The CultCast

This week: The new M3 MacBook Air is only missing ONE thing¦ Plus: Big changes coming to apps thanks to new EU regulations, why you better act fast on the new 11-inch iPad Pro, what's coming next for CarPlay, and how to pay with an Apple Cash card number!

This episode supported by:

Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com .

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This week's stories:

Entry-level M3 MacBook Air uses significantly faster SSD

  • Apple fixed the slow storage speed that plagued M2 Macs on the M3 MacBook Air. Early testing indicates the entry-level M3 MacBook Air delivers significantly faster read/write speeds than its predecessor.

No App Store needed: EU iPhone users can install apps directly from websites

  • Initially, Apple's plan for compliance required iPhone apps to be on alternative app marketplaces, not directly available for download.
  • That requirement, which brought complaints from developers, has now been rescinded.

11.1-inch iPad Pro supply shortage might push back launch

  • Apple will soon debut the M3 iPad Pros with OLED screens, but perhaps not as soon as many had hoped. And a new leak indicates the smaller 11.1-inch model could be in short supply at launch.

MacRumors: Here's Everything We Know About Apple's Next-Generation CarPlay

  • It has been nearly two years since Apple first previewed next-generation CarPlay at WWDC 2022, and it has still yet to become available in any vehicles. Below, we recap the latest information about the upcoming software system.
  • Tim Cook cameo in Porsche event

How to pay with an Apple Cash card number

  • You can get a temporary debit card number to pay with Apple Cash online in case you want to pay with your balance on a site that doesn't accept Apple Pay.
  • If you have a lot of money sitting in your Apple Cash account, this can be a convenient way to pay without using your other cards.

Apple acquires fundamental AI smarts by buying DarwinAI

  • Apple reportedly purchased DarwinAI, a small startup previously based in Waterloo, Ontario. The company developed software that might make artificial intelligence systems running on an iPhone or other computers more efficient.
Direct download: CultCast_638.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:36pm PDT

This week, Apple dropped the M3 MacBook Air, and the specs look good! But where’s the iPad? Also, we have details on the CRAZY canceled Apple car prototypes and a folding MacBook that’s still in development, Apple’s $2 BILLION dollar legal fight with Spotify, and new features you’ll get in iOS 17.4!

This episode supported by:

Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com .

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This week’s stories:

New M3 MacBook Air gets big specs boost with same awesome battery life

  • The 2024 MacBook Air lineup launched Monday by Apple runs on the company’s M3 chip, bringing a significant performance boost to the laptop.

Early benchmarks show M3 chip gives MacBook Air hefty performance boost

  • Early benchmark scores found by mysmartprice show that the new Air scored 12,020 on the Geekbench multicore test. That’s 25% better than the M2-based MacBook Air earned on the same test, and 45% better than the M1 version from 2020.

MacBook with 20-inch folding screen still on track for release

How indecision and hubris killed the Apple car

  • The history of the Apple car is littered with wild prototypes, astonishing hubris and a deadly dose of crippling indecision, according to a damning report that offers the best picture yet of the secretive Project Titan.

Get ready for new MacBooks and iPads at Apple March event

  • Another product we can expect in the pipeline is the OLED iPad Pro and the first 12.9-inch iPad Air.

EU fines Apple 1.8 billion euros over ‘abusive’ treatment of Spotify

Try these exciting iOS 17.4 features on your iPhone now

  • Apple just dropped iOS 17.4, bringing a plethora of new features — some of which fundamentally change how the iPhone works.
  • Monarch: Budget and track money
Direct download: CultCast_637.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:13pm PDT

D. Griffin Jones is joined by Allison McDaniel to talk more about Mac gaming, what games she's playing, what gear we use and the Stardew Valley speedrunning scene.

Remember that you can support The CultCast at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com and you can employ Allison McDaniel as a writer and digital marketing specialist.

Links:

Direct download: CultCast_Off_Topic_4.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:53pm PDT

After 10 years and 10 billion dollars, Apple finally calls it quits on the Apple car. What happened!? Plus: Apple's FineWoven cases are aging like milk, how to set up the best Mac screen saver, the future for Apple Arcade, and what comes next for Vision Pro.

This episode supported by:

Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com .

Notion AI can now give you instant answers to your questions, using information from across your wiki, projects, docs and meeting notes. Go to notion.com/cultcast to try the powerful Notion AI today.

This week's stories:

Apple car crashes to a halt

MacRumors: Not-So-FineWoven iPhone Case 'Browning Like a Rotten Banana'

  • Apple's $59 FineWoven cases for iPhone 15 took heavy flak when they were released last September for being subpar compared to the leather Apple cases they replaced. Now, The Wall Street Journal columnist Joanna Stern has distilled customers' ire by sharing her own experience with the case after five months of use.
  • Poll by John Gruber

Apple Arcade's future: Kids win, but devs fear ‘smell of death'

  • Apple Arcade now focuses so heavily on family-friendly titles from well-known franchises that some indie game developers feel abandoned, according to a new report.

How to set up the best Mac screensaver, Aerial

  • Screensavers fell out of fashion a long time ago, but Apple's Aerial screensaver looks so beautiful, it just might make you reconsider. In fact, with its stunning visuals, it might just be the best Mac screensaver around.

Don't expect Vision Pro 2 or Vision Air before 2027

Direct download: CultCast_636.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:05pm PDT

Griffin and papa ERF list the games they're currently playing and which ones they like best.

Direct download: CCOT_3_-_Video_games_were_playing.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:08pm PDT

This week, surprising new designs for the iPhone 16 AND incoming iPad Pros! 

Plus: a new iPhone security issue steals your face to drain your bank account! We’ll tell you what you need to know, and we wrap with our review of a new mic we’re using on UNDER REVIEW.

This episode supported by:

Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com.

BetterHelp. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist, entirely online. Visit BetterHelp.com/CultCast to get 10% off your first month.

This week’s stories:

First-ever iOS trojan steals your face to break your bank

  • For the first time, an iOS trojan has been spotted in the wild. It steals an iPhone user’s facial recognition data to go after money in banking and other financial apps.
  • Original Post by Bleeping Computer

Apple fortifies iMessage to foil hackers of the future

  • An iMessage upgrade with post-quantum cryptography will make Apple’s instant messaging platform ready to fend off future hackers. Today’s encryption methods likely won’t be able to stand up, which is why Apple is bringing in the cutting-edge protocol.

New Apple Sports app gives fans scores and stats for free

  • The new Apple Sports app for iPhone gives fans access to real-time scores, stats and more for their favorite teams across a wide range of sports leagues.
  • Apple Sports on the App Store

Woah! Is this the new iPhone 16 Pro camera?

  • The latest iPhone 16 Pro camera rumor comes with an image that shows a radically redesigned lens module.

MacRumors: Apple's Upcoming OLED iPad Pro Models Rumored to Be Much Thinner

  • Such a slimmed down body suggests a notable design change, which is enabled by an even more significant update — OLED display technology.
  • Alongside the iPad Pro, Apple is expected to introduce two new iPad Air models, including a larger 12.9-inch version for the first time.

D. Griffin Jones: Why I don’t want to return my Vision Pro

  • The two-week return window for my Vision Pro is fast approaching, so I need to make my keep it/toss it decision in a matter of days. And I desperately want to keep it.

Under Review: RØDE Wireless Pro

  • The RØDE Wireless Pro is a whole set of microphones you can use for recording videos with high-quality audio on the go.
Direct download: CultCast_635.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:49pm PDT

These are the strategies I use to get huge discounts on tech and most of my other online purchases!

CultCast Off Topic is our new podcast that's ad-free and free for all thanks to your support!  If you like us and want to support our future content, fork over $5 a month at support.thecultcast.com !

Direct download: Off_Topic_2_-_How_to_get_huge_discounts_on_your_favorite_tech.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:29pm PDT

This week, we have Leander Kahney! It's our second-week thoughts on Vision Pro — after cooking, working out, typing tests and more, we've done it all. Are we keeping or returning ours?

This episode supported by:

Listeners like you. Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast of bonus content available for everyone; and your $5 helps us secure the future of the podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show. Support The CultCast at support.thecultcast.com — OR at CultOf9to5MacRumors.com .

Factor Meals. Treat yourself to Factor's delicious, high-quality, ready-to-eat meals delivered right to your door. Head over to FactorMeals.com/CultCast50 and use offer code CultCast50 to get 50% off.

This week's stories:

People are returning Vision Pro in droves … or are they?

  • Many early adopters seem set on returning their Apple Vision Pro headsets. As the 14-day return window approaches for people who bought the device on launch day, an avalanche of posts on X and other social media channels point to a wave of Vision Pro returns.

Mark Zuckerberg says Quest 3 is better than Vision Pro

  • Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his company's mixed-reality headset beats Vision Pro in almost every way, despite the fact that it costs far less than Apple's device. In a short video posted Tuesday on Instagram, Zuckerberg called the Meta Quest headset the “better product, period.â€
  • Tweet by Azad Balabanian

Griffin's Vision Pro tests

MacRumors: iOS 17's AirPlay Feature for Hotel Room TVs Rolling Out ‘This Spring'

  • Starting with iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3, you can wirelessly stream content from your iPhone or iPad to a compatible hotel room TV via AirPlay, and we have now learned that the feature should begin rolling out at hotels over the coming months.

They Are Coming!

  • If you want the Fujifilm X100VI, I make a recommendation that I can't remember I've ever done in 12 years of blogging: pre-order it instantly.
Direct download: CultCast_634.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:55pm PDT

CultCast Off Topic is ad free and free for all thanks to you!  Please help us with $5 a month and get access to our exclusive CultClub Discord and maybe even end up on the show!  support.thecultcast.com

Direct download: CC_Off_Topic_1_Maxtech_Vision_Pro.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:05pm PDT

These are our hands-on reviews of Vision Pro — everything that’s good, everything that’s great, and then the parts you won’t like.

We are RELAUNCHING CultCast Off Topic, a new ad-free weekly podcast covering our favorite weekly topics!  First new episode is coming soon.

We're also relaunching The CultClub, a way for listeners to support your friends at The CultCast.

Your support helps us fund CultCast Off-Topic, a new weekly podcast available for everyone, and it helps us secure our future as a podcast. You also get access to The CultClub Discord, where you can chat with us all week long, give us show topics, and even end up on the show.

Your support also gives us back our creative freedom, freedom to make new experimental content in the style that you know but outside of our regular Apple topics.  Join us for just $5 a month at support.thecultcast.com.

This week’s BIG story:

Our Vision Pro Hands-on reviews.  

Plus:

Win a rugged and waterproof Apple Watch sport band [Cult of Mac giveaway]

  • You might win a super-cool and rugged new Lululook Waterproof FKM Sport Band. We’re giving away one orange band and one blue one, and anyone in the world can enter to win.
Direct download: CultCast_633.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:09pm PDT