The CultCast
This week:
  • HomePod’s been delayed, we’ll talk about that, but Bloomberg put out an interesting piece on the history of the HomePod, and it gives previously undisclosed details of the device you may find very interesting.
  • We gotta talk about net neutrality
  • How Tesla just out Apple’d, Apple
  • Is there still a point to Apple TV?  
  • Tactics to get the best prices on all the Black Friday stuff you want
  • Oh yeah, and 🦃 Gobble gobble yaaa’aaall! 🦃
 
This episode supported by
 
Learn all you want for free with 30-day trial to LinkedIn Learning at LinkedIn.com/cultcast
 
If you just want great WiFi everywhere, check out an award winning Orbi WiFi System from Netgear, at http://netgear.com/orbi
 
CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can use code CULTCAST to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.
 
The Cult of Mac watch store has the best straps in the biz!  Check out the huge Black Friday sale with savings up to 50% at http://store.cultofmac.com.
 
Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show.
 
On the show this week
 
Net neutrality is almost dead, but we can still save it
  • FCC is about to kill Net Neutrality, and they’re calling it the Restoring internet freedom order
  • They’re currently taking our feedback into account, but the official vote for the order will be on Dec. 14th
  • Details of the new plan will were released today.  The plan completely removes restrictions on throttling or prioritizing content, and explicitly allows paid prioritization of content
  • Go to Battleforthenet.com.  It will help you take action. If will connect you to your congress person via phone and even provide you a script of what to say.
 
Tesla out-Apples Apple with the new Roadster “one more thing"
 
Apple’s HomePod smart speaker won’t be home for Christmas - buster
  • Apple’s new Siri-powered smart speaker won’t be one of the hottest gifts of the 2017 holiday season after all.
  • The HomePod was set to launch in December 2017, but the company released a statement today saying it needs more time to make the smart speaker ready for customers.
  • “We can’t wait for people to experience HomePod, Apple’s breakthrough wireless speaker for the home, but we need a little more time before it’s ready for our customers. We’ll start shipping in the US, UK, and Australia in early 2018
  • When it does launch, HomePod will cost $349, making it a lot more pricey than rival smart speakers from Amazon and Google
 
Apple's HomePod project actually predates the Amazon Echo, but has been canceled and restarted numerous times, and has undergone radical design changes
  • HomePod has been in development since 2012, and it’s not like the Echo.
  • The engineers and designers wanted to build a really great speaker that  "sounded better than the ones sold by the likes of Bose, JBL and Harman Kardon”
  • Prototypes ranged from a flat panel with a mesh screen to one measuring some three feet tall with dozens of speakers
  • In 2014, the project went from prototyping into an official endeavor
  • In that same year, Amazon released their Echo, and it reportedly blind-sided Apple’s engineers. They joked with each other that there must be mole working amongst them.
 
Is there still a point for Apple TV?
Smart TVs now have pretty great navigation and menu systems built in.  Many have Google cast built int.
 
The Best Black Friday deals of 2017
 
Moviepass now has a deal for 6.95 a month 
Direct download: CultCast_311_-_The_rocky_history_of_HomePod.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:48pm PDT

This week: 
  • Two weeks with the X.  We’ll tell you what we like and what still sucks.
  • Some very exciting new rumors about the next international of iPhone X
  • Two big features coming you to in iOS 11.2 which is now in its 3rd beta
  • What we tell you what we like and don’t about our favorite gadgets in a all-new under review 🤜🏼💥🤛🏼
 
This episode supported by
 
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.
 
Learn all you want for free with 30-day trial to LinkedIn Learning by visiting http://linkedin.com/cultcast
 
CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can use code CULTCAST to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.
 
Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show.
 
On the show this week
 
Apple may launch 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus in 2018 
  • One of the most reliable Apple analysts in the game is predicting big things for the iPhone X design in 2018.
  • According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will release an iPhone X Plus next year with the biggest smartphone screen the company has ever made.
  • Kuo says Apple will release three iPhones in 2018 with a notch design. There will supposedly be a 5.8-inch (updated X) and a 6.5-inch model, both with OLED displays.
  • The third iPhone will supposedly have a 6.1-inch LCD display but come with the same bezel-free design as the iPhone X.
  • The 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus will have a display with 480 to 500 pixels per inch, possibly making it more pixel dense than the iPhone X. The 6.1-inch LCD version will only have a display with 320 to 330 PPI.
 
iPhone will get rear-facing 3D sensors in 2019
  • According to a Bloomberg, Apple is working on a new rear-mounted “3D sensor” for its 2019 iPhone, which will help further the company’s augmented reality ambitions.
  • The new system will work using lasers and measuring the amount of time it takes for them to bounce back to create a depth map. This is reportedly different to the TrueDepth sensor system used on the front of the iPhone X, which uses a pattern of 30,000 laser dots to measure depth information for features like Face ID.
 
Two big features coming to your iPhone 8 and X with the release of iOS 11.2
  • Apple Pay cash, which will work on the iPad.
  • Apple has added support for faster 7.5W wireless charging in its latest iOS 11.2 beta. iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X all support the increased charging speed. You’ll need a compatible wireless charging mat to take advantage of it, however.
 
2018 iPad Pro could get 8-core A11X Bionic chip
  • Apple supposedly plans to slap an octa-core processor in next year’s iPad Pro, making them the most powerful tablets Apple’s ever made.
  • For the iPhone X and iPhone 8, Apple created the A11 Bionic chip that comes with two high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores.
  • This is the same chip that is currently faster than the chips in 2012 iMacs and my 2013 MacBook Pro.
  • My machine is 33% in multicore tests, but image if they add another 2 high performance cores to the iPad.
 
 
Under Review
 
Eve Degree
 
Eve Room
 
Eve Weather
 
Chocolate Hub
 
Ecobee 4
 
Juuk  Watch Bands
 
Patagonia Micropuff Jacket
Direct download: CultCast_310_-_Two_weeks_with_the_X_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:19am PDT

This week: the iPhone X may be Apple’s best phone, but it’s not perfect.  Catch our first week impressions to hear what we love (and what we don’t!) about Apple’s very spicy new iPhone. Plus: our top reasons to NOT buy an iPhone X; how to use Apple Pay cash to pay your friends an fam; and catch our list of X-rated tips, aka the really useful iPhone X tips and tricks you haven’t heard about.
 
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.
 
Speck makes some of the best looking, most protective iPhone cases in the land.  Shop iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and iPhone X cases in stores or online at SpeckProducts.com/cultofmac
 
The single-router wifi model just doesn’t work for our increasingly high-bandwidth world. The EERO distributed system will blanket your home in hyper-fast, reliable WiFi, and you can score free overnight shipping with code CULTCAST at checkout, at eero.com.
 
CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can use code CULTCAST to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.
 
The Cult of Mac watch store has the best straps in the biz!  Save 20% off any order with code CultCast at checkout.
 
Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show.
 
On the show this week
 
Apple, the most personal computer
 
iPhone X setup shows Apple’s core brilliance
  • Automatic Setup signs you into iCloud, Keychain, iTunes, the App Store, iMessage and FaceTime using your Apple ID, according to Apple. It also takes care of device settings like language, region, network, keyboard preferences, Siri and Home and health data.
  • The setup is reminiscent of setting up a new Apple Watch, but even easier.
 
DisplayMate: iPhone X Has the 'Most Innovative and High Performance' Smartphone Display Ever Tested
  • Displaymate:  iPhone X's display resolution provides "significantly higher image sharpness" than can be analyzed by a person with normal 20/20 vision at a 12-inch viewing distance. DisplayMate said this means that it's now "absolutely pointless" to increase the display resolution and pixels per inch of the iPhone any further, since there would be "no visual benefit" for users
  • "highest absolute color accuracy of any display we have ever tested," with a display that is "visually indistinguishable from perfect.”
 
iPhone X could be Apple’s most fragile handset ever
  • Stress tests by SquareTrade Labs used a range of scientific robots to drop, bend, tumble, and dunk their new iPhone X to see how it managed to hold up to “everyday” damage.
  • They’re calling the X the most breakable, highest priced, most expensive to repair iPhone ever.
 
How to use Apple Pay Cash to send money to friends
  • Apple’s new peer-to-peer payments system called Apple Pay Cash is finally rolling out to public beta testers today with the release of the public beta for iOS 11.2 beta 2 and watchOS 4.2 beta 2, giving iPhone and iPad users the ability to send money to each other electronically.
  • It lets you send money to each other using iMessage.
  • You can send up to $3,000 and the transaction is free if you use a debit card registered in your Apple Wallet.
  • Have a credit or debit card registered in your Apple Wallet
  • Be in the United States
  • Have two-factor authentication activated on your Apple ID
  • Use an iPhone 6 or newer
  • Both you and the receiver must be running iOS 11.2
  • If you meet the above requirements, a new app will show up in the iMessage Dock
  • Once you hit $500 in Apple Pay Cash transactions, you must verify your identity. To do so, you need to take a picture of your driver’s license or official state ID card, and provide some personal information (Social Security number and so on).
 
iPhone X keeps your notifications secret from people who aren’t you
  • Thanks to Face ID, the iPhone X knows when its owner is looking at it, and can hide the content of your notifications until you do so. Now, if somebody else picks up your iPhone X and takes a peek at your incoming alerts, it will only see a list of the apps that have notifications for you.
 
 
X-rated Tips
 
How to teach FaceID to work more accurately
If Face ID doesn’t recognize your face, don’t reposition your face so it will accept it. Instead, type in the passcode so it will ad that position of your face to the accepted data set.
 
Activating multitasking
The smallest swipe of the home bar will register that you want to command the home bar to either go home or multitask. Moment you stop moving you will begin multitasking.
 
Scroll to the top
To quickly scroll to the top in any app, just double tap anywhere at the top of the screen (under the notch, or side of notch both work)
 
Adjust your notification privacy settings 
iPhone X has them hidden by default if your phone is locked.  You can go to Settings>Notifications>Show Previews to make them visible when locked.
Direct download: CultCast_309_-_iPhone_X__Our_top_likes_our_top_dislikes.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:48am PDT

This week: iPhone X—the good, the bad… the ugly.  The reviews are in, we’ll tell you what people love and don’t about Apple’s newest iPhone.  
 
Plus: how to speed up Face ID we’ll tell you about the clever new strategy Apple used to build massive hype for the iPhone X launch, and why it really pissed a lot of folks off.  And stick around for a very weird What We’re Into, where we reveal the stuff we’ve been dong in our lives that you should try too.
 
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.
 
CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can use code CULTCAST to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.
 
The Cult of Mac watch store has the best straps in the biz!  Save 20% off any order with code CultCast at checkout.
 
Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the great music you hear on today's show.
 
On the show this week
 
Siri, before Siri
 
Massive iPhone X lines form at Apple Stores worldwide
  • Fans have begun lining up outside Apple Stores around the world to get their hands on iPhone X.
  • The X makes its official debut on November 3. Apple has promised that units will be available for walk-in customers, but just like pre-orders, they’re expected to disappear quickly.
  • Some lines have already turned chaotic, while latecomers are offering money for precious spots near the front.
  • Scumbags camping just to sell their spots!
 
Why Apple short-circuited the media machine for iPhone X reviews
  • Anybody who thinks Apple can’t innovate should look in awe at the fecal hurricane whipped up by the company’s unorthodox iPhone X marketing plan.
  • By giving popular YouTubers early access to the next-gen iPhone, and allowing them to “scoop” the old-school journalists traditionally granted such preferential treatment, Cupertino upended the typical review cycle.
  • Apple apparently bruised a few fragile egos in the process. Frankly, it’s hilarious watching the ensuing media meltdown.
 
iPhone X meta review: Setting Apple up for the next 10 years
 
Face ID Unlocks an iPhone More Slowly Than Touch ID, but is Faster in Day-to-Day Usage
  • Mark Spoonauer of Toms Hardware compared Face ID and Touch ID unlocking times with a stopwatch.
  • When using Raise to Wake and swiping up on the display as the iPhone is recognizing a face (as Face ID is meant to be used), unlocking took 1.16, but touchID stock only .91 seconds to accomplish the same job.
  • TechCruch said that while Face ID is slower when placed head to head with Touch ID, it's "much more fluid and faster to actually 'do things, ‘“ like opening notification takes fewer steps with faceID.
  • In the Verge’s review, Nilay Patel said that he had trouble getting FaceID to work in bright environments. He postulated it was became the bright light interfered with the dot projector or infrared camera.
  • Hidden benefit of FaceID, can be used with gloves on
 
Face ID can be slower than Touch ID, but you can speed it up
  • There are some things you can do to make Face ID faster, though. The first is to ensure the Raise to Wake feature is enabled in Settings. This shaves off precious time by eliminating the need to swipe or tap the iPhone X’s display before you unlock it.
  • Another thing you can do is disable attention detection. This means Face ID won’t wait until your eyes and face are looking directly at the display before unlocking your iPhone. But be warned: It does make Face ID a little less secure.
 
DrDisRespect is the most good-looking, the most ruthless Twitch streamer in the entire gaming community
 
 
Direct download: CultCast_308_-_iPhone_X__The_good_the_bad_the_ugly.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:46pm PDT

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