future is coming into focus ...
Photo: Apple/Modified by Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest iPhone 15 rumors provide a fuller picture of what to expect this year. Sounds like big changes are coming in iOS 17. But a last-minute reversal means a hardware feature we were counting on probably won’t happen.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Whatever you do, don’t get “juice jacked” this summer. We offer easy ways to avoid this menace.
  • How much would it take to get you to give up your iPhone forever?
  • The morons running General Motors ditched CarPlay. Get ready for sales to crash!
  • A new edition of What We’re Into dishes up pasta, podcasts and a sci-fi show.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

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