The CultCast
This week: Apples 13-year record revenue streak is broken;  our best picture yet of iPhone 7 features; rumors point to a faster, untethered Apple Watch 2; Apple has a huge increase in R&D spending, but where’s the money going?  And stick around for more stories from the Cult of Mac.  This week: a 15-year-old mows lawns, then uses the money to build one of the world’s best Apple collections.
 
This episode supported by
 
Freshbooks, the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster.  And I can vouch for this from experience, it also makes tax time a cinch.  Get started with a free trial at Freshbooks.com/cultcast, and please enter “CultCast” in the “How did you hear about us?” section!
 
TunnelBear, the simple privacy app that makes it easy to browse privately and enjoy a more open internet. Visit GetTunnelBear.com to get your free TunnelBear today.
 
We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a  thanks for the great music you hear on today's show.
 
On the show this week
 
Submit your CultCast intro, win some CultCloth!
 
Intro - Hamilton Morris loves his iPod 
 
8 optimistic takeaways from Apple’s slumptastic earnings call
  • R&D spending at Apple increased by $1.1 billion dollars compared to the same six month period last year, according to a new SEC filing
  • The tech giant is fighting itself here, being forced to compare this year’s numbers to the killer iPhone 6 sales that drove 2015’s overwhelming revenue
  • Apple’s tablets are doing fine, really, selling 10.3 million units this quarter. But in general, tablets are stinking up the place.
  • Apple surprised by SE demand and can’t keep up
 
Apple Watch made $1.5 billion more than Rolex last year
  • The Apple Watch, which celebrated its first birthday this week, is just such a product. How much of an impact did the Apple Watch make in its debut year? Enough to bring in $1.5 billion more than Rolex did in 2015.
  • While Apple has yet to make its Watch sales public knowledge, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, the debut Apple wearable likely brought in around $6 billion in its first year. That’s considerably more than Rolex’s $4.5 billion in total revenue for the equivalent time frame.
  • Apple Watch also outsold the iPhone in both products’ respective first years by a margin of 2-to-1.
 
Apple Watch 2 Rumored to Include Cellular Connectivity Amid Push for iPhone Independency
  • The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is working on including cellular network connectivity and a faster processor in the so-called Apple Watch 2.
  • LTE would undoubtedly require an additional data plan, on top of one they might already have for both the iPhone and iPad, benefits like using GPS, making phone calls, and streaming Apple Music without an iPhone nearby could outweigh the cons for some users. 
 
iPhone 7 may make bigger splash than expected
  • Apple will supposedly make its next iPhone both waterproof and dustproof
  • Digitimes claims the device will also have a new touch-sensitive home button that sits flush with the rest of the screen
  • Other features Apple is rumored to be adding include a new Smart Connecter, dual lens camera, bigger battery, wireless charging, no headphone jack, and a cleaner rear shell design with minimal antenna lines.
  • Design will be pretty much the same as the 6 and 6s.
 
Direct download: CultCast_229_-_Alex_s_Apple_Orchard.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:05pm PDT

This week: why the new iPad Pro screen is “practically perfect”; stories from the "Cult of Mac"; our most anticipated WWDC 2016 announcements; a look at Apple’s newly updated MacBooks; Apple’s secret plan to create hit TV shows; and have you ever wondered how rich you’d be if you invested in Apple’s IPO instead of buying their computers?  We break down the numbers.
 
This episode supported by
 
Freshbooks, the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster.  And I can vouch for this from experience, it also makes tax time a cinch.  Get started with a free trial at Freshbooks.com/cultcast, and please enter “CultCast” in the “How did you hear about us?” section!
 
TunnelBear, the simple privacy app that makes it easy to browse privately and enjoy a more open internet. Visit GetTunnelBear.com to get your free TunnelBear today.
 
We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a  thanks for the great music you hear on today's show.
 
On the show this week
 
 
Apple unleashes improved MacBooks, now in rose gold
 
Apple is secretly planning to take over Hollywood 
 
What a $1,000 investment in Apple in 1996 looks like today
 
What are you most excited to see Apple unveil at WWDC 2016?
 
Greg Packer, professional Apple line squatter
Direct download: CultCast_228_-_Little_red_corvette_y_aaaall.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:17am PDT

This week: how Steve Jobs and the industrial design team saved Apple.  Plus: the reason Jony Ive now has a chauffeur; one year with the Apple Watch; and we reveal the strange cultural phenomenon we’ve been secretly loving in an all-new What We’re Into.
 
Join our new Reddit community to discuss current episodes and submit and vote on story topics for future episodes! http://reddit.com/r/TheCultCast
 
This episode supported by
 
Freshbooks, the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster.  And I can vouch for this from experience, it also makes tax time a cinch.  Get started with a free trial at Freshbooks.com/cultcast, and please enter “CultCast” in the “How did you hear about us?” section!
 
Let’s face it, CultCloth isn’t for everyone.  But if you’re obsessive about keeping your iPhone, iPad, Mac, DSLR, glasses, and other gadgets in sparkling clean condition, you’ll love ‘em.  Check them out now at CultCloth.co, and use code “CultCast” at checkout to score a free 8x8 CleanCloth!
 
We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a  thanks for the great music you hear on today's show.
 
On the show this week
 
Intro - Steve Jobs intros the iMac DV
 
Is this the Apple Car????
 
Why the departure of Apple designer Daniel Coster matters
 
A year after its launch, it’s now clear that pretty much no one needs an Apple Watch
 
Apple Watch shipments predicted to fall 25 percent this year
 
Direct download: CultCast_227_-_Viking_steel.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:53pm PDT

This week: we look into the past at some of the most pivotal moments in Apple’s 40-year history.  Plus: why the iPhone 7 Plus may be your only choice for dual cameras; what it’s like downsizing from the iPhone 6s to the SE; and we pitch our favorite new tech and vote on which is best in an all-new Faves N Raves!
 
Join our new Reddit community to discuss current episodes and submit and vote on story topics for future episodes! http://reddit.com/r/TheCultCast
 
This episode supported by
 
Build a beautiful, responsive website quick at Squarespace.com.  Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off. Squarespace—Build it Beautiful.
 
Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them.  Learn why and get $50 towards any mattress at Casper.com/cultcast.
 
We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a  thanks for the great music you hear on today's show.
 
On the show this week
 
Apple might finally let you delete unwanted iOS apps
 
Dual Camera Said to Be Exclusive to 5.5-Inch iPhone 7
 
iPhone SE proves size doesn’t matter [Reviews]
 
40 moments that have defined Apple over 40 years
 
Our Fave N Rave Picks
Erfon
 
Leander
 
Buster
 
 
Direct download: CultCast_226_-_4_Inches_of_Magic.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:56pm PDT

CultCast #225 - Burrito Beard
 
This week: rumors point to an iPhone 7s with drastic redesign, facial recognition, and the return to a glass front and back.  Plus: folks around the world line up for the Tesla  Model 3; Apple’s making a show about apps hosted by megastar Willie AM; why the new iPad Pro is not a notebook replacement for the masses; in a bizarre plot twist, Apple seeks FBI’s iPhone unlocking secrets; and we’ll tell you why Cadbury Eggs are the worst thing ever on an all-new Get To Know Ur Cultist.
 
This episode supported by
 
Freshbooks, the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster.  And I can vouch for this from experience, it also makes tax time a cinch.  Get started with a free trial at Freshbooks.com/cultcast, and please enter “CultCast” in the “How did you hear about us?” section!
 
Harry’s super-sharp, German-made razors ship free right to your door and for way less than the drugstore razors. Learn more at Harrys.com and save $5 off your first order with code CultCast.
 
On the show this week
 
Intro: Exotic Destinations
 
Review Roundup: 9.7 iPad Pro is a 'Powerful' Laptop Replacement for Casual Users
 
 
FBI cracks San Bernardino iPhone without Apple’s help
 
Apple wants the FBI to reveal how it hacked the San Bernardino killer's iPhone
 
Direct download: CultCast_225_-_Burrito_Beard.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:34pm PDT

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