| Cult of Mac

iPhone 15 cable might be its biggest surprise [The CultCast]

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The CultCast episode 609: Logo plus a braided blue USB-C cable.
An iPhone cable hasn't caused this much commotion since Lightning arrived on the scene more than a decade ago.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We’re hearing all kinds of rumors about the USB-C cable(s) that will come with iPhone 15 models. Will they be colorful? Braided? Fast? Slow? We’ve got some leaks and some informed speculation — and probably just enough cable to hang ourselves with.

Erfon’s out this week, but we’ve got a special guest you won’t want to miss!

Also on The CultCast:

  • The Vision Pro gasp heard ’round the world!
  • Why you might want to wash the nasty stuff off your Apple Watch band.
  • Leander’s new e-book Unsung Apple Hero showcases the innovative work of Bas Ording, the Apple designer who worked closely with Steve Jobs to create the look and feel of the iPhone and more.
  • Griffin walks us through some useful Apple apps hiding on your Mac. (Hello again, Stickies!)

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.

More big iPhone leaks, including one we really don’t like [The CultCast]

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Wor$t iPhone 15 rumor yet! With The CultCast logo, episode 605.
Not all iPhone rumors are created equal.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Not all iPhone rumors prove exciting. In fact, a big one this week — possible iPhone 15 price hikes — sounds downright depressing. But it’s not all bad news. The “normie” iPhone 15 might get some trickle-down camera tech that could make it easier not to go Pro this year.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Think of all the interesting ways you could use an Action button like on Apple Watch Ultra’s on an iPhone. Well, the iPhone 15 Pro might get in on that action.
  • Apple’s Vision Pro loaners for developers come with some absolutely ridiculous restrictions.
  • We’ve got an Apple Watch tip that we bet you don’t know — how to get the time with a tap on your wrist. Perfect for those long, boring meetings when you don’t want to peek at your watch.
  • Hang around for the great Apple Music versus Spotify debate of 2023.

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.

New Macs’ benchmarks blow us away [The CultCast]

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The Mac Studio specs make us swoon (and question the Mac Pro's raison d'être. We talk new Macs on our Apple podcast, The CultCast (episode 599).
The Mac Studio specs make us swoon (and question the Mac Pro's raison d'être).
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The M2 Ultra chip gives the new Mac Studio and Mac Pro incredible powers, the first benchmarks show. And the new 15-inch MacBook Air doesn’t look too shabby, either. In fact, it seems like the ultimate Mac laptop for most people.

Also on The CultCast:

  • We’ve got a great travel charger from Ugreen in this week’s giveaway.
  • Erfon uncorks an update on the untimely death(?) and possible rebirth of his beloved original HomePod.

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.

Here’s what we know about iOS 17 so far … [The CultCast]

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A new feature coming soon to iOS 17 sounds like it would be even better on an iPad.
A new feature coming soon to iOS 17 sounds like it would be even better on an iPad.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: iOS 17 might turn your iPhone into a dashboard for your smart home. Plus, Apple’s new journaling app seems like it will arrive soon as well. With WWDC23 just weeks away, we don’t have long to wait.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Three Apple TV+ hits conquer the streaming charts.
  • Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is a moving and surprisingly inspirational documentary about the actor’s life (and his heroic battle with Parkinson’s disease).
  • MoviePass is back from the dead — and one option actually sounds enticing!

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.

Here comes the MacBook Air we’ve been waiting for [The CultCast]

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15-inch MacBook Air will be a dream machine.
The 15-inch MacBook Air will be a dream machine.
Image: Cult of Mac
WWDC23

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: What will WWDC23 bring us? In addition to a sweeping look at the future of all Apple’s platforms, it sounds like we’ll get some major new hardware. Yes, there’s that $3,000 AR/VR headset, but there’s also something we really want: a 15-inch MacBook Air.

Also on The CultCast:

  • The Apple Watch interface will get a major upgrade with watchOS 10. And the same holds true for Stage Manger in iPadOS 17.
  • All about Apple’s new Rapid Security Response system for deploying urgent upgrades.
  • Shockingly, internal strife seems to be one of the things holding back Siri and Apple’s artificial intelligence efforts.

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.

Can Apple’s ‘Reality’ headset spark an AR/VR revolution? [The CultCast]

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A woman wearing a VR headset, with The CultCast logo and Episode 591.
Many have tried to make AR/VR a sparkling reality. So far, nobody's nailed it. Can Apple?
Photo: Sara Kurig/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac
WWDC23

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest leaks about Apple’s AR/VR headset — possibly called the “Reality” — get us thinking about real-world applications. Will this thing kick-start a mixed-reality revolution, or flop harder than the Pippin?

Also on The CultCast:

  • The new Apple Card Savings account pays high interest — and we’re definitely interested!
  • WWDC23 might bring additional new hardware beyond the headset.
  • It’s your last chance to snag a limited-edition Sunset Moment iPhone case from Pitaka.

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.

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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A HomePod with special skills + Tim Cook’s VR power play [The CultCast]

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AI-generated image of a HomePod smart speaker with an embedded display.
No, the next-gen HomePod isn't gonna look like this. AI can't do everything! (At least not yet.)
Image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: That old rumor about a HomePod with a built-in display for FaceTime calls and smart-home wizardry resurfaces. But this time, some fresh details make Erfon even more cranked up than usual about Apple’s smart speaker.

Also on The CultCast:

  • It sounds like Tim Cook pulled a power move on Apple’s design team to make sure the company foists an expensive AR/VR headset on the masses sooner rather than later. Who’s excited? Show of hands?!?
  • Apple TV+ racks up another Oscar, and Erfon is almost intrigued enough to resubscribe. (Especially if his “get three months free” trick works again.)
  • The baton’s about to wave on Apple Music Classical. We’re all quivering with excitement!

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.

Our sponsors: Kolide and Squarespace

  • Kolide ensures only secure devices can access your cloud apps. It’s Zero Trust tailor-made for Okta. Book a demo today at Kolide.com/cultcast.
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Emergency SOS! Apple’s building a metaverse! [The CultCast]

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The CultCast Apple podcast: When Apple finally rolls out its mixed-reality headset, will it be a winner?
When Apple finally rolls out its mixed-reality headset, will it be a winner or a head-spinner?
Graphic: Minh Pham/Unsplash License

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Maybe, just maybe, Apple can make a metaverse competitor that won’t leave us ready to heave. Stranger things have happened, but we’re not so sure the long-rumored Apple mixed-reality headset will be right for us.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite feature looks pretty cool and potentially lifesaving. Be sure to try the demo before you find yourself stranded on a mountaintop.
  • We’re endlessly searching for a Black Friday deal on AirTags. (Editor’s note: Oh, wait, here’s one now: Grab an AirTag 4-pack for less than $80 before this deal disappears.)
  • iPhone 4K video — it’s a scam!
  • Erfon’s missing AirPods Max story takes a strange twist.
  • You won’t believe how much somebody paid for an ancient pair of Steve Jobs’ stinky Birkenstocks.

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.

New MacBook Air is even faster than we dreamed [The CultCast]

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The CultCast Apple podcast: These MacBook Air benchmarks show what a screamer the M2 chip really is.
These MacBook Air benchmarks show what a screamer the M2 chip really is.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest benchmarks make Apple’s M2 chip sound better than we thought. In fact, the new MacBook Air that the processor powers might be the perfect laptop for almost everyone.

Also on The CultCast:

  • The iPhone 14 Pro’s always-on screen looks sweeeeet.
  • How does Apple keep pulling off earnings miracles?!?
  • What not to do when a creep steals your AirTag-equipped scooter.
  • Somebody built an Apple Store time machine.
  • And a truffle tangent to end all tangents.

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 livestream, embedded below.

Our sponsor: Squarespace

Special thanks to this week’s sponsor, Squarespace. Get all the tools you need to set up your very own website and commence selling anything online. Start your free website trial today at squarespace.com/cultcast (no credit card required). Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain with code cultcast at checkout.